JOHANNESBURG: This is the World Cup, the biggest ever. Earth-shaking in its size, symbolism and significance. And not just in the numbers alone, but in the sense of a movement, of rebirth, and of pride. For centuries, Africa got the raw end of most deals. This is the one occasion, when it gives back - with a smile and a warm embrace.
Put your ear to the ground, and listen. There's a slow tremor that's growing by the minute, a unique buzz that even the vuvuzela - that South African musical instrument designed to irritate - can't replicate. As the world makes its way to Africa, the land itself finds itself on the threshold of a momentous feeling that goes beyond just history-making.
Is it really a rebirth? The world will know on July 11, after a month of breathless madness, passion and joy. But already, Africa knows what a moment it has triggered.
This could easily be the largest recorded congregation of foreign visitors in a country. It would certainly be the highest ever viewed event. With 43,600 broadcasts across 214 countries at an average 73,072 hours of viewing, and an estimated cumulative viewership of 26.29 billion.
Asia accounts for the largest chunk of the viewers, a whopping 32%. And to think, South Africa is having its Springbok rugby team host the French in a series of test matches. And if any of its 50.1 million choose to flip the remote, there is the South African cricket tour of West Indies.
For South Africa, this is also the end - at least for a month - of long attrition and divide. Even if many are cynical of the World Cup providing employment opportunities and revenue, and many more unhappy with FIFA hijacking the event and South African authorities conniving, all this and more will be forgotten when the ball rolls on Friday.
The football that kicks off with South Africa taking on Mexico in Soccer City here, followed by Uruguay locking horns with France in Cape Town later runs the risk of becoming incidental. It took a placid-faced Carlos Alberto Parreira, the host team's much-travelled coach, to remind the country there is a match to play.
"Quote me positively on this," he said on the eve of the opener inside the cavernous bowels of the earthern-pot like Soccer City Stadium, "I know there is joy, but there is a World Cup game to play. It is not easy to enjoy a game when the team in front is as big as Mexico."
Nelson Mandela wasn't convinced by the coach's serious football-mindedness. "The 2010 World Cup is more than just a simple game," he said, "it symbolizes the power of football to bring people together regardless of their language, colour of skin, their politics or religion."
The truth is, the World Cup is here and South Africans can't stop grinning from ear to ear.
Anderson blame game begins: It's Cong vs Cong
NEW DELHI: The dramatic release of former Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson just hours after his arrest has roiled Congress, sparking a bitter factional war which threatens to claim former PM Rajiv Gandhi as its collateral victim.
AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh on Thursday stunned party circles by virtually holding the Centre responsible for the controversial decision to let off Anderson, soon after he was arrested for the death of thousands from the poisonous gas leak from Union Carbide's Bhopal plant.
"The whole case was dealt with by the government of India and the Supreme Court. State government hardly had any role to play in this case," Singh said in a text message he sent to reporters here from the US. In another text message to reporters, he desisted from fixing the blame. Singh wrote, "I was campaigning during that period therefore I don't know. But I am sure it must have been under US pressure."
However, read along with his other message, even the second message appeared to point the finger towards the Centre. More so, because with a strong PM like Rajiv Gandhi around, Americans could not have dealt directly with the state government.
Singh's remarks were seen as rebutting the statement of CWC member Satyavrat Chaturvedi on Wednesday that Arjun Singh, chief minister of Madhya Pradesh at the time of the leak, needed to explain Anderson's abrupt release. Rajiv Gandhi was the PM at the time of the Bhopal tragedy.
A gleeful BJP pounced on the fratricidal slugfest, demanding an apology from Congress for giving "safe passage" to Anderson.
The unrolling episode also dragged Arjun Singh into the spotlight after a long spell on the sidelines. The ailing leader, who was passed over by the leadership for important positions, met Sonia Gandhi on Thursday evening. This was his second meeting with the Congress chief since a court verdict handed paltry punishments to those held guilty for the gas leak.
The bickering has factional dyanmics. Like Arjun and Digvijay, Chaturvedi is also from Madhya Pradesh and has a long history of strained equations with the two Thakurs. Unlike Digvijay and Arjun, whose ties have ebbed and flowed, Chaturvedi has been consistent about his feelings.
With their fight threatening to bring the Rajiv Gandhi government under a cloud, the leadership stepped in to do some firefighting, though without much success. Party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi told reporters, "The party has always maintained that all issues that have been raised especially in situations of human tragedy must be answered properly and responsibility should be fixed."
However, Dwivedi's efforts did not seem like they were succeeding, with many swiftly interpreting his statement as endorsing Chaturvedi's demand for an explanation from Arjun. By evening, there was a spate of statements, with even Arjun defending himself through journalist Santosh Bhartiya.
Arjun, who has been accused of transporting Anderson to New Delhi on an MP government plane, told Bhartiya that he wanted to steer clear of joining the blame game, asserting that his focus at the time was on securing life and property of citizens.
Some have-beens jumped into the ring. Vasant Sathe, former minister who has fallen out of the leadership's favour, appeared on several channels to say that Madhya Pradesh government took the decision at the Centre's instance. Buta Singh, chairman of the Scheduled Castes Commission and Union home minister at the time of the tragedy, was quoted by channels blaming the state government. Just like Sathe, Singh has also fallen from the leadership's grace.
Congress's rivals were not content with watching the sparring from the sidelines. Madhya Pradesh chief minister and BJP leader Shivraj Singh tried to bait Arjun into disclosing the name of the person who allegedly asked him to set Anderson free. "The people of Bhopal and, indeed all of Madhya Pradesh, have a right to this information from their distinguished chief minister of the time. On their behalf, I write this letter to urge you not to hold back the truth any longer," wrote the BJP chief minister.
The use of honorific" distinguished" for a political rival showed that the Thakur was back into circulation.
Indian sleuths quizzed Headley for 7 days without restrictions, says US
WASHINGTON: Indian investigators were given access to LeT operative David Headley aka Daood Gilani for seven days over the course of which they questioned him without any restrictions, the Obama administration disclosed on Thursday, pushing back at reports that Washington was being dodgy in cooperating with India on the Mumbai 26/11 terrorist attack.
However, "to protect the confidentiality of the investigations being conducted by both India and the United States, both countries have agreed not to disclose the contents of the interviews," the US Justice Department said in a statement. Various versions of what Headley told the investigators have appeared in the Indian media, none of which have been officially authenticated by authorities.
The Justice Department statement was backed by US ambassador to India, Timothy Roemer, who "proudly conveyed" his "strong support" for the Government of India/US Government collaboration on the interview process in Chicago, saying "The Headley interviews were historic in the nature of security cooperation. This strategic partnership is significant, substantive, and highly successful."
In a separate statement, Roemer confirmed that Indian investigators who arrived in the US on May 31 had been granted direct access to David Headley, and had conducted a series of interviews with him starting June 3.
Roemer praised the "superb cooperation" between the Indian team and their American counterparts throughout the process, noting the "depth and breadth of our partnership in this key area, including a Counterterrorism Cooperation Initiative, joint US-India work on mega-city policing, forensic lab training, intelligence sharing, sharing best practices, and cooperation on launching a National Counter-Terrorism Center."
"As I have mentioned previously, the US Government worked continuously at the highest levels to ensure that this access occurred and was constructive in advancing our already unprecedented cooperation and information sharing on counter-terrorism issues," Roemer said.
However, the Indian reaction was decidedly restrained, although officials appreciated the US cooperation.
Confirming that Indian investigators had questioning Headley "over several days," Indian ambassador Meera Shankar said the team is now returning to India on the conclusion of a "useful visit." She provided no further details.
"The support and cooperation extended by the US authorities is appreciated and is in keeping with the commitment of the two countries to strengthen their cooperation in meeting the challenge of terrorism," Shankar said.
Pak nationals allowed long stay can now extend visa
NEW DELHI: In a move which may pave the way for certain categories of Pakistani nationals to get Indian citizenship in due course, the Centre has relaxed norms for those who have been staying in India for long and asked states and Union territories to consider cases for extension of their long-term visa (LTV) without insisting for validity of their passports.
Pakistani nationals who come under such categories are: members of minority communities in Pakistan; Pakistani women married to Indian nationals and staying in India; Indian women married to Pakistani nationals and who returned due to widowhood or divorce and having no male member to support them in Pakistan and cases involving extreme compassion.
"However, only such Pakistani nationals are eligible to be considered for grant/extension of LTV who have come to India on or before December 31, 2009," a home ministry statement said on Thursday.
"The home ministry has asked state governments and UT administrations to consider cases for extension of the LTV of certain categories of Pakistani nationals without insisting of validity of passports as per the provisions of the Gazette notification issued on May 15 as such Pakistani nationals have come to India permanently with the intention to attain Indian citizenship," the statement said.
In addition to four categories of Pakistani nationals, grant of LTV is also being considered in the case of male Muslim community members being originally Indian citizens who went to Pakistan after partition leaving behind family in India and who returned to India on a valid passport issued by the government of Pakistan and settled in the state of Kerala so that they could acquire Indian citizenship.
"The ministry of home affairs has been receiving a large number of references from such Pakistani nationals staying in various states where their passports had expired and they ware not able to renew the same. In the absence of valid passport/visa, they are not considered for Indian citizenship," the statement said.
To attract young talent, Indian Legal Service soon
New Delhi: Worried that promising, fresh law graduates are more keen to join high-paying private law firms than work for the government or take up private court practice, the Law and Justice Ministry is giving final touches to a plan to attract such law graduates.
Union Law Minister M Veerappa Moily is shortly expected to announce a scheme to allow law graduates enter the government after clearing a civil services-type UPSC examination and joining the Indian Legal Service (ILS).
Moily has already held preliminary talks with officials of the Department of Personnel and Training.
Once selected, ILS officers would be appointed law officers in the government of India as well as state governments, which opt for the service.
When contacted, Moily confirmed the move: “Our wish is to have the best young legal brains working for the government in different capacities. Not all bright lawyers want to join law firms and shun courts. The ILS will give such lawyers an opportunity to work for the government in good positions.”
Mickky main accused in Nadia death
PANAJI: Former tourism minister Francisco “Mickky” Pacheco was booked by the police on Thursday as the main accused in the “unnatural death” of Nadia Joelle Torrado even as the sessions court in Margao, rejecting his bail application, said the injuries on the deceased’s body leave room to suspect that she might have been forcibly given or might have been induced to consume rodent poison.
Mickky was booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, destruction of evidence and abetment of suicide.
Mickky’s Man Friday Lyndon Monteiro was made co-accused in the case along with Nadia’s mother Sonia, said police sources. With Lyndon absconding, the police issued a look out circular against him and all airports have been put on alert.
However, no official comment was forthcoming on Sonia being made accused in the case. “We have not given a clean chit to anyone. Everyone is within the ambit of investigation. There are some inconsistencies in their statements and we are looking into them,” said police spokesperson A V Deshpande.
“Mickky has been booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, destruction of evidence and abetment of suicide. Lyndon is also an accused in the case and is wanted by the police for interrogation. However, at this moment we can’t state the charges under which he could be booked as their role will be investigated into and the charges decided at the time of filing the chargesheet,” he said.
The hunt for Mickky is on, Deshpande said, adding, “There are many incriminating evidences against him and he is needed in the case so that crucial evidence can be recovered at his behest.”
Climate meet: Island states vs oil countries
Bonn: The drab and dull climate meetings in Bonn finally saw some sparks of excitement on Thursday when the grouping of small island states sparred with oil producing nations led by Saudi Arabia over the need to have a scientific evaluation done on options for restricting the global rise in temperatures to within 1.5 degree from pre-industrial levels.
The small island states, which are considered to be most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, had moved a proposal on Wednesday evening requesting the UN climate secretariat to prepare a technical analysis to suggest what additional measures would be needed to keep the global rise in temperatures to within 1.5 degrees.
The proposal was vehemently opposed by Saudi Arabia and fellow oil producing countries like Venezuela, Kuwait and Qatar. They managed to shoot the proposal down Thursday morning, asking the small island states to raise the matter at the next climate change conference at Cancun, in Mexico, in November-December.
Oil producing countries stand to lose the maximum, economically, by the global shift in energy consumption from fossil fuels to renewables like wind or solar, that the climate challenge is likely to force on the world.
“We are not going to let this issue die down. We will raise it again in Cancun. We feel encouraged with the wide range of support that our proposal has received from a number of countries,” said Ronald Jumeau, ambassador of Seychelles, a member of the Association of Small Island States (AOSIS), to the UN.
Most of the other countries, including India, support this limit to be kept at 2 degrees and this target was reflected in the Copenhagen Accord as well. But the sea-level rise that is likely to accompany a 2 degree rise in temperature is predicted to be a death call for number of low-lying islands which face the risk of getting submerged pretty soon.
But a number of countries are of the opinion that a 1.5 degree target is not realistic, since the rich industrialised countries are not ready to make emissions reductions for a rise below 2 degrees.
Business News
Sensex jumps 1 pct; Reliance, ICICI lead
Mumbai: Sensex rose 1 percent in early trade on Friday, with Reliance Industries and ICICI Bank leading the rise, taking cues from strong world markets.
At 9:02 a.m. (0332 GMT), the 30-share BSE index was up 0.95 percent at 17,081.76 points, with all components advancing. It rose more than 1 percent early.
British lender Standard Chartered's Indian depositary receipts were trading at 104.30 rupees, compared with their issue price of 104 rupees a share.
They debuted at 105 rupees and then slipped to as much as 100.60 rupees.
The 50-share NSE index was up 1 percent at 5,129.70.
Pre-Market Opneing: Sensex set to rise; RIL , TCS eyed
Global concerns abated for a while yesterday making conditions ideal, for a while, for Indian stocks to rise.
Global concerns abated for a while yesterday making conditions ideal, for a while, for Indian stocks to rise.
Indian shares are set to rally early on Friday following gains in world stocks, with Reliance Industries in focus after sources said the energy major was talks to buy a stake in the shale gas assets of U.S.-based Pioneer Natural Resources.
Investors will also watch the listing of British lender Standard Chartered's Indian depositary receipts, the first of their kind in Asia's third-largest economy.
Top outsourcer Tata Consultancy Services will be on the radar after its chief executive told Reuters it has not seen any delay in decision making by clients despite the debt crisis in Europe and a recovery in outsourcing demand is happening across markets.
India's April industrial output, due around 11 a.m. (0530 GMT), is expected to show an annual 13.5 percent growth.
The MSCI's measure of Asian markets other than Japan was up 1.4 percent by 0303 GMT, while Japan's Nikkei was trading 2 percent higher.
The Nifty India stock futures in Singapore were up 0.8 percent.
On Thursday, the 30-share BSE index rose 1.6 percent to 16,922.08.
Sensex surges 264 pts on firm global cues
Mumbai: The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex today closed 264 points higher on buying by funds in blue-chips led by auto and metal stocks in tandem with a recovery in global markets.
The 30-share barometer spurted by 264.19 points to close at 16,922.08 points. The index had gained 41 points in the previous session.
The broad-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty rose by 78.30 points to close at 5,078.60 points.
Brokers said a higher trend in the Asian region and European stocks recovering from initial losses fuelled the trading sentiment on the domestic markets.
Even as the food inflation rose to 16.74 per cent for the week ended May 29, the market remained bullish as investors bought shares in companies whose earnings might benefit from the nation's economic expansion, they added.
Among the 30 index stocks, 29 stocks ended with handsome gains. Major support to the market came in from shares in Auto, metal, realty and power sectors.
The auto sector index gained the most by rising 2.98 per cent to 7,940.31 as stocks of Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Bajaj Auto, Hero Honda and Mahindra and Mahindra closed higher following reports that the industry recorded highest sale during May.
The metal sector index was the second best performer by adding 2.12 per cent to 14,400.09 on firming trend in base metals in overseas markets.
Market leader Reliance Industries rose by 0.85 per cent to Rs 1,015.45 following reports that the company is planning to foray into telecom sector.
Infosys Technologies, the second heaviest on benchmark, rose by 0.74 per cent to Rs 2,646.95.
Among the Asian markets, Tokyo closed 1.10 per cent higher as the official data showed that the Japanese economy grew better than expected 5 per cent in the first quarter of 2010. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 11.46 points to 19,632.70 after China's exports surged 48.5 per cent in May.
Sports News
Clock ticks to Africa's historic day
Cape Town: An expectant South Africa began counting down the hours on Thursday to the culmination of a six-year journey fraught with difficulty as it readied to kick-off an historic World Cup.
Many people feared the country would not be ready, with suggestions last year that the tournament would be moved.
It has, without a doubt, been a testing build-up, with worries over crime, transport infrastructure, accommodation and security.
But six years after being awarded the first-ever World Cup on African soil and it is on the cusp of fulfiling its obligations.
The last of the 32 teams arrived ahead of the opening game on Friday as billions of people across the planet get set to tune in and cheer on their favourite stars over the next month.
Football-loving President Jacob Zuma paid tribute to his fellow South Africans, who are expected to turn out en-masse in a cacophonous sea of yellow and green, honking ear-splitting vuvuzela horns, when the home team plays.
"The country has not just prepared the facilities – we have prepared ourselves psychologically," he said. "The psychology of the country is tip-top."
FIFA president Sepp Blatter said it was time to focus on the football and be swept along by World Cup fever.
"We find ourselves in a position of indescribable anticipation," he said.
"More importantly, this competition will prove that South Africa, and the African continent in general, is capable of organising an event of this magnitude."
Three years after qualifying began, the opening game kicks off at the gleaming new 90,000-seat Soccer City in Johannesburg with Mexico playing the hosts.
The 63 matches that follow will span South Africa, from Polokwane in the north-east to Cape Town in the south-west with 10 stadiums being used, culminating in the final at Soccer City on July 11.
The road to all of this began on August 25, 2007 in Oceania when just 60 supporters turned up to watch Samoa play Vanuatu.
Since then, over 20 million fans flocked to stadiums to witness 204 countries whittled down to 32.
Thirty-one of the teams have been here before with Slovakia the newcomer. Minnows New Zealand made it through and North Korea qualified for the first time since 1966, when England last lifted the trophy.
England are one of the favourites to do it again with Fabio Capello moulding a disciplined team where morale is high, with Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and John Terry his lynchpins.
But they are without the injured Rio Ferdinand and a patchy 3-0 victory over South African Premier League side Platinum Stars on Monday was not convincing.
They get their campaign underway against the United States on Sunday with Algeria and Slovenia also in Group C.
Reigning European champions Spain boast a wily manager in Vicente del Bosque and a galaxy of Barcelona and Real Madrid stars, although an injury worry hangs over star midfielder Andres Iniesta.
It comes as no surprise that 'Red Fury' have been installed as favourites to lift the trophy.
Spain face Chile, Switzerland and Honduras in a first round group that should not prove overly-taxing and finishing first may set up an Iberian showdown against Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired Portugal.
Ronaldo and company would represent the first potential banana skin for a country that has so often flattered only to deceive at the tournament with fourth the best finish, and that was 60 years ago.
Like Spain, no team from Africa or Asia has ever lifted the World Cup, and appears unlikely to do so here.
But the prospects are brighter in South America with Brazil leading the pack. They face North Korea first up next Tuesday, with the Ivory Coast and Portugal also lurking in Group G.
Mighty Argentina is an unpredictable element after only just hauling themselves over the qualifying line with Diego Maradona enduring a see-saw ride as coach that generated more questions than answers.
They are grouped with 2002 semi-finalists South Korea, Greece and Nigeria. Whichever nation claims the 30-million-dollar prize and world football bragging rights, South Africa will also undoubtably be winners, simply for hosting such a spectacle for the first time.
While a month still remains for things to go horribly wrong, Danny Jordaan, chief executive of the Local Organising Committee, has been in combatative mood.
"They said we are going to run out of money, they were wrong," he said. "They said no one would buy tickets for this World Cup, they were wrong... They said people would be too afraid. They were wrong."
Pele eyes Spain challenge to Brazil
Johannesburg: Football great Pele has singled out Brazil and Spain as the strongest teams at the World Cup, yet wants to see an African side take on his country in the final.
"I am very proud to see the World Cup in Africa ... FIFA worked hard for it, and many people like me worked hard for it," he said.
"It would be fantastic to see Brazil playing an African team in the final."
Pele said Argentina was likely to improve after an erratic qualifying campaign, while noticing the major football powers remain split between those with efficiency and those with flair.
"There are certain teams like Italy, Germany and England that play a very good game, a strong game. They are defensive and decisive but ... it's difficult to imagine them playing the beautiful game," he said. Pele listed Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and Brazil as those with the more entertaining style.
Pele said the sport's increasing globalization has narrowed the gap between teams at the World Cup in South Africa. While that made matches more competitive, it counted against the emergence of an unheralded player, and that coaches are better prepared to negate opponents.
Brazilians Kaka and Robinho along with Argentina's Lionel Messi remain the tournament's most dangerous players, he said, while upsets could come from countries with disciplined tactics like the United States and Paraguay.
Pele, who turns 70 this year, played in four World Cups for Brazil, and helped his country win three. He played most of his club career at Brazil's Santos before retiring at the New York Cosmos.
Pele spoke to the news media Thursday during the launch of a sportswear company that sells clothes and sports equipment under his name.
Company officials said they were hoping to sign several national teams to the new label before the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. They said products include a ball designed for dirt pitches and a reinforced football sock to help barefoot players on sand and uneven ground.
"We used to play barefoot when we were kids and we'd use anything for a ball, even a coconut," Pele said.
The launch featured African traditional dancers and a five-a-side match with local school children on a dirt pitch created on a construction site behind a shopping mall.
He chatted to the young players and briefly joined the dancers before leaving.
Sania goes down to Tanasugarn
Birmingham: Sania Mirza could not progress beyond the second round in her first tournament since marriage and went down to Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn in the WTA tennis tournament here on Thursday.
Playing in her first tournament since February, Sania went down 4-6 7-5 6-1 to her Thai opponent in a match spread over two days.
Playing her first tournament since her much-publicised marriage to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, Sania did manage to win the first set against the 14th seed before rain drove her to the locker room yesterday.
The break seemed to have done a world of good for Tanasugarn who edged out Sania in the second set to force the decider and dropped just one game in the final set before walking away with a hard-earned win.
Sania wrote on her Twitter page yesterday that she was happy to be back in the court again.
"(I) Had not imagined I'd be playing after marriage in the first place and here I am at yet another tourney! Hope this answers everyone's concerns," she wrote.
Settled in Dubai post-marriage, Sania also made it clear that she had no "clear cut" plans to retire.
"Will take life as it comes," she wrote.
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