W O R L D

Israel, Palestine to hold fresh talks
Israeli and Palestinian leaders will begin a new round of peace talks at the White House. The development comes after both sides pledged to end a cycle of violence that has plagued their people for decades and set a 2008-end target to reach a peace agreement.

Lanka minister escapes 5th bid on life
Colombo, November 28
Sri Lankan minister and a Tamil politician Douglas Devananda Kathirvelu Nithyananda, co-founder of Eelam People's Democratic Party, today miraculously escaped an assassination attempt for the fifth time when a suspected female LTTE suicide bomber blew herself up in front of his office.

Skewed ratio results in household sexual slavery in India
New York, November 28
Pre-natal sex selection in India is leading to skewed sex ratios resulting in a greater demand for young women trafficked from lower castes and abroad, who are then forced into household sexual slavery, a UN body has said.

Various Sikh leaders with Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Mian Soomro in Islamabad on Tuesday. The leaders visited various Gurdwaras in Pakistan and celebrated Guru Nanak Devji’s birth anniversary. — PTI

Tracking Diseases
NASA uses remote sensing technology
Washington, November 28
Remote- sensing technology has helped NASA scientists to predict and track the outbreak of infectious diseases around the world by observing the earth’s environment.

80 Indians charged with ‘illegal’ protest
Kuala Lumpur, November 28
Eighty ethnic Indians were charged today for participating in the largest-ever mass demonstration by the community here last week to protest against their alleged marginalisation in the country.

Chandigarh resident, five others hurt in Pak mishap
Islamabad, November 28
Six persons, including five Sikh pilgrims from India, were injured when the vehicle they were travelling in met with an accident on the Hazara road near the Wah cantonment in Pakistan's Punjab province, the police said today.

British-Indian wins case
London, November 28
A British call centre worker of Indian origin, sent home early from a work trip to Delhi as his accent “wasn't English enough”, has won a racial discrimination claim against his employer.

Israel, Palestine to hold fresh talks
Ashish Kumar Sen writes from Washington

Israeli and Palestinian leaders will begin a new round of peace talks at the White House. The development comes after both sides pledged to end a cycle of violence that has plagued their people for decades and set a 2008-end target to reach a peace agreement.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met under the watchful eye of President George W. Bush and the representatives of more than 40 other nations and international organisations in Annapolis on Tuesday.

"We express our determination to bring an end to bloodshed, suffering and decades of conflict between our peoples; to usher in a new era of peace, based on freedom, security, justice, dignity, respect and mutual recognition; to propagate a culture of peace and non-violence; to confront terrorism and incitement, whether committed by Palestinians or Israelis," the leaders said in a statement issued in Annapolis, near Washington.

"In furtherance of the goal of two states, Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security, we agree to immediately launch good-faith bilateral negotiations in order to conclude a peace treaty, resolving all outstanding issues, including all core issues, without exception, as specified in previous agreements," they said, adding they would make every effort to conclude an agreement before the end of 2008.

A "steering committee," led jointly by the head of the delegation of each party, will be meeting on December 12.

Iran, a long-time supporter of Palestinian statehood,and Hamas, the Islamic militant group branded a terrorist organisation by the U.S. and which controls the Gaza Strip - a key part of any future Palestinian state - were not invited to the conference, undermining its legitimacy. Both Iran and Hamas do not recognise Israel's right to exist and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has publicly called for Israel to be wiped off the map.

The conference marked a belated interest in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by Bush, who came to the White House with a hands-off approach to the region. Scrambling to build his legacy as he enters his final year in office, Bush had instructed his Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, to put together the one-day Middle East peace conference.

Bush said: "I believe now is precisely the right time to begin these negotiations. America will do everything in our power to support their quest for peace, but we cannot achieve it for them."

Urging the creation of a Palestinian state, Bush said such a state would provide Palestinians with the chance to lead lives of freedom and dignity and to live in peace with their neighbours.

Lanka minister escapes 5th bid on life

Colombo, November 28
Sri Lankan minister and a Tamil politician Douglas Devananda Kathirvelu Nithyananda, co-founder of Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP), today miraculously escaped an assassination attempt for the fifth time when a suspected female LTTE suicide bomber blew herself up in front of his office.

The woman, said to be physically challenged, tried to enter Devananda's office by taking advantage of the day when the Social Services and Social Welfare Minister personally meets people to address their grievances. However, the alert action of security stopped the assailant who almost went close to his room.

When the anti-Tamil riots broke out in July 1983, Devananda was lodged in Welikada and he was one of the few prisoners who escaped death during an attack at the prison complex.

In September 1983, he along with other Tamil political prisoners escaped from the Batticaloa prison and fled to Tamil Nadu.

Devananda's residence in Colombo was attacked by the LTTE on October 9, 1995. He survived this attack due to the valiant efforts of his party cadres and bodyguards.

Once again in 1998, Devananda was attacked by the LTTE cadres detained at the Kalutara Prison, when he visited the jail to address the grievances of the prisoners who were on a hunger strike. He survived this attack as well, but lost his sight in one eye.

Another attempt was made on his life in 2004 by a female LTTE suicide bomber, while the minister was attending to his official duties at his office. — PTI

Skewed ratio results in household sexual slavery in India

New York, November 28
Pre-natal sex selection in India is leading to skewed sex ratios resulting in a greater demand for young women trafficked from lower castes and abroad, who are then forced into household sexual slavery, a UN body has said.

In households that cannot afford more than one woman, she is often referred to as a 'Draupadi' and is sometimes forced to provide sexual services not only to her husband but also his brothers and male relatives, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has said.

The UNFPA is highlighting the five areas relating to gender-violence during its second annual '16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence' which began on November 25, International Day for Violence Against Women.

To date, researchers estimate that there are between 40 and 50 million 'missing' girlchildren who were never born because they were either aborted or killed soon after birth.

Domestic violence in Russia, self-immolation in Central Asia and Pakistan, gender-based violence and "compensation marriages" are the other areas on group's agenda. Approximately 14,000 women are murdered by their intimate partners annually in Russia, according to UNFPA.

Women are two to five times more susceptible to contracting HIV from a male partner, but gender-based violence, including coercion, wartime rape, 'widow cleansing', domestic violence and female genital mutilation, also contributes to the soaring rates, it said. — PTI

Tracking Diseases
NASA uses remote sensing technology

Washington, November 28
Remote- sensing technology has helped NASA scientists to predict and track the outbreak of infectious diseases around the world by observing the earth’s environment.

With the help of 14 satellites currently in orbit and the NASA Applied Sciences Programme, scientists have been able to use the remote- sensing technology in predicting the outbreak of some of the most common and deadly infectious diseases such as malaria, West Nile virus and Rift Valley Fever, the Science Daily reported.

The ability of infectious diseases to thrive depends on changes in the earth’s environment.

“The use of this technology is not only essential for the future of curbing the spread of infectious diseases,” explains John Haynes, public health programme manager for the NASA Earth Science Applied Sciences Programme.

“NASA satellites are also a cost-effective method for operational agencies since they are already in orbit and in use by scientists to collect data about the Earth’s atmosphere,” says Haynes.

A particular infectious disease being targeted by NASA is malaria, which affects 300-500 million people worldwide, leaving 40 per cent of the world at risk of infection.

“Changing environment due to global warming has the ability to change environmental habitats so drastically that diseases such as malaria may become common in areas that have never been previously at risk,” he adds. — UNI

80 Indians charged with ‘illegal’ protest

Kuala Lumpur, November 28
Eighty ethnic Indians were charged today for participating in the largest-ever mass demonstration by the community here last week to protest against their alleged marginalisation in the country.

The Indians pleaded not guilty to participating in an "illegal assembly" where around 10,000 Indians took part in a rally in the Malaysian capital. Malaysia's Prime Minister said the government would invoke the Internal Security Act (ISA), under which a person can be held without trial for an extended period of time, to curb street demonstrations if the situation so warranted.

Meanwhile, the Bar Council has urged the government to look into the grievances of the Indian community. — PTI

Chandigarh resident, five others hurt in Pak mishap

Islamabad, November 28
Six persons, including five Sikh pilgrims from India, were injured when the vehicle they were travelling in met with an accident on the Hazara road near the Wah cantonment in Pakistan's Punjab province, the police said today.

The Sikhs, who are in Pakistan to attend celebrations marking the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, were in a pick-up truck that collided with another vehicle on the Hazara road late last night,the police said.

They were travelling from Gurdwara Panja Sahib to a railway station, it said, adding five Sikh pilgrims and the driver of the pick-up were injured.

Five of the injured were identified as Nounihal Singh and Ranjeet Singh, both residents of Haryana, Ajdhair Singh, a resident of Kotaria, Mehinder Singh, a resident of Chandigarh, and Bukhat Kaur, a resident of Kourochitar. — PTI

British-Indian wins case

London, November 28
A British call centre worker of Indian origin, sent home early from a work trip to Delhi as his accent “wasn't English enough”, has won a racial discrimination claim against his employer.

Chetankumar Meshram from Northampton has been awarded a compensation of £ 5,000 after his employer, Talk Talk, was found guilty of racial discrimination for sending him back to Britain, The Times reported here today.

“I hope this ruling will encourage people to select employees to carry out work based on their skills and knowledge regardless of what country they live or work in,” he was quoted as saying. — PTI