Panaji, Dec 29 (PTI) Interim solution to the vexed Tillari irrigation project issue involving Goa and Maharashtra is in sight with Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar claiming today that an understanding in this regard has been reached. Parrikar said the issue would be resolved within two days. He said his Maharashtra counterpart Prithviraj Chavan had assured to solve the issue after reaching an understanding with the agitators who have been blocking, since last twenty days, the water supply from the Tillari irrigation canal in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district, demanding fulfilment of promises regarding rehabilitation. The project has been supplying water to three talukas of Goa namely Bicholim, Pernem and Bardez. However, the final resolution of the issue could take place only in January. "The meeting of the Tillari Water Development Board will be held on January 18, where ministers of both the states will bring out the final solution to this vexed issue", Parrikar told reporters today. He said in the meantime, the state government will release 100-125 million litres per day (MLD) water in Tillari canal through Sal river in Goa. Parrikar claimed that of the total 2,500-3,000 hectares of land under irrigation in Goa, the closure of canal has affected only 250 hectares of land having sugarcane and banana cultivation. PTI RPS PJ NSK HKS SDM
Interim solution to Tillari issue in two days: Parrikar
Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 29 Desember 2012 | 23.24
Syria doomed to "hell" without political deal - envoy
By Alissa de Carbonnel and Peter Graff
MOSCOW/BEIRUT (Reuters) - The international mediator touting a peace plan for Syria warned on Saturday of "hell" if the warring sides shun talks, and Moscow blamed the foes of President Bashar al-Assad for refusing to negotiate.
U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said in Moscow that responsible people inside and outside Syria should "help the Syrians stop their descent into more and more bloodshed, into more and more chaos and perhaps a failed state".
Efforts to find a negotiated solution to a 21-month-old war that has killed some 44,000 people have floundered, with the opposition, buoyed by rebel military advances, demanding that Assad be excluded from power before any talks can proceed.
In a sign that the war may not quickly be won, government forces - in retreat for much of the past few months - scored a victory in the strategically important central city of Homs, where they pushed rebels from a district after days of fighting.
But in the north, Syria's national airline had to cancel a flight from Cairo to Aleppo, according to Egyptian airline officials, due to insecurity at an airport which rebels have declared as a target and where explosions were heard overnight.
Brahimi spent five days in Damascus this week as part of a major push to promote a months-old peace plan that calls for a transitional government, without specifying Assad's role.
"If the only alternative is really hell or a political process, then all of us must work ceaselessly for a political process," Brahimi said in Moscow. "It is difficult, it is very complicated but there is no other choice."
Western and some Arab states which back the revolt against Assad are hoping that Russia, his main international protector and arms supplier, will drop its support.
"WRONG, COUNTERPRODUCTIVE"
They have been searching for signs that Moscow, an ally of Syria since Assad's father seized power 42 years ago, is changing its stance - so far mostly in vain.
After meeting Brahimi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov firmly repeated Moscow's position that Assad's removal cannot be a precondition for negotiations, calling the Syrian opposition's refusal to talk to Damascus a "dead end".
"When the opposition says only Assad's exit will allow it to begin a dialogue about the future of its own country, we think this is wrong, we think this is rather counterproductive," he said. "The costs of this precondition are more and more lives of Syrian citizens."
The United States and its allies hope a change of heart in Moscow could prod Assad to yield power, much as Russia's withdrawal of support for Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic heralded his downfall a decade ago.
Lavrov noted that Assad has repeatedly said he would not go, adding that Russia "does not have the ability to change this".
Brahimi's peace plan has stalled on the demand by the opposition that Assad be excluded from any transitional government, a precondition also backed by the United States, European countries and most Arab states.
Egypt's President Mohamed Mursi, repeating the most populous Arab country's public support for the rebellion, said there was "no place for the current regime in the future of Syria".
"The revolution of the Syrian people, which we support, will go forward, God willing, to realise its goals of freedom."
Most Arab states are ruled by Sunni Muslims, who form the majority in Syria and are the foundation of the revolt against Assad, a member of the Shi'ite-linked Alawite minority sect.
Brahimi's plan was formally agreed in Geneva in June by world powers, but Washington and Moscow argued from the outset over the core question of whether the plan meant Assad must go.
In Damascus, Brahimi advocated a transitional government "with all the powers of the state", but his wording did not exclude a role for Assad, a red line for the opposition.
The envoy's credibility with the rebels appears to have withered. In the rebel-held town of Kafranbel, demonstrators held up banners ridiculing Brahimi with English obscenities.
"We do not agree at all with Brahimi's initiative. We do not agree with anything Brahimi says," the rebel chief in Aleppo province, Colonel Abdel-Jabbar Oqaidi, said on Friday.
OPPOSITION SNUB FOR MOSCOW
Moscow has invited the main opposition leader, Moaz Alkhatib, to visit for talks, but Alkhatib rejected the invitation outright on Friday, instead demanding Lavrov apologise for Russia's support of Assad. He did, however, say he could meet Russian officials in a third country.
Brahimi said a political solution had to be based on the Geneva agreement negotiated by his predecessor, Kofi Annan, shortly before Annan quit in frustration at the divisions among veto-wielding powers on the U.N. Security Council.
"There may be one or two little adjustments to make here and there, but it is a reasonable basis for a political process that will help the Syrian people," Brahimi said of the Geneva plan.
Brahimi is to meet senior U.S. and Russian diplomats together in the coming weeks. Two such meetings this month produced no signs of a breakthrough.
Having seized much of northern and eastern Syria over the last six months, Assad's opponents seem even less likely to accept talks with the government now than when the Geneva agreement first flopped in June.
Rebels say they expect to win the war on the ground. But if both sides intend to fight to the bitter end, the longest and deadliest war to have emerged from last year's Arab revolts may have a long time left to run its course.
Despite its setbacks, the government still has the bigger arsenal and a potent air force. It controls most of the densely-populated southwest of Syria, the Mediterranean coast, most of the main north-south highway and military bases countrywide.
Life is hard in rebel-held areas, without state funding or electricity and with a harsh winter setting in.
Government forces pushed insurgents from the Deir Ba'alba district of the central city of Homs after several days of fierce fighting, opposition activists acknowledged on Saturday.
Homs, which controls the strategically vital highway linking Damascus to the Alawite heartland on the coast, was the scene of some of the worst violence of the war in early 2012.
There were unconfirmed reports that dozens of rebel fighters had been killed in the battle for Deir Ba'alba, said Rami Abdelrahman, director of the British-based, pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group.
(Additional reporting by Yara Bayoumy in Aleppo Province, Syria, Dominic Evans in Beirut, Steve Gutterman in Moscow and Tom Perry in Cairo; Writing by Peter Graff; Editing by Alistair Lyon)
LDALL GIRL 3 LAST
President Mukherjee led India in mourning the death of President Mukherjee led India in mourning the death of the girl and described her as the "brave daughter of India" and that all steps to bring the perpetrators of this "ghastly crime" to justice should be taken. "She was a brave and courageous girl who fought till the very last minute for her dignity and her life. She is a true hero and symbolises the best in Indian youth and women...The nation will mourn the passing of this brave daughter of India," the President said in his condolence message. Prime Minister Singh expressed the hope that the entire political class and civil society will set aside narrow sectional interests and agenda to make India a demonstrably safer place to live in. The Congress President said the fight of nation's "beloved daughter" will not go in vain, promising "swift and fitting punishment" to perpetrators as well as stringent laws for women protection. In New Delhi, police invoked murder charges against the six men allegedly involved in the gang-rape and said it will be their endeavour to ensure the "harshest punishment in the book" to the culprits. "We hope to file the charge sheet by the 3rd of January 2013. Section 302 of IPC, which is the penal section for murder, has been added in the case," Dharmendra Kumar, Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), said. The autopsy of the victim was done by a Singaporean Medical Team and the report will be made available to investigators at the earliest. Meanwhile, Strait Times reported that the casket hearse carrying the gang rape victim left its Geylang Bahru premises at 8.50 pm local time. Her body was embalmed at a funeral parlour in Singapore. PTI SJS TAQ PNT SNK ETB SOM SMJ MPB SJY ETB NSA
Gehlot condoles death of gangrape victim
Jaipur, Dec 29 (PTI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot today condoled the death of the Delhi gangrape victim, saying that all the states of the country should take "collective responsibility" of such incidents instead of doing politics. "The death of the girl is very unfortunate and there is no word to describe the pain. The accused should get severe punishment. The government tried its best to save the life of the girl and sent to Singapore for treatment," Gehlot told reporters on the sidelines of a function here. Gehlot said that the state has already taken steps to curb such crimes. "We have already announced to set up fast track courts and the state is the first to do that. Besides, all senior officials have been asked to monitor cases of women harassment," he said. "All the states should take collective responsibility for such crime instead of doing politics," the chief minister said. The state Governor Margaret Alva, condoling the death, said that the nation is in mourning because the victim has lost her battle for life after a brave fight. "Her suffering and courage have lit a flame that the nation cannot ignore," Alva said in a statement here. "We have made promises, written reports and expressed anguish at these crimes. It is no longer women crying out for justice. It is the conscience of the Indian people, particularly the youth, that has been aroused. The time has come for urgent, firm and decisive action," she said. Meanwhile, the Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Assembly and former chief minister Vasundhara Raje demanded that the guilty must be punished without any delay. "I am personally aggrieved with this tragic incident which has shaken the country. This is the murder of the woman's dignity and India's holy culture, so the accused should be punished immediately," Raje told reporters here. She also alleged that rape incidents were rising in the state and said that the women will have to create awareness and unite against such crimes. Meanwhile, several peaceful demonstrations were held in the city where people from all walks of life mourned the death of the rape victim. PTI SDA DBR
Gujjars in Jamp;K break away from ABGM to create separate outfit
Jammu, Dec 29 (PTI) Gujjars in Jammu and Kashmir today broke away its allegiance from Akhil Bhartiya Gurjar Mahasabha (ABGM) to constitute an independent outfit for themselves to focus on state-specific needs of the community. A separate state organisation 'Bhartiya Gujjar Mahasaba' (BGM) was constituted here today with Ishfaq ul Rehman Poswal representing as its president. "Like other non-political organisation working in different states of India for the benefits of Gujjar Community, we have broken away from ABGM Jammu and Kashmir and constituted a separate state organisation under the banner of BGM, J&K," Poswal told reporters here today. The state president claimed that all district and block level members of ABGM would be shifting to BGM. Poswal said the main agenda behind the creation of the non-political organisation was to highlight state-specific issues of the community. "The major issue which is to be highlight through this organisation is to uplift the tribal Gujjars of the state," he said. The organisation will be affiliated to all the national and state level organisations associated with Gujjar community across the country, he said. Poswal said the main demands of the organisation included implementation of tribals sub-plan in J&K, rehabilitation of nomads, reservation for Gujjars in block development council, legislative council, assembly and providing recruitment to tribal youth. PTI AB DK HU
Five youths held in Haryana on harassment charges
Rewari(Har), Dec 29 (PTI) Five youths were arrested in Lala village in the district for allegedly harassing girls on their way to school, police said here. According to the complaints lodged by the parents of 40 such girl students, the youths, identified as Pramod, Deepak, Parvinder, Azad and Amit used to pass obscene remarks and harass the girls on their way to school, SSP Rewari, Bharti Arora said. The girls, who belonged to the neighbouring Sooma and Katopuri villages, were even stopped by their parents from going to school due to the harassment, Arora said. She said that the girl students would be provided protection in the future and the accused would be severely punished. Further probes are on, the SSP added. PTI COR CHS DBR
Two more ministers to be inducted in HP cabinet: Virbhadra
Shimla, Dec 29 (PTI) Four days after taking the oath as Chief Minister for a record sixth time, Virbhadra Singh today said two more ministers would be soon inducted in the 10-member Himachal Cabinet. In addition to the induction of two ministers, the state government will also appoint some Chief Parliamentary Secretaries, the Chief Minister said. Singh made the statement on his return from New Delhi after meeting Congress President Sonia Gandhi. Two former ministers Anil Sharma, son of former Union Minister Sukh Ram, and Karan Singh from Banjjar are among the front runners for the two ministerial posts, sources said. He rubbished media reports on differences over the distribution of portfolios in the state Cabinet. The portfolios were distributed after the approval from Congress chief and there was no resentment among the members over this issue, Singh said. Referring to composition of his cabinet, Singh said it is a balanced ministry with a mix of veteran ministers with experience and youths with vast talent. Referring to controversial Jhakoo ropeway project in Shimla, Singh said that much work has been done and the project was nearing completion. However, the shortcomings or violations if any would be looked into, he added. When asked about irregularities in allocation of Eco-tourism projects, Singh said the cases where projects have been allotted to people with no experience or ground of tourism would be looked into. He said the government would expedite the ongoing developmental projects and accord priority to completion of ongoing Theog-Hatkoti and Una-Mehatpur double-lane road projects. PTI PCL KAS
Guj mulling Knowledge Cities on the lines of S Korea, Taiwan
Ahmedabad, Dec 27 (PTI) The Gujarat government is planning to set up Knowledge Cities, hubs of academia, research, technology and industry, for promoting innovation, on the lines of countries such as South Korea and Taiwan. "There are two proposals for Knowledge City received by the government with long-term investment commitments," Additional Chief Secretary (Science and Technology) Ravi Saxena said. "Such cities are where you have universities, academic and industrial research laboratories, incubators, and you have the industry," he said. "Accommodating all of these at the same place is necessary so that people could move from one to another, like a professor could go to industry if he has a patent in his hand, which is possible when he doesn't have to shift residence or town," he said. "The concept is on lines of technology parks in Taiwan and a city in South Korea." Hshinchu Technology park of Taiwan and Gwangju Metropolitan City in South Korea are examples of this model. Gujarat currently has around 51 universities and over 1,400 institutes of higher education catering to over 7 million students. However, only a few institutes have active tie-ups with international institutes. In view of this, officials said, the state is going to organise the second edition of International Conference for Academic Institutions (ICAI) as a part of Vibrant Gujarat Summit (VGS) 2013, where MoUs or Letter of Intentions between Gujarat, foreign universities, state industry would be signed. The first edition of ICAI had seen 33 delegates from 25 universities, representing 9 countries, during which 74 MoUs or LoIs for collaboration between Gujarat universities, foreign universities and industry were signed. PTI VKB PD MR SDM
Punishment for rape must be speedy and certain: Editors Guild
New Delhi, Dec.29 (PTI) Condoling the death of the Delhi gangrape victim, the Editors Guild of India today asked the Government to tighten laws dealing with crimes against women and make punishment for rape both speedy and certain. It also asked the Government to outline a programme for changing attitudes towards women, so that the ill-considered remarks of the sort made by some politicians in recent days are not considered symptomatic of broader attitudes. "The Guild recognises that the heinous crime of rape is far too common an occurrence in the country, and calls for speedy action to make punishment for rape both speedy and certain, as that is the surest preventive step that can be taken," it said in a statement here. It said the death of the 23-year-old woman, who was gangraped and assaulted in a moving bus on December 16, has sent shock-waves across the country, and brought about a public outpouring of grief and anger as never witnessed before. The Guild noted that the media has risen to the occasion in covering this episode with responsibility, and helped the protest stay mostly peaceful by providing outlets for the expression of both grief and anger. The media has also rightly taken the government and the police to task for poorly judged decisions on how to deal with demonstrations and for imposing excessive traffic restrictions,. it said. "The Guild recognises the role played by the social media in mobilising people to come out and express their solidarity, and notes that this marks an important change in the non-political organisation of widely shared feelings and thoughts. Governments will have to respond, and governance change," it said. PTI VMN VMN
Berlusconi accuses Monti of plot with Italy's centre left
By Catherine Hornby and Antonella Ciancio
ROME/MILAN (Reuters) - Silvio Berlusconi on Saturday condemned outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti's plan to lead a centrist alliance in Italy's election in February, accusing him of a plot to favour the left, but centrist leaders denied any secret accord.
Monti, who replaced Berlusconi as prime minister last year as Italy scrambled to avert a financial crisis, said on Friday he wanted to unite a broad coalition of factions around a reform agenda aimed at easing the country's economic woes.
Monti ended weeks of speculation when he confirmed his bid for a second term, pitting him against the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) and Berlusconi's centre-right People of Freedom (PDL) party in a three-way contest.
Speaking to reporters at Milan Central railway station, Berlusconi said Monti wanted to help the left secure power after the February 24-25 election so he could continue his austerity agenda of tax hikes and spending cuts.
"This grouping has been formed to favour the left - also the harmony with the left's programme they have celebrated heads in this direction," he said, after earlier describing Monti as "the spare wheel" of the PD in an interview with Vista TV.
The 76-year-old billionaire, who caught the train from Rome with his new 27-year-old partner, Francesca Pascale, said he did not believe Italian voters would "fall into the trap" which he said was aimed at stealing votes from the centre right.
But Pier Ferdinando Casini, head of Italy's oldest and largest centrist party, the UDC, which is cooperating with Monti, strongly denied the accusations.
"Our initiative was not born with the support of the PD. It has not been started with a predetermined alliance ... until election day, what's important is aiming for the majority," Casini said at a news conference on Saturday.
"PHASE OF RESPONSIBILITY"
Opinion polls suggest the PD, under Pier Luigi Bersani, will win a comfortable lower house majority but may have to strike a deal with centrist forces in the Senate, where the centre left has struggled to gain control in past elections.
The PD, which has pledged to maintain Monti's broad reform course while putting more emphasis on jobs and growth, has urged the 69-year old technocrat to clarify the approach the centrist forces will take towards the left.
"Will they present themselves as alternatives, as rivals, or as open to an alliance?" Bersani asked on SkyTG24 television on Friday, saying that the centre left would be open to discuss an accord when Monti's position is clear.
Monti, a former European Commissioner, is a favourite with international investors, the Catholic Church and the business establishment, and has been widely credited with restoring Italy's credibility after the scandal-plagued Berlusconi years.
"For the first time an atmosphere is forming that points towards the future for a Europe that needs Italy and a country that wants to change deeply," centrist leader Casini said on Saturday.
"From yesterday we are putting behind us the empty electoral promises, populism, demagoguery, fake assurances, a phase of responsibility is beginning," he said.
The PD has so far maintained a tone of polite respect for Monti, in contrast to Berlusconi's attacks on his "Germano-centric" austerity policies, which he blames for deepening a severe recession and fuelling record unemployment.
The media tycoon also said on Saturday he was disappointed that Monti had made a bid for a second term because the economics professor had told him he would not use the exposure gained as an unelected technocrat for future political motives.
Berlusconi added that if the centre right won the election he would launch an investigation into Monti's ascent to power.
(Editing by Alison Williams)
Chidambaram words re-kindled hope of spl status for Bihar:
Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 22 Desember 2012 | 23.24
Nitish Patna, Dec 22 (PTI) Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today welcomed Union Finance minister P Chidambaram's views that Bihar cannot lag behind. "This has kindled hope for Bihar to win special category state status for a backward state," Kumar said at a function here. He welcomed Chidambaram's views in Parliament in reply to a question of JD(U) MP N K Singh that a backward state like Bihar can not be left behind to fend for itself... there is a need to change the laid down criterion for according special status which will be looked into by the government as well Planning Commission. "The Finance minister has used the same wordage as we had done while making our plea to him...after days of struggle and campaign the Centre has accepted the demand in principle," he said. "We can see a ray of hope (that Bihar will get its due by winning special status)," he added. The CM, however, said he would continue to agitate till Bihar gets the status which was needed to spur its future growth. The ruling JD(U) had organised "Adhikar rally" on November 4 last in support of its demand for special status. Subsequently, the CM wrote a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh making a strong case in support of the demand. He had handed over the letter to the PM during a meeting with him recently. PTI SNS SUS HKS
Man arrested for demanding dowry
Phagwara, Dec 22 (PTI) A man was today arrested for allegedly demanding dowry from his wife and subjecting her to repeated physical violence for not getting the money. On the complaint made by Bhabiana village resident Manjit Kaur her husband Jagjit Singh was arrested a case under relevant sections of IPC registered against him, Phagwara SP Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh. Jagjit's father Swaran, who has also been booked in the case, was yet to be arrested, the police official said. According to Manjit, she was married to Jagjit about five years back and since then he and his father had been harassing her for dowry. She stated that her husband and in-laws recently raised a dowry demand of Rs 50,000 to purchase a new truck. In the complaint, Manjit has claimed that at the time of marriage the in-laws had raised a demand for a motorcycle, which her parents failed to fulfil. She alleged that her husband and in-laws subjected her to physical violence for failing to meet their demands. PTI Corr CHS KAS
Hooda demands separate High Court for Haryana
Chandigarh, Dec 22 (PTI) Pitching for a separate High Court in the state, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today said he would continue his efforts till the demand is materialised. "I would continue my efforts till the demand for a separate High Court in Haryana is materialised," Hooda told reporters here after the foundation stone laying ceremony of the office building of Haryana State Legal Services Authority in Panchkula. In a reply to another question, Hooda said that Punjab and Haryana High Court has been asked for trial of cases of crime against women through fast track courts. The chief minister further said that the state Government has increased the annual income limit for availing the facility of free legal aid from Rs one lakh to Rs 1.50 lakh and the state government would also set up 18 Alternative Dispute Resolution Centres to ensure justice to the poor and the needy. Supreme Court Judge and Executive Chairman of National Legal Services Authority Justice D K Jain laid the foundation stone of the building of Haryana State Legal Services Authority. The building would be constructed over an area of 2,400 square meters at a cost of Rs 7.50 crore and would be completed within a year. Hooda assured that the state government would extend full support to Haryana State Legal Services Authority in its endeavour of providing justice to all. PTI CHS DBR
Cells to monitor probes into cases of women harassment
Jaipur, Dec 22 (PTI) The Rajasthan government has decided to set up separate cells to monitor investigations into cases of women harassment and exploitation. The cells will function under the supervision of SPs and an officer of Inspector or Sub-Inspector rank will be in charge of these cells, an official spokesman said here today. Cases related to exploitation of women lodged in all police stations will be looked after by these cells for speedy action, he said. A state-level cell will be constituted at the police headquarters in Jaipur to monitor district-level cells. The decision to set up the cells was taken at a law and order review meeting chaired by the Chief Minister who directed police to ensure regular and effective patrolling. Rajasthan Minister of State for Home Virendra Beniwal, Chief Secretary C K Mathew and DGP Harish Meena were among those who attended the meeting. PTI SDA RKC RKC
Inter slip up with home draw against Genoa
REUTERS - Inter Milan missed the chance to close the gap on Serie A leaders Juventus on Saturday when they could only manage a 1-1 home draw with Genoa.
Esteban Cambiasso's equaliser for the hosts five minutes from time cancelled out Ciro Immobile's superb individual goal as second-placed Inter nudged up to 35 points, nine behind Juve after the champions won 3-1 against Cagliari on Friday.
Genoa remain second bottom on 14 points.
Inter's Rodrigo Palacio twice went close early in the second half, first blazing over after finding himself one-on-one with Genoa keeper Sebastien Frey and then forcing a fine save from the Frenchman with a powerful left-foot strike.
A stout Genoa defence easily kept Inter at bay and Immobile hit them with what looked like a fatal sucker punch with 13 minutes left.
His fine individual goal saw him ghost past defender Andrea Ranocchia and slip a smart finish under keeper Samir Handanovic.
Cambiasso brought Andrea Stramaccioni's side back into the game with a thumping header but despite late pressure, Inter could not grab the winner and now look increasingly unlikely to take the title from their rivals.
Napoli will be looking to get their season back on track after having two points deducted in midweek when they visit Siena at 1400 GMT while fellow Champions League hopefuls Lazio and Fiorentina are also both away, at Sampdoria and Palermo respectively.
The weekend's big game takes place at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome (1945 GMT) where flamboyant AS Roma take on a resurgent AC Milan led by red-hot striker Stephan El Shaarawy.
Arteta penalty seals win for Arsenal at Wigan
LONDON (Reuters) - A second-half penalty by Mikel Arteta earned Arsenal a 1-0 victory at Wigan Athletic on Saturday to move the Gunners up to third place in the Premier League.
The Spaniard dispatched his spot kick past Wigan goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi after 60 minutes following Theo Walcott's tumble in the penalty area under a clumsy challenge from Jean Beausejour.
Arsenal's third consecutive Premier League victory moved them above Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea onto 30 points from 18 games although Tottenham can move back above their north London rivals if they beat Stoke City later.
Chelsea face Aston Villa on Sunday.
Wigan, third from bottom, had the best chance of a poor first half when Arouna Kone sprinted through on goal but dragged a left-footed shot wide.
Arsenal were more lively after the break and Walcott, who is still to sign a new contract for the club, was denied by Al-Habsi after he was picked out by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Wigan's response was impressive and they forced Arsenal into some desperate defending on a rain-sodden pitch.
Kone had another chance but was denied by Arsenal's Polish keeper Wojciech Szczesny and Dave Jones thumped a shot narrowly wide of the upright with Szczesny rooted to the spot.
Arsenal held out, however, to put some pressure on their rivals for a top-four place.
Later on Saturday, Manchester City can close the gap with leaders Manchester United to three points when they host bottom club Reading.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Mark Meadows)
Syrian civil war at stalemate, Assad won't go - Russia
By Dominic Evans
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria's civil war has reached stalemate and international efforts to persuade President Bashar al-Assad to quit will fail, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday.
Mainly Sunni Muslim rebels seeking to overthrow Assad are fighting on the edge of the capital Damascus and expanding southwards from their northern strongholds in Aleppo and Idlib into the central province of Hama.
But Assad, from the Alawite minority linked to Shi'ite Islam, has responded with artillery, air strikes and - according to the NATO military alliance which is stationing anti-missile defences in neighbouring Turkey - with Scud-type missiles.
The Kremlin's Middle East envoy was quoted as saying earlier this month that the rebels could defeat Assad's forces and that Moscow was preparing a possible evacuation of Russians, the strongest signs yet that it is preparing for a post-Assad Syria.
That followed concerted calls from Western powers and some Arab countries for Assad to step down before Syria's 21-month-old conflict, which has killed more than 44,000 people according to activists, wreaks more destruction.
But Lavrov said the Syrian president was not about to bow to pressure from opponents or more sympathetic leaders in Moscow and Beijing.
"Listen, no one is going to win this war," he told reporters aboard a government plane en route to Moscow from the Russia-EU summit in Brussels. "Assad is not going anywhere, no matter what anyone says, be it China or Russia."
Lavrov said Russia had rejected requests from countries in the region to pressure Assad to go or offer him safe haven, and warned that his exit might lead to an upsurge in fighting.
He also said Syrian authorities were gathering the country's chemical weapons in one or two areas and that they were "under control" for the time being. "Currently the (Syrian) government is doing all it can to secure (chemical weapons), according to intelligence data we have and the West has," he said.
Western countries said three weeks ago that Assad's government might be preparing to use poison gas to counter rebels who are encamped around his capital and control rural Aleppo and Idlib in the north.
REBEL WARNINGS
In central Hama province, where rebels say they have taken most of the rural territory west of Hama city, fighters threatened to storm two mainly Christian towns which they said Assad's forces were using as bases to attack them.
A video released by the rebels showed seven armed fighters of the Ansar Brigade demanding that residents of Mahrada and al-Suqeilabiya evict Assad's forces.
In Aleppo, rebel leader Colonel Abdel-Jabbar al-Oqaidi said his fighters considered the skies above Aleppo to be a no-fly zone and repeated a warning that they would attack planes using the city's airport.
Snipers fired at an airliner preparing to take off from Aleppo on Thursday, forcing it to abandon its departure.
"The airport was being used as a military airport to transport troops and (Iranian) Revolutionary Guards," Oqaidi told Reuters. "We forbid planes from flying in Syrian air space. We will set up a no-fly zone."
In Damascus, a car bomb killed five people and wounded dozens in the eastern district of Qaboun on Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Video footage which activists said was filmed at the site of the explosion showed a white car in flames in the centre of a street filled with concrete rubble and furniture from at least one building which had collapsed.
The British-based Observatory, which monitors violence across Syria through a network of sources on the ground, also reported clashes between rebels and forces loyal to Assad on the southern edge of the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp, taken over by rebels this week.
Three people were killed by snipers and the army sent reinforcements to the perimeter of Yarmouk, which is described as a camp but in reality is a dense concentration of concrete buildings housing descendants of Palestinians who fled the 1948 fighting at the creation of the state of Israel.
The Observatory says 44,000 people have been killed in Syria since the uprising erupted against Assad in March last year.
International envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, who tried in vain to secure a four-day truce in November to mark the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, will visit Syria in the next few days for talks with Assad, a source in the Cairo-based Arab League said.
The source said no date for such a visit had been announced but he expected it would be within a few days. "Lakhdar Brahimi's team does not want to announce the time of the visit too early, perhaps for logistical or security reasons," he said.
(Additional reporting by Yara Bayoumy in Aleppo, Alexei Anishchuk in Moscow, Ayman Samir in Cairo; Editing by Stephen Powell)
Senior ANP leader among 8 people killed in Pak suicide attack
From Rezaul H Laskar Islamabad, Dec 22 (PTI) A leading anti-Taliban politician was among eight persons killed today when a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a house in Peshawar city where leaders of the Awami National Party were holding a meeting. Bashir Ahmad Bilour, a senior ANP leader and a Senior Minister of the restive Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, succumbed to injuries sustained in the suicide attack, for which the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility. The bomber struck as Bashir, 69, was leaving the house in the congested Dhaki Nalbandi neighbourhood near Qissa Khwani Bazar this evening. He was taken to Lady Reading Hospital, where he was declared dead after doctors failed to resuscitate him. Bilour's personal secretary Haji Noor Mohammed and police officer Abdus Sattar Khan were also killed in the attack, officials said. Hospital officials said 18 people were injured and several of them were in a serious condition. Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman Ihsanullah Ihsan claimed responsibility for the attack during phone calls to journalists in the country's northwest. He said Bilour was targeted as he was among the government functionaries who spoke out against the Taliban. Ihsan warned that the Taliban would target leaders of the ANP, Pakistan People's Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which are partners in the ruling coalition in the centre. Bilour was a member of a leading political and business family of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province that has had a long association with the secular ANP. A lawyer by profession, he was a vocal critic and opponent of the Taliban. He often condemned militants for carrying out bombings and suicide attacks. Despite being targeted several times by the Taliban, Bilour was invariably among the first government officials to arrive at the site of terror attacks to personally supervise operations. (more) PTI RHL NSA
Judicial inquiry into rape incident, penalty to be enhanced
New Delhi, Dec 22 (PTI) Bowing to massive public protests over the gangrape of a young Delhi girl, the Central government today announced setting up of a judicial commission to go into the incident and to suggest measures for improving the safety of women and indicated that maximum penalty for rape could be enhanced to death. Disclosing the series of steps being taken by the government as public protests mounted in the capital, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said that five policemen have been suspended for negligence in the rape incident. After a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Home Minister said the government will set up a Commission of Inquiry under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 to review responses to the shocking crime and to suggest measures to improve the safety and security of women in the capital. More PTI AKV ACB ABS SJY SKL VSC
Iran says seizes explosives on Pakistan border
DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran has seized 20 bombs and other explosives on its border with Pakistan, a police official was quoted as saying on Saturday.
He called on Islamabad to control its border regions properly.
Iran's impoverished southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province, bordering Pakistan, faces serious security problems including bombings and frequent clashes between police and drug dealers and bandits.
"Border agents learned that subversive groups wished to enter our territory," said Ahmad Reza-Radan, Iran's deputy police chief, according to the Mehr news agency.
"The agents were successful in identifying and seizing a large shipment of explosives which had entered our country."
The haul included 20 bombs, Radan said. He did not say when exactly the explosives were found. One person had been arrested in connection but others had escaped to Pakistan.
"We request that the Pakistani government act on its obligations in controlling border regions, because its border has become a way for bandit traffic," he was quoted as saying.
Radan did not identify the arrested person or the suspected groups involved.
In the last major attack in Zahedan, the provincial capital of Sistan-Baluchestan, a suicide bomber killed dozens at a Shiite Muslim mosque in 2010.
That attack was claimed by militant Sunni group Jundollah (God's Soldiers), which accuses Tehran of discriminating against Sunnis. Since 2003 it has claimed a number of other attacks and kidnappings in Iran.
Tehran has linked Jundollah to the Sunni Islamist al Qaeda network and accused the United States of backing Jundollah to create instability in the country, a charge Washington denies.
Iran rejects allegations by Western rights groups that it discriminates against ethnic and religious minorities.
(Reporting By Yeganeh Torbati, edited by Richard Meares)
Sonia Gandhi launches cash-transfer scheme of Delhi Government
Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 15 Desember 2012 | 23.24
New Delhi, Dec 15 (PTI) Sonia Gandhi today launched a major food security programme of Delhi Government under which monthly cash subsidy of Rs 600 will be transferred directly into Aadhaar-linked bank account of the senior-most female member of two lakh poor families. The launch of the Dilli Anna Shri Yojna, claimed to be first of its kind in the country, came amid Congress signalling that cash transfer scheme beginning from the New Year in 51 districts across the country could be the party's trump card in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. "The scheme reflects sympathy of UPA, Congress and the Delhi government for the poorest section of people on the issue of food security," Gandhi said, unveiling the scheme, at a function here. She said what striked her most about the scheme was that money will go directly into the hands of the women of the beneficiary families, which will boost their self-confidence and empowerment. Two lakh poor families, which are not getting subsidised food under either BPL scheme or Antyodaya Anna Yojana, have been identified as the beneficiaries of the food programme. Nearly 14,000 beneficiaries were today given cash subsidy of Rs 4,800 as entitlements for last eight months as the scheme is being implemented with retrospective effect from April 1. The Delhi government has tied up with the five leading banks for implementation of the scheme and Aadhaar-linked bank accounts are being opened in a total of 827 branches of the banks across the city. Hailing Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and her team for a number of welfare schemes, Gandhi said cash transfer scheme is envisaged on the basis of UPA's ideology of balanced development in which the welfare of the poor matters the most. MORE PTI MPB AMR VMN
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High-level inquiry to probe poaching in Yavatmal range
Yavatmal, Dec 15 (PTI) Maharashtra Forests Minister Patangrao Kadam today announced launching a high-level inquiry into the instances of smuggling of sandalwood trees and poaching of wild animals in the region. According to the estimate given by the forest department itself, about 18,000 trees are illegally felled every year in the district causing an estimated loss of Rs one crore to the state exchequer. The minister is on official tour of the district, in which he will visit wild life sanctuaries at Tipeshwar and Penganga and at various eco-tourism centres among rehabilitation sites. On relief and rehabilitation of tribals in forests, Kadam said, "the displaced villagers under Tipeshwar would be rehabilitated in the adjacent village of Parwa and will be paid compensation of Rs 10 lakh to each family". The minister said 204 hectares out of total 304 hectares of land earmarked has already been acquired and the first instalment of Rs 31,68,000 to 168 affected families who have agreed to relocate. Kadam refused to react to the report on alleged jungle safari of the minister of State for Education Fauzia Khan during her visit to South Africa. PTI CORR NSK
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Advance tax mop-up grows 15 pc in Q3; LIC,ICICI Bank,HDFC lead
Sat, Dec 15, 2012 at 19:36
Advance tax mop-up grows 15 pc in Q3; LIC,ICICI Bank,HDFC lead
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Advance tax mop-up grows 15 pc in Q3; LIC,ICICI Bank,HDFC lead
Advance tax mop-up grows 15 pc in Q3; LIC,ICICI Bank,HDFC lead
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Advance tax mop-up grows 15 pc in Q3; LIC,ICICI Bank,HDFC lead
Advance tax mop-up grows 15 pc in Q3; LIC,ICICI Bank,HDFC lead
Mumbai, Dec 15 (PTI) The third quarter advance corporate tax collection from the top 100 companies from the city has shown a modest 15 per cent growth year-on-year backed by higher payouts by the banking and financial sector, according to the income tax department sources. The growth chart is led by the largest financial institution LIC which has paid 10 per cent more at Rs 1,297 crore in advance tax payout for the third quarter compared to Rs 1,166 crore in the same period a year ago. However, the largest lender State Bank of India has paid marginally lower advance tax in the third quarter at Rs 1,701 crore as against Rs 1,730 crore in the same period last year. A statement from the State Bank said its total advance tax outgo this fiscal touched Rs 4,694 crore as against Rs 4,484 crore paid in the corresponding period last fiscal, which is a growth of 4.5 per cent. Similarly, housing lender HDFC said it has paid Rs 560 crore in advance tax against Rs 475 crore in the year ago period, a growth of 18 per cent. Advance tax is a staggered way of paying income taxes through the year. It is generally taken as a barometer of a company's earnings for the period. Mumbai contributes over a third of the overall direct tax collection. The I-T department is targeting to collect Rs 1,78,453 crore from the city this fiscal, a 13.5 per cent jump over last year. Leading private sector banks like ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank have seen their tax payouts increasing. While ICICI Bank has paid 35 per cent more at Rs 675 crore up from Rs 500 crore, the second largest private sector lender HDFC Bank has paid Rs 1,000 crore in the third quarter of this fiscal as against Rs 900 crore in the same period last fiscal. (MORE) PTI IAS BEN DK KSR SRE
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One litre of cobra venom seized in Sangli
Sangli (Maha), Dec 15 (PTI) A cobra venom, estimated to worth Rs 1.12 crore, was today recovered from a shop in the city, police said. The venom, measuring one litre in quantity, was recovered from a xerox shop in Vishrambag area of the city, said DSP Dilip Sawant. Police suspect that the venom was illegally procured from an unknown source and was meant to be distributed at some places. The Crime Branch has arrested Abbas Hasan Mulla and Chandrakant Nana Tikar in this connection and are searching for another suspect Maruti Ghatage who is absconding. PTI CORR NSK
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Modi using language of anti-social elements: Cong
New Delhi, Dec 15 (PTI) Stung by his attack on Sonia Gandhi and Rahul, Congress today charged Narendra Modi with talking the language of anti-social elements as he was "losing ground fast". "The way the Chief Minister is talking of mental balance and imbalance shows that he has become desperate.... And the reason for that trouble is that he is losing ground fast," party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi told reporters. The party asked its workers not to get provoked by Gujarat Chief Minister's words and maintain peace. With the first phase of polling in Gujarat over, Dwivedi who is also Congress media department chairman, said that the atmosphere in teh state is "not favourable" to Modi and that is why he has been using the "language of anti-social elements". "Modi is using a language which is used by anti-social elements in films, villages and towns.... But I am not saying that he is anti-social element. The language he is using needs to be denounced," he said. Apparently referring to Modi's remarks that the Congress could not utilise Amitabh Bachchan appropriately as has been done by him, Dwivedi said such statements do not speak of "healthy mindset". Senior Congress leader Motilal Vora was also present during the interaction. Modi had accused Sonia Gandhi of spreading a lie after the Congress president claimed earlier in the day that 'Dial 108' emergency service was a project of the Centre. "Madam Sonia spreads a lie.... Have you got so scared of losing elections? Have you got so depressed? Behan Soniaben, I bet you have lost your mental balance," he said in Gujarat. The CM also attacked Rahul Gandhi. "Rahul baba, if your family members have gone to jail in the freedom struggle, we appreciate it. But you cannot kill democracy with your family politics. Soniaji has used the CBI to put innocent people of Gujarat in jail," he had said. PTI SPG AD RT
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Smart cities under JNNURM-II: Kamal Nath
New Delhi, Dec 15 (PTI) India's new cities may soon boast of several smart features like IT-enabled transport and carbon neutral status. "Under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission Phase-II, every state will have atleast one smart city," Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath said in an interactive session at the 85th Annual General Meeting of FICCI. He said the new cities, particularly those with population of half a million to one million, will have a host of information technology enabled services, like transport and other utilities. For better planning of cities, Nath also mooted creation of a special municipal cadre to ensure that local bodies have dedicated staff to carry out plans specific to the urban areas. The Minister observed that in some towns a veterinary doctor was being asked to manage a municipality, an area of which he had no clue. He said in JNNURM-II, the Centre was considering giving grants to only those states who establish a municipal service. Currently, in the absence of a dedicated cadre, municipal bodies are borrowing services of other administrative services on deputation basis, which could be changed if the local bodies have their own cadre. To a question on Kochi Metro, Nath said the people of Kochi have to decide who they want to build the metro rail in their city. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation will provide all the support to Kochi Metro, But Kochi Metro has to build itself, the Minister said adding that he was surprised to see people of Kerala wanting DMRC to do the job. "In any case, they must take a decision. Whichever way they want it, we will do it," Nath said. PTI SKU AD VMN
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HC seeks govt response on plea agaist waste collection charge
Jodhpur, Dec 15 (PTI) The Rajasthan High Court has sought reponse for state government and Jodhpur civic bodies along with a private company on a plea challenging imposition of addition charges in the electricty bill of residents for a door-to-door waste collection service. A Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice N K Jain and Justice R S Chouhan issued notices to the state government, Jodhpur Municipal Corporation, Jodhpur Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Limited and Ramky seeking their reply by January 8. It asked why the notification in this regard should not be stayed. Petitioner Anil Bhandari had challenged the addition of the user charges in the electricity bill against the door to door waste collection scheme, recently introduced in Jodhpur by the municipal corporation in association with Ramky. The petitioner's counsel Sunil Bhandari argued in the court that these charges amount to the violation of the Constitution. "Besides, this (collection of waste) is the duty of the municipal corporation and by doing so the corporation is shirking from its duty," Bhandari argued. He claimed that the service has introduced in about 15 wards of the city but the charges have been levied on consumers from all the 65 wards of the city and even from the areas which do not fall in the jurisdiction of the municipal corporation and termed it a an "autocratic move of the government". PTI CORR RT
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Cash transfer scheme to eliminate middlemen: FM
Alwar, Dec 15 (PTI) Expressing satisfaction over progress in implementation of Aadhaar card-based cash transfer scheme, Finance Minister P Chidambaram today said it will eliminate middlemen and ensure that government aid directly reaches the intended beneficiaries. While addressing a gathering of government officials and representatives from various banks here, he stressed upon the crucial role Aadhaar cards, which contain the unique ID of holders, were going to play in the successful implementation of the scheme. He also asked banks to open as many new accounts as were needed to make the scheme far-reaching in its impact. Chidambaram expressed satisfaction over the scheme's pilot project in the district's Kotkasim village even though there were reports of difficulty in cash subsidy transfer with regard to Kerosene. The cash transfer scheme is scheduled for rollout in 43 districts from January 1. The Finance Minister, who was accompanied by Alwar MP and Minister of State for Defence Jitendra Singh, was shown black handkerchief as mark of protest by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad members. The incidence took place some 30 km away from Alwar district. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said at the Ficci AGM in New Delhi today that the drive is to transfer government benefits directly to the bank accounts of individual beneficiaries through Direct Cash Transfers scheme. "The government is rolling out Aadhaar based services rapidly so that benefits like scholarships for students, pensions for the aged, health benefits, MNREGA wages and many other benefits are transferred directly into bank accounts using Aadhaar as a bridge," Singh said. "This will reduce leakages, cut down corruption, eliminate middlemen, target beneficiaries better and speed up transfer of benefits to eligible individuals. It will, at one go, bring in crores of people into our banking system and mainstream them into our economy," Singh added. PTI Corr KKM DP SA
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Judiciary should play pro-active role: Justice Kurian Joseph
Shimla, Dec 15 (PTI) Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court Kurian Joseph today said people have high expectations from judiciary and it should play a pro-active role to meet their aspirations. Justice Kurian today laid foundation of Rs 36 crore Himachal Pradesh Judicial Academy campus at Ghandal near the state capital here. "The judiciary has been entrusted the vital task of establishing truth and it was the prime duty of every judge to uphold it," justice Kurian said. Upholding the truth would strengthen the credibility of the institution, besides ensuring justice to the needy, he said. Highlighting the need for constant updation of skills and upgrading levels of knowledge, the CJ said the Judicial Academy would provide support and expertise in training the judicial officers of other departments regarding various laws. PTI PCL SHS
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Man shoots son after minor altercation
New Delhi, Dec 15 (PTI) An alcoholic man allegedly shot dead his 19-year-old son after the latter taunted him for being jobless, police said today. Subhash Aggarwal had been carrying grouse against his children especially son Shubham, who used to taunt him for being jobless and had even questioned his mother as to why she gave him food when he did not earn for the family, they said. The immediate provocation for the cold-blooded murder came when Shubham, an engineering student, chided his mother for giving Aggarwal dinner last night. Aggarwal then decided to eliminate his son and waited till every other member of his family went to sleep, police said. At around 1 AM, when Shubham went to sleep after studying, Aggarwal went to his room and shot him dead using his licensed revolver. "After that he went to his daughters and wife who were sleeping in the other room and shouted that Shubham had killed himself with a screw driver," B S Jaiswal, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Outer District, said. Even when police went to the spot, Aggarwal insisted that his son had committed suicide, but subsequently confessed to his crime during interrogation. Aggarwal was an alcoholic and did not do anything for his livelihood and used to pick up quarrels with his family members too often on petty issues, police said. PTI ETB KAS
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Murder in name of honour
Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 08 Desember 2012 | 23.24
Hoshiarpur (Punjab), Dec 8 (PTI) Police today said the suspected murder of a 25-year-old woman was a case of honour killing with her parents, fiercely opposed to her affair with a dalit boy, allegedly getting her eliminated. The body of Manpreet Kaur was found lying near Bhagora on Hoshiarpur-Chandigarh road close to Mahilpur crossing on December six. Police had registered a case of murder after it found injury marks. "A father and a mother had got their daughter killed. It was a case of honour killing," Hoshiarpur SSP Sukhchain Singh Gill told reporters here today. Manpreet's father Kapur Singh, mother Balwinder and two others --Satnam and Jaswinderpal -- had been arrested and Rs 1.50 lakh, a sharp-edged weapon and a car used in the crime seized, he said. "The girl's mobile phone and her burnt clothes were also seized from the arrested persons," Gill said. The SSP said investigations revealed Manpreet was in love with Sandeep Kumar, a dalit, and wanted to marry him in spite of fierce oppositon from her parents. On December 5, Manpreet and her parents had a verbal duel in the presence of Kapur's close friend Satnam and his driver Gurinder Singh, another accused, who was on the run, he said. During heated arguments, Satnam allegedly hit her with a wedge and she died instantly, the SSP said. Later, her parents called Jaswinderpal, a resident of Meetpurm, to dispose of Manpreet's body for which he took Rs 1.50 lakh, the SSP said. All the accused had confessed their involvement in the crime, Gill said. PTI COR CHS SOM RKC RKC
Lucknow: 13th International Conference of Chief
Sat, Dec 08, 2012 at 21:36
Lucknow: 13th International Conference of Chief
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Lucknow: 13th International Conference of Chief
Lucknow: 13th International Conference of Chief
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Lucknow: 13th International Conference of Chief
Lucknow: 13th International Conference of Chief
Justices of the World (A) Ahmedabad: Modi at an election rally (B) Gurgaon: Health Summit 2012 (A) New Delhi: CSD Canteen employees protest (A) Guwahati: Chief Justice of India in Guwahati (B) Chandigarh: British Columbia Trade and Investment Office in Chandigarh (A) Mysore: Karnataka releases water (B) Ahmedabad: Arun Jaitley at press conference (A) Kochi: Southern Naval Command display their operational prowesses (B+A) INTERNATIONAL Los Angeles: a rubber duck that was part of a shipment (A) Aleppoo: clashes in Aleppo (B) Kabul: Afghan president Hamid Karzai during a press conference (B) Natmauk: Aung San Suu Kyi greets supporter (A) SAPPORO: Shinzo Abe during his parliamentary elections campaign (A) Gaza City:25th anniversary of the Hamas militant group (A) ZAGREB: A pedestrian jumps over snow (B) Pasadena: The American Giving Awards (A) Doha: Local and international activists protest inside a conference (B) SPORTS Dhaka: One Day International cricket match in Dhaka (B+A) Sochi: ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix Final event (A) Taran Taran: 3rd World Cup Kabaddi 2012 (B) Kolkata: Football exhibition match (B) Dubai: Dubai Ladies Masters golf tournament (B) Bengaluru: Ranji Trophy match (B+A) Mumbai: Ranji Trophy match (B+A) PTI PHOTO VNA AKN BMR
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Chhattisgarh government dismisses 250 teachers
Raipur, Dec 8 (PTI) Nearly 250, among thousands of teachers in Chhattisgarh who were striking work since December 3 for a better salary package, have been dismissed by the state government. The state government also rejected their two core demands, of merger of their posts with regular state government education cadre and salary hikes by implementing the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations. The teachers strongly condemned the move calling it "dictatorship" in a democratic country. "A total of 250 probationary teachers of Raipur among 5000 protestors agitating at Budhatalab here have been dismissed after they ignored the government's warning to roll back their protest and return to school," Raipur Collector Siddharth Komal Pardeshi told PTI. The rest of the protestors have been given an ultimatum till tomorrow afternoon to return to their work, or else stringent action will be taken against them, he said. "If they don't roll back their protest, then waiting list candidates will be appointed in their place," he said. PTI TKP BA
J-K govt committed to empower PRIs: Minister
Akhnoor (J-K)), Dec 8 (PTI) Ruling National Conference government in Jammu and Kashmir today said it was committed to empower the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in the state appropriately, for which the process has already been set in motion. "PRIs are real ground level democratic institutions responsible for local area development and government is keen to further strengthen them," state minister for Health and Family Welfare, Sham Lal Sharma said while addressing a gathering of Sarpanches and Panches here. Sharma said that the state government has issued instructions to all departments to ensure active involvement of the elected representatives in formulation of development plans. He also directed SDM, Akhnoor to convene monthly meeting of all sectoral officers, Sarpanches and Panches to ensure close coordination between administration and PRIs for achieving common objectives. PTI AB DBR
SI shot at in Meerut, four students arrested
Meerut, Dec 8 (PTI) A sub inspector was shot at allegedly by some students in the district when he tried to end an altercation between the students over the payment of a mobile phone bill in a hostel here, police said today. Anand Pal Singh, posted as In-charge of Hasanpur Kadeem police outpost under Bhavanpur police station, suffered four bullet wounds in the incident last night and was rushed to a hospital, SP (City) Om Prakash Singh said. Two bullets hit him near the stomach area, while one struck his shoulder, the police official said adding, during the operation doctors removed all three bullets from his body. Anand's condition is serious but out of danger, he said. The SI lived in a room of Bajrang hostel at Gadh road. A fight broke out between two students, who also lived in the same hostel, over the payment of a mobile bill, Om Prakash said. After receiving the complaint, Anand rushed to the hostel to resolve the dispute. However, other students joined the fight and one of the groups opened fire on the police official, the SP said. Four students have been arrested and efforts were being made to nab the others involved in the incident, Om Prakash said. PTI Corr ANA IRH KAS
AP bifurcation to create socio-economic problems: Cong MP
Vijayawada, Dec 8 (PTI) Congress MP Lagadapati Rajagopal today indicated his opposition to granting statehood to Telangana, saying a bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh may create socio-economic complications. A unified Andhra Pradesh will bring economic growth while its division may bring socio-economic complications with it, Rajagopal said here. He was speaking at a convention of Samaikhyandhra Joint Action Committee of Students from Rayalaseema and Coastal Districts. The committee is campaigning for keeping Andhra Pradesh united. Nearly 90 per cent employment generation and also big chunk of revenue for the state come from Hyderabad, which houses major manufacturing units and IT companies, the MP from Vijayawada in coastal Andhra said. If the state is bifurcated, it would adversely affect employment opportunities in coastal and Rayalaseema districts of the state, he said. Rajagopal claimed only a few politicians and student leaders from Telangana are in forefront of the statehood agitation. More than 65 per cent of the people, political leaders and students support a united Andhra Pradesh. The MP said unless Congress, TDP and YSR Congress support AP's bifurcation, the Centre may not take a decision on the Telangana issue. Rajagopal asked the students to bring pressure on their elected people's representatives to get the support for a unified state. He advised them to follow Gandhian principles while agitating for their cause and refrain from indulging in violence. PTI COR RSY
Pak asks Karzai to share information about spy chief bomber
From Rezaul H Laskar Islamabad, Dec 8 (PTI) The Pakistan government today responded to President Hamid Karzai's accusation that a suicide attacker who targeted the Afghan spy chief had come from Pakistan by saying that Kabul should share any information it has to back up the allegation. "Before levelling charges, the Afghan government would do well if they shared information or evidence with the government of Pakistan that they might have with regard to the cowardly attack on the head of the NDS (National Directorate of Security)," Foreign Office spokesman Moazzam Khan said in a statement. Khan further said that Afghan authorities should also probe possible lapses in the security for Afghan spy chief Assadullah Khalid, who was attacked in Kabul on Thursday by a Taliban suicide bomber posing as a peace envoy. "They (the Afghan government) would also do well by ordering an investigation into any lapses in the security arrangements around the NDS chief," Khan said. The Pakistan government is "ready to assist any investigation of this criminal act", he said. Pakistan yesterday condemned the attack on the Afghan spy chief and reiterated its commitment to efforts to usher in peace and stability in war-torn Afghanistan. Pakistan had also said yesterday that it would "continue to work closely with Afghanistan to eliminate" terrorism. Karzai said earlier today that the suicide bombing that injured the spy chief was planned in Pakistan. He said Afghan officials were certain the suicide bomber came from Pakistan. The Afghan President further said he would raise the issue when he meets Pakistani leaders at a trilateral summit in Turkey next week but stopped short of blaming the Pakistan government. Karzai did not provide any evidence to support his allegations. PTI RHL DDC
Guidelines on city gas distribution network soon: PNGRB
Hyderabad, Dec 8 (PTI) Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) will soon come out with guidelines for setting up city gas distribution (CGD) network across the country. S Krishnan, PNGRB Chairman, today said the guidelines are expected to be ready in 12 weeks after which opinion from public and other stakeholders will be invited. After this, the final norms will be issued by PNGRB. "The guidelines for bidding for city gas distribution will be ready in another 12 weeks' time and then we will invite public comments and opinion on them," he told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar on natural gas here. However, the guidelines alone will not help in smooth functioning of the project and the issue of gas availability from various sources needs to be addressed, he said. Earlier, addressing the seminar, Krishnan said the challenge before the country is to bring natural gas share in total energy basket to 25 per cent from present 10 per cent. The natural gas situation is expected to improve in the next 3-4 years as additional infrastructure is being created to import liquefied natural gas, he said. The PNGRB chief was of the view that since more and more fertiliser plants are coming-up, the demand for natural gas is bound to increase. "It is important to explore new areas of gas availability and in this context the shale gas in USA is something which we are looking for," he said. GAIL (India) Ltd Director (Business Development) S Venkatraman, who also participated in the seminar, said the PSU is setting up a 3.5 million tonne floating terminal off the Andhra Pradesh coast. Panabaka Lakshmi, Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, in her inaugural address, said the natural gas production in Andhra Pradesh is about 3.7 million metric standard cubic metres per day (MMSCMD), which is about 3 per cent of India's total output of 118 MMSCMD. The majority of crude oil and natural gas production is from offshore areas. By end of 12th Five-Year Plan (2012- 17), about 25 MMSCMD natural gas is expected from the Krishna Godavari basin, she said. PTI GDK RSY KSR RDS
Mihin Lanka starts services to Madurai
Madurai, Dec 8 (PTI): The first flight of Sri Lanka's low cost airline Mihin Lanka arrived here with a complement of 108 passengers. It is the second airline to operate flights from here to Colombo after Spicejet. Its Airbus A320 aircraft, which arrived here yesterday, will fly between the two destinations on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Rohana Perera, Head of Commercial Operations, Mihin Lanka, said. He claimed the service would help passengers here get connecting flights to five destinations with minimum waiting time at Colombo airport and that the airline was ready to increase frequency. Ninety nine passengers left for Colombo by the return flight. The flight would land here at 3.10 PM and leave at 4.10 PM on Mondays and Fridays. On Wednesdays it would arrive at 3.25 PM and depart at 4.25 PM. Mihin Lanka and SriLankan Airlines operate flights to five destinations between 6 PM to 6.30 PM daily from Colombo. The timings of Madurai-Colombo flight service would be ideal to take connecting flights to Kuwait, Dubai, Bahrain, Doha and Muscat, he said. "Apart from that, one flight is operated to Jeddah on Fridays," said B Prathapan, Manager (Tamil Nadu and Karnataka), SriLankan Airlines. The passengers who booked tickets for other international destinations would be taken care by the airlines at Colombo. Meanwhile Spicejet had increased the quantum of free baggage to 30kg from 20 kg to attract more passengers.PTI SSN. APR
Salgaocar look for win against Pune FC in I-League
Margao, Dec 8 (PTI) Struggling Salgaocar SC will seek to reverse their fortunes when they lock horns with Pune FC in the 10th round match of the I-League football champsionhip at Nehru Stadium here tomorrow. The Goa outfit is languining at the bottom of the points table (13th place) with just six points from nine matches after facing a series of defeats. They had put up a splendid performance against defending champions Dempo SC against whom they created a plenty of scoring chances, but a late goal by Ryuji Sueoka put paid to their hopes of earning a point. The return of defender Luciano Sobrosa will boost Salgaocar, who will be looking to get back to winning ways and give new coach David Booth his first win. Pune FC are placed fifth with 14 points from nine matches. They were held to 2-2 draw by Mohun Bagan in the previous encounter. Pune FC coach Derick Pereira indicated that tomorrow's match is not going to be an easy outing for his team. "I saw some of their matches and can tell you for sure that they (Salgaocar) are better than what their placing suggests." "They have done well in some games and were unlucky not to get points and we need to play our best to collect full points," stated Pereira. PTI MCS RSY AH PM RDS
Gujarat polls: LJP releases first list of 59 candidates
Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 01 Desember 2012 | 23.24
New Delhi, Dec 1 (PTI) Ramvilas Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) today announced its first list of 59 candidates for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly polls. Some more names will be declared soon for important seats in the state like Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad, LJP General Secretary Abdul Khaliq told PTI here. "We have selected 59 candidates in the first list for Gujarat elections. The names of candidates for seats like Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar are under consideration and will be released shortly," Khaliq said. The first list includes candidates for all regions of the state including Kutch, Saurashtra and Central Gujarat. The party has fielded Muslim candidates in areas where the community has significant presence. Voting for the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will take place on December 13 and 17. PTI AD RAI
LC polls: Cong seeks votes for coalition candidates in J-K
Sat, Dec 01, 2012 at 21:06
LC polls: Cong seeks votes for coalition candidates in J-K
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LC polls: Cong seeks votes for coalition candidates in J-K
LC polls: Cong seeks votes for coalition candidates in J-K
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LC polls: Cong seeks votes for coalition candidates in J-K
LC polls: Cong seeks votes for coalition candidates in J-K
Jammu, Dec 1 (PTI) Seeking support for the coalition candidates for the coming Legislative Council polls, the Congress today asserted that panchayat members should work sincerely to meet the expectations of common people. Addressing public rallies in Rajouri district, state minister Shabir Ahmed Khan noted that people have placed their hopes on public representatives and they have an important role in formation and implementation of development plans at grassroots level. He said holding of BDC elections will further empower the panchayats and increase responsibilities of panches and sarpanches. Shabir asked people to be informed about their rights and seek due share in development process. He claimed the opposition is resorting to propaganda tactics against the ruling coalition fearing an "embarrassing defeat" in the forthcoming elections. Shabir assured of ensuring maximum empowerment of panchayat bodies, and said the J&K Panchayati Raj Act will be further broadened for the purpose. Asking panchayat members to cast their vote in favour of coalition candidates, Shabir asked them to be cautious of the "bogus" propaganda by the opposition. Shabir said MLC elections will be followed by elections to Block development Councils to pave the way for a vibrant three-tier Panchayati Raj System in the state. PTI AB AGL
From DJ EU Officials Spain Aid Cap Of 100 Bn Euros 'should Be Enough'
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Iran fires cyber police chief over blogger's death
DUBAI (Reuters) - The head of Tehran's cyber police unit has been dismissed over the death in custody of an Iranian blogger, police said on Saturday, in a case that has sparked international condemnation and led to Iranian calls for an official investigation.
Sattar Beheshti, a little-known 35-year-old blogger who was critical of the government, was arrested on October 30 after receiving death threats, and died some days later, after complaining he was tortured.
According to a statement posted on the website of Iran's police force on Saturday, the chief of Tehran's cyber police unit was fired for "failures and weaknesses in adequately supervising personnel under his supervision."
Iran's English-language Press TV and the semi-official Mehr news agency named him as Mohammad Hassan Shokrian.
Iran's parliament said last month it had formed a committee to examine the case, and the judiciary said it would deal "quickly and decisively" with those responsible.
Earlier this week, parliamentarian Mehdi Davatgari said the cyber police unit had illegally kept Beheshti in custody without a court order.
Iranian authorities have arrested seven people suspected of involvement in his death, and a judiciary official said a forensic examination had found bruises on five parts of the blogger's body.
Human rights group Amnesty International has said the blogger may have been tortured to death in custody, and has joined with European governments to urge Tehran to investigate.
The cyber police unit, known as FATA, was set up in 2011 following the disputed 2009 re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that led to widespread protests by activists who in part used social networking websites to organise rallies.
(Reporting By Yeganeh Torbati; Editing by Sophie Hares)
Internet back on in Damascus, Homs - residents
BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Internet was working in Syria's capital of Damascus and the central city of Homs on Saturday, residents said, after a two-day blackout that experts said was highly likely to have been caused by authorities.
President Bashar al-Assad's government has been accused before of cutting Internet and telephone connections to block opposition activist and rebel communications during the 20-month-old revolt.
Authorities had attributed the latest outage to a "terrorist" attack or a technical fault.
"Most people have Internet in the capital now," a resident, who asked to remain anonymous, told Reuters over Skype, adding that he was speaking to his friends in Syria using social media.
It was not immediately clear if the Internet was operating countrywide but two activists from the central city of Homs said the service had resumed.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition-linked violence monitoring organisation, said connectivity had returned to most provinces.
(Reporting by Oliver Holmes; Editing by Louise Ireland)
Kuwaitis vote in divisive election after protests
By Sylvia Westall
KUWAIT (Reuters) - Kuwaitis voted on Saturday in a divisive parliamentary election held under new polling rules that triggered an opposition boycott of the ballot and mass protests.
The election is the second this year in the oil-rich Gulf Arab state, where a series of assemblies have collapsed due to a power struggle between elected MPs and the cabinet.
Tens of thousands marched on Friday in what organisers said was the largest protest in Kuwaiti history, to urge people to shun the ballot box in protest at a rule change they say will skew the outcome in favour of pro-government candidates.
The ruling emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, used emergency powers in October to cut the number of votes per citizen to one from four, saying his decree would fix a flawed system and ensure national unity.
The opposition says the new one-vote system will prevent its candidates winning the majority they had in the last vote.
In the past, its candidates have called on supporters to cast their additional ballots for allies. They say such informal affiliations are crucial due to a ban on political parties.
"The old system was unfair for people in some areas of Kuwait," 28-year-old Dalal al-Aboud said at a voting station in a suburb on the edge of Kuwait City.
"I think it will be better if we try this new method, then we judge if it is fair or not."
Polls opened at 8 a.m. (0500 GMT). About 423,000 Kuwaitis are eligible to cast ballots to choose the 50 members of parliament.
TURNOUT CRUCIAL
Officials in polling stations in several districts said turnout appeared lighter than usual, but final figures would only be ready later in the day. Polls close at 8 p.m. (1700 GMT) and results may come around three hours later, officials said.
Opposition figures, who include Islamist, tribal and liberal former lawmakers, have refused to stand.
Information Minister Sheikh Mohammad al-Mubarak al-Sabah said there was a "significant and positive" voter turnout in the second district, which comprises the capital and nearby areas.
The opposition tends to dominate voting in poorer districts furthest from the capital.
Near a polling station in the south of the country, where tribal candidates have polled strongly in the past, Ahmed al-Azemi said he would not vote because his tribe was boycotting.
"The Azemi family, we are against the election," he said. "The new parliament will last only a month. A National Assembly without the opposition is useless."
Around him older men sat drinking tea and arguing about the boycott. Asked who had voted, three of the 10 raised their hands, to shouts from the others.
"If the turnout is lower than 50 percent then you could say the boycott is successful," said Ghanem al-Najjar, professor of political science at Kuwait University.
Turnout in the past three elections was around 60 percent.
Kuwait, a U.S. ally, has the most open political system among the Gulf Arab states with a parliament that has legislative powers and the ability to scrutinize ministers.
But the emir's Al-Sabah family, which has ruled Kuwait for 250 years, holds the main portfolios in the cabinet and Sheikh Sabah has the final say in state matters.
"His highness the emir is responsible for the country and knows best how to maintain its stability," Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad al-Hamoud al-Sabah said.
"Kuwait was, still is and will continue to be a beacon in the Arab world when it comes to the transparency and impartiality of elections," he said on state news agency KUNA.
FEMALE VOTERS AND CANDIDATES
University professor Alia Shuaib said women, who received the right to vote in 2005, were still finding it an uplifting experience to cast their ballots.
"I believe it is my duty as a woman and as a Kuwaiti national to vote," she said.
"It is a pleasure to get up, dress, get my papers and vote. It is breathtaking," the 45-year-old said.
"I believe every person should vote and put the right people in parliament. We want educated people, the best."
There are 14 female candidates out of a total of 302. The last parliament contained no female MPs.
The opposition won around two-thirds of the National Assembly in February and formed a bloc that put pressure on the government, forcing two ministers from office.
That parliament was dissolved after a June court ruling, the latest stage in a standoff which has stalled investment and economic reforms.
(Additional reporting by Ahmed Hagagy and Mahmoud Harby; Editing by Sami Aboudi and Andrew Roche)
Mexico's Pena Nieto takes power, begins new era for old ruling party
By Dave Graham
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Enrique Pena Nieto took over as Mexican president on Saturday, offering a shot at redemption for the party that shaped modern Mexico if he can bring about an end to years of violence and economic underperformance.
Returning the centrist Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, to power after a 12-year hiatus, the 46-year-old Pena Nieto aims to use a recent improvement in the economy's fortunes to spark faster growth.
Shortly after midnight at the national palace, outgoing President Felipe Calderon formally transferred power to his successor, handing over a red, white and green national flag to Pena Nieto and saluting him.
"Today I begin to exercise the honorable office of president," said Pena Nieto, who then swore in his top security ministers.
Several thousand protesters, mainly from leftist groups that supported Pena Nieto's main rival and oppose his reform plans, massed outside Congress.
Police fired tear gas to try to disperse the protesters, who rattled metal barriers in a bid to disrupt a swearing-in ceremony and inaugural address due later on Saturday morning. Elsewhere small groups of protesters threw Molotov cocktails.
"They have imposed an illegitimate president. There's lots of us here, this struggle is just beginning," said Frida, a 16-year-old student, her eyes stinging from the tear gas beneath a face mask and wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the image of a guerrilla leader.
Former State of Mexico governor Pena Nieto won the July 1 election with about 38 percent of the vote, more than 6 points ahead of second-placed leftist rival Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
Telegenic and married to a popular actress, Pena Nieto promises to restore calm after more than 60,000 people were killed in violence between drug gangs and security forces during the six-year term of his conservative predecessor.
"Unfortunately, this has been something which has made or formed the image of Mexico in the world," Pena Nieto said during a trip to Europe in October. "That's why there's no doubt dealing with lawlessness more effectively is a priority."
He says he is committed to the fight against organized crime, which dominated Calderon's presidency, but has also stressed his main goal is to reduce the violence.
The new president's right-hand man, Luis Videgaray, and close political ally Miguel Angel Osorio Chong will be the two key figures in his cabinet, running the finance and interior ministries respectively.
Having helped shepherd a labor reform through Congress since his election victory, Pena Nieto now wants to pass legislation to strengthen Mexico's tax base and allow more private investment in lumbering state oil giant Pemex .
If he is successful, the reforms could help spur stronger growth and create jobs, blunting the allure of organized crime.
Like many of Mexico's best-known institutions, Pemex was a creation of the PRI, which ruled for 71 uninterrupted years until it was voted out in 2000. By then, the party had become a byword for corruption, cronyism and vote-rigging.
'ESTABLISHMENT GUY'
Annual economic growth averaged less than 2 percent under the National Action Party, or PAN, over the past 12 years. That record and growing worries over the drug war violence opened the door for a PRI comeback under Pena Nieto.
Still, inflation has been kept in check, debt levels are low and growth picked up toward the end of Calderon's term, with the economy outperforming Brazil's in the past two years.
"Maintaining that stability is going to be one of the biggest challenges of the next government," said Phillip Hendrix, 44, a Mexican businessman.
Pena Nieto's inner circle features several ambitious young economists and financial experts eager to prove the PRI can do a better job of managing Latin America's second-biggest economy.
For much of the PRI's reign, Mexico enjoyed stronger growth than the PAN mustered, but memories linger of default on the country's debts in 1982 and a financial crash in 1994 and 1995.
"It's very hard to believe in the PRI. They bankrupted Mexico," said construction worker Jose Luis Mendoza.
Supporting a family of four on 1,300 pesos a week, Mendoza, 29, said he was worse off now than when Calderon took office, and doubted his life would improve under Pena Nieto. "The cost of everything has gone up - but my wage hasn't," he said.
Pena Nieto has pledged to put more money in Mexicans' pockets and shake up competition in a country where large swaths of the economy are concentrated in the hands of a few, like telecom billionaire Carlos Slim, the world's richest man.
But Pena Nieto has been vague so far about how he plans to create a more level playing field, and pollster Jorge Buendia said it would be foolish to expect radical change.
"Pena Nieto's not a reformist guy. He never has been," Buendia said. "He's an establishment guy and I don't think he's going to rock the establishment that much."
(Additional reporting by David Alire Garcia, Michael O'Boyle and Alexandra Alper; Editing by Kieran Murray, Simon Gardner and Vicki Allen)
PDP appeals to people for defeat of coalition candidates
Jammu, Dec 1 (PTI) Winding up the campaigning for Legislative Council Polls, opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) today said the defeat of coalition candidates in the upcoming elections was must to ensure setting up of a vibrant Panchayat Raj Institution in Jammu and Kashmir. "The defeat of coalition candidates in the Legislative Council elections was must to ensure setting up of a vibrant Panchayat Raj Institution in Jammu and Kashmir," former Finance minister and senior PDP leader Tariq Hamid Qarra told reporters here. Qarra alleged that National Conference-Congress coalition was responsible for depriving Panchayat members of their constitutional powers. Addressing series of meetings of Panches and Sarpanches in different areas of the district, the PDP leader said that the party was committed to set up three-tier Panchayati Raj Institutions in the state with all powers to the Panchayat members. Qarra, who is coordinator of the campaign committee of PDP, said that elected Panchayat members were feeling betrayed by the ruling coalition and they were anxiously looking for the opportunity to the give a befitting reply to the state government for dishonouring mandate of the people. Qarra reminded that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during this year's Independence Day address had also termed Panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir as one of the biggest achievements to strengthen democracy in the state. He, however, regretted that the present government has failed to take any step to make Panchayats properly functional at grass root level. PTI AB DBR
Hamas complains to Egypt after Israeli army kills Gazan
By Nidal al-Mughrabi
GAZA (Reuters) - Hamas accused Israel on Saturday of violating the shaky, Egyptian-brokered Gaza truce of November 21 after Israeli troops killed a Palestinian taking part in a protest at the enclave's border fence.
Medical officials said the 21-year-old man had been among six Palestinians wounded by gunfire during Friday's demonstration near southern Rafah, and had later died in hospital.
The Israeli military said the Palestinians had tried to vandalise the fortified fence and that soldiers shot at their legs after first trying to warn them away.
The Gaza Strip's Hamas government described the incident, as well as the Israeli navy's seizure of nine Palestinian fisherman on Wednesday, as violations of a ceasefire mediated by Cairo to end a surge of cross-border fighting this month.
"We have discussed this with Egyptian officials, so they guarantee a cessation to those violations," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said.
Increased Palestinian access to the Gaza fence and to fishing waters heavily patrolled by Israel were among conditions lodged by Hamas and other armed factions in the Cairo talks.
Israel said it was willing to ease its military clampdown on the territory if the Palestinians did not pose a threat.
Since 2009, the Israelis had enforced a 300-metre-deep no-go zone on the Palestinian side of the border, saying this kept away gunmen and would-be infiltrators. It had also denied Palestinians the means of working swathes of farmland.
The army suspended zone enforcement after the November 21 truce, but killed another Palestinian in a similar fence protest two days later. Hamas, while condemning Israel, deployed police to evacuate other demonstrations.
Abu Zuhri's remarks did not indicate that the Islamist movement, which remains hostile to the Jewish state, wanted to abandon the ceasefire. The eight days of fighting this month killed 166 Palestinians, while Gazan rocket fire killed six Israelis.
A smaller Palestinian group, Islamic Jihad, was more threatening than Hamas, saying in a statement that "continued and so flagrant (Israeli) violations would put the calm at risk and push resistance factions to respond in a way they deem suitable".
(Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Andrew Roche)
Any N.Korean satellite launch would be highly provocative act - U.S.
By Paul Eckert
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Saturday condemned North Korea's plan to carry out its second rocket launch of 2012 as a "highly provocative act" that would threaten peace and violate U.N. sanctions.
"A North Korean 'satellite' launch would be a highly provocative act that threatens peace and security in the region," said U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland in a written statement.
"Any North Korean launch using ballistic missile technology is in direct violation of U.N. Security Council Resolutions," she added.
North Korea's state news agency announced the decision to launch what it asserts is a space satellite in mid-December.
(Reporting By Paul Eckert; Editing by Sandra Maler)
Congo rebels quit Goma, saying it's "for peace"
By Ed Stoddard and Kenny Katombe
GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - Hundreds of rebel fighters, singing and brandishing weapons, pulled out of Congo's eastern border city of Goma on Saturday, raising hopes for negotiations to end the insurgency.
The withdrawal of the M23 rebel movement from Goma on Lake Kivu, a strategic hub in Democratic Republic of Congo's war-scarred east, was agreed in a deal brokered by presidents of the Great Lakes states under Uganda's leadership a week ago.
"M23 has been leaving Goma. By noon today, 750 M23 elements left Goma ... by close of business today they should have all left," Hiroute Guebre Sellassie, North Kivu office head for the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo (MONUSCO) told Reuters.
Goma's fall on November 20 to the Tutsi-led M23 insurgent group, which routed United Nations-backed government forces, triggered a diplomatic scramble to prevent a wider escalation of the eight-month-old rebellion in the conflict-prone region.
The rebels had said they would fight to topple Congo's President Joseph Kabila and march on the capital Kinshasa, 1,600 km (1,000 miles) to the west. U.N. experts accuse Rwanda and Uganda of supporting the revolt, a charge both strongly deny.
In the centre of Goma, blue-helmeted U.N. peacekeepers from Uruguay in white armoured vehicles watched as camouflage-clad M23 fighters scrambled on to the back of flatbed trucks with battered suitcases and other belongings before driving off.
RESIDENTS LINE STREETS
Residents lined the streets leading out of the city to watch as the truckloads of singing rebels drove out, heading for previously agreed positions 20 km (13 miles) north of Goma from which M23 launched its lightning offensive two weeks ago.
On the dusty road by the U.N.-controlled airport, about 100 rebels trudged out of town on foot. Some of the trucks leaving Goma carried crates of captured munitions and military supplies.
M23 military chief Sultani Makenga, who is under a U.N.-imposed assets freeze and travel ban for leading the revolt, told reporters the rebel withdrawal was in response to a request from Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.
"We are leaving for peace," Makenga said, following a brief ceremony in which a squad of around 40 M23 fighters, wearing mottled green camouflage uniforms, peaked caps and black gumboots, first paraded and then sang and danced.
MONUSCO's Sellassie said she expected the Congolese army to return to Goma within 36 hours. Congolese police officers brought in to help keep order were already on the streets.
If there are no hitches, a full rebel withdrawal from lakeside Goma, which lies in sight of the towering Mount Nyiragongo volcano, will provide breathing space for possible follow-up negotiations between the rebels and Kabila.
Humanitarian agencies say hundreds of people have been injured and thousands displaced by the recent fighting.
Goma lies at the heart of Congo's eastern borderlands which have suffered nearly two decades of conflict stoked by long-standing ethnic and political enmities and fighting over the region's rich resources of gold, tin, tungsten and coltan. The latter is a precious metal used to make mobile phones.
GRAPHICS
Rebel advance http://link.reuters.com/kuj24t
Cycles of conflict http://link.reuters.com/nav24t
WAY OPEN FOR TALKS?
The Congolese president has said he is willing to listen to the rebels' grievances, but there is considerable mistrust between the two sides and Kabila faces pressure from within his own army to pursue a military solution rather than talks.
"If Kabila provokes us, we will come back," M23's Makenga said. "If he wants peace there will be peace, if he wants war, there will be war," he added.
Uganda's junior foreign minister, Asuman Kiyingi, told Reuters Kampala would encourage the two sides to talk. "Now that M23 has withdrawn, it's important that the Kinshasa government also addresses the grievances of these people (M23)," he said.
Asked about prospects for talks, Congo government spokesman Lambert Mende said: "It's the president who has the intiative and only him, it's for him to decide how things proceed".
Some Goma residents jeered as the trucks carrying departing rebels lurched through the dusty streets, but no major incidents or disturbances were reported.
On Friday, the pullback plan appeared to run into problems, including a dispute over abandoned army supplies the insurgents wanted to take with them.
In the face of evidence supplied by U.N. experts about Rwandan involvement in the rebellion, a number of Western donors have frozen aid to Kigali. Rwandan President Paul Kagame has angrily rejected the charges against his government.
In the latest move, Britain, Rwanda's largest bilateral donor, said on Friday it was withholding 21 million pounds of budget support.
Rwanda has twice invaded its western neighbour Congo over the past two decades, at one point igniting a conflict dubbed "Africa's World War" that drew in several countries.
It has justified its interventions by arguing it was forced to act against hostile Rwandan Hutu fighters who had fled to Congo after the 1994 Rwandan genocide that saw 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus killed by Hutu soldiers and militia.
The M23 rebels said they took up arms over what they call the government's failure to respect a March 23, 2009, peace deal that envisaged their integration into the Rwandan army.
They have since broadened the scope of their movement, which takes it name from the peace deal date, declaring their aim to "liberate" the entire Central African nation and oust Kabila.
Aid agencies say more than 5 million people have died from conflict, hunger or disease in Congo since 1998.
(Additional reporting by Elias Biryabarema in Kampala and Jonny Hogg in Kinshasa; Writing by Pascal Fletcher; Editing by Andrew Roche)
