Manmohan Singh, Sachin Tendulkar feature in 'Time 100

WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and economist Amartya Sen are among nine Indians figuring in Time magazine's annual list of 100 most influential people while Bollywood sensation Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan tops its 100 Alumnae list.

Manmohan Singh finds himself in the 19th spot in the Leaders list headed by Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva with US president Barack Obama in the fourth place.

As India's finance minister from 1991 to 1996, Manmohan Singh "released India's potential for the benefit of its people. Now, as Prime Minister, he is guiding India into the ranks of the great powers," wrote PepsiCo's Indian American chairperson Indra Nooyi.

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar gets the 13th place among 25 "Heroes" headed by former US president Bill Clinton who is recognised for his work as a fund-raiser and anti-poverty activist.

Writing about Tendulkar's double century in a One Day International match, new age guru Deepak Chopra says: "To millions of Indians and countless fans around the world, this act, which caps a career of record-breaking feats, arouses a sense of awe."

"The Alchemist" is the favourite book of Time Alumnae Aishwarya, who lists "certainly my mother and father" as the two people who had the most effect or influence on her.

Sixth placed among heroes Dr Perumalsamy Namperumalsamy, 70, was recognised for performing cataract surgery at the Aravind Eye Care Hospitals since 1976 and having treated 3.6 million surgeries to date-a new one every 15 minutes.

Indian entrepreneur Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw gets the 16th spot among 'heroes' for donating $2 million to support health insurance coverage for 100,000 Indian villagers and another$10 million for creating the 1,400-bed Mazumdar-Shaw Cancer Centre in Bangalore.

A paramedic from Toronto, Rahul Singh in 22nd place is recognised for his relief work in Haiti in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that hit the poor Caribbean nation on Jan 12. In 1998, Singh founded GlobalMedic to provide disaster relief using volunteer professional emergency workers.

Chetan Bhagat, author of bestsellers, "One Night @ the Call Centre" and "Five Point Someone" is the lone Indian in the list of Artists headed by extravagantly outfitted singer Lady Gaga.

"I've seen the effect Chetan has on his readers," writes Academy Award winner Indian composer AR Rahman. "He often writes about following your dreams and not bowing to others' expectations. That isn't easy in India, where family opinion matters and some professions are regarded as more serious than others."

Nobel prize winner economist Amartya Sen is 20th on the "Thinkers" list. "Occasionally loquacious, often ironic, usually genial, always brilliant," Sen's notion of measuring human development is now central to the work of the United Nations and the World Bank, notes Harvard University history professor, Neil Ferguson.

Indian-America doctor and Harvard professor Atul Gwande is fifth on the list of 'thinkers' for his contribution to medicine. "In this historic time for health policy, the need for smart, creative thinkers is greater than ever. Gawande certainly is one and it is equally certain his influence will grow," wrote former US State Senator, Tom Daschle.

Humanitarian worker, Sanjit Bunker Roy's Barefoot College has trained more than 3 million people for jobs in the modern world, in buildings so rudimentary they have dirt floors and no chairs, Time said.

"Roy combines humanitarianism, entrepreneurship and education to help people steer their own path out of poverty, fostering dignity and self-determination along the way," it said.

Hakimullah Mehsud no longer running Pakistani Taliban: Pentagon

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon on Friday said that Pakistani Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud is no longer running the terrorist outfit, even as news reports from that country claimed that he is still alive.

It has been widely believed that Hakimullah, who had succeeded Baitullah Mehsud, was killed in a drone attack early this year.

"I can also tell you that I certainly have seen no evidence that the person you speak of is operational today or is executing or exerting authority over the Pakistan Taliban as he once did," Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told reporters at a news briefing.

"I don't know if that reflects him being alive or dead, but he clearly is not running the Pakistani Taliban anymore," Morrell said in response to a question if Mehsud was dead or alive.

BJP puts on hold its move to withdraw support to Soren government

NEW DELHI: After receiving a letter from JMM leader Hemant Soren expressing willingness to back a BJP-led government in Jharkhand, BJP parliamentary board on Friday decided to withhold its move to withdraw support to the Shibu Soren Ministry and is reportedly exploring ways of government formation there.

In a hurriedly convened parliamentary board meeting, BJP decided to explore the option of forming a government in Jharkhand, party sources said. However, the party is in a quandary on the issue whether a tribal or a non-tribal should lead the government.

The sources said a section in the BJP central unit feels making its Lok Sabha MP and former External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha the Chief Minister would provide more political stability and a better leadership to Jharkhand.

However, another section in the party and many in the state unit feel Arjun Munda should be the chief minister of the tribal-dominated state.

"BJP parliamentary board has decided that party leaders will talk to our alliance partners in Jharkhand, namely, JMM, JD(U) and AJSU, and our state unit leadership to take a decision on the proposal of Hemant Soren," senior BJP leader Ananth Kumar said.

Till then the decision to withdraw support to Shibu Soren government has been put on hold, he said.

On Thursday, Jharkhand deputy chief minister and BJP leader Raghuvar Das had sought appointment with Governor M O H Farooq thrice but did not meet him in the wake of backdoor negotiations between the party and JMM.

In an earlier letter, Shibu Soren had apologised to the BJP top brass for voting against the cut motions in the Lok Sabha. On Thursday evening, Hemant had written a letter to BJP President Nitin Gadkari pledging support to a BJP-led government in the state.

3G auction 'transparent', to be over in couple of days: Raja

NEW DELHI: The auction of third-generation (3G) spectrum is likely to be completed in next 1 or 2 days, Telecom minister A Raja informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

"The auction is being held successfully....it will be completed in one or two days," he said during Question Hour.

"I am clear that the procedure is transparent. It is open to all to question this but there is no question of lack of transparency," he added.

The e-auction began on April 9 and will continue till such time that demand equals supply, he said adding the award of spectrum was being done transparently and fairly.

Nine mobile telephony firms including Bharti, Vodafone, Reliance and Tatas are in the fray for 3-4 slots of 3G spectrum that allows subscribers to download hi-speed data and stream videos on mobile telephones. Radio waves are being auctioned across 22 circles.

"Procedure followed in allocation of (3G) spectrum is fully transparent....everything is transparent," he said insisting that the process followed was open to any scrutiny.

The available spectrum was put on the Department of Telecommunication's website before the auction, he said.

Raja had earlier this week stated that the Government may garner around Rs 50,000-Rs 55,000 crore by selling 3G airwaves and Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) spectrum through auction.

"The revenue from 3G auction alone may cross Rs 40,000 crore. Revenues from 3G and BWA spectrum put together may touch Rs 50,000-55,000 crore," he had stated this week.

At the end of the 16th day of auction yesterday, pan-India 3G mobile licence price reached Rs 8,914 crore. Demand was on par with supply for just three circles: Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan, while only Tamil Nadu and Kolkata received excess bids.

The successful bidders would be allotted air waves in September after the spectrum is vacated by the defence forces.

Raja today informed the Upper House that there were various bands available and are classified as 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G and possibly 5G.

While 1G frequency is used by security agencies like defence forces and police, 2G is used by mobile telephone operators.

Madhuri Gupta visited area near LoC in March

JAMMU: Indian diplomat Madhuri Gupta, arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan's spy agency ISI, had visited the Sunderbani border area in Jammu and Kashmir last month and stayed with a doctor couple, intelligence sources said.

Gupta, 53, had been to Sunderbani, close to the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district, for two days on March 28 and 29 this year, intelligence sources said. Officials said they do not have exact information on the kind of relationship the diplomat had with the doctor couple.

"At some stage, it might be investigated," an intelligence official said.

Gupta, a second secretary with the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, has been remanded to police custody. The Indian government Tuesday said it was questioning Gupta for passing sensitive information to Pakistan.

She was arrested four days ago after being summoned to Delhi on the pretext of consultations.

Rajya Sabha adjourned over PR firm owner's phone tapping

NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha was adjourned on Wednesday over the alleged phone tapping of a public relations firm owner on the allocation of 2G telecom spectrum.

The trouble erupted as soon as the upper house assembled with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and AIADMK members raising the issue. The house adjourned till 12 noon.

In a brief statement, leader of the opposition Arun Jaitley (BJP) said: "Early this week, there was a report about phone tapping. The home minister made a statement that those were not authorised. Today there is a news report, which seems to be an authorised case of phone tapping.

"The question is whether leaders of industries are involved in the allocation of portfolios by the prime minister. The allocation of 2G spectrum seems to be linked to this."

As the protest continued, chairman Hamid Ansari said discussions could be organised but opposition members refused to relent. Failing to restore order, Ansari adjourned the house till 12 noon.

He also threatened to shift the question hour if disturbances continued and said he would rule on this later in the day.

According to a news report published in The Pioneer, government agencies have tapped the phone of a PR firm owner and her conversation with telecom minister A. Raja.

Shivraj Patil sworn in as Rajasthan Governor

JAIPUR: Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil, who has been given additional charge of Rajasthan following the demise of Prabha Rau, was on Wednesday sworn in here.

Rajasthan High Court Chief Justice Jagdish Bhalla administered the oath of office to Patil at a simple function in Raj Bhawan.

Two minutes silence was observed as a mark of respect to late Governor Rau.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, cabinet ministers and other senior state bureaucrats.

Prabha Rau had died due to a heart attack in New Delhi on Monday.

Soren's vote an act of betrayal, says BJP

NEW DELHI: Calling Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren's action of voting with the government in Lok Sabha an "act of betrayal", BJP on Wednesday convened a parliamentary board meeting to discuss the future of ties with JMM in Jharkhand where the two parties run a coalition government.

Senior party leaders said that BJP has taken very serious note of Soren's action and is not buying the explanation given by Soren's son Hemant that it has happened by mistake even as the Chief Minister wondered "what difference will it (his vote) make".

"The voting in favour of UPA by Soren is an act of betrayal. The manner in which he has voted is a betrayal of coalition dharma. We have taken it very seriously. Senior party leaders will take a call on it," senior BJP leader Prakash Javdekar said.

Another party leader Venkaiah Naidu echoed similar views saying "it's a clear betrayal".

"You can't be heading a government with the support of BJP, be in opposition and at the same time, support the ruling party at the Centre. It is not acceptable.On what to do the party will meet and discuss. It is a serious issue," he said.

Naidu also refused to buy the explanation given by Hemant Soren on the issue that his father voted for UPA in a mistake.

Senior party leader from Jharkhand Yashwant Sinha said, "He (Soren) is there (on the Chief Minister's chair) in Jharkhand with our support. Therefore, the least that was expected of him that he would not go to this stage. He could have stayed neutral."

Asked whether the BJP would take any action into the matter, Sinha said, "We will sit down and take stock of the situation."

Sinha said Soren's action showed "perhaps, he has some plans up his sleeve."

Sources said that after Soren sprung a surprise yesterday by voting with the government on the cut motions moved by BJP and the Left, the BJP top brass was livid and held discussions with the JMM chief.

Soren had a meeting with BJP president Nitin Gadkari last night where his decision not to vote with the BJP came up for discussion.

Gadkari has called a meeting of the BJP parliamentary board, the highest decision making body of the party, to deliberate on the issue.

With Soren voting along with the UPA government, speculation is rife that he may have struck a deal with the Congress-led government. Sources said he may bargain for a berth in the Union Cabinet and make his son Hemant the deputy chief minister in Jharkhand.

Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik Chief Babulal Marandi may then become the Chief Minister in a coalition government of the Congress, JMM and JVN.

In the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, Congress has 14 MLAs, JMM has 18 and JVM(P) has 11 MLAs.

Asked about JMM's sudden support on the cut motions, Hemant Soren, today claimed that it happened by "mistake" and made it clear there was no move to form a government in Jharkhand with Congress backing.

Sikh group to challenge clean chit to Tytler

NEW YORK: Angry over a clean chit to Jagdish Tytler in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, a community group here has alleged that the CBI did not investigate material witnesses in the case when its team came to the United States.

The Sikh group based in New York and India, Sikhs for Justice, says there are several witnesses living in the US who had seen the Congress leader inciting mobs in the killings.

Sikhs for Justice, which had originally challenged CBI's closure report in 2007 are now preparing to challenge the Delhi court's decision to acquit Tytler, citing the new witnesses that have still not been heard.

"The CBI did not investigate material witnesses when they came to the United States and they came with the premeditated notion of giving Tytler a clean chit," Gurpatwant Pannun, the lawyer for the Sikhs for Justice, told PTI.

"The CBI should come back and speak to these witnesses who saw what happened," he added, noting that the Sikh group would ask the court to direct the CBI to hear these witnesses.

Resham Singh, who claims he saw Tytler at the Pulbangash Gurudwara standing in front of the mob as black smoke emerged from the shrine, said the CBI officials refused to speak to him when they came to interview the two key witnesses Jasbir Singh and Surinder Singh in San Francisco and New York.

In its decision, the court pointed out that the statement of Jasbir had "no relevance" and that the statements of Surinder Singh were "self-contradictory".

"I'm running after them to be heard... this is absolutely ridiculous," Resham told PTI.

Pannun said the discredited witness Jasbir "is outraged by the court's decision and blames the CBI for yielding to political pressure".

In 2007, when the CBI was about to close the case against Tytler based on the absence of evidence, Jasbir spoke out through the media that he was a living witnesses who could account for Tytler's alleged role.

In the coming weeks, Jasbir intends to appeal the decision that gave Tytler a clean chit and will come to India to testify if it is necessary.

Several potential witnesses here claim that they are scared of being harmed if they speak out about the past.

"I will go anywhere to get justice but they must provide security," Jasbir said.

In April, Sikhs for Justice has also filed a civil suit against Transport Minister, Kamal Nath, in a New York Federal District for his alleged role in the 1984 killings.

Arrest of Indian diplomat for spying a serious issue: Krishna

THIMPHU: Terming the arrest of an Indian diplomat posted in Islamabad as a "serious" issue, external affairs minister S M Krishna on Wednesday said the government will do whatever was needed after finding out her "motive and modus operandi".

"Investigations are going on and we will have to wait till the investigation are complete and then find out what was the motive and what was the modus operandi," Krishna told reporters here.

He said the fact that she was called and was in police custody shows the "seriousness" of the issue.

Madhuri Gupta, an IFS-B officer who was Second Secretary in the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, was arrested last week on the charges of passing information to ISI. She was summoned by Ministry of External Affairs on the pretext of discussions over SAARC summit, being held in Thimphu, official sources said.

"Let's first get through with the investigation that has been initiated.... MHA is doing the investigation. Once we get all the report, what needs to be done will be done by the government of India," he said.

Asked if the incident has brought the High Commission under the scanner, the minister said, "Let's not be judgmental and jump to any conclusion".

SC quashes 'pre-marital sex' cases against Khushboo

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday quashed 22 criminal cases filed against South Indian actress Khushboo for her remarks in various magazines allegedly endorsing pre-marital sex.

A bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices Deepak Verma and B S Chauhan allowed the appeal filed by the actress against the decision of the Madras High Court which had dismissed her plea to quash the cases.

The cases were registered in various places in Tamil Nadu for her interviews in 2005.

Khushboo had challenged the 2008 ruling of the Madras High Court, which had dismissed her plea to scrap various criminal cases against her for the controversial remark.

In a speech earlier, Khushboo had said there was nothing wrong with pre-marital sex and live-in relationships. In its ruling the bench asked: "When two adults want to live together, what is the offence? Does it amount to an offence? Living together is not an offence. It cannot be an offence."

The court had said the views expressed by her were personal. And no one had the right to question the personal thinking of a person, the court said.

The bench had also asked the complainants to produce evidence of any girls eloping after the statement.

Billion-dollar deal papers go missing

MUMBAI: This isn't just another missing document. Among the scores of papers that have allegedly gone missing from the BCCI headquarters here, are the papers relating to the highly controversial $1.64 billion TV rights contract between BCCI, Multi-Screen Media (MSM) and World Sports Group (WSG) involving a suspect "facilitation" fee of $80 million. They are not with BCCI, nor apparently with suspended IPL chief Lalit Modi.

The contract deals with IPL TV rights for nine years from 2009 onwards that were renegotiated after the original deal signed in 2008 for $1.02 billion was terminated. Papers of such a huge contract are normally kept with care for future reference so that it is observed by the parties concerned in letter and spirit.

Income-tax authorities are looking for these papers, and the BCCI is flabbergasted by their absence. The suspended IPL chief is understood to have been the key person who negotiated this tripartite deal between BCCI and MSM — a Sony subsidy — and WSG (Mauritius).

BCCI sources said the papers were simply not there and admitted that the deal was very suspicious as after the 2008 contract was cancelled, the rights were parked with WSG (Mauritius) for a few days before being given back to MSM. In a recent interaction with BCCI, a senior Sony representative said MSM had been threatened with loss of telecast rights.

BCCI members said that along with the WSG-MSM contract, papers related to digital, image rights awarded to Global Cricket Ventures — a firm held by Elephant Capital where Modi's step son-in-law Gaurav Burman has a stake with his brother — are also untraceable.

As for the broadcast deal, the facilitation fee of $80 million which MSM had agreed to pay WSG translates into Rs 425 crore. Out of this, Rs 125 crore has been paid, and the remaining amount was to be paid over the next seven years. The decision to park rights with a company in a tax haven is seen as a bid to facilitate payments in a manner where tracing the end beneficiaries would be near impossible.

Man exposed to radiation dies, another critical in Delhi

NEW DELHI: A 35-year-old man died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), 19 days after he was exposed to radioactive material in the scrap market of Mayapuri in west Delhi. Another victim continues to remain critical, doctors said Tuesday.

Rajender Prasad, who was exposed to Cobalt 60 at a scrap dealer shop in Mayapuri in west Delhi and admitted to AIIMS on April 8, died around 9.30 pm on Monday after multiple organ failure.

"He developed bilateral pneumonia and was exhibiting signs of kidney and liver function impairment. He was put on ventilator April 24," a doctor treating the radiation victims said.

According to doctors, another radiation victim Ram Kalap is critical and his blood counts have reduced significantly. He has been put on prophylactic antibiotic and anti-fungal agents.

Eight radiation victims have been admitted to hospitals so far.

Six people were admitted at AIIMS with radiation exposure. One was discharged on April 20. Three patients continue to have low blood count but are "stable", the doctor said.

Deepak Jain, a scrap metal dealer from Mayapuri, was the first victim. He turned black after he touched the radioactive source. He had a considerably suppressed bone marrow and is hospitalized at the Indraprastha Apollo hospital.

Ajay Jain, another scrap metal dealer from Mayapuri, was admitted to Max Hospital in Pitampura on April 10. He suffered minor burns and was declared radiation free by the hospital authorities. His condition is being monitored.

Copy of US Declaration found in Shimla

CHANDIGARH: When the owner of Maria Bros, a bookshop in Shimla, acquired a collection of old tomes about two decades ago, little did he know that it was a veritable treasure trove. For, neatly tucked among stacks of old books was a historic document — a parchment that's one of the few surviving copies of the American Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson in June 1776.

The parchment has attracted the attention of Himachal Pradesh tourism, which has included a feature on Maria Bros as part of its own publication, 'Har Ghar Kuchh Kehta Hai', to promote tourism. The department has requested the bookshop owner, Rajeev Sud, to showcase the parchment. Rajeev is the son of O C Sud, who ran Maria Bros till his death around 10 years ago. It was Sud who had discovered the parchment. "The copy in Shimla is part of the original 200 copies in the world. It's a treasure. We'll persuade its owners to showcase it as it has the potential to attract tourists," said Himachal tourism director, Arun Sharma.

Sud started Maria Bros in 1953, dealing in general and school books and stationery items. In the early 1960s, Sud shifted to old books, travelogues and history, later establishing himself as one the most respected and knowledgeable antiquarians in India. After he discovered the rare copy of the American Declaration of Independence, Sud had it authenticated through several agencies, including a reputed auction house of London.

After Sud's death, his son Rajeev preserved the parchment, now shown to tourists on request. It was while conducting research for 'Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai' that Himachal tourism realized its worth.

And, Maria Bros seems to be the best place to showcase it with the shop housing other rare books and artefacts, too, including volumes connected with Vajrayana Buddhism sold by Tibetan refugees. And there are trumpets made from human thigh bones, reliquaries and other sacred objects.

Congress did not initiate anti-Sikh riots in 1984: Gadkari

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari says it's not entirely correct to blame the then Congress government for initiating the anti-Sikh riots of 1984.

In an interview to BBC Hindi Service, Gadkari said: "Some people might be involved in those riots but it would not be entirely correct to say that the riots were initiated by the government.

"Nobody can manipulate or organise such incidents; these are unfortunate reactions of the people at large."

Gadkari was replying to questions on the alleged involvement of the BJP and its government in the demolition of the Babri mosque and the 1992 Gujarat riots.

"Gujarat riots were unfortunate. But when riots take place in other states, why aren't governments and chief ministers blamed for that?" the newly-elected BJP president asked.

"Why don't you corner Congress governments and their chief ministers for riots which took place in Congress-governed states, the way you are cornering Modi and the BJP? Riots took place in Mumbai in 1992 and the way Sikhs were killed in Delhi..."

He also said the BJP was not anti-Muslim, and shot back, "If our party were against the Muslims, why would we nominate Dr. Abdul Kalam as the president of the country?"

Here are some excerpts from the interview:

BBC: Can you assure the Muslim community that your party is not against them?

Gadkari: If our party were against the Muslims, why would we nominate Dr. Abdul Kalam as the president of the country?

BBC: Dr Abdul Kalam was surely made the President but how would your party wash the blemish of Gujarat riots?

Gadkari: More serious riots took place in Mumbai (in 1992) but why wasn't the government (in the state) blamed? Why wasn't a Special Investigating Team set up against the then chief minister of Maharashtra?

BBC: Do you think Muslims will forget the Gujarat riots and the demolition of the Babri mosque?

Gadkari: Gujarat riots were unfortunate. But when riots take place in other states, why aren't governments and chief ministers blamed for that?

BBC: Can Muslims forget Gujarat riots and the demolition of the Babri mosque?

Gadkari: This is only a section of the media and certain individuals who write or say unfounded things about us.

BBC: Are you saying that Gujarat riots and the demolition of the Babri mosque never happened and these incidents are media's creation?

Gadkari: Both these incidents did happen. I am asking you why don't you corner Congress governments and their chief ministers for riots which took place in Congress-governed states, the way you are cornering Modi and the BJP? Riots took place in Mumbai in 1992 and the way Sikhs were killed in Delhi...

BBC: But the Congress party is answerable for that...and the media has been questioning the party...

Gadkari: The basic thing is that nobody can manipulate or organise such incidents. These are the unfortunate reactions by the people at large.

BBC: Do you think '84 riots were also a reaction of the people and there was no manipulation involved?

Gadkari: Look, some people might be involved in those riots but it would not be entirely correct to say that the riots were initiated by the government.

CRPF internal reports hint at lack of training, facilities

NEW DELHI: Internal reports of the CRPF, which has just lost 75 personnel in the Maoists attack in Dantewada, say the force's field commanders had pointed out lack of training, work pressure and communication gaps as some reasons for losses in operations.

As per the reports, senior officers were of the view that non-availability of sufficient firing range, lack of shooting practice were some of the reasons for more casualties of CRPF personnel during operations.

The reports, prepared by the force's field commanders after a series of meetings, also mentions a senior officer who looks after training expressing his unhappiness over the kind of training.

He said the normal PT/Parades are not getting due importance in Battalions or Group Centres, which he felt affects the turn-out and training aspect of men.

The reports also mention that certain Battalions have shortage of Assistant Commandant and various other ranks and non availability of Company Commander for a longer duration affects the functioning and efficiency of the particular Company.

It was also felt by certain officers that competency and efficiency level varies from unit to unit and that training level had gone down.

Officers also mentioned that the personnel frequently change their role at a short notice which dos not give them time for mental preparation. The roles include law and order duties, Counter Insurgency Operations, VIP security, communal tension, election duties, jungle warfare, tackling terrorism, extremism among others.

It was also felt that infrastructure and living conditions of the personnel posted in various parts of the country have to be improved.

Questions were also raised on non-implementation of standard operating procedures at times.

Obama pressed Pak on terror at India's insistence

WASHINGTON: India's subtle reproach of the United States that it was not pressing Islamabad sufficiently on the issue of terrorism had the immediate effect on Sunday of President Obama telling Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to act against the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack and roll up terrorist organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Meeting Gilani some two hours after his nearly hour-long discussion with Singh on Sunday evening, Obama endorsed the Indian Prime Minister's view that a terror-free region could be an economic dynamo and suggested that Pakistan respond positively to Singh's overtures. Bringing the perpetrators of the Mumbai terrorist attacks to justice would help improve the security situation in the region, he told Gilani after initially proposing to Singh that India unconditionally resume dialogue with Pakistan.

The Indian Prime Minister had pushed back at the suggestion, noting that perpetrators of the Mumbai carnage were going unpunished and Pakistan appeared to lack the will to act against terrorism. India's good relations with the US would be better served if used to press Pakistan on this matter, Singh proposed. Obama appeared to have taken the hint.

The US President did not mention the LeT specifically but broadly referred to various terrorists attacks in the region, including those against Pakistan, to stress the fact that "extremists do not distinguish between us and we are truly facing a common enemy." In an effort to soften his rebuke, gentle as it was, Obama prefaced his remarks by noting that he is "very fond" of Pakistan, having visited the country during his college years and made other placatory remarks about the upswing in US-Pak relations.

But there was no denying the fact that he continues to have problems with Islamabad both on the terrorism and nuclear proliferation issues, matters on which the US media made embarrassing disclosures on the eve of the 47-nation nuclear security summit. Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI was still playing footsie with terrorists, the Washington Post reported over the weekend while the New York Times reported that Islamabad was accelerating the production of bomb-making fissile material unhindered by invoking the US-India nuclear deal even as it was attending Obama's summit aimed at securing nuclear material.

But like a couple in a marriage of convenience who accept one's impropriety for not rocking the boat, both sides ignored the disclosures. While recognizing and applauding the turnaround in the bilateral relations in recent weeks, Obama mildly expressed disappointment at Pakistan blocking the progress in Geneva of a treaty to cap production of fissile material, with no response from Gilani.

Instead, Gilani bragged about having recently taken over command of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal and the broad national support with which he was coming to Washington and assured Obama that "Pakistan takes nuclear security seriously and has appropriate safeguards in place." He also made another pitch for a nuclear deal, noting that "energy is an existing and growing problem."

But Obama did not bite. "The President reiterated that we are committed to helping Pakistan address its real and growing energy needs and noted that he is pleased that implementation is proceeding on the $125m in energy-sector projects Secretary Clinton announced in October," a White House readout of the meeting said.

Obama also endorsed India's role in Afghanistan during his meeting with Singh, a fact that was duly noted in the White House readout of the meeting much to the satisfaction of the Indian side which constantly challenged the reading in India that somehow the US wanted New Delhi to reduce its footprint because of pressure from Pakistan.

Dantewada attack: My resignation a closed chapter, says Chidambaram

PUDUCHERRY: Calling his resignation episode a closed chapter, Home Minister P Chidambaram today said he decided to quit because the CRPF came under his charge but that does not mean state governments have no role in tackling the Maoists.

"The resignation was indeed tendered. The Prime Minister has rejected it. The matter is a closed chapter," he told reporters declining to talk further on the issue.

Chidambaram said in the horrific tragedy in Dantewada in Chhattisgarh hit the CRPF whose 74 personnel were killed. "It (CRPF) is under my charge. This tragedy has happened under my watch.

"Therefore, I said the buck stops at my desk. It does not mean that the state governments have no role. They have a role, they acknowledge it, recognise and according to me, all the state governments are fully aware of this responsibility."

When a journalist told him that his score card has been neat in the Ministry and whether Dantewada attack was a blot on it, he said "any attack is indeed a blot".

The Home Minister said it was an intra-Chhattisgarh operation and not an inter-state operation. The exercise was planned by the State Inspector General of Police and DIG and DIG of CRPF.

It was conveyed to the Police Headquarters and they were aware of the exercise, he said adding "but something went wrong. Something went very badly wrong".

He said precious lives were lost and the government has appointed an inquiry committee to go into it. "Let the report of the inquiry committee come and we will take corrective action."

Asked about the role of the Centre in anti-naxal operations, the Home Minister said the Central government's role, according to the mandate given to the Ministry of Home Affairs, is to provide paramilitary forces to state governments to help them carry out anti-naxal operations to regain control over the area where the Naxals are dominating and to restore civil administration for development.

"I have said this many times and I have said this three days ago in Jagdalpur (in Chhattisgarh) that this is our role and state governments have an important role to play.

"I think all the Chief Ministers recognise that they have an important role to play," he said.

US wants nations to help lock down N-materials within 4 yrs

WASHINGTON: The US today warned that al-Qaida has stepped up clandestine hunt for a nuclear bomb lending urgency to the upcoming historic nuclear summit, where President Barack Obama wants countries, including India, to help lock down the world's vulnerable atomic materials within four years.

White House has high expectations from the two-day Summit which, according to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, will be the largest assembly of world leaders hosted by an American President since the 1945 San Francisco conference which founded the UN.

The tone for the conference would be set by Obama by meeting with Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan, the two new nuclear powers, tomorrow as well as leaders of South Africa and Kazakhstan, two countries that gave up nuclear weapons programme voluntarily.

A communique to be issued at the end of the Nuclear Security Summit recognises that nuclear terrorism is a serious threat and wants countries to endorse a pledge to take steps both at national and international level to strengthen nuclear security and prevent terrorists and criminal groups from gaining access to atomic weapons.

The text of the communique and other conference documents were finalised at the meeting here of US Sherpas which was chaired by Gary Samore, senior adviser to the US president on proliferation. India was represented at the meeting by Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao.

This thrust was outlined by Clinton in a speech on nuclear non-proliferation at the University of Louisville, Kentucky where she said that the nature of the atomic threat has changed.

"We no longer live in constant fear of a global nuclear war where we're in a standoff against the Russians with all of our nuclear arsenal on the ready, on a hair-trigger alert.

"But, as President Obama has said, the risk of a nuclear attack (by al-Qaida and other terror groups) has actually increased. And the potential consequences of mishandling this challenge are deadly," she said.

"We are trying to make this Summit the beginning of sustained international effort to lock down the world's vulnerable nuclear materials within four years and reduce the possibility that these materials will find their way into the hands of terrorists," Clinton said.

At the Summit on April 12-13, the US and Russia are to sign a long delayed agreement to dispose off tons of nuclear grade plutonium from cold war era nuclear weapons.

Clinton said that a nuclear attack anywhere could destroy the foundations of global order.

She said while the US and old Soviet Union are no longer locked in an atomic standoff, nuclear proliferation is a leading source of insecurity in the world today.

She claimed that nuclear proliferation by countries like North Korea and Iran endangers US forces, its allies and its broader global interests.

Polish President killed in plane crash in Russia

MOSCOW: Polish President Lech Kaczynski and some of the country's highest military and civilian leaders died Saturday along with dozens of others when the presidential plane crashed as it came in for a landing in thick fog in western Russia.

Russian and Polish officials offered conflicting death tolls but agreed there were no survivors on the Soviet-era Tupolev, which was taking the president, his wife and staff to events marking the 70th anniversary of the massacre of thousands of Polish officers by Soviet secret police.

The Army chief of staff, Gen. Franciszek Gagor, National Bank President Slawomir Skrzypek and Deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Kremer were also on board, the Polish foreign ministry said.

The head of Russia's top investigative body, Sergei Markin, said there were 132 people on the Tu-154. Poland's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Piotr Paszkowski, said there were 89 people on the passenger list but one person had not shown up.

``We still cannot fully understand the scope of this tragedy and what it means for us in the future. Nothing like this has ever happened in Poland,'' Paszkowski said. ``We can assume with great certainty that all persons on board have been killed.''

The governor of the Smolensk region, where the crash took place about 11 a.m. (0700 GMT), also said no one survived.

State news channel Rossiya-24 showed footage from the crash site, with pieces of the plane scattered widely amid leafless trees and small fires burning in woods shrouded with fog. A tail fin with the Polish red and white colors stuck up from the debris.

``The Polish presidential plane did not make it to the runway while landing. Tentative findings indicate that it hit the treetops and fell apart,'' Sergei Anufriev said on Rossiya-24. ``Nobody has survived the disaster.''

The presidential Tu-154 was at least 20 years old. Polish officials have long discussed replacing the planes that carry the country's leaders but said they lacked the funds. According to the Aviation Safety Network, there have been 66 crashes involving Tu-154s, including six in the past five years. The Russian carrier Aeroflot recently withdrew its Tu-154 fleet from service.

The crash is likely to be a setback in Polish-Russian relations, which had been improving of late after being poisoned for decades over the Katyn massacre.

Russia never has formally apologized for the murders of some 22,000 Polish officers, but Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's decision to attend a memorial ceremony earlier this week in the forest near Katyn was seen as a gesture of goodwill toward reconciliation. Rossiya-24 showed hundreds of people around the Katyn monument, many holding Polish flags, some weeping.

In Warsaw, Prime Minister Donald Tusk called an extraordinary meeting of his Cabinet and the national flag was lowered to half-staff at the presidential palace, where people gathered to lay flowers and light candles.

Black ribbons appeared in some windows in the Polish capital. Poland's president is commander-in-chief of its armed forces but the position's domestic duties are chiefly symbolic. Kaczynski, 60, became president in December 2005 after defeating Tusk in that year's presidential vote.

The nationalist conservative was the twin brother of Poland's opposition leader, former Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski. Kaczynski's wife, Maria, was an economist. They had a daughter, Marta, and two granddaughters.

Kaczynski had said he would seek a second term in presidential elections this fall. He was expected to face an uphill struggle against Parliament speaker Bronislaw Komorowski, the candidate of Tusk's governing Civic Platform party.

According to the constitution, Komorowski would take over presidential duties.

Poland, a nation of 38 million people, is by far the largest of the 10 formerly communist countries that have joined the European Union in recent years.

Last year, Poland was the only EU nation to avoid recession and posted economic growth of 1.7 percent.

It has become a firm US ally in the region since the fall of communism _ a stance that crosses party lines.

The country sent troops to the US-led war in Iraq and recently boosted its contingent in Afghanistan to some 2,600 soldiers.

US Patriot missiles are expected to be deployed in Poland this year. That was a Polish condition for a 2008 deal - backed by both Kaczynski and Tusk - to host long-range missile defense interceptors.

The deal, which was struck by the Bush administration, angered Russia and was later reconfigured under President Barack Obama's administration.

Under the Obama plan, Poland would host a different type of missile defense interceptors as part of a more mobile system and at a later date, probably not until 2018.

Kaczynski is the first serving Polish leader to die since exiled World War II-era leader Gen. Wladyslaw Sikorski in a plane crash off Gibraltar in 1943.

US State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Saturday, ``This is a horrible tragedy for Poland and we extend to the people of Poland our deepest condolences.''

Neighboring Germany's foreign ministe Guido Westerwelle, said he was ``shocked and full of sadness'' at Kaczynski's death.

``All the German people are mourning with our Polish neighbors,'' Westerwelle said during a visit to South Africa.

After Malik, Asif faces legal trouble from ex-lover

LAHORE: Hell has no fury like a woman scorned. After Shoaib Malik, another top Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Asif is learning it the hard way as he has been taken to court by a former lover over a financial dispute.

While Shoaib has managed to get out of his marriage controversy with Ayesha Siddiqui in Hyderabad, Asif is in trouble with his former girlfriend, actress Veena Malik.

Veena has served a legal notice on Asif after two cheques he gave her to settle an outstanding money dispute bounced.

"He gave me two cheques amounting to 11.3 million rupees as part of an agreement to clear an amount of nearly 18 million rupees that he owes me," Veena said.

"But both cheques bounced and I had no alternate but to send him the legal notice as he is not even taking our calls now," she added.

Veena demanded her money back from Asif after he recently entered into wedlock with another girl chosen by his family.

The news of the marriage stung Veena who had been going steady with Asif for more than a year and claims to have stood by him in his most difficult period of life when he was serving a ban for a doping offence.

"He had promised me that once he returned to play for Pakistan he would clear up my money but unfortunately he has not done that," she said.

"The cheques that bounced were for payments of Rs 3.9 and Rs 7.4 million each," she said.

Shoaib, who is in India to wed tennis star Sania Mirza, was making headlines after being accused of marrying and dumping Ayesha without divorce.

The dispute was finally settled when Shoaib gave Ayesha a divorce on Wednesday despite maintaining all along that he never committed himself to the girl who was making these allegations.

Appeal filed against capital punishment to 17 Indians

DUBAI: An appeal has been filed on behalf of 17 Indians, who were recently sentenced to death by a Sharjah court for killing a Pakistani national and injuring three of his compatriots, an Indian official said.

The appeal was filed yesterday in a Sharjah Court of Appeals, India's Consul-General Sanjay Verma said.

The Consulate had earlier said that they have hired a Dubai-based law firm, Mohamed Salman Advocates and Legal Consultants, to represent the Indians.

Earlier a lawyer, Bindu Suresh Chettur, who met the convicts on behalf of the law firm, said the men maintained their innocence.

"I visited all of them at the jail and they signed the papers," he said.

Consulate officials had met all 17 Indians earlier this week and said that they were in good health.

The convicted, 16 from the Punjab and one from Haryana, were recently found guilty by the Sharjah Shariah Court of killing a Pakistani national and injuring three of his compatriots allegedly during a clash over an illegal alcohol business in January 2009.

About 50 people were involved in the attack, in which the Pakistani man was beaten to death with metal bars. While others were let off due to lack of evidence, the men on death row are accused of being the gang leaders.

Shutdown in Chhattisgarh to protest Maoist massacre

RAIPUR: Roads were deserted, schools were closed and shops downed shutters across many parts of Chattisgarh on Thursday as the opposition Congress began a daylong shutdown to protest the massacre of 76 troopers by Maoist guerrillas.

Roads wore a deserted look not only in the state capital Raipur but also in the second most populous town in the state, Bilaspur. In Durg and the industrial towns of Korba, Raigarh and Bhilai too, vehicles remained off roads.

According to reports coming in from the state's Maoist stronghold of Bastar region, the shutdown hit life in the five districts- Dantewada, Bijapur, Narayanpur, Bastar and Kanker.

Schools remained closed across the state while shopkeepers downed their shutters as a mark of protest.

Chhattisgarh state Congress president Dhanendra Sahu told reporters here that the strike was called to protest the flawed policies of the state's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) that resulted in the the killing of 76 troopers Tuesday in the biggest ever attack carried by Maoists.

Hundreds of Maoists trapped over 80 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers on a hilly stretch, some 450 km south of Raipur, in Dantewada district and went on a killing spree using pressure bombs and automatic weapons.

About a dozen industrial bodies, including the Chhattisgarh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, have extended support to the shutdown to express their solidarity with the deceased security personnel.

Ahmadinejad warns of 'tooth-breaking response' to Obama

TEHRAN: Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned his US counterpart Barack Obama of a "tooth-breaking" response, as he condemned Washington's new nuclear policy.

"I hope these published comments are not true... he (Obama) has threatened with nuclear and chemical weapons those nations which do not submit to the greed of the United States," Ahmadinejad said in speech broadcast live on state television.

"Be careful. If you set step in Mr (George W.) Bush's path, the nations' response would be the same tooth-breaking one as they gave Bush," he said.

The United States unveiled new limits on the nation's nuclear arsenal yesterday, saying it would only use atomic weapons in "extreme circumstances" and would not attack non-nuclear states.

In a policy shift, the United States said for the first time that countries without atomic weapons that complied with non-proliferation treaty obligations need not fear a US nuclear attack.

But Obama warned exceptions could be made for "outliers" such as Iran and North Korea, both accused by the West of flouting UN resolutions.

Brazil flooding, mudslides kills at least 102

RIO DE JANEIRO: Flooding and mudslides killed at least 102 people in southeastern Brazil, authorities said, as the most intense rains in half a century paralyzed the Rio de Janeiro area and brought scenes of fear and chaos.

Fire and rescue officials said most of the deaths occurred in hillside slums where heavy rains since Monday triggered devastating mudslides.

Officials said 37 people were killed in Rio but hardest hit was Niteroi, a city on the other side of the bay from Rio, where 53 people died.

Flooding was so intense that authorities urged Rio residents to remain indoors and not venture downtown, where streets were impassable.

Some motorists abandoned their partially submerged cars, while others were stranded for hours inside stalled vehicles.

"All the major streets of the city are closed because of the floods," said Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes. "Each and every person who attempts to enter them will be at enormous risk."

Civil defense officials said most of the casualties were trapped in landslides in the hillside slums that ring Rio, a city of some 16 million people that will host the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Paes ordered schools closed Wednesday for a second day in order to keep people off the streets. Separately, Governor Cabral decreed three days of mourning.

Flooding also wreaked havoc with air traffic, causing serious airport delays.

The Santos Dumont airport, which handles cargo flights, closed late Monday but re-opened on Tuesday. However at Rio's Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport, most flights on Tuesday were delayed and several domestic flights were canceled.

In a neighborhood close to the mountain where Rio's iconic Christ the Redeemer statue is located, the local weather service said that rainfall was recorded as twice the amount normally registered for the whole month of April.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva criticized decades of administrative malfeasance which allowed shoddy home construction in high-risk zones of the city's shantytowns.

The Brazilian leader was in Rio for ribbon-cutting ceremonies for a new health center, but the event was canceled by the rain, which made it nearly impossible to travel from one part of the city to another.

Officials for too long, Lula said, have closed their eyes to substandard construction, even on Rio's landslide-prone hills. Lula vowed that his government would work to improve the quality of construction in these areas.

Until the waters subside however, he said, there was little that could be done.

"All we can do is pray to God to hold back the rains a little, so that Rio can return to normal, and so that we can set about fixing the things in the city that need fixing," the Brazilian leader told local radio.

The heavy rain began during Monday's evening rush hour, catching workers heading home for the day off-guard.

After a brief afternoon lull on Tuesday, rain again intensified after sunset, and officials warned that flooding could worsen on Wednesday.

The heavy rains in Rio followed deluges in Sao Paulo earlier this year after the wettest summer in the region in more than six decades, officials said.

Those killer rainstorms across Sao Paulo state claimed dozens of lives.

Inmet, the national weather service which has kept rainfall records since 1917, said that the Tuesday rainfall was the heaviest in the last 48 years.

Court gives ND Tiwari time to reply in paternity suit

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday gave former Andhra Pradesh governor ND Tiwari a last chance for filing his response in a paternity suit filed by a 34-year-old man who claims the Congress leader is his biological father.

The court directed Tiwari, 86, to file a written reply to a plea by Rohit Shekhar within four weeks, failing which he will have to appear personally before it.

Tiwari was asked to file his response on the over 200 photographs filed by Shekhar in which both of them can be seen together on different occasions and also on the petitioner's application demanding a DNA test.

Justice J.R. Midha granted four weeks' time to Tiwari to file his response and said: "The whole controversy is because you (Tiwari) are not filing the reply. Everything will be solved once you file your response to this issue."

The court while allowing an application filed by Tiwari seeking more time for filing a reply warned that it was his last opportunity or else he will have to appear in court on May 20, the next date for next hearing.

When Tiwari's counsel submitted that he had filed a special leave petition in the apex court on the same issue, the high court said: "It does not matter whether you have filed the petition in the Supreme Court till the time you get any favourable order from there."

The court on March 17 dismissed Tiwari's plea challenging the paternity suit. The court said that it may consider ordering a DNA test if the issue of maintainability was raised by him.

Earlier, a division bench had refused to admit Shekhar's petition saying that Tiwari was the governor of Andhra Pradesh and the suit against him should be filed in that state.

However in the last hearing, the high court yielded that since Tiwari was not the governor of that state any more and had an official residence in Delhi, the case could be heard by the Delhi High Court.

Shekhar said he sought a DNA test to know if Tiwari was his biological father.

According to Shekhar's petition, Tiwari began neglecting him and his mother Ujjawala Sharma after 1995 and refused to meet him after becoming the Uttranchal chief minister.

Tiwari's five-decade-old political career came to a virtual end after a news channel last year showed clippings of an elderly man purported to be Tiwari in bed with three young women. A few days later, Tiwari resigned as the Andhra Pradesh governor citing health grounds.

Shoaib divorces Ayesha Siddiqui, to wed Sania on April 15

HYDERABAD: In a dramatic turn around, Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik divorced Ayesha Siddiqui, the local girl whom he had married seven years ago, under a compromise worked out by Muslim community leaders paving the way for his marriage with Sania Mirza on April 15.

Under the compromise, Shoaib will pay Rs 15,000 as maintenance to Ayesha at the rate of Rs 5000 per month for three months as per Sharia (Islamic law), Shafi, Sania's uncle, announced at a joint press conference at the residence of Ayesha Siddiqui.

He also said all the police cases against Shoaib, who has been maintaining that there was no valid marriage with Ayesha, will be withdrawn and they have already filed an application with the police in this regard.

Ayesha's mother Farisa and Abid Rasool Khan, General Secretary of Andhra Pradesh Congress and a well-wisher of both the families, were also present at the press conference.

Shafi and Khan said negotiators worked through the night to work out a compromise between the two families because the controversy was bringing a bad name to the community and the religion.

Farisa said as decided by the elders of the community, it (compromise) has been done. “I am very happy about it. All community leaders have come to him (Shoaib) to do the settlement and he has done it.”

"My daughter had to pass through hardships. Finally justice has been done to my daughter. She is relieved and very happy", she said.

No proposal to use Army against Naxals: Chidambaram

JAGDALPUR: Cautioning against any "knee-jerk" reactions to yesterday's "savage" attack by the Maoists, home minister P Chidambaram on day said the government may have to "revisit" the mandate on use of Air Force in the offensive against Naxalites.

Maintaining that a "war" has been thrust on government, he told a press conference here that "at this moment we must remain calm and hold our nerves" in our campaign to rid India of the grave threat of Maoists and to save democracy.

Chidambaram, who flew in here to pay respects to the 75 CRPF personnel and Chhattisgarh Police head constable who were killed by the Maoists in Dantewada forests yesterday, first ruled out any proposal to use army in the fight against the Naxalites.

"There is no proposal to use army. We think the state police assisted by Central paramilitary forces are sufficient to overcome the Naxalite threat. It is our present assessment of the threat," he said.

However, answering another question, he said, "at present there is no mandate to use the Air Force or any aircraft. But if necessary, we will have to revisit the mandate to make some changes".

Chidambaram was accompanied by governor Shekhar Dutt and chief minister Raman Singh.

Saying that the goal of the Maoists was to overthrow the established government, Chidambaram said "we can not and shall not allow them to succeed their goal.

"It is the legitimate duty of the state to protect the people and reclaim the territory dominated by the Naxalites," he said.

The home minister said if it is war then it is a war thrust on the state. The state -- central and the state governments are discharging their legal and Constitutional duties to protect the people and the whole nation.

"Nevertheless, I would say that even as we remain calm, we hold our nerve," he said.

Condemning the brutal and savage attack of the Maoists on the CRPF men, he said yesterday's operation by the security forces was not intelligence based but was for area domination in order to understand and familiarize themselves with the terrain.

"As I said yesterday, something went wrong. Only an inquiry will establish what went wrong," he said, adding the inquiry will also establish whether there were 1000 Naxals were involved in the attack or not.

Chidambaram also categorically denied that there was any operation code named "Operation Greenhunt" saying it was a name given by one officer sometime in some offensive.

He also said there was good coordination between the Centre and the states in the anti-Naxal operations.

Even the Dantewada operation was decided by the Inspector General and DIG of Bastar range in Chhattisgarh in association with DIG CRPF and to be directed by SP of Dantewada.

'Sania bhabhi must stay in Pak'

Despite all the drama surrounding the upcoming wedding of Sania Mirza with Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, Miss Pakistan Ayesha Gilani is all too eager to welcome Sania ‘bhabhi’ to Pakistan. “Sania bhabhi and Shoaib make a great couple and both are from sports; they suit each other.

And I don’t think they are that different culturally, as Shoaib also has some family remaining in India,’’ says the 27-year-old, adding, “Of course, they may not represent the two nations, but at least people can look up to them as a beacon of hope and peace for Pakistan-India relations.’

However, Gilani, who’s studying English and Administration in Washington, is against her ‘bhabhi’ settling in Dubai. “I’d prefer she settle in Karachi, as I think it would be better for Shoaib to be in his homeland. And after marriage, the bride has to live in her husband’s home, and Karachi is his home,’’ she says. The Lahore-born beauty has a word of advice for the groom. “I’d expect him to be a good husband and a great father to her children, and to fulfil all what a happy married life needs. That’s all one wishes for a marriage.’

’

Asked about her reaction to hardliners in India calling Sania unpatriotic for choosing a Pakistani, she says, “No one can blame love or fate. Calling her unpatriotic is a bit ridiculous; she’s never said that she won’t play for India. These are insecurities that certain extremists have. It’s unfortunate for them to say such things at such a happy occasion.’’

About claims by Hyderabad girl Ayesha Siddiqui that she’s already married to Malik, Ayesha says, “We all are innocent until proven guilty. If Ayesha Siddiqui can come up with proof, she should be given a chance to be heard.’’

Karzai threatens to join Taliban

KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai threatened over the weekend to quit the political process and join the Taliban if he continued to come under outside pressure to reform, according to several members of parliament.

They said on Monday that Karzai made the unusual statement at a closed-door meeting on Saturday with selected lawmakers -- just days after kicking up a diplomatic controversy with remarks alleging foreigners were behind fraud in last year's disputed elections.

Lawmakers dismissed the latest comment as hyperbole, but it will add to the impression the president -- who relies on tens of thousands of US and NATO forces to fight the insurgency and prop up his government -- is growing increasingly erratic and unable to exert authority without attacking his foreign backers.

``He said that 'if I come under foreign pressure, I might join the Taliban','' said Farooq Marenai, who represents the eastern province of Nangarhar.

``He said rebelling would change to resistance,'' Marenai said -- apparently suggesting that the militant movement would then be redefined as one of resistance against a foreign occupation rather than a rebellion against an elected government.

Marenai said Karzai appeared nervous and repeatedly demanded to know why parliament last week had rejected legal reforms that would have strengthened the president's authority over the country's electoral institutions.

Two other lawmakers said Karzai twice raised the threat to join the insurgency.

The lawmakers, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of political repercussions, said Karzai also dismissed concerns over possible damage his comments last week had caused to relations with the United States. He told them he had already explained himself in a telephone conversation on Saturday with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Monday that reports Karzai threatened to abandon the political process and join the Taliban insurgency if he continued to receive pressure from Western backers to reform his government were troubling.

``On behalf of the American people, we're frustrated with the remarks,'' Gibbs told reporters.

The lawmakers said they felt Karzai was pandering to hard-line or pro-Taliban members of parliament and had no real intention of joining the insurgency.

Nor does the Afghan leader appear concerned that the US might abandon him, having said numerous times that the US would not leave Afghanistan because it perceives a presence here to be in its national interest.

Karzai's spokesman Waheed Omar's phone was turned off and another number for him rang unanswered Monday. Deputy spokesman Hamed Elmi's phone rang unanswered.

The comments come against the background of continuing insurgent violence as the U.S. moves to boost troop levels in a push against Taliban strongholds in the south.

NATO forces said they killed 10 militants in a joint US-Afghan raid on a compound in Nangarhar province's Khogyani district near the Pakistani border early on Monday, while gunmen seriously wounded an Afghan provincial councilwoman in a drive-by shooting in the country's increasingly violent north.

NATO also confirmed that international troops were responsible for the deaths of five civilians, including three women, on Feb. 12 in Gardez, south of Kabul.

A NATO statement said a joint international-Afghan patrol fired on two men mistakenly believed to be insurgents. It said the three women were ``accidentally killed as a result of the joint force firing at the men.''

International force officials will discuss the results of the investigation with family of those killed, apologize and provide compensation, he said.

The two men killed in the Gardez raid had been long-serving government loyalists and opponents of al-Qaida and the Taliban, one serving as provincial district attorney and the other as police chief in Paktia's Zurmat district.

Their brother, who also lost his wife and a sister, said he learned of the investigation result from the Internet, but had yet to receive formal notice.

Mohammad Sabar said the family's only demand was that the informant who passed on the faulty information about militant activity be tried and publicly executed.

``Please, please, please, our desire, our demand is that this spy be executed in front of the people to ensure that such bad things don't happen again,'' Sabar said.

In the latest of a series of targeted assassination attempts blamed on militants, Baghlan provincial council member Nida Khyani was struck by gunfire in the leg and abdomen in Pul-e Khumri, capital of the northern province, said Salim Rasouli, head of the provincial health department. Khyani's bodyguard was also slightly injured.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the shooting, although suspicion immediately fell on Taliban fighters who often target people working with the Afghan government and their Western backers.

One month ago, a member of the Afghan national parliament escaped injury when her convoy was attacked by Taliban insurgents in eastern Afghanistan. Female government officials regularly report receiving threats to their safety. Some women leaders, including a prominent policewoman, have been assassinated.

The Taliban rigidly oppose education for girls and women's participation in public affairs, citing their narrow interpretation of conservative Islam and tribal traditions. Militants, who are strongest in the south and east, carry out beatings and other punishments for perceived women's crimes from immodesty to leaving home unaccompanied by a male relative.

Also on Monday, the organizer of a national reconciliation conference -- known as a jirga -- scheduled for early May said it would not include insurgent groups such as the Taliban. There has also been indications it would include discussion of the withdrawal of 120,000 foreign troops in the country.

India seeks China's support for convention against terrorism

BEIJING: External affairs minister S M Krishna on Tuesday sought China's support for the convention against terrorism proposed by India at the UN, and said all nations should join hands to thwart the evil designs of terrorists.

Ahead of his talks with the Chinese leadership, Krishna said in view of the multi-dimensional threats posed by terrorism it has become necessary to step up the fight against the menace under the aegis of the United Nations.

"India has come out with a proposal for a comprehensive legislation or a convention in the UN to face terrorism as a universal thereat and every country should cooperate with each other in order to thwart the evil designs of terror and terrorists," he said while speaking to the media on sidelines of his address at an institute of Sino-Indian relations.

Krishna, who arrived here last night, would hold talks with Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi and premier Wen Jiabao tomorrow.

In an apparent reference to Pakistan, Krishna said some countries were using terror as an instrument to destabilizse other nations and hinder economic development.

"There are few counties which believe that terrorism could be an instrument through which they would like achieve certain immediate objectives of either destabilising a country or creating a situation where the (economic) development talking place will not be allowed to grow at the pace at which it is taking place," he said.

Speaking to the media at China Institute of International Studies (CIIS) where he spoke on "India and China in 21st century world," he said the issue of terrorism was of considerable importance to India because India is a victim.

Referring to recent terrorist attacks including the one at Pune in Maharastra, he said terrorism was no more confined to a particular country or region, and hence the need to guard especially against "imported" terrorism.

"Terrorism has spread to very many countries which have not heard of terror, (in the past). Hence it is necessary for every country to guard itself against terrorism which emanates from within and terrorism which is imported from outside," he said.

Krishna said the Indian economy has rebounded on a high growth trajectory after its GDP growth fell below 7.0% per annum in the aftermath of the global downturn.

"Now we are back at 7.2% growth rate and hopefully by next year we will be reaching the 8% mark" and touch the 10 per cent thereafter, he said.

But, he said, the growth can be impacted if terrorists continued to target India.

"This (economic progress) can be thwarted, this can be disturbed, this can be halted perhaps if terrorist continue to have their way," Krishna said and sought the backing of all the countries to India's proposal for the convention against terrorism in the UN.

More than 50 killed as Maoists ambush CRPF team

RAIPUR: At least 50 CRPF personnel were killed in an attack by Naxalites in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh early on Tuesday.

The attack took place when a CRPF patrol party was returning from a road opening duty in the naxalite-infested Mukrana forest in the district between 6 to 7 am.

"We have rushed helicopters to evacuate the casualties," Chhattisgarh Director General of Police Viswa Ranjan told PTI.

The death toll in the attack may rise as many of the personnel have been seriously injured.

The CRPF patrol party was totally taken aback by the Maoists who surfaced at a hillock to carry out the attack.

Dantewada Superintendent of Police Amresh Mishra told PTI that the Naxals blew up a vehicle carrying the CRPF personnel.

The incident took place in the early hours near Chintalnar -Tarmetla village in the district when ultras attacked a joint team comprising personnel from CRPF, district forces and special police, he said.

The team had been camping in interiors of Tarmetla jungles for the last three days as part of a combing operation, Mishra said.

Four policemen have been injured in the blast. Additional police forces have been rushed to the spot, he said.

The landmine had exploded in Tanginiguda area when a van carrying jawans of the elite anti-Naxalite Special Operation Group (SOG) was returning from an operation in adjacent Malkangiri district.

The attack came two days after Maoists triggered a landmine blast killing 11 security personnel and injuring several others in Orissa's Koraput district.

Chhattisgarh's mineral rich Bastar region spread out in about 40,000 sq km is made up of five districts - Bijapur, Kanker, Narayanpur, Bastar and Dantewada.