 |
|
|
Deepening ties with India top on agenda: Hillary
|
|
|
45 killed in Iraq bombings Peace, fearlessness must for poll: Nepal CEC 3 held in Nepal airport with Rs 4 million EQUAL TO MAN CJ case: Pak Govt pressuring judiciary
|
|
Deepening ties with India
top on agenda: Hillary
New York, June 25 "Deepening and strengthening" of US relations with India, one of the world's oldest and largest democracies, would be top of the agenda if she is elected US President, Clinton said in her 15-minute speech during an Indian-American fund-raiser dinner. "Together, we have a lot of work to do," she said amidst cheers at the dinner with slogans like "American Ready For Change" and "Hillary Ready to Lead" forming the backdrop. An estimated USD 2.5 million was collected during the dinner. "Deepening and strengthening" of US relations with India, one of the world's oldest and largest democracies, would be top of the agenda if she is elected US President, she said in her 15-minute speech. Without directly referring to the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal now being negotiated between the two countries, she promised to ensure that neither the USA nor its friends remained dependent on the vagaries of foreign oil. All in praise for the Indian-Americans contribution to the USA, Clinton made a special reference to the contribution being made by Indian-American medical professionals in the country's medical system. Clinton, who did not mention about rival Barack Obama's campaign criticising her ties with the Indian-Americans, also said she valued the contribution made by the community to her campaign not only in financial terms but also in voluntary work they were doing for her campaign. She also nostalgically spoke of her visit to India, referring especially to the beauty of Taj Mahal and praised the micro-credit scheme which, she said, was empowering poor women and helping to uplift them. An estimated $ 2.5 million were collected in a single night at the fund-raiser dinner on Friday night where guests paid up to $9,200 per plate and gave Clinton a prolonged standing ovation when she came in for the address. Sant Singh Chatwal, chairman of the event and co chair of the Hillary Clinton for President Exploratory Committee, said Indian-Americans had so far raised more than $ 3.5 million and were well on the way to exceed the goal of raising $5 million for the campaign by the year end. There were prolonged cheers as Vikram, son of Sant Singh Chatwal, introduced Clinton to the audience as the "next President of the USA". Criticising the Bush administration's policies, she said when her husband Bill Clinton left the office in 2000, there was surplus in the budget which could have been used profitably.
— PTI
|
|
Malaysia to return smuggled tortoises to India Kuala Lumpur, June 25 Custom officials at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport found the tortoises inside the luggage of an Indian national, who was probably trying to sell them to pet shops in the country, said Haidar Khan, a senior official in Malaysia’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks. The smuggler has already been deported back to India. There were 404 tortoises in the luggage, but only 385 managed to survive, Khan said. The tortoises, indigenous to South Asia, have star patterns on their shells and are considered an endangered species. But since it is not a protected species in Malaysia, the smuggler could not be charged. Star tortoises were also seized from smugglers in 2003 and 2005. They were returned to India in both cases. — PTI
|
|
Baghdad, June 25 The three attacks came a day after an Iraqi court sentenced to death Ali Hassan al-Majid, widely known as "Chemical Ali", for the slaughter of 1,82,000 Kurds in 1988. A suicide bomber blew himself up in the crowded lobby of Baghdad's Al-Mansour Melia hotel, killing at least 12 people, including a Shiite lawmaker and some Sunni tribal sheikhs, staff and security officials said. They said the explosion, which also wounded 21 people, occurred during an informal gathering of local tribal sheikhs at the hotel located on the west bank of the Tigris river. Security officials confirmed that the meeting was the target of the attack in the hotel, which houses diplomats and some foreign media organisations. The attack came shortly after two other suicide bombings killed another 33 people, mostly policemen, in the north and central regions of the country. The deadliest strike was in the northern oil refining town of Baiji where 25 people were killed when a bomber ploughed an explosives-laden oil tanker into the police headquarters of the town, a local police officer said. Another 50 people, mostly civilians, were wounded. "A suicide bomber driving an oil tanker tried to break into the building but he blew himself up at the gate because he could not get in. It resulted in huge damage to the building," said Police Captain Ahmed Hussein of Baiji. In central Iraq, in the town of Hilla, a suicide car bomber slammed into a crowd of recruits waiting outside a police academy, killing eight and wounding several dozen.
— AFP
|
|
|
Peace, fearlessness must for poll: Nepal CEC Following the government decision to fix election date of Constituent Assembly (CA) for November 22, Nepal’s chief election commissioner Bhoj Raj Pokharel on Monday said a peaceful and fearless atmosphere is a pre-requisite to conduct free, fair and fearless election. Addressing a press meet at his office this afternoon, Pokharel said, “The government should take immediate initiative to create a conducive atmosphere and ensure security for all concerned actors involved in the election - contesting candidates, voters and polling officers - in this regard.” He also urged the government and political parties concerned to concentrate on creating an “election-friendly” environment across the country. At present, over nine newly emerged armed groups, including two groups of the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morchas led by former Maoist rebels Jaya Krishna Gohit and Jawala Singh, have been carrying out violent agitating mainly in central and eastern Terai, demanding federal and autonomous governances in Terai. When asked about the reliable ground for November poll, CEC Pokharel said that since the eight-party alliance in the government, including other parties in the interim parliament, had expressed commitment to hold election, the EC was confident of conducting it under their leadership within the stipulated time frame. He also requested all people from different regions, groups and communities not to carry out any activity that would affect the CA election. He also informed that the EC has requested the government to allocate at least Rs 2 billion budget to conduct the CA poll. Last year, the government had allocated Rs 1.25 billion in this regard. In order to make the election credible the EC would invite maximum national and international monitors and observers and mobilise them during the poll, he added.
|
|
3 held in Nepal airport with Rs 4 million The Nepal police nabbed three persons on the charge of possessing Rs 4 million (Indian currency) from the Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu today. According to Prakash Kunwar, senior superintendent of police and chief of the airport security, the trio was arrested after receiving special information that they were arriving on a Nepal Airlines Corporation flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The trio was caught during a security check while trying to smuggle the aforesaid sum in 500s and 1000s denominations, which is consider as illegal denominations in Nepal, concealing under the false bottoms of four bags through airport customs, Kunwar said. The police has not yet revealed the names of the three, though sources said two of the three had identified themselves as Rajendra Pandey and Rajendra Acharya.
|
|
EQUAL TO MAN Islamabad, June 25 The panel, which met here on Saturday under Acting Chief Justice Rana Bhagwandas, ruled that the law did not prohibit a woman from standing as surety for an accused person to be released on bail. The ruling runs counter to obscurantist interpretation that a woman's evidence is half the worth of It advised the respective high courts to issue necessary directions to the courts in this regard.
|
|
CJ case: Pak Govt pressuring judiciary Top counsel of suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry have voiced concern over reports that the government is exerting immense pressure to secure a favourable verdict in the case and warned that any judgement given under coercion would be unacceptable. They said they were worried about speculations in the capital that President Musharraf had already won the support of seven out 13 judges while the eighth might be in the line. Ali Ahmed Kurd, counsel for the CJP, yesterday said some judges of the Supreme Court were getting "dictation" from the government. Kurd told a public rally in Multan that if the SC didn't give a verdict on merit then there would be an unprecedented protest by the people. He said he respected the judiciary, but only if justice was its priority. He said the military government had made Pakistan a failed state. "If Musharraf dissolves the Assemblies and sabotages lawyers' movement there will be anarchy in the country," he said. Another senior consel on CJ's panel Munir Malik has also been warning that people will not accept any judgement if the jduciary continued it past traditions of acting as "B” team of the military.
|
|
|
| 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 | |
