L A T E S T      N E W S

Anna, Ramdev join hands, to hold fast on June 3

GURGAON: Anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare and yoga guru Baba Ramdev will jointly sit on a day's token fast in Delhi on June 3 to press for a strong Lokpal Bill and to mobilise opinion against black money.

Addressing a joint press conference here, Hazare and Ramdev slammed the government for being involved in corruption.

Hazare said they had no intention of making the government fall. However, there was nothing wrong if the people's movement proceeded that way.

"Making the government fall is not our intention... if this government is graduate in corruption, the next government will do Ph.D... But a government that can't understand people's voice, it's not a (matter of) concern if it falls," Hazare said.

Ramdev added that the present government had no right to rule.

“It can only happen in India that after so many corruption cases the government continues."

“Time will change and a government will come that will have only those who want a strong Lokpal," Ramdev said.

The two added that they would travel across the country and campaign against corruption. — IANS

Agni-V can reach targets 8,000 km away: Chinese experts

Beijing: Chinese military experts feel that there is more to India's successful long-range nuclear-capable missile Agni-V than what New Delhi is saying. A Chinese researcher said the missile "actually has the potential to reach targets 8,000 kilometers away".

Du Wenlong, a researcher at China's PLA Academy of Military Sciences, told the Global Times that the Agni-V "actually has the potential to reach targets 8,000 kilometers away".

Du added that "the Indian government had deliberately downplayed the missile's capability in order to avoid causing concern to other countries".

India Thursday test-fired the Agni-V missile that it said can accurately hit targets more than 5,000 km away. With this launch, India entered an exclusive club of nations that have this capability. 

Zhang Zhaozhong, a professor with the People's Liberation Army National Defense University, told the Global Times that according to China's standard, an ICBM should have a range of at least 8,000 km. 

"The Agni-V's range could be further enhanced to become an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile," he said.

Global Times, a state-run daily, said Thursday India may have missiles that can reach most parts of China but stands "no chance in an overall arms race" with the country.

The article, "India being swept up by missile delusion", noted that India has moved rapidly in developing missile technology. 

Criticising India, it said the country "is still poor and lags behind in infrastructure construction, but its society is highly supportive of developing nuclear power and the West chooses to overlook India's disregard of nuclear and missile control treaties". 

It stressed that India "should not overestimate its strength". 

"Even if it has missiles that could reach most parts of China, that does not mean it will gain anything from being arrogant during disputes with China. India should be clear that China's nuclear power is stronger and more reliable. For the foreseeable future, India would stand no chance in an overall arms race with China," it warned. — IANS

Cop shot dead by terrorist in Srinagar 

Srinagar: A policeman was shot dead on Friday when suspected separatist guerrillas shot at him near a police station in this Jammu and Kashmir summer capital, police said. 

"Separatist guerrillas fired from close range at Sukhpal singh, assistant sub-inspector of police, near the Bagyaz police station in the city Friday. He has been moved to hospital for treatment," a police officer said. 

Hospital sources added that Sukhpal Singh received two bullet injuries and was in a critical condition. No separatist group has accepted responsibility till now. With the mountain passes reopening as spring begins, security sources have been put on high alert to thwart infiltration into the Kashmir Valley.