West Bengal is 'university' of Maoist activities, says Lalu

Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad on Thursday described West Bengal as an "university of Maoist activities" where the ultras get training and launch armed strikes in other parts of the country.

"West Bengal is a university of Maoist activities. Here the Left wing rebels get arms training," he told reporters at a brief interaction in Kolkata. The RJD supremo was in the West Bengal capital to attend a public programme.

"The Maoists get training in this state and they launch attacks in other states," he said.

The former railways minister declined to comment when asked about the performance of his successor Mamata Banerjee.

"I have no reaction to the issue. People will decide how she (Mamata Banerjee) is performing," he said.

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India calls for an international terror treaty

Expressing concern over the terror attack on Indian embassy in Kabul, India's envoy to the United Nations Hardeep Singh Puri has asked the world leaders to negotiate an international treaty to tackle terrorism expeditiously.

"Our Embassy in Kabul was again subjected to yet another terrorist attack, which has resulted in injury of Indian security personnel as well as death of large number of Afghan civilians," Puri told the committee of the General Assembly that handles a range of social, humanitarian affairs and human rights issues.

"While it is important for the international community to condemn terrorism and these attacks in an unequivocal manner, it is also critical that we strengthen the legal framework in the fight against terrorism," he noted.

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Shame for Mayawati govt; SC slams it for statues

The Supreme Court on Monday accused the Uttar Pradesh government of constructing memorials despite its ban and warned it cannot that the court cannot treated like a political party.

"You don't play politics as you do it with other political parties in the Assembly," a bench comprising justices B N Agrawal and Aftab Alam sternly told senior lawyer Harish Salve, who is appearing for the state.

The bench rejected the UP government’s argument that there was some "confusion" and it had not violated of the court’s order.

"We have read with deep pain your affidavit and the undertaking made by you was lacking in sincerity. It was just an eyewash," the bench said.

It said that prudence demand that if there was any such confusions, it was the duty of the state to approach the court and seek necessary clarifications.

The apex court passed the observation while dealing with the validity of the Rs 2,600 crore memorial structure being constructed for BSP founder Kanshi Ram and others Dalit leaders in the heart of Lucknow city.

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UPA set to bring in land acquisition Bills

The Centre is learnt to be gearing up to bring the Land Acquisition Bills in Parliament during the winter session next month, which could lead to another face-off with Trinamool Congress chief and Union Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee who is known to be opposed to the proposed legislations.

Sources said the Congress leadership has already informed Mamata that it wants to introduce the Bills during the winter session, and urged her to reconsider her stand. It has argued that by blocking the Bills, Mamata was allowing the continuation of the existing land acquisition which provide overriding powers to the state to acquire land.

“We are impressing upon Mamata to understand that the existing land acquisition laws are completely against the farmers and, therefore, there is an urgent need for a new one,” said a senior Congress lead

Mamata is learnt to have held a meeting of her party’s core group after being informed that the government was keen to go ahead with the Bills. The Trinamool Congress is reported to have proposed at least two amendments: a provision allowing farmers the right to get back the acquired land if the project fails to take off and complete transparency in land purchases made by private developers.

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Toll mounts to 39 in Kerala boat accident

Rescuers on Thursday fished out more bodies from the Thekkady Lake, taking the toll in the boat tragedy to 39 even as the Kerala government ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident.

The tragedy occurred when the state-run double decker boat 'Jalakanyaka' carrying 74 tourists tilted after several tourists moved to one side on sighting elephants in the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary on the banks of the lake on Wednesday.

A team of rescuers which included divers extricated 39 bodies from the partly submerged boat, officials said.

The toll is likely to go up as some more people are yet to be traced, they said, adding, the search operation continued in the morning hours.

A judicial enquiry would be held into the mishap, Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan announced.

The service of a Kerala High Court sitting judge would be sought for the probe, Achuthanandan told reporters here.

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Spectacular 507.55 carat white diamond mined in South Africa

: A spectacular 507.55 carat white diamond has been found at the Cullinan mine in South Africa, where the world's largest gem was

In this photo supplied by Petra Diamonds CEO Johan Dippenaar, holds the 507.55 carat white diamond recovered at Cullinan Diamond Mine, South Africa. (AP Photo)
found decades ago.

At 507 carats (just over 100 grams) the diamond, which has yet to be named, is considered to be amongst the top 20 largest high quality rough diamonds ever found worldwide and ranks alongside other illustrious diamonds recovered at the celebrated Cullinan mine.

The latest gemstone was recovered on September 24 and is currently with experts for analysis, said international diamond mining group, Petra Diamonds Limited, in a statement released here on Tuesday.

Initial examinations indicate that it is of exceptional colour and clarity, and most likely to be a Type II diamond. Further details, including colour grading and clarity, will be released once the diamond has undergone appropriate analysis.

Johan Dippenaar, Petra's Chief Executive Officer, commented on the find: "The Cullinan mine has again given the world a spectacularly beautiful and important diamond. Initial indications are that it is of exceptional colour and clarity, which suggest extraordinary potential for its polished yield.

We now eagerly await the findings of the expert analysis." Dippenaar said the mine had previously discovered the famous Cullinan Diamond in 1905, which was part of the British crown jewels weighing 3,106 carats.

The diamond was recovered alongside three other special white stones of similar colour and clarity in the same production run: another very large stone of 168.00 carats and two other stones of 58.50 and 53.30 carats.

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Thousands feared dead in Indonesia quake

Thousands of people were likely killed in a huge earthquake that struck Indonesia's Sumatra island, the Health

Thousands of people were likely killed in a huge earthquake that struck Indonesia's Sumatra island, the health ministry's crisis centre head said. (AFP Photo)
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Ministry's crisis centre head said Thursday.

At least 464 people are confirmed to have died in the huge earthquake, a social affairs ministry official said on Thursday. "The number of people who died in West Sumatra is 464 and they are from six districts," the ministry official in charge of handling death toll data, Tugyo Bisri, told AFP. Many more are, however, feared dead.

Rescue workers raced against time to assist victims of the quake with many still trapped in rubble

Another powerful quake struck Thursday south of the devastated area, but Indonesian authorities said there were no immediate reports of casualties from that quake, which they measured at 7.0 magnitude.

Wednesday afternoon's 7.6-magnitude earthquake caused buildings to crumble and fires to rage in Padang city, home to nearly a million people on the coast of Sumatra island, which was left largely without power and communications.

"The rescue personnel in the location estimated that so far at least 200 people have died," Disaster Management Agency spokesman Priyadi Kardono said in Jakarta.

But that number was likely to soar, officials said, as the first outside rescue teams from the Indonesian army and health ministry reached the city and surrounding towns to reinforce overwhelmed police on the ground.

Their task was to hunt for those still alive, in the twisted wreckage of collapsed hospitals, schools and homes.
"We need heavy machinery to lift the rubble... we expect that to arrive at the location soon," Kardono said.

At Padang's airport, parts of the roof had collapsed, leaving metal beams hanging down, an AFP correspondent said.

Health ministry crisis centre head Rustam Pakaya told AFP that a major city hospital was among the many buildings that had buckled.

"Houses and buildings have collapsed, causing thousands of people to be trapped inside in the rubble," Pakaya said.
He said he expected the death toll to soar over 1,000, given the scale of destruction and the large numbers of people feared buried in the rubble.

Yanto, a hotel receptionist in Padang, said electricity remained cut off on Thursday morning more than 15 hours after the quake.

"Our hotel has been heavily damaged. There are many cracks and rubble from fallen concrete," he said. "Thank God all our guests survived."

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, briefing reporters in Tokyo as he returned from the G20 summit in the United States, urged officials to "flood" the city with aid and medical relief.

Three military transport planes were preparing to deliver aid including tents, blankets and medicine, Disaster Management Agency spokesman Priyadi Kardono said.

"The effects of the earthquake could be as big as the Yogyakarta quake," he said, referring to a 2006 quake that killed 6,000.

British-based charity Oxfam said it had already earmarked 200,000 pounds (320,000 dollars) for relief efforts, including the distribution of emergency shelters, hygiene kits and clothing.

"We had aid ready because this area of Indonesia is susceptible to this type of tragedy," said Jane Cocking, the organisation's humanitarian director.

Panicked residents rushed from their homes and went fleeing through the streets after the quake struck off Sumatra's west coast at 5:16 pm (1016 GMT), 47 kilometres (29 miles) northwest of Padang.

It was felt in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, 940 kilometres (585 miles) away, and sent frightened office workers streaming out of buildings in nearby Singapore and the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.

Dozens of aftershocks followed, including the major one Thursday which the US Geological Survey measured at 6.8 and said hit on land 225 kilometres (140 miles) southeast of Padang.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said there was a "very small possibility" of a destructive local tsunami in the Indian Ocean.

The Indonesian earthquakes followed a massive quake measuring 8.0 in magnitude that spawned a deadly tsunami in the Samoan islands of the South Pacific.

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LeT determined to attack India again: Report

Pakistan-based militant outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba, which masterminded the Mumbai terror attacks, is "largely intact" and "determined to strike India again", a US media report said, quoting former and current members of the group and intelligence officials.

Despite pledges from Pakistan to dismantle militant outfits operating on its soil, and the arrest of a handful of operatives, Lashkar-e-Toiba has persisted and even flourished, since ten recruits killed over 180 people in Mumbai mayhem on November 26 last year, 'The New York Times' reported.

Indian and Pakistani dossiers on the Mumbai investigations, copies of which were obtained by the US daily, offer a detailed picture of the operations of Lashkar network that spans Pakistan. It included four houses and two training camps in Karachi that were used to prepare the attacks.

In fact, Lashkar's broader network endures, and can be mobilised quickly for elaborate attacks with relatively few resources, the daily quoted Lashkar members and intelligence officials from the US, Europe and Pakistan as saying.

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Delhiites should mend ways before Commonwealth Games: Chidambaram

Delhiites should seize the opportunity provided by the Commonwealth Games and mend their ways to present the capital as an

international city, home minister P Chidambaram said on Tuesday.

"We should seize the opportunity of the Commonwealth Games to change our behavioural pattern. We must behave as (residents of) an international city," he said here after inaugurating a police station.

Observing that people in the city often do not obey traffic rules, he said the national capital needs to change its mindset.

"People should change their behaviour. We have noticed over many years that the behaviour of people has not changed. Vehicles are jumping red lights, even police vehicles are jumping red lights.

"Some are moving (in their vehicles) without having registration plates, some are crossing roads where they should not. People are not using overground or underground passes. We want to encourage people to change their mindset," he said.

His comments came after Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit said at the function that her government was starting a campaign to change the way the society behaves so that it becomes more caring and also sharing.

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Woman allegedly raped, burnt alive in Mumbai

A 25-year-old in Mumbai was allegedly raped by four people and then burnt alive at Antop Hill in Mumbai.

Mumbai Police officials said that the woman later died in hospital. They also claimed that all the four people accused of raping and burning the woman have been arrested.

According to the police the accused first raped the woman and then poured kerosene on her and set her on fire. She succumbed to her injuries at the Sion Hospital on Tuesday.

The accused have been identified as Rajesh Devendra, Kumar Devendra, Nitya Devendra and Shankar Mudaliyar.

"Police are investigating this case. In the investigation the facts will come out. At this moment it is enough that the four accused have been arrested very quickly and we are concentrating all efforts in the investigation of this case," said Sanjay Baviskar, DCP, Mumbai Police.

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Advani's political career more or less over: BJP leader

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manohar Parrikar has likened party veteran LK Advani to ageing pickle that had turned rancid

and said his political innings were "more or less over".

Advani had only a couple of more years left in active politics, the former Goa chief minister told a local news channel on Monday.

"Pickle tastes good when it is left to mature for a year. But when if you keep it for more than two years, it turns rancid... Advani-ji's period is more or less over. Another couple of years, maybe. But he should be around as a guide or a mentor for the party members," Parrikar said.

Parrikar, currently leader of opposition in the Goa assembly, said Advani had been the best leader in the BJP in terms of integrity and character. "I have great respect for Advani-ji on these counts," he said.

Calling for a change in guard at the party's helm, Parrikar, 54, said it would have to project a new youthful face with credibility.

"I am not against elders, but the BJP should give prominence to leaders who are between 40 and 60 years," he said.

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Cost of maintaining VVIP bungalows: Nearly Rs 100cr in 5 yrs

Upkeep of VVIP bungalows in the elite Lutyens Zone has cost the public exchequer around Rs 100 crore in the last five years

In reply to an RTI plea, the government said that in the last five years, Rs 93.50 crore was spent on maintenance and renovation of the bungalows let out to Members of Parliament and ministers.

"An amount of Rs 93.50 crore has been spent towards upgradation, ordinary repair and superior repair of these bungalows by CPWD responsible for upkeep of the MP bungalows," the Directorate of Estates said in its reply.

"MPs are provided with free accommodation throughout the term of office. However, a normal licence fee of Rs 105 is charged on a bungalow," it added.

A total of 77 bungalows have been alloted to different ministers here.

According to the reply, nearly Rs 11 crore was spent on upkeep of these bungalows in 2004-2005, Rs 9 crore the next year followed by Rs 20 crore in 2006-2007 and Rs 33 crore in 2007-2008. CPWD has spent Rs 21 crore till June 2009 on the maintenance of these bungalows.

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Dalai Lama free to visit Arunachal: Krishna

External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna Wednesday dismissed China's objections to the Dalai Lama's proposed visit to Arunachal Pradesh later this year, and said that the Tibetan leader is 'free to go anywhere in India'.

'Arunachal Pradesh is a part of India and the Dalai Lama is free to go anywhere in India,' Krishna told IBN7 news channel here.

'The only question is that he is not expected to comment on political developments,' Krishna said.

The Dalai Lama has sought the Indian government's permission to visit Tawang, a monastery town in Arunachal Pradesh, which is claimed by China.

Tibet's exiled leader plans to go there in November to inaugurate a hospital for which he had donated Rs.20 lakh ($40,000).

China has voiced 'strong concern' over the proposed visit saying it 'further reveals the Dalai clique's anti-China and separatist essence'.

'We firmly oppose Dalai visiting the so-called Arunachal Pradesh,' said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu.

Samdhong Rinpoche, prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile headquartered in Indian town of Dharamsala, rubbished Beijing's objections to the Dalai Lama's visit.

'Arunachal Pradesh and its Tawang region are an integral part of India. If the Dalai Lama, who is staying here for the last 50 years, is visiting any part of the country why does this bother China?' he said.

'If the Dalai Lama goes to Chinese territories it can raise objection, but in this case it has no business to interfere,' he added.

The Tibetan-government-in exile is not recognised by any country in the world.

China's objections to Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh comes amid reports of Chinese incursions into the Indian territory which have revived the spectre of the China threat.

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US clears Hawkeye E-2D aircraft for India

: The US government cleared yet another high technology system for India, the ‘‘futuristic’’ shipboard Hawkeye E-2D aircraft

for Airborne Early Warning (AEW) and battle management.

The clearance has been described by diplomatic sources as a fallout of the ‘‘successful’’ visit of secretary of state Hillary Clinton and the signing of the End User Monitoring Agreement (EUMA) of military equipment being supplied or sold by the US to India. Like the Boeing P 8I Maritime Multi-mission Aircraft (MMA), of which the Indian Navy has already ordered eight aircraft, the Hawkeye E-2D is the very latest and is yet to be delivered to the US Navy.

India is the second country, after the UAE, to be cleared by the US state and defence departments for sale of this sophisticated system. The US navy has sanctioned $432 million for trials of the aircraft, currently underway at the naval air station Patuxent River in Maryland. The naval systems command based there provides engineering and testing support for new naval systems and weapons.

The Hawkeye E-2D has been under the US government’s consideration for India for some time. In fact, in 2007, Pentagon sources in Washington indicated the aircraft was being cleared, but apparently the previous version, Hawkeye E-2C, was eventually offered to which the Indian navy said ‘‘no’’ in informal discussions.

The aircraft is being manufactured by Northrop Grumman, a leading US player in aerospace, warships, missiles, combat radars and electronic warfare systems.

Northrop Grumman’s programme manager for international business development Tom C Trudell told a magazine that the aircraft has ‘‘just been cleared by the US government for India’’ and that a presentation was made to the Indian navy in August in New Delhi.

Indian navy officers had witnessed the capabilities of the Hawkeye E-2C but told the US officials that as the equipment India buys would be used for years, it must be the best and the latest with future capability insertion potential.

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No 'black money' statistics exist: Swiss banks

Amid claims from various quarters that Indians have stashed away thousands of crores in secret bank accounts in Switzerland, the Swiss

banks have asserted that any statistics about black money "simply do not exist".

Various political parties and other groups have been claiming that the black money stashed away in Swiss banks by Indians exceed one trillion dollars.

These statistics, which put Indians at the top in terms of deposits in Swiss banks, have often been quoted to global institutions and sometimes even to the Swiss National Bank, the central bank of the country.

Seeking to demolish the "myth" over these figures being "circulated as gospel truth", a top official at the Swiss Bankers' Association told PTI from Basel that there were no truth at all in such statistics.

"Anyone claiming to have such figures should be forced to identify their source and explain the methodology used to produce them," said the SBA's Head of International Communications, James Nason.

"We take all our statistics from Swiss National Bank and statistics about 'black money' simply do not exist," he added.

Nason said he was aware of such figures being quoted to a SBA report on bank deposits in the Swiss banks by people of various nationalities, which put Indians as the biggest depositors there, but asserted that there were no truth in it and it never published any such report.

"About 18 months ago some mischievous person launched a story on the Internet saying the Swiss Bankers Association had issued a report in 2006 showing the amount of so-called "black money" deposited in Switzerland by citizens of countries such as India, China, Russia and Ukraine and quoted figures in the billions.

"The figures were rapidly picked up in the Indian media and in Indian opposition circles, and circulated as gospel truth. However, this story was a complete fabrication. The Swiss Bankers Association never published such a report," Nason noted.

These reports have said that Indians had over 1.4 trillion dollars in Swiss banks, followed by Russia (470 billion dollars), UK (390 billion report), Ukraine (100 billion dollar) and China (96 billion dollars) at end of 2006.

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CJI skips line in speech, gets everybody talking

Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan on Saturday gave a speech at a seminar in New Delhi on investigating corruption but it was what he didn’t he say that’s raising eyebrows.

Balakrishnan, while giving speech at a national seminar on 'Fighting Crimes related to Corruption', skipped a line about investigating agencies not getting permission to go after public servants accused of corruption.

"Even in instances where the investigating agencies have gathered substantial material to proceed against a person, it is felt that the necessary sanction is not given on account of extraneous considerations," said a copy of his speech released to the media.

He skipped this portion on investigating agencies needing permission to prosecute public servants and moved ahead with his speech.

Journalists attending the seminar, which was organised by the Central Bureau of Investigation, noticed that Balakrishnan paused and skipped the line while reading from the prepared speech. He left soon after giving the speech and journalists couldn’t question him.

The Chief Justice said delay in giving sanction to investigating agencies and handling large number of witnesses were reasons that that convictions in corruption cases were delayed.

"If a public official amasses wealth at the cost of public, then the state is justified in seizing such assets," said Balakrishnan.

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Top 7 RAW officers go on leave over promotion

India's external intelligence agency RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) is facing a similar crisis. Seven high ranking RAW officials have gone on a mass protest leave, after an IPS officer superseded them.

With reports of Chinese incursions in the Ladakh area of Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan stifling Mumbai terror attack investigation, Maoists stoking anti-India sentiments in Nepal, India seems to be facing trouble from all neighboring countries.

However, India's External Intelligence Agency, the RAW is busy fighting its own internal battles. At a time when the country needs intelligence to keep itself secure, seven additional secretary rank officials have gone on mass protest leave.

The mass leave is to protest the promotion of IPS officer Avdesh Mathur as special secretary. The seven officers are from the Research and Analysis Service (RAS). There is constant tension between RAS and IPS officers in RAW. The present RAW chief is also from IPS. RAS cadres fear that the next chief will also be from IPS.

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Rajnikanth most welcome to join Cong: Rahul

I: Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that Tamil superstar Rajnikanth was welcome to join the party.

"He is most welcome to come. We don't put any roadblocks," Gandhi told reporters here.

The Congress had an 'open system'. The party was ready to welcome anyone so long as that person is not a criminal, he said, adding, 'I do not think Rajnikanth is a criminal".

"Our system is open to anybody who wants to enter it. The only barrier we put is the barrier of criminality," the Congress leader, whose visit to Tamil Nadu is seen as an effort to rejuvenate the party apparatus in the state and woo the youth, said.

"However, we are not reaching out to any particular person."

Rajnikanth has not revealed his mind on his political inclinations but his fans want him to float a party. Though he has kept off politics, he has had meetings with top national leaders, including BJP leader L K Advani who called on the actor early this year, sparking speculations.

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Pranab orders Krishna, Tharoor to vacate 5-star suites

Stung by a media report that sought to debunk its claims of austerity, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday ordered external

affairs minister SM Krishna and his junior Shashi Tharoor to vacate their five-star suites, Times Now reported. ( Watch Video )

For over three months now, both the ministers have been staying in five-star hotels as their official accommodation is undergoing renovation.

"I have requested both the ministers to vacate hotel rooms," Pranab Mukherjee said. He was reacting after a report in an English daily.

While S M Krishna was staying at ITC Maurya on Sardar Patel Marg, Shahi Tharoor was lodged at Taj Mahal on Man Singh road.

Though they are paying their own hotel bills, neither of them has revealed the cost of their stay. The Presidential suite at the ITC Maurya where guests like George W Bush and Bill Clinton had stayed is believed to command a tariff of about 1 lakh rupees for a night.

The finance minister asked the ministers to move into their respective state bhavans. Krishna has now moved to Foreign Services Institute (FSI) guesthouse, official sources said. Tharoor is staying at an Indian Navy guesthouse.

Reacting to the finance minister's order to vacate five-star suites, minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor said that he had already vacated the hotel. "I moved out of the hotel on September 1," said Tharoor.

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Theft at Rashtrapati Bhavan; police claim insider's job

The office of President Pratibha Patil's Officer on Special Duty was burgled in the high-security Rashtrapati Bhavan complex in the Capital.

The office of Wing Commander Vikram Dutta, which is located in the health club of the Presidential Estate, was burgled on Wednesday and the thieves walked away with his computer, police officials said.

While a case was registered on September 4, police officials believe that the job was that of an insider who has also walked away with six dumbbells from the health club.

Caretaker of the health centre Tasmim Ahmed had given the office keys to a CPWD employee who had then returned it to him after clearing the rainwater that had accumulated inside the office on Wednesday night, they said.

But when Ahmed came on duty the next day he found the doors of the health centre open and some items missing from the official’s room, police said.

"We have registered the case and are investigating the matter. It seems to be an insider's job. Authorities need to fix the responsibility," a senior police official said.

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