A TRAIN JUMPED THE TRACK--NEARLY 70 DIED

high-speed passenger train jumped the track in Shandong province early on Monday, smashing another train and leaving 70 dead and 416 injured, railway authorities confirmed.

Preliminary investigations suggested the accident was caused by human error. Authorities have ruled out the possibility of terrorism.

The casualties were from both trains, one of which was en route from Beijing to Qingdao, a famous summer resort in Shandong and venue of the Olympic sailing competition. The other was travelling from Yantai in Shandong to Xuzhou in Jiangsu province.

Rescue work


The high-speed train from Beijing, T195, derailed in the city of Zibo around 4.40 a.m. and smashed into train 5034. The second train also left the tracks. At least 12 cars from both trains derailed.

No foreign citizens were killed in the accident. However, four French nationals were hospitalised with bone fractures.

Vice-Premier Zhang Dejiang was overseeing rescue work at the site. One passenger, surnamed Zhang, said the train from Beijing was like a “roller coaster”. “It toppled 90 degrees to one side and then all the way to the other side. When it finally went off the tracks, many people fell on me and hot water poured out of their thermos flasks,” said Zhang.

Though investigations are continuing, some investigators said that T195 was travelling at 131 km an hour before the accident, far in excess of the speed limit of 80 km/hr between Zhoucun and Wangcun. — Xinhua

FORMER BRITISH PRIMINISTER THATCHER WANTED TO JOIN IN INDIAN CIVIL SERVICES

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher wanted to join the erstwhile Indian Civil Service and serve the country.



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Thatcher, also known as the "Iron Lady", told an interviewer on Yorkshire Television in 1985: "I had an ambition as a child. I told you all the missionaries used to come and people used to come from India. I had an ambition."

"I wanted to be part of the Indian Civil Service, because our Civil Service was the best in the world," newly released papers by the Margaret Thatcher Foundation quoted her as saying.

She added: "Now, we were brought up that Britain was the best in the world because she had standards of honesty and integrity and law. The best in the world and the Indian Civil Service was part of our Civil Service and it was the best in the world and it was to do things for the Indians and it was to help them."

"I said: 'I think, Daddy, if I manage to get to university if, it was a fantastic privilege in those days, a fantastic privilege If I manage to get to university, I think I'd like to go in the Indian Civil Service, because I will be able to do something for them!"

"I remember my father saying, this was before the World War I, do not think there will be one by the time you are grown up."

Thatcher, however, did not join the ICS, but went on to become the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990.

EDUCATION IS NOT JUST ABOUT GETTING JOB

an interview to The Hindu-EducationPlus, Prabhat Patnaik, eminent economist, and Vice-Chairman of the Kerala State Planning Board, advocates social regulation of private self-financing institutions. First of all, there should be an expansion of public education, he says.

What is your take on the higher education scenario? What are the challenges today?


First thing is that in the sphere of higher education, there is a mushrooming of private sector institutions. As long as they are charitable institutions, the matter is different, but many of them are actually profit-making institutions. Which basically means that the demand for these institutions has outstripped what the public educational facilities could take care of. The second thing is that invariably, because it is concerned with the objective of preparing people only for the limited purpose of getting jobs and so on — here again, I am not talking about old distinguished institutions run by organisations — the quality of education is very poor. Even in the public education system, the quality has gone down greatly. So, the inadequacy of public education and a lowering of the quality in general.

There is a certain devaluation of higher education as education. There is an obsession with simply getting jobs. Now, I am not against people wanting to get jobs, but the point is that in the desperate quest to get jobs, parents and students are willing to forgo the pleasures of actually having an education. I think that is associated with societal characteristics and so on which have changed over time.

To challenge this, I believe that first of all, there needs to be an expansion of public education. Secondly, there has to be some social regulation of the private self-financing institutions. Private self-financing institutions that work on the basis of profit are contrary to the very spirit of education that underlies the Indian State.

The idea of social regulation has been taken up by the Central Government itself. They are bringing in a Bill. So, first of all, an expansion in the number of public institutions. Not only numbers but also expansion in investment to improve quality and then social regulation. The third and very important thing is an improvement in quality through changes in curricula and changes in the way the whole education system is organised.

There is this perception that in the coming days and years, governments would not be able to pump in this kind of resources into education and other sectors. There is this thinking that the government should gradually withdraw from such sectors and allow the private sector to come in where it is not possible, financially, for the government to go. Where would you draw the line for private partnership in higher education?

Other than charitable institutions, there should be no role whatsoever for private institutions in higher education. By which I mean private, profit-making institutions …

Why should profit or surplus be a dirty word in the field of education?


Because education is not a commodity, not a sack of potatoes. Because education is a very important component of our nation-building. Education is very important for the independence of a society and the nation. If you become parasitical on other nations for your ideas, then, you also move your freedom to other nations. The liberation in the sphere of ideas is an essential prerequisite for liberation in actuality. In fact, the Indian Freedom Struggle begins with the critique made by people like Romesh Chandra Dutt and Dadabhai Naoroji of the whole colonial system. The moment you free your mind from the myths of colonialism as perpetrated by colonialism itself, that is when struggles begin in actuality. The point is education is something different. That is why everywhere in every country in Europe and even in the U.S., education is essentially seen as a public responsibility. If it is the case that education is essentially not just for the individual to be educated but also for the society to be free, then society should take the trouble to ensure enough funding to see that a proper education system is in place …

Is it right to assume that private enterprise, by definition, would not do all this?


Yes, because private enterprise is interested only in profit. Consequently, if you have private enterprise in education, they would be giving only that kind of education which is profitable. I, for one, believe that it is very important to study philosophy. Because philosophy underlies all our thinking. A profit-driven education would devalue philosophy, the study of basic subjects, higher mathematics … it is very important to study political theory, economic theory, very important to study theoretical physics.

What is wrong, even theoretically, with an education that leads to a job, a high-paying job?


There is nothing wrong with that. There is everything wrong with an education that leads exclusively to a high-paying job … Where the profit is, investment would grow …

But would the public sector have enough resources to …


The very idea that there are not enough public resources is wrong. Because the same money that the private sector invests in education can be taxed away by the government to be invested in education. If the idea is to enlarge education and the logic of that is associated with something called nation-building, then, it is incumbent on the government to take that money from the private sector as taxes and have a public education system. In fact, the tax-GDP ratio [in the country] is one of the lowest in the world. Some years ago, India was the fourth, from the bottom, in this respect. Even capitalist countries, true-blue capitalist countries (even the U.S., mind you), have a much high tax-GDP ratio than we have. By the way, the U.S. has a very fine public education system. People don’t realise that the U.S. has the finest public education system anywhere in the world.

In the recent budgets, more funds have come the way of the education sector. Yet, you have often expressed dissatisfaction, publicly, with such initiatives?


Even when more funds have come to the education sector, there is a shift in the Central Government’s philosophy of education that people are unaware of. Most people look at only one side — more money. Yes, more money is being spent on higher education but to some extent it is being squeezed elsewhere.

That apart, education in post-Independence India was designed to produce organic intellectuals who would serve the needs of society. We are moving away from this concept, to another which sees education as something that produces material for use by globalised capital. That worries me …

In a globalised world, are not such shifts inevitable, even necessary?


It is a globalised world but not an equal world. The globalised world is one that is marked by hegemony. That is why I prefer to call it imperialist globalisation. To say that with globalisation we have all become brothers and sisters … I wish that were the case, but… So, to defend our freedom we need that old concept of education. It has not become irrelevant …

The whole emphasis on setting up world-class educational institutions is immature because it assumes that educational institutions can be ordered along the real line of numbers. Our education system needs to raise awareness against dowry, instil modern ideas, against communalism, casteism … this has to be different from a system in another country … if you want to become “world class” you are detaching yourself from the discourse that is basic to the understanding of this nation …

What then could be the recipe for improving quality in the higher education sector?


We should first have an appropriate view of education … at the moment we are not drawing the best to the academic world … our income policy has gone for a toss … that should be rectified … then, there is that invisible chemistry, commitment to the life of the mind, that should operate in a university.

FIFTY,NOT OUT

Buoyancy is an important term in her resume. Every time she slips into oblivion, she resurfaces with a vengeance. With half-a-dozen Tamil films taking off this year, actor Sneha is over the moon.

“I pinch myself in disbelief. Autograph 2 will be my 50th film. I can’t imagine, I’ve done 50 films in eight years,” Sneha says with candour.

Her natural camaraderie spilling over the telephone, she continues, “I’ve never planned out my career. There have been ups and downs. But things just happened. In 2006 for instance, I did a number of Telugu films, but I was hardly seen on the Tamil screen except for Pudhupettai. This year, I have six films in Tamil and only two in Telugu. It’s not intentional. Choice of films depends on the script and the character I play. In fact, I don’t even count the number of films I’m doing. Only when a fan pointed out, I jogged my memory and realised I’m into my 50th film. I was a Plus Two student when the offer to do a Malayalam film came. Looking back, I feel happy.”

One of the few stars who had held on to her fortress without having to drop a few clothes, Sneha scotches rumours about an image makeover in her forthcoming films. So what’s standing between her and glamour? “Well, nothing. I think the glamour quotient was always there in my song sequences. Frankly, I don’t understand this hype about the word ‘glamour’. It has always been part of the commercial package. To me, skimpy is not glamour. You can scorch the screen even without gyrating in wet clothes,” says the actor, whose appeal lies in her haven’t-done-it-face.

Good girl image


So is she caught in this “good-girl” image trap? “People love to see me in such roles. And it’s worked for me in multiplexes and in musty cinema halls alike. It thrills me when directors approach me saying, ‘Sneha, this role is made for you.’ I’ve taken an occasional detour to explore other facets of my histrionics in films such as Pallikoodam and Pirivom Sandhipom and come up trumps. But contrary to the real Sneha, who is bubbly and talkative, the reel Sneha is usually reticent. And I still have fun playing these serious characters!”

After a ponderous pause, Sneha, who plays a cameo in the much-hyped Kuselan, adds, “Luckily, this year is about variety. You’ll see me playing well-nuanced roles in films such as Achamundu Achamundu (with Prasanna), Silambattam (With Simbu), Aruvadai (with Mammootty) and Pandi (With Raghava Lawrence). Today, directors don’t shy away from experiments. So it’s the right time for actors to challenge stereotypes.”

Talk about the burgeoning band of wannashines in the industry giving established stars like her sleepless nights, and Sneha retorts, “Raising the bar for myself from time to time has been my prerogative. I’ve not mused that much about competition. Besides, I think there’s space for everyone.”

Having courted flak and fame in equal measure over the years, the actor isn’t the type to sidestep sticky issues. “I entered tinseldom in my teens. It has taught me a lot. Now, when the gossip mill spins, I just think my job is to act, not react. If you do two films with Cheran, the rumours begin to roll! How can someone be linked to a good friend! Cheran and I share a great rapport. In fact, when he told me he’s planning Autograph 2, I immediately told him I’m there. It needs a strong mind and a stronger heart to ignore gossip which is part of the showbiz package. Filmdom hardens you. It teaches you to handle situations. It makes you learn from your mistakes. I hail from a conservative background. Thankfully, my family has been very supportive through those emotionally trying times.”



SNEHA SPEAKS


FIT-TING REPLY It’s not easy being in showbiz. It calls for plenty of sacrifices. Imagine a junkie like me controlling hunger pangs! I love junk food. But now, it’s a “sure no”. I also work-out regularly and practise yoga. It helps keep the mind and body in good form!

SISTER ACT My sister is my best friend. We share our secrets, our joys and sorrows. It’s nice when someone from your family is your best friend!

WHAT’S COOKING? I like learning new things. Right now, cooking tops the agenda. I’m in touch with my other passion too — painting

JAFFER SHARIEF WITHDRAWS RESIGNATION

The crisis in the Karnataka Congress has blown over with the former Railway Minister, C.K. Jaffer Sharief, withdrawing his resignation from the party following a meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi here on Sunday.

Speaking to journalists, Mr. Sharief, who is also chairman of the party’s manifesto committee for the Karnataka Assembly elections, said that Ms. Gandhi stressed the need for the party to be united and to work for the cause of secularism. He agreed with her view. The discussion was satisfying, he said.

“In one year, the country will go for Parliamentary elections. The first priority is to defeat communalism. Karnataka will be the first State to do that.”

Mr. Sharief was accompanied by one of his grandsons.

Mr. Sharif’s action has ended speculation that he was set to join the Bahujan Samaj Party headed by Mayawati or the Nationalist Congress Party led by Sharad Pawar

DEORA SAID THAT I P L DEALTO BE CLINCHED SOON

billion Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) pipeline deal would be “clinched soon,” Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora said on Sunday that he would apprise Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of the “bilateral talks” with Pakistan during the coming week.

Stating that India and Pakistan had almost worked out a general agreement on the “transit fee,” Mr. Deora said that the visit of Iranian President Mahamoud Ahmedinejad would be utilised to pave way for trilateral talks on the deal.

Cordial talks


“The talks with the Pakistan leadership were very cordial and assuring. I will be updating the Prime Minister on all the issues, including the IPI pipeline, and also the $7.3 billion Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline that India has formally joined this time,” he said.

The next round of ministerial negotiations for the TAPI pipeline will be held in October this year after a certification of the gas assets of Turkmenistan for the gas pipeline.

‘Very optimistic’


“I am very optimistic about the IPI pipeline as it would go a along way in meeting India’s energy requirements in the long run,” Mr. Deora added. The 2,700-km-long pipeline is scheduled to be completed by 2011 and would initially carry 600 million cubic metres of gas per day.

Mr. Deora said he had also met the political leadership of Pakistan, including the People’s Party of Pakistan (PPP) co-Chairman, Asif Ali Zardari, and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) president Nawaz Sharif during his recent visit to Islamabad.

He said Mr. Sharif had strongly favoured increasing people-to-people contacts and doing away with visa restrictions for travel between India and Pakistan.

Mr. Deora said that Mr. Sharif was of the opinion that there was a need to also increase trade between the two nations to further consolidate the peace initiatives

MEGALITHIC PERIOD POTTARY FOUND

Pottery items including bowls, dishes and urns, from the Megalithic period, have been excavated at Sembiyankandiyur near Kuthalam in Mayiladuthurai taluk of Nagapattinam district by the Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department.

An important finding: eight urns aligned in a particular manner, three of them with human bones inside. These might be of members of one family, according to department officials. The pottery included black-and-red ware, black ware and red ware.

The site yielded a rich collection of pottery with graffiti marks. A few iron pieces were also found.

Archaeology Department officials estimated that the pottery belonged to the Megalithic period or the Iron Age, which can be dated between 300 B.C. and A.D. 100.

Earlier discovery


The discoveries were made at the site where in 2006 school teacher V. Shanmuganathan found a polished Neolithic celt (tool) that had engravings resembling the Indus script. This celt caused a stir in archaeological circles. It was T.S. Sridhar, then Special Commissioner of Archaeology, who noticed the engravings on the polished celt. A semi-polished celt was found nearby without engravings.

The Archaeology Department decided to excavate the Sembiyankandiyur site to find out its antiquity and fix the chronology. The excavations began on February 6. Four trenches were laid at the place where the celt with the engravings were found. The first trench was laid in the garden of Mr. Shanmuganathan, the second trench at Thoppumedu which belonged to Shanmugam, a retired physical education teacher, another in the backyard of the house of Muthappa and the fourth at Padayachi Kollaimedu.

Important findings from the trenches were bowls, dishes, broken urns, full-size urns and so on. Eight urns were found to be aligned in a particular manner, three of them with human bones. Some urns had ritual pots inside. Some pots and sherds have thumb-nail impressions on them.

Designs and markings


Full-shape pots had the graffiti depicting a fish, a ‘damaru’, sun, star and a swastika. Geometric designs and marks depicting fish, sun and star and graffiti marks are often found on black-and-red ware and black ware, with the symbols sometimes repeated.

The excavations at Sembiyankandiyur were done under the guidance of Dr. S. Gurumurthi, Principal Commissioner of Archaeology; Dr. S. Vasanthi, Archaeologist; M. Muthusamy, Curator of Tranquebar Museum; S. Selvaraj and P. Gowthamaputhiran, Archaeological Officers of Thanjavur and Coimbatore respectively.

RAJASTAN ROYALS ARE ON CRUISES

The expected Saturday night party for the home side Royal Challengers Bangalore never happened as Rajasthan Royals coasted to a seven-wicket victory in the DLF-Indian Premier League match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Chasing Royal Challengers’ 135, Rajasthan Royals thrived on a 104-run third-wicket partnership between Graeme Smith (49) and Shane Watson (61 n.o., 41b, 8x4, 2x6) to score the winning runs in 17.1 overs.

Chasing a moderate target can be tricky and with Praveen Kumar snapping up Mahesh Rawat in the first over, Royal Challengers seemed to be playing out their “Game for life” advertisement slogan.

Pathan blitzes


However Yusuf Pathan blitzed five fours in a 12-ball 21 to settle the initial nerves. Pathan edged Zaheer to retrace his steps but with Smith and Watson dropping anchor as well as flexing batting muscle, Rajasthan Royals laid claim to a warm night.

Smith’s short-arm pull off Kallis froze the fielders and he brushed aside a vociferous appeal after Zaheer rapped his pads, to continue tormenting the bowlers, offering a dour blade as well as skipping out to Sunil Joshi and scooping one over the bowler’s head.

An attempt to do an encore though undid him but by then the visitor needed just six runs to seal the match and take its points tally to six points from four matches.

Watson meanwhile waded into a Praveen Kumar over with a sequence of 4, 6, 4, 4, 4 and 4 as he toyed on either side of the pitch, driving, whipping and lofting with élan. Anil Kumble, coming back from a groin injury and a surprise-inclusion in the Royal Challengers playing eleven as Dravid perhaps wanted to catch the rivals off-guard, bowled a tight spell but was hampered by the meagre total posted by Royal Challengers.

Top-order collapses


Earlier, Royal Challengers’ top-order found the fielders near the ropes to strangle itself as the batsmen rushed their shots.

Skipper Rahul Dravid hooked the first delivery he faced from Shane Watson, straight to Ravindra Jadeja. Shivnarine Chanderpaul charged at Watson and miscued while Jacques Kallis was caught off-balance while pulling Munaf Patel and found the fielder at backward square-leg.

And while his partners departed, Ross Taylor (44, 20b, 6x4, 3x6) plonked his front foot and hit through the line with minimum swivel and maximum power.

The scores:

Royal Challengers Bangalore: S. Chanderpaul c Jadeja b Watson 2, R. Dravid c Jadeja b Watson 0, R. Taylor c Smith b Munaf 44, J. Kallis c Munaf b Trivedi 11, V. Kohli c Rawat b Munaf 13, M. Boucher c Rawat b Warne 4, Praveen (run out) 34, S. Joshi (run out) 3, Zaheer (not out) 17, Vinay (not out) 1; Extras: (lb-2, nb-1, w-3): 6; Total: (for eight wkts. in 20 overs) 135.

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-16, 3-59, 4-65, 5-77, 6-78, 7-90, 8-131.

Rajasthan Royals bowling: Watson 4-0-20-2, Tanvir 4-0-31-0, Munaf 3-0-20-2, Trivedi 4-0-29-1, Warne 4-1-23-1, Pathan 1-0-10-0.

Rajasthan Royals: G. Smith c Kumble b Joshi 49, M. Rawat c Boucher b Praveen 0, Y. Pathan c Boucher b Zaheer 21, S. Watson (not out) 61, Kaif (not out) 4; Extras: (lb-1, w-2): 3; Total: (for three wkts. in 17.1 overs) 138.

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-26, 3-130.

Royal Challengers Bangalore bowling: Praveen 3-0-42-1, Zaheer 4-0-24-1, Vinay 2-0-15-0, Kumble 4-0-22-0, Kallis 1-0-7-0, Joshi 3.1-0-27-1.

RAHUL"S SUPPORT FOR MANMOHAN TO BE AS PRIMINISTER

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi himself has put an end to speculation on his becoming Prime Minister in the immediate future.

Interacting with journalists during his tour of tribal districts of Chhattisgarh on Saturday, Mr. Gandhi said: “I support Manmohan Singh. I feel the most capable Prime Minister is Singh. I am behind him and I support him as the Prime Minister.”

However, the 38-year-old scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family did not comment on the endorsements from within the Congress and some of its allies in the United Progressive Alliance on his candidature for the Prime Minister post.

Also, he expressed displeasure at the use of the word ‘yuvraj’ to describe him. Terming it “insulting” in a country like India which had a democratic set-up, Mr. Gandhi said: “This word has no meaning today.”

In recent days, the word ‘yuvraj’ with reference to Mr. Gandhi has generated considerable heat.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati used it to refer to Mr. Gandhi in derision, particularly after his recent visits to Dalit pockets.

And, last week, the use of the term became a subject of controversy in the Rajya Sabha when Congressman E.M. Sudarsana Natchiappan hailed him as the ‘yuvraj’ of the common man.

Asked to react to Ms. Mayawati’s charge that Mr. Gandhi underwent purification rituals and used a special soap to “cleanse” himself after visiting Dalit homes, the Amethi MP stood on a chair and drew the attention of the journalists and tribals to his soiled clothes.

“See my clothes. Does it look as if I use any special soap?”

IRAN"S PARLIMENT IN CONSERVATIVE"S GRIP

Iran’s conservatives have strengthened their hold over the new Parliament after winning 69 per cent of the seats. The results, announced on Saturday, covered two rounds of elections.

Iran had earlier announced the results for those candidates who had won in the first phase of polling that were held in March. The run-off elections were held on Friday. Interior Minister Mostafa Pour Mohammadi said on Saturday that the reformists had won 16 per cent and independents got 14 per cent of the seats.

The results were based on the count of 287 seats in the 290-member Parliament.

Analysts said the results showed the continued decline of the reformists, who were once a formidable force under the former President, Mohammad Khatami.

However, the conservatives are split between hardliners loyal to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the “soft conservatives,” led by leaders such as Tehran Mayor Mohammad Qalibaf and the former chief negotiator on the nuclear issue, Ali Larijani. Many hardliners were followers of the Haqqani ideological school, which is based in Qom.

Despite their internal difference, the conservatives did not challenge the existing architecture of the Iranian political system, led by Ali Khamenei.

PRIEST KILLED IN SRELANKA

Father Karunaratnam, “Chairperson of the North East Secretariat on Human Rights (NESOHR),” was killed in a claymore attack on the Mallavi–Vavunikkulam Road in the Tiger-controlled territory on Sunday.

The LTTE alleged that the attack was carried out by the Army Deep Penetration Unit. However, the military denied the charge and said the attack had occurred deep inside the LTTE held area.

“Rev. Fr. Karunaratnam a longtime human rights activist was the founder — chairperson, of NESOHR which is the foremost human rights body operating in the LTTE administered areas.

“Rev. Fr. Karunaratam was also a working Catholic priest and he was serving in Jaffna until 2006, and the church transferred him to Vanni fearing for his life at the hands of the death squads operating in Jaffna. A tireless voice for the plight of the long suffering Tamils he was active till the very last minute of his life,” said the LTTE in a statement

STAFF SHORTAGE IN LOCAL RESTAURENTS

Owners of Indian restaurants here are currently struggling to deliver orders due to severe staff shortage. New immigration rules prevent the owners from recruiting chefs from the Indian sub-continent, and many owners and consumers are facing an acute problem. This crisis facing the £3.5-billion Indian restaurant industry hit the streets of London on Sunday as thousands of chefs, owners and consumers staged a three-hour protest against restrictive immigration rules

RELIEF FOR INDIAN MIGRANTS IN U.K

Britain has decided to allow such professionals to stay here as it works to implement a high court ruling against immigration rule changes with retrospective effect.

The Home Office will not appeal against the April 8 verdict, which said it was “not open to the government to alter the terms and conditions” of the Highly Skilled MigrantsProgramme (HSMP) under which thousands of employees, mostly Indians, came to Britain. All highly-skilled migrants who came here under the HSMP as on November 7, 2006, when the regulation changes were made, can stay until processes are put in place to implement the judgment, the Home Office said.

Some 49,000 highly-skilled people had come to U.K. under the HSMP initiated in January 2002 and most of them were facing the prospect of returning home following changes in the immigration rules.

The HSMP Forum, representing the highly-skilled professionals, successfully challenged the changes and won a landmark case last week.

“We are happy to take the judge’s decision as final and do not intend to waste taxpayers money with an appeal,” Lin Homer, Chief Executive of the Border and Immigration Agency, said in a communication to the HSMP Forum executive director Amit Kapadia. “We are now urgently considering how to give effect to the judgment and will let you know the details as soon as we can,”

ANTI-FRENCH PROTESTS IN CHINA

countries erupted in a few Chinese cities including Beijing on Saturday.

Protesters gathered in front of shops of the French supermarket Carrefour, raising slogans like “boycott Carrefour” and “oppose Tibet independence” and others.

They also handed out leaflets to passengers.

A dozen young persons held a protest march in front of the French Embassy and the Beijing French School, which lasted less than half an hour.

Pan Yuming, an engineer and one of the protesters in Kunming, said they wanted to express their anger at western support for “Tibet independence” and did not want to cause social disturbance. Zhang Junsheng, director of the WTO research institute of the Beijing-based University of International Business and Economics, said the protests were a spontaneous move by Chinese nationals to express their attitude toward “Tibet independence.” However, Mr. Zhang said China’s economic ties with foreign countries were getting closer and the country would not shut its door to the international community

AII EYES ON SPAIN'S MINISTRAS

When the Spanish Prime Minister named nine women for his 17-strong Cabinet this week, his choice prompted international headlines. Most attention has been focused on Carme Chacon (37) from Esplugues de Llobregat, near Barcelona, who is the rising star inside the re-elected Socialist party, and the first woman Defence Minister. She is also seven months pregnant. Images of her inspecting the troops with a baby bump turned up on the front pages of Spanish newspapers, along with widespread speculation about how much maternity leave she will take.

Ms. Chacon began her political career nine years ago when she was elected to Esplugues council, later becoming Mayor. She became a parliamentary deputy in 2000 and was named Housing Minister in 2006. Originally a lawyer, she is married to another socialist politician.

Among the other appointments, eyebrows were also raised at the naming of Beatriz Corredor (38) as the Housing Minister, since her only experience in government has been serving alongside the failed socialist mayoral candidate in Madrid for less than a year. She takes over an important department at a time when Spain’s decade-long housing bubble has just burst and banks are warning of record mortgage defaults. Trained in property registration, she is married with two children.

New face


Cristina Garmendia (46) from San Sebastian is another new face. The Science and Investigation Minister is a Socialist party stalwart, but has a background in industry, having founded her own biotechnology company, Genetrix, in 2000. For Mr. Zapatero, she is a key ally in the Basque Country.

At 31, Bibiana Aido Almagro, Minister for Equality, is the youngest person ever to occupy a Cabinet post. She was born in Cadiz, Andalucia, where until her recent promotion she was head of the Flamenco Promotion Agency in the Andalusian regional government. Now her priorities will be to reduce domestic violence.

These are the new appointments, but Mr. Zapatero already had a sizeable number of women in his Cabinet — when he won his first election in 2004, he named women to half of the 16 Cabinet posts. So his “right-hand woman” was the veteran Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega (59), who returns as Deputy Prime Minister, and is known as the enforcer in his government. Mr. Zapatero has weathered a storm of criticism for his Cabinet of “ministras”, not least from the likes of Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi. But he is confident in his choices, insisting all the women were chosen on ability

olympic torch was peaceful

Tennis stars Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi hold the Beijing Olympic Torch as Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit cheers them at India Gate in New Delhi on Thursday. (Right): Tibetans stage a protest march elsewhere in the Capital. —
NEW DELHI: The Delhi leg of the Olympic torch rally was held at the historic Rajpath on Thursday evening amid unprecedented security. Later in the night, the torch left for Bangkok.
The massive police cordon kept public participation to the minimum and effectively curtailed Tibetan attempts at disruption.
The security measures ensured that there was no repeat of the disruptions witnessed in London, Paris and San Francisco.Three-layered security
Surrounded by over 17,000 policemen in a three-layered security cordon, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit handed over the Olympic flame to Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi after it was lit by Beijing Olympic Organising Committee official Jiang Yu against the backdrop of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
“Flying Sikh” Milkha Singh had the honour of leading the relay and a total of 70 sportspersons and celebrities took quick turns to hand over the torch down the Raisina Hill to India Gate.
The torch covered 2.3 km in 35 minutes with the relay guided by Chinese security guards in blue and white tracksuits. Delhi Police commandos in red and white sportswear ran alongside the torch to guard against any attempt at disruption.Lighting of cauldron
The relay ended with tennis stars Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi lighting the cauldron at the India Gate. After this, the flame was taken in a lantern to the airport for its 12th leg in Thailand.
Though strong winds caused the flame to go out a couple of times, Tibetan protesters were unable to come anywhere near the torch.
Police action that started on Wednesday night with the rounding up of potential Tibetan troublemakers continued during the day whenever they put in an appearance near the outermost security cordon. About 250 Tibetans were detained or arrested.
The heart of Delhi was punctuated by checkpoints at every intersection that even impacted the quorum in the Rajya Sabha as members were unable to return to the House after lunch.
Traffic away from the Lutyen’s Delhi was also affected as advisories by the police kept people off the roads.
The authorities curtailed bus services and even shut down the Delhi Metro’s approach line to the site of the torch relay. As an additional security precaution, the exit gates of the Metro were padlocked. Parallel torch
A parallel “Torch for Tibet” rally ended a kilometre away from the main venue. It had the participation of the former Defence Minister, George Fernandes, and IOA member Nafisa Ali, who said the aim was not to disrupt the Olympic torch but draw attention to “marginalisation of Tibetans in China.”
The protest site was a riot of colour with Tibetan flags, placards and banners and teemed with monks attired in traditional red robes along with women and children

I.P.L.CERMONY

Spectacular opening ceremony kicks off IPL
Bangalore (PTI): Dazzling fireworks that lit up the sky and a glittering opening ceremony attended by the top brass of the ICC and the BCCI kicked off the DLF Indian Premier League (IPL) here this evening.
In a spectacular ceremony before the lung-opener between Bangalore Royal Challengers and the Kolkata Knight Riders, the BCCI patted itself for heralding the start of a new phase in international cricket.
A packed house erupted in excitement as captains of the eight participating teams walked out to sign the MCC's Spirit of Cricket, under which the entire tournament will be played out.
BCCI President described it as a "historic day" for international cricket and hoped that fans would maintain their interest for the next 44 days, which will see 59 matches.
"I am confident that all cricket-loving people will support this new initiative that the BCCI has taken," he said.
ICC President Ray Mali also congratulated the Indian board for the spectacular arrangement.
"You have taken cricket to the next level," he said.
Later, BCCI vice-President and IPL chairman Lalit Modi declared the tournament open.

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AN HONOUR TO PLAY FOR SUPER KINGS

Muttiah Muralitharan’s big eyes tell several tales. Importantly, they retain their sparkle.
Despite the physical and mental demands of international cricket, the 35-year-old Muralitharan has the enthusiasm of a beginner. Every match is a new day and a fresh experience.
“If you don’t enjoy the game, you should stop playing,” he says. Sport for him is a “nice way of getting to know people.” He adds, “You play for enjoyment, for fun, and the pride of representing your people, country and team.”
It has been no fun though for his 735 and 464 victims in Tests and ODIs. Done in by turn and bounce, they have been consumed by the ‘Smiling Assassin’.Best form of aggression
“The best form of aggression is to smile at the batsmen,” says Murali.
Test cricket’s most successful bowler was relaxed and confident during an exclusive interview with The Hindu here on Tuesday.
He is pleased to be in Chennai. “I have strong roots in Tamil Nadu. My grandfather went to Sri Lanka from here in 1920, to the hill country and the tea plantations. My father and his brothers stayed back but my grandfather returned to India with his two daughters. They settled in Tiruchi.”
Muralitharan admits learning much from his father Muttiah, a businessman. Most of all, he imbibed the value of humility. “He was a very simple man, not flashy. He was very disciplined. I never saw him change with money or anything else. There will be ups and downs but you need to stay the same on and off the field. In cricket, it is important to respect your opponents,” reveals Muralitharan. Of course, he is humble to a fault.
Married to a Chennai girl, Muralitharan, arguably, is the Chennai Super Kings’ iconic player in the Indian Premier League. “I am a Tamil and it is great to be playing for Super Kings. It is an honour,” he says.Exciting challenge
The prospect of bowling at some great batsmen in the IPL excites him. “I will be bowling at Sachin Tendulkar, Adam Gilchrist, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara. They all know me well, particularly Kumar, still it will be a challenge to bowl at them.”
Bowling, he points out, is about subtle variations. “It’s a lot about the use of the crease, changing the angle, the flight, the loop, the deception. People say I bowl a lot of deliveries including the top-spinner, the flipper and the arm ball. But I essentially bowl only two kinds of deliveries, the one spinning in and the other turning away. Then it boils down to the variations, changing the field, setting the batsman up. A spinner has to be patient to win the psychological duel. Whenever I thought positively, I have done well. A batsman can get out in one delivery; a bowler has six deliveries every over.”
His commitment shines through in his practice sessions. “I worked for two years before I could master the doosra. Batsmen sort you out in international cricket and you need to evolve, keep them guessing,” he says.
He laughs off the controversies over his bowling action. “I have learnt to live with them.” Muralitharan soon adds: “They probably realise now that I have only two to three years left in me and feel ‘why bother him more till he retires’.”Tough nut
Like Harbhajan Singh, he too has been heckled by the Australian crowd. “At first, it bothered me. Then it made me stronger. I realise what Harbhajan must have gone through.”
Queried about the on-field incidents during the India-Australia series, he replies, “Even if the incidents are between the teams, it ultimately boils down to how the two teams react to the situation. You should not let it go out beyond the boundary.”
On fellow off-spinner Harbhajan’s resurgence in Test cricket, Muralitharan says, “He has been in the shadow of Anil Kumble, a legend. But you must not forget that he has more than 250 wickets in Tests himself. He’s a very good off-spinner.”
Muralitharan believes the home team has the right to prepare the sort of pitch that suits its bowlers. “If you go to South Africa, you would play on a green-top, won’t you?” he asks.
The off-spin wizard wants to continue till the 2011 World Cup. The Lankan team, he says, is going through a transitional period.
Fortunately for Sri Lanka, Muralitharan’s intensity has not dimmed. The blithe spirit — called Motor Mouth by his teammates — is motoring along.

NO VACANCY FOR P. M. POST CONGRESS SAID

The Congress on Tuesday sought to end the spate of endorsements from within the senior leadership and the United Progressive Alliance for Rahul Gandhi as Prime Minister. “There is no vacancy for the post of Prime Minister,” Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan said in response to questions on the party’s stance on the clamour for Mr. Gandhi’s candidature.
Reading out a statement, Ms Natarajan said: “The All India Congress Committee would like to put an end to speculations. It is not appropriate to spread political speculation in this way.”
According to the statement, party president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Rahul Gandhi have always kept away from an environment of sycophancy.
These observations were pre-faced with a comment on the present dispensation – “The UPA Government, the Prime Minister and his team have put in a magnificent record of performance-oriented achievement. The government has delivered significant welfare measures for the benefit of the most disadvantaged sections of society.”
As to whether the Congress was billing senior Ministers Arjun Singh and Pranab Mukherjee, besides UPA leaders like M. Karunanidhi — who had spoken in favour of Mr. Gandhi’s candidature for the top post — as sycophants, Ms Natarajan said: “I do not want to add or subtract anything from what I have said.” She, however, added that spontaneous outpouring could not be called sycophancy.
Later, the Congress said the comment on sycophancy was not aimed at anyone in particular. In the evening, Mr. Arjun Singh met Ms Gandhi and is understood to have “explained” his comments on Mr. Gandhi. He said his comments were not discussed and sought to clarify that he did not say anything against the Prime Minister as made out in a section of the media

SALMAN RUSHDIE' NEW BOOK

It’s been 20 years since the controversy surrounding Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses, but the 60-year-old is now a force to reckon with in global publishing.

He can’t avoid the spotlight whether it’s his views in Islam or his trouble-split with fourth wife Top Chef Padmalakshmi. But it is his writing that does the talking being not just the Booker but also Booker of Bookers for Midnight’s Children. CNN-IBN’s Anirudh Bhattacharyya speaks to the master of magical realism as his latest novel The Enchantress of Florence releases worldwide.
Anirudh Bhattacharyya: Salman Rushdie thank you so much for joining us here today. Your new novel The Enchantress of Florence has Akbar, the great the Mughal king at the cenrtre of the novel, why did you place him as a character in that role?
Salman Rushdie: He wasn’t originally going to be in the book at all. Originally the book was going to be about a Mughal Princess who gets lost, captured and parceled across the world and she arrives in Renaissance Italy and falls in love with an Italian soldier of fortune.
I thought that was going to be the story in the novel but when I was beginning to write it, I felt that there was a dimension missing because since my original idea was to try and bring together these two different worlds, I thought if the whole action happens in the West then there is a side of a story not there and at a relative point I had an idea of beginning a story later than the story of the princess with this supposed descendant of hers, a young European traveler arriving in the Mughal Court to tell the story of what happened to her.
At that point I felt that the book came into balance. The world of the East, the world of the West, the world of India and the world of Renaissance Italy acquired a proper balance. On the one hand you had major historical figures like Machiavelli and Medeches on the other hand equally important historical figures like Akbar and his courts.

WHAT JAYAPRADA SAYS IS

I had been waiting for this day for 20 years. It is my good fortune that I am getting to work with a legend like him. Really, God is kind.” That is the vote of thanks Jayaprada offers to Buddhadeb Dasgupta, who has just signed her for his next Hindi film.
“It is an emotional saga, a performance-oriented role,” she says itching for the film to get rolling. “We are sorting out the details this afternoon. But the film should be ready before the end of this year itself,” says Jayaprada on the way from the airport to her hotel in Kolkata. “Once I am through with these details, there is some post-production work of ‘Sesh Sangath’. It will be over in a couple of months. Then the film will be ready to release.”
An adaptation of Telugu super hit “Osey Ramulamma”, the film also stars Jackie Shroff and Jaya’s good friend, Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh. “You won’t see a subdued Jayaprada in this film. I play a woman who takes on the male-dominated society, a woman who is fiercely independent. There is an element of the Naxalite problem tackled here but the film is quite different from the Telugu hit.” And what is Amar Singh doing in the film?
“It is not that he is acting for the first time. He plays a retired army officer who is my mentor and guide, just like in politics.”Prolific actress
Talking of politics, isn’t Jayaprada also guilty of devoting too much to her films and her Amrapali dance performances to the neglect of her constituency? Incidentally, she is shaping up to be the most prolific multi-lingual actress of the generation, doing films in Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Tamil and Kannada at the same time with even a Bhojpuri dubbed version of her upcoming “Dasavataram” reportedly ready!
“I visit my constituency every month and spend four to seven days on every visit. Every time I go to Rampur, I visit 10-12 villages. When I came to Rampur from Rajahmundary, I said Andhra is my janambhoomi and Rampur will be my karambhoomi. Today, I feel I have got a rebirth after coming here. It is like my janambhoomi, like a mother to me. People talk of the poverty of the place, I would like them to talk of its rich arts and culture. I have learnt about Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb after coming here. Rampur is a living example of Hindu-Muslim confluence. There is low literacy rate in the constituency but I want girls to get education. I have opened a girls’ inter college in Swar, want to open another in Tanda but there is local political opposition. I want every Rampur girl to be educated and independent, not depend on men.”Passionate about work
Once she starts talking of Rampur, there are no full stops. Almost like a river in spate, she gushes on, “I have opened a nursing training centre, a 24-hour medical emergency facility for women. I am upgrading the health facilities for treatment of cancer and heart problems. I have built nine bridges in Rampur. They serve some 40 villages, where people were not often able to get good matrimonial matches for their children because every year in rain the villages would be cut off from the rest of the State. A Rs.six crore project has been sanctioned for the benefit of zari workers, and beedi workers are availing better medical facilities…”
Clearly, passionate about her adopted “motherland”, Jaya is no mood to submit to people’s allegations regarding the recent attacks on the CRPF station in Rampur. Or even the fact that her alleged soft handling of the crisis might send wrong signals. “I have helped out the victims with cheques from my Nishtha Foundation. However, it is important not to give up on good things just because people make wild allegations. I am trying to modernise madrasa education, get computers for students. Boys and girls who did not get an opportunity to study earlier should get them now. Now people want education, there is craving for opportunities. Education changes the mindset. I am not into politics.”
Well, she might not be the typical politician next door, but she has managed to do a fine balancing job of her career as an artiste and as a principal vote-fetcher for her party. Not to forget all the legal problems she has faced with cases filed against her in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, where Jayaprada Theatre was closed down due to non-payment of dues. “I have come out clean in both the cases. The honourable court in Andhra closed the case last week. In the Jayaprada Theatre too, there was a mistake. I am the landlord but the company is not mine. I am a good person, an obedient citizen of the country.”
This “obedient citizen” is busy hopping from Rampur to Chennai, Kolkata to Hyderabad, Bangalore to Delhi, and on to Mumbai. “I am going back home after one and a half months today. I am thrilled.”
But before that, there is the dubbing of “Sesh Sangath” and the finer details of the Dasgupta film to be taken care of. “I am living a dream. Really, no complaints at all. A few years ago if somebody had presented all the problems before me, I would have cried. Today, I am a strong woman. I handle my own career. I am happy with the recognition I am getting as an artiste now and some of the movies I am doing today which did not come my way when I was at the peak as an actress.”
Incidentally, she has also been seen in a couple of recent Telugu and Kannada films with Balakrishnan and Vishnuvardhan. And is busy wrapping up the role of a lifetime as Rani Channama in “Krantiveer Sangolli Rayanna”, a brave soldier who took on the British might in 1824. Besides acting opposite Kamal Hasan in the multi-lingual “Dasavataram”, now ready for nationwide release. “With Kamal Hasan and Rajnikanth it is a lot of nostalgia. They are both icons of not just South Indian cinema but the nation. I came to the industry when Kamal too was beginning his career. It is good to touch base with him again.” As indeed was the case with Vishnuvardhan in “Ee Bandhana”. “It is a subject close to my heart. Though similar to ‘Baghban’, the film is different. I am glad I did it because the subject of senior citizens treatment has been raised in Parliament too. I made my point through the film.”
Then there is a Percept Pictures’ film. Not to forget her own Hindi film, “Level Crossing”, starring Irrfan where she has even done a hip-hop number with Adnan Sami. “If there are no elections, I should be able to finish it this year. Earlier I was not happy with the script.”
And two of her films, “Deha” and “College Campus” are lying in the cans. “Cannot help it. ‘Deha’ was a wonderful film but Sahara has not been able to release it. But it happens to an artiste. I can only control what is in my hands.”
And in her hands is plenty. More than half a dozen films in many languages, an Amrapali performance in Orissa, and lots of work to do in Rampur. Clearly, the dream is being realised.
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GANGULY HAS BEEN LAUDED BY DELIP VENGSARKAR

Dilip Vengsarkar is not inclined to exaggerate the significance of India’s remarkable comeback in Kanpur against South Africa.
Expressing happiness at some of the individual performances (by Sourav Ganguly, Harbhajan Singh and Ishant Sharma) and recognising the team’s attitude in the third Test, Vengsarkar felt the International Cricket Council’s Future Tour Programmes (FTP) should be streamlined in such a format that all Test-playing nations get an equitable distribution of matches and against all teams.

MUSHARRAF'BILATERAL APPROACH TO KASHMIR

President Pervez Musharraf on Monday said Pakistan was taking a “bilateral approach” to amicably resolve the Kashmir issue for the economic benefit of the people and hoped “good sense” will prevail on both sides.
In his first public comments on Kashmir after the Yousuf Raza Gillani-led government assumed office last month, retired General Musharraf laid emphasis on resolving the “festering” issue bilaterally, a departure from Pakistan’s traditional stance for third party mediation. “The dispute with Kashmir, as far as Pakistan is concerned... may I say very proudly that we are going on a bilateral approach with India,” President Musharraf told teachers and students at the elite Tsinghua University here

DHONISAYS 'THANKS' TO KANPUR PITCH CURATOR

: : A grateful Mahendra Singh Dhoni sent a note of thanks and Rs 10,000 to Green Park stadium's pitch curator for preparing the turning track that helped the hosts clinch the series-levelling win over South Africa in the third Test in Kanpur.



Curator Shiv Kumar said he was pleasantly surprised to receive a personal note of thanks and the cash reward from the stand-in Test skipper after the hosts beat the Proteas inside three days on a crumbling pitch to level the series 1-1.
Kumar said regular Test skipper Anil Kumble, who missed the decider due to a groin injury, also came down to meet and thank him for preparing the "spinner-friendly" pitch after the match.
Off spinner Harbhajan Singh, who won the man of the series award for scalping 19 wickets, also met Kumar to praise and thank him.
However, Kumar maintained that the Green Park wicket was a sporting one and it was unfair to say that it only aided the slower bowlers.
"The South African batsmen just couldn't get used to it (the pitch) and were unsure of how the ball would behave," he said.

FIT ASIF SELECTED FOR BANGLEDESH ONE-DAYERS

Pakistan's pace spearhead Mohammad Asif was on Monday drafted into the national squad for the fourth ODI against Bangladesh after spending six months on the sidelines due to a chronic elbow problem
The national selection committee included him in a 16-member squad announced for the one-dayer to be played on Wednesday in Multan.
"Asif has made an impressive recovery from his elbow problem and he has worked very hard and followed his rehabilitation program religiously. We thought this is the best time to ease him back into international cricket," chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed said. The selectors have also included young pacers Kamran Hussain and Wahab Riaz in the squad.
Pakistan blooded several new players in the home one-day series against Zimbabwe earlier in 2008 and in the ongoing rubber against Bangladesh. Their top pacers, Shoaib Akhtar, Asif, Umar Gul and Rao Iftikhar have all been injury-prone.
Asif last played in the Test series against South Africa in October at home before being ruled out with an elbow problem.
Asif was sent to Australia for surgery on his elbow problem and made a comeback to competitive cricket last week in a domestic one-day game.
The bowler, who is training in Lahore, said he was delighted to get a call. "It has been frustrating to sit out and miss important matches all this while. But this time I have worked hard on finding a permanent solution to the elbow problem," he said.
Asif said playing in the domestic one-dayer had helped him regain confidence and he was ready for the series against Bangladesh.
The lanky pacer, who has taken 51 wickets in 11 matches, is also signed up to play in the Indian Premier League and said the remaining games against Bangladesh would hopefully allow him to get into rhythm for the IPL.
"I am looking forward to learning a lot from playing with Glenn McGrath in the IPL and hopefully this elbow issue is now resolved," he said.

IROAN MOSQUE BLAST IS AN ACCIDENT ?

blast in a mosque in Iran that killed at least 12 people was an accident and not an attack, a senior official said on Sunday, but others said the investigation into the cause was continuing.

Iranian media had reported that a bomb exploded in a crowded mosque in the southern city of Shiraz on Saturday evening. About 200 people were wounded and some were in a critical condition.
State television carried footage showing wooden debris and pieces of brick strewn on the mosque’s carpet-covered floor and ambulances and fire engines rushing to the scene. “Last night’s explosion in Shiraz was as a consequence of an accident and not the planting of a bomb,” the official IRNA news agency quoted the deputy interior minister in charge of national security, Abbas Mohtaj, as saying.
He did not give details, but state Press TV television said the blast may have been “caused by explosives left behind from an earlier exhibition commemorating” the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.
“The cause of the incident was probably laxness since a defence fair was held at this place some time ago,” it quoted the commander of security forces in the southern Fars province, Ali Moayedi, as saying. But Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said the investigation was continuing, and “therefore no pre-judgement can be made about the incident”.
The deputy head of parliament’s national security commission, Mohammad-Nabi Roudaki, said the possibility of a terrorist attack had not yet been ruled out.
Security is normally tight in Shi’ite Muslim Iran and bomb attacks have been rare in recent years. But several people were killed in 2005 and 2006 in blasts in a southwestern province.
Tehran has in the past accused Britain and the US of trying to destabilise the Islamic Republic by supporting ethnic minority rebels

CALLS FOR NEPAL KING TO LEAVE PALACE

The unexpected emergence of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (CPN-M) as the single largest party in the Constituent Assembly has begun showing its effect in Nepal.
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On Sunday, the Maoists took out a victory procession in the capital demanding that the royal palace be vacated, indicating that the party will push the pro-republican agenda faster. “Raj durbar khali gar, janata audaichhan (vacate the royal palace for the people),” followers of Barshaman Pun, one of the key military strategists of the CPN-M, chanted as they marched in the victory procession.
The party leadership, however, has asked its cadres, especially the Young Communist League, to tone down the celebrations till the victory is formal.
By late on Sunday evening, the CPN-M had won 68 of the 122 seats for which the results were announced, and was leading in the rest. The Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal-United Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) were left fighting for the distant number two position. Their tally was 21 and 19 seats respectively, far behind the Maoists.
Stunned by the reverses suffered by his party, Madhav Kumar Nepal, the CPN-UML general secretary, announced his resignation. He said all his party ministers, who held six portfolios including foreign affairs, will quit the present government.
Nepal, along with other party stalwarts K P Oli, Bharat Mohan Adhikary, Pradeep Nepal, Astalakshmi and Bamdev Gautam — all members of the party’s central committe — were defeated, meaning that the Constituent Assembly will not have any top leader of the party.
The plight of the Nepali Congress, headed by Prime Minister G P Koirala, was no different. Almost all his relatives, including daughter Sujata Koirala and nephew Shekhar Koirala, were trounced. The all-powerful Home Minister, K P Sitaula, also suffered a defeat. Sources in the Prime Minister’s office said Koirala might wait for results for all the 575 seats under the first-past-the-post system and the proportional representation system were known before taking a decision. This may take up to two

DALAILAMA SAID"NO MORE CONCESSION"

Even as the Government allayed Chinese concerns on the security of the Olympic torch for the umpteenth time, India on Friday made it clear that a West Bengal-like ban on protests by Tibetans was not possible across the country. China was told on Friday, through diplomatic channels, that India being a democratic country, could not ban protests unless it sought to break law or create a law and order problem, official sources said. The point was conveyed after Beijing sought to know from New Delhi whether a ban like the one imposed by the Left Front Government in West Bengal could be extended to the rest of the country.
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New Delhi made it amply clear that the decision of the West Bengal Government was made neither at the directions of the Centre nor in consultation with the Central Government. Sources said law and order being a state issue, the West Bengal Government was free to take such a decision, but the Centre was not planning to impose a similar ban in the rest of the country.
At the same time, New Delhi reiterated that the Olympic torch would not be put in danger in any way. Once the torch landed here, it was India’s responsibility to take care of it, and its security would be ensured at all costs. However, it was agreed that the elite security team from China would continue to escort the torch during the relay in New Delhi, as it has been doing at every city around the world. Sources said one more Chinese team would come to Delhi on Saturday to see the arrangements made for the torch relay on April 17. It will hold discussions with government officials and police. China had earlier sent a four-member team here to discuss security arrangements for the Chinese Embassy that had come under attack from the Tibetan protestors last month.
Officials admit that the Tibetan protests this time has been unprecedented in terms of scale, planning, organisation and execution and therefore, controlling the same is tough. However, the Government is keen not to get caught in the tussle between the Chinese and the Tibetans and would pull out all stops to ensure that the relay is not jeopardised.

MUSHARAF VISIT CHAINA

ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf is beginning a six-day visit to China on April 10 that will include a significant stopover in Urumqi, capital of the restive, Muslim-majority Xinjiang province, which borders Pakistan. The visit is being watched closely at home for more than the bilateral ties between the “all weather” allies.
The visit, though planned well in advance, comes at a sensitive time both for China and the Pakistan President.
This is the first time President Musharraf will make an official trip abroad, after a ruling coalition of parties opposed to him, including one openly hostile, has taken over the reins of government.Coalition differences
The differences between the coalition partners in their approach to working with the retired General Musharraf are already showing up in the run-up to his visit. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureishi and Defence Minister Ahmad Mukhtar, both of the Pakistan People’s Party, are part of the President’s delegation.
Mr. Mukhtar recently said in a television interview that Gen. Musharraf was a “saleable commodity” who could be used to attract foreign investments.
But Finance Minister Ishaq Dar of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) has declined to go, citing important meetings here. The party holds Gen. Musharraf an “unconstitutional” President. Gen. Musharraf’s primary agenda is to address the Boao Forum, an engagement fixed months ago. The conference was set up by China in 2002 as an Asia-specific parallel to the Davos World Economic Forum.
Tariq Fatemi, a former diplomat and adviser to the PML(N) leader Nawaz Sharif on foreign affairs, told The Hindu that Gen. Musharraf appeared to be going ahead with the visit for two reasons: one, to send out the message at home that he is politically comfortable enough to undertake a trip at a sensitive time for him; and two, not to send out adverse signals to the Chinese about his delicate political situation.
“It reveals the confidence that has come back in him with the coalition moving away from its ideals and the PPP leadership thinking that it is better to arrive at a modus vivendi with him,” Mr Fatemi said.
But, he added, the absence of the Finance Minister from the delegation would further confirm to the Chinese that the political situation in Pakistan remained uncertain.
Internationally, the visit is being watched for the interesting inclusion in President Musharraf’s itinerary of Urumqi, where it is expected that he will make a public reiteration of Pakistan’s support and friendship to Beijing. He may also appeal to the people of the province not to support the Uighyur insurgency just as he did in 2005, asking Xinjiang Muslims to cooperate with China for peace and progress and not get involved with those spreading terrorism and extremism.Anti-China protests
Anti-China protests were reported from parts of the province last month, about the same time as the unrest in Tibet, and months ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Uighyur separatists are also believed to have been behind a foiled attempt to blow up an Urumqi-Beijing flight in the first week of March. Unconfirmed media reports said those arrested for the bombing attempt were carrying Pakistani passports. The Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman said there was no information that those involved in the hijack attempt were Pakistani nationals.
Olympic torch
The Olympic torch is set to arrive in Islamabad on April 16, a day after Gen. Musharraf ends his China visit. The national consensus in Pakistan on the importance of its time-tested friendship with China would ensure that the torch transited safely through Pakistan, said Akram Zaki, former Ambassador to Beijing.
Gen. Musharraf will meet Chinese President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and other state leaders. Frigate project
Ahead of the visit, China launched PNS Zulfiqar, first of its F-22 frigate project with the Pakistan Navy at its Hudong shipyard.
In a statement on Monday, President Musharraf said the project was another landmark achievement testifying to close Pakistan-China friendship and multifacet

TOWN SHIP BEING BUILTED FOR PANDITS VISTED BY SONIA

Congress president Sonia Gandhi with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad at the Mahila Congress Convention in Jammu on Saturday.
Jagti (Nagrota): Congress president and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Saturday visited Jammu and Kashmir’s biggest project in the housing sector, the fast coming up township for migrant Kashmiri pandits here.
Accompanied by Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Minister for Home, Shivraj Patil, Union Minister for Water Resources, Saifuddin Soz and AICC General Secretary, Mohsina Kidwai, Ms. Gandhi inspected the model of the township and the ongoing pace of work.
The foundation stone for Rs. 294 crore all-facility township was laid by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in July last. In all,178 three-storey blocks comprising 4,228 two-room tenements are being constructed here. The mega project is expected to be completed in September 2009.
Later, speaking at a women’s convention, Ms. Gandhi said the BJP-led Central government had paid only lip service to the Kashmiri migrants while the Congress-led UPA government and the State government took concrete initiatives to help them out. She said arrangements were under way to provide accommodation to 25,000 homeless migrants at Jagti. She complimented Mr. Azad for speeding up construction work on the township.

PRACTICING OF BREATHING YOGA

In yoga breath is said to be the interface between the physical body and the mind. The power of breathing practice to change your state of mind is extremely strong. A breathing practice can last anything from two minutes to half an hour or more.

Tips to follow when practicing Breathing or Pranayama:
Find a quiet place where you won't be distracted. If doing the exercises inside, make sure the window is open to allow plenty of fresh air into the room.
At first practise pranayama lying down and then gradually aim to sit upright with your spine straight.
Breathe evenly through the nose throughout the postures.
Never strain your breathing in pranayama.
Breathe deeply and slowly.
Progress slowly and carefully.
If you feel dizzy or light-headed, return to normal breathing.
Ask a friend to stay with you when trying out a new technique.
Do not rush things and practice all exercises as slowly as you can.

yaga asanas

Yoga postures are designed to cleanse, tone and purify the body, which in turn affects the mind and your ability to practice pranayama and meditation without distraction. Not to mention of the other many health benefits like:
Improved flexibility, stamina, strength and balance.
Better functioning of your nervous and endocrine systems and internal organ.
Enhanced quality of your breathing.

Tips to follow when practicing yoga poses:
Choose poses that seem appropriate to your mood and energy level.
Begin with gentler poses and work up to stronger ones.
Breathe evenly through the nose throughout the postures.
Never rush into and out of a pose.
Never strain in a pose - if it hurts, stop.
Don't habitually practise in front of a mirror. Focus on how the pose feels, not what it looks like.
The postures should be both steady and soft.

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GOOD DAYS FOR INDO CHAINA ECONOMY

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Friday equated India with China as one of the “two fastest growing economies in the world,” while Union Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath emphasised that the “incredible India” of evocative imagery was also an “incredible” economy on the move now.
They were setting the tone for a series of events organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in association with India’s High Commission here, in the name and style of “Incredible !ndia@60,” as a sequel to similar celebrations in New York last year.
The highlights of Friday’s events in Singapore ranged from a stylised fashion show and a discussion on “India’s Century” to a business conference on the Indian knowledge economy as also the opportunities and challenges of economic engagement in and with India.
CII President Sunil Bharti Mittal said India was poised to become the world’s third largest economy, in real terms, after China and the United States, by 2040. And, by 2035, India would be a $35-trillion economy.
India’s High Commissioner to Singapore S. Jaishankar emphasised that India was navigating its growing economy in an ambience of democracy.
The selection of Singapore as the venue in the Eastern hemisphere for the celebration of India’s 60 years of independence was very appropriate, because the City-State had already become “a key gateway for us.”
On the sidelines of these events, Mr. Kamal Nath, responding to a question on the India-U.S. civil nuclear deal, said: “We are discussing it within our coalition; some last loose ends, some last ironing out with the IAEA is being done. There is a process, and that process is ongoing. Our coalition partners will be looking at what we are going to eventually agree with the IAEA. That is still to be given to them for them to respond. Everything is doable. We only signed it because it is doable

RAJINIKANTH'S ONE DAY FASST

Actor Rajnikanth waves at the crowd during the one-day fast, to condemn the attack on cinema halls screening Tamil movies in Bangalore following the Hogenakkal issue, in Chennai on Friday. Photo: PTI. Photo Gallery
Rajni joins Tamil film industry on water row with KarnatakaChennai (PTI): South Indian superstar Rajnikant, who comes under the scanner here everytime a water row breaks out with Karnataka because of his Kannada links, on Friday accused the politicians from Karanataka of

THE SECRET OF YOGA IS HEALTH AND HAPPINESS

Health and happiness
Happiness is in the mind, and the mind is supported by the body – a healthy mind lives in a healthy body. Your happiness depends on your mind and it depends on your body. Without physical health you can't be completely happy, and without mental happiness you can't be completely healthy. Health is a positive state; not just the absence of a negative one. It's not only the absence of disease. For too long now traditional Western medicine has treated illness as only a disease: an enemy that attacks you and needs to be counter-attacked; but in reality it's nothing more than an imbalance in the natural harmony of body and mind. True healing means restoring that balance, and true health means keeping it.
Yoga means "to unify." It's the holistic approach to all aspects of life: physical, mental and spiritual. Yoga views the person as a whole; as a unique combination of body, mind and soul, and its techniques maintain that body-mind-soul harmony.

INDO-PAKISTAN RELATION MAY BE BETTER LETUS HOPE ON NEW GOVERNMENT

DHAKA: Removing the ‘last obstacle’ to starting the long-awaited India-Bangladesh direct passenger train service, the two countries have decided to begin the Dhaka-Kolkata train on the first day of the Bengali New Year, Pahela Baishakh, on April 14.
“The Indian High Commission has informed us that the Central government has turned down the West Bengal government’s plea to re-fix the date,” Bangladesh Communications Secretary Mahbubur Rahman told journalists.
The launching of the train on the Bengali New Year day became uncertain after the West Bengal government requested the Centre last week to defer the date to the last week of May. The plea was that the programme might violate the code of conduct for the panchayat elections scheduled for that month.
Railway officials of the two countries are giving final touches to the plan in Dhaka, and thrashing out some unsettled issues. The ‘Moitree Express,’ which can carry 370 passengers, will run between Dhaka Cantonment and Chitpur in Kolkata through the Darshana border once a week from both the sides.
A train each will leave Dhaka and Kolkata on Saturdays and start the return journey on Sundays. The fares will be between $8 (Indian Rupee 319) and $20 (Rs. 797) depending on classes for the 538-km journey — 418 km in Bangladesh and 120 km in India. India has already set up infrastructure such as customs and immigration facilities, passengers’ waiting halls and other related facilities at the Gede station