Centre offers olive branch to Naxals, J&K separatists

The Centre on Friday said it will persuade the state governments to talk to the Maoists on aspects like land reforms and land acquisitions if they stop violence.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram made it clear that no talks could be held in an atmosphere of violence. "We never said lay down the arms. We said halt the violence and talk. If they halt violence, the Centre will persuade the state governments to talk to them on issues like land reforms, land acquisitions," he told media persons in New Delhi
"If they halt violence, we will facilitate talks. I cannot ask state governments to talk when there is widespread violence," Chidambaram said.He said if the Maoists are "serious champions of the poor", they should come forward for talks.
The Home Minister said Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh had attempted to hold talks with the Maoists but the moves were "futile".He said the Cabinet Committee on Security has decided to provide help to the states affected by the Naxal violence. The Home Minister also hinted at reaching out to Kashmiri separatist groups.
"The Centre wants to hold quiet talks, quiet diplomacy with Kashmiri separatist groups to understand the contours of proposals each side would have," he said.
During the press conference, the Home Minister announced the appointment of former Intelligence Bureau chief P C Haldar as interlocutor for talks with Northeast insurgent groups NDFB and DHD-J.
He also announced the appointment of Lt Gen Madan as interlocutor for groups demanding Gorkhaland statehood.

Air force copter crashes in Doda; 1 dead

An Indian Air Force chopper crashed and plunged into Chenab river in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. One of the four people on board has died in the mishap. The body of Wing Commander Garg has been found. The three others are missing.The IAF chopper, which was on a regular sortie, was flying low over the river Chenab when it got caught in a cable fire of a bridge and crashed into the water reservoir of the Baglihar hydroelectric power project at Tringel in Doda district.It was returning from Nawapachi area of Kishtawar district.The army and police have launched a rescue operation, he said.IAF carries regular sorties to mountain-locked Nawapachi area to transport ration, arms and ammunition for the troops stationed there.

Fire at oil depot in Jaipur; 6 killed, 150 injured

Nearly 19 hours after it started, the fire at the Indian Oil Corporation's fuel depot in Sitapura industrial area on the outskirts of Jaipur is still raging.Six people have been killed and 150 are injured. Six people are also said to be missing.300 army men are helping with rescue, as some people are feared trapped in the depot. Experts from MathuAmong those who were evacuated were all the patients, doctors and staff of a government hospital and engineering and medical students of 10 hostels.The IOC has said that they have disconnected the underground pipeline connecting the oil well and the depot.The administration is also taking all precautionary measures to secure a nearby Indane gas bottling plant. Cold water mixed with foam has been sprayed on the pipeline of LPG storage tankers located near the petroleum depot to keep it cool and unaffected from the heat generated from the fire.Assistant Fire Officer at the site has said the intensity of fire has been reduced to 75 per cent and by evening it would die down when the fuel gets fully burnt.Within minutes two dozen fire extinguishers were rushed to the spot but given the 80 lakh litres of petroleum products in the depot the fire spread, rapidly engulfing the entire depot. Soon the state government was forced to seek help from the Union Petroleum Ministry."It is a terrible blaze. I have spoken to the Petroleum Minister who is sending a team of officials to the site," Ashok Gehlot, the Chief Minister of Rajastan, said on Thursday. The blaze could be seen from up to 20 km. The surrounding area has been evacuated and power cut off. The injured have been rushed to three major hospitals of Jaipur including the SMS hospital. "I was working when there was a sudden explosion. All the glass around us was shattered and it fell on us. We ran away from the spot," said one of the injured. While all the 12 tanks in the IOC depot caught fire, a larger tragedy was averted as the LPG cylinders remained safe. The IOC says it will let the fuel burn itself out. People are keeping their fingers crossed that soon the worst will be over.

NDTV Impact: Police search for train-jackers

It took less than 10 hours for NDTV's Joydeep Ray to find some of the men involved in holding a Rajdhani train hostage on Monday for 5 hours. Travelling into the forests between Jhargram and Banstala in West Bengal, Joydeep met Dhanpati Mahato, a senior leader of the PCPA or People's Committee Against Police Atrocities.Mahato said he was one of the senior people who plotted and executed the attack. 200 armed men had stopped the train on its way from Bhubaneswar to Delhi. The 1200 passengers and 2 train drivers on board were freed only when central reserve police forces arrived in the area after 7 pm, forcing the PCPA's members to take cover in the forests nearby.After that, two FIRs were filed but against unknown people. It remains unclear why the railway police are not able to take specific names. But they say that after watching the NDTV interview with Mahato, they are now combing the same area that the NDTV correspondent visited to find those who openly acknowledge their role in the train-jacking. Mahato told NDTV, "We thought if we stopped the train, the District Railway Magistrate or some other officials would come. The PCPA has never stopped trains before...we wanted to warn the Centre."

Bodies of CPM workers killed in Naxal attack found

Maoists have struck again in West Bengal. Naxals have killed two CPM worker and kidnapped three others in the state. Hacked bodies of CPM workers Tapan Mudi and Diliil Mahato have been found in the Sharpura forest of West Midnapore. Both men were kidnapped on Wednesday night.Three others allegedly kidnapped by Maoista on Wednesday night from the Goaltore area are still missing.The man killed, Tapan Mudi, was called out of his house by strangers in a village near Binpur in West Midnapore at 9.30 on Wednesday night. He never returned. A few hours later, his body was found in a forest nearby.The police is approaching the corpse with caution. Naxals often rig the bodies of their victims with explosives, or lie in wait nearby to ambush policemen who come to collect the bodies.Reacting to the incident, Sitaram Yechury says, "This is unfortunately the news we are getting. So far 70 of our cadres have been killed in the past few weeks. This is the level of violence they are perpetuating there. The basic aim is to try and eliminate CPM workers in these areas. This has again proved the nexus between Mamata and Maoists. Take the case of the train that was hijacked, everything was cleaned up, except the graffiti demanding Chattradhar Mahato's release. Why was that not wiped off." Three other party workers were abducted by tribal agitators from Goaltore area in restive West Midnapore district on Thursday. On Tuesday, supporters of the People's Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCPA) seized the Bhubaneswar-Delhi Rajdhani Express at Banstala in the district, but it was freed by security forces after a five-hour hostage drama. All passengers were safe.West Midnapore has been witnessing unrest since November last year against alleged police atrocities at Lalgarh. The agitation started after police raided the homes of tribals, shortly after West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and then union ministers Ram Vilas Paswan and Jitin Prasada narrowly escaped a landmine blast at Salboni.The PCPA under the leadership of Chhatradhar Mahato had "liberated" Lalgarh and had run free for nine months before the central forces and the local police recaptured the areas.

American's terror plan for India was serious

India is sending a team of intelligence officials to question the American who was allegedly planning Mumbai-like terror attacks in cities across India. David Coleman Headley has been arrested by the FBI for planning attacks against India and Denmark. Indian intelligence officials want exclusive access to him in America, instead of joint questioning with the FBI. Sources reveal that the Indian Government has been informed that Headley's plot was bigger what the FBI has revealed so far. India is also worried by information that Headley's handler was Pakistani-based terrorist Ilyas Kashmiri.THE FBI says on its website that Headley, an American citizen, was allegedly working with top Lashkar-e-Toiba operatives, based in Pakistan. The agency also claims that Headley was in touch with a prominent Indian actor who his associates and he referred to as Rahul."Headley and a Pakistani-Canadian, Tahawwur Hussain Rana , were planning to attack the offices of the Danish newspaper that published cartoons of Prophet Mohammed ; also on their target list, cities in India.

Double-Dip Recession Unlikely: ECB Official

It is unlikely that the euro zone would fall back into recession soon after exiting it, European Central Bank Governing Council member Axel Weber said on Thursday.He also said there were no risks to price stability in the policy-relevant medium-term horizon.
"There are several factors, in the euro zone as well as in other major economies, that point to a fairly benign outlook and that make a double-dip recession very unlikely," Weber said in the text of a speech to be given at the Israeli Presidential Conference.He said continuing economic stimuli, improvement in confidence and absence of inflationary risks were contributing to the improved outlook. Deflationary fears have all but disappeared, Weber also said. He also said the global economic turnaround after the freefall was striking."We have seen a remarkable stabilization around the world in recent months," he said. "It is safe to say that we have overcome the worst." But Weber warned of undue economic optimism. "Forecast risks are still elevated, and there is no reason to be overly optimistic given the fragility of the recovery."
Weber, who also heads the German Bundesbank, also said now was not the time to exit from measures employed to fight the financial crisis.
"Given the macroeconomic outlook, there is surely no need to rush for the exit at the current juncture," he said. "However, to stabilize expectations and to safeguard public confidence it is essential to develop a credible exit framework now." The ECB has cut its main refinancing rate to a record-low 1.0 percent, offered unlimited liquidity to banks and started a 60 billion euro covered bond purchase program to aid the ailing economy.
The ECB's exit and monetary policy stance was determined by risks to price stability, Weber said, but added inflation was not a concern right now."Risks to price stability ... are fortunately currently not present at the policy-relevant time horizon." Inflation in the euro-zone has been negative in recent months and was -0.3 percent year-on-year in September.
ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet has said he expects inflation to turn positive in the coming months. Weber also said the ECB's non-standard instruments allow for a flexible exit and can take financial market fragility into account, if needed.
"I am fairly confident that monetary policy in the euro area will manage an orderly exit," he said.Turning to financial markets, Weber said market conditions have improved, but there could also be setbacks. "Market conditions ... have improved significantly in recent months, in fact even more so than the real economy, but the situation is still fragile and temporary backlashes are likely," Weber said.
Global imbalances must be reduced to achieve sustainable long-term growth, he also said, but added this should not be done by propping up demand in countries with current account surpluses.
Rather, clogged up adjustment channels, including mandated foreign exchange rates, should be looked at, he added.Weber also said governments should start their fiscal exit as soon as the recovery has firmed up. "Which means no later than 2011."

CBI searches DoT offices

The Criminal Bureau of Investigation on Thursday searched offices of the department of telecommunication in connection with alleged irregularities in allocation of 2G spectrum to some of the new players.
CBI sources said a team of its sleuths were conducting searches at the Sanchar Bhawan in New Delhi after registering a case in this connection last evening.
The sources said that all records pertaining to the allocation of spectrum to new players in January 2008 will be taken to see if there were irregularities in the process. None of the DoT official was available for comments.In 2008, eight new players were given licences along with bundled 4.4 MHz spectrum to start mobile services.
The telecom ministry had come under attack for doling out spectrum very cheap compared to its actual market value. CVC had recommended a CBI probe into the procedures followed for selecting companies for giving 2G spectrum.
Eyebrows were raised when two of the new players -- Unitech Wireless Services and Swan Telecom -- sold part of their stake at huge premium within days of getting the licences.
The government had given telecom licence along with start up spectrum at Rs 1,651 crore (Rs 16.51 billion) for pan-Indian services.

Microsoft launches Windows 7, eyes PC sales rebound

Microsoft Corp launched Windows 7 on Thursday in its most important release for more than a decade, aiming to win back customers after the disappointing Vista and strengthen its grip on the PC market.
The world's largest software company, which powers more than 90 percent of personal computers, has received good reviews for the new operating system, which it hopes will grab back the impetus in new technology from rivals Apple Inc and Google Inc."It's the first really significant release of Windows in a decade," analyst Brendan Barnicle of Pacific Crest Securities told Reuters Television. "Given the missteps around Vista, people really questioned Microsoft's relevancy in the technology space. So this is a critical first step for Microsoft regaining that credibility."The new system -- which is faster, less cluttered and has new touch-screen features -- comes almost three years after the launch of Vista, whose complexity frustrated many home users and turned off business customers.
The success of Windows -- which accounts for more than half of Microsoft's profit -- is crucial for Chief Executive Steve Ballmer to revive the company's image as the world's most important software firm."I have to say I'm chomping at the bit," Ballmer told an audience of Microsoft customers and partners in Toronto on Wednesday, adding that he is ready to make sales calls himself on Windows 7.
Sales won't immediately impact the bottom line of Microsoft, which is expected to post a lower quarterly profit on Friday.

Mathura train collision: Case against 'unknown persons'

The Uttar Pradesh police have registered a case against "unknown persons" after it emerged that the Mewar Express had come to a sudden halt because the emergency chain was pulled, following which the Goa Express rammed into it, killing 22 people.The case has been registered under sections 223 (escape from confinement due to negligence of a public servant) and 224 (resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension) of the IPC, SSP (Mathura) B D Paulson said.In Kota (Rajasthan), Additional Superintendent of Police, Bhupendra Sahu, refused to comment on whether an escape attempt by a criminal on the train led to the accident but added, "All the three officials involved in the incident have been suspended and an inquiry has been ordered."The office of Senior Superintendent of Police, Mathura City, had earlier said it has received two separate complaints -- one relating to the train accident and the other being that of an accused escaping from custody of Rajasthan policemen.It is alleged that Munna Sazid, an accused in a robbery case, was being taken from Kota to the national capital by the Delhi-bound Mewar Express for a hearing in a Tees Hazari court.He was being accompanied by three police constables of Rajasthan Police -- Ashok Kumar, Veerendra and Bahadur. At the Mathura station, Sazid asked for permission to go to toilet.As soon as the train started gaining speed, he pushed one of the constables and jumped from the train prompting the police officials to pull the chain to bring it to halt, according to the complaint. Maintaining that the issue of who pulled the chain to stop the train was yet to be established, Paulson said the three Kota constables had come to his office at around 1500 hrs to lodge an FIR on the escape of the criminal, while the accident had occurred in the wee hours on Wednesday.The constables told the SSP that Sazid escaped in the confusion after the accident. On the issue of delay in registration of the complaint, they said that they could not do so earlier as the entire staff was busy at the accident site.But, the constables could not explain how the criminal, who was handcuffed and tied with a rope, managed to free himself and escape, police said.Police said they were probing if Sazid's escape may have led to chain pulling that brought Mewar Express to a sudden halt.

Although Mahatma Gandhi was not awarded the Nobel Peace Prize but the coveted honour has gone to several individuals who believed in and propagated the Gandhian philosophy of peace and non-violence globally.
Barack Hussein Obama, the 44th President of the United States, is latest in this club of Gandhian followers to have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Prominent followers in the recent past have been Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi and the Dalai Lama.
Obama, the first African American president of the United States, has been an avid admirer of Mahatma Gandhi. Only recently he told a group of students he would like to have dinner with Mahatma Gandhi. The Father of the nation Gandhi's contribution and influence in the rise of Obama is being acknowledged too.

Meet the 2009 Nobel Prize Winners

US President Barack Obama was picked up as the surprise winner of 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for his "extraordinary" efforts to strengthen international diplomacy, hardly less than a year after coming to power.
Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics, a statement released by the Norwegian Nobel Committee said, lauding his vision of a world without nuclear weapons. It was because of Obama's effort that multi-lateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play, the statement said.
Forty eight-year-old Obama is the fourth US President to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
The prize committee said the US President's vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations.
Obama was honoured "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples," it said.
"Thanks to Obama's initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened," it said.

Deccan Chargers favourites against Somerset

Reigning IPL champions Deccan Chargers have the balance tilted so heavily in their favour that only complacency can derail them in Saturday's banana skin encounter against Somerset.Under the inspirational Adam Gilchrist, the Chargers, at least on paper, possess an arsenal of explosive batsmen and fiery bowlers who helped the franchisee script an incredible turnaround and become the reigning Indian Premier League winner in South Africa.Gilchrist may have quit international cricket but the swashbuckling left-hander still can tear apart any bowling attack, as he did frequently in the second IPL in South Africa.The tournament will also be special for controversial all-rounder Andrew Symonds, who would like to make a statement after Australia dumped him on disciplinary grounds.For them, Rohit Sharma will be hoping to replicate the same form that made him such a hot property in Twenty20 cricket and the youngster is also trying to force his way into Team India with some brilliant knocks in the Champions League.Having VVS Laxman and Scott Styris will also lend solidity to the side and the presence of RP Singh, Chaminda Vaas and Pragyan Ojha in the bowling unit would mean the Chargers would not have to worry much when it comes to defending totals.In such a situation, expectation would be sky-high but Gilchrist said they are not allowing it to bog down the team."We don't carry any extra burden," Gilchrist said, adding that there is a "Deccan Chargers culture" in the team and all of them are determined to do well.Laxman, who shone for Lancashire in county cricket, hoped to continue his good form in the Champions League also.Somerset, on the other hand, would rely heavily on captain Justin Langer and Marcus Trescothick to make their mark in the high-profile event.Maintaining that playing in the Champions League is a "great opportunity" for the team, Langer has said his teammates would have to get their act right to script an upset."There is no dearth of talent in the team and we have to do well in the big moments," he said.

NASA bombs the moon, no big splash

The world's search for water on the moon has taken a giant step forward with a first-of-its kind experiment by NASA. The American space agency successfully crashed two space crafts one after the other on the south pole of the moon, in a search for hidden ice.Instruments from the trailing craft confirm that a large empty rocket barrelled into the moon at 5 pm, followed four minutes later by a probe with cameras taking pictures of the first crash, and gathering signatures of water.But the big live public splash NASA had hoped for didn't quite happen. Screens got blurred and no immediate pictures of the crash or the large plume of lunar dust were seen.The idea was to confirm the theory that water, a key resource if humans are ever going to go back to the moon, is hidden below the barren moonscape.Recently the Indian lunar mission Chandrayaan had returned images that water was found on the moon as a thin invisible film. Till the scientific analysis is completed, the mystery of water on the moon remains largely unsolved.

Gunmen attack Pakistani army HQ, 8 dead

Suspected militants dressed in army uniforms attacked Pakistan's army headquarters on Saturday, killing four guards and triggering a battle in which four gunmen were killed, military officials said.
The brazen attack on the tightly guarded headquarters in the city of Rawalpindi came as the army prepares a major offensive against Pakistani Taliban militants in their northwestern stronghold on the Afghan border.
The gunmen drove in a white van to a main gate at the sprawling complex, opening fire and throwing at least one grenade when challenged, security officials said.
The gunmen then exchanged fire with soldiers for about 40 minutes. Four gunmen and and four guards were killed but two of the gunmen escaped, military officials said.
"Two terrorists are still missing, a search operation is on," said a military official who declined to be identified.
Another military official said some firing had been heard and a helicopter was helping in the search for the two gunmen.Dawn television said the fleeing gunmen had taken two military men hostage.
Al Qaeda-linked Islamist militants have launched numerous attacks in Pakistan over the past couple of years, most aimed at the security forces and government and foreign targets.
The militants have attacked military targets in Rawalpindi before.
Television pictures showed the militants' white van, its doors open, where the gunmen abandoned it by concrete barriers outside the gate.
OFFENSIVE LOOMS
The attack came a day after a suspected suicide car-bomber killed 49 people in the city of Peshawar in an attack the government said underscored the need for the all-out offensive.
Early this year, the militants pushed to within 100 km (60 miles) of Islamabad, raising fears for nuclear-armed Pakistan's stability. An exasperated U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the government appeared to be "abdicating" to the militants.
The United States needs Pakistani help against militants crossing into Afghanistan to battle U.S.-led forces there.But in late April the security forces launched a sustained offensive in the Swat valley, 120 km (80 miles) northwest of Islamabad, largely clearing Taliban from the region.
The militants suffered another big blow on Aug. 5, when their overall leader, Baitullah Mehsud, was killed in an attack by a missile-firing U.S. drone aircraft in South Waziristan.
Mehsud's death and reports of infighting about who would take over as leader raised hopes that the militants were in disarray.
But in recent weeks violence has been picking up after a relative lull following Mehsud's killing.
The government ordered the army to go on the offensive in South Waziristan in June and security forces have been launching air and artillery strikes, while moving in troops, blockading the region and trying to split off factions.
The army has declined to say when it would send in ground troops.