BEIJING: China on Wednesday described the forthcoming meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese premier Wen Jiabo on the sidelines of the Asean Summit in Thailand this week as a "very important" one.
The two leaders will discuss "bilateral relations, and regional and international issues", Chinese assistant foreign minister Hu Zhengyue told reporters in Beijing.
"This meeting between the two prime ministers is a very important one," Hu said. "There has been good progress in our bilateral relationship and we hope this momentum can be sustained," he said.
Officials from both countries have been busy for over a week working out the formalities of the proposed meeting. The meeting will take place in the backdrop of some serious relationship problem with China offering to support a hydroelectricity project in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and opposing Singh’s recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh.
China regards Arunachal Pradesh as part of its own territory and is also opposing the Dalai Lama’s proposed visit to the area.
Mewar, Goa express collide near Mathura; 22 dead
MATHURA (UP): Overshooting a signal, Delhi-bound Goa Express today rammed into the last bogie of the stationary Mewar Express killing 22 people,including the guard and two pantry car staff, and injuring an equal number near here in the wee hours.
The Goa Sampark Kranti Express hit the Udaipur City- Hazrat Nizamuddin Mewar Express, which is said to have been halted on chain pulling by some passengers, between Mathura and Vrindavan at around 0430 hours after its driver apparently ignored the signal.
The guard of Mewar Express and two staff members of the pantry car of Goa Express were among those killed while 13 of the injured have received grievous wounds. Five of the seriously injured were rushed to Delhi by train for treatment.
The unreserved second class-cum-luggage rake, at the rear end of the train bore the brunt of the collision and a number of people trapped in it were recovered by personnel of the army, police and fire services.
The luggage section of the coach probably prevented heavier casualties among the women and children who were in the coach.
Railway Minister Mamta Banerjee has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to families of each of the dead, Rs 1 lakh to those seriously injured and Rs 10,000 for those with minor injuries.
Railway officials said the driver of the Goa Express was either over-speeding or may have jumped the signal. Both the driver R K Chaturvedi and assistant driver Lakshmikant have been taken off duty and an inquiry by Commissioner of Railway Safety (North-East) has been ordered.
Banerjee said the investigation would also cover whether there was any chain pulling by passengers.
"Prima facie the driver of the Goa Express disregarded the signal...Either he did not stop the train at the signal or did not proceed on a cautious speed," Deputy Regional Manager of Railways, Agra zone, R D Tripathi told reporters.
UP Minister Laxminarain Choudhry said a compensation of Rs 10 lakh would be given to the family of the deceased and a job.
Two bogies at the rear of the Mewar Express, which was on its way to Delhi, derailed due to the impact of the accident. The pantry car of the Goa Express also suffered damage.
Several trains were temporarily diverted after the mishap and the track was cleared at around 2 PM for normal traffic with the help of a large number of railway workers. Heavy machinery was used to remove the damaged and derailed bogies.
About 150 personnel of the Army, whose help was also sought, assisted the railway staff in clearing the track.
Gas and foam cutters were used to extricate the trapped passengers, including women and children, from the mangled bogie.
The Mewar Express, from which the damaged bogie was detached, left for Delhi with the passengers about five hours after the accident. Some of the passengers were also accommodated in buses.
All the trapped passengers have been extricated, Sri Prakash, Member (Traffic) Railway Board said.
Giving an account of the mishap, a passenger of the Mewar Express said, "There was a loud bang. We were suddenly thrown out of our seats. People and luggage from the upper berths fell on us and there was panic all around.
"There was almost a stampede inside the bogie. People sleeping on the upper berths fell off on those occupying lower berths," said the middle-aged passenger, who was lucky to survive the crash with no injury.
A distraught woman passenger, injured in the accident, said from her hospital bed that she was fast asleep when the unreserved compartment of the Mewar Express train was hit.
"I could not move my legs. Bags and suitcases fell on me after a loud thud," she said. Passengers said the collision occurred minutes after the Goa Express changed track.
An eye-witness, Ramesh Charan, 40, said he saw the speeding Goa Express crashing into the last coach of the stationary train and rushed to the accident site to lend a helping hand.
Govt to revisit procedure of judicial appointment: Moily
New Delhi:Government may have a fresh look at the method of appointment of judges to higher judiciary and intends to come out with a comprehensive bill to deal with complaints of corruption against judges, Law Minister M Veerappa Moily said on Wednesday.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, he said Government would not like to see that any "tainted" person becomes a judge.
At the same time, he refused to be drawn into a discussion on Karnataka Chief Justice P D Dinakaran whose elevation to the Supreme Court has been kept in abeyance over allegations of landgrabbing.
"Already there is a memorandum of procedure (on appointment of judges) which we are going by as of today. I am not reiterating that the same thing will continue. May be, we have to revisit the procedure. Whatever we do, we need to take the judiciary into full confidence" he said.
He was replying to a question whether the Government was contemplating making changes in the procedures for such appointments.
Moily referred to the 1993 and 1998 decisions of the apex court which led to the Memorandum of Procedures relating to Supreme Court Collegium that appoints judges to the higher judiciary.
There have been demands from political parties that the appointment of judges should revert back to the government.
Moily said the independence of judiciary without accountability has "no meaning, no significance" and there was need to resurrect its credibility.
He said the judges will have to follow the laid down standards and "respond to the ethics and become accountable to the judiciary and the nation".
Under LeT threat, Pak judge hearing 26/11 case wants to quit
Islamabad/Lahore: In a possible setback to the trial of seven suspects arrested by Pakistani police for their involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks, the judge hearing the case has said he can no longer continue with the proceedings.
Citing "unavoidable reasons", Judge Baqir Ali Rana of the anti-terrorism court, who has been conducting the trial within the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, has asked the Lahore High Court to be excused from hearing the case.
Rana sent a formal request to the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court on Tuesday, saying he could not continue with the proceedings because of "unavoidable reasons".
The request is currently pending with the Chief Justice's office, officials said.
However, sources said that Rana took the step as he felt he was under pressure from the government and other quarters with regard to the trial of the seven suspects, including key Lashker-e-Taiba operatives Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and Zarar Shah.
The sources said Rana was also facing pressure from the lawyers of the seven suspects, who are unhappy about the trial being conducted in-camera.
The judge felt his position had been made "vulnerable" because of the move to conduct the proceedings behind closed doors. There are also reports that Rana has received threats from the LeT because the suspects were indicted in the absence of their lawyers during a hearing on October 10.
The hearing on October 10 coincided with an attacked on the Pakistan Army's headquarters in Rawalpindi by a group of terrorists.
Rana reportedly said that since the situation outside the court was uncertain, those who wanted to leave the premises could do so.
Indian Business News
SC suggests ‘arbitration’ in Ambani row
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Ambani brothers' group firms RIL and RNRL why they cannot settle their gas supply dispute through arbitration or mediation.
During hearing of the dispute over supply of gas by RIL to RNRL at USD 2.34 per mmBtu, the bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan said the two parties could arrive at a "suitable arrangement" through arbitration, as the Bombay High Court that approved the Reliance empire's demerger cannot spell what is the ideal arrangement.
To this, Mukesh Ambani-run RIL, which continued its arguments for the second day today, told the court that it considered the government's gas utilisation and pricing policy as the "suitable arrangement."
Senior counsel Harish Salve also opposed RNRL's plea for dismissing RIL's petition, saying only his client's creditors or members of the Board can challenge maintainability of the petition.
Salve said RNRL was a third party and hence, cannot seek dismissal of RIL's plea. RNRL has also separately challenged the government's petition in the dispute.
The Ambani gas dispute pertains to RNRL's demand that it be supplied 28 mmscmd of gas from RIL's KG-D6 gas fields at a price of USD 2.34 per mmBtu agreed in a 2005 family MoU.
RIL, however, contends that it cannot do so in view of the government policy, which in 2007 approved USD 4.20 per mmBtu as price for gas from the KG-D6 fields.
In its arguments yesterday, Reliance Industries told the Supreme Court that the 2005 family agreement to divide the Reliance empire was a pact between the Ambani brothers and Anil should sue Mukesh if he feels aggrieved.
Sensex nosedives by over 200 pts
Mumbai: Weak global cues aggravated a dramatic selling across counters towards the end of trading on Wednesday, dragging down the benchmark Sensex by over 200 points to extend losses for the second day in succession.
The markets were bearish till late mid-session on weak Asian cues. A weak opening in European stocks fuelled heavy selling by cautious operators. Marketmen said investors ignored economic growth projection of 6.75 per cent this fiscal by the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council.
The Bombay Stock Exchange 30-share index declined sharply to trade below 17K-level at one-week low of 16,997.86. The Sensex, however, managed to settling the day at 17,009.17, a fall of 213.84 points or 1.24 per cent over its last close.
In two days, markets have lost over 300 points. Brokers said investors are concerned that the sale of shares worth over Rs 32,000 crore to institutional investors by the Indian firms in the last more than six months could suck liquidity from the secondary market.
Asian indices today finished lower by less than one per cent each on sluggish trend on Wall Street overnight. European markets such as France, Germany and UK were trading lower by about 0.5 per cent and 1.0 per cent in their afternoon trade. Auto, FMCG, banking and metal counters were hit badly and their indices closed lower in the range of 1-2 per cent.
Among Sensex stocks, Tata Steel lost close to 4 per cent followed by Jaiprakash Associates, SBI, HDFC and Heor Honda atwhich all closed down in the range of 3 per cent.
Indian Sports News|Sports News
We need to keep improving, feels all conquering Ponting
Mumbai: They have some excellent wins behind them while coming into the one-day series against India but Australian captain Ricky Ponting is not willing to underestimate the hosts and expects the seven-match contest to be an entertaining and tough affair.
"India is a very good and strong one-day team and were not underestimating them. We are the number one and two teams in the world and all points to an entertaining and good contest over the next few weeks," Ponting said at his first media conference after arriving in Mumbai on Tuesday.
"We have always enjoyed playing in India and against India. Our rivalry over the last few years has been growing and it’s good for the world game," he said.
Pointing out Australia's splendid run in the 50-over game over the last few months, that included a 6-1 thrashing of hosts England and a successful defence of their ICC Champions Trophy crown, Ponting was optimistic of carrying forward good form in India as well.
"We have played some excellent one-day cricket over the last few months beginning from the England tour and in the Champions Trophy. We need to keep improving and need to be at our best right through the series," he said.
The 34-year-old Australian captain, who has quit T20 internationals, felt that a lot of responsibility lies on his shoulders as the team's most experienced batsman.
"I have a good record in one-day cricket in India as compared to Tests. I have played some of my best one-day cricket over the last few months. A lot of responsibility is on my shoulders as the number three batsman in the team. It's really a big challenge to play against India," he said.
Gavaskar warns Australia to be wary of Tendulkar
New Delhi: Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has warned the Australians to be wary of in-form Sachin Tendulkar, saying the Indian star would come out all guns blazing against them in the upcoming seven-match ODI series, starting on October 25.
"Sachin has been out of cricket for sometime now (last played on September 28) and I think, now he is ready to go back and show that he still has all the shots in the book. I think, it (the series) will be Sachin against the Australians," Gavaskar said.
"He will be opening the batting for India. So I think they will be looking to get him out to psychologically scare the Indians," he said.
Considering the recent impressive form of the Australians, who won the Champions Trophy early this month, Gavaskar said the series would be a hard-fought one.
"Ponting has been captain of the Australia team both times during consecutive Ashes loss in England, he will be determined now to make people forget that, which can only happen with him scoring heavily and leading Australia to victories," Gavaskar said.
"That's the way he approached the seven-match ODI series against England after the Ashes; then also in the Champions Trophy. I think that's the way they are going to play till they come up against England in Australia in 2011," he added. The former captain advised Indian batsmen to be wary of Australian seam bowling attack.
"Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle are going to be a handful, make no mistakes about that. We saw in the Champions Trophy, they have not given too many runs except an odd match. And Lee has bowled brilliantly in the Champions League," Gavaskar said.
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