W O R L D

Iran, Pakistan open gas pipeline project, defy US 
Chabhar (Iran), March 11 
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, along with his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari, today inaugurated the much-delayed section of a $7.5 billion gas pipeline despite the US threat of possible sanctions over Tehran's nuclear programme.

Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (L) and Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari at the inauguration of the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline in Chabhar, Iran, on Monday. — AFP

China revamps ministries, press regulator
Beijing, March 11 
China on Sunday unveiled a massive plan to revamp a few of its ministries, administrative organisations and press regulators, Xinhua reported. The State Council or cabinet aims to curb red tape and reduce administrative intervention in the market and social issues.

Mauritius star of Indian Ocean, says Pranab
Port Louis, March 11
Noting a convergence of interests between the two countries, India today described Mauritius as the “Star and key of the Indian Ocean”, a region that is attracting international attention as the bulk of international trade and energy supplies pass through it.

Final day of jockeying before papal conclave begins
Vatican City, March 11 
Catholic cardinals had a final day of jockeying for position today before shutting themselves into the Sistine Chapel to elect a new Pope after Benedict XVI's shock resignation, with an Italian and a Brazilian who both head powerful archdioceses among the top contenders.

Statues of Pope John Paul II (R) and Pope Benedict XVI (L) on display at the Rome wax museum on Monday. — AFP

Japan tsunami
2 years on, clean-up yet to gather pace
Tokyo, March 11 
Today's two-year anniversary of Japan's devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear catastrophe is highlighting the country’s continuing struggle to clean up radiation, rebuild lost communities and determine new energy and economic strategies.

N Korea cuts off hotline with Seoul
Seoul, March 11
North Korea has cut off a Red Cross hotline with South Korea as it escalates its war of words against Seoul and Washington in response to a military drill in the South and UN sanctions imposed for its recent nuclear test.

Iran, Pakistan open gas pipeline project, defy US 

Chabhar (Iran), March 11
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, along with his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari, today inaugurated the much-delayed section of a $7.5 billion gas pipeline despite the US threat of possible sanctions over Tehran's nuclear programme.

Zardari had flown in here earlier in the day along with a huge delegation and joined Ahmadinejad in the groundbreaking ceremony for the Pakistani section of the pipeline in the Iranian city of Chabahar near the Pakistan-Iran border.

The groundbreaking ceremony will mark the start of work on the 781-km Pakistani section of the pipeline to be built at a cost of $1.5 billion.

Iran will provide a $500 million loan for the project.

The pipeline on the Iranian side is almost complete.

According to officials at Iran's Oil Ministry, construction of the project, known as 'Peace Pipeline', will take two years, Islamic Republic News Agency of Iran said in a report.

"The completion of the pipeline is in the interests of peace, security and progress of the two countries. It will also consolidate the economic, political and security ties of the two nations," the Presidents of both countries said in a joint statement.

The visit marks Zardari's second to Iran since February 27 and comes despite American warnings.

The US has called on Pakistan to abandon the pipeline project, saying it has offered alternative solutions to the country's energy requirements.

US Ambassador Richard Olson has said Pakistan should focus on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project.

India quit the Iran pipeline project in 2009, citing costs and security issues. — PTI

China revamps ministries, press regulator

Beijing, March 11
China on Sunday unveiled a massive plan to revamp a few of its ministries, administrative organisations and press regulators, Xinhua reported. The State Council or cabinet aims to curb red tape and reduce administrative intervention in the market and social issues.

The number of ministries under the State Council will be reduced from 27 to 25 while several departments and agencies will be reorganised.

The Ministry of Railways will be dismantled into administrative and commercial arms, according to a report by State Councillor Ma Kai submitted to the country’s top legislature.

The proposed state railway administration, to be supervised by the Ministry of Transport, will run the existing Railway Ministry’s administrative functions.

The proposed China Railway Corporation will run the existing railway ministry’s commercial functions.

Beijing also plans to merge two media regulators into one to oversee the press, publication, radio, film and television sectors.

The General Administration of Press and Publication and the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television will be integrated into one single regulatory authority.

The top oceanic administration will be restructured to enhance maritime law enforcement and better protect and use China's oceanic resources.

The move will bring maritime law enforcement forces, currently scattered in different ministries, under the unified management of one single administration.

China also plans to set up a national health and family planning commission through merging the existing health ministry with the National Population and Family Planning Commission. — IANS

Mauritius star of Indian Ocean, says Pranab
KV Prasad/TNS

Port Louis, March 11
Noting a convergence of interests between the two countries, India today described Mauritius as the “Star and key of the Indian Ocean”, a region that is attracting international attention as the bulk of international trade and energy supplies pass through it.

President Pranab Mukherjee on his arrival at the Port Louis airport, Mauritius, on Monday. PTI

“For several millennia, the Indian Ocean has been the key arbiter of the subcontinent’s fortune. Naturally we have a convergence of interests as the Indian Ocean straddles Asia and Africa. Let me assure you that India will remain a steadfast partner of Mauritius,” President Pranab Mukherjee said at the State banquet hosted in his honour by Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam here.

Mukherjee also thanked the Prime Minister on behalf of India for standing by the country on issues that are of great importance to India. In this connection, he underscored the moral and consistent support by Mauritius on the issue of terrorism. He also acknowledged support by the country to India’s rightful claim to permanent membership of UN Security Council.

Recounting the century-old ties between the two countries, he said these were forged by thousands of brave men and women who were brought there to toil on sugarcane fields drawing inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi’s stopover in 1901.

Over the past four decades since Mauritius achieved freedom, the President said cooperation between the two countries had come to encompass diverse areas, including trade and investment, education, information communication technology, renewable energy, textiles, science and technology, mutual legal assistance and cultural exchanges.

Noting that bilateral economic and commercial relations had grown in recent years, the President noted that there still remained areas of untapped potential. He said both countries must explore new avenues and opportunities to enhance and enrich the engagement and even further it for mutual benefit.

During 2011-12, Indian exports to Mauritius stood at $1.4 billion in the form of oil, machinery, cotton and pharmaceuticals while it imports from Mauritius stood at $39.13 million in the form of pearls, iron and steel, precious stones, optical and precision instruments.

He said during the official talks tomorrow, both sides would discuss ways to further enhance this “vibrant and mutually beneficial cooperation. People-to-people contacts are the lifeblood of our friendship”, Mukherjee noted.

India and Mauritius are expected to sign memoranda of understanding in the areas of health, disability and senior citizens.

Earlier, the President arrived at the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam airport to a warm reception by the Mauritius Prime Minister. He will be the chief guest at country’s 45th National Day celebration tomorrow.

Final day of jockeying before papal conclave begins

Vatican City, March 11
Catholic cardinals had a final day of jockeying for position today before shutting themselves into the Sistine Chapel to elect a new Pope after Benedict XVI's shock resignation, with an Italian and a Brazilian who both head powerful archdioceses among the top contenders.

The cardinals held their last pre-conclave talks where they have been debating the challenges that the next Pope will face and vetting possible candidates for the post.

Vatican insiders put Milan Archbishop Angelo Scola in the lead, but without the support of two-thirds of the 115 "cardinal electors" needed to become the new leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.

Brazilian Odilo Scherer, the charismatic archbishop of Sao Paolo and Latin America's best hope, is also seen as having a chance after the red-frocked cardinals begin the storied process, cloaked in secrecy, of choosing one of their peers to lead the Church.

The electors must take a solemn oath of secrecy or face excommunication — though no examples of such a fate appear in the record, and Vatican journalists have shown a wily knack for extracting insider information.

Vatican staff members who will work around the conclave from tomorrow are also due to take the same oath later today. — AFP

Japan tsunami
2 years on, clean-up yet to gather pace

A monk prays on the tsunami-hit seashore in Miyagi Prefecture on Monday. — AFP

Tokyo, March 11
Today's two-year anniversary of Japan's devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear catastrophe is highlighting the country’s continuing struggle to clean up radiation, rebuild lost communities and determine new energy and economic strategies.

More than 3 lakh persons remain displaced and virtually no rebuilding has begun along the battered northeastern coast, where the tsunami swept away entire communities.

Memorial services were held today in Tokyo and in barren towns along the coast to mark the moment, at 2.46 pm, when the magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck off the coast, unleashing a tsunami that killed nearly 19,000 persons. — AP

survivors sue govt
Hundreds of survivors of the Fukushima nuclear crisis in Japan filed a class action lawsuit on Monday seeking restitution of the region that was contaminated by radioactive fallout. — AFP

N Korea cuts off hotline with Seoul

Seoul, March 11
North Korea has cut off a Red Cross hotline with South Korea as it escalates its war of words against Seoul and Washington in response to a military drill in the South and UN sanctions imposed for its recent nuclear test.

The North had threatened to cut off the hotline on March 11 if the United States and South Korea did not abandon their joint military exercise.

The Red Cross hotline is used to communicate between Seoul and Pyongyang which do not have diplomatic relations.

"We called at 9 am and there was no response," a government official from South Korea said. The line is tested each day. — Reuters

BRIEFLY

Two US soldiers killed in ‘insider’ attack in Afghanistan
KABUL: Two American soldiers were killed in a so-called insider attack when a person in an Afghan military uniform turned his weapon on US and Afghan forces at a joint base in the restive east of the country, coalition forces said on Monday. Three policemen and two Afghan army officers were also killed in the attack, said a senior police official. — Reuters

On world stage: French dancer Icee competes during the "Juste Debout" (Just Standing) worldwide streetdance festival in Paris on Sunday. — AFP

US Defence Secy Hagel meets Karzai
Kabul: Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel encountered political tension with the Afghan president and a series of security problems during his first visit to Afghanistan as Pentagon chief, but he met privately with President Hamid Karzai and says they discussed the key issues. Hagel says he understands that Karzai faces political pressures as the war winds down. — AP

Pak Taliban warns govt of backlash
Islamabad: The Pakistani Taliban have warned the government of a severe backlash if it continues making claims of having broken the back of the militants in operations in different parts of the country's northwest. A statement issued by the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan made a veiled reference to Interior Minister Rehman Malik's remarks that the government had the militants in a corner thanks to its counter-terrorism strategy. — PTI

Falklands: China backs Argentina’s claim
Beijing: China on Monday backed Argentina's claim over the disputed Falkland islands, rejecting the validity of the referendum being held in the British-ruled territory. "China supports Argentina's claim to the islands and expects both sides to resolve the issue through dialogue in accordance with the law," China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told media here. — PTI

6 teens killed, 2 hurt in US SUV crash
Warren (Ohio): A speeding sport utility vehicle taken without permission and carrying eight teenagers crashed into a guardrail, flipping over into a swampy pond, killing five boys and a woman, the state police said. The Honda Passport veered off the left side of a road Sunday morning and overturned near the city of Warren, about 95 km east of Cleveland. — AP

3 French men accused of terror plot 
Paris: A Paris prosecutor said three young Frenchmen detained last week were plotting an imminent bomb attack in France. Prosecutor Francois Molins said on Monday that one of the men had caught the attention of US authorities by sending an e-mail message to the White House. Molins didn't elaborate and the US Embassy in France had no immediate comment. — AP