W O R L D

‘Time ripe to resolve India-China border row’
Beijing, May 16 A former Chinese Ambassador to India today said the two countries should resolve the border dispute under a framework of compromise and spirit of mutual respect and understanding, which is key to enhancing trust between them.

Ethnic Indian appointed professor in Harvard
Chicago, May 16
Gita Gopinath, an Indian-origin associate professor at the Harvard University's Department of Economics, has been appointed a full professor, the first Indian woman in the institution's history to be given this appointment.

Indian woman hurls toddler, self into river
New York, May 16
A depressed Indian woman threw her 19-month-old daughter into the chilly Hudson river and then jumped in behind her in a murder-suicide attempt to get back at her husband, prosecutors have said.

Opposition supporters demonstrate against the arrest of Popular Congress Party leader Hassan al-Turabi outside his party's headquarters in Khartoum on Sunday. Sudanese security agents detained opposition party leader al-Turabi and seized a print-run of the movement's newspaper. — Reuters

India donates bust of Tagore to B’desh
Dhaka, May 16
India has donated a bust of Rabindranath Tagore to Bangladesh as both the countries are set to celebrate jointly the 150th birth anniversary of the Nobel laureate under a month-long programme next year, officials said here today.

Saudi editor who interviewed Laden resigns
Riyadh, May 16
Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who built Al-Watan newspaper into a voice for progressives and who interviewed Osama bin Laden before he launched Al-Qaida, announced his resignation today.

Ash closes some UK airports
London, May 16
Civil aviation officials are closing airports in northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland today in response to a drifting, dense cloud of volcanic ash encroaching on British airspace.

SIGHT TO BEHOLD A rare alignment of the crescent moon with Venus occurs over Manila on Sunday. — AP/PTI

‘Time ripe to resolve India-China border row’

Beijing, May 16
A former Chinese Ambassador to India today said the two countries should resolve the border dispute under a framework of compromise and spirit of mutual respect and understanding, which is key to enhancing trust between them.

Cheng Ruisheng, a veteran diplomat, said conditions are ripe for the final settlement of the border dispute between the two Asian giants.

"The final settlement of the China-India boundary question will be the most important key to greatly enhancing mutual trust between the two countries," Cheng said in his detailed note for discussion at the 2nd China-India Forum meeting being held here.

"Judging from the present situation of the relations, it seems conditions are already mature for the final settlement," he said.

He said the overall relations between the two countries have been good as they have already established strategic and cooperative partnership which is very conducive for final settlement of the dispute.

"Also the boundary settlement is very important factor for both the countries which are simultaneously rising in stature. For this they needed a peaceful environment," Cheng, who served as Chinese Ambassador to India from 1991-94, said.

Besides, agreement on the political parameters and guiding principles for the settlement has laid important foundation for the settlement, he said.

Both sides are well aware of each others positions on the boundary disputes as special representatives have held several rounds of talks, he said.

India and China have completed 13 rounds of talks on border dispute and Special Representatives of both countries are expected to meet soon.

"If there is still a gap, it will not work for either side to press for unilateral concessions by the other and the only right way is to explore a framework of compromise in the spirit of mutual respect and mutual understanding. There is no reason why this can not be realised," he said.

Cheng, according to previous reports, formed part of the Chinese experts group that proposed to their Indian counterparts a compromise formula according to which China would hand over Aaksai Chin occupied by it in return to India handing over to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh to it.

However, Cheng, who made a passionate plea for better Sino-Indian relations today, made no mention of any compromise formula in his presentation.

The two sides have already taken steps in this regard, Cheng said, adding that India has already recognised Tibet as part of China and took resolute measures to let Olympic torch pass through without any hindrance from Tibetan protestors in 2008.

China for its part recognised Sikkim as part of India, made "positive remarks" on India's desire to become permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, (UNSC).

He claimed China also took a "flexible attitude" at the Nuclear Suppliers Group, (NSG) which lifted restrictions on India to have civilian nuclear energy cooperation with the US and other countries.

The two countries enhanced their cooperation in the Climate Change talks, he said, adding that being emerging economies both needed support of each other on a number of issues in the future.

On Pakistan, he said China has adopted a policy of developing friendly relations with India on the one hand and with Pakistan and other South Asian countries in a separate way. — PTI

Ethnic Indian appointed professor in Harvard

Chicago, May 16
Gita Gopinath, an Indian-origin associate professor at the Harvard University's Department of Economics, has been appointed a full professor, the first Indian woman in the institution's history to be given this appointment.

Gopinath's position as a tenured full Professor of Economics at Harvard begins on July 1. University President Drew G Faust confirmed tenure for Gopinath last month, making her only the third woman to be a tenured full professor in the department. "I am delighted at the appointment. This is a great recognition for me," Gopinath said.

The Economics Department had voted at an executive committee meeting in February to nominate Gopinath, who had been working as an Associate Professor in the Department, for tenure, which is a status indicating that the position is permanent and life-long. Chairman of Harvard's Economics department, Professor John Campbell, said, “Gopinath is really becoming a professional leader in terms of training economists given her ability to move between theory and data analysis, and her strong skills as a teacher.”

A member of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), the International Growth Centre at London School of Economics and the Oxford University, she teaches a PhD course on International Finance at the Harvard and an undergraduate course in the International Macroeconomic Policy. Before joining the Harvard in 2005, she was an assistant professor of Economics at the University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business. Prior to that she completed her PhD in Economics from Princeton University. Born in Calcutta, Gopinath has studied at the University of Delhi.

Gopinath's appointment comes days after the Harvard Business School (HBS) named Nitin Nohria as its 10th Dean; the first time an Indian-origin person has been named to the post in the prestigious institution's 102-year old history. At the HBS itself, Nohria is among some 25 teachers of Indian-origin in a faculty of just over 200. — PTI

Indian woman hurls toddler, self into river

New York, May 16
A depressed Indian woman threw her 19-month-old daughter into the chilly Hudson river and then jumped in behind her in a murder-suicide attempt to get back at her husband, prosecutors have said.

The baby of 33-year-old Devi Silvia, the mother of two who apparently hails from Tamil Nadu, was in critical condition and had to be taken to a trauma centre in Manhattan. "She said she was lonely and angry at her husband and she did this horrific act on purpose," Assistant District Attorney Robert Hettleman said.

"She made clear that she threw her baby into the freezing river in order to get back at her husband," he said, arguing successfully that the mother be held without bail. The toddler, Jessica Prithiviraj, was blue and motionless when rescuers plucked her and Silvia from the roughly 50-degree (10-Celsius) water on Tuesday last, Hettleman said. — PTI

India donates bust of Tagore to B’desh

Dhaka, May 16
India has donated a bust of Rabindranath Tagore to Bangladesh as both the countries are set to celebrate jointly the 150th birth anniversary of the Nobel laureate under a month-long programme next year, officials said here today.

Information and Cultural Affairs Minister Abul Kalam Azad unveiled the bust at the Tagore Lodge in Kushtia late yesterday at a ceremony, which was also attended by Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Rajeet Mitter.

“India has donated a bust of Rabindranath Tagore, made by famous Indian sculptor Gautam Pal, to Kushtia Municipality,” the Indian High Commission said in a statement.

It said the Indian envoy also gifted over 50 books on life and works of Tagore to the Mayor of Kushtia for the library at Tagore Lodge alongside a set of musical instruments, including tabla, violin and santoor for teaching of Rabindra Sangeet at the Lodge.

“These initiatives are in keeping with commitment of India to further strengthen close and friendly relations with Bangladesh based upon common bonds of culture and heritage between the people of the two countries,” the statement said.

Preparations are underway to celebrate the event at five places in Bangladesh, three Indian cities and London that bear Tagore’s memories, state-run BSS news agency today reported quoting senior officials.

Secretary of the Cultural Affairs Ministry Hedayet Ullah Al Mamun said the programme has already been discussed at a meeting in the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday.

“The programme will be finalised by a national committee before forwarding it to the Prime Minister (Sheikh Hasina) for approval... Once she approves the programme, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would confirm the events through discussion with Indian officials,” the secretary said.

During Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent visit to New Delhi, the two countries had decided to jointly celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Tagore, Asia’s first Nobel laureate, who composed the national anthems of both India and Bangladesh.

Officials said Dhaka, Shelaidah, Shahjadpur, Patisar and Dakhindihi would be the main venues of the programme in Bangladesh while similar events in India would be held in Kolkata, Delhi and Lucknow.

Celebrations would also take place in London, where The Tagore Centre is set up to promote his work.

Officials said researchers on Tagore, artistes and cultural personalities from India and Bangladesh as well poets and writers from other countries would be invited to the programme, which would feature an exhibition of his literary and art works.

Leading artists are expected to join Rabindra Sangeet and drama festivals. Railway officials had earlier said a special train from India would travel across Bangladesh in August this year to commemorate his birth anniversary. — PTI

Saudi editor who interviewed Laden resigns

Riyadh, May 16
Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who built Al-Watan newspaper into a voice for progressives and who interviewed Osama bin Laden before he launched Al-Qaida, announced his resignation today.

“Jamal Khashoggi, the editor in chief, has announced his resignation from Al-Watan to focus on his personal projects,” the statement said.

Khashoggi was on his second stint as editor after having been forced to resign in 2003. He returned to the paper in 2007 after serving as advisor to Prince Turki al-Faisal, whose family controls Al-Watan.

Khashoggi wrote about bin Laden in his formative years as a radical Islamist and interviewed him in Afghanistan in 1987 during the fight against Russian occupation.

“He was very proud,” Khashoggi told Robert Lacey, author of the 2009 book “Inside the Kingdom.” “He showed me how he’d figured out that he could defend the whole valley from a certain vantage point.”

Khashoggi was working for Al-Watan rival Al-Hayat newspaper in 1994 when he travelled to Sudan to see if bin Laden, already wanted by the Saudi government, might return to the Saudi fold.

“One of his cousins called me,” he told Lacey. “He told me ‘Osama’s changed, he wants to come back.” Although he met bin Laden several times, the Al-Qaida founder was unwilling to return and ultimately refused to give him another interview. — AFP

Ash closes some UK airports

London, May 16
Civil aviation officials are closing airports in northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland today in response to a drifting, dense cloud of volcanic ash encroaching on British airspace.

The National Air Traffic Service said all airports in Northern Ireland would close from 1 pm (1730 IST), along with others in northern England including Manchester and Liverpool as well as Prestwick, in Scotland. But airports in London are to remain open for the moment.

British and Irish aviation authorities could not say when or if other airports would have to close but said they expect London's airports to remain open until at least 7 pm (2330 IST). — AP