WikiLeaks founder Assange arrested in Britain!Releases will go on despite Assange arrest!US mom treated like terrorist by airport security over stored breast milk!India, France sign multimillion nuclear power deal!

India to join Liu's Nobel award ceremony, China frowns!U.S., allies urge China to rein in North Korea!US lobbied UN climate head Pachauri to block Iranian scientist': WikiLeaks,French President Nicolas Sarkozy has called upon Pakistan to fight terrorism with determination, and appreciated India's efforts to 'stretch out its hand' towards its neighbour.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi will not celebrate her birth day this year to avoid inconvenience to partymen coming to Delhi from outside to greet her.

Kashmir Congress minister in trouble over 'azadi' remarks

Kashmir interlocutors to submit report to govt early next year

Manmohan Singh to broaden India-EU engagement in Brussels

Rajya Sabha MP and former telecom entrepreneur Rajeev Chandrasekhar has questioned the spectrum issues raised by Tata Group supremo Ratan Tata while reminding him that his group company was a major beneficiary of the same.

Troubled Galaxy Destroyed Dreams, chapter 571

Palash Biswas

http://indianholocaustmyfatherslifeandtime.blogspot.com/

http://basantipurtimes.blogspot.com/

Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, launched a fierce attack on Pakistan during his visit to India, accusing Islamabad of allowing terrorist groups to form safe havens in its territory. As a benchmark index of Indian equities markets Tuesday closed 46 points lower, although buying in metal stocks helped the index to recover from the low-point of the day. High wholesale price index inflation numbers has been a major cause of concern for India and the worry has deepened with the US fed announcing its QE2 and excess liquidity flowing into the economy.
As protests continue against the proposed nuclear power plant at Jaitapur in Maharashtra to be built with France's help, French President Nicolas Sarkozy today said that India should avoid committing "excesses" in its ongoing quest for economic progress.

Addressing business leaders at the Taj Mahal Hotel, he conceded to "the excesses committed by the developed world a century ago", and said India should avoid taking the same path.

"If you do what we did a century ago, your people will pay the price for it," Sarkozy said in his extempore speech to representatives of India Inc.

It is a "non-choice" to choose between development and environment, he said, adding, there is a need to make development environmentally sustainable.

The 9,900 MW nuclear power project at Jaitapur to be built by French company, Areva, at a cost of over USD 25 billion is facing resistance from locals and environmental activists who fear that the project would have an adverse impact on the ecologically-sensitive Konkan region and also hurt marine life.

India, France sign multimillion nuclear power deal

India and France signed a multibillion agreement on Monday to build two nuclear power plants in India as French President Nicolas Sarkozy worked to drum up business for his nation during his four-day visit here.

Areva SA , one of France's main nuclear power companies, will build two European pressurized reactors of 1,650 megawatts each at Jaitapur in the western Indian state of Maharashtra.

The agreement, valued at about $9.3 billion, was signed in the presence of Sarkozy and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The deal marked the first two of 20 nuclear reactors India wants to build to meet its soaring energy demand.

Foreign governments have been courting India to try to get a piece of that lucrative market, but there have been concerns that India's recently passed liability law might prove too onerous for international companies to risk entering the market here.

Indian officials assured France that their liability laws were in keeping with international standards and the security of nuclear operators was ensured, a French official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Sarkozy and Singh later met to discuss regional security, trade and investment.

The talks were also expected to touch on plans for the structural reform of the international monetary system through the Group of 20 countries, currently headed by France.

Sarkozy, who arrived Saturday, is accompanied by his defense, foreign and finance ministers and nearly 60 business leaders.

No defense agreements are expected during the visit, but Sarkozy is likely to push for French companies to win contracts to supply military hardware.

French companies are negotiating to upgrade 51 Mirage-2000 jet fighters in the Indian air force. India is also in the market to buy 126 fighter jets, a deal worth $11 billion, and about 200 helicopters worth another $4 billion.

According to defense experts, India is expected to spend $80 billion between 2012 and 2022 to upgrade its military.

Sarkozy's visit also coincides with at least two important meetings with Indian business leaders. The French president is keen to attract Indian companies to invest in France, even as French companies are seeking a slice of India's booming economy.

Bilateral trade declined in 2009 due to global economic woes, but was on the upswing this year, said Vishnu Prakash, India's external affairs ministry spokesman. The two countries have set a trade target of 12 billion euros ($15.8 billion) for 2012.

Sarkozy is to visit Mumbai, India's financial and entertainment capital, before returning home Tuesday.

France to invest Eur 10 bn in India by 2012: Christine Lagarde

French companies are committed to invest euro 10 billion ($ 13.37 bn) in India by 2012, the country's Minister of Economy and Finance Christine Lagarde said today.

"This is not just a figure (Euro 10 billion). It is the commitment by French companies between 2008-2012," Lagarde said while addressing India-France Business Forum at Ficci.

Adding that everything (business) worked on 'give and take' principle, she said, India has to reciprocate to its (France's) interests in the country.

She emphasised on opening up sectors like insurance and retail, particularly, multi-brand retail, so that French companies can invest in these sectors.

Lagarde is accompanying the French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is on a four-day visit to India.

Sarkozy is leading a team of ministers and a high-level business delegation to strengthen bilateral ties in key areas.

Responding to the concern expressed by French minister, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said removing foreign direct investment (FDI) cap on insurance and multi-brand retail was very much on the government agenda.

Government is in the process of amending the insurance legislation to pave the way for allowing 49 per cent FDI in the sector, Ahluwalia said.

For opening up FDI in retail, particularly the multi-brand retail, several ministries have supported the idea, but the decision has to be taken by the government, he said.

Sarkozy says UN Security Council permanent seat for India possible next year Daily News & Analysis - ‎1 hour ago‎ Place: Mumbai | Agency: PTI French President Nicolas Sarkozy today said a reformed UN Secutiry Council with India as a permanent member should come about next year itself and once at the high table, it will need to commit more troops for UN-mandated ... Nicolas Sarkozy launches attack on Pakistan over terrorist safe havens Telegraph.co.uk - ‎38 minutes ago‎ Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, launched a fierce attack on Pakistan during his visit to India, accusing Islamabad of allowing terrorist groups to form safe havens in its territory. Mr Sarkozy said terrorist groups were free to launch attacks on ... Sarkozy leaves for Paris after 4-day India visit Times of India - ‎3 hours ago‎ MUMBAI: French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who was on a four-day India visit alongwith his wife Carla Bruni, today left for Paris. On his arrival here this morning, Sarkozy paid tributes to the 26/11 martyrs at the Police Memorial on Marine Drive. ... "There is no chance that Pakistan will view enhanced assistance levels in any field as sufficient compensation for abandoning support to these groups, which it sees as an important part of its national security apparatus against India. The only way to achieve a cessation of such support is to change the Pakistan government's own perception of its security requirements," she wrote. more by Anne Patterson - 38 minutes ago - Telegraph.co.uk (169 occurrences) Terror originating from Pakistan unacceptable to world: Sarkozy Times of India - ‎4 hours ago‎ MUMBAI: Promising to be with India to ensure justice in 26/11, French President Nicolas Sarkozy Tuesday said New Delhi had shown remarkable restraint after the attack. He emphasized it was unacceptable for terror to originate from Pakistan. ... 'India should avoid excesses in quest for economic progress' Economic Times - ‎2 hours ago‎ MUMBAI: As protests continue against the proposed nuclear power plant at Jaitapur in Maharashtra to be built with France's help, French President Nicolas Sarkozy today said that India should avoid committing "excesses" in its ongoing quest for economic ... Nuclear reactor deal set to strengthen ties between France and India CNN International - ‎4 hours ago‎ New Delhi, India (CNN) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy wrapped up his four-day visit to India on Tuesday, securing defense, energy and aviation deals worth billions of dollars. Headlines heralded a significant breakthrough -- a framework agreement ... Sarkozy Says France `Counts' on Pakistan to Intensify Its Terrorism Fight Bloomberg - Helene Fouquet - ‎5 hours ago‎ French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he's counting on Pakistan to intensify its fight against terrorist groups based in the country in a speech at a Mumbai hotel attacked two years ago by Pakistani ... Sarkozy: India, France must jointly work on currencies Reuters - ‎4 hours ago‎ MUMBAI Dec 7 (Reuters) - India and France must work together to regulate and organise the currency system, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Tuesday. (Reporting by Prashant Mehra) We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with ... Sarkozy honours two hotel executives for 26/11 bravery Sify - ‎57 minutes ago‎ Mumbai, Dec 7 (IANS) French President Nicolas Sarkozy Tuesday presented medals to two executives of the Taj and Oberoi hotels whose courage and dedication helped save a large number of lives during the 26/11 Mumbai attack. Karambir Kang, the general ... Sarkozy calls for international cooperation to fight terror NetIndian - ‎50 minutes ago‎ French President Nicolas Sarkozy today called for international cooperation to fight terrorism and asserted that the evil should be outlawed universally. "World leaders should join hands in combating terrorism," Mr Sarkozy was quoted as saying by ... All 1,647 related articles »

Related Nicolas Sarkozy Manmohan Singh Carla Bruni-Sarkozy Areva India Indian Space Research Organisation Timeline of articles Number of sources covering this story Sarkozy says UN Security Council permanent seat for India possible next year ‎1 hour ago‎ - Daily News & Analysis Sarkozy arrives in Mumbai ‎8 hours ago‎ - The Hindu Nuclear pacts power bonhomie ‎17 hours ago‎ - The Hindu Sarkozy to pay homage to 26/11 victims in Mumbai on Tuesday ‎Dec 6, 2010‎ - NDTV.com India, France to enhance cooperation in defence sector ‎Dec 6, 2010‎ - Sify India, France ink pact to build two n-power plants ‎Dec 6, 2010‎ - Indian Express France to invest Eur 10 bn in India by 2012: Christine Lagarde ‎Dec 5, 2010‎ - Economic Times Nicolas Sarkozy visit: The height of protocol ‎Dec 4, 2010‎ - Daily News & Analysis Sarkozy backs India for UNSC, NSG ‎Dec 4, 2010‎ - Economic Times Sarkozy pushes defense, nuke cooperation in India ‎Dec 4, 2010‎ - Hindustan Times Images Telegraph.co.uk All India Radio The Hindu The Hindu The Hindu The Hindu The Hindu The Hindu The Hindu All related images » Videos Sarkozy asks Pak to be firm against terror NewsX  -  2 hours ago Watch video <div class="video-thumb thumbnail"><a class="js-link thumbnail-toggle" href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="return false;"><img src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/x5yIEkpTXPc/default.jpg" alt="" class="thumbnail" width="120" height="90"> <div class="icon play-icon"></div></a></div> <div class="video-details"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5yIEkpTXPc">Sarkozy asks Pak to be firm against terror</a> <span class="source">NewsX</span> &nbsp;-&nbsp; 2 hours ago <div class="icon video-icon"></div> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5yIEkpTXPc">Watch video</a></div> Indo-French deal: The largest nuclear reactor? NDTV.com  -  Dec 6, 2010 Watch video <div class="video-thumb thumbnail"><a class="js-link thumbnail-toggle" href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="return false;"><img src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/gPaYnxDUiPI/default.jpg" alt="" class="thumbnail" width="120" height="90"> <div class="icon play-icon"></div></a></div> <div class="video-details"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPaYnxDUiPI">Indo-French deal: The largest nuclear reactor?</a> <span class="source">NDTV.com</span> &nbsp;-&nbsp; Dec 6, 2010 <div class="icon video-icon"></div> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPaYnxDUiPI">Watch video</a></div> France and India to sign five crucial deals NewsX  -  Dec 5, 2010 Watch video <div class="video-thumb thumbnail"><a class="js-link thumbnail-toggle" href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="return false;"><img src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/A581L4qpfV0/default.jpg" alt="" class="thumbnail" width="120" height="90"> <div class="icon play-icon"></div></a></div> <div class="video-details"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A581L4qpfV0">France and India to sign five crucial deals</a> <span class="source">NewsX</span> &nbsp;-&nbsp; Dec 5, 2010 <div class="icon video-icon"></div> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A581L4qpfV0">Watch video</a></div> All related videos »

Bruni kisses Aids fear away

Times of India - ‎13 hours ago‎
NEW DELHI: Her birthday falls on December 23 but children at the NAZ Foundation serenaded the First Lady of France on Monday itself.
AIDS patients: Ambassador Bruni comes to their aid Economic Times
Carla Bruni's healing touch MSN India
TopNews New Zealand - Calcutta Telegraph - Mid-Day - Deccan Herald
all 14 news articles »
हिंदी मेंEmail this story
Health Newstrack

Heart attack risk rises by 60 pc post diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis

Oneindia - ‎3 hours ago‎
Washington, Dec 7 (ANI): Just a year after a patient is diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, the risk of a heart attack goes up by 60 percent, reveals a new study.
Risk Of Heart Attack High One Year After Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosis AHN | All Headline News
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis face high risk of heart attack News-Medical.net
all 21 news articles »Email this story
NewsTime

Health experts flay shutdown threat by tobacco majors

Times of India - Rema Nagarajan - ‎16 hours ago‎
NEW DELHI: Public health experts and tobacco control activists have condemned the tobacco industry's attempt to blackmail the government by threatening to shut down production instead of abiding by the law as they had agreed to do before the Supreme ...
What warnings, ask cigarette companies Mid-Day
No smoking sign kills Rs 100 cr a day Financial Express
NACS Online - NewsTime - TCPalm - Car Rentals

Sticking to BJP's demand for a JPC probe into the 2G spectrum scam, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley today said accepting the demand was the only solution to end the crisis in Parliament.

Rajya Sabha MP and former telecom entrepreneur Rajeev Chandrasekhar has questioned the spectrum issues raised by Tata Group supremo Ratan Tata while reminding him that his group company was a major beneficiary of the same.

I never interfered with the judiciary: Raja

Economic Times - ‎57 minutes ago‎
NEW DELHI: Former telecom minister A Raja today claimed that he had never authorised any person to speak or negotiate with judges on his behalf in any case after the Madras High Court suspended from the bar a top lawyer for allegedly attempting to ...
Madras High Court suspends lawyer for attempting to influence judge The Hindu
Revealed: A Raja threatened HC judge Times Now.tv
indiablooms - Times of India - Sify - Hindustan Times
Blast at Varanasi's Dashashwamedh Ghat, 20 injured
Times of India
- ‎13 minutes ago‎
UNSC permanent seat for India next yr: Sarkozy
Zee News
- ‎17 minutes ago‎
Tata was biggest beneficiary of telecom policy: MP
Times of India
- ‎1 hour ago‎ -
all 16 articles »
हिंदी में
Why is Google's new Nexus S like no other smartphone?
Register
- ‎2 hours ago‎ -
all 920 articles »
Webber raced with broken shoulder
The Australian
- ‎1 hour ago‎ -
all 301 articles »
Aditya Chopra's advice to Ranveer Singh!
GlamSham
- ‎2 hours ago‎ -
all 28 articles »
हिंदी में
Social networking helps control HIV
Times of India
- ‎5 hours ago‎ -
all 13 articles »
India to attend Nobel prize presentation to Liu
The Hindu
- ‎1 hour ago‎ -
all 1,337 articles »

Releases will go on despite Assange arrest!India to join Liu's Nobel award ceremony, China frowns!U.S., allies urge China to rein in North Korea!Meanwhile, a US mom treated like terrorist by airport security over stored breast milk!On the other hand,French President Nicolas Sarkozy has called upon Pakistan to fight terrorism with determination, and appreciated India's efforts to 'stretch out its hand' towards its neighbour.while,Manmohan Singh to broaden India-EU engagement in Brussels!


WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange handed himself in to British police on Tuesday after Sweden issued a warrant for his arrest over allegations of sex crimes, London's Metropolitan Police said.Whistleblowing website WikiLeaks Tuesday vowed to continue its publication of confidential US diplomatic cables despite the arrest in London of its founder, Julian Assange.

China rejects US criticism that it is enabling North Korea to build its arsenal and behave aggressively by helping Pyongyang develop nuclear weapons and by protecting it internationally.

Julian Assange's arrest by police this morning will kickstart the fast-tracked extradition process, using the European Arrest Warrant system, to attempt to return him to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning regarding a rape charge.

Kashmir Congress minister in trouble over 'azadi' remarks

Jammu and Kashmir Health Minister Sham Lal Sharma's call for 'aazadi' for Kashmir has stunned the state government and the matter is likely to be taken up by the coordination panel of the ruling alliance partners, National Conference and Congress.
Sharma, while speaking at a rally of the Congress party in a hilly and remote area of Bani in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, had said that the 'people in the Valley want azadi, let them be given azadi; Ladakh should get the Union Territory status and Jammu statehood.' His these remarks on Sunday left the coalition government completely rattled.
Despite repeated attempts to contact him Monday to explain what made him make the remarks, Sharma did not respond. On Sunday he had told some newspersons that he had 'spoken in the interest of Jammu region', which he alleged was the 'worst victim of discrimination meted out to it by Kashmiris'.
Sharma had addressed the rally in the presence of Pradesh Congress Committee president Saif-ud-din Soz.
Sharma is a staunch loyalist of Soz who is trying to underplay the remarks.
According to well informed sources in the Congress party, the minister's remarks have been viewed 'quite seriously'. Sharma would be asked to explain his remarks, the sources said.
'This matter would also come up at the coordination panel of the two parties,' an informed source in Congress told IANS.
Sharma is the first ever minister in the government who has spoken of 'azadi for Kashmir'.
Reacting to his statement, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ashok Khajuria said that while the discrimination against Jammu region was a fact, but the 'azadi for Kashmir' demand was siding with the separatists.
'The BJP will raise this issue at all levels, it also exposes the real intentions of the coalition government.'

1. Nuclear reactor deal set to strengthen ties between France and India ‎ CNN International - 4 hours ago "France is selling India nuclear reactors which are completely untried for ... In total, Sarkozy will return to France with contracts worth $20 billion, ... Video: Sarkozy asks Pak to be firm against terror NewsX Doubt over liability holds up N-deal with France‎ - Times of India France, India sign nuclear deal on Sarkozy visit‎ - AFP Times Now.tv - NDTV.com all 1649 news articles »  BOM:532810

   * Reuters

2. Sarkozy eyes civil nuclear deal with India ‎ India Today - 2 days ago It ended India's 34-yearold nuclear isolation - US, Russia and UK also have civilian nuclear agreements with India now. The 2008 deal come after Sarkozy's ... Sarkozy, Bruni lands in India on a 4 day visit‎ - First14.com From Rock To Chanson‎ - Outlook French President Arrives In India For 4-Day Visit‎ - Eurasia Review Gulf Daily News - IBNLive.com all 240 news articles »

   * Telegraph.co.uk

3. Safety hurdles for India-France nuclear deal? ‎ NDTV.com - 30 Nov 2010 Paris: As India prepares to sign a deal with French President Nicolas Sarkozy to buy nuclear reactors worth a whopping 18 billion euros, France's own ... Video: US identified 'Sarkozy the American' as firm ally, WikiLeaks says France 24 Return of Sarkozy shows France's importance to India (Comment)‎ - Sify Sarkozy visit to start on Saturday‎ - Express Buzz The Guardian - Emirates 24/7 all 686 news articles »  TSE:SEA

   * Kansas City Star

4. Nicolos, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy in Agra ‎ Economic Times - 2 days ago France's First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy (in blue) with President Nicolas Sarkozy (3rd ... of the G20 and hinted a nuclear deal could be signed on his trip. ...

5. 1500 villagers held for Jaitapur protest ‎ Times of India - 2 days ago The protest coincided with the visit of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, ... deal to supply uranium and reactor units to the 9900 MW nuclear power plant. ...

6. Sena joins 'people's war' against Jaitapur N-plant ‎ Times of India - Ambarish Mishra - 16 hours ago Under the deal—likely to be inked by French President Nicolas Sarkozy's visit ... Thackeray announced that his party would oppose the nuclear plant on the ...

7. India, France Sign Nuclear Reactor Deal ‎ Ticker Magazine - Chandrasekhar Atreya - 1 day ago India and France signed nuclear power deal worth $9.3 billion as two ... build two nuclear power plants in India as French President Nicolas Sarkozy worked ...

8. France's Sarkozy begins trip to India ‎ Richmond Times Dispatch - 2 days ago By AP BANGALORE, India -- President Nicolas Sarkozy sought to drum up ... visit yesterday during which a deal is expected on building nuclear plants. ...

9. A look at economic developments around the globe ‎ BusinessWeek - 13 hours ago NEW DELHI -- India and France signed a multibillion framework agreement to build two nuclear power plants in India as French President Nicolas Sarkozy ...

10. US embassy cables: Nicolas Sarkozy's bad manners spark gossip in ... ‎ The Guardian - 6 days ago During a star-like visit and speech to the Moroccan parliament, Sarkozy offered .... in Morocco's northeast and the French nuclear group Areva signed a deal ...

11. 
    

1. News for SarkozY Nuclear deal

   * Reuters

   Doubt over liability holds up N-deal with France 19 hours ago She clarified that the liability issue would not be a deal-breaker, but needed to ... Sarkozy wants to make civilian nuclear cooperation the cornerstone of ... Times of India - 1649 related articles - Shared by 20+ Sarkozy eyes civil nuclear deal with India India Today - 240 related articles

2. 
   

3. France, India sign nuclear deal on Sarkozy visit - Yahoo! News

4. 6 Dec 2010 ... France signed a 9.3-billion-dollar framework agreement to sell two nuclear reactors to India on Monday during a trade-centred visit by ...

5. news.yahoo.com/s/afp/.../wl.../indiafrancediplomacy - United States - Cached

6. France, India sign nuclear deal as Sarkozy visits Delhi (AFP ...

7. AFP - France firmed up a 9.3-billion-dollar deal to sell two nuclear ...

8. green.yahoo.com/news/afp/.../wl.../indiafrancediplomacy.html - Cached

9. Show more results from yahoo.com

10. French President Sarkozy eyes civil nuclear deal with India ...

11. 5 Dec 2010 ... According to the French President, India has established itself as a stabilising force in South Asia.

12. indiatoday.intoday.in/.../french-president-sarkozy-eyes-civil-nuclear-deal-with-india.html - Cached

13. BBC NEWS | Europe | Sarkozy to sign UAE nuclear deal

14. 13 Jan 2008 ... France's president begins a tour of the Gulf, where he will sign a nuclear deal with the United Arab Emirates.

15. news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7185660.stm - Cached - Similar

16. Sarkozy meets PM Manmohan Singh, set to sign nuclear deal ...

17. 7 Dec 2010 ... French President Nicolas Sarkozy meets Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today in New Delhi, with nuclear power and defence deals likely to be ...

18. www.hindustantimes.com/Sarkozy...Nuclear-deal.../Article1-634907.aspx - Cached

19. Get more results from the past 24 hours

20. Sarkozy's India visit: Terror, nuclear deal top the agenda

21. 4 Dec 2010 ... French President Nicolas Sarkozy is hoping to build closer ties with India as he arrives on Saturday for a four-day visit.

22. www.ndtv.com/video/player/.../sarkozys...nuclear-deal.../179642 - Cached

23. Sarkozy clinches $9.3bn nuclear deal with India | Latest news ...

24. 6 Dec 2010 ... Sarkozy clinches $9.3bn nuclear deal with India. From the Newspaper (40 minutes ago) Today. NEW DELHI, Dec 6: France`s President Nicolas ...

25. www.dawn.com/.../sarkozy-clinches-9-3bn-nuclear-deal-with-india.html - Pakistan

26. Get more results from the past 24 hours

27. France, India sign nuclear deal as Sarkozy visits Delhi | www ...

28. 6 Dec 2010 ... Sarkozy, Singh set to sign nuclear reactor deal. French President Nicolas Sarkozy was to hold talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan ...

29. www.bullfax.com/?q=node-france-india...nuclear-deal-sarkozy... - Cached

30. Videos for SarkozY Nuclear deal

    * Inside Story - Sarkozy makes UAE nuclear deal ... 11 min - 16 Jan 2008 Uploaded by AlJazeeraEnglish youtube.com

    * Inside Story - Sarkozy makes UAE nuclear deal ... 11 min - 16 Jan 2008 Uploaded by AlJazeeraEnglish youtube.com

31. 
    

32. Daily Nation: - World |France, India sign nuclear deal as Sarkozy ...

33. 6 Dec 2010 ... France signed a 9.3-billion-dollar framework agreement to sell two nuclear reactors to India on Monday during a trade-centred visit by ...

34. www.nation.co.ke/News/world/-/1068/1067166/-/.../-/index.html - Cached

You have removed results from this search. Hide them
Loading...

• Everything
• Images
• Videos
• News

• Shopping
• Books
• Places
• Blogs
• Realtime
• Discussions

MoreFewer

• Howrah, West Bengal

• Auto-detected

Change locationClose

Search Options

• The web
• Pages from India
• Any time
• Latest
• Past 3 days

Fewer search toolsMore search tools

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Next

Kashmir interlocutors to submit report to govt early next year

The three-member group of interlocutors, appointed to initiate dialogue on Jammu and Kashmir, will submit to the government early next year "broad contours" for a political settlement to the decades old issue. The three interlocutors, who will conduct their third visit to the state from December 17 to 23, will submit the "broad contours" for a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue which will be deliberated by the Cabinet Committee on Security before giving the nod for initiating the process.
The group, comprising eminent journalist Dileep Padgaonkar, academician Radha Kumar and former Central Information Commissioner M M Ansari was appointed on October 13. Official sources said demilitarisation steps have been taken, 66 youths have been released while 22 cases of Public Safety Act have been withdrawn.
During its third visit, the group will go to several district headquarters like Jammu, Rajauri, Poonch, Doda and Srinagar. The Centre has sent "some" of its recommendations to the state for necessary action.
"Action has been initiated on the recommendations. Some recommendations have been sent to the state government for necessary action.
Some are under implementation," the Home Ministry said in a statement. In its report, the group recommended expediting cases of undertrials, permitting peaceful protests, releasing militants and protestors against whom there are no serious charges among others.
The group also recommended training of security forces, identifying jobs for young men and women in central and state Government offices, announcing scholarships for Kashmiri students, enhancing monetary assistance to widows and orphans, efforts to trace missing persons and increasing monthly allowances to Kashmiri Pandits, the ministry said. The report submitted to the Government by the group of interlocutors was based on their visits to the state from October 23 from 28 and November 9 to 14.
During their stay in the state, the interlocutors had visited Baramullah, Uri, Anantnag, Ganderbal, Bandipora, Leh and Kargil districts and met political and community leaders, minority representatives including several groups of Kashmiri Pandits as well as refugees from PoK, it said. The group visited Kashmiri Pandit camps at Muthi to ascertain their views on the Kashmir issue.
They also visited detenues in the Central Jail, Srinagar and met leaders of student protests, the ministry said. The recommendations made in the report of their second visit are under active consideration of the Government.


India will attend the ceremony to confer the Nobel Peace Prize on imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo Dec 10 at Oslo, even though China has asked the world leaders to boycott the event, a media report said Tuesday.

In a statement on its website, the Norwegian Peace Prize committee said that as of Monday, 44 embassies in Oslo, the Norwegian capital, had signalled their intention to send a representative to the ceremony, the New York Times reported.

But the number of the countries which, for various reasons, declined the invitation, had risen to 19 from six three weeks ago, the website said.

A woman in the US has revealed that she was treated like a terrorist by airport security just because she was carrying stored breast milk along with her.

Stacey Armato, 30, who was on her way home to Los Angeles to be re-united with her seven-month-old son, said that security staff at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport subjected her to a humiliating ordeal.

Armato, a lawyer, was carrying 340 grams of breast milk in a container and asked the milk not to be passed through the x-ray scanner due to possible radiation, in line with airport security rules.

Having previously filed a complaint about TSA staff's handling of her breast milk, she had printed out the rules from their website to show to agents.

The guidelines state: "Mothers flying with, and now without, their child be permitted to bring breast milk in quantities greater than three ounces as long as it is declared for inspection at the security checkpoint."

She alleges she was harassed and made to wait in a glass "security box" for over an hour and her papers were ignored, thus making her miss her flight.

"My hand was swatted away and they put me in this glass cage forever it seemed," News.com.au quoted Armato as saying.

When released, Armato told the TSA employee that breast milk is to be treated as a medical liquid, to which he allegedly replied "well, not today".

Armato says a police officer told her that the TSA officials were waiting for her due to her prior complaint against security officials.

"They remember you from last week and they want you to play along with their horse and pony show, and if you don't then TSA can have the Phoenix Police Department arrest you," the policeman allegedly said.

She said that after her hour-long wait the TSA manager reviewed Armato's papers but decided not to follow the rules.

Armato was then patted down, sent back to the security box and told she either had to put the milk through the x-ray machine or throw it away.

A surveillance camera captured the incident and Armato requested the footage, however she alleges the tapes she received left out over 30 minutes of her ordeal.

She said, included in the missing footage was the part showing a manager telling her to write her personal information on a piece of paper before pocketing it.

The TSA said it has apologised over the incident, but Armato has denied receiving an apology.

'Todays actions against our editor-in-chief Julian Assange won't affect our operations: we will release more cables tonight as normal,' said a tweet from the official WikiLeaks Twitter account.

In a second message, also released after a 19-hour break in communications Tuesday, the organisation called for a protest to coincide with Assange's scheduled appearance at Westminster Magistrates' Court in central London later Tuesday.

Assange, whose WikiLeaks website is at the centre of a row over the release of secret U.S. diplomatic cables, was arrested under a European Arrest Warrant.

Swedish prosecutors want to question the 39-year-old Australian about allegations of rape, sexual molestation and unlawful coercion. He denies the allegations.

Assange is due to appear before City of Westminster Magistrates' Court in London later on Tuesday when a date for an extradition hearing is likely to be set. This must take place within 21 days of his arrest.

"He is accused by the Swedish authorities of one count of unlawful coercion, two counts of sexual molestation and one count of rape, all alleged to have been committed in August 2010," London police said in a statement.

Assange has spent much of his time in Sweden and earlier this year was accused of sexual misconduct by two female Swedish WikiLeaks volunteers.

This led Swedish prosecutors to open, then drop, then re-open an investigation into the allegations. The crime he is suspected of is the least severe of three categories of rape, carrying a maximum of four years in jail.

Police said Assange was arrested by officers from its extradition unit at about 9.30 a.m. (0930 GMT) after he appeared by appointment at a London police station.

His whereabouts had been previously undisclosed.

If a judge is satisfied his extradition is warranted and will not breach his human rights, then he will order the WikiLeaks founder to be extradited, although Assange can appeal against that decision to higher courts.

Assange's Swedish lawyer has said his client would fight any extradition and believed foreign powers were influencing Sweden.

WikiLeaks has angered the U.S. government and others across the world by releasing details of 250,000 diplomatic cables it had obtained.

Invitations to the ceremony are routinely sent only to those 65 countries with embassies in Oslo, Geir Lundestad, the committee's secretary, said.

Those who accepted included 'all the western countries' along with representatives from other countries including India, Indonesia, Brazil, South Africa, South Korea and Japan, he said.

Lundestad said there had been reports suggesting that the prize might be handed over to people other than Liu's close family, but that was not the case. 'We assume that no close family will be coming,' he said. 'But if someone surfaces, we can change very quickly.'

Those countries which are not taking part in the ceremony include China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Colombia, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Serbia, Iraq, Iran, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Venezuela, the Philippines, Egypt, Sudan, Ukraine, Cuba and Morocco.

The prize committee has said that for the first time since 1936, the medal and diploma that accompany the prize will not be handed over because neither Liu, who is serving an 11-year sentence for subversionin, nor members of his family have been permitted to travel to Oslo to receive these.

Liu's wife, Liu Xia, has been held incommunicado since the award was announced in October and the government has been waging an offensive to rebrand the prize as a Western ploy to undermine the Chinese Communist Party's hold on power, the report said.

War against Pakistan militants to take 15 years: WikiLeaks

The US embassy in Islamabad had said last year that the fight against Al Qaeda and other militants operating in Pakistan will last 10-15 years, secret diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks have revealed.

"As we work to prevent Pakistan-based attacks on the US and its forces, we should be clear that Al Qaeda now wants more than just a safe haven in Pakistan," then US envoy to Pakistan Anne Patterson said.

"Defeating a growing witches' brew of Al Qaeda, Taliban, local extremists and criminals will be a long 10-15 year fight," she wrote in a cable sent to Washington in February last year.

According to the DawnNews, the cable quoted Patterson as telling Washington of the mutual mistrust that has bedevilled US-Pakistan relations.

Ahead of Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi's visit to the US in 2009 for a strategic dialogue, Patterson quoted Vice President Joe Biden as saying the relationship for too long has been transactional in nature.

"It also has been based on mutual mistrust," the envoy wrote, adding, "Pakistan hedges its bets on cooperation because it fears the US will again desert Islamabad after we get Osama bin Laden; Washington sees this hesitancy as duplicity that requires we take unilateral action to protect US interests."

She also said that although former president Pervez Musharraf made, after 9/11, a strategic shift to abandon the Taliban and support the US in the war on terror, neither side believed the other had lived up to expectations flowing from that decision.

"The relationship is one of co-dependency we grudgingly admit - Pakistan knows the US cannot afford to walk away," Patterson said, adding "the US knows Pakistan cannot survive without our support."

India-EU Trade Agreement expected to be ready early 2011

An ambitious Trade and Investment Agreement between India and European Union that could help in increasing bilateral trade by about 40 per cent to touch 100 billion Euros is expected to be finalised early next year.

"Negotiations are progressing well and we are hopeful of concluding the agreement in early 2011," Vive Katju, Secretary (West) in the External Affairs Ministry said today.

Katju was briefing newsmen on the forthcoming visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Brussels and Berlin.

Singh leaves for the Belgian Capital on Thursday to attend the 11th India-European Union(Summit) the next day. He will be in Berlin on Saturday for summit talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel before returning home on Sunday.

The combined bilateral trade in goods and services in 2009 was around 70 billion euros. The EU economic bloc comprises 27 countries.

"The Broad-Based Trade and Investment Agreement(BTIA) will give a fillip to bilateral trade which could incrrease to 100 billion Euros," Katju said.

Katju refused to be drawn into a discussion over a delay in wrapping up the Free Trade talks this year itself or any contentious issues between the two sides.

The pact was to have been originally concluded to coincide with Singh's visit to Brussels for the summit.

"The Free Trade pact was originally supposed to have been finalised at the Brussels summit. But it is taking a longer time than expected," German Ambassador Thomas Matussek told reporters yesterday.

Intellectual property rights and social issues like environment and labour standards are reported to be among some critical issues where the negotiations have got got stuck.
6 Dec, 2010, 12.24PM IST,REUTERS

Opening up India sectors will raise FDI: Lagarde

NEW DELHI: French investment in India will increase once the country further opens up its retail and insurance sectors to foreign investors, French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said on Monday.

Opening up various sectors to greater amounts of foreign direct investments (FDI) is an ongoing process in India, with many long-standing reforms delayed by domestic political deadlock.

* WikiLeaks Indian Chromite mines among US's secret interest: WikiLeaks Two chromite mines in Orissa and K'taka, besides a factory in Gujarat that manufactures chemotherapy drugs are among global "key infrastructures" which could pose a danger. 'Saudi Arabian donors largest funders of LeT' Myanmar junta considered MU takeover WikiLeaks donation pipelines being choked off Assange may surrender to British police

News

7 Dec 2010, 18:46 India-EU Trade Agreement expected to be ready early 2011 An ambitious Trade and Investment Agreement between India and European Union that could help in increasing bilateral trade is expected to be finalised early next year. 7 Dec 2010, 17:18 Food Retail in India to touch USD 150 bn by 2025: KPMG India's food retail sector, which is currently estimated at USD 70 billion (around Rs 3,13,137 crore) will be more than double in the next fifteen years. All                                                                                                     Economy headlines >> <a target="_blank" href="http://netspiderads2.indiatimes.com/ads.dll/clickthrough?slotid=36037"><img alt="Advertisement" height="80" width="300" border="0" src="http://netspiderads2.indiatimes.com/ads.dll/photoserv?slotid=36037"></a>

Policy As STPI tax breaks end, tech SMEs dial SOS EGoM should decide on diesel price deregulation: Official Govt should open up FDI in multi-brand retail: Montek No takers for paper on Cancun round-1

more »

Finance Large capital inflows can hit India's exports: Finmin ADB to lend $300 mn more for road development in Bihar House panel seeks to push date for IFRS switch by 2 yrs France to invest $13.37 bn in India by 2012: Christine Lagarde

more »

Foreign Trade India-EU Trade Agreement expected to be ready early 2011 France wants easier retail, insurance entry No India-EU free trade accord during PM's visit Opening up India sectors will raise FDI: Lagarde

more »

Infrastructure Gujarat setting up 8,000-crore solar power park PEs turn wary of green lobby, investments in infrastructure projects to slow down Land disputes hitting Indian infrastructure schemes User should be ready to pay for public services: Pranab

more »

Agriculture Crops not affected by temperature rise: Minister Focus on agriculture: President to Govt World food prices may rise from 31-101% by 2050 Govt releases 17.08 lakh tonne of sugar quota for Dec

more »

MARKET ANALYSIS STOCKS TO BUY We are entering a phase of market consolidation: Parag Doctor Crude oil prices can have significant impact on markets: Sudip Bandyopadhyay Selling presure coming in at the Nifty levels: Deepak Mohoni Going short in the Nifty is risky: Deepak Mohoni more » Subscribe to SCI FPO with long-term view: Centrum SCI FPO attractively priced: Way2Wealth Subscribe to Shipping Corporation FPO: Arihant Subscribe' to SCI FPO, says Prabhudas Lilladher more »

ET Cetera Alliance heralds era of smartphone wallets WikiLeaks says to continue operating despite arrest Pakistani cricketers will again be kept out of IPL Now, 'smart' wallets that shrink when low on cash!

more »

* WikiLeaks Indian Chromite mines among US's secret interest: WikiLeaks Two chromite mines in Orissa and K'taka, besides a factory in Gujarat that manufactures chemotherapy drugs are among global "key infrastructures" which could pose a danger. 'Saudi Arabian donors largest funders of LeT' Myanmar junta considered MU takeover WikiLeaks donation pipelines being choked off Assange may surrender to British police * * * * *

• MOST READ
• MOST COMMENTED
• MOST SHARED

In This Section | Entire Website
1 Indians remitted $50 billion in 2009; sent mo...
2 India's strong demand a problem too: Goldman ...
3 Innovation needs more bitzua and chutzpah
4 Gujarat setting up 8,000-crore solar power pa...
5 Economy booms, but inflation high: Mid-year r...
<a target="_blank" href="http://netspiderads3.indiatimes.com/ads.dll/clickthrough?slotid=539"><img alt="Advertisement" height="42" width="300" border="0" src="http://netspiderads3.indiatimes.com/ads.dll/photoserv?slotid=539"></a>
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/articlelist/1373380680.cms
By R Shankar, India Syndicate, 07/12/2010

MP hauls Tata over the coals for double speak

Member of Parliament, industrialist and a former telecom entrepreneur, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, has accused Ratan Tata of speaking inconsistently and in two voices over three critical issues - out-of-turn allocation of spectrum; hoarding of spectrum by incumbent operators; and flip-flop of policy of the telecom ministry.
In his 'open letter' of Dec 6 to Ratan Tata, copy of which is available with MSN India, Chandrasekhar has also questioned the need for such a prestigious group like Tatas to employ a lobbyist like Niira Radia and the wisdom of Tata Group head in fighting corruption by doing an ineffective 'intellectual post-mortem,' instead of active resistance, by pulling out antique bribery charges and polishing them up for public consumption. The MP was referring to Tata's bribery charge that occurred 15 years ago and wondered why he remained stone silent all these years when he should have spoken out then and there.
Said the former entrepreneur who headed the BPL group's telecom wing: "I sympathize with your concern about public-policy making in our country sometimes resembling that of a Banana Republic. But the forces behind this are helped considerably by the fact that people with power and influence remain silent and passive spectators to this. So many including I would have welcomed your intervention much earlier, as in the case of the alleged bribing offer 15 years ago, of Rs 15 crore that you referred to only recently. You will agree that speaking out against corruption is most effective when it is happening and not decades or years later. Because then it becomes an intellectual post mortem, and not active resistance".
While applauding the role played by Ratan Tata and the Tata Group in upholding values, Chandrasekhar has also not minced words when it came to double-speak on the three issues pointed out earlier.
The MP has pointed out that while Tata was rightfully upset with the out-of-turn allocation of spectrum, it was the Tata Telecom that was one of the biggest beneficiary of the allocation. The Group not only sneaked in late after former telecom minister A Raja had shut his doors, but also managed to get the allocation even as 343 applications were spiked for late arrival.
According to the CAG Report, the potential loss to the Exchequer on account of dual technology licenses at 3G rates is Rs. 37,154 crore. By virtue of dual technology - according to the CAG - Chandrasekhar says the Tata Group has caused a loss to the Exchequer to the tune of approx Rs. 19074.8 crore.
"But it is not just this. It is a fact that the Tata Group is a beneficiary of out-of-turn spectrum. In fact, one of the biggest of them all. It is a fact admitted by the Government on affidavit that 575 applications were received for 2G spectrum by 01 October, 2007. Using an illegal and arbitrary cutoff date, Mr. Raja processed only 122 applications received till 25 September, 2007. 110 were rejected and 343 applications were put in abeyance. Given the fact that there is no 2G spectrum available, these applications received till 01 October, 2007 (within the date represented by the Government) have now been put in the dustbin. In fact, the TRAI had already recommended on 11 May 2010 that no more UASL license with bundled spectrum can be given. This means that these 343 applications will never be processed and will never see spectrum."
"In the meantime, 19 days after these 575 applications were received, the dual technology policy was announced through a press release by Mr. Raja, the Tatas put in their dual technology applications around 22 October. So, in effect, their application went in three weeks after the 575 2G applications were received."
"Today, Tatas already have GSM spectrum allocated and GSM service launched in most of the circles - But the 343 applications submitted three weeks before the Tata Group have neither been processed nor have any chance of ever being processed - so much for First Come, First Serve (policy). "
"You will accept that this seems to be a case of arriving late, forming a new queue, jumping the priority and accusing others of getting priority on spectrum allocation and meets your point of out-of-turn allocation of spectrum. I am sure the 373 applicants who were rejected for no fault of theirs, will agree - while the Tata Group has sold its equity for billions of dollars to NTT Docomo based on its out-of-turn GSM allocation on dual technology policy".
Chandrasekhar says that evidence suggests that the Tatas have benefited from out-of-turn spectrum allocation. The dispute between Tatas and Reliance Comm on the allocation sequence cannot dilute the primary fact of bypassing other early applicants to this spectrum, he adds.


On hoarding of spectrum, the MP has pointed out that Tata holds spectrum both for GSM and CDMA. Tata has received CDMA and GSM spectrum at 2001 rates. So even if the hoarding charge was to apply, it would also apply to the Tatas for having maximum cumulative efficiency (CDMA and GSM) to serve the least number of subscribers amongst the incumbents.
"The charge of hoarding that you make applies equally to Tata Tele - whether it is total spectrum held, or subscribers served based on that spectrum, or price paid to acquire such spectrum, vis-à-vis the cumulative efficiency of CDMA and GSM," says the letter.
On the flip-flop policy, Chandrasekhar has jogged the memory of Tata by pointing out to the "one of the most horrific distortions of Policy" - the infamous WLL scam in 2001 - where Telecom companies with Fixed service licenses managed to muscle their way into cellular with active support of Policy makers of that time. In 2003, a convenient set of recommendations by the TRAI and Government allowed this illegality to be regularized through the UASL (Unified Access Service Licensing) policy, opening the gates to unprecedented and unique (and unheard of) First Come, First Served form of licensing - bypassing tenders that were the norm for obtaining cellular licenses till then.
Said Chandrasekhar in his letter: "Your company was the beneficiary of this 'policy flip-flop' and you chose to accept the benefits of this flip-flop at that time - despite this blatant violation and distortion. I am personally aware because I led the fight against it and remember being immensely disappointed at the Tata Group's remarkably self-serving position. Further, in one of the most mysterious and indefensible acts, Tata Group took on board as a consultant, the very individual, who as the Chairman of TRAI was the architect of this UASL and other shames".
The letter ends saying Tata's positions in the recent interviews seem to be in stark contrast with the actual conduct, performance and position of Tatas' Telecom companies in each of the three points raised.
And as a punchline, the letter wonders why "a group like Tata with its sterling character and reputation requires outside lobbyists to lobby on their behalf! That, in itself, is enough to shatter one's confidence."
WikiLeaks founder arrested
Police say WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been arrested on a Swedish warrant. Assange was arrested at 9:30 a.m. (0930 GMT) Tuesday and was due to appear at Westminster Magistrate's Court later in the day.
Other Top Stories

• Jagan to form new party in 45 days
• Act before we are all dead: Jairam to US
• US shared with India Lashkar plot to kill Narendra Modi
• MP hauls Tata over the coals for double speak
• 'Munni...' now favourite taunt of Pakistani politicians!
• New rules: How to end nuisance calls on your mobile
• Furore over J&K minister's remarks, Cong red-faced

Sarkozy's India visit
Cold wave in Europe
MSN Money
Quick Access Links

• Citizen Speak
• Discuss @ India 360
• Discuss @ World 360
• Follow @msnindia
• Pictures Archive
• News Archive
• LeadCap
• Subscribe to news feeds

MSN TwitterMSN Headlines on Twitter

• MSN India brings you latest Headlines, Breaking News and Mobile updates- all in a single click. Now, check out minute by minute update on national, global & business news on Twitter.

• Twitter
• Mobile

Subscribe to Feeds

• National News Feed
• International News Feed
• Business News Feed

• National
• PTI
• IANS
• IE

• Winter vacation in middle schools in Kashmir from Dec 15
• Man commits suicide in Burlton Park
• NDA plans to up its number, hold rally against corruption
• Rs 5 lakh looted from woman
• Calcutta HC officers held guilty of dereliction of duty

» All National News from PTI

• Apex court permits construction of Ambedkar park in Noida
• Miffed Andhra ministers still waiting for key portfolios
• Agartala gets tag of 'best city' among small states
• Five killed in Bengal road accident
• IT minister resigns, land scam hits Yeddyurappa hard

» All National News from IANS

• Epic Rendition
• In city, SAARC fest performers steal the show
• Day after violence at PGI, services take a hit
• Of honour and pride
• Need to upgrade public transport in city: Bansal

» All National News from IE

• International
• PTI
• IANS
• IE
• AP

• WikiLeaks: Intel threatened to move Russian jobs to India
• ''Voice of Russia'' poised to win hearts of young Indians
• Russian court rejects claim over Kremlin
• China slams Nobel prize supporters as ''clowns''
• Ponting slips out of top 20, Anderson zooms to third place

» All International News from PTI

• Cheryl Cole named most popular music star
• Bopanna-Qureshi get 2010 Grand Prix of Peace and Sports award
• Mercury falls in Britian, travel woes continue in Europe
• China bars artist, economist from leaving before Nobel gala
• UN seeks probe into Sri Lankan troops' war crime video

» All International News from IANS

• Meanwhile, the crackdown continues
• Latest WikiLeaks
• Crime in Disney town shatters illusion
• The latest from wikileaks
• Briefly World

» All International News from IE

• Oprah's audience begins Australian adventure
• Indian parliament paralyzed for month by scandal
• Israel upset by Argentina Palestinian recognition
• Sotheby's to sell rare Audubon 'Birds of America'
• China denounces Nobel prize supporters as 'clowns'

» All International News from AP

• Business
• PTI
• IANS
• Forbes
• FE
• IE

• Karuturi Global to acquire 54 pc stake in Florista
• Punjab Intl Trade Fair to start tomorrow
• United Spirits gets approval for BDL merger
• Centum to provide learning solution to Airtel for African opr
• Govt plans to introduce AEO scheme for Customs clearance

» All Business News from PTI

• Four-day rally cut short, Sensex ends below 20,000 points
• Patel rejects airlines proposal for hike in air fares
• Indian banks well capitalised for Basel III: Subbarao
• Sensex closes below 20,000 points, ends on flat
• Lower lending rates, hike deposit rates, banks told

» All Business News from IANS

• The 10 Richest Presidents
• What This Chinese Hacker Could Teach Apple
• World's Weirdest Diets
• Health Experts Who May Decide Whether You Live Or Die
• The World's Most Fabulous, Most Affordable Wedding Gowns

» All Business News from Forbes

• Quick View
• 'Synthetic rubber mkt to clock double-digit growth'
• IMD under fire for wrong monsoon data
• India wants China to correct trade imbalance
• LPG shortage in Haryana & Punjab hits households hard

» All Business News from FE

• ICICI Bank hikes lending, deposit rates
• Silicon Valley shows signs of a new dot-com deal frenzy
• Civil aviation minister warns airlines of stringent action for exorbitant fares
• PSU banks plan MFI loan conversion into equity
• Govt no cosmic body for endless funds, FM tells Jaipal

» All Business News from IE

• MSN Money
• Rupeetalk
• Contribute

• Effective management of salary hikes
• Some smart ways to save and still have fun!
• The joint home loan advantage
• A note on tax saving bonds
• New Pension Scheme benefits from revised DTC

• How to finance your purchase?
• When to use Credit Card vs. Debit Card?
• Income tax implication on home loan for second house
• Should you take Home Loan and buy a house or continue to live in a rented house ?
• Optimum salary structure: Maximum in hand salary and Minimum Tax Liability

» All Money News from Rupeetalk

• Mention for Unmention by Abhinav Srivastava
• To Life by Shailendra Kumar
• A Few Pounds Lighter by vkrishn
• Poverty and Leadership Part 3 by T Ramaswamy
• Poverty and Leadershup Part 2 by T Ramaswamy

More...

• TJS Column
• Crime
• News@glance

• The world's favourite dumping ground
• Thrishna and Gill; Thrishna and MLAs
• Evil as spectator sport
• Good Indians vs Evil Indians
• A witness who walked tall

More...

• BPO employee gangrape: Witness questioned, CCTV footage obtained
• 17-year-old boy raped at knife-point by 10 women
• Pastor who 'banned' FB had threesome with wife, church aide
• IIT-Kanpur: Eight cases of suicide in 5 yrs
• Crime: IIT Kanpur girl commits suicide

• The news in pictures
• News in Pics: PM in Tokyo, Bihar polls and more
• The news in pictures
• Top pictures of the week
• News@glance: Swiss magic in the air, CWG closes & more

More...

• Most Popular Articles
• Hourly
• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly

• WikiLeaks founder Assange may surrender to British police
• MP hauls Tata over the coals for double speak
• Wikileaks unethical, wrong, anti-peace: Tharoor
• 'Munni...' now favourite taunt of Pakistani politicians!
• Act before we are all dead: Jairam to US
• New rules on how to end nuisance calls on your mobile
• No more gutka, pan masala in pouches
• Raja tried to influence Madras HC judge
• China calls the Nobel committee 'clowns'
• Terror originating from Pakistan unacceptable: Sarkozy

More...

• 2002 riots: After SIT clean chit to Modi, ex-DGP says team ignored evidence
• Act before we are all dead: Jairam to US
• LeT's annual military budget: $5.2 million
• Allies try to break Cong's JPC stonewall
• 2G scam: Oppn adamant on JPC, also wants PM to appear before it
• India, France sign multi-billion dollar nuclear power deal
• ISI chief conspired against Zardari: WikiLeaks
• Put up fares by routes, dates on sites in 48 hrs: DGCA
• Nicolas Sarkozy arrives in India
• At Sikri, Bruni prayer: Hope I've another son

More...

• Hello, this is Niira
• Sub-zero weather claims 45 lives in Central Europe
• Video of naked men, women 'killed' by Lanka soldiers surfaces
• I will never come to India again: says miffed Musharraf
• Azim Premji gifts Rs 88,460,000,000
• 'Humiliated', YSR's son, widow quit Cong
• WikiLeaks: US forewarns India on Af-Pak
• Jagan resigns as Congress MP
• WikiLeaks: When India, Pak nearly came to war
• US worried over Pakistani nuke material: WikiLeaks

More...

• How a fiancée killed Intel employee
• Obama, Michelle dance to folk tunes
• Minister wanted Rs 15-cr bribe for aviation permit: Tata
• Queen of connections
• Hello, this is Niira
• Sub-zero weather claims 45 lives in Central Europe
• Video of naked men, women 'killed' by Lanka soldiers surfaces
• Pamela catapults Bigg Boss to global stage
• I will never come to India again: says miffed Musharraf
• What not to wear at the airport? Clothing a security issue!

More...
LeadCapLeadCap Movement

• Through the most unique leadership movement, LeadCap strives to democratize leadership, where everyone has an opportunity to realize their leadership potential; beyond birth and living conditions.

Take a QuizCheck your awareness quotient

• Test your awareness on the revered arena of knowledge, courtesy MSN. Once you have proved your mettle, create your own quizzes and invite your friends over for a battle of brains. Show them who's the boss.

advertisement

<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript"> document.write('<a href="http://clk.atdmt.com/ZH1/go/msnnksas001300x250XinXin9nsrXen0000001zh1/direct;wi.300;hi.250/01/151521384" target="_blank"><img src="http://view.atdmt.com/ZH1/view/msnnksas001300x250XinXin9nsrXen0000001zh1/direct;wi.300;hi.250/01/151521384"/></a>'); </script>

WikiLeaks' Julian Assange may surrender

View more MSN videosGo to iStream
Poll

Who among the following is your 'Indian of the year'?

Thanks for being one of the first people to vote. Results will be available soon. Check for results

1. Azim Premji
2. 
   
3. 22%
4. Azim Premji
5. 218 votes
6. Jairam Ramesh
7. 
   
8. 5%
9. Jairam Ramesh
10. 48 votes
11. Nitish Kumar
12. 
    
13. 23%
14. Nitish Kumar
15. 234 votes
16. Ratan Tata
17. 
    
18. 22%
19. Ratan Tata
20. 219 votes
21. Salman Khan
22. 
    
23. 5%
24. Salman Khan
25. 45 votes
26. Sachin Tendulkar
27. 
    
28. 23%
29. Sachin Tendulkar
30. 235 votes
31. Skip to results
32. Back to voting

Total Responses: 999
Not scientifically valid. Results are updated every minute.
Picture GalleriesKerala, Asia's best travel destination
Weather
New Delhi, Delhi    19°c    Clear

• Tuesday
• 23/9
• Wednesday
• 24/10
• Thursday
• 23/9
• Friday
• 22/8
• Saturday
• 22/10

Get forecast by town or city.

Legend
Lable

Possible matches are listed below. Please select a location or enter a new location in the text box above.
Debate PointShare your views on issues

• Tired of being the audience? Do you have something to tell the world? Let MSN open up the window for you. Share your thoughts on the burning issues of the day. Discuss and debate with hundreds of other MSN users.

Citizen SpeakHave an opinion? Air it

• Do you have an opinion that the public needs to know? Is there a writer or a poet hidden inside you? Let your voice be heard on MSN Contribute.

U.S., allies urge China to rein in North Korea

China must do more to rein in North Korea's belligerence, the United States and its chief Asian allies said on Monday after Beijing warned tensions could "spin out of control."

President Barack Obama sent his top military officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, to Seoul in a show of support for South Korea after the North's shelling of one of its islands killed four people on Nov. 23, precipitating the latest crisis.

In Washington, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held talks with her Japanese and South Korean counterparts, saying all three shared grave concerns over "provocative attacks from North Korea" and putting the onus on China to take action.

"China, as a vital partner in maintaining regional stability, a country with unique and strong ties with North Korea, and chair of the six-party talks, has a special role to play in helping to shape North Korea's behavior," Clinton told a joint news conference.

But with China not invited to the Washington meeting and North Korea showing little sign of backing down, the allies had scant progress to show from Monday's talks beyond their attempts to have China join in condemning the attacks as a way to further isolate North Korea.

Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara said all three countries hoped for more cooperation from Beijing and Moscow, which have appeared less eager to get tough with Pyongyang.

"China has an important role to play, and I think this perspective is shared by Russia," he said.

China, which supported North Korean Communist forces in the 1950-53 Korean War, views the country as a strategic buffer against the United States and its allies and is the North's largest trade partner and benefactor.

Clinton said she was open to resuming talks on the North's nuclear ambitions -- the six-party talks include the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States -- but Pyongyang must first take steps to end its belligerence and keep its 2005 commitment to abandon its nuclear programs.

"They need to ... let the world know that they are now ready to come to the table and fulfill the commitments that they have already made," she said.

"PEACE, NOT WAR"

In a telephone call with Chinese President Hu Jintao, Obama urged Beijing to work with the United States and others to "send a clear message to North Korea that its provocations are unacceptable," the White House said.

The conversation between Obama and Hu took place as South Korea started live-fire naval exercises, 13 days after North Korea shelled Yeonpyeong island, close to a disputed maritime demarcation line.

China's foreign ministry said Hu told Obama: "Especially with the present situation, if not dealt with properly, tensions could well rise on the Korean peninsula or spin out of control, which would not be in anyone's interest."

"We need an easing, not a ratcheting up; dialogue, not confrontation; peace, not war," Hu was quoted as saying.

Analysts said Hu's comments showed greater urgency but that China was reluctant to lean too hard on the North, which is in the midst of a leadership transition, for fear of a collapse that could send refugees streaming across its border.

"They can't afford to be applying too much pressure that causes a crack or the potential implosion of North Korea," said Jack Pritchard, head of the Korea Economic Institute.

The International Criminal Court's prosecutor said it had opened a preliminary investigation into whether North Korean forces committed war crimes in South Korea, ramping up pressure on the isolated government in Pyongyang.

Mullen, the head of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, was headed to Seoul to show "the South Koreans that we continue to stand by them in the defense of their territory and for the stability of the peninsula," said his spokesman, Captain John Kirby.

"I don't think anyone thinks we're in an emergency situation right now ... That said, it's still tense."

There has been a sharp increase in South Korean rhetoric in recent days, reflecting a view among South Koreans that their government had not responded strongly enough to the shelling of Yeonpyeong island in which four people died.

"We also shared the view that North Korea will face serve consequences if it engages in further provocations," South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan said after the meeting.

While Beijing has not apportioned blame for the shelling of Yeonpyeong island, Hu said China expressed "deep regret" about the deaths.

Tensions have risen to their highest level in decades since the attack, which added to strains over the sinking of a South Korean warship in March that Seoul has blamed on Pyongyang and that killed 46 South Korean sailors.

South Korea began live-fire naval drills in disputed waters off the peninsula's west coast, ignoring Pyongyang's warnings that they showed Seoul was "hell-bent" on starting war.

The South's military said there would be exercises in the vicinity of the tense Northern Limit Line (NLL) but not near Yeonpyeong island as part of drills at 29 locations around the peninsula.

North Korea disputes the NLL, a sea border set up by the United Nations without Pyongyang's consent at the end of the Korean War.

Hillary Clinton jokes about releasing her own WikiLeaks cable

While the world is getting racked by scandalous WikiLeaks cables one after another, Hillary Clinton jokes about releasing her own cable.

Clinton found time for a light turn about WikiLeaks during a reception she hosted on Saturday night at the State Department for recipients of this year's Kennedy Center Honors.

"I am writing a cable about it, which I'm sure you'll find soon on your closest website," the Daily Mail quoted her as saying at the party.

Those honoured included Oprah Winfrey, Paul McCartney dancer and choreographer Bill T. Jones, country singer Merle Haggard and Broadway composer Jerry Herman.

Clinton says the Beatles' hit Hey Jude is a favourite on her iPod - appeared bowled over as she shared a joke with Sir Paul at the gala dinner.

Kennedy Center chairman David Rubenstein said, "Sir Paul is one of the most influential and successful songwriters and musicians of all time."

US lobbied UN climate head Pachauri to block Iranian scientist': WikiLeaks

Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, the chairman of the United Nations Inter-Inter-GPCC, was asked by US diplomats to help scupper the election of Dr Mostafa Jafari to the co-chairmanship of an IPCC "core working group", the whistle-blowing web site, WikiLeaks, has stated.

Pachauri, a 70-year-old Indian engineer who has headed the UN-affiliated panel since 2002, "agreed to work" on the issue to avoid the potential for disruption to one of the organisation's three core working groups," the cable said.

According to The Telegraph, Dr Pachauri has denied this.

The claims are contained in a leaked cable sent to US missions around the world in September 2008, in the name of Condoleezza Rice, then the Secretary of State.

At the time, Dr Jafari was a candidate for the developing world's chairmanship on the IPCC's Working Group Two. Professor Christopher Field, an American, was to take the developed world's chairmanship.

The position eventually went to Vicente Ricardo Barros, a senior Argentine scientist.

Dr Pachauri could not be reached for comment.

A spokesman earlier told The Guardian that he "neither influenced, nor agreed to influence, the election. Not only would such an agreement be outside his mandate as chairman of the IPCC, but it would also be impossible to achieve."

Manmohan Singh to broaden India-EU engagement in Brussels
The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, will be visiting Belgium for the 11th India-European Union Summit, which is being held in Brussels on December 10.

The European Union side will be represented at the Summit by European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Barroso.

"The 11th India-EU Summit is the first to be held after the Lisbon Treaty came into force on December 1, 2009. It will provide an occasion to discuss the expansion of the India-EU engagement as EU itself evolves and takes on more and diverse responsibilities. The leaders will hold discussions on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual concern," said Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs Vivek Katju.

"EU is an important trading partner of India and also a ignificant source of investment. The bilateral trade in goods in 009 was 53 billion in value while services traded in the same ear at 16.3 billion. The two sides have been in discussion to onclude a Broad-Based Trade and Investment agreement. egotiations are progressing well and we are hopeful of oncluding the agreement in early 2011," he added.

Vivek Katju further said an India-EU Business Summit will be held on the margins of the Summit on the theme "EU-India Partnership Opportunities for Sustainable Development".

"It would have two sessions on "Clean Technologies in Energy" and "Transport and Infrastructure" and a CEO Round Table on "Growth and Partnership Opportunities," he added.

During his visit, Dr Singh will also have a bilateral meeting with Belgium Prime Minister Yves Leterme in Brussels on December 10.

The Prime Minister will visit Germany on December 11, where he will have meetings with German President Christian Wulff and Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The talks of Dr Singh with the German leadership are expected to focus on bilateral, regional and multilateral issues of mutual concern.

"The Indo-German relations are also marked by rapidly growing economic and trade ties. Germany is our largest trading partner in EU, one of the top investors and a source of technology," said Vivek Katju.

This will be Dr Singh's third visit to Germany after April 2006 (when India was partner country at the Hanover Fair) and June 2007 (G 8+5 Summit).

Wikileaks: ISI untrustworthy, Saudi officials told Holbrooke

Saudi Arabian intelligence officials considered Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) 'untrustworthy' and 'thought 10 times before sharing any sensitive information with them', a Pakistani daily reported Tuesday, quoting an American diplomatic cable released by Wikileaks.

In a meeting with US Special Representative Richard Holbrooke May 16, 2009, Saudi Arabian intelligence's Major General Khalid al-Hamadan said they had to think a lot before deciding to share with the ISI any information related to terrorist activity, reported the Urdu daily Jasarat.

Several terrorists, arrested in the kingdom, had been found to have links to Pakistan, but the Saudi intelligence agencies had never got any 'sufficient' response about them from the ISI, al Hamadan said.

According to another leaked cable, on a meeting between US Vice President Joe Biden and then British Prime Minister Gordon Brown March 27, 2009, Brown said it was difficult to convince Pakistan to crack down more firmly on terror.

He also questioned the strength of Pakistan President Asaf Ali Zadari's resolve, and told Biden army chief General Parvez Kayani was wary of both Zardari and the Sharif brothers (former prime minister Nawaz and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaaz).

According to Brown, the spread of terrorism could not only be attributed to the madarsas but Gen Kayani's unwillingness to follow his predecessor, Gen Pervez Musharraf's footsteps.

Iran, powers agree to meet again in nuclear dispute

Major powers and Iran agreed on Tuesday to meet again next month, after two days of talks failed to produce any progress in the long-running dispute over the Islamic state's nuclear ambitions.

Underlining how far apart the two sides remain, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said negotiations with the West could work if sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuclear activities were scrapped -- a likely non-starter for major powers.

European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said Iran and the six powers involved in efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the row would meet again in Istanbul in late January to address basic concerns about Iran's nuclear programme.

But Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, said Tehran would not negotiate under pressure.

Ashton told a news conference: "We and Iran agreed to a continuation of these talks in late January in Istanbul where we plan to discuss practical ideas and ways of cooperating towards resolution of our core concerns about the nuclear issue."

The EU is coordinating negotiations with Iran on its nuclear programme on behalf of the six powers -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany.

Ashton said the powers were united in seeking a resolution of international concerns about Iran's nuclear activities.

At the two-day talks, the powers sought to put concerted pressure on Iran to agree to discuss its nuclear work, which the West suspects is aimed at making bombs.

Iran made clear again it would not back down in the dispute, which has the potential to spark a military conflict in the Middle East with dire consequences for the world economy.

"We will not talk about Iran's nuclear rights and Iran will never accept pressure," Iranian chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili told Iranian state television.

"Only dictators try to dictate issues and their will to other countries ... Iran will not hold talks if the pressure continues," he said.

SANCTIONS PRESSURE

In a speech in Iran, Ahmadinejad called on the powers to publicly declare Iran's national "rights", saying they would have "nothing but remorse" if they failed to do so.

Western powers want the Islamic state to ultimately agree to curb its nuclear enrichment activities, which can have both peaceful and military purposes, but Tehran has repeatedly refused to do this.

Iran insists its nuclear programme is designed to produce electricity so it can export more of its bountiful oil.

The six powers had played down expectations of a breakthrough at the talks in Geneva, the first in over a year, but they hoped that they would lead to a regular series of contacts.

Iran, which announced a breakthrough in its nuclear technology on the eve of the talks, has been under increasing pressure from sanctions imposed by the West.

Iran dismisses the impact of such penalties, saying trade and other sanctions imposed since the 1979 Islamic revolution toppled the U.S.-backed shah have made the country stronger.

Such rhetoric is to be expected from Tehran, but experts and diplomats are far from confident that external pressure alone will be enough to force Tehran to climb down, with some suggesting the big powers may also have to compromise.

(Additional reporting by Ramin Mostafavi and Robin Pomeroy in Tehran, Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva and Fredrik Dahl in Vienna)

Musharraf's comment on failed Agra Summit: 'Hidden Hand' says 'Maine Dekha Hai'

Senior External Affairs Ministry official Vivek Katju on Tuesday said he had read former Pakistan President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf's acerbic comment that he was the "Hidden Hand" who was responsible for the failure of the India-Pakistan summit meeting in Agra in 2001.

When Katju, who is currently Secretary (West) in the ministry, was asked today to give his response to Musharraf's comment, he laconically said: "Maine Dekha Hai", and refused to elaborate further.

Musharraf had said a couple of days ago that the Agra Summit between him and Indian Prime Minister Atal Valpayee would have been a brilliant strategic and public relations victory for him (Musharraf) and Pakistan, had a "Hidden Hand" not intervened to stop the Indian side from recognizing Kashmir as a key issue once again and insisted that the Shimla agreement of July 1972 be mentioned in the draft agreement.

According to Musharraf, it was Katju, then a joint secretary for the Iran-Pakistan-Afghanistan (IPA) Division in the Ministry of External Affairs, and not India's then Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister L.K. Advani, as many then believed, who played spoilsport, and ensured the summit's collapse and sabotage.

According to Musharraf, had Katju not had the ear of Prime Minister Vajpayee, the Agra summit would have come out with the following conclusions: 1) Brought Kashmir back from the backburner and both countries recognized it as an issue; 2) Made the Pakistani position known to the population of India and 3) Allowed hitherto unknown access of a Pakistani president to the Indian news media.

It maybe recalled that Katju was asked to be present during the one-to-one meeting between Vajpayee and Musharraf. Musharraf is said to have suggested to Vajpayee that there was no need for Katju to be present in the room during their discussions, but the Indian Prime Minister brushed aside his concerns, and allowed Katju to stay, and "he took notes", as a diplomat is trained to do during an official interaction.

"There was someone from the foreign ministry sitting there named Katju. He may still be there, he created a lot of hurdles," recalled Musharraf recently, adding that both he and Vajpayee wanted the meeting to succeed and tried hard to work out a joint statement, but these efforts were scuttled.

While the meeting was in progress, Musharraf is said to have turned to Katju and asked him "What are you writing so much? I hope you are writing what we are saying to each other? In response, Katju is said to have smiled, and continued with his note taking.

"I told Vajpayee saheb before leaving Agra (in 2001) - 'Today you and I have been both humiliated because there is someone above us, sitting above us who can veto what we decide."

The importance attached to this aspect of a key meeting between leaders of two countries suggests that whether it is a president or a prime minister, he or she will always rely on or lean on their foreign minister, foreign office, or senior bureaucrats attached with the foreign office for advise or suggestions regarding foreign policy/stances on issues that are crucial or otherwise.

A recent instance supporting this contention was Pakistan Foreign Minister S M Qureshi's comment after a joint press conference with his Indian counterpart S.M. Krishna in Islamabad in July this year, where he controversially said that the Indian delegation seemed to be getting its orders from New Delhi.

He had then also accused India of being "selective" in its approach on bilateral issues, and branded it as "not ready for talks".

That led to a delayed, but firm response from New Delhi, which diplomatically said all issues could be put on the table and discussed once Pakistan took effective action against terrorism directed against India.

Musharraf, who had to leave Agra without getting the Vajpayee Government to sign the proposed Agra Declaration, had earlier in his book, In The Line Of Fire, blamed "hardliner" Advani of scuttling the summit.

Advani, in his autobiography, My Country My Life, refutes the allegations and argues that Musharraf was a slippery customer, keen to rewrite India-Pakistan relations totally on his own terms.

Advani also says there was no divergence of views between him and Vajpayee as was being promoted by the media in the public domain then.

Katju was appointed India's envoy to Afghanistan in 2002. He was lso among Indian officials who negotiated with terrorists in the Kandahar hijacking case in 1999.

60,000 Pakistanis migrating annually increasing terror threats in UK: Cameron on Wikileaks

British Prime Minister David Cameron had warned in 2008 that every year around 60,000 people travel to UK from Pakistan, increasing terror threats in his country, according to the US diplomatic cables revealed by Wikileaks.
During his meeting with US Senator John McCain, Camron had urged America to think of increasing the number US civilians in Afghanistan instead of sending more troops, the News reports.
He further told McCain that he liked the Hamid Karzai government, adding that the critical and instable political scenario in Pakistan has contributed in complicating the Afghan situation.
In reply, McCain said that US was worried about the situation in Pakistan and had no option but to help that country. He also said no government had been able to rule over the Waziristan, tribal belt in Pakistan for last 2000 years, the leaked cables said.

WikiLeaks: Intel threatened to move Russian jobs to India

Intel, the American chip giant, won a key concession from Russian government after threatening to shift research and development (R&D) work from the country to India or China, according to a US Department of State cable leaked by the whistle-blower WikiLeaks. Intel held high-level talks with Russian officials last year and ultimately said it would pull R&D work from the country unless it could get around Russia''s tough encryption import laws, Computerworld quoted the secret US document as saying.
The November 3, 2009 cable from the American Embassy in Moscow describes the intensive lobbying efforts required to get cryptographically secure hardware into the country for use by Intel''s 1,000 Russian engineers. "Intel was able to by-pass the cumbersome licensing process by engaging in high-level lobbying and capitalising on Russia''s desire to become a ''knowledge-based'' economy," the cable reads.
Some countries put a limit on, or even ban, devices entering the country that can store encrypted data, such as laptops and mobile phones. That can make it hard for technology companies with employees working abroad to lock down their intellectual property.
According to the State Department cable, the issue was a deal-breaker for Intel, which told Russian officials that unless it could quickly import encrypted development kit hardware, it would have to lay off more than 200 engineers and move R&D work to India or China, the report said. "This high-level lobbying secured Intel a meeting with key FSB (Federal Security Service) officials," the cable states.
"Intel was able to demonstrate the reasonableness of its request and, as a result, by-passed the current extensive licensing requirement." The waiver may have been good news for Intel, but because the underlying regulations remained in place it did not "appear to represent a breakthrough in the importation of commercial products with cryptographic content," the cable states.
Former Intel Chairman and CEO Craig Barrett met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to discuss "this and other issues," said Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy in an e-mail. "We didn''t threaten anyone," he said.
"We lobbied and negotiated with the Russian government on behalf of ourselves and OEMs and distributors to make it easier. This is all routine stuff when it comes to dealing with governments around the world," the spokesman was quoted as saying by Computerworld.

Expert panel to submit report on proposed Food Bill by Dec-end

An expert panel set up by the Prime Minister to study the National Advisory Council''s (NAC) recommendations on the proposed Food Security Bill will submit its report by the end of this month, PMEAC Chairman C Rangarajan said today. "In the light of observation of National Advisory Council (NAC), the expert committee will evaluate the implication of Food Security Bill, including the quantum of foodgrains required, the need for stepping up the production and the subsidy burden, etc.
After studying these aspects, we will submit our report by this month-end," he told reporters. The Chairman of the Prime Minister''s Economic Advisory Council was talking to reporters after attending a meeting convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to sort out differences on the proposed bill.
The PMEAC Chairman heads the expert committee set up by the Prime Minister to examine the feasibility of the NAC''s recommendations on the proposed Bill. Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia were among the others who attended the meeting.
After the meeting, Pawar said, "We have to step up production" to meet the foodgrains requirement under the proposed law. The NAC, headed by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, has recommended that the government confer a legal entitlement to subsidised foodgrains to at least 75 per cent of the country''s population under the proposed National Food Security Bill through a reformed PDS system from the next financial year.
The NAC has suggested giving a legal entitlement to subsidised foodgrains to two broad categories of customers -- priority and general -- covering 90 per cent of the rural population and 50 per cent in urban areas. It has also recommended that the government provide 35 kg of foodgrains a month to priority households at a subsidised rate of Rs 1 per kg for millet, Rs 2 for wheat and Rs 3 for rice.
For general category households, the NAC has suggested supplying 20 kg of foodgrains at a price not exceeding 50 per cent of the current minimum support price, which comes to Rs 5.50 for wheat and Rs 7.70 per kg for rice. At present, the government provides cheap foodgrains to 18.04 crore families, which includes 6.52 BPL families and 11.5 APL families, under the Public Distribution System (PDS).
Offtake under the PDS in the last fiscal stood at 42.4 million tonnes. According to the Food Ministry''s provisional estimates, the government will require over 62 million tonnes of foodgrains every year to implement the NAC''s recommendations.
The projected requirement of foodgrains under the Food Security Bill is more than the actual quantity of 54 million tonnes procured by the government last year, but close to the record 59 million tonnes purchased in the previous year.

Supreme Court to hear plea against CVC Thomas's appointment

The Supreme Court will hear today two Public Interest Litigations challenging the appointment of P J Thomas as Central Vigilance Commissioner.
The petitions will hear by a bench comprising Chief Justice S H Kapadia and Justices K S Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar.
The two PILs-one filed by an NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation and other by the former CEC-have contended that Thomas was considered for the crucial post despite objection from the Leader of the Opposition who was part of a high-power committee for the appointment of CVC.
On Tuesday, the apex court pointed out that since the CBI functions under the overall supervision of the CVC, and therefore, it would be difficult for Thomas to objectively monitor the investigations.
However, senior counsel K K Venugopal appearing for the CBI, submitted that there was a provision for allowing one of the Vigilance Commissioners to take over the functions of the CVC.
The apex court had earlier asked the Central Government if Thomas could function effectively in view of various charges levelled against him.
"Without looking into the file, we are concerned that if a person is an accused in a criminal case how will he function as CVC," a bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia observed after Attorney General G E Vahanvati placed the file in a sealed cover before it.
The name of Thomas figures in the chargesheet filed in a palmoleine export case.
The apex court had screened the file for the appointment of Thomas as the chief vigilance commissioner, to verify whether he met the eligibility criterion of a "bureaucrat with an impeccable track record".
The apex court had ordered the government to produce the file in response to a PIL that alleged that Thomas had failed the "impeccable track record" test as he was chargesheeted in the palmolein import scam when he was the chief secretary of Kerala.

EXCLUSIVE - Delhi CWG organisers accused of owing millions

Tue, Dec 7 05:31 PM Enlarge Photo Labourers work inside the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, one of the venues for the...
Organisers of this year's New Delhi Commonwealth Games were accused on Tuesday of owing companies millions of dollars and blocking equipment used for the opening and closing ceremonies from leaving India.
Several companies, including the one in charge of the ceremonies which cost around $50 million in total, told Reuters they had yet to receive final payments and had been unable to re-export their own equipment since the Games ended on Oct. 14.
"This is a scandalous situation. I find it outrageous an organising committee behaves like that," said Ric Birch who has organised ceremonies for Olympics and Commonwealth Games since 1982.
"The behaviour of organisers and Indian government agencies has been so shameful that any international company must beware of entering into any business contracts with Indian government agencies.
"We have written to everyone from Games organisers to government officials to the International Olympic Committee member for India and we have received no reply. Not one of them replied," Birch told Reuters in an interview.
Among those contacted in correspondence seen by Reuters are JJ Thompson, special adviser to India's prime minister, Games chairman Suresh Kalmadi and Games chief executive Mike Hooper.
Only Hooper replied, telling Birch he was unable to contact organisers.
"Not much of an effort for a Commonwealth Games CEO," said Birch, director of production at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics who staged the ceremonies for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and the 2000 Sydney Olympics and was also a consultant for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
When contacted by Reuters on Tuesday, Organising Committee secretary general Lalit Bhanot refused to comment. "I'm busy in a meeting right now," he said.
VK Verma, director general of the organising committee, said: "I would not be able to comment as I was not handling that at all. You have to speak to the in-charge of ceremonies."
Kalmadi did not take calls despite several attempts.
EQUIPMENT LIFEBLOOD
Birch's company is one of about a dozen still owed several million dollars for work carried out at the Oct. 3-14 Games in the Indian capital, according to correspondence seen by Reuters that was sent to organisers and officials.
Apart from the money the companies have yet to receive, equipment worth millions of dollars is stored in dozens of freight containers in India unable to clear customs.
"For some of these companies involved this equipment is their lifeblood," Birch said.
One of the companies involved is Howard and Sons Pyrotechnics, responsible for the fireworks during the Delhi Games ceremonies.
Andrew Howard told Reuters they were still owed 300,000 Australian dollars ($298,800).
"We also have a shipping container and 14 pallets of airfreight stuck in Delhi," said Howard.
The opening ceremony was viewed as restoring some pride after a woeful build-up risked plunging the Games into complete chaos.
The $6 billion Games was intended to showcase India's growing financial might but threatened to become a farce and only late scrambling by the embarrassed government salvaged the event which features mostly former British colonies.
Corruption, shoddy construction and health and security risks blighted the build-up, bringing into question India's ability to host an event of that size.
Britain's Prince Charles opened the Games, with India's President Prathibha Patel also attending at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium on Oct. 3.
"India is doing damage to the reputation and brand of the Commonwealth Games," Birch said. "If they ever mounted an Olympic bid we would make sure the bid would not get very far."
(additional reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Delhi)
(Editing by Jon Bramley. To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Gorkha outfit stages protest in Siliguri

"The protest demonstration was observed demanding the formation of an interim council and inclusion of Doars and Terai regions of Jalpaiguri district in the separate Gorkhaland state," said Mahipal Chettri, member of GJMM.
"We also want the inclusion of Siliguri, Terai and Doars in Gorkhaland. This is what we want; this is the demand of Gorkhaland," he added.
Earlier on November 18, Bimal Gurung chief of GJMM had said that if the interim council was not finalised by November 20, then they would close down all government offices and resume strike in the hills from the next day onwards.
But, finalisation of issues like territorial jurisdiction and composition of the council had delayed the process.
Meanwhile, the date for the next round of talks has not been confirmed yet.
The tripartite talks pertained to the setting up of a regional authority before the next round of political discussions.
The four issues obstructing the interim authority are territorial jurisdiction, its authority to manage the regional tea gardens, the selection of its members and a description of the council's legislative powers.
A renewed demand for a separate Gorkhaland region, which would include Darjeeling and some contiguous areas of Jalpaiguri District, has created fresh turmoil over the past few months.
At the fifth round of tripartite talks in New Delhi, the GJM had agreed to the constitution of an interim council by 2011 prior to the creation of a separate state.
The Gorkhas are demanding a separate state to protect their culture and heritage.
The Gorkha population in West Bengal is estimated to be around a million. (ANI)

''Fierce competition from India,China awaits US at world stage''

Lalit K Jha Washington, Dec 7 (PTI) As billion plus people each from India and China suddenly plugged into the world economy, US President Barack Obama has predicted a fierce competition for Americans at the international stage. He also said in the race for the future US is in danger of falling behind.
"You''ve got a billion people in India who are suddenly plugged into the world economy. You''ve got over a billion people in China who are suddenly plugged into the global economy," Obama said in his remarks at a community college in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
"That means competition is going to be much more fierce and the winners of this competition will be the countries that have the most educated workers, a serious commitment to research and technology, and access to quality infrastructure like roads and airports and high-speed rail and high-speed Internet," he said. "Those are the seeds of economic growth in the 21st century.
Where they are planted, the most jobs and businesses will take root," Obama said. The US president said in the last few decades, revolutions in communications, revolutions in technology have made businesses mobile and has made commerce global.
"So today, a company can set up shop, hire workers, and sell their products wherever there''s an internet connection. That''s a transformation that''s touched off a fierce competition among nations for the jobs and industries of the future," he added.
Obama said in the last century, America was that place where innovation happened and jobs and industry always took root. The business of America was business.
"Our economic leadership in the world went unmatched. Now it''s up to us to make sure that we maintain that leadership in this century.
And at this moment, the most important contest we face is not between Democrats and Republicans. "It''s between America and our economic competitors all around the world.
That''s the competition we''ve got to spend time thinking about," he argued. "Now, I have no doubt we can win this competition.
We are the home of the world''s best universities, the best research facilities, the most brilliant scientists, the brightest minds, some of the hardest-working, most entrepreneurial people on Earth -- right here in America. It''s in our DNA," he said.

WikiLeaks' Assange: highly skilled, deeply divisive Reuters - Peter Apps, Janet Lawrence - ‎57 minutes ago‎ LONDON (Reuters) - A computer hacker with no permanent home, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been described as highly intelligent, determined, intense and sometimes paranoid. The 39-year-old Australian has made himself plenty of ... Julian Assange arrest: How the extradition process works The Guardian - ‎1 hour ago‎ Julian Assange's arrest by police this morning will kickstart the fast-tracked extradition process, using the European Arrest Warrant system, to attempt to return him to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning regarding a rape charge. ... WikiLeaks says releases will go on despite Assange arrest The Hindu - ‎1 hour ago‎ Whistleblowing website WikiLeaks on Tuesday vowed to continue its publication of confidential US diplomatic cables despite the arrest in London of its founder, Julian Assange. "Todays actions against our editor-in-chief Julian Assange won't affect our ... Wikileaks' Visa payments suspended BBC News - ‎23 minutes ago‎ Visa has begun suspending payments to whistle-blowing website Wikileaks ahead of carrying out an investigation into the organisation. The global payments processor is the latest company to cut its links with Wikileaks, following PayPal and Amazon. ... Assange arrested on rape charge The Australian - ‎34 minutes ago‎ WIKILEAKS founder Julian Assange was arrested in London last night on suspicion of rape after he surrendered to a new Swedish warrant. The 39-year-old Australian was detained after he voluntarily attended a London police station at 9.30am British time ... Wikileaks: Julian Assange's fatal mistake Telegraph.co.uk - Milo Yiannopoulos - ‎1 hour ago‎ The Wikileaks founder has handed his own head to us on a platter, says Milo Yiannopoulos. By Milo Yiannopoulos 1:59PM GMT 07 Dec 2010 It's tempting to think of Julian Assange as an enigmatic international criminal mastermind. Romantic, even. ... WikiLeaks' Assange, an enigma with a mission Hindustan Times - ‎1 hour ago‎ AP Julian Assange, who was arrested for rape on Tuesday, has worked hard to keep his own private life shrouded in mystery as his WikiLeaks website spills the beans on US diplomacy. The 39-year-old Australian, the founder and frontman of the ... WikiLeaks' Julian Assange arrested in London on rape charges Christian Science Monitor - Arthur Bright - ‎1 hour ago‎ The arrest, on rape charges from Sweden, comes after Julian Assange warned that WikiLeaks could release key US cables if anything 'happened' to him. In this Nov. 4 file photo, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange gestures as he speaks about the US and the ... Arrested Assange to face court ABC Online - ‎1 hour ago‎ WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is expected to appear before a British court shortly, after he handed himself in to police in London overnight. The 39-year-old Australian was arrested on a Swedish warrant "accused by the Swedish authorities of one ... WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrested in U.K. USA Today - Martial Trezzini - ‎2 hours ago‎ LONDON (AP) — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange surrendered to London police on Tuesday as part of a Swedish sex-crimes investigation, the latest blow to an organization that faces legal, financial and technological challenges ... All 5,468 related articles »

Related Julian Assange Wikileaks Sweden US Crime Timeline of articles Number of sources covering this story Wikileaks: Julian Assange's fatal mistake ‎1 hour ago‎ - Telegraph.co.uk WikiLeaks: Julian Assange 'to be detained by British police' ‎4 hours ago‎ - Metro Julian Assange Becomes the US's Public Enemy No. 1 ‎4 hours ago‎ - Spiegel Online Newspaper review ‎8 hours ago‎ - BBC News WikiLeaks Founder Warns About More Dispatches ‎11 hours ago‎ - New York Times Wikileaks cables: US looks to prosecute Julian Assange ‎17 hours ago‎ - The Guardian Arrest warrant for Wikileaks founder ‎19 hours ago‎ - BBC News Julian Assange's Swiss bank account closed ‎21 hours ago‎ - The Guardian WikiLeaks Turns to Swiss Party for Help With Web Address ‎Dec 5, 2010‎ - New York Times WikiLeaks: Julian Assange could try a bit of openness himself... ‎Dec 5, 2010‎ - Daily Mail Images The Guardian Telegraph.co.uk Christian Scien... Sydney Morning ... CBC.ca Fox News The Guardian The Guardian CNN Internation... All related images » Videos WikiLeaks founder arrested in London NewsX  -  2 hours ago Watch video <div class="video-thumb thumbnail"><a class="js-link thumbnail-toggle" href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="return false;"><img src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/aH-ppw24VRY/default.jpg" alt="" class="thumbnail" width="120" height="90"> <div class="icon play-icon"></div></a></div> <div class="video-details"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH-ppw24VRY">WikiLeaks founder arrested in London</a> <span class="source">NewsX</span> &nbsp;-&nbsp; 2 hours ago <div class="icon video-icon"></div> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH-ppw24VRY">Watch video</a></div> Assange to talk to British police Al Jazeera  -  8 hours ago Watch video <div class="video-thumb thumbnail"><a class="js-link thumbnail-toggle" href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="return false;"><img src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cSFLfre8Zts/default.jpg" alt="" class="thumbnail" width="120" height="90"> <div class="icon play-icon"></div></a></div> <div class="video-details"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSFLfre8Zts">Assange to talk to British police</a> <span class="source">Al Jazeera</span> &nbsp;-&nbsp; 8 hours ago <div class="icon video-icon"></div> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSFLfre8Zts">Watch video</a></div> All related videos »

--
Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/