BEIJING: The Chinese foreign ministry on Tuesday tried to avoid a direct reply on whether China had pressurized the state government of Jammu and Kashmir in India to stop construction of a road near the border area.
"China has a dispute with India on the border issue. The two sides should work together to ensure peace and stability in the border area until the pending dispute is resolved," Qin Gang, the foreign ministry spokesman said at the regular briefing.
J&K authorities recently said they had stopped construction of an eight-km road in the remote Demchok area of Buddhist-dominated Ladakh area near the Line of Actual Control after objections from the Chinese army.
The Chinese foreign ministry on Tuesday did not confirm or deny whether the Chinese army had raised objection.
The ministry had recently taken neutral approach to the dispute over Kashmir between India and Pakistan."The Kashmir issue is an issue between India and Pakistan left over by history. We hope the two sides could properly resolve the issue through dialogue and negotiations," Qin said on November 24 when he was asked to comment on a statement by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference, a major political group in India-controlled Kashmir.
Farooq had said that China has a stake in the region's peace soon after China and the United States made a joint statement saying they supported efforts for improvement of relations between India and Pakistan.
China blocks India's plan for Ladakh road
NEW DELHI: Even as China objects to the construction of a road in the Ladakh region, India's external intelligence agency RAW has conveyed to the government that China is simultaneously building and repairing as many 27 airstrips in the Tibet region. According to the agency, these airstrips would be of use for China only in the case of a conflict with India as New Delhi is the only potential adversary in the region.
The J&K government on Monday confirmed that work had to be stopped on a road project meant to facilitate the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in Demchok in south-east Leh because of objections raised by the Chinese army. This when Beijing itself has aggressively gone about the task of augmenting its infrastructure along the border with India.
"Many of these 27 military strips have been newly built. Others which have been expanded too are seeing increasing Chinese activities. Like the intermediate range missiles stationed in the Delingha region, these airfields can be of strategic use for China only against India,'' said a senior official. According to the official, some of the airfields which are being upgraded continuously are Kashgar, Yarkand and Tashkurgan in the western sector, Tingri and Shigatse in the middle sector and Doonshon, Kangbo, Chamdo and Phari Dzong in the eastern sector.
The expansion of airfields follows the deployment of intermediate range missiles like DF-4 in the Delingha region. The medium-range ballistic missiles can hit targets that are almost 3,000 kilometres away. China has also built several launch pads for nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles in the same region.
Interestingly, the Chinese had complained about India upgrading its airfields in eastern Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh in October. IAF vice-chief Air Marshal P K Barbora had then responded by saying that China had no business to talk about it because India too had not objected to the massive military build up in Tibet including expansion of airfields.
According to military experts, these military air bases give China an edge in the event of a war with India because they would allow sustained combat operations by Chinese aircraft over all of northern India and strike major cities.
Nuclear installations on terrorists' target, says Govt
New Delhi: The Government said there are reports that nuclear installations of the country are on the target of the terrorists.
"In view of the prevailing security scenario, the nuclear installations continue to remain prime target of the terrorist outfits," Minister of State for Home Affairs Mullappally Ramachandran told Lok Sabha in response to a written question.
"Central security agencies conduct security audits of vital installations in nuclear sectors every two years and also sensitise the management at these installations from time to time," the Minister said.
He said, "CISF has been mandated to undertake security arrangements for all strategically sensitive nuclear installations."
Defence forces are also deployed besides the CISF for providing air defence cover in some of the vital nuclear installations, the Minister said.
I was called terrorist lawyer in court: Kasab's ex-lawyer
MUMBAI: Abbas Kazmi, who was sacked as the lawyer of Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab by a special trial court, on Tuesday alleged that he had to face humiliation at the hands of prosecution during the trial.
"I was called a terrorist lawyer in the court. I was called Abu Abbas and it was said that Pakistan was going to reward me. Finally I was called a liar," Kazmi told reporters a day after his removal.
He alleged that on one occasion when the court was recording the testimony of FBI official, prosecutor Nikam said, "Now the terrorist lawyer will cross-examine you."
Kazmi, however, refused to comment on the court's decision.
"I do not want to create any obstructions for the trial. I do not want to say anything that will obstruct the trial. The matter is sub judice. I have a great respect for the court," Kazmi said.
When asked whether he was going to take any legal step against his removal from the trial, he said, "I don't want to pursue this issue further."
When asked whether prosecution was trying to drag the trial, Kazmi said, "People were told that trial will be over by November 26. It was called an open and shut case. Why prosecution did not tell people it was going to bring around 700 witnesses?"
Kazmi also said that the kind of humiliation the lawyers suffered during the trial was unprecedented.
"Initially we had to remove our cell phones (when entering court), we had to remove even our shoes. I was not allowed to take my briefcase inside. We were frisked thrice every time," he said.
He said once he saw prosecutor Nikam using phone in court and requested the court that he too be allowed to bring cell phone in.
"The judge allowed it, but next day when I tried to carry cell phone inside, security misbehaved with me," he said.
"When I took up this case, I faced hostility of the entire world. And now this is the reward," he rued. Kazmi said he told Nikam that he didn't mind apologising to court, but the "liar" remark must be removed.
Judge M L Tahaliyani had Kazmi a "liar", but the remark was later expunged, following Nikam's intervention and his (Kazmi) apology.
It had seemed that after Kazmi's apology on Saturday, he would carry on as Kasab's lawyer. However, the judge sacked him yesterday for "non-cooperation".
Tahaliyani ordered Kazmi's termination after he refused to consider the court's suggestion to pick out 71 formal witnesses out of the total 340 who had filed affidavits.
Advocate K P Pawar, who was assisting Kazmi in the case, has now replaced the latter as Kasab's lawyer.
Indian soldier's medal taken off auction
LONDON
: An Indian soldier's George Cross medal for bravery was taken off the auction block in London on Tuesday pending a police probe into its "At the moment, the medal is not offered for sale," said Nimord Dix, managing director of Dix Noonan Webb, Britain's best-known dealer in coins and medals.
"There are ongoing investigations into the question of ownership, and under these circumstances we are unlikely to put the medal up for sale," he said.
The medal, Britain's highest civilian gallantry decoration, was awarded posthumously to Naik Kirpa Ram of the Frontier Force Rifles in 1946 for sacrificing his life in order to save his Army comrades from harm.
But its ownership became disputed after Ram's impoverished widow Brahmi Devi claimed the medal was stolen from her house in Bharpal village, Himachal Pradesh, in 2002.
The London auction house initially dismissed her claim, saying it had affidavits to show she had "disposed of" the medal in 2000, but climbed down on Tuesday after Himachal Pradesh authorities belatedly swung into action.
State police, who had closed a case of theft within months of registering it in 2002, last week requested Scotland Yard and Interpol to help investigate the ownership of the medal, which is sought after by collectors.
But Dix said Tuesday: "It is far from clear that the case for the medal having been stolen is good."
"In addition, there has been an acknowledgement from the Indian police that the affidavits may not be fake, as they have been claiming. The case continues."
The medal, which was to have been auctioned Wednesday, was expected to have fetched around 20,000 pounds. Brahmi Devi, who received the medal from the Viceroy of India, Field Marshal Lord Wavell at the age of 13, said she did not sell the medal. But police have confirmed that an affidavit declaring she was handing it over to one Kapil Singh "with my sweet will" in April 2000 does bear her thumb print.
The second affidavit, dated June 2000, is from Kapil Singh. It says Singh received the medal from Brahmi Devi as a gift for "services I have provided for the past years" and that he in turn was handing it over to S.L. Jain, whom Dix identified as a Delhi-based dealer.
Kapil Singh is now being questioned by police in Punjab. The auction house acquired the medal from a retired Indian Army officer and "a collector of a good number of medals", Dix said.
Naik Kirpa Ram was awarded the medal for sacrificing his life while disposing of a misfired rifle grenade at a camp in Bangalore Sep 12, 1945.
Day 4: IIM-A submits report on CAT, tests disrupted again
New Delhi: IIM Ahmedabad on Tuesday submitted a report to the government on the disruption of the Computer-based Common Admission Test (CAT) which continued to be affected for the fourth day in a row, adding to the woes of hundreds of IIM aspirants.
Scores of students complained of technical glitches at various test labs in Lucknow, Bangalore and Bhopal on Tuesday. They failed to appear in the test, being conducted by an American firm Prometric in a staggered manner over 10 days.
"I have been visiting the test centre everyday since Saturday. But I am unable to appear in the test as some or other problem continues," a student in Lucknow said.
The issue was raised in Parliament as opposition BJP criticised the way the prestigious entrance for admission into IIMs was being conducted. The government said it is concerned over the issue.
"Steps should have been taken much prior to the holding of the examination to ensure that such kind of problems should not have happened. We are very concerned about it as government," HRD Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters.
Sibal had on Monday sought a factual report from the IIMs on the issue from IIM Ahemdabad, which is the nodal institute for conduct of the test.
The report submitted by the institutes said about 18 per cent of candidates, who were scheduled to appear the test in the first three days, could not write it.
Indian Business News
Credit offtake growth slows to 9.8%
New Delhi: The Government said credit growth from banks has slowed down to 9.8 per cent till November 6 in the current fiscal against 27.7 per cent in the corresponding period a year ago.
"According to information available up to November 6, 2009, credit offtake from banks on year-on-year basis increased by 9.8 per cent as compared to 27.7 per cent during the corresponding period last year," Minister of State for Finance Namo Narain Meena said in a written reply to a Rajya Sabha query.
As per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Benchmark Prime Lending Rates (BPLR) reduction during October 2008-November 2009 was 125-275 basis points for public sector banks, while the same was in the range of 100-125 basis points for private sector banks and 125 basis points for foreign banks.
Though the credit growth was positive in most of the sectors, it was lower compared to last year.
However, Meena said, "Credit flow to agriculture and micro and small enterprises was higher in both absolute and percentage terms compared to last year."
The deceleration in credit growth during the current year was mainly due to the manufacturing sector and oil marketing companies, he said.
Iran offers 40% in SP gas field to OVL, Hindujas
New Delhi: Iran offered 40 per cent stake in a giant gas field in the Persian Gulf to India's ONGC Videsh Ltd and NRI business conglomerate Hindujas, who would split the stake equally.
At the end of second day of talks, Iran's Deputy Oil Minister and Managing Director of National Iranian Oil Co (NIOC) Seifollah Jashnsaz said 40 per cent interest in the development of Phase-12 of South Pars gas field was offered to OVL, the overseas arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corp, and the Hinduja Group.
Hinduja Group's Gopichand Hinduja said the stake in the USD 7.5 billion South Pars Phase-12 (SP-12) project would be split equally between his Group and OVL.
Naftiran Inter-Trade Company, subsidiary of National Iranian Oil Company, will own 40 per cent and the balance 20 per cent will be held by Sonangol of Angola.
Jashnsaz also said that ONGC will get 20 per cent stake in Iran LNG, which will convert the gas produced from South Pars field into LNG. In return, ONGC will get at least six million tonnes of LNG a year.
SP-12 is to produce 3 billion cubic feet per day of gas, two-thirds of which is to be converted into LNG for export.
Gas from SP-12 would go to Iran LNG, which is building a USD 4.35 billion plant at Tombak Port by 2011 to turn it into liquid state so that it can be shipped in cryogenic vessels.
The remaining gas output from SP-12 would be consumed internally. The field would also produce 120,000 barrels per day of condensate that would be exported.
Dubai says not responsible for debt crisis
Dubai: The Dubai government said on Monday it was not responsible for the debts of Dubai World, dealing a blow to creditors' assumptions that the Arab emirate would guarantee the conglomerate's liabilities.
"Creditors need to take part of the responsibility for their decision to lend to the companies," said Abdulrahman al-Saleh, director general of Dubai's Department of Finance. "They think Dubai World is part of the government, which is not correct."
In its first statement since the crisis began, Dubai World, the government-controlled holding company at the heart of the storm, said a restructuring would involve $26 billion in debt and mostly affect its property firms, Nakheel and Limitless.
Other firms, such as DP World, Jebel Ali Free Zone and Istithmar World would not be included in the restructuring because they were financially stable, it said in a statement released by e-mail late on Monday night.
The previously unreleased figure of $26 billion may help markets to grapple with the scope of the crisis following estimates that the restructuring could affect $59 billion or more in liabilities.
United Arab Emirates stocks plunged on Monday as investors waited for clarity on Dubai's request for a delay until May 2010 on repaying billions of dollars in debt issued by Dubai World and its Nakheel unit, developer of three distinctive palm-shaped islands in the emirate.
European shares fell as investors worried about sovereign financial crises, with the FTSEurofirst 300 off 1.4 per cent. But the US dollar fell against the euro after the United Arab Emirates promised liquidity, easing worries about default.
Indian Sports News
Series triumph, number one Test ranking beckon India
Mumbai: A chance to go atop the world rankings at stake, India take on a struggling Sri Lanka in the third and final cricket Test here tomorrow hoping to wrap up the series 2-0.
As Test cricket returns to the Cricket Club of India's Brabourne Stadium after more than three and a half decades, the hosts are clear favourites to wrap up the rubber with another victory following the landmark 100th win at Kanpur inside four days.
A 2-0 victory margin in the series would take India to the top of the ICC Test rankings table, two points above current number one South Africa. Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men appear to carry too big an arsenal, especially in batting, for the comfort of Kumar Sangakkara's visiting team which needs to buckle up and leave behind the morale-shattering innings defeat in Kanpur.
Dhoni has been lucky with the toss in the first two Tests, though his team faced down the barrel at 32 for four on the first morning of the series at Ahmedabad before being rescued by the tenacity of Rahul Dravid and the grit of Yuvraj Singh.
That first session and the mammoth total of 760 during which they made the Indians chase leather for over two days were the only periods of domination by Sri Lanka in the series as the hosts took an iron-like grip right through the second match before surging to a thumping victory.
India would be without in-form opener Gautam Gambhir, maker of four Test hundreds on the trot in as many matches since the March-April tour of New Zealand and seven in his last nine Tests. The Lankans would hope to drive a wedge into the home team's rock-solid top order in the Delhi left-hander's absence, who has opted out to attend his sister's wedding.
Saina leads Indian challenge in World Super Series
New Delhi: Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal will look to get over her recent dip in form and finish the year on a high at the season-ending World Super Series Final starting on Wednesday in Johar Bahru, Malaysia.
India's best mixed doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and V Diju will also look to get back to winning ways after their recent inconsistent show.
The 20-year-old Saina, who won the Indonesian Super series in June, will take on Mew Choo Wong of Malaysia in a Group A match tomorrow and national coach Pullela Gopichand is expecting the Hyderabadi to reach at least the semifinals.
"She has a very bright chance of reaching the semifinals at least. I mean looking at the draw, I will expect that from her. she didn't have a good outing in the last tournament but that is because she didn't have enough time to practice," Gopichand said.
"But we had a good week-long training and she looked in good touch. I hope she does well," he added.
The pair of Jwala and Diju, who won the Grand Prix Gold in Chinese Taipei, will also carry India's hopes when they take on the English duo of Anthony Clark and Donna Kellogg on Wednesday.
"Actually we prepared well for the world super series final. We could not play well in China Open because Jwala was not well and so we had to give a walk over. But now she is fine and we hope we can do better here," Diju said.
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