Sunday, May 15, 2011
IMF chief charged with sex assault, France in shock
NEW YORK (Reuters) - IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was charged on Sunday with trying to rape a New York hotel maid in a scandal that appeared to wreck his hopes of becoming France's next president.
A handcuffed and drained Strauss-Kahn appeared before before reporters for the first time on Sunday night when two police detectives escorted him from a police station to a gray, four-door sedan. Police said he would be taken to the booking station at Manhattan Criminal Court.
His hair neatly parted, Strauss-Kahn wore a black overcoat, blue dress shirt and black dress slacks. He kept his eyes straight ahead, avoiding looking at the battery of cameras that had staked out the site for hours.
The sexual assault charges throw the IMF into turmoil just as it is trying to ease an escalating euro zone debt crisis, and they turn France's presidential election campaign upside down when polls had made Strauss-Kahn a clear front runner.
The charismatic 62-year-old, who led the International Monetary Fund through the 2007-09 global financial meltdown and has been central in galvanizing Europe to tackle its debt woes, for long had the reputation of a womanizer. But the charges he faces are in another realm.
A maid, 32, said he emerged naked from the bathroom and sexually assaulted her inside his $3,000-a-night suite at the Sofitel hotel near New York's Times Square on Saturday afternoon.
He would plead not guilty, his lawyers said.
Strauss-Kahn's first court appearance before a state judge had been expected on Sunday night but was delayed after investigators asked a judge for a warrant to search his body for scratches, a police spokesman said.
The defendant agreed to a medical examination voluntarily, one of his defense lawyers said. It was unclear where or when the exam would take place.
"Our client willingly consented to a scientific and forensic examination tonight ... at the request of the government and in light of the hour we have agreed to postpone the arraignment until tomorrow morning," said lawyer William Taylor. No specific time was given for the court appearance.
"He's tired but he's fine," said Taylor, Strauss-Kahn's longtime, Washington-based lawyer.
Police say he fled the hotel after the alleged assault and a few hours later they pulled him from his first-class seat on an Air France plane minutes before it was to take off for Paris.
Strauss-Kahn was charged with a criminal sexual act, unlawful imprisonment and attempted rape, moving him from luxurious hotel suite and a glittering public career to scandal and a bare holding cell in New York's tough Harlem neighborhood in the space of a few hours
The contrast could barely have been more dramatic. At the Sofitel, Strauss-Kahn's suite had a conference room, living room, foyer, spacious marble bathroom and a bedroom with a sumptuous king-sized bed and feather and down duvet.
While he was locked up in Harlem on Sunday, the woman identified him from a police lineup that included five other men, a police spokesman said.
Police say Strauss-Kahn does not have diplomatic immunity from the charges, which if proven could carry a prison sentence of 15 to 20 years. They have collected DNA evidence from the hotel suite, The New York Times reported.
The IMF said Strauss-Kahn had been in New York on private business. He has hired New York lawyer Benjamin Brafman, a seasoned defense attorney who has successfully represented several celebrities, to lead his defense team.
The IMF chief's wife, well-known French television personality Anne Sinclair, jumped to her husband's defense.
"I do not believe for a single second the accusations leveled against my husband," she said in a statement.
IMF CRISIS, ELECTION 'THUNDERBOLT'
The IMF tried to fill its leadership vacuum by naming No. 2 official, John Lipsky, as acting managing director. The charges against Strauss-Kahn are a huge embarrassment for an institution that oversees the global economic system and has authorized hundreds of billions of dollars of loans to troubled countries as well as playing a major role in the euro-zone debt crisis.
The euro fell to a six-week low against the dollar and a two-month trough against the Japanese yen when markets opened in Asia on Monday as the news added uncertainty to aid for Greece and other indebted euro zone countries.
The allegations immediately threw France's presidential race wide open.
He had not yet declared his candidacy but Strauss-Kahn was widely expected to run for the Socialist Party and early opinion polls showed him with a big lead over the conservative incumbent, Nicolas Sarkozy, who is seeking a second term at the election next April.
"The news we received from New York last night struck like a thunderbolt," said Socialist leader Martine Aubry, appealing for party unity.
France's government as well as Strauss-Kahn's political allies and rivals called for caution and respect for the presumption of innocence, but his presidential ambitions appeared to be dead unless the case against him quickly unravels and he is shown to be innocent.
"All this is completely astounding, immensely troubling and distressing. If the facts prove true ... it's something degrading for all women. It's terrible for the image of France," said Francois Bayrou, a centrist opponent.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen said her rival's presidential hopes had been crushed.
Christine Boutin, president of the Christian Democrat Party, suggested Strauss-Kahn may have been set up.
"I think it's very likely a trap was set for Dominique Strauss-Kahn and he fell into it," she told France's BFM television. "It's a political bomb for domestic politics."
French voters are famously tolerant of political leaders' extramarital affairs. The allegations against Strauss-Kahn are entirely different, and much more serious.
If they are proven, Strauss-Kahn's fall from power in a scandal would be one of the most dramatic of any high-profile international figure in decades.
Many politicians have fallen after being caught in extramarital affairs and others have survived them, including former U.S. President Bill Clinton as well as former French President Francois Mitterrand.
Rarely have senior figures faced brutal assault charges like those filed against Strauss-Kahn.
With Strauss-Kahn in the dock, the IMF also now faces many questions of its own, because his character had been questioned before.
In 2008, Strauss-Kahn apologized for "an error of judgment" after an affair with a female IMF economist who was his subordinate.
The Fund's board of member countries warned him against further improper conduct, but cleared him of harassment and abuse of power and kept him in his job. It will now face new scrutiny over whether that response was too weak, especially as there have been persistent rumors about Strauss-Kahn making sexual advances to women.
PIVOTAL IN EUROPE'S DEBT WOES
An economics professor and former French finance minister, Strauss-Kahn took over the IMF in November 2007 for a five-year term, and won praise for helping galvanize leaders to inject billions of dollars into the world economy during the global financial crisis.
He introduced sweeping changes to ensure vulnerable countries swamped by the crisis had access to emergency loans, and others to give major emerging market countries such as China, India and Brazil greater voting powers in the IMF.
Witty, multilingual, a skilled public speaker and sharp back-room negotiator, Strauss-Kahn also weighed into thornier issues by urging China to let its currency rise in a dispute with the United States.
A crisis of leadership at the Fund now will especially worry European nations given Strauss-Kahn's pivotal role in brokering bailouts for Iceland, Hungary, Greece, Ireland and Portugal.
Strauss-Kahn had been due to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday and join euro zone finance ministers on Monday to discuss the bloc's debt crisis and how to handle Greece, which is struggling to meet the terms of a 110 billion euro European Union/IMF bailout last year.
"This might definitely cause some delays in the short term," a Greek official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
Strauss-Kahn's lawyers moved quickly to cast doubts on the allegations against him.
Brafman, his U.S. lawyer, previously defended pop star Michael Jackson against child molestation charges as well as other celebrities in trouble.
The maid who accused Strauss-Kahn told police he attacked her when she went in to clean his suite.
"She told detectives he came out of the bathroom naked, ran down a hallway to the foyer where she was, pulled her into a bedroom and began to sexually assault her, according to her account," New York police spokesman Paul Browne said.
"She pulled away from him and he dragged her down a hallway into the bathroom where he engaged in a criminal sexual act, according to her account to detectives. He tried to lock her into the hotel room."
The woman, who has not been named, was treated in hospital for minor injuries, Browne said. She has worked at the hotel for three years and the property's manager said on Sunday she has been a "completely satisfactory" employee in her work and her behavior.
Under New York state law, attempted rape and a criminal sexual act both carry a potential sentence of 15 to 20 years. Unlawful imprisonment carries a potential sentence of three to five years.
(Additional reporting by Michelle Nichols, Lesley Wroughton, Noeleen Walder, Christine Kearney, John Irish, Andrew Longstreth, Brian Love, Catherine Bremer and John Irish; Writing by Tim Ahmann and Kieran Murray; Editing by Stella Dawson, Daniel Trotta, Peter Cooney and Jackie Frank)
A handcuffed and drained Strauss-Kahn appeared before before reporters for the first time on Sunday night when two police detectives escorted him from a police station to a gray, four-door sedan. Police said he would be taken to the booking station at Manhattan Criminal Court.
His hair neatly parted, Strauss-Kahn wore a black overcoat, blue dress shirt and black dress slacks. He kept his eyes straight ahead, avoiding looking at the battery of cameras that had staked out the site for hours.
The sexual assault charges throw the IMF into turmoil just as it is trying to ease an escalating euro zone debt crisis, and they turn France's presidential election campaign upside down when polls had made Strauss-Kahn a clear front runner.
The charismatic 62-year-old, who led the International Monetary Fund through the 2007-09 global financial meltdown and has been central in galvanizing Europe to tackle its debt woes, for long had the reputation of a womanizer. But the charges he faces are in another realm.
A maid, 32, said he emerged naked from the bathroom and sexually assaulted her inside his $3,000-a-night suite at the Sofitel hotel near New York's Times Square on Saturday afternoon.
He would plead not guilty, his lawyers said.
Strauss-Kahn's first court appearance before a state judge had been expected on Sunday night but was delayed after investigators asked a judge for a warrant to search his body for scratches, a police spokesman said.
The defendant agreed to a medical examination voluntarily, one of his defense lawyers said. It was unclear where or when the exam would take place.
"Our client willingly consented to a scientific and forensic examination tonight ... at the request of the government and in light of the hour we have agreed to postpone the arraignment until tomorrow morning," said lawyer William Taylor. No specific time was given for the court appearance.
"He's tired but he's fine," said Taylor, Strauss-Kahn's longtime, Washington-based lawyer.
Police say he fled the hotel after the alleged assault and a few hours later they pulled him from his first-class seat on an Air France plane minutes before it was to take off for Paris.
Strauss-Kahn was charged with a criminal sexual act, unlawful imprisonment and attempted rape, moving him from luxurious hotel suite and a glittering public career to scandal and a bare holding cell in New York's tough Harlem neighborhood in the space of a few hours
The contrast could barely have been more dramatic. At the Sofitel, Strauss-Kahn's suite had a conference room, living room, foyer, spacious marble bathroom and a bedroom with a sumptuous king-sized bed and feather and down duvet.
While he was locked up in Harlem on Sunday, the woman identified him from a police lineup that included five other men, a police spokesman said.
Police say Strauss-Kahn does not have diplomatic immunity from the charges, which if proven could carry a prison sentence of 15 to 20 years. They have collected DNA evidence from the hotel suite, The New York Times reported.
The IMF said Strauss-Kahn had been in New York on private business. He has hired New York lawyer Benjamin Brafman, a seasoned defense attorney who has successfully represented several celebrities, to lead his defense team.
The IMF chief's wife, well-known French television personality Anne Sinclair, jumped to her husband's defense.
"I do not believe for a single second the accusations leveled against my husband," she said in a statement.
IMF CRISIS, ELECTION 'THUNDERBOLT'
The IMF tried to fill its leadership vacuum by naming No. 2 official, John Lipsky, as acting managing director. The charges against Strauss-Kahn are a huge embarrassment for an institution that oversees the global economic system and has authorized hundreds of billions of dollars of loans to troubled countries as well as playing a major role in the euro-zone debt crisis.
The euro fell to a six-week low against the dollar and a two-month trough against the Japanese yen when markets opened in Asia on Monday as the news added uncertainty to aid for Greece and other indebted euro zone countries.
The allegations immediately threw France's presidential race wide open.
He had not yet declared his candidacy but Strauss-Kahn was widely expected to run for the Socialist Party and early opinion polls showed him with a big lead over the conservative incumbent, Nicolas Sarkozy, who is seeking a second term at the election next April.
"The news we received from New York last night struck like a thunderbolt," said Socialist leader Martine Aubry, appealing for party unity.
France's government as well as Strauss-Kahn's political allies and rivals called for caution and respect for the presumption of innocence, but his presidential ambitions appeared to be dead unless the case against him quickly unravels and he is shown to be innocent.
"All this is completely astounding, immensely troubling and distressing. If the facts prove true ... it's something degrading for all women. It's terrible for the image of France," said Francois Bayrou, a centrist opponent.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen said her rival's presidential hopes had been crushed.
Christine Boutin, president of the Christian Democrat Party, suggested Strauss-Kahn may have been set up.
"I think it's very likely a trap was set for Dominique Strauss-Kahn and he fell into it," she told France's BFM television. "It's a political bomb for domestic politics."
French voters are famously tolerant of political leaders' extramarital affairs. The allegations against Strauss-Kahn are entirely different, and much more serious.
If they are proven, Strauss-Kahn's fall from power in a scandal would be one of the most dramatic of any high-profile international figure in decades.
Many politicians have fallen after being caught in extramarital affairs and others have survived them, including former U.S. President Bill Clinton as well as former French President Francois Mitterrand.
Rarely have senior figures faced brutal assault charges like those filed against Strauss-Kahn.
With Strauss-Kahn in the dock, the IMF also now faces many questions of its own, because his character had been questioned before.
In 2008, Strauss-Kahn apologized for "an error of judgment" after an affair with a female IMF economist who was his subordinate.
The Fund's board of member countries warned him against further improper conduct, but cleared him of harassment and abuse of power and kept him in his job. It will now face new scrutiny over whether that response was too weak, especially as there have been persistent rumors about Strauss-Kahn making sexual advances to women.
PIVOTAL IN EUROPE'S DEBT WOES
An economics professor and former French finance minister, Strauss-Kahn took over the IMF in November 2007 for a five-year term, and won praise for helping galvanize leaders to inject billions of dollars into the world economy during the global financial crisis.
He introduced sweeping changes to ensure vulnerable countries swamped by the crisis had access to emergency loans, and others to give major emerging market countries such as China, India and Brazil greater voting powers in the IMF.
Witty, multilingual, a skilled public speaker and sharp back-room negotiator, Strauss-Kahn also weighed into thornier issues by urging China to let its currency rise in a dispute with the United States.
A crisis of leadership at the Fund now will especially worry European nations given Strauss-Kahn's pivotal role in brokering bailouts for Iceland, Hungary, Greece, Ireland and Portugal.
Strauss-Kahn had been due to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday and join euro zone finance ministers on Monday to discuss the bloc's debt crisis and how to handle Greece, which is struggling to meet the terms of a 110 billion euro European Union/IMF bailout last year.
"This might definitely cause some delays in the short term," a Greek official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
Strauss-Kahn's lawyers moved quickly to cast doubts on the allegations against him.
Brafman, his U.S. lawyer, previously defended pop star Michael Jackson against child molestation charges as well as other celebrities in trouble.
The maid who accused Strauss-Kahn told police he attacked her when she went in to clean his suite.
"She told detectives he came out of the bathroom naked, ran down a hallway to the foyer where she was, pulled her into a bedroom and began to sexually assault her, according to her account," New York police spokesman Paul Browne said.
"She pulled away from him and he dragged her down a hallway into the bathroom where he engaged in a criminal sexual act, according to her account to detectives. He tried to lock her into the hotel room."
The woman, who has not been named, was treated in hospital for minor injuries, Browne said. She has worked at the hotel for three years and the property's manager said on Sunday she has been a "completely satisfactory" employee in her work and her behavior.
Under New York state law, attempted rape and a criminal sexual act both carry a potential sentence of 15 to 20 years. Unlawful imprisonment carries a potential sentence of three to five years.
(Additional reporting by Michelle Nichols, Lesley Wroughton, Noeleen Walder, Christine Kearney, John Irish, Andrew Longstreth, Brian Love, Catherine Bremer and John Irish; Writing by Tim Ahmann and Kieran Murray; Editing by Stella Dawson, Daniel Trotta, Peter Cooney and Jackie Frank)
HCL Tech gets automation contract from US bank
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - HCL Technologies, India's fourth largest software services firm, said late on Friday it got a contract from a unit of U.S. bank First Horizon National Corp to automate its commercial lending operations.
HCL, which did not disclose the value of the contract, said the contract will cover banking lines of small business, business banking, commercial banking, commercial real estate, corporate banking and private banking.
(Reporting by Anurag Kotoky)
HCL, which did not disclose the value of the contract, said the contract will cover banking lines of small business, business banking, commercial banking, commercial real estate, corporate banking and private banking.
(Reporting by Anurag Kotoky)
Petrol price hiked Rs.5 per litre; opposition, people fume
New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) In its steepest hike so far, the price of petrol will be raised Rs.5 per litre in an over 8 percent increase from Saturday midnight. The increase comes only a day after the assembly poll results in five states, and was greeted by anger and derision from ordinary citizens and opposition parties.
According to officials, the three state-run companies will increase the price in a move to plug the losses suffered due to sale of subsidised domestic fuel.
In Delhi, petrol is currently priced at Rs.58.37 per litre, while it is Rs.63.08 per litre in Mumbai till Saturday. From midnight, it will be raised to Rs.63.37 and Rs.68.33, respectively.
In June last year, the government had allowed oil companies to set the price of petrol as per the market situation, following which they had raised the price of petrol by Rs.3 per litre.
Then, another substantial price rise took place in December 2010, when companies had hiked the price by Rs.3 per litre.
The last price hike was in January, when oil companies had raised the price by four to two percent. Thus, in the last nine months, the price of petrol has increased from Rs.47.93 per litre to Rs.63.37 - through nine revisions.
Despite the hike, oil company officials said they will still be losing about Rs.5 per litre of petrol, due to rising international crude prices, with India meeting eighty percent of its fuel consumption through imports. Another hike may be done next week, said officials.
There has been steady increase in the international prices, with the Indian crude basket priced at $113.09 per barrel Friday. The average of the previous fortnight from April 16-30 stood at $119.4 per barrel.
The last time the monthly average was above $100 level was in August 2008, when the crude basket price was calculated at $113.05 per barrel.
The biggest loss of the companies, however, is due to the sale of diesel, cooking gas and kerosene, whose price continues to be controlled by the government. Every day, oil companies lose Rs.495 crore due to the sale of these three products alone.
The empowered Group of Ministers (eGoM) on fuel prices is scheduled to meet next week, to consider a proposal to raise prices.
According to sources, there are proposals to increase the price of diesel by about Rs.4 per litre. Similarly, cooking gas cylinder could become costlier by about Rs.20.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left parties condemned the hike in petrol prices Saturday, terming it as an 'attack' and a 'cruel hoax' on the common man.
The BJP said it would fight against the measure 'inside and outside parliament' while the Left called it hypocrisy, coming a day after the election results to five states.
'The petrol price hike exposed the failure of the economist Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,' BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here.
Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Sitaram Yechury said the price hike was highly condemnable.
'This is a cruel hoax on the common people,' he told reporters here.
Forward Bloc national secretary G. Devarajan said the government was 'indulging in hypocrisy by increasing the prices of petrol just one day after the assembly poll results'.
The moment the news flashed across the media, petrol stations in the city saw long queues of vehicles with people in a hurry to fill up the tanks before the hiked prices came into effect.
Shweta Arya, consultant in an infrastructure firm, lamented that her transportation budget has spiked in the last one year.
'My petrol expenditure has doubled in the last one year. How will the common man survive after such a price hike,' she wondered.
Vinay Verma, 32, wondered if the government could tolerate corruption among politicians and bureaucrats, which has drained the country's coffers, then why couldn't it also take on the burden of subsidy.
'I know that the hike is because of the international increase in prices. But what angers me is that the government can tolerate scams worth thousands of crores of rupees but fails when it comes to international fuel rates,' lamented Verma, a human resources executive.
According to officials, the three state-run companies will increase the price in a move to plug the losses suffered due to sale of subsidised domestic fuel.
In Delhi, petrol is currently priced at Rs.58.37 per litre, while it is Rs.63.08 per litre in Mumbai till Saturday. From midnight, it will be raised to Rs.63.37 and Rs.68.33, respectively.
In June last year, the government had allowed oil companies to set the price of petrol as per the market situation, following which they had raised the price of petrol by Rs.3 per litre.
Then, another substantial price rise took place in December 2010, when companies had hiked the price by Rs.3 per litre.
The last price hike was in January, when oil companies had raised the price by four to two percent. Thus, in the last nine months, the price of petrol has increased from Rs.47.93 per litre to Rs.63.37 - through nine revisions.
Despite the hike, oil company officials said they will still be losing about Rs.5 per litre of petrol, due to rising international crude prices, with India meeting eighty percent of its fuel consumption through imports. Another hike may be done next week, said officials.
There has been steady increase in the international prices, with the Indian crude basket priced at $113.09 per barrel Friday. The average of the previous fortnight from April 16-30 stood at $119.4 per barrel.
The last time the monthly average was above $100 level was in August 2008, when the crude basket price was calculated at $113.05 per barrel.
The biggest loss of the companies, however, is due to the sale of diesel, cooking gas and kerosene, whose price continues to be controlled by the government. Every day, oil companies lose Rs.495 crore due to the sale of these three products alone.
The empowered Group of Ministers (eGoM) on fuel prices is scheduled to meet next week, to consider a proposal to raise prices.
According to sources, there are proposals to increase the price of diesel by about Rs.4 per litre. Similarly, cooking gas cylinder could become costlier by about Rs.20.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left parties condemned the hike in petrol prices Saturday, terming it as an 'attack' and a 'cruel hoax' on the common man.
The BJP said it would fight against the measure 'inside and outside parliament' while the Left called it hypocrisy, coming a day after the election results to five states.
'The petrol price hike exposed the failure of the economist Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,' BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here.
Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Sitaram Yechury said the price hike was highly condemnable.
'This is a cruel hoax on the common people,' he told reporters here.
Forward Bloc national secretary G. Devarajan said the government was 'indulging in hypocrisy by increasing the prices of petrol just one day after the assembly poll results'.
The moment the news flashed across the media, petrol stations in the city saw long queues of vehicles with people in a hurry to fill up the tanks before the hiked prices came into effect.
Shweta Arya, consultant in an infrastructure firm, lamented that her transportation budget has spiked in the last one year.
'My petrol expenditure has doubled in the last one year. How will the common man survive after such a price hike,' she wondered.
Vinay Verma, 32, wondered if the government could tolerate corruption among politicians and bureaucrats, which has drained the country's coffers, then why couldn't it also take on the burden of subsidy.
'I know that the hike is because of the international increase in prices. But what angers me is that the government can tolerate scams worth thousands of crores of rupees but fails when it comes to international fuel rates,' lamented Verma, a human resources executive.
UN chief urges restraint from Israel, Arab sides
United Nations, May 16 (IANS) UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called for restraint from all sides in Israel and Lebanon and urged them to refrain from 'provocations', Xinhua reported.
The UN chief's call came following the deadly clashes along the Blue Line, a border demarcation between Lebanon and Israel in the occupied Golan Heights and in the occupied Palestinian territory.
About a dozen people were killed on the Syrian and Lebanese borders when Israeli forces opened fire at the demonstrators who climbed the fence to enter Israel, reports said.
Palestinians and Arabs demonstrated in the Palestinian territories and on Israel's borders with Syria and Lebanon to mark the 63rd anniversary of the Nakba, or catastrophe, the term they use to refer to Israel's creation in 1948 and the subsequent uprooting of Palestinians from their hometowns and villages.
'The secretary-general is deeply concerned that a significant number of people have been killed or injured. He calls on all concerned to show restraint and refrain from provocations so as to prevent escalation of tensions and ensure civilians are not killed or injured,' said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesman.
'The secretary-general calls for calm throughout the region and utmost responsibility from all concerned,' the statement said.
'He reiterates the urgent need for a just, lasting and comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace, which ensures dignity and security for all, including an end to occupation, an end to conflict, and a just and agreed solution to the plight of Palestinian refugees.'
'The secretary-general calls for a renewed and sustained effort to resume Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and advance the broader goal of a comprehensive regional peace in the Middle East,' the statement said.
The UN chief's call came following the deadly clashes along the Blue Line, a border demarcation between Lebanon and Israel in the occupied Golan Heights and in the occupied Palestinian territory.
About a dozen people were killed on the Syrian and Lebanese borders when Israeli forces opened fire at the demonstrators who climbed the fence to enter Israel, reports said.
Palestinians and Arabs demonstrated in the Palestinian territories and on Israel's borders with Syria and Lebanon to mark the 63rd anniversary of the Nakba, or catastrophe, the term they use to refer to Israel's creation in 1948 and the subsequent uprooting of Palestinians from their hometowns and villages.
'The secretary-general is deeply concerned that a significant number of people have been killed or injured. He calls on all concerned to show restraint and refrain from provocations so as to prevent escalation of tensions and ensure civilians are not killed or injured,' said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesman.
'The secretary-general calls for calm throughout the region and utmost responsibility from all concerned,' the statement said.
'He reiterates the urgent need for a just, lasting and comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace, which ensures dignity and security for all, including an end to occupation, an end to conflict, and a just and agreed solution to the plight of Palestinian refugees.'
'The secretary-general calls for a renewed and sustained effort to resume Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and advance the broader goal of a comprehensive regional peace in the Middle East,' the statement said.
Mamata to meet Sonia, to seal berth deal today
New Delhi: The Trinamool and Congress are likely to finalise their berth sharing deal for the West Bengal cabinet on Monday.
The Congress will submit a report of its Bengal MLAs to Sonia Gandhi today. The MLAs want to be part of the Mamata government. So, to keep the cadre happy, central leaders may agree to join the Trinamool government.
Senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee and party general secretary Shakeel Ahmed will meet Sonia Gandhi with a report on the role the Congress should play in the newly elected West Bengal governemnt.
Trinamool Chief Mamata Banerjee buoyed by a historic mandate is likely to meet Sonia Gandhi later today. She may also meet the Prime Minister.
Mamata will invite them for the swearing in ceremony and will also insist that the Railways ministry stays with Trinamool.
"I will meet Sonia Gandhi and PM and then we will make an announcement," said Mamata Banerjee.
The Congress will submit a report of its Bengal MLAs to Sonia Gandhi today. The MLAs want to be part of the Mamata government. So, to keep the cadre happy, central leaders may agree to join the Trinamool government.
Senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee and party general secretary Shakeel Ahmed will meet Sonia Gandhi with a report on the role the Congress should play in the newly elected West Bengal governemnt.
Trinamool Chief Mamata Banerjee buoyed by a historic mandate is likely to meet Sonia Gandhi later today. She may also meet the Prime Minister.
Mamata will invite them for the swearing in ceremony and will also insist that the Railways ministry stays with Trinamool.
"I will meet Sonia Gandhi and PM and then we will make an announcement," said Mamata Banerjee.
DMK mulls pullout after Sonia call
CHENNAI: Upset with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's courtesy call to AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa, the DMK is considering pulling out its ministers from the Union cabinet and provide only outside support to its long-time ally at the Centre.
An AIADMK statement on Saturday said Sonia had called Jaya to convey her ''best wishes'' on her electoral success.
DMK seniors, including party chief M Karunanidhi, have held informal discussions for two days since Saturday and probed the option of providing outside support to Congress. While Sonia's greetings to Jayalalithaa may be perceived by some as mere courtesy, in Tamil Nadu political opponents are not known to exchange such pleasantries. The Sonia-Jaya telephone conversation is seen as a needless provocation by DMK which is sore about the perceived apathy of the Congress in the wake of CBI action against Karunanidhi's family members.
A section within the DMK, however, cautioned restraint, pointing out that with the party now out of power, it should not lose its clout at the Centre as well. DMK has six Union ministers, including two Cabinet ministers M K Alagiri and Dayanidhi Maran. Pulling them out would leave the DMK with no political capital at a time when the party has suffered a major rout in the assembly elections. ''Until the next Lok Sabha polls in 2014, the party should focus on rebuilding its image and strengthening relations with political allies,'' some senior leaders told Karunanidhi.
The mood in the DMK camp, grim since its disastrous performance, plunged further after news of Sonia's call on Saturday. ''Thalaivar (leader) expressed reservations about Sonia's call to Jayalalithaa. We can understand his feelings. We didn't mind the Prime Minister calling the AIADMK leader. But the political implication of Sonia calling her is different. They have never shared a good relationship. We believe Congress is now opening doors to the AIADMK.
In our opinion, they seem to be planning for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections,'' a former minister told TOI.
Congress spokeswoman Jayanti Natarajan said the AICC president also congratulated leaders of other parties who won state elections along with Jayalalithaa. ''In a democracy, it is a healthy trend,'' she told the media in Delhi. On reports that Sonia had invited Jayalalithaa for tea to Delhi, she said, ''I have no idea, I have no information.''
An AIADMK statement on Saturday said Sonia had called Jaya to convey her ''best wishes'' on her electoral success.
DMK seniors, including party chief M Karunanidhi, have held informal discussions for two days since Saturday and probed the option of providing outside support to Congress. While Sonia's greetings to Jayalalithaa may be perceived by some as mere courtesy, in Tamil Nadu political opponents are not known to exchange such pleasantries. The Sonia-Jaya telephone conversation is seen as a needless provocation by DMK which is sore about the perceived apathy of the Congress in the wake of CBI action against Karunanidhi's family members.
A section within the DMK, however, cautioned restraint, pointing out that with the party now out of power, it should not lose its clout at the Centre as well. DMK has six Union ministers, including two Cabinet ministers M K Alagiri and Dayanidhi Maran. Pulling them out would leave the DMK with no political capital at a time when the party has suffered a major rout in the assembly elections. ''Until the next Lok Sabha polls in 2014, the party should focus on rebuilding its image and strengthening relations with political allies,'' some senior leaders told Karunanidhi.
The mood in the DMK camp, grim since its disastrous performance, plunged further after news of Sonia's call on Saturday. ''Thalaivar (leader) expressed reservations about Sonia's call to Jayalalithaa. We can understand his feelings. We didn't mind the Prime Minister calling the AIADMK leader. But the political implication of Sonia calling her is different. They have never shared a good relationship. We believe Congress is now opening doors to the AIADMK.
In our opinion, they seem to be planning for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections,'' a former minister told TOI.
Congress spokeswoman Jayanti Natarajan said the AICC president also congratulated leaders of other parties who won state elections along with Jayalalithaa. ''In a democracy, it is a healthy trend,'' she told the media in Delhi. On reports that Sonia had invited Jayalalithaa for tea to Delhi, she said, ''I have no idea, I have no information.''
BJP battles Governor H R Bhardwaj to save Karnataka government
BANGALORE: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka seems set to take to New Delhi its battle against Governor H.R. Bhardwaj for reportedly seeking the government's dismissal and direct central rule in the state.
The BJP legislators are meeting here Monday to decide the strategy to save their government.
They are likely to opt to present themselves to President Pratibha Patil in Delhi to prove the party has majority in the assembly.
The legislators meeting will be followed by a cabinet session of Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa who late Sunday wrote to Patil to reject Bhardwaj's "unconstitutional move".
Bhardwaj has not made public the "special report" he says he has sent to central government on the Karnataka developments following the Supreme Court restoring the membership of 16 rebel lawmakers May 13.
Of the 16 legislators, 11 are from BJP and five are independents.
The rebellion in October last year had reduced Yeddyurappa ministry to a minority in the 225-member assembly and Bhardwaj had ordered the chief minister to seek trust vote.
The 16 rebels were disqualified ahead of the Oct 11 trust vote which helped Yeddyurappa win it amid chaos in the assembly.
Bhardwaj ordered another trust vote which Yeddyurappa won Oct 14 with 106 votes in favour and 100 against.
Of the 11 BJP rebels who won back their membership, 10 again expressed their support to Yeddyurappa Sunday while the 11th refused to do so.
The 10 waited outside Raj Bhavan late Sunday to hand over their individual support letters but Bhardwaj did not meet them.
He, however, met a group of ministers after which BJP spokesperson and former central minister V. Dhananjaya Kumar announced that Bhardwaj had "accepted" the support letters, indicating Yeddyurappa had survived the crisis.
However, the jubilation in the BJP camp was short-lived as the ruling party apprehended that Bhardwaj had quietly sought dismissal of the Yeddyurappa government and imposition of direct central rule, keeping the assembly in suspension.
It was Dhananjaya Kumar who told the media that Bhardwaj was possibly seeking dismissal of the Yeddyurappa government, within an hour of claiming that the governor had "accepted" the support letters.
The BJP legislators are meeting here Monday to decide the strategy to save their government.
They are likely to opt to present themselves to President Pratibha Patil in Delhi to prove the party has majority in the assembly.
The legislators meeting will be followed by a cabinet session of Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa who late Sunday wrote to Patil to reject Bhardwaj's "unconstitutional move".
Bhardwaj has not made public the "special report" he says he has sent to central government on the Karnataka developments following the Supreme Court restoring the membership of 16 rebel lawmakers May 13.
Of the 16 legislators, 11 are from BJP and five are independents.
The rebellion in October last year had reduced Yeddyurappa ministry to a minority in the 225-member assembly and Bhardwaj had ordered the chief minister to seek trust vote.
The 16 rebels were disqualified ahead of the Oct 11 trust vote which helped Yeddyurappa win it amid chaos in the assembly.
Bhardwaj ordered another trust vote which Yeddyurappa won Oct 14 with 106 votes in favour and 100 against.
Of the 11 BJP rebels who won back their membership, 10 again expressed their support to Yeddyurappa Sunday while the 11th refused to do so.
The 10 waited outside Raj Bhavan late Sunday to hand over their individual support letters but Bhardwaj did not meet them.
He, however, met a group of ministers after which BJP spokesperson and former central minister V. Dhananjaya Kumar announced that Bhardwaj had "accepted" the support letters, indicating Yeddyurappa had survived the crisis.
However, the jubilation in the BJP camp was short-lived as the ruling party apprehended that Bhardwaj had quietly sought dismissal of the Yeddyurappa government and imposition of direct central rule, keeping the assembly in suspension.
It was Dhananjaya Kumar who told the media that Bhardwaj was possibly seeking dismissal of the Yeddyurappa government, within an hour of claiming that the governor had "accepted" the support letters.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Formal talks with ULFA to begin next month
New Delhi: With the return of the Tarun Gogoi government in Assam, the nascent peace process in the state has received a big boost and formal talks with banned outfit ULFA are likely to begin next month.
The Centre is also arranging a meeting between a top leader of the pro-talk faction of ULFA and the outfit's general secretary Anup Chetia, currently lodged in a jail in Bangladesh, ostensibly to get his consent for the dialogue.
Government officials said the Centre's interlocutor P C Halder was in regular touch with the ULFA leaders, who met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram in February and expressed their willingness to engage in dialogue.
"The formal talks will be beginning by June. Initially, we will take up issues like setting up of designated camps, security of cadres, surrender of arms and livelihood issues. In the later stages, more substantive issues will be taken up for discussion," an official said.
Gogoi's return to power is a boost to the peace process as there will be continuity, he said. The Home Ministry has also suggested that the Assam government set up nine designated camps for the cadres of the pro-talk ULFA. Out of these, two camps will be set up in Nalbari district, where most of the ULFA leaders are taking shelter.
In the absence of designated camps, ULFA leaders like Sasha Chaudhury, Raju Baruah, Mithinga Daimari are living either in rented houses or their own houses.
Before the talks, one of the top leaders of the outfit will travel to Dhaka to meet Chetia to brief him about the initiatives taken by them to bring lasting peace in Assam and get his consent for it.
"A meeting with Chetia in the Dhaka jail is being arranged. We are in the process of getting passport and visa for the ULFA leader who will visit Bangladesh," the official said.
If Chetia comes on board, it will further isolate the outfit's 'commander'in-chief' Paresh Baruah, who is steadfastly opposed to any peace dialogue with the Centre. The ULFA is now studying the 'charter of demands' prepared by the Sanmilta Jatiya Abhibartan (SJA), an umbrella body of civil society organisations of Assam, before submitting its own 'charter of demands' to the Central government during the dialogue process.
The SJA charter demands Constitutional amendments to give Assam greater control over its own future through strengthening the state's power to control the revenues generated there, the natural resources, and the planning process and ensure a secure demographic situation as well as accelerated and balanced development.
The Centre is also arranging a meeting between a top leader of the pro-talk faction of ULFA and the outfit's general secretary Anup Chetia, currently lodged in a jail in Bangladesh, ostensibly to get his consent for the dialogue.
Government officials said the Centre's interlocutor P C Halder was in regular touch with the ULFA leaders, who met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram in February and expressed their willingness to engage in dialogue.
"The formal talks will be beginning by June. Initially, we will take up issues like setting up of designated camps, security of cadres, surrender of arms and livelihood issues. In the later stages, more substantive issues will be taken up for discussion," an official said.
Gogoi's return to power is a boost to the peace process as there will be continuity, he said. The Home Ministry has also suggested that the Assam government set up nine designated camps for the cadres of the pro-talk ULFA. Out of these, two camps will be set up in Nalbari district, where most of the ULFA leaders are taking shelter.
In the absence of designated camps, ULFA leaders like Sasha Chaudhury, Raju Baruah, Mithinga Daimari are living either in rented houses or their own houses.
Before the talks, one of the top leaders of the outfit will travel to Dhaka to meet Chetia to brief him about the initiatives taken by them to bring lasting peace in Assam and get his consent for it.
"A meeting with Chetia in the Dhaka jail is being arranged. We are in the process of getting passport and visa for the ULFA leader who will visit Bangladesh," the official said.
If Chetia comes on board, it will further isolate the outfit's 'commander'in-chief' Paresh Baruah, who is steadfastly opposed to any peace dialogue with the Centre. The ULFA is now studying the 'charter of demands' prepared by the Sanmilta Jatiya Abhibartan (SJA), an umbrella body of civil society organisations of Assam, before submitting its own 'charter of demands' to the Central government during the dialogue process.
The SJA charter demands Constitutional amendments to give Assam greater control over its own future through strengthening the state's power to control the revenues generated there, the natural resources, and the planning process and ensure a secure demographic situation as well as accelerated and balanced development.
bin Laden raid: Petition filed in Pak court
Lahore: A petition has been filed in a Pakistani court asking it to direct the government to declare the US Ambassador "persona non grata" and stop transit facilities for supplies to American forces in Afghanistan if Washington does not apologise for the military raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
The petition, filed by lawyer Javed Iqbal Jaffrey in the Lahore High Court on Saturday, says the government should refer the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) if there is no response from the US.
Jaffrey contended that the US is bound to accept the jurisdiction of the ICJ under a treaty of friendship signed in 1959.He said the "spineless policies" of Pakistani leaders, including former premier Nawaz Sharif, slain ex-prime minister Benazir Bhutto and former President Pervez Musharraf, had "encouraged" the US to carry out the operation in Abbotabad to kill bin Laden without any fear.
"All the leaders lack courage to stand against the US as all have been taking dollars from it by handing over innocent Pakistanis," he claimed.
In the petition, he asked the court to direct the government to declare the US Ambassador "persona non grata" and stop transit facilities for supplies to American forces in Afghanistan if Washington does not apologise for the military raid that killed bin Laden.
The petition, filed by lawyer Javed Iqbal Jaffrey in the Lahore High Court on Saturday, says the government should refer the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) if there is no response from the US.
Jaffrey contended that the US is bound to accept the jurisdiction of the ICJ under a treaty of friendship signed in 1959.He said the "spineless policies" of Pakistani leaders, including former premier Nawaz Sharif, slain ex-prime minister Benazir Bhutto and former President Pervez Musharraf, had "encouraged" the US to carry out the operation in Abbotabad to kill bin Laden without any fear.
"All the leaders lack courage to stand against the US as all have been taking dollars from it by handing over innocent Pakistanis," he claimed.
In the petition, he asked the court to direct the government to declare the US Ambassador "persona non grata" and stop transit facilities for supplies to American forces in Afghanistan if Washington does not apologise for the military raid that killed bin Laden.
Post-Osama, Pak warns US of supply line cut
Islamabad: Still angry over the US raid that killed Osama bin Laden, Pakistani lawmakers demanded an end to American missile strikes against Islamist militants on their soil on Saturday, and warned that Pakistan may cut NATO's supply line to Afghanistan if the attacks don't stop.
The nonbinding parliamentary resolution reflects the precarious state of the US-Pakistani alliance, which is vital to the war effort in neighboring Afghanistan. The bin Laden raid has brought to the fore a longstanding dilemma that US strikes that Washington says kill militants often are seen by Pakistanis as a violation of sovereignty with mostly civilian victims, exacerbating an already-high anti-American sentiment.
During a visit to Afghanistan, US Sen John Kerry, chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called on Pakistan to be a better partner in the fight against terrorists."We obviously want a Pakistan that is prepared to respect the interests of Afghanistan, and to be a real ally in our efforts to combat terrorism," said Kerry, a Democrat from Massachusetts. "We believe that there are things that can be done better."
The Pakistani measure was passed after a rare, private briefing in Parliament by Pakistan's military leaders, who were humiliated by the May 2 US Navy SEAL raid that killed bin Laden in his compound in Abbottabad, a northwest garrison city. Pakistanis were angry the military allowed it to happen while the US said the proximity to a military academy and the capital, Islamabad, raised suspicion that some security elements had been harboring bin Laden.
Washington also has been unable to get Islamabad to go after militant groups, such as the Haqqani network, who use its soil as hideouts but stage attacks only inside Afghanistan. Analysts say Pakistan may be maintaining ties to some insurgents because it wants leverage in Afghanistan - and a wedge against archrival India - once the US pulls out.
Pakistani officials deny links to militant groups, saying they are too stretched battling insurgents attacking the Pakistani state to go after those fighting in Afghanistan right now.
Underscoring the threat, a roadside bomb hit a passenger bus on Saturday near Kharian, a garrison town in eastern Pakistan, killing at least six passengers and wounding 20, senior police official Mian Sultan said. The bus was en route to Kharian from the nearby city of Gujrat.
On Friday, two suicide bombers struck a training center for paramilitary police recruits, killing 87 people in the Shabqadar area of Pakistan's northwest in what the Pakistani Taliban called a revenge attack for the death of bin Laden.
Pakistani military officials insist they did not know bin Laden was living in Abbottabad, and US officials say they have no evidence that the top leadership was involved in hiding the 54-year-old al Qaeda chief.
Still, the US didn't warn Pakistan ahead of the raid, and suspicions linger that some elements in its security establishment were helping to hide the terrorist leader.
That has deepened distrust between the two countries, who have had an uneasy alliance since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Ties have frayed in recent months over the case of Raymond Davis, a CIA contractor who killed two Pakistanis in January, as well as missile strikes that have allegedly killed civilians.
Davis, who claimed the two Pakistanis were trying to rob him, was eventually freed after the victims families agreed to financial compensation, even as the US insisted he had diplomatic immunity from prosecution.
The US and NATO rely heavily - though increasingly less - on land routes in Pakistan to ferry non-lethal material to their troops across the border in Afghanistan. That gives Pakistan some leverage in its dealings with the US
Last fall, after NATO choppers from Afghanistan killed two Pakistani soldiers during a border incursion, Pakistan closed the border to US and NATO supply trucks for nearly two weeks.
The parliamentary resolution called the US raid a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and said Pakistan would not tolerate future such incursions. It also criticized the drone strikes and said the government should consider preventing US and NATO supply trucks from crossing over to Afghanistan if they continue.
The measure doesn't have the force of law, but is likely to be influential because it enjoys broad support from the ruling party and the opposition. It also reflected the political cost in Pakistan of the partnership with the US
It's difficult to say how much of the anger over missile strikes is real and how much of it is Pakistani officials' way of appealing to a domestic audience that is largely anti-US The government is widely believed to secretly aid in the missile strikes.
Few Pakistani lawmakers would discuss the confidential session, which began on Friday and stretched into Saturday morning. The length alone suggested that the generals were questioned vigorously - a rarity in a place where the military operates largely out of civilian control.
Intelligence chief Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha admitted negligence in tracing bin Laden, but also noted that Pakistan had cooperated with the US in helping kill or capture numerous bin Laden allies.
When asked why the CIA was able to track bin Laden, the spy chief said the US agency had managed to acquire more sources in Pakistan than the Pakistani agencies because it paid informants far better, according to a lawmaker who attended the session.
"Where we pay 10,000 rupees ($118), they pay $10,000," one lawmaker described Pasha as saying. The lawmaker described the proceedings on condition of anonymity because the session was supposed to be confidential.
Pasha offered to step down if the political leaders demanded it, but none did, according to the lawmaker. Still, Parliament requested that an independent commission probe the US raid debacle instead of one led by generals.
The nonbinding parliamentary resolution reflects the precarious state of the US-Pakistani alliance, which is vital to the war effort in neighboring Afghanistan. The bin Laden raid has brought to the fore a longstanding dilemma that US strikes that Washington says kill militants often are seen by Pakistanis as a violation of sovereignty with mostly civilian victims, exacerbating an already-high anti-American sentiment.
During a visit to Afghanistan, US Sen John Kerry, chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called on Pakistan to be a better partner in the fight against terrorists."We obviously want a Pakistan that is prepared to respect the interests of Afghanistan, and to be a real ally in our efforts to combat terrorism," said Kerry, a Democrat from Massachusetts. "We believe that there are things that can be done better."
The Pakistani measure was passed after a rare, private briefing in Parliament by Pakistan's military leaders, who were humiliated by the May 2 US Navy SEAL raid that killed bin Laden in his compound in Abbottabad, a northwest garrison city. Pakistanis were angry the military allowed it to happen while the US said the proximity to a military academy and the capital, Islamabad, raised suspicion that some security elements had been harboring bin Laden.
Washington also has been unable to get Islamabad to go after militant groups, such as the Haqqani network, who use its soil as hideouts but stage attacks only inside Afghanistan. Analysts say Pakistan may be maintaining ties to some insurgents because it wants leverage in Afghanistan - and a wedge against archrival India - once the US pulls out.
Pakistani officials deny links to militant groups, saying they are too stretched battling insurgents attacking the Pakistani state to go after those fighting in Afghanistan right now.
Underscoring the threat, a roadside bomb hit a passenger bus on Saturday near Kharian, a garrison town in eastern Pakistan, killing at least six passengers and wounding 20, senior police official Mian Sultan said. The bus was en route to Kharian from the nearby city of Gujrat.
On Friday, two suicide bombers struck a training center for paramilitary police recruits, killing 87 people in the Shabqadar area of Pakistan's northwest in what the Pakistani Taliban called a revenge attack for the death of bin Laden.
Pakistani military officials insist they did not know bin Laden was living in Abbottabad, and US officials say they have no evidence that the top leadership was involved in hiding the 54-year-old al Qaeda chief.
Still, the US didn't warn Pakistan ahead of the raid, and suspicions linger that some elements in its security establishment were helping to hide the terrorist leader.
That has deepened distrust between the two countries, who have had an uneasy alliance since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Ties have frayed in recent months over the case of Raymond Davis, a CIA contractor who killed two Pakistanis in January, as well as missile strikes that have allegedly killed civilians.
Davis, who claimed the two Pakistanis were trying to rob him, was eventually freed after the victims families agreed to financial compensation, even as the US insisted he had diplomatic immunity from prosecution.
The US and NATO rely heavily - though increasingly less - on land routes in Pakistan to ferry non-lethal material to their troops across the border in Afghanistan. That gives Pakistan some leverage in its dealings with the US
Last fall, after NATO choppers from Afghanistan killed two Pakistani soldiers during a border incursion, Pakistan closed the border to US and NATO supply trucks for nearly two weeks.
The parliamentary resolution called the US raid a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and said Pakistan would not tolerate future such incursions. It also criticized the drone strikes and said the government should consider preventing US and NATO supply trucks from crossing over to Afghanistan if they continue.
The measure doesn't have the force of law, but is likely to be influential because it enjoys broad support from the ruling party and the opposition. It also reflected the political cost in Pakistan of the partnership with the US
It's difficult to say how much of the anger over missile strikes is real and how much of it is Pakistani officials' way of appealing to a domestic audience that is largely anti-US The government is widely believed to secretly aid in the missile strikes.
Few Pakistani lawmakers would discuss the confidential session, which began on Friday and stretched into Saturday morning. The length alone suggested that the generals were questioned vigorously - a rarity in a place where the military operates largely out of civilian control.
Intelligence chief Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha admitted negligence in tracing bin Laden, but also noted that Pakistan had cooperated with the US in helping kill or capture numerous bin Laden allies.
When asked why the CIA was able to track bin Laden, the spy chief said the US agency had managed to acquire more sources in Pakistan than the Pakistani agencies because it paid informants far better, according to a lawmaker who attended the session.
"Where we pay 10,000 rupees ($118), they pay $10,000," one lawmaker described Pasha as saying. The lawmaker described the proceedings on condition of anonymity because the session was supposed to be confidential.
Pasha offered to step down if the political leaders demanded it, but none did, according to the lawmaker. Still, Parliament requested that an independent commission probe the US raid debacle instead of one led by generals.
Indian businesses reeling under inflationary pressure: Survey
Indian businesses of all sizes are facing the impact of inflation in terms of rising labour and raw material costs, as well as logistics expenses, according to a survey.
Nearly seven out of 10 companies in India reported that labour costs are increasing and 64 per cent of businesses face rising logistics expenses.
Rising raw material costs (54 per cent) were also highlighted as a major concern, the survey by workplace solutions provider Regus said.
Overall inflation was reported at 8.82 per cent in March, 2011.
The study by Regus asked over 600 senior business decision-makers across India how inflationary pressure was affecting their business operations.
The top three effects of inflation experienced by the businesses are increases in labour, logistics and raw material costs, the survey said.
Regus Regional Vice-President (South Asia) Madhusudan Thakur said, "Countless words have been written about inflationary fears, but our research confirms that the great majority of companies in India are now experiencing real impact on their business."
With the Reserve Bank of India raising its benchmark short-term interest rates by 50 basis points on May 3, it is clear that the government is taking this issue seriously and balancing economic growth with inflationary pressure will be a key challenge for policy-makers going forward, he said.
The survey also revealed a divergence between the number of smaller and larger companies being affected.
Forty-five per cent of small companies said they were affected by increases in raw materials costs, whereas in the case of larger companies, the percentage stood at 64 per cent.
Forty-three per cent of small companies experienced lower demand for products and services, while the percentage stood at 58 per cent for large firms, the survey said.
With regard to increases in labour costs, 66 per cent of small companies said they were affected, compared to 73 per cent of large entities.
Thakur said while the survey indicated more large companies are affected by rising inflation, "We anticipate that increasing numbers of smaller and medium enterprises will also be affected."
According to him, with inflation having an operational impact, smart business leaders will now be looking at the most effective ways of managing their cost base while continuing to grow their enterprise.
"Our recent business confidence index is showing that 70 per cent of companies in India are looking to reduce spend on workplace and own growth across the country is being fuelled by business seeking cost-effective ways to work," he said.
Nearly seven out of 10 companies in India reported that labour costs are increasing and 64 per cent of businesses face rising logistics expenses.
Rising raw material costs (54 per cent) were also highlighted as a major concern, the survey by workplace solutions provider Regus said.
Overall inflation was reported at 8.82 per cent in March, 2011.
The study by Regus asked over 600 senior business decision-makers across India how inflationary pressure was affecting their business operations.
The top three effects of inflation experienced by the businesses are increases in labour, logistics and raw material costs, the survey said.
Regus Regional Vice-President (South Asia) Madhusudan Thakur said, "Countless words have been written about inflationary fears, but our research confirms that the great majority of companies in India are now experiencing real impact on their business."
With the Reserve Bank of India raising its benchmark short-term interest rates by 50 basis points on May 3, it is clear that the government is taking this issue seriously and balancing economic growth with inflationary pressure will be a key challenge for policy-makers going forward, he said.
The survey also revealed a divergence between the number of smaller and larger companies being affected.
Forty-five per cent of small companies said they were affected by increases in raw materials costs, whereas in the case of larger companies, the percentage stood at 64 per cent.
Forty-three per cent of small companies experienced lower demand for products and services, while the percentage stood at 58 per cent for large firms, the survey said.
With regard to increases in labour costs, 66 per cent of small companies said they were affected, compared to 73 per cent of large entities.
Thakur said while the survey indicated more large companies are affected by rising inflation, "We anticipate that increasing numbers of smaller and medium enterprises will also be affected."
According to him, with inflation having an operational impact, smart business leaders will now be looking at the most effective ways of managing their cost base while continuing to grow their enterprise.
"Our recent business confidence index is showing that 70 per cent of companies in India are looking to reduce spend on workplace and own growth across the country is being fuelled by business seeking cost-effective ways to work," he said.
Mayawati shunts out 2 top police officers after farmers'' stir
Mayawati government tonight removed two senior police officers of Gautam Budh Nagar, where four persons were killed in violence during farmers'' agitation on land acquisition issue.
Additional Director General of NCR zone Gurbachan Lal and Senior Superintendent of Police Gautam Budh Nagar S N Singh have been transferred, a UP government spokesman said here.
"Lal has been shifted to Telecom Lucknow in the same capacity. He has been replaced by ADG security K L Meena," the spokesman said here.
Singh will swap places with SP (Training) Jyoti Narain, he said.
Four persons -- two policemen and two farmers -- were killed during clashes between police and villagers during an operation to rescue three roadways employees held captive by the farmers who were demanding greater compensation for their land in Bhatta Parsaul village in Gautam Buddha Nagar. Opposition parties had slammed the Mayawati government over alleged high-handedness.
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi staged a dharna in the village on May 11 in support of the demands of the farmers before being detained by police and released on Delhi border.
Additional Director General of NCR zone Gurbachan Lal and Senior Superintendent of Police Gautam Budh Nagar S N Singh have been transferred, a UP government spokesman said here.
"Lal has been shifted to Telecom Lucknow in the same capacity. He has been replaced by ADG security K L Meena," the spokesman said here.
Singh will swap places with SP (Training) Jyoti Narain, he said.
Four persons -- two policemen and two farmers -- were killed during clashes between police and villagers during an operation to rescue three roadways employees held captive by the farmers who were demanding greater compensation for their land in Bhatta Parsaul village in Gautam Buddha Nagar. Opposition parties had slammed the Mayawati government over alleged high-handedness.
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi staged a dharna in the village on May 11 in support of the demands of the farmers before being detained by police and released on Delhi border.
AGP-BJP alliance could have cost Congress in Assam polls
New Delhi, May 15 (PTI) The Congress, which won Assembly elections with a thumping majority to retain power in Assam, would not have even got a simple majority had AGP and BJP cobbled up a pre-poll alliance.
As per the election statistics, Congress would have suffered loss in at least 20 seats had AGP and BJP joined hands in fighting the polls in the Northeastern state.
There were at least 10 more seats where the combined vote share of AGP and BJP was less than 500 to 1,000 votes than the winning Congress candidates.
"The entire scenario would have been totally different if AGP and BJP could have entered into an pre-poll alliance," an AGP leader, who wished not to be named, said.
In the 126-member Assembly, Congress won 78 seats while its alliance partner Bodo Peoples Front won 12 seats. The main opposition AGP could get only 10 seats while BJP, which had high expectations in the state, succeeded only in five seats.
According to Election Commission''s figure, there are at least 20 seats where total vote share of AGP and BJP combine was much more than Congress.
Though AGP and BJP had an alliance during the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, they fell apart following differences. However, there were several rounds of discussions between the party ahead of the Assembly polls but they could not come together.
A section in the AGP was opposed to allying with the BJP apprehending that it would result in loss of Muslim votes for the party.
According to figures, in prestigious Dispur constituency Congress leaders Akon Bora polled 83,096 votes whereas AGP''s Atul Bora got 74,849 and BJP''s Ranjit Rahang received 29,065 votes.
Similarly, in Upper Assam constituency of Dhemaji, Congress''s Sumitra Doley Patir polled 59,633 votes while AGP''s Paramanand Sonowal and BJP''s Sailen Sonowal together got 74,305 votes.
In oil town Duliajan seat, the Congress''s Amiya Gogoi polled 39,511 votes whereas Rameshwar Teli of BJP and Hiteshwar Phukan of AGP together got 45,952 votes.
As per the election statistics, Congress would have suffered loss in at least 20 seats had AGP and BJP joined hands in fighting the polls in the Northeastern state.
There were at least 10 more seats where the combined vote share of AGP and BJP was less than 500 to 1,000 votes than the winning Congress candidates.
"The entire scenario would have been totally different if AGP and BJP could have entered into an pre-poll alliance," an AGP leader, who wished not to be named, said.
In the 126-member Assembly, Congress won 78 seats while its alliance partner Bodo Peoples Front won 12 seats. The main opposition AGP could get only 10 seats while BJP, which had high expectations in the state, succeeded only in five seats.
According to Election Commission''s figure, there are at least 20 seats where total vote share of AGP and BJP combine was much more than Congress.
Though AGP and BJP had an alliance during the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, they fell apart following differences. However, there were several rounds of discussions between the party ahead of the Assembly polls but they could not come together.
A section in the AGP was opposed to allying with the BJP apprehending that it would result in loss of Muslim votes for the party.
According to figures, in prestigious Dispur constituency Congress leaders Akon Bora polled 83,096 votes whereas AGP''s Atul Bora got 74,849 and BJP''s Ranjit Rahang received 29,065 votes.
Similarly, in Upper Assam constituency of Dhemaji, Congress''s Sumitra Doley Patir polled 59,633 votes while AGP''s Paramanand Sonowal and BJP''s Sailen Sonowal together got 74,305 votes.
In oil town Duliajan seat, the Congress''s Amiya Gogoi polled 39,511 votes whereas Rameshwar Teli of BJP and Hiteshwar Phukan of AGP together got 45,952 votes.
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