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4th round of Sino-India border talks ends
PPP for release of leaders
Bar arms’ sales to Pak, urges Pallone
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Nepal bodies oppose Jayendra’s arrest
Activist cuffs himself to British minister
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4th round of Sino-India border talks ends
Beijing, November 19 The fourth round of talks, at the level of Special Representatives, was held here between National Security Adviser J.N. Dixit and Chinese Executive Vice-Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo from November 18 to 19. "The meeting was held in a friendly, constructive and cooperative atmosphere. The exchange of views was frank and detailed," the Indian Embassy said in a press note. The in-camera discussions under the fourth round of talks were spread over three rounds, informed sources said, adding that two rounds were held yesterday, the first day of the talks. The third round was held this morning. The India-China boundary issue is a "very complex problem and we are making gradual progress," the sources said. "We moved away from the introductory rounds of exchanges to fairly detailed discussions in two sections, (firstly) principles and terms of reference on the basis of which the settlement of the boundary issue could be established. "Secondly, the actual framework — an exchange of views on what we envisage how the boundary should be actually delineated on the ground," the sources said. "In both sessions, the discussions were candid. Both sides clearly spelt out each other's views and details regarding each principle and ingredient of what could be the framework," they said. "Certainly this round had some meaningful movement forward and we will continue these discussions, as we have not finalised the principles," the sources said. Chinese State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan, who visited India late last month, hosted a dinner last night in Mr Dixit's honour, during which both sides discussed "other issues" on the Sino-India relations and agreed to move ahead on various fronts. Mr Tang, who oversees Chinese foreign policy matters, also read out a personal message to Mr Dixit from Premier Wen Jiabao since he could not personally meet the Indian Special Representative as he could not return to Beijing from a "remote mountain area." The Chinese side informed Mr Dixit that Mr Wen was likely to visit India in the "first quarter of 2005." Mr Wen, in his letter, informed Mr Dixit that he was looking forward to the visit to India and conveyed his regards to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the sources said. The next round of boundary talks would be held in New Delhi at a mutually convenient date, they said. Apart from Mr Dixit, the Indian delegation comprised India's Ambassador to China Nalin Surie and other senior officials from the Ministry of External Affairs and the PMO.
— PTI |
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PPP for release of leaders
Rawalpindi: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has demanded the government release all jailed political leaders, including Asif Ali Zardari, former National Assembly speaker Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani and PML-N acting president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi.
In a statement, Qazi Sultan Mahmood, MPA Malik Aamir Piracha, Haji Salim Mughal, Banaras Chaudhry and Chaudhry Muqeem Khan also demanded that the government should allow PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto and PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif to return to the country. They said the government had not only pushed the opposition against the wall but also ignored the welfare of labourers, workers and students. They said all democratic forces had reached the consensus that the army should be kept away from politics and for this a movement should be launched from the platform of the ARD. — By arrangement with
The Dawn, Karachi |
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Bar arms’ sales to Pak, urges Pallone
Washington, November 19 The New Jersey Democrat was reacting to the US Department of Defence (DoD) announcement that it intends to sell weapons to Pakistan, including eight P-3C Orion surveillance aircraft valued at up to $970 million, 2,000 TOW-2A missiles and 14 TOW-2A Fly-to-Buy missiles valued at $82 million. In a letter to the President, Mr Pallone today asked for the reconsideration of the DoD's ''short-side'' proposal. ''I urge you to re-examine the interests and priorities of the US and to take a strong position against selling arms to Pakistan both now and in the future,'' the New Jersey congressman wrote. ''Your administration's policies with respect to military assistance and now military sales to Pakistan are contributing to increased security concerns throughout South Asia, and particularly to India,'' Mr Pallone continued. ''We all agree that Pakistan has been an ally in the global war on terror, however, Pakistan has not taken steps to end terrorism in its own backyard and foreign military assistance to Pakistan has often been used against India. Mr Pallone also expressed disappointment regarding the major Non-NATO Alliance status that was bestowed upon Pakistan because it allowed Pakistan to purchase military equipment that is not normally sanctioned to a country that is not under democratic rule. ''Pakistan unfortunately continues to remain under military rule and is not taking meaningful steps to return to a democracy, therefore I support democracy sanctions that would prohibit military assistance to Pakistan entirely,''
Mr Pallone said. — UNI |
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Nepal bodies oppose Jayendra’s arrest
Kathmandu, November 19 The World Hindu Federation (WHF) has in a memorandum appealed the Government of India for just, befitting and unprejudiced treatment and impartial and prompt judgment in the case. “It is truly inhuman and against any fundamental human right not to be allowed to follow his spiritual way of life, including performing daily rituals and self-cooking,” it said. The Hindu Jagaran Manch, Nepal, has issued a statement urging the Nepal Government to pressurise the India and Tamil Nadu governments to take immediate action to free the Shankaracharya from the “false allegations.” A procession of more than 100 members starting from Pashupatinath Temple went to the Indian Embassy at Lainchaur to hand over the memorandum. They held a prayer at Pashupatinath Temple for the good health and well-being of Shankaracharya. They also prayed for early and justifiable resolution of the issue relating to the Shankaracharya’s arrest. This had given a blow to the sentiment of all Hindus, said Ramananda Saraswati of the 400-year-old Sankaracharya Math at Pashupatinath Temple. Both the WHF and Hindu Jagaran Manch have separately handed over letters through the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu. — PTI |
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Activist cuffs himself to British minister
London, November 19 The minister, Ms Margaret Hodge, was making a keynote address at a conference on family law in the northern English city of Manchester, when two men climbed onstage and one of them cuffed himself to her. The Fathers 4 Justice group identified the men as Jolly Stanesby and Jason Hatch, a 32-year-old who made headlines in September when he scaled Buckingham Palace dressed as Batman to stage a five-hour protest.
— AFP |
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Ireland ‘best’ place to live
The
man who cuts the grass around the holiday homes in part of Donegal, who used to
bump around in a rusty old van, can now be seen cruising along the country roads
in a fine-looking Range-Rover.
For him, as for Ireland in general, business is booming, with thousands of holiday homes and scores of new hotels sprouting across the country. The old bangers have all but disappeared from Irish roads, while extensive road-building programmes have consigned most of the potholes to history. Perhaps most telling of all, thousands of young Irish people are no longer victim to forced emigration: many still go, but now it is a matter of choice. Ireland has been transformed within a few decades from a glum financial basket-case to a vibrant rapidly-changing country. Money can't buy happiness but poverty almost guarantees misery: and the state has left most of its poverty behind. It was not a complete surprise, therefore, when the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) gave its opinion that Ireland was the best place in the world to live, with the highest quality of life of more than 100 countries. The EIU concluded that, despite some negatives, it scored highest in an index of wealth, liberty, stability and security. Using "life-satisfaction surveys," it considered income, health, freedom, unemployment, family life, climate, political stability and security, gender equality and family and community life. Dan O'Brien, of the EIU, said: "Ireland is now one of the richest countries in the world by any measure. It enjoys social calm combined with civil and political liberties, which, surveys show, are not bettered anywhere. "Thousands of returning emigrants and arriving immigrants who vote with their feet know there are few better places in the world to live." The three big strikes against Ireland are a relatively poor health service, gender inequality and, unsurprisingly, the weather. Gender equality is below the European average while health deficiencies are an important political issue. While efforts are being made to grapple with these problems, the weather is clearly beyond improvement. The Donegal grass-cutter knows not to leave his Range-Rover's sunroof open, though of course the rain produced the grass that produced the Range-Rover. —
By arrangement with
The Independent |
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