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PM seeks global network to fight terror; advocates changes in Security Council
We are working hard to get N-deal passed: Bush
Bomb attack on Pak train kills 6
Volunteers and paramilitary forces carry the body of a suspected terrorist from his hideout in Karachi on Friday. — Reuters |
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Change in US leadership won’t affect ties: Menon
Russia, Venezuela pledge closer ties
Consulates to be opened in Seattle, Atlanta
Oldest rocks discovered
German police arrests two terrorist suspects
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PM seeks global network to fight terror; advocates changes in Security Council
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today called for strengthening global cooperation to combat terrorism while strongly pitching for a radical change in the composition of the UN Security Council to reflect contemporary realities of the 21st century. ''It is vital that we strengthen internationalcooperation to combat terrorism and to bring the perpetrators, organisers, financers and sponsors of terrorism to justice. We should conclude expeditiously the comprehensive convention on internationalterrorism,'' he said, with recent serial blasts in major Indian cities and the suicide bomb attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul on his mind. The growing assertion of separate identities and ethnic, cultural and religious intolerance threatened the global developmental efforts and universal peace and stability. Addressing the 63rd session of the UN General Assembly on the day he turned 76, Singh underlined that the world needs a 'Second Green Revolution' to address the problem of food security while regretting that the explosion of financial innovation unaccompanied by credible systemic regulation had made the financialsystem vulnerable. ''There is a need for a new international initiative to bring structural reform in the world's financial system with more effective regulation and stronger systems of multilateral consultations and surveillance. This must be designed in as inclusive a manner as possible,'' he emphasised. The Prime Minister made it a point to mention the Indo-US nuclear deal in his address to the world body, saying the opening of international civil nuclear cooperation with India would have a positive impact on global energy security and on efforts to combat climate change. ''This is a vindication of India's impeccable record on non-proliferation and to our long-standing commitment to nuclear disarmament that is global, universal and non-discriminatory in nature.'' Recalling that the blueprint of universal nuclear disarmament was spelt out by Rajiv Gandhi in his address to the world body in 1988, Singh said: ''I reiterate India's proposal for a nuclear weapons convention, prohibiting the development, production, stockpiling and use of nuclear weapons and providingfor their complete elimination within a specified time-frame.'' Recollecting that at the 2005 World summit, the international community had pledged for early and meaningful reforms in the UN, the Prime Ministerregretted that there had been little progress on the core elements of the reform agenda. ''We need to make more determined efforts to revitalise the General Assembly to enable it to fulfil its rightful role as the principal deliberative organ of the UN...it is only a truly representative and revitalised UN that can become the effective focal point for the cooperative efforts of the world community. We need to expeditiously hold negotiations towards the end.'' Expressing concern over the situation in Afghanistan, he said the international community must pool all its resources to ensure the success of reconstruction efforts in the embattled nation and its emergence as a moderate, pluralistic and democratic society. He also welcomed the return of democracy in Pakistan and declared India's commitment to resolving all outstanding issues with its neighbour, including the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, through dialogue. Singh lamented that poverty, ignorance and disease afflicted millions of people and emphasised putting in place a global cooperative network of institutions of developed and developing countries engaged in R&D in energy efficiency, clean energy technologies and renewable sources of energy.
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We are working hard to get N-deal passed: Bush
As it drizzled outside on a relatively cold day in the US capital, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President George Bush met at the President’s Oval Office. But they were still a step away from toasting the landmark nuclear deal they had struck at the same place over three years ago. But Bush assured Singh that his administration was working hard to get the 123 agreement passed in Congress as quickly as possible. As the two leaders shook hands and discussed the entire range of bilateral relationship in a “warm and friendly” atmosphere, Bush observed that the civil nuclear initiative “has taken a lot of work on both our parts, a lot of courage on your part. And of course, we want the agreement to satisfy you and get out of our Congress.” The US leader, who was meeting Singh perhaps for the last time before demitting office, said India was a great country, with an incredibly bright future. “It is in the US interest to have a good, strong strategic relationship with India. We have worked hard to achieve that.” Hours before the Bush-Singh meeting, the US ambassador to India David C Mulford indicated the deal could get the Congress approval “in a couple of days.” The delay in Congress approval is being attributed to the economic slowdown being witnessed in the US as a result of which the Bush administration’s entire energy is focused on grappling with the financial crises. Manmohan Singh and Bush met for nearly 40 minutes discussing issues ranging from trade, technology and civilian nuclear cooperation to terrorism, education and research. The Prime Minister expressed the hope that the nuclear initiative before Congress would be approved in a manner that was satisfactory from the point of view of both the countries. “And when history is written, I think it will be recorded that President George W Bush made an historic goal in bringing our two democracies closer to each other,”said Manmohan Singh. Singh’s was obviously referring to efforts by the non-proliferation hawks in the Democratic Party to introduce some killer riders like a reference to India's cooperation with the US in isolating Iran which could potentially kill the nuclear deal. India is also unhappy over the attempts being made by the US to give an impression that fuel supplies were not legally binding and were merely political commitments. The two leaders also discussed the increasing militancy in tribal areas of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan and the need for solidarity in the battle against terrorism. “I appreciated very much your briefing on the neighbourhood in which you live. It was very informative and it helps me make decisions and it helps me formulate policy,” Bush said, indicating that the two countries may intensify cooperation in addressing the problem of terrorism and stability in Afghanistan. Briefing reporters on the meeting, foreign secretary Shiv Shanker Menon said Singh expressed his gratitude to President Bush for his “decisive intervention” for the India-specific waiver at the NSG. Most of the larger issues were covered by the two leaders during their dinner meeting later. It was a small dinner in the old family dinner room of the White House. A beaming grey-suited Bush fondly recalled his visit to India in March 2006. “I will never forget my visit to your country, Mr Prime Minister. I remember telling my friends when I got back what an exciting place India is,” he said. Singh, clad in black suit, returned the compliment and praised Bush for his “historic role” in the “massive transformation of India-US relations since their July 18, 2005 meeting in Washington.” Singh, who has invested considerable political capital and even staked his government for the sake of the deal, said he believed the pact would bolster India’s energy security, credited Bush for ending three and a half decades of “nuclear apartheid” against India.
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Bomb attack on Pak train kills 6
Islamabad, September 26
The explosion occurred at 1 pm local time when the train was heading to the city of Bahawalnagar, an official of the Pakistan Railways said. The blast left six people dead and 15 injured. Among the dead were three children and a woman, who were killed on the spot, witnesses said. Local residents took the injured to nearby hospitals in private cars. Hospital sources said six of the injured were in critical condition. “There was an explosion. The debris at the site indicates that it was a bomb blast,” Pakistan Railways General Manager Nasir Zaidi told a TV channel. No group claimed responsibility for the blast, which came almost a week after a suicide bomber rammed a truck full of explosives into the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad. A report from Karachi said three suicide bombers suspected of planning an attack on a “high-profile” target in Pakistan's southern port city blew themselves up after police surrounded the house they were hiding in. The suicide bombers linked to an outlawed militant outfit with close links to Al-Qaeda, detonated themselves as security forces tried to flush them out from a building in the shanty Baldia town on the city outskirts, the police said. The raid on the militant outfit came as Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani reached the metropolis on an official visit. There was no immediate suggestion that the men were targeting Gilani, whose motorcade was recently attacked near the capital. Also, the police made a huge haul of 10 kg of explosives, two suicide jackets, seven pistols and nine hand grenades from the Karachi house, which was badly damaged by the explosion. A leader of the outfit who had been nabbed earlier tipped off the police about the presence of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militant. Bodies of the slain militants were recognisable and the police said that they were wanted over the killings of several local leaders and clerics. —Reuters/PTI
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Change in US leadership won’t affect ties: Menon
India is confident that political transformation in the US would not affect relations between New Delhi and Washington.
“The relationship enjoys broad bipartisan support and even if you look at the opinion polls (in the US Presidential campaign), this is one of the most popular relationship,” Foreign Secretary Shiv Shanker Menon told reporters here. Observing that a strong Indo-US relationship was in the interest of both the countries, Menon said the ties between the two democracies had bolstered in the last three years in several areas. “This kind of qualitative transformation in a relationship is based
on mutual interest and mutual benefit. It is not dependent on one government,” he added. On the Indo-US nuclear deal, the Indian official said it also enjoyed bipartisan support. Both Republican Presidential nominee John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama had expressed support for the India-specific waiver. “In the US Congress, there is bipartisan support but the fact is that they do have other things to do so it is really a function of their own process.” On whether India was disappointed at non-completion of the process in the Congress, Menon pointed out that New Delhi had never set deadlines. “This is something new that we are trying, it is unprecedented, it is very important, it has tremendous potential. We have to work it and we have to learn as we go along. And so far, I think we have done very well.”
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Russia, Venezuela pledge closer ties
Orenburg (Russia), September 26 Chavez, known for his anti-US rhetoric, hosted a visit by Russian bomber planes to Venezuela this month and Russian warships will hold exercises there in November, the first such manoeuvres in the Americas since the Cold War. “Esteemed President, dear Hugo, I am glad to greet the delegation of our friend Venezuela,” a smiling Medvedev said as he greeted Chavez at the start of their talks in the town of Orenburg. Medvedev said, “Our cooperation is multi-faceted ... it includes economic and military ties.” Chavez expressed his “full, modest but firm support” for Moscow's military intervention in Georgia, although Venezuela did not match Russia's recognition of Georgia’s separatist South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions as independent states. Russia announced this week it was making available to Venezuela a $1 billion loan to cover purchases of arms and military equipment from Russian manufacturers. With Medvedev and Chavez watching, Russia's Gazprom gas giant signed a memorandum of understanding with Venezuela's PDVSA state oil firm and the two countries’ energy ministers agreed to draw up an energy cooperation pact. Chavez met Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow late on Thursday, and was given an undertaking that Russia would consider helping Venezuela develop nuclear power plants. Chavez, who met Medvedev on the sidelines of a joint-military exercise by Russia and Kazakhstan, addressed his Russian counterpart as "president and friend.” He thanked Medvedev for sending two TU-160 bombers to Venezuela this month, and took a swipe at Washington. “Although someone there in the north of our continent said that those were obsolete airplanes, we were delighted by these aircraft,” said Chavez. The development of closer ties with Venezuela “should not be politicised,” one Russian official said this week. He said it was driven mainly by economic interests. — Reuters
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Consulates to be opened in Seattle, Atlanta
India has decided to open consulates at Seattle and Atlanta in the US, which are home to more than 50,000 people of Indian origin and fast emerging as major economic markets.
Briefing reporters on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's meeting with President George W Bush, Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon said Washington had accepted New Delhi's proposal to open the two new consulates in view of the presence of Indian diaspora and commercial interests. Besides the embassy in Washington, India has consulates in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Houston in the US. Menon pointed out that the US opened its consulate in Hyderabad
recently. Apart from its mission in New Delhi, the US has consulates in Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai. It is also considering consular services in Bangalore and
Ahmedabad.
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Oldest rocks discovered
New York, September 26 An international team, led by University of McGill, has found the rocks, as old as 4.28 billion years, in Northern Quebec in Canada, along the Hudson’s Bay coast, 40 km south of Inukjuak in an area known as the Nuvvuagittuq greenstone belt. “These are the oldest whole rocks found so far,” lead scientist Richard W. Carlson said. —PTI
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German police arrests two terrorist suspects
Berlin, September 26 “It all went off in quite an unspectacular manner,” he told Reuters television.The police in the North Rhine-Westphalia district of western Germany said there was no indication the two were about to launch an attack. “The German police authorities removed two passengers from the plane...All the passengers had to get out for a check of all the luggage, and they removed the suspects' luggage,” said a spokesman for KLM. The flight, KL1804, continued its journey to Amsterdam just over an hour later. Unlike Britain and Spain, Germany has not suffered a major recent attack on its own soil but Germans have been fearful since the northern port of Hamburg was used as a base for planning the Sept. 11 attacks on U.S. targets. A spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry said there were no firm signs of an attack in Germany. “We still believe we are caught in the crosshairs of terrorism but there are no indications of concrete preparations for an attack,” the spokeswoman told a regular government news conference. — Reuters
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Islamabad, September 26
