Muslims Can't Be President - Fifi Kwetey

Source: The New Statesman
Politics | Tue, 06 Sep 2011

 

Deputy Finance Minister, Fifi Kwetey

Without the capacity to provide its own information, the mind drifts into randomness. By: roylexi.com

The then National Propaganda Secretary of the National Democratic Congress and now Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Fifi Kwetey, has stated in no uncertain terms that a Muslim can never become the President of the Republic of Ghana, according to a US embassy cable.

Fifi Kwetey made this known in an interaction with officials of the US embassy, in his capacity as propaganda secretary and advisor to former President Rawlings, on the 5th of October 2007, when the former was contacted for his views in the run up to the December 2007 congress of the New Patriotic Party as well as the 2008 elections.

When asked about the chances of victory of Vice President Aliu Mahama in the NPP congress, Fifi Kwetey in his usual self refused to comment on the strengths of the then Vice president but rather chose to focus on his religion as a Muslim.

'Concerning Vice President [Aliu] Mahama's Muslim faith, religion is an important factor in Ghanaian politics and many Christian Ghanaians would never vote for a Muslim presidential candidate.'

He went on further to say that whilst other will not openly say so, he was bold enough to state that a Muslim can never be President.

'While most Ghanaians would not admit this openly, a Muslim could not be elected President of Ghana,' Fifi Kwetey said.

The advisor to former President Rawlings and then national propaganda secretary also stated that the NDC would exploit the non-election of Alhaji Aliu Mahama for propaganda purposes in the northern region and as well as in the Muslim community.

'Some Ghanaians, particularly Northerners and Muslims, will feel that Vice President Mahama deserves the nomination and is being treated disrespectfully by his party after serving loyally as Kufuor's deputy. The NDC would exploit these negative sentiments to generate support for our candidate,' Fifi Kwetey said.

Fifi Kwetey, in that same meeting, further went on to confirm the largely held view that the NDC usurping the role of the Convention People's Party with the sole aim of obliterating it as a political party in Ghana. 'The NDC has largely taken over the CPP's role as Ghana's “Nkrumaist” political party, and that there has been weak support for the CPP in recent elections,' he added.

He also went to label Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom a 'traitor' because he served as a minister in Kufuor's government and dismissed his chances of securing the CPP's flagbearership slot.

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News For Sunday, September 11, 2011

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Business & Finance	Kosmos To List On Ghana's Stock Market Agriculture Insurance Is Key To Increasing Productivity
CPP News	Congratulations to the new CPP National Executives – Make our party a winner. Ghana needs the CPP!
Editorial	Supporting Mass Transportation
Education	Technical, Vocational Training To Take Centre Stage To Address Challenges Facing Education UCOMS Wins 2011 SIFE Competition
Feature Article	As Ghana welcomes Israel and the Libyan National Transitional Council… (Part III) Akufo Addo’s Policy Statement: A Critical Review – Part 2 Insecticide-Treated Bed Nets Lower Child Mortality From Malaria A Gruesome Metaphor Akufo-Addo’s Policy Statement: A Critical Review – Part 1
General News	Trial Of 10 NACOB Cocaine Suspects - Hooligans Invade Court Samia Is New CPP Chairperson Cadman Mills Sues Appiah Kubi, Adom FM Conflicting Death Toll Figures On Boat Accident Who Leads CPP? Mills Commends Donor Community For Supporting Ghana
Politics	Delle Outlines Timetable For Election 2012 Place Interest Of CPP Above Individuals - Dr Nduom Consider Supreme Interest Of CPP - Osafo Nduom tasks Samia, et al to win the 2012 elections for the CPP NDC Youth In Tamale Demonstrate Against Azorka

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Oscar Winner Cliff Robertson Passes Away at Age 88

Source: The Associated Press

September 10, 2011

Cliff Robertson, who played John F. Kennedy in PT-109 and won an Oscar for Charly, passed away on Saturday, September 10, at the age of 88.

His secretary of 53 years, Evelyn Christel, said he died at Stony Brook University Medical Center on Long Island of natural causes a day after his 88th birthday, according to The Associated Press.

Robertson remained a popular actor from the mid-1950s into the following century. His later roles included Uncle Ben in Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" movies.

"My father was a loving father, devoted friend, dedicated professional and honorable man," daughter Stephanie Saunders said in a statement. "He stood by his family, friends, and colleagues through good times and bad. He made a difference in all our lives and made our world a better place. We will all miss him terribly."

He won the Academy Award in 1968 for his performance in Charly playing a mentally disabled man who undergoes medical treatment that makes him a genius until he regresses to his former state.

Robertson's funeral is set for Friday in East Hampton. You can read more about his life and career by visiting this link.

Read more: Oscar Winner Cliff Robertson Passes Away at Age 88 - ComingSoon.net http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=81954#ixzz1Xdp2xN7M

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Documents shed light on CIA, Gadhafi spy ties

From Ben Wedeman, CNN

September 4, 2011 -- Updated 0353 GMT (1153 HKT)

Papers show U.S.-UK-Libya spy ties

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• The cooperation emerged after Libya ended its WMD program
• There was an exchange of information between the agencies
• Renditions occurred amid concern over reports of Libyan torture
• U.S. official says this needs to be kept "in context"

Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- Documents seized at the Libyan intelligence headquarters have revealed a surprisingly close relationship between the CIA and their counterparts in the Gadhafi regime.
They highlight the cooperation between Libya and Western intelligence agencies after Libya ended its weapons of mass destruction program in 2004. They also shed light on the West's controversial rendition program -- the questioning of terror suspects in third-party countries.
CNN saw documents in the former office of Libya's external security agency and received material from Human Rights Watch on Saturday. They are from 2004 and 2005.
CNN found an exchange of information between Libyan intelligence and Western intelligence agencies -- such as the CIA, the MI6 in Britain and Canada's intelligence service.
For example, the Libyans were interested to learn about alleged Islamic radicals involved in anti-Gadhafi activity in Canada, the United States and Europe. The United States and Britain were interested in any detail Libya could provide about al Qaeda.
One piece of correspondence focused on the prospect of Libya providing help to the United States in Somalia, where anti-American militants have a strong presence. There was contact between Porter Goss, who served as CIA director in the mid-2000s, and former head of external intelligence Moussa Koussa.
"Moussa Koussa was on a first-name basis with the CIA and MI6," said Peter Bouckaert of Human Rights Watch. "There's Christmas greetings in here. There's documents saying, 'Thanks for the oranges you sent.'"
CNN's attempts to reach Goss on Saturday were unsuccessful.

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Reports of cases of U.S. rendition to Libya have emerged. It occurred amid regular State Department reports of Libyan abuse of prisoners, underscoring concerns of human rights advocates about the practice.
For example, the State Department's 2005 report on human rights in Libya said, "Security forces reportedly subjected detainees to cruel, inhumane, or degrading conditions and denied adequate medical care, which led to several deaths in custody."
One report, in The New York Times, said documents suggested that the United States "sent terror suspects at least eight times for questioning in Libya despite that country's reputation for torture." The newspaper said the documents cover 2002 to 2007, "with many of them concentrated in late 2003 and 2004."
Bouckaert told CNN the documents "establish conclusively what we've been saying for a long time -- that the CIA was capturing and rendering people to Libya so they could be interrogated by Libyan security."
"We even have the CIA questions they sent to be asked to the suspects that they rendered to Libya," he added.
And CNN saw a March 6, 2004, CIA letter to Libyan officials about Abdel Hakim Belhaj, a former jihadist with the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group and now a senior commander in the anti-Gadhafi forces.
It concerned the Malaysian government's arrest of Abdullah al-Sadiq, Belhaj's nom de guerre for his rendition. A CIA officer said the man and his pregnant wife were being placed on a commercial flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to London via Bangkok and then onto Libya.
"We are planning to arrange to take control of the pair in Bangkok and place them on our aircraft for a flight to your country," the officer wrote.
CNN's Nic Robertson recently profiled Belhaj. As a young man in the late 1980s, Belhaj was one of scores of jihadists in the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group who went to fight in Afghanistan. His military prowess soon made him a commander among his fellow fighters.
After the fall of the Taliban, Belhaj left Afghanistan and was arrested in Malaysia in 2004. After some questioning by the CIA, he was sent back to Libya and jailed.
Belhaj was released from Moammar Gadhafi's notorious Abu Salim jail last year. He and dozens of others of LIFG fighters negotiated with the Gadhafi regime for their freedom -- in return for denouncing al Qaeda and its philosophy of jihad.
Fran Townsend, CNN counterterror analyst who worked as President George W. Bush's homeland security adviser, said that when suspects were transferred to any country, not just Libya, U.S. officials asked the government for assurances that they wouldn't violate human rights of the person in question.
Also, they would oversee the process of incarceration and questioning to make sure the prisoner wasn't abused, she said.
"It wasn't just sign a piece of paper. It was also, by the way we have to have the right to visit them on short notice and speak with them," she said, referring to the suspects.
Townsend said the MI6 and the CIA worked very closely with Libyan intelligence in terms of persuading them to turn over their weapons of mass destruction program and to maintain a relationship with them.
The relationship, she said, was "by no means a straight line. It had its ups and downs."
The CIA would not comment specifically on the reports about the relationships between Libya and Western spy agencies.
But CIA spokeswoman Jennifer Youngblood did say, "It can't come as a surprise that the Central Intelligence Agency works with foreign governments to help protect our country from terrorism and other deadly threats. That is exactly what we are expected to do."
A U.S. official who would not speak for attribution because of the sensitivity of intelligence relationships said, "There are lots of countries willing to take terrorists off the street who want to kill Americans. That doesn't mean U.S. concerns about human rights are ignored in the process."
The official added this needs to be kept "in context."
"By 2004, the U.S. had successfully convinced the Libyan government to renounce its nuclear weapons program and to help stop terrorists who were actively targeting Americans in the U.S. and abroad," said the official.

The British Foreign Office said it does not comment on intelligence matters.

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Deadline for Libyan towns' surrender passes

By the CNN Wire Staff

September 10, 2011 -- Updated 0007 GMT (0807 HKT)

A picture of Moammar Gadhafi taken in 2009. Interpol has issued Red Notice warrants for the fallen Libyan leader.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• 18 bodies found in western Libya, Human Rights Watch reports
• Officials see heavy resistance in Bani Walid, fighting east of Sirte
• Negotiations were to end at midnight, deal or no deal, new Libyan leaders had said
• U.N. envoy Martin sees positive signs in Tripoli, along with concerns

Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- A deadline set by Libya's new leaders for the surrender of the towns of Sirte and Bani Walid, bastions of hardcore supporters of Moammar Gadhafi, passed at midnight Friday without any apparent deal.

Before the deadline expired, a spokesman for the National Transitional Council said talks with loyalists were continuing into the evening. Absent a resolution, "it's up to military planners to decide how to move forward," Shamsuddin Ben Ali said.

Sticking points included the demand by Gadhafi loyalists for NTC fighters to enter their communities unarmed, and to refrain from searching houses. The loyalists also asked for blanket pardons, but the NTC wanted to prosecute loyalists with blood on their hands, Ben Ali said.

Sirte is on the Mediterranean coast east of Tripoli, and Bani Walid is southeast of the capital.

A military spokesman, citing heavy resistance from loyalists in Bani Walid, said anti-Gadhafi forces had retreated Friday.

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NTC media committee spokesman Jalal el Gallal said fighting for Sirte was taking place 55 kilometers (34 miles) east of the city.

El Gallal said NTC fighters were met with small-arms fire as they advanced from the east, and a battle ensued with heavy artillery. A Benghazi hospital received a number of casualties, he said.

Earlier, Abdallah Kenshill, an NTC chief negotiator, had told CNN that anti-Gadhafi fighters had been just 1.5 kilometers, nearly a mile, from the center of Bani Walid, situated on the north, east and south.

Anti-Gadhafi fighters captured seven loyalists, including a brigadier general, he said, and three loyalists were killed. An anti-Gadhafi fighter was killed and four others were wounded, Kenshill said.

CNN was not able to independently verify his account.

Inside Bani Walid, meanwhile, pro- and anti-Gadhafi groups clashed, but NTC fighters were not involved, said Badr Abu Shahma, assistant to the commander of Misrata's southern front.

Ben Ali also said he received intelligence reports that loyalist forces were moving captured NTC fighters to Qasr Bu Hadi for use as human shields. That town is 10 miles east of Sirte.

Mahmoud Jibril, chairman of the NTC executive board, will visit Misrata on Saturday to survey the damage in the city, where he has tribal ties, Ben Ali said.

The developments came as Interpol issued Red Notice arrest warrants Friday for Gadhafi, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity.

A Red Notice allows Interpol, the international police agency, to circulate arrest warrants widely with an intention to extradite suspects to the ICC.

At the United Nations, Ian Martin, the secretary-general's special envoy to Libya, told reporters that fears of a humanitarian disaster in the capital have not materialized.

City infrastructure has suffered little damage, the disruption of the water supply has been largely alleviated, supplies of fuel and electricity are improving, schools are slated to reopen September 17, and there has been no general breakdown of public order, said Martin, who had earlier briefed the Security Council after his return from five days in Libya.

"That's quite a striking conflict with other post-conflict" cities, he said.

But those advances do not minimize the enormous challenges that transitional authorities still face.

A Supreme Security Committee has been established in Tripoli to bring all armed elements under a single command, but "the proliferation of weapons is a major concern, including to Libya's neighbors," Martin said.

"The approach they're taking is to, at this stage, tell the very top echelon of the military, the police, the civil service, to remain at home while decisions are taken as to which of them should or should not be part of the future," he said.

Despite appeals by NTC leaders, acts of revenge have been carried out, "especially of sub-Saharan Africans accused -- often, I think, quite wrongly -- of having fought for the Gadhafi regime," he said.

In addition, "terrible evidence continues to come to light of the deliberate human rights abuses and crimes of the Gadhafi regime, both those that took place over many years and during the fall of Tripoli, when many of the prisoners were massacred," Martin said.

"This is going to be a very heavy burden for Libya's new leaders as they seek to show that there will be accountability within the law for the worst violations, but at the same time promote national reconciliation."

The weight of that burden was underscored by a report by Human Rights Watch that 18 bodies were discovered Thursday in western Libya. The find corroborates reports by two survivors that the dead had been detainees held by Gadhafi forces in the town of al-Khoms who were killed in June.

The dead suffocated when they were locked inside two metal shipping containers, the group said.

A captured Gadhafi soldier led officials from the military council of al-Khoms, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of Tripoli, to the bodies, which were buried between Bani Walid and Orban, HRW said.

"The Gadhafi forces threw detainees in metal containers with little water and air on a brutally hot day, and refused to let them out despite cries for help," said Fred Abrahams, special adviser at Human Rights Watch.

A 19th person died a few days later, so was not buried with the other 18, the group said.

A video that appears to have been shot by a Gadhafi soldier shows several of the detainees -- blindfolded and bound -- being kicked and whipped inside the container.

Meanwhile, an interim government is to be established within 30 days of the declaration of liberation, U.N. envoy Martin said. Until then, the NTC is assuming "caretaker responsibilities" to carry out urgently needed functions, he added.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has proposed a support mission for three months, after which "we would then go back to the Security Council for a longer mandate," Martin said.

CNN's Kareem Khadder, Ian Lee, Jim Bittermann and Umaro Djau contributed to this report.

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Anna Hazare Forgives Manish Tewari But Lawyer Sends Notice

Anna Hazare Forgives Manish Tewari But Lawyer Sends Notice

[ Updated 11 Sep 2011, 10:02:25 ]

Pune, Sept 11: Gandhian Anna Hazare may have forgiven Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari for making allegations of corruption against him, but his lawyer Milind Pawar had sent a notice to Tewari. 

While addressing the media on Thursday evening in Ralegan Siddhi, Hazare had said: “I had challenged Tiwari's allegations against me. He apologised later in front of the media, which I now accept.”

But Hazare's lawyer Milind Pawar has sent a notice to Tewari asking for a written apology. “If my lawyer has sent a notice, then Tewari should reply to it,” Hazare said.

Tewari had called Hazare corrupt, an allegation that was strongly challenged by the Gandhian. Pawar had earlier stated that a criminal case would be filed against Tewari. Tiwari had stated that the Sawant Commission had indicted Hazare for “being steeped in corruption from head to toe.”

“Even though Tewari has apologised in front of the media, he owes a written apology to Anna. I had a discussion with Anna after he returned from New Delhi. We have decided to send the notice,” Pawar said.

The notice states that Tewari had committed an offence under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code by defamatory references to Hazare, and must apologise in a “written application.” The notice also asks Tewari to state in writing that he and his party “would not commit such false imputations and [issue] defamatory statements in future.”

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Chhatisgarh Police Arrests Journalist, Contractor For Trying To Send Cash To Maoists

Chhatisgarh Police Arrests Journalist, Contractor For Trying To Send Cash To Maoists

[ Updated 11 Sep 2011, 16:25:01 ]

Raipur, Sept 11:  The Chhatisgarh police on Friday  arrested a contractor B K Lala and journalist-activist Lingaram Kodopi on charge of going to hand over Rs 15 lakh cash to Maoists at a weekly market in Dantewada.

However, human rights bodies have termed the arrest of one of the two arrested as illegal and said he was framed in the case.

Police say Lala withdrew Rs.15 lakh from his State Bank of India account from Kirandul in Dantewada and was set to hand over the money on behalf of Essar group  at the Palanar weekly market to Maoists.

"Lala admitted to be carrying money on behalf of Essar while Kodopi was tipped to receive the money on behalf of Maoists," Dantewada Superintendent of Police Ankit Garg said.

Police say the two were  booked under under various IPC sections alongwith  clauses of a stringent Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act, which rights activists have termed a "draconian law", framed to tackle Maoist sympathizers.

Human rights organisations claim that Chhattisgarh Police has been deliberately trying to frame Kodopi, a young tribal activist, for a long time. The People's Union for Democratic Rights, Delhi (PUDR) has strongly condemned the arrest of Kodopi and said he was picked up from his village Sameli in Dantewada.

"Kodopi was earlier also picked up by the police from his village in September 2009 and kept in illegal detention for 40 days. They tortured and forced him to become an SPO. A habeas corpus petition was filed by his brother in the high court after which he was released," a PUDR statement said.

However  recent WikiLeaks revelations  show that Essar Group was paying "protection money" to Maoists in Chhattisgarh. The company has refused to comment.

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Vikramjit Sen Appointed Karnataka Chief Justice

Vikramjit Sen Appointed Karnataka Chief Justice

[ Updated 11 Sep 2011, 10:20:45 ]

New Delhi, Sept 11; Justice Vikramajit Sen, judge of the Delhi High Court, has been appointed Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court. 

The present Chief Justice, Jagadish Singh Khehar, has been elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court, and he will be sworn in on September 13.

Justice Sen, born on December 31, 1950, was educated in Delhi and practised as a lawyer in civil, arbitration and commercial disputes. He had a special interest and consultancy on minority rights before he was made a judge of the Delhi High Court in July 1999.

He headed the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal that declared Deendar Anjuman an unlawful association in 2003 and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal that declared the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) an unlawful association in 2008 and 2010.

Justice Khehar, after practising as a lawyer for 20 years, was elevated as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 1999 and became Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court in November 2009. He assumed charge as Chief Justice of the Karnataka High court on August 8, 2010.

Fifty-year-old Justice Khehar has a chance to become Chief Justice of India for a short period before his retirement in August 2017. The High Court has arranged a farewell for him on Monday.

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Writer Mahasweta Devi Hospitalized

Writer Mahasweta Devi Hospitalized

[ Updated 11 Sep 2011, 10:24:54 ]

Kolkata, Sept 11 : Renowed Bengali writer and Magsaysay award winner Mahasweta Devi was hospitalised here on Saturday after she complained of uneasiness and nausea.

Earlier, she was admitted to the SSKM Hospital, but was later shifted to a private nursing home on the request of Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee.

Sources at the nursing home said her illness was due to a sudden spike in the blood sugar level. “She is undergoing treatment at the intensive therapy unit under the supervision of a team of doctors,” a spokesperson of the nursing home said.

Her blood sugar level was brought under control and she was being kept under close observation.

“Few medical tests have been performed on her and the results are awaited. Her condition is stable,” the spokesperson added.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, the author's health was improving. She had sent Commerce Minister Partha Chatterjee to the clinic to enquire about her health.

The author has been working in the State's tribal belt for long and she strongly opposed the ongoing anti-Maoist operations in the three Jangalmahal districts. She has repeatedly stated that poor tribals have to bear the brunt of police excesses during such operations.

Her warm relations with Mamata go back to the days of the Singur and the Nandigram movements when the author voiced her support for the cause of farmers.

After the Trinamool Congress-led government took charge, she had demanded the unconditional release of all political prisoners. The government had set up a Bandi Mukti (Prisoners Release) committee to go into the cases of the political prisoners for deciding whether they could be released.

While the State government had announced the release of 52 prisoners, including a few Maoist leaders, the move has been put on hold after the Centre warned the State against releasing the Maoists as they could again regroup, The Hindu reported.

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Preeja Sreedharan Wins Gold In 10,000 Meter National Open

Preeja Sreedharan Wins Gold In 10,000 Meter National Open

[ Updated 11 Sep 2011, 11:28:03 ]

Kolkata, Sept 11 : Despite being more than four minutes off her personal best, Asian Games gold medallist Preeja Sreedharan won the gold medal in the 10000m race on the opening day of the 51st National Open Athletics Championships in Kolkata on Saturday.

Competing for Railways, Sreedharan who had won the same event in the Guangzhou Asian Games with a national record of 31.50.47 could record only a timing of 35.56.09. Her track rival Kavita Raut (35:56.13) finished a fraction of seconds behind to earn ONGC a silver medal.

In the men’s 10,000m final held at 6am in the morning, ONGC’s Suresh Kumar clinched the gold with a timing of 30:18.16.

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CBI Raids Reddy Close Aides Houses

CBI Raids Reddy Close Aides Houses

[ Updated 11 Sep 2011, 12:39:18 ]

Bellary, Karnataka, Sept 11: CBI on Sunday conducted searches at the residences of two close aides of former Karnataka Minister G Janardhan Reddy here and seized several documents, official sources said.

The 11-member CBI team headed by Superintendent of Police Venkatesh from Hyderabad swooped down on the residence of Gurulinge Gowda, Chairman of the Bellary Urban Development Authority (BUDA) located at Renukacharya Nagara this morning.

The team also conducted searches on the residence of Rajashekara Gowda, a Gram Panchayat member and confidant of Mr. Reddy.

Sources hinted that the CBI team might conduct searches on some more associates of Mr. Reddy, who is now in a jail in Hyderabad after his arrest on September 5 by the Investigating agency in connection with illegal mining. PTI

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Delhi Blast Case: Sleuths Seek Help Of Foreign Intel Agencies

Delhi Blast Case: Sleuths Seek Help Of Foreign Intel Agencies

[ Updated 11 Sep 2011, 14:14:40 ]

New Delhi, Sep 11: Investigators probing the Delhi High Court blast case have asked foreign intelligence agencies operating in Southeast Asia if they have picked up any signal or communication which may provide links to Wednesday’s terror attack in the national capital.

Official sources said today that the investigators were in regular touch with foreign agencies, particularly of the United States, to get any information related to the blast, including whether it was carried out by any home grown terror outfit having links across the border or by terrorists based in neighbouring countries.

The sleuths are also taking help from the foreign agencies to find out the origin of the emails claiming responsibility for the blast which has claimed 13 lives. Home Minister P Chidambaram on Friday had said that agencies of foreign countries had been contacted to crack the case.

He had said the security agencies were working round-the-clock as “we are seeking help from other agencies from around the world too”.Indian officials are taking help from the foreign agencies to analyses data relating to signal intelligence, communication intercepts, movement of known terrorists and their front operatives during the past few weeks, sources said.

Chidambaram had also said all information and leads were being taken seriously and pursued by the investigators.“As far as investigations are concerned, there are promising leads but I can’t yet call them very conclusive leads,” he had said. PTI

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Uttarakhand CM Nishank Resigns

Uttarakhand CM Nishank Resigns

[ Updated 11 Sep 2011, 14:40:00 ]

Dehradun, Sept 11: Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank on Sunday resigned as Uttarakhand Chief Minister paving the way for B.C. Khanduri to take over the top post.

Nishank, along with some party leaders, went to Raj Bhavan and handed over his resignation to Governor Margaret Alva, Raj Bhavan sources said here.

Seeking to salvage its sagging image in poll-bound Uttarakhand, BJP had on Saturday announced that 76-year-old Khanduri, a former Chief Minister of the state, would replace Nishank.

Nishank said after submitting his resignation, “I’m a party worker. I will do whatever the party wants me to do...”

After two long rounds of talks with Nishank in Delhi, the BJP top brass had convinced him to step down from the post in the wake of a series of alleged scams against his government.

“Keeping in view the forthcoming elections in Uttarakhand, BJP has decided for a change in leadership.

Khanduri will be the new chief minister of the State,” party president Nitin Gadkari had told reporters on Saturday after the four-hour meeting.

“It was conveyed to Nishank that the party wants a change in leadership in view of the elections. There have been some allegations in the media that there are cases of corruption against him. The party wants to make it clear that there are no charges against him,” Gadkari had said.

He had underlined that the only reason for the change was the forthcoming polls.

Sources said though the decision to remove Khanduri had been taken at the Parliamentary Board meeting of the party last Friday, the BJP top brass did not want to ruffle any feather by sacking 54-year-old Nishank unceremoniously. PTI

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With Sonia Recovering, Rahul Takes Over Command

With Sonia Recovering, Rahul Takes Over Command

[ Updated 11 Sep 2011, 11:12:04 ]

New Delhi, Sept 11: Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi appears to have taken control of the party affairs with mother Sonia Gandhi recuperating from surgery in Delhi.

In a sign that he is in control of party affairs, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday addressed a weekly meeting of Congress general secretaries that he usually skips.

In his address at the meeting — first after party president Sonia Gandhi’s return from the US following a surgery — the Congress general secretary called upon party leaders to focus on party programmes and policies and counter the opposition's move on the issue of corruption.He said the action plan, as envisaged by Sonia at the party’s plenary session held at Burari last December, should be implemented.

Rahul also indicated that he wanted party leaders to shift focus from scams and corruption allegations to the Congress’s commitment to usher in transparency in governance, and urged them to implement various schemes undertaken by the UPA government for the common man.

The meeting was also attended by party leaders who are in charge of different states.Later, AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi told reporters that the meeting resolved that Central leaders, who are in charge of different states, will send reports to the Congress president on the work done in her absence and the steps taken for the implementation of the Burari action plan in their states.

The meeting also discussed that programmes that could be taken up in the context of the current political situation prevailing in their states, Dwivedi said.Sonia has already appointed a party general secretary, Vilas Muttemwar, to oversee the implementation of various Congress programmes.

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Markets to look at RBI meet, August inflation, IIP data for cues

NEW DELHI: Dalal Street is likely to see volatile trade this week and participants are likely to look for guidance to several events to determine their course of action, including the release of index of industrial production data, August inflation and the RBI's policy meet.

What steps the central bank does or does not take will determine the direction of the market in the near-term and perhaps over the medium-term as well, experts said.

"This week will be crucial and trading would not be easy as volatility will remain elevated, while uncertainty will prevail over macro-economic conditions," brokerage firm India Infoline said in a research note.

From the global perspective, all eyes will be on the US, where the Congress will discuss President Obama's proposed new stimulus package, the report said.

The eurozone will also continue to be in the spotlight amid the ongoing political bickering over the Greek bailout, it added.

"Short and medium-term trend is bearish and all eyes are now on the RBI's monetary policy on September 16. Long-term trend will be influenced by the policy outcome, till then, Nifty is likely to trade with a downward bias in the range of 5,100-4,950," Bonanza Portfolio Senior Research Analyst Shanu Goel said.

Over the week, the BSE benchmark Sensex rose by 0.27 per cent to settle at 16,866.97, despite a heavy sell-off on Friday as US President Barack Obama's move to provide a USD 447 billion jobs package financed through higher taxes led to concerns that it may get stuck in political wrangling.

US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke also failed to give any indications of a new stimulus package during his speech last week, even as the world's biggest economy has started showing signs of slipping into another recession.

Analysts said that a fall in global markets on Friday served as a reminder that all is still not well, amid concerns about faltering growth in the developed world.

Market participants are favouring light positions ahead of key events like the RBI policy meet and IIP numbers.

The monetary policy is close to its peak and experts feel that the apex bank will go for another 25 basis points rate hike.

At present, the markets are projecting a 0.25 per cent rate hike, marketmen said. But a higher than 0.25 per cent hike may dampen the market sentiment, they feared.

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Tamil Nadu: Three feared dead in police firing

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Chennai: Three people were feared dead in police firing in Paramakudi in Ramanthapuram district in Tamil Nadu on Sunday.

Reports say the firing took place after a face-off between police and Dalit protestors.
The incident happened during Emmanuel Sekaran Memorial celebrations following news that Dalit leader John Pandian was arrested.
The police denied any arrest. Several police vehicles were destroyed and policemen were injured.

 

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Amritsar: Live cartridges found in Wadali Brothers' luggage

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Amritsar: Noted sufi singers the Wadali Brothers were stopped at the Amritsar airport by security personal after 14 live cartridges were found in their luggage. These are among hypersensitive items banned as per security norms.

Shockingly, the two brothers passed through two CISF posts before the ammunition was detected.
No FIR has been filed for now, but the singers have been asked to appear before the Commandant on Monday for further formalities.
The Wadali Brothers were on their way to Delhi for a concert.

 

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Zanzibar mourns ferry disaster victims

The Tanzanian region of Zanzibar has begun three days of mourning for the victims of a ferry sinking that killed nearly 200 people.

The boat was carrying about 800 people when it capsized between Zanzibar's main islands of Unguja and Pemba.

Survivors said it was dangerously overloaded with passengers and cargo and was listing when it left port.

The government of the semi-autonomous region has ordered an investigation into what caused the disaster.

It is thought the boat capsized after losing engine power in the swift currents between the two Indian Ocean islands.

The accident happened early on Saturday and by nightfall about 600 survivors had been rescued.

'Ladder removed'

Friends and relatives have been identifying the dead, which have been taken to a football ground in Unguja.

The bodies, placed in separate rows of men and women, have been wrapped in black blankets with their clothes placed next to them to help relatives find them.

Captain Neels van Eijk from Whirlwind Aviation flew out over the ocean to help search for survivors and describes what he saw to the BBC

Rescue workers said the death toll could rise because more bodies were trapped in the capsized vessel, the MV Spice Islander.

The boat, licensed to carry 600 people, began its voyage in Tanzania's largest city, Dar es Salaam.

It took on more passengers and cargo in Unguja before it left for Pemba.

Fearing the boat was overloaded, some passengers disembarked before it left port.

"A few of the passengers managed to get off the ship after noticing that it was tilting," said Aze Faki Chande, who Reuters news agency said lost her two children and sister.

"We also tried to disembark, but the ship's crew quickly removed the ladder and started sailing towards Pemba," she said.

The BBC's East Africa correspondent Will Ross, in Nairobi, says carrying too many passengers or too much cargo is a common cause of accidents whether on sea or on land in many parts of Africa.

Survivors have described the moment the vessel foundered.

"I realised something strange on the movement of the ship. It was like zigzag or dizziness," Associated Press quoted 15-year-old Yahya Hussein as saying.

"After I noticed that I jumped to the rear side of ship and few minutes later the ship went lopsided."

He said he survived by clinging to a plank of wood with several others.

Many children were said to be among the boat's passengers.

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America marks 10 years since 9/11

9/11 anniversary: US marks 10 years since attacks

The US has started to mark the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

Security is tight following warnings of a possible al-Qaeda attack.

The US embassy in Afghanistan has begun the ceremonies, with events due later in the sites where four hijacked planes struck, killing nearly 3,000 people.

An official memorial to those who died is to be unveiled at the site of the World Trade Center, whose twin towers were destroyed in the attacks.

Metal barriers have been erected on roads near the World Trade Center, while police in New York and Washington are stopping and searching large vehicles entering bridges and tunnels.

The CIA received a warning last week that al-Qaeda may have sent attackers, some of them possibly US citizens, to bomb one of the cities.

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Review: New York Times reviews Salman's Bodyguard

Review: New York Times reviews Salman's Bodyguard (Romance/Action) Andy Webster / The New York Times Thursday, September 01, 2011

Cast: Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Raj Babbar, Hazel Keech, Aditya Pancholi and Mahesh Manjrekar Music: Sandeep Shirodkar, Himesh Reshammiya, Pritam Chakraborty Director: Siddique Producer: Atul Agnihotri and Alvira Agnihotri Writer: Siddique Lyricist: Shabbir Ahmed, Neelesh Misra The Hindi-language film Bodyguard has nothing to do with the Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner love story from 1992, though it does concern an attractive woman and a man hired to protect her, and is a towering geyser of sentiment. But it’s a bit closer to Jason Statham’s Transporter movies, with plenty of over-the-top fight choreography. Except that the male lead isn’t tearing across the countryside in a black Audi. And there’s frustrated ardor. And music-video-style production numbers. The barrel-chested Lovely Singh (Salman Khan) is a ramrod-straight protector hired by a tycoon (Raj Babbar) to attend to his precocious daughter, Divya (a one-dimensional Kareena Kapoor), at college. Annoyed by his humorless, unflagging devotion to duty, she resolves, with her best friend, Maya (the beguiling Hazel Keech), to distract him by posing as a secret admirer (with an untraceable number) on his cellphone. But soon her deception lands Lovely and Divya in hot water with her father’s underworld enemies, for reasons not elucidated, and imperils their inevitable romance. This grants Lovely the chance to pummel a horde of scowling grunts in a frenzy of whiplash editing and over-amped sound effects before returning to the fraught courtship. Mr. Khan, seasoned Bollywood beefcake, is a well-muscled hunk who doesn’t take himself too seriously in fight scenes. (Like Mr. Statham in Transporter mode he manages to doff his shirt in mid-brawl, which prompted howls of delight at the screening I attended.) If only the film’s archly slick director, Siddique, had adopted the same winking attitude toward the romantic arc. A twist near the end sends this contrived movie into a maudlin stratosphere from which it doesn’t recover. But at least, in Ms. Keech’s supporting presence, understated yet palpable, we sense a performer of emerging, and remarkable, star power.

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Azharuddin's son critical, nephew dead in bike crash

Azharuddin's son critical, nephew dead in bike crash 

Hyderabad: Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin's son is in a serious condition after crashing his motorcycle. Ayazuddin was riding with his cousin Ajmal (16) who died after being admitted to a city hospital.

Ayazuddin (19) suffered from serious head injuries and was rushed to the Apollo Hospital here. Both Ayauddin and Ajmal were in a state of medical cardiac arrest. "When the two boys were brought  to us, they did not have pulse, blood presurre and respiration of their own. Despite our best efforts, Ajmal could not be revived and was declared dead after an hour of being brought to us," said Mahendroo Singh, a doctor with the hospital.
Singh added that Ayazuddin has suffered chest and abdominal injuries as well.
The accident took place on the city's Outer Ring Road. Ayazuddin is believed to have been going at a high speed and while the police hint that he may have been racing, it is confirmed that the bike skidded and crashed into several pieces.
Azharuddin, who is a Congress MP, was in London and is on his way back to India.
Ayazuddin is the second son of Azharuddin, after Ashaduddin.

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9/11: A decade after, global terror alert

Washington/New Delhi:  As the United States and the world mark the tenth anniversary of the 9/11, there's a global alert against fresh terror attacks.

In US, there is heightened security after President Barack Obama extended the emergency declared there after the 9/11 attacks to another year, and in the wake of fresh intelligence on possible terror attacks from suspected Al Qaeda members.

In India, there's been an alert right since the Delhi High Court blast on Wednesday in which 13 people died. Security is particularly tight in malls and markets.

After a meeting of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday on the blasts, shopping complexes have been asked to ensure they have adequate number of security cameras installed.

"The investigation on Delhi blast is still going on. We have got some reports from forensic laboratories. There are also various emails sent by different groups and we are investigating each. Interrogations are going on," Union Home Secretary RK Singh said.

AP adds: US intelligence agencies have found no evidence that Al Qaeda has sneaked any terrorists into the country for a strike coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, senior officials said on Saturday.

But authorities kept a high alert as investigators looked for proof of a plot possibly timed to disrupt events planned in Washington or New York on Sunday.

Since late Wednesday, counter-terrorism officials have chased a tip that Al Qaeda may have sent three men to the US on a mission to detonate a car bomb in either city.

At least two of those men could be US citizens, according to the tip.

No intelligence supported that tip as of today, and officials continued to question the validity of the initial information.

While such tips are common among intelligence agencies, this one received more attention, and government officials chose to speak publicly about it, because of the connection to the anniversary of the worst terrorist attack in US history.

Al Qaeda long has hoped to strike again on the anniversary. At the FBI field office in Washington, assistant director James McJunkin described the tip and the response as routine.

The US already had bolstered security nationwide before the upcoming anniversary and anticipated an increase in tips.

"We expect we're going to get an increase in threats and investigative activity around high-profile dates and events," he said. "This is a routine response for us."

Intelligence analysts have looked at travel patterns and behaviours of people who recently entered the country. While they have singled out a few people for additional scrutiny, none has shown any involvement in a plot, according to the senior US officials, who insisted on anonymity to discuss the investigation.

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/9-11-anniversary/9-11-a-decade-after-global-terror-alert-132809&cp

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Uttarakhand: Nishank resigns, Khanduri to take over as Chief Minister

New Delhi:  BC Khanduri will be sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Uttarkhand today after Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday asked the current incumbent Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank to step down.

The BJP top brass decided to replace Mr Pokhriyal from the top post after he came under a corruption cloud. The party, however, insists that allegations against him are inaccurate and the change has been made keeping in view the next Assembly polls.

Mr Pokhriyal met the Governor shortly after noon today and submitted his resignation. The swearing-in ceremony is expected to take place at 4 pm today.

"I am a worker of the party and I will go by whatever the party says," Mr Pokhriyal said after tendering his resignation.

Mr Nishank was in Delhi yesterday to attend the National Integration Council (NIC) meeting. He met BJP president Gadkari at his residence. The meeting was also attended by senior BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Rajnath Singh, who has now been given special charge of Uttarakhand elections.

Sources had said that Mr Nishank's exit from the chief minister's post was imminent. Sources added that he, however, would be given an opportunity to go gracefully as the party does not want to ruffle any feathers ahead of the forthcoming Assembly elections.

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/uttarakhand-nishank-resigns-khanduri-to-take-over-as-chief-minister-132852&cp

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Next on Anna Hazare's agenda: Performance audit of MPs

Ralegan Siddhi:  After taking on the government over the Lokpal Bill, next on Anna Hazare's agenda is a performance audit on Members of Parliament. This is Team Anna's latest demand as it is currently in Anna's village Ralegan Siddhi deciding its next course of action in the anti-corruption movement.

And to keep the pressure on the government, Mr Hazare is drafting a letter to the Prime Minister seeking his views on

• The right to recall a Member of Parliament
• And the right to reject candidates who stand for elections

"Anna ji is writing about these two specific points because they can be implemented straightaway," said Prashant Bhushan, one of the members of Team Anna.

"Mr Hazare also wants to know from PM what are his views on having a 'none of the above' button on ballot papers. Also, if majority of voters prefer the 'none of the above' button, there should be a provision to reject the candidate," he said.

Also part of the letter is the government's recently introduced Land Acquisition Bill. Anna wants the Prime Minister to assure citizens that no land acquisition decision would be taken without the consent of the gram sabha.

Key members of Team Anna - Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi, Santosh Hegde, Shanti Bhushan, Prashant Bhushan and Manish Sisodia - attended the meeting. The two-day brainstorming session, the first formal engagement of the group after Hazare's fast last month, would conclude today.

If day one focused on the letter to the PM, day two will focus on the Jan Lokpal Bill - how to keep the pressure up and the momentum going over the next few months.

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/next-on-anna-hazares-agenda-performance-audit-of-mps-132813&cp

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