W O R L D

Kalam arrives in Singapore
Singapore, January 31
Giving a major thrust to India’s “Look East” policy, President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam arrived here today on the first leg of his three-nation tour of Singapore, the Philippines and South Korea declaring that he was looking forward to deeper linkages between India and the three countries in trade, agriculture and science and technology.

President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam with Lim Boon Heng, senior Minister of Singapore, on his arrival at Changi International Airport in Singapore on Tuesday. — PTI photo

Thar Express to run from February 18
Islamabad, January 31
India and Pakistan today reached an agreement to run the much-awaited Thar Express, the Khokhrapar-Munabao train service connecting Pakistan’s southern Sindh province and Rajastan, from February 18.

‘Brokeback Mountain’ gets 8 Oscar nominations
Los Angeles, January 31
''Brokeback Mountain,'' about a pair of cowboys who fall in love, earned a leading eight Oscar nominations today, including best picture, best director and best actor for star Heath Ledger.

Musharraf will continue on both posts: Elahi
Islamabad, January 31
Gen Pervez Musharraf will continue to be Pakistan’s President and retain his post as the Army Chief even after the next general elections due in 2007 despite opposition from mainstream political parties and reservations expressed by the Commonwealth.

Naga truce extended by six months
Bangkok, January 31
Hours before its expiry, the government and Naga rebels belonging to NSCN (IM) faction today agreed on extending the 8-year-old ceasefire in Nagaland by another six months after four days of hectic negotiations.

Indian American nominated to key post
Washington, January 31
President George W. Bush has nominated Indian American Rajkumar Chellaraj, a graduate of Madras University, to be Assistant Secretary of state in the Bureau of Administration at the State Department.

Indian kidnapping kingpin held
Manila, January 31
An Indian national alleged to be the leader of a kidnap gang preying on his compatriots in the Philippines has been arrested while trying to flee the country, the immigration bureau said today.

Dubai’s Taj Mahal drawing crowds
Dubai, January 31
Dubai’s Taj Mahal at the Global Village here is drawing huge crowds.

NZ doc closes practice, to open brothel
Wellington, January 31
A disgruntled New Zealand doctor has turned from pills to prostitutes, winning a licence to convert his former medical practice into a brothel.

Kalam arrives in Singapore
Pallab Bhattacharya

Singapore, January 31
Giving a major thrust to India’s “Look East” policy, President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam arrived here today on the first leg of his three-nation tour of Singapore, the Philippines and South Korea declaring that he was looking forward to deeper linkages between India and the three countries in trade, agriculture and science and technology.

A red carpet was rolled out to Mr Kalam, leading a high-level delegation, on his arrival at the Changi international airport here for a three-day visit to the city state and he was received by senior minister Lee Boong Heng.

Mr Kalam, who will be accorded a ceremonial reception and a guard of honour at the Presidential Palace tomorrow, will hold wide-ranging talks with Singapore President S.R. Nathan, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and senior Minister Goh Chok Tong.

Setting the tone and tenor of his talks with Singaore leaders, Mr Kalam earlier told accompanying journalists on board the Special Air India One Boeing plane that he was looking to double India’s exports to the “Lion City” from nearly $ 7 billion to $ 14 billion in the next three to four years. — PTI

Thar Express to run from February 18
K J M Varma

Islamabad, January 31
India and Pakistan today reached an agreement to run the much-awaited Thar Express, the Khokhrapar-Munabao train service connecting Pakistan’s southern Sindh province and Rajastan, from February 18.

“We have signed the agreement covering all technical aspects and the first train will be run from February 18,” Ashok Gupta, Advisor Railway Board, heading the nine- member Indian delegation said after the official-level talks.

Gupta signed the agreement today with his Pakistan counterpart Mustaq Khan Jadoon after the two-day talks.

The agreement is modelled on the Smajhotha Express running between Attari and Lahore.

Rakes for the first six months would be provided by Pakistan and the remaining six months by India.

The Thar Express, being resumed after a 30-year gap, is named after the Thar desert connecting Sindh and Rajasthan provinces.

Considered a very popular train after partition, it was discontinued during the 1965 war.

As per the agreement reached, the train service, the second between the countries, will be run every Saturday of the week.

It will leave from Karachi to Khokhrapar on the Pakistan side in the night and cross into the Indian side and reach Munabao in the morning.

The train, which can accommodate 900 to 1,000 passengers will return to Pakistan on the same day.

The fare for the train was tentatively fixed for Rs 190 on the Pakistan side and Rs 115 the Indian side.

Gupta said Indian Railways also made arrangements for the passengers from Pakistan to travel up to Jodhpur from Munabao.

“The two sides signed the agreement on the establishment of rail link via Zero point railway station near Khokhrapar (Pakistan) and Munabao (India) and also agreed to various technical modalities for the running of the Thar Express,” a joint statement issued after the signing of the Agreement said. — PTI 

‘Brokeback Mountain’ gets 8 Oscar nominations

Los Angeles, January 31
''Brokeback Mountain,'' about a pair of cowboys who fall in love, earned a leading eight Oscar nominations today, including best picture, best director and best actor for star Heath Ledger.

Race relations drama ''Crash,'' and ''Good Night, and Good Luck,'' actor/director George Clooney's look at newsman Edward R. Murrow's attack on McCarthyism in the 1950s, each had six nominations and landed in the category for best film.

''Memoirs of a Geisha,'' also had six Academy Award nominations, but failed to be nominated for best movie.

Other best film nominees, included ''Capote,'' about author Truman Capote reporting for his novel ''In Cold Blood,'' with five nominations overall, and director Steven Spielberg's ''Munich,'' about the aftermath of the killings of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics, which also had five nominations.

In the category for best actor, Ledger was joined by Philip Seymour Hoffman as the lead character in ''Capote,'' Terrence Howard as a pimp in ''Hustle & Flow,'' Joaquin Phoenix for his role as singer Johnny Cash in romance ''Walk the Line'' and David Strathairn as Murrow in ''Good Night.''

Best actress nominees were Judi Dench playing a theatre owner in World War II-era ''Mrs Henderson Presents,'' Felicity Huffman as a transgendered character in ''Transamerica,'' Keira Knightley for romance ''Pride & Prejudice,'' Charlize Theron in sexual harassment drama ''North Country'' and Reese Witherspoon playing singer June Carter in ''Walk the Line.''

Supporting actor nominations went to Clooney in ''Syriana,'' Matt Dillon in ''Crash,'' Paul Giamatti in ''Cinderella Man,'' Jake Gyllenhaal in ''Brokeback Mountain'' and William Hurt for ''A History of Violence.''

Supporting actress nominees were Amy Adams in ''Junebug,'' Catherine Keener in ''Capote,'' Frances McDormand in ''North Country,'' Rachel Weisz in ''The Constant Gardener'' and Michelle Williams for ''Brokeback Mountain.'' — Reuters

Musharraf will continue on both posts: Elahi

Islamabad, January 31
Gen Pervez Musharraf will continue to be Pakistan’s President and retain his post as the Army Chief even after the next general elections due in 2007 despite opposition from mainstream political parties and reservations expressed by the Commonwealth.

This was stated by pro-Musharraf Chief Minister of the eastern Punjab province, Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi. “Let there be no misunderstanding on this issue. The assemblies will elect him President for a second term as he has taken the correct decisions in the interests of the country and its people.”

Elahi, the brother of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q, (PML-Q) President Choudhary Shujat Hussain, said he was confident that Musharraf would get a second term as President after the general elections.

Whether the general elections were held in 2007 or 2008 depended on the political situation, he said in an address to a public gathering after laying the foundation stone for a college in Rawalpindi yesterday.

Elahi’s comments were seen as a beginning of an orchestrated campaign by pro-Musharraf politicians to ask the President to retain dual offices. Musharraf, whose election through referendum as President was ratified by the national and three provincial assemblies, was due for re-election after the 2007 general elections.

In his recent interviews, Musharraf sounded non-committal about quitting the influential post of Army Chief which he had committed to quit by 2004 but went back on his word asserting it was required to continue the war on terror.

The Commonwealth, which re-admitted Pakistan after the 1999 military coup, in its recent meeting said it would monitor its progress on democratic reforms and expected President Musharraf to quit the army post but had not set any deadline for him to quit it. — PTI

Naga truce extended by six months

Bangkok, January 31
Hours before its expiry, the government and Naga rebels belonging to NSCN (IM) faction today agreed on extending the 8-year-old ceasefire in Nagaland by another six months after four days of hectic negotiations.

"In view of the need to maintain the congenial atmosphere for the political negotiations to fructify, it has been mutually decided to extend the ceasefire by six months with effect from February one," said a joint statement signed by the government interlocutor, Mr K Padmanabhaiah and the NSCN (IM) chief negotiator, Mr T Muivah.

The two sides agreed to re-activate and make effective mechanisms to address all ceasefire issues, including modification of ground rules, it said. Recognising that there has been insufficient progress in talks, they decided to carry the political negotiations expeditiously forward taking new initiatives to resolve the Naga problem, the statement said.

The Indian side at the talks was led by Indian Overseas Affairs Minister Oscar Fernandes, aided by Padmanabhaiah, while the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isaac-Muivah) side was headed by its General Secretary Muivah. The ceasefire, brokered in 1997 and renewed periodically, was to expire at midnight tonight. — PTI 

Indian American nominated to key post

Washington, January 31
President George W. Bush has nominated Indian American Rajkumar Chellaraj, a graduate of Madras University, to be Assistant Secretary of state in the Bureau of Administration at the State Department.

A political appointee, Mr Chellaraj, who is from Texas, currently serves as director of corporate development for the Celanese Corporation, a leading producer of industry chemicals. His nomination is before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The Bureau of Administration, currently headed by Acting Assistant Secretary Frank Coulter, provides support programmes to the Department of State and US embassies and consulates.

Mr Chellaraj will be dealing with the nitty-gritty of diplomacy and issues that affect all State Department employees as they live and work at home and abroad - from Freedom of Information requests down to how diplomatic reception rooms in the Harry Truman headquarters building of the State Department are used.

Mr Chellaraj earlier served as senior executive officer for the United States Mint at the Department of Treasury. Earlier in his career, he was at Strategic Analysis Incorporated and the Exxon Corporation holding a variety of different leadership and administrative posts. — IANS

Indian kidnapping kingpin held

Manila, January 31
An Indian national alleged to be the leader of a kidnap gang preying on his compatriots in the Philippines has been arrested while trying to flee the country, the immigration bureau said today.

Kulwant Singh was arrested as he was about to board a Singapore Airlines flight to New Delhi on January 24, a day after the police had launched a daring rescue of one his Indian victims. Three of Singh’s accomplices were arrested in the raid, while one suspect was killed. After the police raid, several Indian kidnap victims surfaced and pointed to Singh as the mastermind of the crime gang, said Immigration Commissioner Alipio Fernandez. — AFP

Dubai’s Taj Mahal drawing crowds

Dubai, January 31
Dubai’s Taj Mahal at the Global Village here is drawing huge crowds.

The Taj Mahal, at the Global Village, is quite close to the one at Agra in size and grandeur and is almost three-fourths of the original.

Spread over a massive 4,00,000 square feet, this unique structure now completed at the Global Village is bound to draw thousands of visitors every day for the next few weeks.

Zee Television and an NRI-owned Dubai Hotel Grand have sponsored the project.

“We have opened the Taj Mahal for public viewing and are thrilled to welcome everyone to come and see this beautiful replica of the original Taj,’’ Chairman, Dubai Grand Hotel S P Singh said. — UNI

NZ doc closes practice, to open brothel

Wellington, January 31
A disgruntled New Zealand doctor has turned from pills to prostitutes, winning a licence to convert his former medical practice into a brothel.

Dr Neil Benson closed his practice in Coopers Beach, about 250 km (155 miles) northwest of Auckland, late last year after a dispute with his local health organisation over after-hour care, the New Zealand Herald newspaper reported.

Benson, who has been practising medicine for the past 18 years, said he decided to turn to the world’s oldest profession after someone else considered renting his empty medical centre to open a brothel.

“I thought, ‘why don’t we run it ourselves?’ It would be a viable business and I was unemployed,” he said.

New Zealand legalised prostitution and began licensing brothels in 2003. Benson said he had the support of his wife and four children, has been granted a brothel operator’s certificate and plans to open an upmarket bordello next month. — Reuters