Beijing, March 5
Amid global concerns about its ambitions military modernisation, China yesterday announced a hike in this year's defence budget by a whopping 17.8 per cent to nearly $ 45 billion.

China's defence budget for 2007 is expected to hit 350.92 billion yuan ($ 44.94 billion), 17.8 per cent higher than last year, Chinese parliamentary spokesman Jiang Enzhu told reporters ahead of the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC) starting today.

The figure marks an increase of 52.99 billion yuan ($6.79 billion) over last year. The budget proposal is expected to be passed by the NPC session in mid-March.

The extra money will be spent on boosting living allowances for the armed forces, training and upgrading military armaments, he said.

"We must increase our military budget as it is important to national security," Jiang said.

This year's defence budget accounts for 7.5 per cent of the budgeted fiscal expenditure, compared with 7.7 per cent in 2004, 7.3 per cent in 2005 and 7.4 per cent in 2006, he said.

In 2006, China's defence budget had gone up by 14.7 per cent to 280.729 billion yuan ($35.09 billion), which was 36.025 billion yuan more than the corresponding figure in 2005.

But the spending spree by the world's largest standing army has raised concern in the United States, Japan and other nations. Moreover, Western defence scholars say China could be spending thrice the amount on its national defence than the publicly stated figure. — PTI

Taipei, March 5
Taiwan’s defence ministry said today China’s accelerating military spending posed a threat to regional peace and tilted the military balance in favour of Taipei’s old rival across the Taiwan Strait.

China, which views Taiwan as part of its territory, announced a nearly 18 per cent jump in its defence budget for 2007 to help modernise its military, in part so as to ensure it would be able to re-take the island if it ever declared independence.

“This has become the most powerful policy tool by which China pursues regional power, not only upsetting the military balance across the Taiwan Strait, but also increasing the potential for a disruption to peace and stability in Asia,” Rear Admiral Wu Chi-fang, the ministry spokesman, said in a written statement.

It was announced yesterday that the planned budget for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) this year was 351 billion yuan, or about $ 45 billion. That marks an increase of 53 billion yuan on 2006, representing the fastest growth in a decade.

Taiwan’s military budget has been declining in real terms as a proportion of GDP and overall government spending in recent years and by comparison was only $ 7.6 billion in 2006.

Legislative deadlock has prevented the government from securing supplementary funds to buy new, cutting-edge weapons the military wants to counter the threat from China, which has almost 1,000 missiles aimed at the island.

“The increasing budgets over the years is reflected in the fast pace of its military modernisation, especially in the upgrading of the combat capabilities of its naval and air forces as well as its Second Artillery Battalion,” Wu said. — Reuters 

London, March 5
British model Elizabeth Hurley and her beau Arun Nayar kicked off their marriage celebrations at a 15th Century castle by showing their celebrity guests a "Bollywood" movie starring the couple.

Instead of formal toasts and speeches, the newlyweds treated their 247 guests at Sudeley Castle to a specially-made film featuring Bollywood-style singing and dancing.

Saturday's celebrations came a day after the couple entered into wedlock in a secret civil ceremony accompanied by only a handful of their closest friends and relatives.

A member of the wedding party said Hurley and Nayar had thought of their own Bollywood movie as a joke but then decided it would be a memorable alternative to toasts and speeches.

"They made the film on their latest trip to India while they were finalising wedding plans," a source told The Mail.

"Liz and Arun sing and dance to traditional Indian songs, with the stunning backdrop of Mumbai in the distance." Nayar wore traditional Indian clothing, including a turban, and even grew a beard for the part. Hurley looked stunning in a number of eye-catching saris, the source said.

"Elizabeth gets to act out her dream role, as it's a beautiful love story based on their own history.

"She wanted to create the ultimate Bollywood love story - and who better to base the film on than the love story of herself and Arun." The film, which took about a month to shoot, had a cast and production 
team of about 100 people. — PTI 

Kathmandu, March 5
The Nepal government today called the agitating minorities for fresh talks in an attempt to end strikes that have affected life in the country, while a Madhesi rights group threatened to shut down the Terai plains from tomorrow to press for more political representation.

The Cabinet decided to call the groups concerned to withdraw all kinds of strikes in the wake of the upcoming constituent assembly polls.

The government also decided to call for dialogue different agitating groups including those representing the Madhesi community of Terai of the Terai region to end a stand-off.

The Madhesi People’s Rights Group, however, called fresh strikes to indefinitely shut down 22 districts of Terai beginning tomorrow to press for more representation and more government jobs for people from the community living in the region bordering India.

Meanwhile, in separate incidents across the country, one person was shot dead and three former Maoist rebels injured in explosions as Madhesi groups and transport organisations enforced a communication blockade in eastern Nepal.

A man was killed in a shootout in Janaki Tole in Parsa district this morning. The shoot out was said to be the result of personal dispute, the Kathmandu Post said.

Three Maoists were seriously injured when a bomb they were carrying suddenly exploded in Dharan Municipality, according to the state-run Radio Nepal. The former rebels were admitted to B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences in Dharan. — PTI

Karachi, March 5
Pakistani Hindus in Sindh have come together to form a party to advocate the cause of the religious minorities, including raising the issue of growing violence against them in the province, a report said.

Several leaders of the Hindu community from Sindh formed a joint platform, ‘Sindh Minority Alliance,’ in order to address the growing incidents of kidnapping, extortion and other torture cases against religious minorities, especially the Hindus of Sindh.

The organisation, formed on Saturday at a meeting attended by several hundred Hindus, selected Mahadev Dheerani as the new president of the alliance. Former lawmaker Bheru Lal Balani and DM Maharaj were named vice-president and secretary-general of the alliance, respectively, the Daily Times said today. — PTI

Islamabad, March 5
Hindus in Pakistan offered prayers at temples and lit bonfires to celebrate the festival of colours accross the country over the weekend.

The Holi celebrations that take place in Punjab province is among the most well-known in Pakistan.

Karachi celebrated the festival with great enthusiasm. About two million Hindus live in Pakistan and most of them are in Sindh.

Karachi’s Hindu community gathered at different temples, including the Shri Punch Mukhi Hanuman and Shri Ratan Das Mahadev temples, and offered prayers, the APP news agency said.

The city landscape was dotted with bonfires at night, around which families gathered to celebrate Holi. — PTI