A fortnight after the tender process was cancelled due to poor response, the race to own two new IPL teams has heated up.
As per BCCI sources, the bidders had lined up by 5pm on Friday, the cut-off time for submission of bids, to qualify for the auction which will take place on Sunday morning.
Some of the potential bidders are Sahara India, Videocon and Adani Group, Jaypee Group and a Pune consortium of Cyrus Poonawala, say sources.
The bids will take place in Chennai on Sunday morning and the winners will be announced the same day, sources said.
Subscribe To
Posts
All Comments
My Blog List
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Quartet tells Israel to halt settlements
Tension remains high as quartet talks Mideast
Gaza rocket kills one in Israel
Obama says no crisis in U.S.-Israel relations
U.S. eyes Netanyahu talks to ease tensions
MOSCOW - The Middle East Quartet on Friday urged Israel to stop building settlements and set a bold target for a final deal with the Palestinians by 2012 as it tried to kickstart the stalled peace process.
But Israel's foreign minister -- whose country angered the international community by announcing last week the construction of 1,600 new settler homes -- swiftly condemned the statement as harming the chances of a peace accord.
"The Quartet urges the government of Israel to freeze all settlement activity," UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said after the meeting of the Quartet of the United States, the United Nations, European Union and Russia.
He said at the meeting hosted by Russia that Israel should also halt natural settlement growth, dismantle outposts erected since March 2001 and refrain from demolitions and evictions in east Jerusalem.
The Israeli plan to build more homes in annexed east Jerusalem led the Palestinians to call for a halt to peace talks and precipitated the worst crisis in US-Israeli relations in years.
East Jerusalem is the mainly Arab half of the Holy City which was captured and then annexed by Israel after the 1967 Six Day War.
Condemning the new settlement plan, the Quartet noted that Israel's annexation of east Jerusalem was not recognised by the international community and the city's status had to be resolved through negotiations.
With the peace process stagnant, the Quartet also urged Israel and the Palestinians to resume talks on final status issues with the aim of finding a settlement "within 24 months", Ban said, reading from the Quartet's statement.
He said such a settlement would end "the occupation which began in 1967 and result in the emergence of an independent, democratic and viable Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel".
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman gave the statement a frosty reception and appeared particularly irked by its explicit target of a peace deal in two years time.
"Peace cannot be imposed artificially and with an unrealistic calendar," Lieberman was quoted as saying in an address to the Jewish community in Brussels. "This type of statement only harms the possibilities of reaching an accord."
He said the timetable gives the Palestinians the wrong impression "that by failing to negotiate directly they will achieve their goals by using all sorts of pretexts."
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat welcomed the Quartet's call, but asked also for a mechanism to "make sure that Israel does effectively halt completely all settlement activity in the West Bank and east Jerusalem."
The timing of Israel's settlement announcement had infuriated Washington -- Israel's chief ally -- coming as US Vice President Joe Biden visited the region.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Clinton late Thursday following a tense call last week when she had asked him to order a halt to the settler plans.
Clinton said Friday that the strong US reaction to Israeli settlement plans is "paying off".
"What I heard from the prime minister in response for the request we made was useful and productive, and we're continuing our discussions with him and his government," Clinton told AFP and other reporters in Moscow.
"It's one of the reasons Senator (George) Mitchell will be going back to the region and meeting with him in just a few days," Clinton said.
On Friday, Palestinian demonstrators clashed with Israeli security forces in the West Bank and east Jerusalem during anti-settlement protests after the Muslim Friday prayers.
As well as Clinton and Ban, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton attended Friday's meeting, along with former British prime minister Tony Blair, who is the Quartet's representative.
Ashton's visit to Moscow came a day after she made a rare trip by a top foreign official to the Gaza Strip that was overshadowed by fresh violence when rocket fired from the Gaza Strip killed a Thai agricultural worker in Israel.
Ban said the quartet was "deeply concerned" about the situation in Gaza, "including the humanitarian and human rights situation of the civilian population."
Amid an intense flurry of diplomatic activity, Ban is to visit the Middle East, including Gaza, the West Bank and Israel, this weekend while US special Middle East envoy George Mitchell was expected in the region on Sunday.
Gaza rocket kills one in Israel
Obama says no crisis in U.S.-Israel relations
U.S. eyes Netanyahu talks to ease tensions
MOSCOW - The Middle East Quartet on Friday urged Israel to stop building settlements and set a bold target for a final deal with the Palestinians by 2012 as it tried to kickstart the stalled peace process.
But Israel's foreign minister -- whose country angered the international community by announcing last week the construction of 1,600 new settler homes -- swiftly condemned the statement as harming the chances of a peace accord.
"The Quartet urges the government of Israel to freeze all settlement activity," UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said after the meeting of the Quartet of the United States, the United Nations, European Union and Russia.
He said at the meeting hosted by Russia that Israel should also halt natural settlement growth, dismantle outposts erected since March 2001 and refrain from demolitions and evictions in east Jerusalem.
The Israeli plan to build more homes in annexed east Jerusalem led the Palestinians to call for a halt to peace talks and precipitated the worst crisis in US-Israeli relations in years.
East Jerusalem is the mainly Arab half of the Holy City which was captured and then annexed by Israel after the 1967 Six Day War.
Condemning the new settlement plan, the Quartet noted that Israel's annexation of east Jerusalem was not recognised by the international community and the city's status had to be resolved through negotiations.
With the peace process stagnant, the Quartet also urged Israel and the Palestinians to resume talks on final status issues with the aim of finding a settlement "within 24 months", Ban said, reading from the Quartet's statement.
He said such a settlement would end "the occupation which began in 1967 and result in the emergence of an independent, democratic and viable Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel".
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman gave the statement a frosty reception and appeared particularly irked by its explicit target of a peace deal in two years time.
"Peace cannot be imposed artificially and with an unrealistic calendar," Lieberman was quoted as saying in an address to the Jewish community in Brussels. "This type of statement only harms the possibilities of reaching an accord."
He said the timetable gives the Palestinians the wrong impression "that by failing to negotiate directly they will achieve their goals by using all sorts of pretexts."
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat welcomed the Quartet's call, but asked also for a mechanism to "make sure that Israel does effectively halt completely all settlement activity in the West Bank and east Jerusalem."
The timing of Israel's settlement announcement had infuriated Washington -- Israel's chief ally -- coming as US Vice President Joe Biden visited the region.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Clinton late Thursday following a tense call last week when she had asked him to order a halt to the settler plans.
Clinton said Friday that the strong US reaction to Israeli settlement plans is "paying off".
"What I heard from the prime minister in response for the request we made was useful and productive, and we're continuing our discussions with him and his government," Clinton told AFP and other reporters in Moscow.
"It's one of the reasons Senator (George) Mitchell will be going back to the region and meeting with him in just a few days," Clinton said.
On Friday, Palestinian demonstrators clashed with Israeli security forces in the West Bank and east Jerusalem during anti-settlement protests after the Muslim Friday prayers.
As well as Clinton and Ban, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton attended Friday's meeting, along with former British prime minister Tony Blair, who is the Quartet's representative.
Ashton's visit to Moscow came a day after she made a rare trip by a top foreign official to the Gaza Strip that was overshadowed by fresh violence when rocket fired from the Gaza Strip killed a Thai agricultural worker in Israel.
Ban said the quartet was "deeply concerned" about the situation in Gaza, "including the humanitarian and human rights situation of the civilian population."
Amid an intense flurry of diplomatic activity, Ban is to visit the Middle East, including Gaza, the West Bank and Israel, this weekend while US special Middle East envoy George Mitchell was expected in the region on Sunday.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Independent body to review controversial IPCC
A respected international scientific body will review the UN's Nobel prize-winning climate panel, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), under fire for errors in a key report on global warming, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday.
Ban told reporters that the Amsterdam-based InterAcademy Council (IAC), which groups presidents of 15 leading science academies, will carry out the task "completely independently of the United Nations."
Ban however defended the work of the UN's IPCC, whose chairman Rajendra Pachauri has been criticised for his stewardship of the body.
Last month, the United Nations announced it would launch an independent review of the IPCC's work.
Ban said on Thursday that the IAC would undertake "a comprehensive, independent review of the IPCC's procedures and processes" and would make recommendations to improve its future reports.
Robbert Dijkgraaf, an IAC co-chair, meanwhile told reporters that his panel aimed to present its report by the end of August so that governments can consider it ahead of key climate change meetings late this year.
With Pachauri by his side, Ban defended the overall work of the IPCC, despite what he called "a very small number of errors" in its fourth assessment report.
"I have seen no credible evidence that challenges the main conclusions of that report," Ban said.
"In recent months we have seen some criticism. We are receptive and sensitive to that and we are doing something about it," Pachauri told the press.
"It is critically important that the science that we bring into our reports and that we disseminate on a large scale is accepted by communities across the globe," Pachauri added.
He pledged that an upcoming fifth assessment report by the IPCC would be "stronger and better than anything we have produced in the past."
The IPCC is made up of several thousand scientists tasked with vetting scientific knowledge on climate change and its impacts.
But its reputation was damaged by a warning in a major 2007 report that global warming could melt Himalayan glaciers by 2035, a claim that has been widely discredited and fueled skepticism in some quarters about mankind's role in climate change.
International climate negotiators are to meet on April 9 in Bonn to draw up a program for the rest of the year looking toward a ministerial-level meeting opening on November 29 in Cancun, Mexico.
The talks would follow up on December's climate summit in Copenhagen, which reached a controversial last-minute compromise.
Green groups and most scientists say the document adopted in Copenhagen, a limited pact made after China angrily ruled out binding commitments, falls far short of what is necessary to curtail global warming.
The summit set a goal of limiting warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) and pledged a total of nearly 30 billion dollars in aid to poor countries by 2012.
But it did not spell out the means for achieving the warming limits, and the emissions pledges were only voluntary.
India on Tuesday said it had decided to formally back the Copenhagen agreement, joining the more than 100 other countries that have already "associated" with it.
"We participated in the negotiations on the Copenhagen Accord and we stand by the accord," Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh told the Indian parliament.
Ban told reporters that the Amsterdam-based InterAcademy Council (IAC), which groups presidents of 15 leading science academies, will carry out the task "completely independently of the United Nations."
Ban however defended the work of the UN's IPCC, whose chairman Rajendra Pachauri has been criticised for his stewardship of the body.
Last month, the United Nations announced it would launch an independent review of the IPCC's work.
Ban said on Thursday that the IAC would undertake "a comprehensive, independent review of the IPCC's procedures and processes" and would make recommendations to improve its future reports.
Robbert Dijkgraaf, an IAC co-chair, meanwhile told reporters that his panel aimed to present its report by the end of August so that governments can consider it ahead of key climate change meetings late this year.
With Pachauri by his side, Ban defended the overall work of the IPCC, despite what he called "a very small number of errors" in its fourth assessment report.
"I have seen no credible evidence that challenges the main conclusions of that report," Ban said.
"In recent months we have seen some criticism. We are receptive and sensitive to that and we are doing something about it," Pachauri told the press.
"It is critically important that the science that we bring into our reports and that we disseminate on a large scale is accepted by communities across the globe," Pachauri added.
He pledged that an upcoming fifth assessment report by the IPCC would be "stronger and better than anything we have produced in the past."
The IPCC is made up of several thousand scientists tasked with vetting scientific knowledge on climate change and its impacts.
But its reputation was damaged by a warning in a major 2007 report that global warming could melt Himalayan glaciers by 2035, a claim that has been widely discredited and fueled skepticism in some quarters about mankind's role in climate change.
International climate negotiators are to meet on April 9 in Bonn to draw up a program for the rest of the year looking toward a ministerial-level meeting opening on November 29 in Cancun, Mexico.
The talks would follow up on December's climate summit in Copenhagen, which reached a controversial last-minute compromise.
Green groups and most scientists say the document adopted in Copenhagen, a limited pact made after China angrily ruled out binding commitments, falls far short of what is necessary to curtail global warming.
The summit set a goal of limiting warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) and pledged a total of nearly 30 billion dollars in aid to poor countries by 2012.
But it did not spell out the means for achieving the warming limits, and the emissions pledges were only voluntary.
India on Tuesday said it had decided to formally back the Copenhagen agreement, joining the more than 100 other countries that have already "associated" with it.
"We participated in the negotiations on the Copenhagen Accord and we stand by the accord," Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh told the Indian parliament.
Govt ready for all-pary meet to discuss women's bill
Discussing the women's reservation bill in Lok Sabha on Thursday, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that government is open to debate on all issues before decision is made.
The opponents of the bill also had their say in the Parliament. JDU's Sharad Yadav, SP's Mulayam Singh Yadav and RJD's Lalu Prasad Yadav raised their concern regarding the bill.
Saying that all MPs should comply with the rules of the house, Pranab Mukherjee said that representatives of all parties should meet to discuss the issue.
Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were later adjourned till 12 noon.
The opponents of the bill also had their say in the Parliament. JDU's Sharad Yadav, SP's Mulayam Singh Yadav and RJD's Lalu Prasad Yadav raised their concern regarding the bill.
Saying that all MPs should comply with the rules of the house, Pranab Mukherjee said that representatives of all parties should meet to discuss the issue.
Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were later adjourned till 12 noon.
Tenants lose out in new Abu Dhabi law
Abu Dhabi rents slide up to 20 pct in Q4
Abu Dhabi sets 5 pct rent cap in new law
DUBAI - Abu Dhabi is introducing a new law that will give more powers to landlords to evict tenants if they do not accept a rent increase, the National reported on Thursday.
Landlords will be able to have their properties back after giving tenants a two-month notice vacate when the law is implemented in November, taking away the automatic right of tenants to renew leases, the newspaper reported.
The government has imposed an annual limit of five percent on rent increases, but the new law may allow landlords to simply get rid of their existing tenants and lease their property to someone else willing to pay more, tenants interviewed by the newspaper said.
"The rent cap is not being touched but the automatic right of renewal of the leases is being removed. Before, you knew you could call unilaterally for an extension after the term of the lease, for up to five years, even if the landlord wanted you to leave," David Nunn of the law firm Simmons and Simmons told the paper.
"It sounds like a nightmare. Tenants are going to have a lot less protection," Graham Bentley, a British expatriate who rents a villa, told the paper.
Abu Dhabi has one of the highest house rents in the region and faces a shortage of residential units.
The UAE capital saw rents decline some 20 percent since in 2009, according to consultants.
Property services firm Asteco said in December Abu Dhabi apartments were still 20-40 percent more expensive than in Dubai.
Abu Dhabi sets 5 pct rent cap in new law
DUBAI - Abu Dhabi is introducing a new law that will give more powers to landlords to evict tenants if they do not accept a rent increase, the National reported on Thursday.
Landlords will be able to have their properties back after giving tenants a two-month notice vacate when the law is implemented in November, taking away the automatic right of tenants to renew leases, the newspaper reported.
The government has imposed an annual limit of five percent on rent increases, but the new law may allow landlords to simply get rid of their existing tenants and lease their property to someone else willing to pay more, tenants interviewed by the newspaper said.
"The rent cap is not being touched but the automatic right of renewal of the leases is being removed. Before, you knew you could call unilaterally for an extension after the term of the lease, for up to five years, even if the landlord wanted you to leave," David Nunn of the law firm Simmons and Simmons told the paper.
"It sounds like a nightmare. Tenants are going to have a lot less protection," Graham Bentley, a British expatriate who rents a villa, told the paper.
Abu Dhabi has one of the highest house rents in the region and faces a shortage of residential units.
The UAE capital saw rents decline some 20 percent since in 2009, according to consultants.
Property services firm Asteco said in December Abu Dhabi apartments were still 20-40 percent more expensive than in Dubai.
No talks without settlement freeze -Palestine
Biden condemns Israel settlement move
U.S. slams Israel settlement plan
Biden meets Palestinians amid settlements row
Israel OKs new West Bank homes despite ban
RAMALLAH - Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas will not relaunch negotiations with Israel unless it cancels plans for new settler homes in east Jerusalem, his top negotiator said Thursday.
"Abbas has told (Arab League Secretary General Amr) Mussa that he informed (US Vice President Joe) Biden yesterday that he could not restart negotiations without the cancellation of the building of 1,600 housing units in east Jerusalem," chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat told AFP.
"He told Mussa, 'I am waiting for (US Middle East envoy George) Mitchell to come back next week to give us the answer that the decision has been cancelled'," Erakat said.
U.S. slams Israel settlement plan
Biden meets Palestinians amid settlements row
Israel OKs new West Bank homes despite ban
RAMALLAH - Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas will not relaunch negotiations with Israel unless it cancels plans for new settler homes in east Jerusalem, his top negotiator said Thursday.
"Abbas has told (Arab League Secretary General Amr) Mussa that he informed (US Vice President Joe) Biden yesterday that he could not restart negotiations without the cancellation of the building of 1,600 housing units in east Jerusalem," chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat told AFP.
"He told Mussa, 'I am waiting for (US Middle East envoy George) Mitchell to come back next week to give us the answer that the decision has been cancelled'," Erakat said.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
A secular voice of the people, says Justice Pathak
Chandigarh, September 24
Over a century and a quarter ago, The Tribune was brought out with the goal of raising the level of education in the region. The vision of Sardar Dayal Singh Majithia for the newspaper was to act for public welfare, present public opinion, and advocate the cause of the masses. The newspaper has striven hard to meet this objective. It has recorded ups and downs of the history of this sub-continent yet consistently and fearlessly followed the policy laid down by its founders.
Stating this in his Presidential address at the inaugural session of the 125th anniversary celebrations of The Tribune, Justice R.S. Pathak, former Chief Justice of India and President of The Tribune Trust, said that the newspaper continued to reach out to the common man with news, which bears imprint of painstaking accuracy and of editorial opinion, which possessed the merit of independence, impartiality and maturity of wisdom.
He recalled the role The Tribune played during the freedom struggle as a staunch nationalist paper. “It reported faithfully, later on events, giving rise to the division of the sub-continent and the violence and agony amidst which independence took birth,” he said. He went on to say that during the last five decades the newspaper had recorded the success of the Green Revolution on one hand and the dark period or terrorism on the other. “And throughout all this, it remained steadfast in its duty to the people,” he added.
Reminding the august gathering about The Tribune’s role as the ‘Voice of the People”, he quoted the editorial policy of the newspaper as announced by the founding editors. It read: ‘’As the mouthpiece of the people, The Tribune will be conducted on broad and Catholic principles. The Tribune will not be identified with any particular race, class or creed, nor seek to give prominence to the views of any particular party. The paper, as the champion of the people, will not scruple to speak plainly against class interests, nor shrink from boldly assailing them whenever they should happen to deal with the welfare of the masses. In religious matters, we shall maintain a strictly neutral position.’’
The Tribune Trust President said that the newspaper was not merely a purveyor of news and information. The newspaper had always played an important role in highlighting issues of significant public interest affecting the daily lives of the people. The newspaper, he said, had encouraged public debate time and again, stimulates awareness in the common man of political, social and economic issues and invites them to share their opinion.
Complementing the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, the chief guest on the occasion, Justice Pathak said that the Prime Minister had “pioneered dramatic changes by initiative and promoting economic reforms” that had brought India into the mainstream of the global economy”. This, he said, had further brought about a revolution in the attitude and perspectives in which the people of India now look upon their relationship with the rest of the world. On the other side, the world outside has come to look at India with a new-found respect”.
He reminded the journalists that it was also the duty of the newspapers to acquaint their readers of the new dynamism, which was emerging in the relationship between India and the outside world. “In many areas of global inter-dependence, the print media can serve as an effective publicist in the interests of public health and welfare in India, especially in areas such as environment, protection against AIDS and measures intended for the removal of poverty.”
On the occasion Justice Pathak asked members of The Tribune to “rededicating ourselves to the objectives and values with which the newspaper was founded” adding that this was an opportunity for stock-taking, for the review of current procedures and practices for facilitating a closer identification of The Tribune with the needs of the Indian people.
Over a century and a quarter ago, The Tribune was brought out with the goal of raising the level of education in the region. The vision of Sardar Dayal Singh Majithia for the newspaper was to act for public welfare, present public opinion, and advocate the cause of the masses. The newspaper has striven hard to meet this objective. It has recorded ups and downs of the history of this sub-continent yet consistently and fearlessly followed the policy laid down by its founders.
Stating this in his Presidential address at the inaugural session of the 125th anniversary celebrations of The Tribune, Justice R.S. Pathak, former Chief Justice of India and President of The Tribune Trust, said that the newspaper continued to reach out to the common man with news, which bears imprint of painstaking accuracy and of editorial opinion, which possessed the merit of independence, impartiality and maturity of wisdom.
He recalled the role The Tribune played during the freedom struggle as a staunch nationalist paper. “It reported faithfully, later on events, giving rise to the division of the sub-continent and the violence and agony amidst which independence took birth,” he said. He went on to say that during the last five decades the newspaper had recorded the success of the Green Revolution on one hand and the dark period or terrorism on the other. “And throughout all this, it remained steadfast in its duty to the people,” he added.
Reminding the august gathering about The Tribune’s role as the ‘Voice of the People”, he quoted the editorial policy of the newspaper as announced by the founding editors. It read: ‘’As the mouthpiece of the people, The Tribune will be conducted on broad and Catholic principles. The Tribune will not be identified with any particular race, class or creed, nor seek to give prominence to the views of any particular party. The paper, as the champion of the people, will not scruple to speak plainly against class interests, nor shrink from boldly assailing them whenever they should happen to deal with the welfare of the masses. In religious matters, we shall maintain a strictly neutral position.’’
The Tribune Trust President said that the newspaper was not merely a purveyor of news and information. The newspaper had always played an important role in highlighting issues of significant public interest affecting the daily lives of the people. The newspaper, he said, had encouraged public debate time and again, stimulates awareness in the common man of political, social and economic issues and invites them to share their opinion.
Complementing the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, the chief guest on the occasion, Justice Pathak said that the Prime Minister had “pioneered dramatic changes by initiative and promoting economic reforms” that had brought India into the mainstream of the global economy”. This, he said, had further brought about a revolution in the attitude and perspectives in which the people of India now look upon their relationship with the rest of the world. On the other side, the world outside has come to look at India with a new-found respect”.
He reminded the journalists that it was also the duty of the newspapers to acquaint their readers of the new dynamism, which was emerging in the relationship between India and the outside world. “In many areas of global inter-dependence, the print media can serve as an effective publicist in the interests of public health and welfare in India, especially in areas such as environment, protection against AIDS and measures intended for the removal of poverty.”
On the occasion Justice Pathak asked members of The Tribune to “rededicating ourselves to the objectives and values with which the newspaper was founded” adding that this was an opportunity for stock-taking, for the review of current procedures and practices for facilitating a closer identification of The Tribune with the needs of the Indian people.
Strengthening India our aim: H.K. Dua
Chandigarh, September 24
The Tribune will support all policies that are aimed at making India a great nation. At the same time, it reserves the right to criticise where necessary.
Stating this during the inauguration of the 125th anniversary celebrations of The Tribune here today, the Editor-in-Chief, Mr H.K. Dua, said throughout its existence, the newspaper had stood for democracy and a plural society where no one was discriminated against for the reason of his birth. He said The Tribune was opposed to the misuse of religion for politics, casteism, criminalisation of politics and corruption.
Mr Dua said during the past 125 years, The Tribune had been a witness to momentous events. It reported on the two World Wars, the growth of nationalism in India, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the Quit India Movement, the dawn of Independence, the Partition of the subcontinent and many more historic events which shaped the history of modern India.
“Despite its ups and downs, The Tribune always held its head high,” the Editor-in-Chief said “Since the birth of independent India, the paper’s nation-building efforts had been relentless as the country went ahead, arming itself with the constitution, parliamentary democracy, and independent judiciary and the right to free expression which, in effect, means the freedom of the Press,” he added.
He said The Tribune had not failed to exercise this right even under difficult circumstances. “We are not afraid to criticise wherever necessary. We are not shy of praising where it is due,” he remarked.
“The Tribune has been a part of life for most of us here,” he said. “Whether visible or not, some of our ideas may have been shaped by the events reported in The Tribune and the ideas disseminated by this paper over the decades”, he said.
Delving into the early days of The Tribune, Mr Dua said the newspaper’s founder, Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, wanted to make his contribution to the national cause even if it involved personal sacrifice. He thought that there had to be an answer to the Civil and Military Gazette, which was the mouthpiece of the British raj. “The vision of Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, the ideas of the Renaissance movement, particularly the idea of freedom that was at a nascent stage, brought about the birth of The Tribune,” he said.
Over the years, Mr Dua said, The Tribune had stood for the people of India. As the idea of freedom grew in strength, The Tribune also grew and earned the love and affection of readers, which it still enjoyed. He also read out a message received from the President of India on the occasion.
The Tribune will support all policies that are aimed at making India a great nation. At the same time, it reserves the right to criticise where necessary.
Stating this during the inauguration of the 125th anniversary celebrations of The Tribune here today, the Editor-in-Chief, Mr H.K. Dua, said throughout its existence, the newspaper had stood for democracy and a plural society where no one was discriminated against for the reason of his birth. He said The Tribune was opposed to the misuse of religion for politics, casteism, criminalisation of politics and corruption.
Mr Dua said during the past 125 years, The Tribune had been a witness to momentous events. It reported on the two World Wars, the growth of nationalism in India, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the Quit India Movement, the dawn of Independence, the Partition of the subcontinent and many more historic events which shaped the history of modern India.
“Despite its ups and downs, The Tribune always held its head high,” the Editor-in-Chief said “Since the birth of independent India, the paper’s nation-building efforts had been relentless as the country went ahead, arming itself with the constitution, parliamentary democracy, and independent judiciary and the right to free expression which, in effect, means the freedom of the Press,” he added.
He said The Tribune had not failed to exercise this right even under difficult circumstances. “We are not afraid to criticise wherever necessary. We are not shy of praising where it is due,” he remarked.
“The Tribune has been a part of life for most of us here,” he said. “Whether visible or not, some of our ideas may have been shaped by the events reported in The Tribune and the ideas disseminated by this paper over the decades”, he said.
Delving into the early days of The Tribune, Mr Dua said the newspaper’s founder, Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, wanted to make his contribution to the national cause even if it involved personal sacrifice. He thought that there had to be an answer to the Civil and Military Gazette, which was the mouthpiece of the British raj. “The vision of Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, the ideas of the Renaissance movement, particularly the idea of freedom that was at a nascent stage, brought about the birth of The Tribune,” he said.
Over the years, Mr Dua said, The Tribune had stood for the people of India. As the idea of freedom grew in strength, The Tribune also grew and earned the love and affection of readers, which it still enjoyed. He also read out a message received from the President of India on the occasion.
World wants India to succeed but bottlenecks are within: PM
Chandigarh, September 24
“The world wants India to succeed.” This was stated by the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, here today while inaugurating the 125th anniversary celebrations of The Tribune.
Unlike some of his predecessors who used to blame external agencies for any internal problem in the country, Dr Manmohan Singh was candid enough to acknowledge that the bottlenecks were not external, rather they were internal.
The media had an important role in shaping public opinion and attitudes so that these were in step with economic evolution. “The modernisation of the mind must accompany the modernisation of the economy”, he said.
Expressing concern over the sharp increase in female foeticide in Punjab, Dr Manmohan Singh called upon the media to play its due role in influencing public opinion so that liberal values were reinforced in the minds of “our children and grandchildren”.
Terming the menace as a “blot on the name of the valiant and gallant people”, he said the Punjabi “is proud of his son as much as he is of his daughter. Our daughters have contributed as much to the glory of Punjab as our sons.” He was hopeful that the media would take up in a big way the crusade for gender empowerment and for the fair treatment of the fairer sex.
Expressing his conviction about the country’s rapid progress on the material front, the Prime Minister said we must make similar progress on the intellectual front as well. “I have asked Mr Sam Pitroda and Dr Pushp Bhargava to give leadership to the Knowledge Commission to give us ideas on how we can strengthen out knowledge base. This programme cannot be just a programme of building new institutions. It must also be one of shaping new attitudes, of instilling greater curiosity in the minds of our children and of reinforcing respect for the core values of our Constitution and our Republic.”
Revealing that he had been a loyal reader of the newspaper all his life, he said, “It is now a habit that I see no reason to give up. I cannot imagine life without a morning dose of The Tribune. Even when I lived in distant lands, I would make sure that The Tribune was delivered to me.”
Dr Manmohan Singh recalled how he used to contribute to the columns of The Tribune when he started his career in Chandigarh.
Acknowledging the competition the print media was facing from the electronic media, the Prime Minister, however, said he could not imagine that a newspaper could ever be replaced. However, he cautioned that newspapers could not be “mere platforms of entertainment and gossip... they cannot be mere purveyors of prejudice and petulance. They must have a larger purpose. Above all, they must contribute to a nation’s intellectual vibrancy.”
He said he was delighted to be present at the anniversary function “because The Tribune is edited by my friend, Mr H.K. Dua, and is run by a Trust of most eminent and patriotic men for whom I have great affection and regard”. He said any Trust should be proud on having trustees of the calibre of Justice R.S. Pathak, Justice S.S. Sodhi, Dr R.P. Bambha, Mr R.S. Talwar and Mr N.N. Vohra.
As if replying to those who criticise The Tribune for being moderate, Dr Manmohan Singh recalled the objectives of the paper’s founders published in its inaugural editorial in February 1881. He reminded the audience that the editorial headlined, “About Ourselves”, boldly declared that The Tribune had no pet theories to maintain and no personal interest to serve; and it believed that public good was advanced more by charity and moderation than by rancor and harsh words.
He said during the freedom struggle, Mahatma Gandhi often came to the defence of The Tribune’s editors like Kalinath Ray and Surendranath Ghosh when they annoyed the British authorities with their defiant writing. “More recently we have all admired the professionalism, wisdom and courage of such eminent editors as Prem Bhatia, V.N. Narayanan, Hari Jaisingh and, of course, H.K. Dua”.
Dr Manmohan Singh said today The Tribune had acquired for itself an “enviable position as the window to northern India. In this capacity, The Tribune has a national and a global role and mission to play.” He recalled how rising like a phoenix from the ashes of the partition, a traumatised people worked hard to rebuild their homes, their lives and their livelihoods. “I salute the enterprise and dedication of the people of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir”.
He expressed the hope that with the peace process picking up in Jammu and Kashmir, the state would continue to make progress under “the leadership of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed”.
“The world wants India to succeed.” This was stated by the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, here today while inaugurating the 125th anniversary celebrations of The Tribune.
Unlike some of his predecessors who used to blame external agencies for any internal problem in the country, Dr Manmohan Singh was candid enough to acknowledge that the bottlenecks were not external, rather they were internal.
The media had an important role in shaping public opinion and attitudes so that these were in step with economic evolution. “The modernisation of the mind must accompany the modernisation of the economy”, he said.
Expressing concern over the sharp increase in female foeticide in Punjab, Dr Manmohan Singh called upon the media to play its due role in influencing public opinion so that liberal values were reinforced in the minds of “our children and grandchildren”.
Terming the menace as a “blot on the name of the valiant and gallant people”, he said the Punjabi “is proud of his son as much as he is of his daughter. Our daughters have contributed as much to the glory of Punjab as our sons.” He was hopeful that the media would take up in a big way the crusade for gender empowerment and for the fair treatment of the fairer sex.
Expressing his conviction about the country’s rapid progress on the material front, the Prime Minister said we must make similar progress on the intellectual front as well. “I have asked Mr Sam Pitroda and Dr Pushp Bhargava to give leadership to the Knowledge Commission to give us ideas on how we can strengthen out knowledge base. This programme cannot be just a programme of building new institutions. It must also be one of shaping new attitudes, of instilling greater curiosity in the minds of our children and of reinforcing respect for the core values of our Constitution and our Republic.”
Revealing that he had been a loyal reader of the newspaper all his life, he said, “It is now a habit that I see no reason to give up. I cannot imagine life without a morning dose of The Tribune. Even when I lived in distant lands, I would make sure that The Tribune was delivered to me.”
Dr Manmohan Singh recalled how he used to contribute to the columns of The Tribune when he started his career in Chandigarh.
Acknowledging the competition the print media was facing from the electronic media, the Prime Minister, however, said he could not imagine that a newspaper could ever be replaced. However, he cautioned that newspapers could not be “mere platforms of entertainment and gossip... they cannot be mere purveyors of prejudice and petulance. They must have a larger purpose. Above all, they must contribute to a nation’s intellectual vibrancy.”
He said he was delighted to be present at the anniversary function “because The Tribune is edited by my friend, Mr H.K. Dua, and is run by a Trust of most eminent and patriotic men for whom I have great affection and regard”. He said any Trust should be proud on having trustees of the calibre of Justice R.S. Pathak, Justice S.S. Sodhi, Dr R.P. Bambha, Mr R.S. Talwar and Mr N.N. Vohra.
As if replying to those who criticise The Tribune for being moderate, Dr Manmohan Singh recalled the objectives of the paper’s founders published in its inaugural editorial in February 1881. He reminded the audience that the editorial headlined, “About Ourselves”, boldly declared that The Tribune had no pet theories to maintain and no personal interest to serve; and it believed that public good was advanced more by charity and moderation than by rancor and harsh words.
He said during the freedom struggle, Mahatma Gandhi often came to the defence of The Tribune’s editors like Kalinath Ray and Surendranath Ghosh when they annoyed the British authorities with their defiant writing. “More recently we have all admired the professionalism, wisdom and courage of such eminent editors as Prem Bhatia, V.N. Narayanan, Hari Jaisingh and, of course, H.K. Dua”.
Dr Manmohan Singh said today The Tribune had acquired for itself an “enviable position as the window to northern India. In this capacity, The Tribune has a national and a global role and mission to play.” He recalled how rising like a phoenix from the ashes of the partition, a traumatised people worked hard to rebuild their homes, their lives and their livelihoods. “I salute the enterprise and dedication of the people of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir”.
He expressed the hope that with the peace process picking up in Jammu and Kashmir, the state would continue to make progress under “the leadership of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed”.
Gunmen storm U.S. charity in Pak, kill five
PESHAWAR - Militants armed with guns and grenades stormed offices of a US-based Christian charity in Pakistan Wednesday, killing up to five people and sparking clashes with police, officials said.
The gunmen attacked offices of World Vision near Oghi town, in the district of Mansehra in the troubled North West Frontier Province, where Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants have carried out multiple attacks.
Police said five people were killed, including two women, but a spokesman for World Vision confirmed that four of its Pakistani staff died.
World Vision administration officer Mohammad Sajid told AFP that he was in the building when "more than 15 armed men" arrived in pick-up vehicles and stormed inside the offices.
"They gathered all of us in one room. The gunmen, some of whom had their faces covered, also snatched our mobile phones.
"They dragged people one by one and shifted to an adjacent room, and shot and killed them. We could see them firing," he said.
Rienk van Velzen, World Vision's regional communications director, told AFP by telephone from the Netherlands that all staff in the office were Pakistani.
"So far unfortunately four colleagues have been killed. A number of people are injured. I heard six, but that has not been confirmed by my colleagues... four local World Vision staff have been killed so far," he said.
The Christian charity has been operating in the area since October 2005, when a massive 7.6-magnitude earthquake killed more than 73,000 people and left about 3.5 million homeless in Pakistan's northwest.
Police said a band of militants opened fire and exploded hand grenades near Oghi, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of the Pakistani capital Islamabad.
"So far we have confirmation about the deaths of five people, including two women," senior police officer Waqar Ahmed told AFP, giving no further details.
An aid worker said the militants unleashed heavy gunfire, sparking a battle with police, who rushed to the site. Staff from the charity, which was founded in the United States, were trapped in the office.
World Vision's website describes the organisation as "a Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice".
It says the aid group is "inspired by our Christian values", but stresses that the organisation works with people of all faiths.
Foreign targets are rarely attacked directly in Pakistan, despite the chronic insecurity in the nuclear-armed state, which is a key ally in the US-led war on Al-Qaeda and the Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan.
A wave of suicide and bomb attacks across Pakistan has killed more than 3,000 people since 2007. Blame has fallen on Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants bitterly opposed to the alliance with the United States.
Four local staff with the British-run aid group Plan International were killed in a similar attack in Mansehra in February 2008, prompting some charities to withdraw their offices from the troubled area.
The Plan office was burned to the ground in the attack by gunmen who opened fire and hurled grenades, and the non-governmental organisation, which had been active in the area for 12 years, halted its operations in Pakistan.
On February 3, a bomb attack in the NWFP district of Lower Dir killed three American soldiers and five other people at the opening of a school just rebuilt with Western funding after an Islamist attack.
The gunmen attacked offices of World Vision near Oghi town, in the district of Mansehra in the troubled North West Frontier Province, where Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants have carried out multiple attacks.
Police said five people were killed, including two women, but a spokesman for World Vision confirmed that four of its Pakistani staff died.
World Vision administration officer Mohammad Sajid told AFP that he was in the building when "more than 15 armed men" arrived in pick-up vehicles and stormed inside the offices.
"They gathered all of us in one room. The gunmen, some of whom had their faces covered, also snatched our mobile phones.
"They dragged people one by one and shifted to an adjacent room, and shot and killed them. We could see them firing," he said.
Rienk van Velzen, World Vision's regional communications director, told AFP by telephone from the Netherlands that all staff in the office were Pakistani.
"So far unfortunately four colleagues have been killed. A number of people are injured. I heard six, but that has not been confirmed by my colleagues... four local World Vision staff have been killed so far," he said.
The Christian charity has been operating in the area since October 2005, when a massive 7.6-magnitude earthquake killed more than 73,000 people and left about 3.5 million homeless in Pakistan's northwest.
Police said a band of militants opened fire and exploded hand grenades near Oghi, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of the Pakistani capital Islamabad.
"So far we have confirmation about the deaths of five people, including two women," senior police officer Waqar Ahmed told AFP, giving no further details.
An aid worker said the militants unleashed heavy gunfire, sparking a battle with police, who rushed to the site. Staff from the charity, which was founded in the United States, were trapped in the office.
World Vision's website describes the organisation as "a Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice".
It says the aid group is "inspired by our Christian values", but stresses that the organisation works with people of all faiths.
Foreign targets are rarely attacked directly in Pakistan, despite the chronic insecurity in the nuclear-armed state, which is a key ally in the US-led war on Al-Qaeda and the Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan.
A wave of suicide and bomb attacks across Pakistan has killed more than 3,000 people since 2007. Blame has fallen on Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants bitterly opposed to the alliance with the United States.
Four local staff with the British-run aid group Plan International were killed in a similar attack in Mansehra in February 2008, prompting some charities to withdraw their offices from the troubled area.
The Plan office was burned to the ground in the attack by gunmen who opened fire and hurled grenades, and the non-governmental organisation, which had been active in the area for 12 years, halted its operations in Pakistan.
On February 3, a bomb attack in the NWFP district of Lower Dir killed three American soldiers and five other people at the opening of a school just rebuilt with Western funding after an Islamist attack.
Dubai orders spies out of the Gulf
DUBAI - Dubai's powerful police chief has given foreign intelligence services a week to leave the emirate and wider Gulf region after the killing of Hamas commander Mahmoud Al Mabhouh, Gulf News reports Wednesday.
"Those spies that are currently present in the Gulf must leave the region within one week," Dahi Khalfan Tamim told the Dubai-based paper in an interview. "If not, then we will cross that bridge when we come to it."
If enforced the order could deal a severe blow to Western security organizations such as the Central Intelligence Agency and MI6 that are known to use Dubai as a listening post in the Gulf.
Dubai is blaming Israel's intelligence service Mossad for masterminding the assassination of Al Mabhouh in Dubai on Jan. 19 in a complex operation that involved false passports. The emirate has named 27 suspects in the murder and issued arrest warrants.
Gulf News didn't specify whether Tamim was referring to all intelligence services, or specifically Mossad, in the report.
"Those spies that are currently present in the Gulf must leave the region within one week," Dahi Khalfan Tamim told the Dubai-based paper in an interview. "If not, then we will cross that bridge when we come to it."
If enforced the order could deal a severe blow to Western security organizations such as the Central Intelligence Agency and MI6 that are known to use Dubai as a listening post in the Gulf.
Dubai is blaming Israel's intelligence service Mossad for masterminding the assassination of Al Mabhouh in Dubai on Jan. 19 in a complex operation that involved false passports. The emirate has named 27 suspects in the murder and issued arrest warrants.
Gulf News didn't specify whether Tamim was referring to all intelligence services, or specifically Mossad, in the report.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Mideast women win more rights, hurdles remain
The answer is ISLAM, middle-east is blessed by Allah to have Islam as a state religion of most of the countries here in the region. Islam is the only religion that offers equal rights to women and men and respects women as compared to any other religion. If these countries follow the proper Shariah, the middle east women shall enjoy maximum freedom and equal rights.
Vitamin D boosts 'immune system'
Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, seems to be the nature's best antibiotic, for a new study says that it fends off infections by boosting the immune system.
Researchers in Denmark have found that vitamin D, which can be obtained from food or manufactured by human skin exposed to the sun, triggers and arms the body's T-cells which seek out and destroy any invading bacteria and viruses.
According to them, vitamin D is crucial to activating human immune defences and that without its sufficient intake, the killer cells of the immune system -- T-cells -- willn't be able to react to and fight off serious infections in the body.
For T-cells to detect and kill foreign pathogens such as clumps of bacteria or viruses, the cells must first be "triggered" into action and "transform" from inactive and harmless immune cells into killer cells that are primed to seek out and destroy all traces of invaders.
The researchers found that the T-cells rely on vitamin D in order activate and they would remain dormant, "naive" to the possibility of threat if it is lacking in the blood.
Lead researcher Professor Carsten Geisler of Copenhagen University was quoted by 'The Daily Telegraph' as saying, "When a T-cell is exposed to a foreign pathogen, it extends a signalling device or 'antenna' known as a vitamin D receptor, with which it searches for vitamin D.
"This means that the T-cell must have vitamin D or activation of the cell will cease. If the T-cells cannot find enough vitamin D in the blood, they won't even begin to mobilise."
Researchers in Denmark have found that vitamin D, which can be obtained from food or manufactured by human skin exposed to the sun, triggers and arms the body's T-cells which seek out and destroy any invading bacteria and viruses.
According to them, vitamin D is crucial to activating human immune defences and that without its sufficient intake, the killer cells of the immune system -- T-cells -- willn't be able to react to and fight off serious infections in the body.
For T-cells to detect and kill foreign pathogens such as clumps of bacteria or viruses, the cells must first be "triggered" into action and "transform" from inactive and harmless immune cells into killer cells that are primed to seek out and destroy all traces of invaders.
The researchers found that the T-cells rely on vitamin D in order activate and they would remain dormant, "naive" to the possibility of threat if it is lacking in the blood.
Lead researcher Professor Carsten Geisler of Copenhagen University was quoted by 'The Daily Telegraph' as saying, "When a T-cell is exposed to a foreign pathogen, it extends a signalling device or 'antenna' known as a vitamin D receptor, with which it searches for vitamin D.
"This means that the T-cell must have vitamin D or activation of the cell will cease. If the T-cells cannot find enough vitamin D in the blood, they won't even begin to mobilise."
NOW PLAYING
China need not get angry, suspicious: Tibetan Govt in ExileReacting to the statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Minister on the meeting between United States President Barack Obama and Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama,Tibetan government in-exile says there is no reason for China to get angry or suspicious,and that the US only wants the issue of Tibet to be resolved peacefully.Samphel added that the US is encouraging the Chinese leadership to resolve the issue of Tibet through dialogue.
March 9, 2010
March 9, 2010
Seven members suspended from RS for unruly behaviour
Seven members of Rajya Sabha belonging to SP, RJD, LJP and an unattached MP were suspended on Tuesday for remaining part of the budget session for their unruly behaviour in the House yesterday over the Women's Reservation Bill.
The suspended members are Subhash Yadav (RJD), Sabir Ali (LJP), Veerpal Singh Yadav, Nand Kishore Yadav, Amir Alam Khan and Kamal Akhtar (all SP), and Ejaz Ali (Unattached).
The motion for their suspension was moved by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Prithviraj Chavan and was passed by a voice vote.
The action was taken under Rule 256 of the House, for showing total "disregard for dignity of Council and authority of the Chair" by obstructing the business of the House.
Yesterday, these members had indulged in unprecedented unruly scenes and even tried to attack Chairman Hamid Ansari when the government moved the Womens' Reservation Bill.
After their suspension, Ansari adjourned the House for the second time in the day.
The suspended members are Subhash Yadav (RJD), Sabir Ali (LJP), Veerpal Singh Yadav, Nand Kishore Yadav, Amir Alam Khan and Kamal Akhtar (all SP), and Ejaz Ali (Unattached).
The motion for their suspension was moved by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Prithviraj Chavan and was passed by a voice vote.
The action was taken under Rule 256 of the House, for showing total "disregard for dignity of Council and authority of the Chair" by obstructing the business of the House.
Yesterday, these members had indulged in unprecedented unruly scenes and even tried to attack Chairman Hamid Ansari when the government moved the Womens' Reservation Bill.
After their suspension, Ansari adjourned the House for the second time in the day.
Pakistan taps Interpol to track 26/11 bombers
Pakistan 26/11 suspects appear before court
26/11 trial in Pakistan adjourned
Pakistan has asked Interpol to issue a global alert for 13 suspects wanted for the attacks in Mumbai of November 2008, the international police agency said on Thursday.
The alert asks member countries to help locate the fugitives and notify Pakistani authorities who will then issue arrest warrants and seek their extradition, an Interpol statement said.
"The authorities in Pakistan are to be commended for making full use of Interpol's global network and tools," said secretary general Ron Noble in the statement issued from the agency's headquarters in Lyon.
"This demonstrates their commitment to allowing all of Interpol's 187 member-countries to benefit from and help with the investigation into the Mumbai terrorist attacks," he said.
The 13 suspects were not named in the media statement, but Interpol said their names and other information would be included in the police agency's databases and circulated worldwide.
A total of 166 people died and more than 300 were injured in the Nov. 26-29 attacks, which saw 10 heavily-armed gunmen target luxury hotels, the Indian city's main railway station, a popular restaurant and a Jewish centre.
India has blamed the attacks on the banned Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Pakistan has arrested five people suspected of involvement in the assault, including the alleged mastermind, Zakiduddin Lakhvi. Their trial is expected to begin in the next week.
"Pakistan's actions in this case will help set new international standards for terrorism investigations," said Noble.
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani pledged earlier this month to do everything in his power to bring those behind the attack to justice following a meeting with his Indian counterpart in Egypt.
26/11 trial in Pakistan adjourned
Pakistan has asked Interpol to issue a global alert for 13 suspects wanted for the attacks in Mumbai of November 2008, the international police agency said on Thursday.
The alert asks member countries to help locate the fugitives and notify Pakistani authorities who will then issue arrest warrants and seek their extradition, an Interpol statement said.
"The authorities in Pakistan are to be commended for making full use of Interpol's global network and tools," said secretary general Ron Noble in the statement issued from the agency's headquarters in Lyon.
"This demonstrates their commitment to allowing all of Interpol's 187 member-countries to benefit from and help with the investigation into the Mumbai terrorist attacks," he said.
The 13 suspects were not named in the media statement, but Interpol said their names and other information would be included in the police agency's databases and circulated worldwide.
A total of 166 people died and more than 300 were injured in the Nov. 26-29 attacks, which saw 10 heavily-armed gunmen target luxury hotels, the Indian city's main railway station, a popular restaurant and a Jewish centre.
India has blamed the attacks on the banned Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Pakistan has arrested five people suspected of involvement in the assault, including the alleged mastermind, Zakiduddin Lakhvi. Their trial is expected to begin in the next week.
"Pakistan's actions in this case will help set new international standards for terrorism investigations," said Noble.
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani pledged earlier this month to do everything in his power to bring those behind the attack to justice following a meeting with his Indian counterpart in Egypt.
Hamas murder suspects
Police release the pictures of the 11 suspects behind the murder of Mahmud al-Mabhuh on Feb. 15, 2010. (L to R first row) Peter Elvinger from France, Stephen Daniel Hodes from UK, Melvyn Adam Mildine from UK, Jonathan Louis Graham from UK, Evan Dennings from Ireland. (From L to R 2nd row) Michael Lawrence Barney from UK, Paul John Keeley from UK, Kevin Daveron from Ireland, Gail Folliard from Ireland, Michael Bodenheimer from Germany and (bottom) James Leonard Clarke from UK.
Interpol joins Dubai search for Hamas killers
Israel silent on Dubai arrest demands
Abu Dhabi to upgrade surveillance system
Dubai wants Netanyahu's arrest in Hamas hit
Hamas leader drugged, suffocated -Dubai
LYON - International police agency Interpol issued arrest notices Monday for 16 further suspects wanted by Dubai for the assassination of a Hamas leader in his luxury hotel room.
Alongside the new alerts, Interpol also announced that it had joined a Dubai-based international police task force investigating the killing.
The announcement brought to 27 the total number of suspects on Interpol's wanted list for the January 19 murder of Mahmud al-Mabhuh, which Dubai police allege was ordered by the Israeli secret service Mossad.
Mabhuh, a founder of the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement's military wing, had been drugged and suffocated, apparently by a group of people seen on hotel closed-circuit security cameras following him to his room.
Interpol's "Red Notices" -- which are not international arrest warrants but alert member states that Dubai would like the suspects to be arrested and extradited -- made no mention of the alleged Israeli connection.
Instead it provided what it said were photographs and known aliases of 16 suspects, including six who were using British and three Australian passports, along with several whose nationalities were not given.
Interpol said the latest suspects' aliases were: Mark Daniel Sklar, Gabriela Barney, Roy Allan Cannon, Stephen Keith Drake, Daniel Marc Schnur and Philip Carr, travelling on British passports.
Suspects travelling as Adam Marcus Korman, Nicola Sandra McCabe and Joshua Daniel Bruce had Australian passports, according to Interpol's website.
Interpol gave no nationality for Chester Halvey, Anna Shauna Clasby, Ivy Brinton, David Bernard Lapierre, Melanie Heard, Joshua Aaron Krycer and Eric Rassineux. Dubai has said they carried German, Irish and French passports.
"Investigative information provided by the authorities in Dubai bore out the international links and broad scope of the number of people involved," said the statement, issued from Interpol's Lyon headquarters.
Dubai police have identified two 11- and 16-strong teams of foreign suspects they believe were connected to the killing of Mabhuh, a Hamas commander and arms buyer wanted by Israel for the alleged murder of two of its citizens.
Interpol said the newly listed suspects formed the second of the two teams, in addition to 11 for whom Interpol issued arrest alerts on February 18.
Three Palestinians have also reportedly been arrested in connection with the investigation.
"According to the Dubai police investigation, the first team consisted of a smaller core group alleged to have carried out the killing," it said, referring to the 11 named last month.
The second "is believed to have aided and abetted the first team by closely watching, following and reporting Mabhuh's movements from the moment he landed at Dubai airport until his murder," it said.
Interpol said the suspects travelled using other people's identities and several countries have summoned Israeli ambassadors to ask about the use of their passports, although none have yet directly accused Mossad.
"The case reportedly involves multiple cross-border movements worldwide and the use of fraudulently altered passports by individuals using aliases," said Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble.
Noble said officers from Interpol's Dubai bureau and Lyon-based command and coordination centre would work with authorities in the United Arab Emirates and in the countries whose passports were forged or misused.
Dubai police chief Dahi Khalfan has also called for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad chief Meir Dagan, alleging they ordered agents with European and Australian passports to commit the murder.
Neither Interpol nor Israel has responded to this claim.
Most of the people named in connection with the case -- many of them Israelis with dual European citizeship -- were shocked to find themselves linked to it and appear to have been unwitting victims of identity theft..
Abu Dhabi to upgrade surveillance system
Dubai wants Netanyahu's arrest in Hamas hit
Hamas leader drugged, suffocated -Dubai
LYON - International police agency Interpol issued arrest notices Monday for 16 further suspects wanted by Dubai for the assassination of a Hamas leader in his luxury hotel room.
Alongside the new alerts, Interpol also announced that it had joined a Dubai-based international police task force investigating the killing.
The announcement brought to 27 the total number of suspects on Interpol's wanted list for the January 19 murder of Mahmud al-Mabhuh, which Dubai police allege was ordered by the Israeli secret service Mossad.
Mabhuh, a founder of the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement's military wing, had been drugged and suffocated, apparently by a group of people seen on hotel closed-circuit security cameras following him to his room.
Interpol's "Red Notices" -- which are not international arrest warrants but alert member states that Dubai would like the suspects to be arrested and extradited -- made no mention of the alleged Israeli connection.
Instead it provided what it said were photographs and known aliases of 16 suspects, including six who were using British and three Australian passports, along with several whose nationalities were not given.
Interpol said the latest suspects' aliases were: Mark Daniel Sklar, Gabriela Barney, Roy Allan Cannon, Stephen Keith Drake, Daniel Marc Schnur and Philip Carr, travelling on British passports.
Suspects travelling as Adam Marcus Korman, Nicola Sandra McCabe and Joshua Daniel Bruce had Australian passports, according to Interpol's website.
Interpol gave no nationality for Chester Halvey, Anna Shauna Clasby, Ivy Brinton, David Bernard Lapierre, Melanie Heard, Joshua Aaron Krycer and Eric Rassineux. Dubai has said they carried German, Irish and French passports.
"Investigative information provided by the authorities in Dubai bore out the international links and broad scope of the number of people involved," said the statement, issued from Interpol's Lyon headquarters.
Dubai police have identified two 11- and 16-strong teams of foreign suspects they believe were connected to the killing of Mabhuh, a Hamas commander and arms buyer wanted by Israel for the alleged murder of two of its citizens.
Interpol said the newly listed suspects formed the second of the two teams, in addition to 11 for whom Interpol issued arrest alerts on February 18.
Three Palestinians have also reportedly been arrested in connection with the investigation.
"According to the Dubai police investigation, the first team consisted of a smaller core group alleged to have carried out the killing," it said, referring to the 11 named last month.
The second "is believed to have aided and abetted the first team by closely watching, following and reporting Mabhuh's movements from the moment he landed at Dubai airport until his murder," it said.
Interpol said the suspects travelled using other people's identities and several countries have summoned Israeli ambassadors to ask about the use of their passports, although none have yet directly accused Mossad.
"The case reportedly involves multiple cross-border movements worldwide and the use of fraudulently altered passports by individuals using aliases," said Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble.
Noble said officers from Interpol's Dubai bureau and Lyon-based command and coordination centre would work with authorities in the United Arab Emirates and in the countries whose passports were forged or misused.
Dubai police chief Dahi Khalfan has also called for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad chief Meir Dagan, alleging they ordered agents with European and Australian passports to commit the murder.
Neither Interpol nor Israel has responded to this claim.
Most of the people named in connection with the case -- many of them Israelis with dual European citizeship -- were shocked to find themselves linked to it and appear to have been unwitting victims of identity theft..
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)