Mumbai, October 15
The government has allowed the Indian Navy to conduct patrols off the Gulf of Aden and on the Somalian coast, following increased incidents of piracy on high seas, according to sources here.

The naval authorities had proposed earlier this year that it would patrol the seas off Somalia independently or under the flag of the United Nations.

The proposal came after a spate of incidents where ships with Indian crew were hijacked by pirates operating in the region.

However, the Indian government sat on the proposal on the grounds that India did not have any bilateral treaty with the Somalian government.

The government finally decided to alter its stand after pirates seized the ship MT Stolt Valor nearly a month ago.

The ship has 18 crew members and the pirates are said to be demanding a ransom running into several million dollars.

Though the ransom amount was brought down to two million dollars, the ship's owners are reportedly not keen on paying.

Families of the ship's Indian crew members have been putting pressure on the government to get the ship released.

Navies of a number of countries like Canada, China and Yemen are operating either independently or under the UN flag to combat the menace of piracy.

International Maritime Board officials say 54 ships have so far been hijacked by Somalian gangs this year.

Officials here say, Somalian gangs control vast areas across the war-torn country and have access to ports, telecommunication equipment and other infrastructure to operate as near-sovereign entities.

Hijacked ships are often berthed in ports controlled by the gangs while negotiations for ransom take place.

Mumbai, October 15
Scores of employees, including in-flight crew of Jet Airways, staged noisy protests outside the airline’s offices here after the management announced its decision to drastically cut work force.

According to officials of the airline, about 2,000 staffers may be retrenched in
the coming weeks.

Politicians are getting into the act with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the communist parties threatening action against the airline.

While CITU has demanded that services by Jet Airways be stopped, MNS leader Raj Thackeray warned that its activists would ensure that no flight by the airline lands or takes off from Mumbai airport.

The trade union wings of the Shiv Sena and its offshoot, the MNS enjoys tremendous following among employees at the Mumbai airport.

According to a statement issued by Wolfgang Prock Schauer, CEO, Jet Airways around 800 flight attendants who were recruited for the airline’s planned expansion programme would be “released”.

He further stated that the services of more employees would be terminated in
the coming days.

Prock Schauer noted that the aviation industry in India was facing a major recession with the industry with a turnover of US$ 6 billion was expected to lose US$ 2 billion in 2008-09.

“The economic viability of the industry has been severely affected by the record high fuel prices and most recently due to the crisis of the financial markets globally and the downturn in traffic,” the statement issued by him said.

Prock Schauer stated that Jet Airways had earlier recruited employees as part of plans for a continuous growth in the domestic aviation market.

“However, the domestic market has declined by double digit figures in recent months. Apart from this, Jet Airways’ long haul expansion had to be pruned down due to international developments,” he said.

He added that the sacking of employees were not a result of Jet Airways’ agreement with Kingfisher Airlines.

Shortly after the airline’s statement, Jet Airways’ employees met with Raj Thackeray. The MNS leader said he would meet with airline officials on Thursday.

“If they do not take the sacked employees back, we won’t let a single Jet flight take off from Mumbai and Maharashtra,” Thackeray said.

New Delhi, October 15
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Presidents of Brazil and South Africa today expressed serious concern over the threat posed by non-state actors or terrorists acquiring nuclear weapons or related materials and technologies while calling for an early conclusion of negotiations leading to an expeditious adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT).

Condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, leaders of three countries emphasised that there could be no justification for terrorist acts, reaffirming that terrorism presented a grave threat to international peace and security.

Singh, Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and South African President Kgalema Motlanthe issued a ‘Delhi declaration’ at the end of the third IBSA (India- Brazil- South Africa) summit, a forum launched by the three countries in 2003 for coordinating closely on global issues, promoting the interests of developing nations, enhancing cooperation in sectoral areas and improving economic ties.

Senior ministers of the three countries also signed seven MoUs/ action plans and agreements to enhance cooperation in diverse fields.

They are: MoU on cooperation in the field of environment, five-year action plan for cooperation in the civil aviation sector (2008-2013), five-year action plan on maritime projects (2008-2013), tripartite agreement on tourism, MoU on cooperation in women development and gender equality, MoU on cooperation in human settlements development and another MoU on trade facilitation on standards.

Addressing a joint press conference with the leaders of Brazil and South Africa,
Prime Minister Singh said the three countries had discussed at length the global
economic meltdown and decided to establish a coordinated mechanism to deal
with the situation.

The three leaders asked their finance, trade and foreign affairs ministers and governors of central banks to meet as early as possible and evolve a strategy to ensure that the international financial crises did not have a huge bearing on their respective economies.

Singh said the three countries had also set a target of achieving trilateral trade to the tune of 25 billion US dollars by 2015.

“This unprecedented turbulence in financial markets and the resulting instability threatens global prosperity. The explosion of new financial instruments, unaccompanied by credible and systematic regulation, has resulted among others in a major crisis of confidence for which those responsible should be held accountable and liable,’’ the ‘Delhi declaration’ issued by the three leaders said.

On UN reforms, they expressed their full support for a genuine reform of the Security Council, with expansion in both permanent and non-permanent categories of membership, with greater representation for developing countries in both, to ensure that its composition reflected contemporary realities.

On peaceful uses of nuclear energy, the three countries welcomed the decision of the IAEA and the NSG, allowing India to engage in nuclear trade.

New Delhi, October 15
After recommending action against tainted judges in the higher judiciary, Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan has got down to weeding out corruption at the lower level with a proposal for compulsorily retiring judicial officers with doubtful integrity or found to be incompetent.

Officials of the lower judiciary found to be “unit, incompetent, ineffective or with doubtful integrity” should be retired at the age of 50, if the officer had joined service before 35, or at 55 in other cases, the CJI said in a letter to the Chief Justices of High Courts.

There was provision for this in Rule 56(j) of Fundamental Rules which enabled the ‘appropriate authority’ to retire any government servant, if in its opinion, “it is in the public interest to do so,” CJI Balakrishnan said.

This would entail assessing the officers of the lower judiciary thrice, when they attain the age of 50, 55 and 58.

“With a view to provide that a judicial officer who is unfit, ineffective, incompetent or has doubtful integrity may be retired from service even before his continued utility is assessed in terms of directions of this court in the All-India Judges Association case, I would recommend that a review, on the lines of the provisions contained in Rule 56(j) of the Fundamental Rules, be carried out firstly when judicial officers attain the age of 50 years and then whey they attain the age of 55 years,” the letter sent out yesterday said.

This would be in addition to the assessment being carried out at the age of 58 years in terms of the directions of this court.

The CJI asked Chief Justices to amend service rules, providing such assessments.

If implemented in right earnest, such a provision would keep deviant behaviour in check, besides getting rid of those who were found to be “indolent, ineffective or with doubtful integrity,” he asserted.

The government wanted to take the court's approval for the guidelines to give these legal sanctity, he said.

New Delhi, October 15
The Delhi high court today rapped the centre for citing religious text for supporting its earlier claim that homosexual sex would lead to increased incidence of AIDS.

As the hearing resumed on the Naz Foundation’s petition challenging criminalisation of gay sex in India, additional solicitor general, P.P. Malhotra, argued against it on the basis of Biblical writing, authored by a minister in the Catholic church.

The random writings Malhotra cited, while arguing against the deletion of Section 377 of the IPC which punishes homosexual sex, invited the wrath of the court, which asked the centre to come up with scientific evidence to support its claim that gay sex led to AIDS. The contention had been made on September 26 in the court.

Despite the division bench headed by Chief Justice A.P. Shah repeatedly asking to furnish authentic, scientific proof in favour of the Centre’s claim, Malhotra continued to argue on the same lines.

The bench said, “This is just one-sided version of a religious body which cannot be relied upon. This is part of religious doctrine. Show us some scientific report which says that gay sex should be criminalised.”

The court was earlier unhappy with the fact that the health and home ministries had submitted contradictory affidavits in the case.

While the health ministry through the Naitonal AIDS Control Organisation (NACO)
has been demanding modification of Section 377 of the IPC to legalise consensual
homosexual sex, the home ministry has been opposing any such move, saying it
would harm “public morals and public health besides granting a licence for unbridled
unnatural sex.”

Hearing in this case will resume tomorrow, with health minister Anbumani Ramadoss today telling The Tribune that he and like minded ministers like Oscar Fernandes had sought an appointment with the Prime Minister to discuss the issue and convince the home ministry to come around.

“The battle against Section 377 of the IPC is not yet lost. We are hopeful of convincing the home ministry of why we are seeking to de-criminalise homosexuality. It is urgent for the success of HIV/AIDS control programme in India.”

New Delhi, October 15
The chief of US Army, General George W. Cassey, will visit forward areas in Jammu and Kashmir during his visit in India.

The first visit ever by a US chief to a forward base in the state starts tomorrow.

He will visit the forward base camp just short of Saichen -located on the border between India and Pakistan.

Sources said the General would be flying to the base camp located at a height of nearly 18,000 feet in an IAF chopper.

However, he would not fly over Saichen or land at the helipad at the glacier, which is touted as the world’s highest battlefield.

He would not go right to the top as the only way is on board a single engine Cheetah helicopter, which was not used for flying such high ranking dignitaries.

Also the weather could get tricky in minutes, hence, no chances were being taken, sources said.

Had he done that the General would have got a first hand view of how soldiers were operating in tough conditions at Saichen.

The General will also visit Leh from where he will take a chopper flight till the base camp short of Saichen.

It is at this base camp that things like supply chains and managing and moving stocks are managed to the top of the glacier.

The idea of the US army seems to be to learn how logistics are managed in such remote and inaccessible locations.

The US probably needs to implement the same in remote and snow bound areas in Afghanistan where it is a part of the NATO forces operating there since 2001.

General Cassey will also be holding meetings with his Indian counterpart General Deepak Kapoor tomorrow to review the security scenario in South-East Asia.

Here, the agenda is expected to be changing scenarios in Pakistan and the security situation that can emerge.

He will commence his visit by laying a wreath at the Amar Jawan Jyoti at the Indian Gate and inspect a guard of honour at the south block lawns. He will also visit the Taj Mahal in Agra.

Meanwhile, the US Navy and the Indian Navy will commence an exercise in the Arabian Sea under the “Malabar exercise”.

This will include diverse activities, ranging from gun-firing and fighter combat operations from aircraft carriers to combating the scourge of terror, through Maritime interdiction operation exercises.

The Malabar exercises are held every year with different countries participating in it.

Guwahati, October 15
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) team of the Tripura police has virtually cracked the October 1 serial blasts case that left about 100 injured in Agartala with the arrest of two key suspects belonging to the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF), a tribal militant group having their camps across the border in Bangladesh.

DIG Nepal Chandra Das said the CID investigation team which has so far arrested 12 persons, including AATF cadres and collaborators, has cracked the case with the arrest of the two key accused Bikash Debbarma and Dinesh Debbarma suspected to have carried out the serial blasts using mobile phones as remote control devices. More arrests are on the cards in the case.

The police official did not rule out indirect role of ‘outside forces’ in the serial blasts given that the arrested duo had confessed to have received training in explosives handling and bomb making across the border in Bangladesh.

The police also fished out a mobile phone used as a trigger in carrying out serial explosions from a pond near their hideout.

The arrests of the two key accused followed the interrogation of Budhi Debbarma, who was arrested earlier by the police.

The police said Budhi had introduced key accused Bikash and another person
to one Satyajit Sinha Roy, whose house the rebels had taken for rent to
assemble the bomb.

Dinesh, a surrendered cadre of the ATTF though did not stay in the house, was one of their accomplices in bomb making.

Bikash used a mobile phone to trigger the blasts himself, the police claimed.

The police raided the rented house on October 11 at Bhati-Avoynagar in Agartala and seized bomb-making material and the cover of the SIM cards used in the blasts, but Bikash had already escaped. He was subsequently arrested from Khowai in West Tripura district on October 13, the sources said.

The investigation took a definite direction after the police had arrested two ATTF activists Shanti Debbarma and Angad Santhal who provided the lead that 25-year-old Bikash Debbarma belonging to the outfit masterminded the blasts.

The police also arrested a person from West Tripura district’s Sidhai area, bordering Sylhet in Bangladesh, who had supplied the SIM cards to the blasts accused.

Guwahati, October 15
A rare surgery to remove triple gallbladders was performed on a 33-year-old lady at Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) here by a group of doctors headed by Dr Ilias Ali, associate professor.

Dr Ali said a triple gallbladder or triplication of gallbladder (Vesica Fellea Triplex) is a very rare congenital anomaly of biliary tract and only 10 cases were reported in scientific literature worldwide up to 2003.

Indira Khanikar from Tezpur has been suffering from a rare and complicated gallbladder disease for last five month.

The lady was initially diagnosed to be suffering from a double gallbladder with stones, a very rare condition, by ultrasonography tests.

“After meticulous examination, I advised her to do a MRCP (a specialised type of MRI for biliary tract) to ascertain the diagnosis and to detect other probable abnormalities which are usually associated with this problem,” Dr Ali informed.

The MRCP test detected that she had a triple gallbladder with gall stones instead of two as detected in earlier diagnostic tests.

She was admitted to the GMCH on October 10. All three infected gallbladders were removed during the operation carried out yesterday.

New Delhi, October 15
The BJP which continued its attack against the UPA government on the Sethusamudram project, referred to by the BJP as the Ram Sethu issue, is, however, tacitly supportive of the same government on the issue of Sri Lankan Tamils.

This is notwithstanding the fact that almost all the parties in Tamil Nadu have got together and issued an ultimatum to the UPA government to stop aiding the Sri Lankan government, which is engaged in a fierce combat with the Sri Lankan Tamil Tigers, the LTTE.

Besides, the BJP is desperately searching for allies in Tamil Nadu where it has hardly any presence. It is hoping to align with the AIADMK, led by former Chief Minister J Jayalalitha. But so far Jayalalitha has not responded to their overtures.

On the Tamil parties’ ultimatum, BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is also the party in charge of Tamil Nadu, merely said, “Our president Rajnath Singh has said that “we are all for the integrity of Sri Lanka. But it is sad that the human rights of Tamilians are being trampled upon. We have already said that the Government of India should take it up with the Sri Lankan government.”

Prasad also dismissed lightly the threat of resignation, saying, “First of all, all parties are not party to this decision. The AIADMK and the BJP did not participate.”

Asked to specify the BJP stand on Tamil parties’ demand to stop aiding Sri Lanka, Prasad said, “They are all part of the UPA government. It is for the UPA government to take cognisance of their sentiments.”

But when it came to the Sethusamudram project, which seeks to dredge Ram Sethu and create a corridor for ships in the Gulf of Mannar, Prasad, who is opposed to the project, viciously attacked the UPA government for not respecting the religious sentiments of the Hindus.

Referring to the government stand in the Supreme Court yesterday in which it contended that the Ram Sethu did not hold much religious value for Hindus, Prasad said, “Who has given this authority to the UPA government? What is the historical, philosophical, cultural, spiritual basis for the stand, which is highly condemnable?”

He also wondered, “Can the UPA government take this kind of a derogatory stand against the symbols of other faiths?”

New Delhi, October 15
The second part of the monsoon session of Parliament - beginning October 17- promises to be a tumultuous affair, with the opposition vowing to corner the government on a range of issues, including terrorism, economic crisis and the Indo-US nuclear deal.

Elections will also cast their long shadow on the session, which will conclude on November 21, subject to exigencies of the government business.

There is, however, a possibility of the session being curtailed in the poll season, though the parliamentary affairs minister said today that the matter was for the speaker to decide in consultation with party leaders.

In the 24 sittings spread over 36 days, the House is to take up 71 legislative, two financial and one non-legislative Bill.

But with the opposition in a ballistic mood, and the buffer of the Left gone, the UPA may not go beyond getting supplementary demands for grants (general and Railways) for 2008-2009 passed.

It will remain in a tight spot, not just on account of opposition pressure, but also due to agitations within its ranks.

The session - virtually being seen as the last - comes at a time when key UPA partners are agitated. While the DMK is upset over the killings of Tamils in Sri Lanka and is demanding the government to ensure de-escalation of hostility in the island nation, the SP has been playing the minority card ahead of polls, with Amar Singh demanding a judicial probe into Batla House encounter at any forum.

Lalu’s RJD and Ram Vilas Paswan’s LJP have been seeking a ban on the Bajrang Dal and President’s Rule in Orissa.

For minorities’ sake, they also seem game for a probe into Jamia Nagar encounter.

The government however continues to be non-committal on all these issues, which are ready to rock Parliament.

Reconciling these matters will be a challenge for the UPA, which plans to corner the opposition by initiating a discussion on the federal structure of Indian polity.

The UPA is particularly miffed at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati’s bahaviour with respect to Sonia Gandhi.

Clarifying that the government was willing to accommodate discussions on any subject, including anti-minority violence and Batla House encounter, parliamentary affairs minister Vyalar Ravi today said there was a need to create a via media whereby the centre could intervene in the state’s affairs.

He specially mentioned Mayawati and said, “This was no way to behave. There is a clear realisation that the central government’s power to intervene in the affairs of state government must go beyond advisories,” he said, indicating the line the UPA will take when cornered by the opposition on terror attacks.

The minister however said no proposal for changes to the anti-terror law had been received for the ensuing session.

“But we will have a discussion on how to strengthen the federal structure while ensuring the centre’s enhanced role,” he added.

Among bills, the government is desperate to pass are the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2005, which seeks to make voting right commensurate with shareholding, and the Pension Fund Regulatory and the Development Authority Bill. The Communal Violence (Prevention, Control and Rehabilitation of Victims) Bill 2005 is also listed in A category for consideration and passing.

That it would not be easy for the government to transact business was clear from the appeal the parliamentary affairs minister today made to the opposition and MPs.

“I appeal to all to have orderly conduct and enable business of the House to be transacted,” he said.

New Delhi, October 15
The BJP, which has not really succeeded in attracting too many allies to its larger Opposition NDA alliance, is now hoping to make a big headway in this direction after the elections to the five states slated for next month.

A senior BJP leader said here today, “If we do well in these elections, everyone will line up at our doorstep.”

The elections to five states will be held next month. There is a direct fight between the Congress and the BJP in Delhi, Chhatisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

The Congress has a government only in Delhi, whereas the BJP is ruling the
other three states.

The BJP, which led a 24-member NDA when it was in power, has only four allies at the moment, and since December 2007 its leader Sushma Swaraj has been fishing around for new allies but not with much success.

Only last week the party returned to its old ally former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala’s INLD simply to convey a message before the Assembly polls that it was not as friendless as perceived.

Therefore, the BJP is banking on the outcome of the state Assembly elections for attracting more allies to its fold.

The party is confident that it is heading for a victory in almost all four states. It considers UP Chief Minister Mayawati’s BSP as its big saviour and hopes that her party would damage the Congress in all four states and help the BJP in a big way.

Moreover, it is equally hopeful of reaping fruits of infighting within the Congress.

For instance in MP, a BJP leader pointed out there are four candidates in the Congress party namely, Kamal Nath, Jyotiradtiya Scindia, Digvijay Singh and Arjun Singh’s son,” said a BJP leader.

Similar is the case in Chhatisgarh where Ajit Jogi has to contend with two other claimants, the BJP claimed.

BJP felt there was some problem with Vasundhra Raje in Rajasthan “But she had fully redeemed herself the way she handled the Gujjar agitation,” said a BJP leader.

As for the presence of Uma Bharti in Madhya Pradesh, the BJP dismissed as of little consequence to their electoral prospects, saying, “Uma has a presence only in a few districts of Bundelkhand.”

He said other chief ministers roll out the red carpet to welcome investment in a state but Mayawati had rejected a good offer for petty reasons.

During his Tehri Garhwal visit, he will meet Tehri dam oustees and also call upon veteran environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna.

He will meet leaders of the party and address a press conference at Dehradun on October 22, before leaving the state.

The committee was given six months time to give its recommendations to the state government for the proposed pay hikes for the state government employees.

Patna, October 15
The Bihar government has assured the Centre that it will restore the Kosi to its main course by March 31, 2009.

It has also said all breaches will be plugged in the eastern efflux embankment
by December 2008.

The state government made these assurances to the secretary, Water Resources Department, U.N. Panjiar, yesterday.

Panjiar is here to review the progress of work being done by the state government for reconstruction of the Kosi embankment and restoration of the river to its original course. The estimated cost of the work is around Rs 200 crore.

The Centre has provided Rs 40 crore to the Bihar government on this account.

Officials of the state water resources department and engineers working on the Kosi Breach Closure Advisory Committee (KBCAC) made a presentation to the central government team.

The central team appeared satisfied with the work done so far. A 7.5-km- long pilot channel which is being constructed to divert the river water is near completion.

After that allied works like construction of a coffer dam and spur construction work will be undertaken, said a senior officer of the department.

He said global tenders were floated to reconstruct the embankment and restore the river to its original course.

These would be finalised and work allotted by October 25. The deadline for completion of work is March 31, 2009.

Talking to mediapersons later, Panjiar said funds would not be a problem.

He also met Bihar minister for water resources Bijendra Prasad Yadav and assured all possible assistance from the Centre.

The breaches in the eastern embankment of the Kosi at Kusaha in Nepal on August 18 had caused sudden floods in five districts of Bihar, affecting 33 lakh population.

New Delhi, October 15
Clearing doubts about the ban on smoking in public places since October 2, the Union health ministry today said clubs also fall into the category of public places.

“Clubs also fall into the category of public places and, therefore, they have to enforce the rules relating to the ban on smoking in public places,” the health ministry said in a statement here.

The statement further said restaurants or refreshment rooms within clubs are also public places as per the Act.

However, if a restaurant attached to a club has a seating capacity of 30 persons or more, then, it may create a separate smoking area or space.

These smoking areas should be used only for the purpose of smoking. The government has banned smoking in all public places from October 2 as part of its anti-tobacco campaign. — PTI

Panaji, October 15
The German girl, who was allegedly raped by the son of Goa education minister Atanasio Monseratte, has refused to cooperate with the investigating authorities in the case, the police said today.

“The police approached the girl with a woman activist and counsellor but she refused to cooperate. She has also refused medical examination,” a senior police official said.

The 14-year-old German was allegedly raped by 21-year-old Rohit, who has been missing from his residence at Taleigo and Miramar here since yesterday. — PTI

The senior Congress leader had suffered a heart attack on July 6 while he was on way to Kolkata from Malda after attending a meeting. — UNI

New Delhi, October 15
The issue of pay anomalies for the armed forces that had arisen out of the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission seems to have been informally decided in favour of the forces as the ruling Congress-led UPA combine will not want this to become a poll issue.

Sources said the Congress knew it that the ground swell was in favour of the forces and this had the potential to become a poll issue.

All the four demands raised by the three service chiefs were being considered in a manner that would leave no room for any grudge.

A ministerial committee headed by Pranab Mukherjee is all in favour of agreeing to the demands of the forces.

The matter may come up in the Cabinet tomorrow or next week. Defence minister A K Antony has already announced that the matter will be sorted out before Diwali.

New Delhi, October 15
The BJP yesterday termed as ‘disturbing’ the delay in announcing election dates to the Jammu and Kashmir assembly by the Election Commission.

“It is very disturbing to know that the dates for the J & K polls have not been announced,” BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley told reporters here.

“It is a matter of great concern. It will only embolden the separatists”, he added.

BRIEFLY

Pondy House meets on Oct 20
PUDUCHERRY: The winter session of the Puducherry Legislative Assembly will commence on October 20. A notification in this regard was issued by Assembly secretary M.Sivaprakasam here on Wednesday. The session, the first after V Vaithilingam assumed office as the Chief Minister would get the bill for the ‘Goondas Act’ passed in the House. The session, likely to be held for two days, would be stormy with the Opposition AIADMK against introduction of the Goondas Act in Union Territory and discussion on many other issues. — UNI

Three militants shot dead
IMPHAL: Three militants were shot dead by security personnel here on Tuesday night, whose bodies were found by the police at different places on Wednesday. The police said two cadres of the Kangleipak Communist Party were shot dead in an encounter at the Lambui road, Imphal East. Two 9 mm pistols, seven live cartridges, one demand letter and a two-wheeler were also recovered from the spot. — UNI