China says big external surplus not sustainable

July 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

July 9 (Reuters) – China’s big balance-of-payments surplus is not sustainable, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange said on Friday.

In the last of a series of questions and answers posted on its website, www.safe.gov.cn, the currency regulator said most of the capital inflows into China were legitimate but it would maintain its monitoring vigilance.

SAFE said China’s foreign exchange policy would continue to be geared towards supporting outbound investment. (Reporting by Zhou Xin and Alan Wheatley; Editing by Jonathan Hopfner)

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UK to boost safety inspections after BP oil spill

June 9, 2010 By Leave a Comment

June 8 (Reuters) – Britain said it would increase its inspection of North Sea drilling rigs and monitoring of offshore practices in the light of the BP (BP.L) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Energy and climate change minister Chris Huhne said in a statement posted on his department’s website on Tuesday that he had also asked an oil industry group to investigate the UK’s ability to prevent and respond to oil spills.

“The Deepwater Horizon gives us pause for thought and, given the beginning of exploration in deeper waters West of Shetland, there is every reason to increase our vigilance,” Huhne said.

The UK plans to double the number of annual environmental inspections, the statement said.

BP’s Macondo oil well in the Gulf of Mexico continues to leak between 12,000 and 25,000 barrels per day after the Deepwater Horizon rig, which was drilling the well exploded and sunk.

Some U.S. politicians have criticised previous administrations’ decision to allow the oil industry to largely regulate itself, for lax safety procedures and the failure to develop technology that can tackle a leaking oil well at sea. [ID:nN07147206] [ID:nN08211982]

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(Reporting by Tom Bergin; Editing by Mike Nesbit)

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Indian man on Interpol list arrested in US

May 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

An Indian man, who is on an Interpol list after he was sentenced in absentia to serve four imprisonment in the UK for smuggling cigarettes, has been arrested at the city’s O’Hare International Airport as he was about to board a flight to India.

Anis Gulamras Vohora, 39, was on an “Interpol lookout” list and was stopped by Chicago Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers as he was boarding a flight to India over the weekend, the CBP said in a statement here.

He was arrested by CBP officers pending confirmation of extradition to the United Kingdom, where in October 2008, he was sentenced to serve four years in prison.

Vohora was turned over by CBP to the US Marshal’s Service on Monday for extradition to the UK.

It is unknown at this time if Vohora will be facing additional charges upon return to England.

“This apprehension is the direct result of that vigilance and attention to detail in apprehending Vohora and bringing him to justice,” said David Murphy, CBP director of field operations in Chicago.

Arrested along with three other men in August 2006 in the United Kingdom, Vohora was accused of seizing almost one million illicit cigarettes and 35 pounds of tobacco.

The operation led investigators to a residential house owned by Vohora’s business partner, where they uncovered extensive hand written ledgers detailing the organisation’s purchase and sale of more than 27 million smuggled cigarettes and four tons of hand rolling tobacco between November 2005 and August 2006.

The loss of revenue to the United Kingdom is estimated at around USD six million.

In November 2007, Vohora failed to appear at his trial and a bench warrant was issued.

In October 2008, a British judge found Vohora guilty in abstentia and sentenced him to serve four years in a British prison.

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Jayalalithaa looses plea to quash disproportionate assets case

May 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, May 11 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition filed by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa urging it to quash the proceedings initiated by the Special Court against her in disproportionate assets case.

A bench comprising Justices B Sudershan Reddy and S S Nijjar dismissed her plea that the Karnataka High Court had erred, while holding that the trial court order taking congnisance of the complaint on June 5, 1997, did not suffer from any illegality or irregularity.

Earlier on March 19, the apex court had ordered the resumption of Jayalalithaa”s trial in the fourteen-year-old corruption case.

She had approached the apex court challenging the March 10 verdict of the Karnataka High Court.

In her lawsuit, Jayalalithaa contended the March 10 High Court order had glossed over the fact that the charge sheet against her was not able to make out any case against her.

The High Court had rejected Jayalalithaa”s plea for quashing a 1997 order of a Chennai trial court, which took cognisance of Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption”s complaint that she amassed wealth disproportionate to her known sources of income during that period.

The High Court had said Jayalalithaa was ”ably represented by eminent lawyers” and had participated in the trial of the case during which 200 witnesses were examined and cross-examined over a 13-year period.

“It is not open for her now to seek quashing of the proceedings on the premise that the order taking cognisance of the offence passed on 5th June, 1997, is a nullity and is not in accordance with law,” it had said in the order.

Jayalalithaa is accused of amassing Rs.66.65 crore between 1991 and 1996 when she was the chief minister. (ANI)

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Info that kids share on Facebook a matter of concern: Kiwi watchdog

May 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Wellington, May 3 (ANI): A Kiwi watchdog has revealed that there is a growing concern about the information children share on the Internet.

A Privacy Commission survey revealed that nearly 45 percent of Kiwis have online profiles, most on Facebook, and that more than half think that online social networking sites are private.

But the rush to social networking, which is up from 32 percent last June and 14 per cent in August 2007, coincides with greater concerns over online privacy, especially for children.

Privacy Commissioner Marie Shroff said that a surprising number of people, 57 percent, believed social networking sites were mostly private spaces.

She said there was an illusion of privacy on sites such as Facebook, Twitter or Flickr, but personal details or pictures could be easily accessed by anyone.

A high percentage of social network users were children, and Shroff encouraged vigilance in protecting them on the Internet.

“The internet offers a huge amount in terms of entertainment, education and ability to communicate with others, but there are risks too,” the New Zealand Herald quoted her as saying.

“When children are online they can and do give away a lot of information about themselves, without necessarily being aware of the consequences,” she explained.

Shroff cited cases of identity theft of children as young as 10 which resulted in online abuse on Facebook.

“Children can risk themselves and their families by revealing personal and intimate information, which enables harms such as identity crime, stalking, text bullying and invasion of privacy in various ways,” she stated.

In a survey by the Internet safety organisation Netsafe, 25 percent of secondary school students said they had been aggressively sexually solicited online.

Children sharing personal details online were the greatest concern among people surveyed by the Privacy Commissioner”s office, 88 percent said they worried about the information their children revealed online.

Seventy-nine per cent were concerned about the security of personal information held by overseas businesses.

Netsafe operations manager Lee Chisholm said any personal information put online should be considered public and permanently accessible.

Even if a user had tight privacy settings on a social network, messages or pictures could be relayed by friends and could resurface years after being posted.

Netsafe had observed some encouraging patterns in children”s Internet use, she said.

“Young people are quite savvy about keeping knowledge online,” she stated.

Abuse and harassment did happen, but using social networking sites “is not as big a risk as adults tend to think it is”.

The Privacy Commissioner”s study found 86 percent of users said they knew how to protect their privacy by changing settings, and 66 percent said they had altered their privacy settings.

The commissioner added that Internet users should, if necessary, put pressure on internet giants such as Google and Facebook to protect their privacy.

Both sites have been criticised internationally for privacy breaches or not guaranteeing users” safety.

Last month, Shroff wrote a formal complaint to Google after it introduced its Buzz social network, accusing it of commercially experimenting on New Zealanders.

Information technology commentator Peter Griffin said privacy rights would be increasingly strained as Internet giants tried to make social networks profitable by using targeted advertising.

He cited Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg”s recent observation that the age of privacy was over.

Shroff recommended that people could use the resources on Internet safety available through Hector”s World, Netsafe and the Privacy Commissioner”s website.

The privacy survey also showed the organisations most trusted in holding personal information were health service providers, with a 94 percent confidence rating.

This was followed by the police on 88 percent, Inland Revenue on 84 percent and ACC on 68 percent.

The Law Commission is reviewing the Privacy Act. It says rapid advances in technology have challenged rights to privacy. (ANI)

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Gurus can power off your brain

April 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The influence that religious gurus have on a person’s thinking power can be all-encompassing.

Areas of the brain responsible for scepticism and vigilance become less active when a person falls under the spell of a charismatic figure, concludes a new study.

The study, which looked at people”s response to prayers spoken by someone purportedly possessing divine healing powers, has been published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.

To come up with the conclusion, Uffe Schjødt of Aarhus University in Denmark and colleagues turned to Pentecostal Christians, who believe that some people have divinely inspired powers of healing, wisdom and prophecy.

New Scientist reports, “using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), Schjødt and his colleagues scanned the brains of 20 Pentecostalists and 20 non-believers while playing them recorded prayers. The volunteers were told that six of the prayers were read by a non-Christian, six by an ordinary Christian and six by a healer. In fact, all were read by ordinary Christians.

“Only in the devout volunteers did the brain activity monitored by the researchers change in response to the prayers. Parts of the prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices, which play key roles in vigilance and scepticism when judging the truth and importance of what people say, were deactivated when the subjects listened to a supposed healer.

“Activity diminished to a lesser extent when the speaker was supposedly a normal Christian.”

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Gurus can power off your brain

April 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The influence that religious gurus have on a person’s thinking power can be all-encompassing.

Areas of the brain responsible for scepticism and vigilance become less active when a person falls under the spell of a charismatic figure, concludes a new study.

The study, which looked at people”s response to prayers spoken by someone purportedly possessing divine healing powers, has been published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.

To come up with the conclusion, Uffe Schjødt of Aarhus University in Denmark and colleagues turned to Pentecostal Christians, who believe that some people have divinely inspired powers of healing, wisdom and prophecy.

New Scientist reports, “using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), Schjødt and his colleagues scanned the brains of 20 Pentecostalists and 20 non-believers while playing them recorded prayers. The volunteers were told that six of the prayers were read by a non-Christian, six by an ordinary Christian and six by a healer. In fact, all were read by ordinary Christians.

“Only in the devout volunteers did the brain activity monitored by the researchers change in response to the prayers. Parts of the prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices, which play key roles in vigilance and scepticism when judging the truth and importance of what people say, were deactivated when the subjects listened to a supposed healer.

“Activity diminished to a lesser extent when the speaker was supposedly a normal Christian.”

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Religious gurus have the power to switch off your brain

April 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, Apr 28 (ANI): Areas of the brain responsible for scepticism and vigilance become less active when a person falls under the spell of a charismatic figure, concludes a new study.

The study, which looked at people”s response to prayers spoken by someone purportedly possessing divine healing powers, has been published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.

To come up with the conclusion, Uffe Schjødt of Aarhus University in Denmark and colleagues turned to Pentecostal Christians, who believe that some people have divinely inspired powers of healing, wisdom and prophecy.

New Scientist reports, “using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), Schjødt and his colleagues scanned the brains of 20 Pentecostalists and 20 non-believers while playing them recorded prayers. The volunteers were told that six of the prayers were read by a non-Christian, six by an ordinary Christian and six by a healer. In fact, all were read by ordinary Christians.

“Only in the devout volunteers did the brain activity monitored by the researchers change in response to the prayers. Parts of the prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices, which play key roles in vigilance and scepticism when judging the truth and importance of what people say, were deactivated when the subjects listened to a supposed healer.

“Activity diminished to a lesser extent when the speaker was supposedly a normal Christian.” (ANI)

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Sonia Gandhi to visit Rae Bareli today

March 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Mar 31 (ANI): Congress President Sonia Gandhi will visit her parliamentary constituency Rae Bareli today to review the ongoing centre-sponsored development projects there.

During the visit, she will preside over a meeting of the district vigilance and monitoring committee that reviews the development projects.

She is expected to make surprise visits and meet locals to evaluate the execution of the projects funded by the Central Government.

She is also likely to meet family members of a local senior congress leader and close aid of Gandhi-Nehru family, Gaya Prasad Shukla, who died on Monday.

Gandhi will return to New Delhi in the evening. (ANI)

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Madu Koda scam: Chaudhary to continue as probing officer

March 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Ranchi (Jharkhand), Mar 30 (ANI): The Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday announced that Income Tax (IT) Director (Investigation) Ujjwal Chaudhary, who is investigating the Madhu Koda scam, would continue to be the probing officer.

The court had earlier on March 16 extended the stay on Chaudhary”s transfer till March 30.

The High Court, on February 23, had stayed Chaudhary”s transfer after Durga Oraon filed an interlocutory application in the disproportionate asset (DA) case and had asked the IT department to file an affidavit as why the transfer was made.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), on February 19, had transferred Chaudhary from the post of director Income Tax (investigation) wing to the post of commissioner Income Tax (Central) an assessment wing of the department.

In another DA case involving ex-ministers including Koda, the bench had earlier asked the state government as why the CBI enquiry should not be ordered for its investigation.

Appearing for petitioner counsel Reetu Kumar argued that since the investigation by I-T and Enforcement Directorate (ED) has found huge investments made by the respondents in foreign countries, the investigation should be handed over to the CBI.

State advocate general RS Majumdar contended the arguments that there is no need for CBI inquiry as investigation is being carried out by the vigilance and other agencies.

The court had also dismissed an interlocutory application filed by the prime accused Binod Sinha in which he has sought relief from any coercive action by the investigating agencies. The bench had then said that court could not interfere in the investigation of the case.

Madhu Koda is involved in the Rs 4000 crore money laundering scam. (ANI)

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Weed outbreak sparks call for vigilance

March 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The state Primary Industries Minister says north Queensland landholders must be vigilant in the fight against another invasive weed.

More than 200 pond apple plants have been found at Habana, north of Mackay, and three weed sessions to educate landholders will be held in the area later in the month.

The plants are considered class two pests.

Minister Tim Mulherin says he is concerned about the discovery as the seeds can spread a great distance.

“Throughout different parts of Queensland there are infestations up in the cape, Mackay, Nambour, but there’s an area of approximately 2,175 hectares of land between Cooktown and Ingham where the majority of the infestation occurs,” he said.

“It can grow up to 15 metres high [and] it bears fruit, which isn’t dangerous, [but] the seeds from the fruit spread the infestation.

“These seeds can get into creek systems and travel up to 1,300 kilometres along the coastline.”

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‘Two for one’ breast boosting technique not as viable as it seems

September 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, Sep 16 (ANI): A technology that was claimed as the ultimate solution to give a boost to women’s breasts by using fat removed from thighs is not viable as it seems, say experts.

Mel Graham, chairman of the Harley Medical Group, recently claimed that the “two for one” procedure could extract excess fat from where it was not wanted – the belly, hips or thighs – and relocate it to the bust.

However, rival cosmetic surgeons criticised the “hype” surrounding the new operation, insisting that it was “premature”.

“(This) is setting consumers up for disappointment and there are many reasons for vigilance,” the Independent quoted Dai Davies, of Plastic Surgery Partners in Harley Street, as saying.

He said that doctors have long been experimenting with innumerable aids to give women larger busts, including using body fat as a procedure.

The technique of removing fat by liposuction, and then injecting it into the chest has been tried for almost 20 years but with limited success, said Davies.

“Where you are injecting small amounts of fat into the face, which has a good blood supply, there is good evidence that it works. Most plastic surgeons would agree there is a place for it. But this involves injecting a large blob of fat into the breast area. Fat consists of living cells and living cells must have a blood supply, otherwise they die,” he explained.

In a Japanese study last year, 230 women underwent fat transfer, and it was found that, on average, half the fat injected was lost and all the women needed a second procedure after a year.

There are also fears that dying fat cells could cause micro-calcification in the breast leading to difficulties in breast screening and an increase in biopsies – an invasive procedure to remove tissue to check for cancer.

“I don’t think we should be a testing ground for all these techniques. You are feeding on a susceptible group of people. There should be controls but, sadly, the Government has decided it won’t implement regulation,” said Davies.

Professor David Sharpe, a plastic surgeon in Yorkshire and the founding chairman of the breast special interest group of BAAPS, said: “This sounds like another example of creative marketing. Breast implants are a well-tried and tested method. At the moment, I would stick with that.”

Mel Braham, chairman of the Harley Medical Group, said results of a US trial to be presented next month would demonstrate the success of the operation.

“The results will be assessed by our medical board and, if approved, the operation will be introduced next year. I don’t take risks with patients. I am confident this is a safe procedure,” he said. (ANI)

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PM concerned over low conviction rate of cases under SC/ST Act

September 8, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Sep.7 (ANI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday expressed concern over low conviction rate of persons involved in carrying out atrocities against schedule castes and schedule tribes.

Speaking during inauguration of a conference of state ministers of welfare and social justice at New Delhi on Monday, Prime Minister Dr. Singh said: “Reports of atrocities against SCs, STs and senior citizens continue to appear with disturbing regularity. I have in fact written to the Chief Ministers of all states recently to enforce the provisions of the SCs and STs (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. It is shocking that conviction rate for cases of atrocities against SCs and STs is less than 30 percent against the average of 42 per cent for all cognisable offences under IPC.”

“The state governments need to give more attention to this issue,” the PM said.

Singh told them to conduct meetings of state and district level vigilance committees on a regular basis and said that court cases should be pursued on priority.

Focussing on the need to change the general mindset towards disadvantaged groups, the Prime Minister said such people should be made equal partners in the developmental processes.

“We propose to amend the Persons with Disabilities Act in consultation with states so as to bring it in line with the UN Convention (on Rights of Persons with Disabilities),” Dr. Singh said.

Referring to the drought like situation prevailing in many parts of the country, Singh said, “the experience has been that weaker sections tend to be the worst affected by such natural calamities.

“We, therefore, need to step up monitoring and implementation of welfare schemes like NREGA, Annapurna and Old Age Pension Scheme, which target the weaker sections.” (ANI)

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Prime Minister to inaugurate anti-corruption conference today

August 26, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Aug.26 (ANI): Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh will inaugurate a two-day CBI conference on anti-corruption here today.

The 17th biennial conference of the CBI, state anti-corruption bureaux and vigilance agencies will be attended by their chiefs.

Issues of corruption and efficacy of the existing legal system in dealing with the menace will be discussed during the conference.

The conference will have seven sessions during which several presentations and discussions on the subjects of topical interest including that about the probe into the multi-crore rupees Satyam scam will be made.

The topics covered during the conference include Anti-Corruption Work in Karnataka Lokayukta- A study; Innovation as a tactical tool to combat corruption; Good practices followed by anti-corruption agencies.

Investigation of anti-corruption cases- Technological perspectives; Capacity building for Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) and State FSLs; Vigilance aspects in public procurement and tendering processes; Contemporaneous issues (State referred issues) will also be considered. (ANI)

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Prime Minister to inaugurate anti-corruption conference on Wednesday

August 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Aug.25 (ANI): Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh will inaugurate a two-day Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conference on anti-corruption on Wednesday.

During the conference the issues of corruption and efficacy of the existing legal system in dealing with the menace will be deliberated upon.

The 17th biennial conference of CBI, State anti-corruption bureaux and vigilance agencies attended by their chiefs aims at strengthening the anti-corruption mechanism in the country.

According to an official release, various dimensions of corruption in India and the strategies to effectively handle it and also focus on the efficacy of existing legal instruments and administrative arrangements to deal with the menace will be deliberated upon.

The conference would have seven sessions during which several presentations and discussions on the subjects of topical interest including that about the probe into the multi-crore rupees Satyam scam would be made.

The topics covered during the conference include Anti Corruption Work in Karnataka Lokayukta- A study; Innovation as a tactical tool to combat corruption; Good practices followed by anti-corruption agencies.

Investigation of anti-corruption cases- Technological perspectives; Capacity building for Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) and State FSLs; Vigilance aspects in public procurement and tendering processes; Contemporaneous issues (State referred issues) would also figure during the conference. (ANI)

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ICC confirms Oz team management approach to ACSU

August 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Dubai, Aug.19 (ANI): The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday confirmed that its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) had received a report from the Australia team management concerning an approach to one of its players by a man suspected of links to illegal bookmaking.

“There is no evidence of any illegal activity as a result of this approach, which took place following the second Test at Lord’s in July, and the ICC would like to place on record its praise for the player approached and the Australia team management for reporting the issue,” an ICC press release said.

“Approaches to players do happen and it would be naove to assume otherwise; if they did not then there would be no need for the continuing existence of the ACSU. The ICC is confident that all approaches are being reported, it is proud of systems and education processes in place which have created a widespread culture of integrity among the world’s top players and it is pleased those players have confidence in the ACSU to report such matters,” the release added.

“Incidents such as the one reported in the media illustrate the need for constant and ongoing vigilance on the part of players, officials and administrators and there is no scope for complacency. However, thanks to the ACSU, cricket is regarded by other as a world leader in the area of anti-corruption and the ICC wants it to stay that way,” it said further.

“There is no indication that any matches in the current Ashes series or the ICC World Twenty20 2009 have been affected by corruption in any way and the ICC is confident the issue is under control. The ICC does not intend to reveal specifics of any approaches to players because doing so would have the potential to be counter-productive to any investigations and also to relationships of trust the ACSU has developed,” the release said. (ANI)

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Pak has taken Manmohan Singh’s remarks ‘very seriously’ :Qureshi(Lead:Manmohan)

August 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Islamabad, Aug.18 (ANI): Pakistan has said it has taken Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh’s remarks ‘very seriously’, asking New Delhi to provide information regarding Pakistan based terrorists planning fresh attacks against India.

Talking to the media on the sidelines of a function at the Foreign Services Academy, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said India must share the information supporting Dr.Singh’s statement, in accordance with the Sharm-el-Sheikh agreement.

“We can’t take any such statement lightly. Pakistan wants peaceful and friendly relationship with all its neighbors and that’s why it wants that the misunderstandings should be ratified. So, let’s see what they respond to us,” The News quoted Qureshi, as saying.

Earlier, India’s Deputy High Commissioner, P. Kumaran, was summoned to the Foreign Office by Director-General of South Asia, Afrasiab Hashmi, on Monday.

Sources said Hashmi told Kumaran that both India and Pakistan had agreed to share information regarding terror threats in Sharm-el-Sheikh.

“In all sincerity, we would request India to share real time information that they have and for our part we stand ready to cooperate fully in pre-empting any act of terror,” Hashmi was quoted, as saying.

Hashmi said Islamabad needed credible information to crackdown on extremists planning attacks on India.

Foreign Office spokesperson Abdul Basit said Dr.Singh’s remarks ‘warrant serious and prompt attention.’

Speaking after inaugurating a Chief Ministers’ Conference on Internal Security in New Delhi, Dr. Singh, on Monday, had said there is credible information that terrorist groups based in Pakistan were planning to carry out fresh attacks in India and advocated the need for utmost vigilance.

Dr. Singh said : “We have put in place additional measures after the last year’s Mumbai terror attack. But there is need for continued vigilance. The area of operation of these terrorists today extends far beyond the confines of Jammu and Kashmir and covers all parts of our country.” (ANI)

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Pak asks India to share information supporting Manmohan Singh’s remarks (Leda:Indian Envoy)

August 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Islamabad, Aug.18 (ANI): Pakistan has asked India to share information that formed the basis of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s statement that Pakistan based terrorist were planning fresh Mumbai type attacks against the country.

India’ Deputy High Commissioner, P. Kumaran, was summoned to the Foreign Office by Director-General of South Asia, Afrasiab Hashmi, on Monday.

Sources said Hashmi told Kumaran that both India and Pakistan had agreed to share information regarding terror threats in Sharm-el-Sheikh.

“In all sincerity, we would request India to share real time information that they have and for our part we stand ready to cooperate fully in pre-empting any act of terror,” Hashmi was quoted, as saying.

Hashmi said Islamabad needed credible information to crackdown on extremists planning attacks on India, the Dawn reports.

Foreign Office spokesperson Abdul Basit said Dr.Singh’s remarks ‘warrant serious and prompt attention.’

Earlier, speaking after inaugurating a Chief Ministers’ Conference on Internal Security in New Delhi, Dr. Singh said there is credible information that terrorist groups based in Pakistan were planning to carry out fresh attacks in India and advocated the need for utmost vigilance.

Dr. Singh said : “We have put in place additional measures after the last year’s Mumbai terror attack. But there is need for continued vigilance. The area of operation of these terrorists today extends far beyond the confines of Jammu and Kashmir and covers all parts of our country.” (ANI)

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Pak summons Indian envoy, protests against Manmohan Singh’s remarks

August 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Islamabad, Aug.18 (ANI): Pakistan has lodged a protest against Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh’s remarks that terrorists based on Pakistani soil are planning to carry out Mumbai type attacks again on India.

A spokesman said Islamabad has taken strong exception to Dr.Singh’s statement and had summoned India’s deputy high commissioner to the Foreign Office in this regard.

“The deputy high commissioner of India was summoned to the Foreign Office by the director general (South Asia), and told that the Indian prime minister’s remarks warrant serious and prompt attention,” The Daily Times quoted the spokesperson, as saying.

Dr.Singh. on Monday said there is credible information that terrorist groups based in Pakistan are planning to carry out fresh attacks in India and advocated the need for utmost vigilance.

He was speaking after inaugurating a Chief Ministers’ Conference on Internal Security in New Delhi.

He said: “We have put in place additional measures after the last year’s Mumbai terror attack. But there is need for continued vigilance. The area of operation of these terrorists today extends far beyond the confines of Jammu and Kashmir and covers all parts of our country.” (ANI)

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Major haul of adulterated pulses seized in Jaipur mill

July 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Jaipur, July 15 (ANI): A vigilance team of Rajasthan Food Department has seized over 10 quintals of adulterated pulses during a raid at a mill in the State capital of Rajasthan.

According to the officials involved in the raid, the pulses were processed and polished to give fine appearance by using of toxic colouring agents and soapstone powder.

The Food Inspector of the department said that the seized stock of pulses as most unsafe for consumption.

“A soap-stone has been found which is not permissible to be added in pulses. Colour agents like tetrazene were used which is also not at all permissible as an additive. The pulses which were seized had high quantities of such adulterated chemicals,” said Virendra Chowdhary, Inspector with the Department of Food, Rajasthan.

Meanwhile, the Jaipur District Food Officer said that the pulses would have caused a number of complex health problems.

However, a hunt has been launched to nab the owner of the mill who is at large.

“They are playing with the health of people. Health officials have now taken the samples of the pulses and appropriate action will be taken after our investigation,” noted U D Khan, District Food Officer, Jaipur.

Samples of the seized stock have been sent for analysis and degree of adulteration. (ANI)

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