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Israeli planes strike govt buildings in Gaza
60 killed in nightclub fire
Pravasi Bhartiya Divas |
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Malaysian warship saves Indian tanker
A handout photo taken by the Royal Malaysian Navy and released by the Kuala Lumpur-based International Maritime Bureau on Thursday, shows the Indian vessel MT Abul Kalam Azad. — Reuters
Indian gets 12 years in jail
Pak to get aid from China, World Bank
Russia cuts off gas to Ukraine over non-payment
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Israeli planes strike govt buildings in Gaza
Gaza, January 1 Israeli tanks and troops were amassed near the border of the densely populated coastal enclave and the Haaretz newspaper reported on Thursday the Israeli army had recommended a major but short-term ground offensive. Hamas rockets fired from Gaza hit an Israeli city on Wednesday, scaring residents and hardening Israel's resolve to stamp out a threat that has killed three Israeli civilians and a soldier since renewed hostilities broke out on December 27. Foreign pressure grew on both sides to end hostilities but Israel brushed aside as "unrealistic" a French proposal for a 48-hour truce that would allow in more humanitarian aid for Gaza's 1.5 million residents. In New York, the UN Security Council held an emergency session but adjourned without a vote after Arab countries pushed for a demand for an immediate ceasefire. Western delegates described the Arab-drafted resolution as imbalanced and said negotiations would continue to reach an agreed text. France said it would host Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni on Thursday and an Israeli official said French President Nicolas Sarkozy planned to visit Jerusalem on Monday. But in Gaza and Israel, the violence continued for the sixth day as Israeli warplanes struck, after having carried out 10 raids on Wednesday. Gunmen in Gaza retaliated, firing a long-range rocket at the southern Israeli city of Beersheba. Hamas security officials said buildings housing the education and transportation ministries had been virtually destroyed. The Palestinian parliament building was also hit, they said. Israel Radio said Israeli forces massed at the Gaza border were readying for a possible ground offensive. "This is only the beginning," Israeli deputy defence minister Matan Vilnai said on Israel's Army Radio.
"We are operating now, for exactly what we have said from the start, and nothing has changed - to deal Hamas a heavy blow. It has already been wounded." He said Israel would insist on an end to all rocket-fire from Gaza. A poll in the Haaretz daily showed a majority of Israelis, 52 per cent, favoured pursuing the attacks in Gaza, with just 20 per cent backing calls for a ceasefire, and 19 per cent favouring the launch of a ground offensive into Gaza. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said Israeli attacks must stop before any truce proposals could be considered. Israel must also lift its economic blockade of Gaza and open border crossings. "After that it will be possible to talk on all issues without any exception," Haniyeh said in a televised speech. US President George W Bush spoke by phone to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, the White House said. Bush put the onus on Hamas to stop firing rockets as a first step to a truce. Olmert told his security cabinet that if a diplomatic solution could be found that ensured better security for southern Israel, the government would consider it. "But at the moment, it's not there," an aide quoted Olmert as saying. "We didn't start this operation just to end it with rocket fire continuing as it did before it began." Israeli ministers approved the mobilisation of 2,500 army reservists, expanding on an earlier call-up of 6,500 soldiers for the force on the Gaza border. — Reuters
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60 killed in nightclub fire
Kuala Lumpur, January 1 The blaze broke out at the famous Santika Club, frequented by both locals and tourists, in Ekkamai area after a pyrotechnic display ignited the second floor ceiling largely made of soundproofing material, reports said. Nearly 10 foreigners were reported to be killed during the stampede to get out of the club from burns, smoke inhalation and injuries during the incident, they said, adding around 30 bodies were charred beyond recognition. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva visited the still-smouldering club. — PTI
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Pravasi Bhartiya Divas
Toronto, January 1 The prominent Indo-Canadians who will attend the annual meet include Deepak Obhrai, parliament secretary to Canadian minister for foreign affairs, Ujjal Dosanjh, MP and former premier of British Columbia, and Asha Luthra, president of Indo-Canada chamber of commerce, Preeti Saran, consul-general of India informed on Tuesday. "The convention would have a separate regional session on Canada that would focus on building bridges on trade and investment, diaspora philanthropy and diaspora knowledge network," Saran said. Other noted persons who will participate in the convention organised by the ministry of overseas Indian affairs include Ruby Dhalla, MP, Harinder Takhar, Ontario minister for small scale industries, and Hari Pandey, ICICI president, North America. "It would evolve long term and short term strategies to attract Canadian investment in India by identifying key sectors and providing choices to the investors," Hari Pandey, a delegate who is scheduled to deliver a special speech at the regional session on Canada, said. He said that India was on the radar of the Canadian companies who want to invest in the country but they needed help in getting a matching partner. PBD, whose theme this year is 'Engaging the Diaspora- The way forward', is one of the biggest events aimed at involving Indians abroad in the economic development. — PTI
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Malaysian warship saves Indian tanker
Kuala Lumpur, January 1 “This was the New Year’s gift to the owners of the Indian tanker. If the Malaysian warship had not arrived on the scene, their tanker would have been hijacked,” the International Maritime Bureau Chief Noel Choong said. Choong said heavily armed pirates on two speedboats opened fire on the Indian tanker heading towards Suez Canal early this morning but sped away after a Malaysian frigate dispatched a helicopter to rescue the vessel. No one was injured in the incident in which pirates dressed in military attire raked the tanker’s bridge and accommodation bunks with machine gun and automatic fire. On spotting the helicopter, the pirates stopped firing and fled. The Malaysian helicopter did not fire at the pirates’ speedboats, he said. The Indian tanker carrying full load of oil was heading towards Suez Canal when it was attacked by seven Somali pirates, who came close and fired at it. The tanker’s captain took evasive measures and sent an SOS which was received by the Malaysian frigate K D Inderasakti which was only 15 nautical miles away, he said. The frigate dispatched a light military helicopter, which arrived within minutes and scared away the pirates’ boats. “The attack on the mid-sized 92687 tonne tanker was the first pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden in 2009,” Choong said. “He said the attack happened around 9 am when two boats, one with seven armed pirates, started firing at the Indian tanker’s bridge and accommodation. The captain sent out the distress call on channel 16 of the communication network,” he added. The Indian ship later followed the Malaysian frigate’s convoy. — PTI
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Indian gets 12 years in jail
Kuala Lumpur, January 1 Nagarajan Vaithilingam (22) from Tamil Nadu was handed over the sentence after he told the trial hearings that he had been sexually abused by the employer who owned the barbershop. Two other Indian nationals, who worked along with him at the shop, were jointly charged with him, but were acquitted following Nagarajan’s guilty plea. Nagarajan’s sentence begins from the date of his arrest on May 23 last year. Nagarajan, Murugesan Natarajan (36) and Ramalingam Sundaravel (19) were jointly charged with causing the death of their employer, Ganthi Kanapathy (33) by hitting him on his head with a stick. After Nagarajan pleaded guilty, his lawyer appealed to the court for leniency. He said the court should take into consideration the circumstances leading to the death of Ganthi as a mitigating factor in sentencing. Nagarajan, along with Murugesan and Ramalingam, had in earlier court proceedings claimed that they were sexually abused by their employer over a period of time, leading them to confront him. The court ordered that Murugesan and Ramalingam be handed over to the immigration authorities as their permits expired on May 27 last year. — PTI
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Pak to get aid from China, World Bank
China has agreed to provide $500 million to Pakistan by January 5 while the World Bank would extend a similar amount to Pakistan during the next three months.
Talking to reporters here, adviser on finance Shaukat Tareen told that the government would oppose further increase in interest rates on loans. He added that China would extend financial support of $500 million by January 5, which would help improve the balance of payments position of Pakistan. He said that Pakistan would also get $500 million from the World Bank during the next three months.
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Russia cuts off gas to Ukraine over non-payment
Moscow, January 1 Major European consumers of Russian gas — most of which transits across Ukraine — reported no immediate impact on their supplies but the European Union expressed concern that the dispute had flared up yet again. Russia’s state-run gas giant Gazprom confirmed that supplies to Ukraine were shut off after the parties failed to agree terms for a 2009 contract to replace the old one which expired at midnight. “We have reduced the supply of gas to Ukraine by 100 per cent,” Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said. Ukraine’s gas company,
Naftogaz, separately confirmed that the volume of gas it was receiving from Russia had dropped, but promised that transit of supplies meant for customers downstream in Europe would be guaranteed. Gazprom’s move recalled a similar cut-off in January 2006 that affected gas supplies to Europe. This time, Ukraine and the EU say they have enough gas reserves to see them through the winter. A Gazprom official said the flow of more than 300 million cubic metres per day of gas that transits Ukraine destined for clients further afield in Europe was continuing unabated. Around one-fourth of the gas used in the European Union — more than 40 per cent of the gas imported by the bloc — comes from Russia, 80 per cent of it moving in pipelines that pass through Ukraine. The European Union’s Czech presidency and the European Commission said in a joint statement that they were “concerned” by the turn of events. The supply
cut-offfees totalling $450 million. The two countries also failed to reach agreement by the midnight on Wednesday deadline on a new contract for 2009 delivery. — AFP
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Gaza, January 1
Kuala Lumpur, January 1
