Even as attacks on Indians continue Down Under, Indian High Commissioner to Australia Sujatha Singh today expressed two sets of advice to both prospective students back in India and over 1.1-lakh strong Indian student community in Australia. First, “be discerning in selecting educational institutes for study” and second, “be alert to your own security and don’t put yourself in vulnerable situations that leave you open to attacks”.

Sujatha Singh was in Melbourne to meet with the Sikh community following the recent arson attack on a Gurdwara here. She was also not without a message for the government of Victoria, a state where Indians continue to be victims of assaults, stabbings, arson and even a murder. “It is the responsibility of the state to protect all people regardless of whether or not they work late at night. They have a greater responsibility towards international students who are in unfamiliar surroundings,” she said in an exclusive interview to The Tribune.

Stating that she did not believe the issue to be one of racism, the Indian High Commissioner observed that while “there are a few bad elements, some of them might be racist and even so they are not representative of the Australian society as a whole”.

Last Thursday Victoria’s second senior most police officer Deputy Commissioner Ken Jones had admitted that there were “racists” in Victoria but “racism was not endemic”.

“India-Australia relations are growing strongly on all fronts. However, if these incidents continue to occur, they do risk damaging the relationship,” she cautioned. Terming the safety and well being of Indians in Australia to be of “utmost priority”, the Indian High Commissioner to Australia said: “We are working very closely with the Australian government.”

Commenting on the emergence of dodgy educational institutions, she said: “At least 15-16 substandard colleges have closed down in the last six months. It is clear that more are going to close down. There are several good educational institutions in Australia. There are also unfortunately some bad institutions”.

“My message to parents of prospective students is that before sending your children to study abroad ensure that it is in a college that is reliable and will give your child the education you are paying for,” she said. “Parents should be clear that when their children come here, it is to study. Many of them come here with the expectation that life will be easy and they will make a lot of money. But that is unfortunately not the case. Studying here involves long hours and what you earn in the 20 authorised hours a week is a pittance. Many of the incidents have occurred with young boys who are working late at night and find themselves travelling alone,” she said putting the ground situation in perspective.

Beverly Hills (California), January 18
A pair of box office sensations, "Avatar" and "The Hangover," earned top film honours at the Golden Globe Awards ceremony on Sunday. Action adventure "Avatar," and helped it earn $1.6 billion at global box offices, claimed the best film drama and top director for "Titanic" filmmaker James Cameron.

"Among actors, Sandra Bullock earned the title of best film actress in a drama for football movie "The Blind Side," while industry veteran Jeff Bridges was the best dramatic actor for his turn as a down-and-out country singer in "Crazy Heart."

Robert Downey, Jr. won the Golden Globe for the best comedy actor for his turn as super sleuth Sherlock Holmes in "Sherlock Holmes," and Mery Streep was the top actress in a comedy for cooking film "Julie & Julia." Germany's "The White Ribbon" was named best foreign language movie. — PTI

Just a day before Army chief Deepak Kapoor arrives here on his four-day official visit, the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists on Monday boycotted the parliament session protesting against his recent remarks regarding the issue of Maoists combatants’ integration into Nepal army.

When Speaker Subas Nembang started the session, Maoists lawmakers disrupted the House seeking Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal’s official reply regarding Gen Kapoor’s statement.

Taking special time, Maoists leader Dev Gurung said, “Our party will boycott the session protesting against the government apathy for not making its stance clear in this regard.”

A few weeks ago, Maoists chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, alias Prachanda, had sought the government’s reply over the much controversial media report that the Army chief had suggested his Nepalese counterpart chief of army staff Chhatraman Singh Gurung not to integrate politically indoctrinated Maoists combatants into the national army.

However, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, as well as the Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, have already made it clear that Kapoor’s statement was distorted by the media and that did not carry the India’s views.

Meanwhile, Maoists leader Barsha Man Pun has raised serious concerns over the government decision to invite the Army chief and confer him with the honorary rank of chief of army staff in accordance with the established tradition without receiving any clarification from India on his statement.

Gurung, too, sought clarification from the PM for his recent statement that if the Maoists fail to mend they would meet the fate of LTTE.

Washington, January 18
Top US national security officials failed to fully appreciate mounting evidence that the Al-Qaida might be preparing a new attack on the United States and of the dangers posed by extremists linked to Yemen, The New York Times reported today.

Earlier this month, the Obama Administration presented its findings about a failed Christmas Day attempt to blow up a Detroit-bound US airliner.

But a detailed review of the episode shows that there were far more warning signs than the administration has acknowledged, the newspaper said.

In September, a United Nations expert on the Al-Qaida warned policy makers in Washington that the type of explosive device used by a Yemeni militant in an assassination attempt in Saudi Arabia could be carried aboard an airliner, the report said.

In early November, the US intelligence authorities said they learned from a communications intercept of Al-Qaida followers in Yemen that a man named “Umar Farouk” - the first two names of the jetliner suspect, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab - had volunteered for a coming operation, The Times noted.

In late December, more intercepts of Al-Qaida operatives in Yemen, who had previously focused their attacks on the region, mentioned the date of December 25, and suggested that they were “looking for ways to get somebody out” or “for ways to move people to the West,” the paper pointed out, citing an unnamed senior administration official. — AFP

Port-au-Prince, January 18
Riots broke out yesterday in different parts of the ruined capital city, with gunfire aimed randomly at people, the Haitian police said. The police stopped travellers from heading into the centre of Port-au-Prince around LaVille, near the presidential palace, because of the shooting.

"They are shooting everybody, journalists and policemen. There are the bad guys," a police officer told DPA.

When asked if the reporters could go through, he said: "La Ville, no way."

The reports were among the first confirmed reports of broadening unrest after days of anecdotal evidence of violent incidents. Most of those incidents in the past days involved people being robbed for their food.

Five days after the magnitude 7 earthquake hit the city of 1.9 million, food, water and medical aid is trickling in and Saturday, there were the first semblances of order returning. A few vendors were open for business, even selling flowers.

Earlier Sunday, a top US military officer confirmed that the international community is bracing for a possible death toll between 150,000 and 200,000 from the earthquake that heaved the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince into rubble on Tuesday.

Those numbers would triple or even quadruple the numbers estimated since Tuesday's 7-magnitude quake in the city of 1.9 million people.

Lieutenant-general P.K. Keen, who has assumed command of the US military relief efforts there, was asked by ABC television on Sunday about the new estimates that were circulating among officials.

"I think the international community is looking at those figures, and I think that's a start point," Keen responded. "We are going to have to be prepared for the worst." — DPA