 |
|
Ehud positive on Indo-Israel ties
Nawaz rings up Benazir
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bush lauds US armed forces
UN admits Annan's son took more money
26 die as bus falls into river
Prabhakaran issues threat of ‘freedom struggle’
NRI in prison for making fake viagra
|
|
Ehud positive on Indo-Israel ties
Jerusalem, November 27 Commenting on the recent remarks by the Left parties in India to severe all military ties with Israel, Mr Olmert said, ''We have political disagreements with many of our friends and that applies to India also.... yet we don't hesitate to voice our reservations and we respect the rights of others to do the same. "But that does not mean that it will affect trade and relations between Israel and the other country,'' he added. ''There is enormous
potential; I think that India is emerging as a major economy and Israel has designated India as one of the main targets of our foreign trade in the next 5 years,'' said Mr Olmert, 59, who is also the Israeli Minister of Industry, Trade and Labour and Communications. Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will lead a high-level delegation to India to enhance political and economic ties during his visit India is Israel's second-largest Asian trading partner, after China and South Korea. Mr Olmert will jointly lead the delegation comprising around 100 businessmen, with his arch rival former Likud Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and senior ministers, including Foreign Minister K. Natwar Singh, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Finance Minister P.Chidambaram and Commerce Minister Kamal Nath during his visit. He will hold extensive talks with Indian leaders and businessmen in search for possibilities of mutual co-operation to reach out to the global market together. The two sides are also likely to set up a joint fund for research and development. Earlier this year, Mr Olmert called upon for the creation of a ''trilateral fund'' between India, US and Israel to build upon the advantages in the hi-tech sector and strengthen the ''strategic triad'' at a trilateral conference in Israel. Regarding the R&D agreement, he said, ''Where high tech is concerned, we are on a common ground. “Therefore I believe this is a good base for an agreement. The sky is the limit.''. ''India at the same time can be a competitor and can be a partner. So both sides can create a basis of partnership in order to control the unnecessary damages to both sides and exploit each others advantages,'' he said. When questioned about the Palestinian elections, which are scheduled for January 9, he said Israel will do everything to facilitate the elections. ''We will not interfere, we will certainly address ourselves to certain election demands if they come form the Palestinians.
— UNI |
|
Nawaz rings up Benazir
Islamabad, November 27 In a statement issued here on Friday, PML-N Information Secretary Siddiqul Farooque said Mr Sharif had discussed the proposal during a telephone call he had made to congratulate Ms Bhutto on the release of her husband Asif Ali Zardari. He said the agreed code of conduct would then be presented to other parties in the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy for consideration. The PML-N chief told the PPP leader that both parties as major democratic parties shared a responsibility to steer the nation out of the present morass, and the lay foundation for a new democratic culture based on mutual respect and tolerance. Both parties should develop consensus on fundamental issues like the framework for fair and free elections in the country so that results were accepted by all and the party in power could complete its tenure while opposition enjoyed its constitutional rights. "We should also agree on a package of reforms to ensure supremacy of constitution and parliament, independence of judiciary, strengthening of democratic institutions and delivery of good governance to the people. Likewise, we should not accept each other's deserters into our folds to end the turncoat politics," Mr Sharif suggested. The PML-N leader informed her that he was constituting a two-member committee comprising party Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq and Chief Coordinator Ahsan Iqbal to discuss the package with the PPP leadership which, if both parties agreed, could be finalized before Dec 31. Mr Farooque said that Ms Bhutto had agreed to the proposal and promised to designate a two-member committee to discuss it with the PML-N. |
|
Bush lauds US armed forces
Washington, November 27 During the past year, “like generations before them, today’s armed forces have liberated captive peoples and shown compassion for the suffering and delivered hope to the oppressed,” he said in his weekly radio address. “They have fought the terrorists abroad so that we do not have to face those enemies here at home. They’ve captured a brutal dictator (Saddam Hussein), aided last month’s historic election in Afghanistan, and help set Iraq on the path to democracy.” Bush claimed the US’ progress in the war on terror had made the country safer and has also brought new burden to the military families. “Many servicemen and women have endured long deployments and painful separations from home. Families have faced the challenge of raising children while praying for a loved one’s safe return. America is grateful to all our military families, and the families mourning a terrible loss this Thanksgiving can know that America will honour their sacrifices forever.” "The past year, said Bush, had brought many challenges to our nation, and Americans have met every one with energy, optimism and faith. After lifting the American economy from a recession, manufacturers and entrepreneurs were creating jobs again, Bush said in his speech.
— PTI |
|
UN admits Annan's son took more money
United Nations, November 27 The Geneva-based firm, Cotecna, which was given a multimillion dollar contract to oversee delivery of goods to Iraq brought through the UN-brokered programme, paid Kojo Anann $ 2,500 a month beginning January, 2000 till February this year, a UN spokesman said yesterday. The UN had earlier said the payment had stopped in December 1999. No charges of illegality have been made out against Annan junior, but what embarrassed the world body was that it had to admit that its earlier statement was wrong. Kojo Annan received payments under an open no-compete contract and there is nothing illegal about it, Chief UN spokesman Fred Eckhard said. The independent Volcker panel investigating allegations of corruption in the UN-run oil-for-food programme had been told about the payments and it is now for the panel to determine whether any irregularities had been committed, he said.
— PTI |
|
26 die as bus falls into river
Beijing, November 27 The mishap occurred on a highway between Xi’an City and Zhouzhi County of the province early this morning, Xinhua news agency reported, adding that the injured, including five children, were being treated in local hospitals. The bus, with 72 persons on board, overturned and tumbled off the highway to a nearby river. Twentyfive persons died on the spot and one died on the way to hospital. The bus from neighbouring Sichuan Province was heading for Shanghai.
— PTI |
|
Prabhakaran issues threat of ‘freedom struggle’
Colombo, November 27 Prabhakaran, speaking in hard-hitting Tamil, said he had "reached the limits of patience" and wanted the government of President Chandrika Kumaratunga to end the 19-month deadlock in talks. "If the government of Sri Lanka rejects our urgent appeal and adopts delaying tactics, perpetuating the suffering of our people, we have no alternative other than to advance the freedom struggle of our nation," he said. Prabhakaran, in his annual policy speech broadcast over rebel radio, also challenged the politicians from the majority Sinhalese to have a collective stand on peace talks. "We are living in a political void, without war, without a stable peace, without the conditions of normalcy, without an interim or permanent solution to the ethnic conflict. "Our liberation struggle will be seriously undermined if this political vacuum continues indefinitely," he said while asking President Kumaratunga's coalition partners to declare their public stand on talks. |
|
NRI in prison for making fake viagra
London, November 27 Valentine alias Anant Babu Patel (44) pleaded guilty at the Harrow Crown Court to conspiracy to supply Class C drugs and two charges involving contraventions of the Trade Marks Act and the Medicines Act. The court yesterday sentenced him in the Wormwood Scrubs prison and ordered confiscation of his cars and bank accounts.
— PTI |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Talks of alliance to restore democracy
