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THE HIMALAYAN DISASTER: TRANSNATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT MECHANISM A MUST

We talked with Palash Biswas, an editor for Indian Express in Kolkata today also. He urged that there must a transnational disaster management mechanism to avert such scale disaster in the Himalayas. http://youtu.be/7IzWUpRECJM

THE HIMALAYAN TALK: PALASH BISWAS TALKS AGAINST CASTEIST HEGEMONY IN SOUTH ASIA

THE HIMALAYAN TALK: PALASH BISWAS TALKS AGAINST CASTEIST HEGEMONY IN SOUTH ASIA

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Saturday, October 30, 2010

Geelani to intensify stir ahead of Obama's India visit.Chidambaram to visit Kashmir for two days.U.S. terms India as one of its best counter-terrorism partners!


Geelani to intensify stir ahead of Obama's India visit.Chidambaram to visit Kashmir for two days.U.S. terms India as one of its best counter-terrorism partners!


Chinese premier calls for deepening East Asian cooperation


'Credible threat' unlikely to affect Obama's India trip!Hillary Clinton will not join Obama!Pakistan receives three US F-16 aircraft!Obama will 'try his level best to avoid taboo 'K-word' during India trip': WSJ

Clinton in China for lightning visit. Clinton seeks to calm Asian waters



The United States is likely to provide an additional annual military assistance of 300-400 million dollars to Pakistan, besides the package of 2.029 billion dollars announced last week, after having a "better understanding" of the latter's position on North Waziristan during the latest round of their strategic dialogue in Washington.

Orissa Chief Minister Patnaik calls for Centre's support for POSCO plant

Sixteen people drowned and over 50 were feared missing after the trawler they were travelling in capsized near the confluence of the Bay of Bengal and river Buriganga in West Bengal on Saturday, police said.

Indian Holocaust My Father`s Life and Time - FIVE Hundred  EIGHTEEN

Palash Biswas

http://indianholocaustmyfatherslifeandtime.blogspot.com/

http://basantipurtimes.blogspot.com/

President Barack Obama is "very excited" about his upcoming visit to India and is looking forward to developing strong relations with the country, a top official of the US State Department has said.

Hurriyat calls for intense protests during Obama's visit

Daily News & Analysis - ‎20 minutes ago‎
Place: Srinagar | Agency: PTI Hardline Hurriyat Conference headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani today asked people to intensify protests in the Kashmir Valley during US President Barack Obama's visit to India next week.
Posters in Srinagar ask Hurriyat to review its agitation Hindustan Times
Curfew clamped in some parts of Kashmir Valley The Hindu
Times of India - Kashmir Watch - Oneindia - Sify
all 94 news articles »
हिंदी मेंEmail this story

PM meets Clinton, three prime ministers

Hindustan Times - ‎3 hours ago‎
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met for about 40 minutes regarding President Barack Obama's visit to India next week.
Digest of international news for the week Oct 23- Oct 29 IBNLive.com
Manmohan, Hillary discuss bilateral ties ahead of Obama's trip The Hindu
The Week - Sify - IBNLive.com - India Journal

Obama 'very excited' about India visit

Times of India - ‎6 hours ago‎
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama is "very excited" about his upcoming visit to India and is looking forward to developing strong relations with the country, a top official of the US State Department has said. "The President is very excited about his ...

Obama's India visit followed by China's Wen, both important for South Asia

International Reporter - ‎6 hours ago‎
President Obama's visit to India is highly important from many angles of Afghanistan, Pakistan and China. It shall not only strengthen the bilateral relations between US and India but shall also prove helpful to give stability to Afghanistan with the ...

'Obama's India visit important for peace in S Asia'

Hindustan Times - ‎12 hours ago‎
PTI Obama Administration's point man for Afghanistan and Pakistan has said that the next week's India visit of the US president is not only important for strengthening the bilateral ties but also for the peace in South Asia. ...


"We work with all three countries for peace and stability in South Asia," Special US Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke told reporters here ahead of the visit.
more by Richard Holbrooke - 12 hours ago - Hindustan Times (20 occurrences)





Obama sees India as a global power: Roemer

IBNLive.com - ‎Oct 24, 2010‎
Hello and welcome to 'Devil's Advocate'. Just two weeks left for President Barack Obama's visit to India, how does Washington view its relationship with India - that's the key issue I should explore with the American Ambassador Timothy Roemer. ...

Obama to have his fill of Gandhi and townhall meetings during India visit

Times of India - Chidanand Rajghatta - ‎Oct 27, 2010‎
WASHINGTON: President Obama will have a fill of his pet passions on his three-day visit to India next week in what will be his longest stay to date in a foreign country. Two Gandhi-related events, several townhall-style and round table meetings, ...

Economics to override politics during Obama's visit to India

Times of India - Chidanand Rajghatta - ‎Oct 28, 2010‎
WASHINGTON: Number of times US officials referred to the economic agenda in a preview on Wednesday of President Obama's upcoming visit to India: 26. Mention of jobs for Americans and promoting US exports: 17 times. References to strategic ties with ...

Obama should back India for permanent UNSC seat: Think tank

The Hindu - Narayan Lakshman - ‎Oct 27, 2010‎
CHENNAI: During his trip to New Delhi early next month, United States President Barack Obama should endorse India's candidacy for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council, an influential Washington think tank has argued in a report to be ...

IT sector aims to soften image as Obama visits India

Economic Times - ‎Oct 27, 2010‎
MUMBAI/SAN FRANCISCO: US President Barack Obama's visit to India puts the spotlight on its $60 billion IT sector, which argues it is a creator of jobs in the United States and should not be blamed for high unemployment. An increase in US visa fees, ...

India to discuss outsourcing curbs with Obama

Economic Times - ‎Oct 29, 2010‎
BANGALORE: The Indian government will discuss a host of issues, including the outsourcing curbs, with US President Barack Obama during his visit to India November 6-9, Union Minister of State for Communications and Information Tachnology T Sachin Pilot ...

'The Beast' to give Obama a safe ride in India

Hindustan Times - ‎Oct 28, 2010‎
As US President Barack Obama packs his bags for the trip to India on Air Force One next month, also getting ready is "the Beast" - the First Limo that generally goes wherever he does to give him a safe ride. It isn't so much a car as an armoured ...
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Obama 'very excited' about India visit
‎6 hours ago‎ - Times of India

'The Beast' to give Obama a safe ride in India
‎Oct 28, 2010‎ - Hindustan Times

Obama to have his fill of Gandhi and townhall meetings during India visit
‎Oct 27, 2010‎ - Times of India

Inscrutable China jittery over Obama's India visit
‎Oct 27, 2010‎ - Deccan Herald

IT sector aims to soften image as Obama visits India
‎Oct 27, 2010‎ - Economic Times

US non-committal on permanent UNSC seat for India
‎Oct 26, 2010‎ - Times of India

Indian IT industry to raise outsourcing issue with Obama
‎Oct 26, 2010‎ - Economic Times

Obama sees India as a global power: Roemer
‎Oct 24, 2010‎ - IBNLive.com


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India Inc optimistic on Obama's visit
NewsX  -  Oct 28, 2010 Watch video
<div class="video-thumb thumbnail"><a class="js-link thumbnail-toggle" href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="return false;"><img src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/idp-6-2pcEQ/default.jpg" alt="" class="thumbnail" width="120" height="90"> <div class="icon play-icon"></div></a></div> <div class="video-details"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idp-6-2pcEQ">India Inc optimistic on Obama's visit</a> <span class="source">NewsX</span> &nbsp;-&nbsp; Oct 28, 2010 <div class="icon video-icon"></div> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idp-6-2pcEQ">Watch video</a></div>





B'galore IT industry tense ahead of Obama's visit
NewsX  -  Oct 28, 2010 Watch video
<div class="video-thumb thumbnail"><a class="js-link thumbnail-toggle" href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="return false;"><img src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/7xXNYZI3Z0A/default.jpg" alt="" class="thumbnail" width="120" height="90"> <div class="icon play-icon"></div></a></div> <div class="video-details"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xXNYZI3Z0A">B'galore IT industry tense ahead of Obama's visit</a> <span class="source">NewsX</span> &nbsp;-&nbsp; Oct 28, 2010 <div class="icon video-icon"></div> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xXNYZI3Z0A">Watch video</a></div>





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Ahead of the visit of U.S. President Barack Obama to India next week, the White House has identified New Delhi as one of its best counter-terrorism partners.
"The Indian government is one of our best CT (counter terrorism) partners," said John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counter-Terrorism.

Mr. Brennan, who was responding to reporters' questions at a hurriedly convened press conference after the latest round of terror plot was unearthed, said the U.S. has been sharing information with Indian government on a regular basis.
"We share on a regular basis with the Indian government," Mr. Brennan said.

In fact counterterrorism cooperation between India and the U.S. would be on top of Mr. Obama's agenda during his India visit and in his talks with Indian leaders, another top White House official had said early this week.

"We want to underscore the closeness of our counter-terrorism cooperation and the resilience of India in the face of terrorism, just as the U.S. has experienced it," Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Adviser, told a group of Indian reporters early this week.
"We share an interest in counter-terrorism. We share an interest in a stable Afghanistan that doesn't provide safe haven for terrorist groups," Mr. Rhodes said.
"We see India as a constructive partner in those efforts and we want to make sure that India is a part of our dialogue about the future of the region. And so this comes at a good time to continue those discussions," he said.
Anish Goel, Senior Director, South Asia, at the National Security Council said the (David Coleman) Headley case has underscored the fact that how far Indo-U.S. counter-terrorism cooperation has come in the past couple of years.
"The fact that we are -- have more initiatives going with them than we ever have before. And that we gave access to Headley I think sort of demonstrates how we kind of view this issue basically in the same perspective as the Indian government," he said.
Mr. Rhodes said after U.S. authorities arrested Headley -- the Mumbai terrorist suspect -- they learned a lot about 26/11.
"Not only did we share that information, but I think it's a signal of the strength of our counter-terrorism cooperation that we actually provided access to Headley for the Indian security services so they were able to ask him questions directly, which continue to flesh out the understanding of what took place on 26/11," he said.
Keywords: U.S., India, Indo-U.S. relations, bilateral ties, counterterrorism, Obama's visit

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http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article859128.ece

"The United States has a national interest in the freedom of navigation and unimpeded lawful commerce," the chief US diplomat said in a speech to the EAS, repeating the US position in the presence of China in Vietnam's capital.
more by Hillary Rodham Clinton - 57 minutes ago - AFP (405 occurrences)



Sixteen people drowned and over 50 were feared missing after the trawler they were travelling in capsized near the confluence of the Bay of Bengal and river Buriganga in West Bengal on Saturday, police said.

16 die, over 50 missing in Bengal trawler capsize

Hindustan Times - ‎1 hour ago‎
Sixteen people drowned and over 50 were feared missing after the trawler they were travelling in capsized near the confluence of the Bay of Bengal and river Buriganga in West Bengal on Saturday, police said. "Sixteen bodies have been fished out. ...

Trawler capsizes, 13 bodies found, many missing in West Bengal

Daily News & Analysis - ‎1 hour ago‎
Place: Kolkata | Agency: PTI Thirteen persons drowned and many went missing as a trawler with over 150 persons on board capsized in Muriganga river at Talpatty near Sagar Islands in South 24 Parganas district today. "Thirteen bodies have been found and ...

Trawler carrying 100 people capsizes near Bay of Bengal

The Hindu - ‎2 hours ago‎
A trawler carrying at least 100 people capsized in MuriGanga near Sagar Islands off the Bay of Bengal. So far five bodies have been retrieved from the river and around 50 people have been rescued. State Sundarbans Affairs Development Minister Kanti ...

16 dead in WB trawler capsize

indiablooms - ‎57 minutes ago‎
Kolkata, Oct 30 (IBNS) At least 16 people died after a trawler capsized near Ghoramara island, about 150 km south of Kolkata in Sagar region of the Sundarbans in the Bay of Bengal on Saturday, said police. "We have recovered 16 bodies, ...

Trawler capsizes, three bodies found

Times Now.tv - ‎2 hours ago‎
Three persons drowned and four others were rescued after a trawler with over 100 people on board capsized in the Muriganga river at Talpatty near Sagar Islands in South 24 Parganas district on Saturday (October 30). "Three bodies have been found and ...

16 die, more than 50 missing after trawler capsizes in India

Monsters and Critics.com - ‎1 hour ago‎
New Delhi - At least 16 people drowned and more than 50 were missing after the trawler they were travelling on capsized near India's eastern coast on Saturday, a news report said. No reason was given why the trawler with over 100 people onboard ...
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Chidambaram to visit Kashmir for two days! Chidambaram's visit assumes significance in view of the just-concluded visit of three- interlocutors appointed by the Central Government.

'Credible threat' unlikely to affect Obama's India trip!Hillary Clinton will not join Obama!Obama is visiting India for four days, Nov 6-9, and will be in Mumbai and New Delhi.

Pakistan receives three US F-16 aircraft!NATO and Afghan forces are drawing up plans to stop the Taliban from re-infiltrating in the country and preventing it from waging a campaign of intimidation against local inhabitants.The Obama Administration has publicly acknowledged the significant role played by India in the signing of the historic Transit Trade Agreement between Afghanistan and Pakistan after a protracted negotiation of 40 years.

The United States is likely to provide an additional annual military assistance of 300-400 million dollars to Pakistan, besides the package of 2.029 billion dollars announced last week, after having a "better understanding" of the latter's position on North Waziristan during the latest round of their strategic dialogue in Washington.

Obama will 'try his level best to avoid taboo 'K-word' during India trip': WSJ

Orissa Chief Minister Patnaik calls for Centre's support for POSCO plant!

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Vietnamese capital Hanoi on Saturday for the Association of South East Asia Nations (ASEAN) Summit, even as the United States gets set to join the East Asia Summit group.

No curfew was imposed in Srinagar Saturday even though the separatists called for a shutdown and hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani asked people to intensify protests ahead of US President Barack Obama's India visit.Curfew was today clamped in three towns of north Kashmir as authorities apprehended breach of peace even as normal life in the rest of the Valley was disrupted due to a strike called by the hardline Hurriyat Conference. Curfew was imposed in Delina and Palahalan towns of Baramulla district and Bandipora district town in the wee hours, a police spokesman said. The restrictions were clamped as a precautionary measure following reports that some persons were planning to create law and order problems. Bandipora has witnessed clashes between protestors and security forces after a shopkeeper was arrested by police recently.Although there were no restrictions elsewhere in the Valley, normal life remained affected due to the strike called by Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Shops, business establishments and private offices remained closed in most parts of the Valley.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met Chinese state councillor Dai Bingguo on the southern island of Hainan Saturday after wading into the maritime disputes simmering in Asia at a regional summit.
Clinton met with Dai, China's senior-most foreign policymaker, in the VIP lounge at the airport in the resort town of Sanya, a photographer said.
Her sixth Asian tour in less than two years aims to pursue what an aide called "cool-headed, constructive diplomacy" with China and boost US ties with its Pacific neighbours.
Earlier in the day, she held talks in Hanoi with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, who called on Washington to avoid "irresponsible remarks" when discussing a disputed island chain over which Beijing is feuding with Japan.
Clinton had told an Asian summit that maritime rows should be settled by international law. China wants to handle such disputes bilaterally with its neighbours.
The pair also discussed tensions over China's policy on rare earths, a group of 17 elements used to make everything from iPods to hybrid cars.
Beijing has come under criticism for its export quotas on the minerals, and Tokyo has accused it of restricting shipments to Japanese firms amid their row over the contested islands in the East China Sea.
Clinton said Yang had told her that Beijing -- which has a near-monopoly on the global rare earths market -- had no plans to withhold rare earth minerals from the market.
The US secretary of state was expected to raise many of the same issues with Dai that she discussed with Yang, including rare earths, according to a senior State Department official who asked not to be named.
Clinton's trip was aimed at "cool-headed" diplomacy
Asian countries' disputes over maritime sovereignty should be resolved diplomatically, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in Vietnam Saturday.
Speaking at the fifth annual two-day ASEAN Summit in Hanoi, Clinton sought to soothe rising tensions between China, Japan and South Korea, The Wall Street Journal reported.
"The United States has a national interest in the freedom of navigation and unimpeded lawful commerce," Clinton said in her address to the Southeast Asian conference. "And when disputes arise over maritime territory, we are committed to resolving them peacefully based on customary international law."
The most intense dispute is over islands in the East China Sea occupied by Japan, but claimed by China. The Chinese call them the Diaoyu Islands, while the Japanese call them Senkaku.
An unidentified U.S. official told reporters the United States was concerned with the tensions.
"We have made very clear to both sides that we want the temperature to go down," the official said.

Chinese premier calls for deepening East Asian cooperation



English.news.cn   2010-10-30 13:58:06 *FeedbackRSS

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (8th R) poses for a group photo with leaders attending the 5th East Asia Summit in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, Oct. 30, 2010. The 5th East Asia Summit opened Saturday. (Xinhua/Hunag Jingwen)



HANOI, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said here on Saturday that the East Asia Summit had boosted the mutual understandings among all the member states and promoted peace, stability and development in the region since its establishment five years ago.

Addressing the the Fifth East Asia Summit, Wen said the summit had stuck to the orientation of the strategic forum "led by leaders" and launched fruitful dialogue and cooperation in five key fields, namely finance, energy, education, bird flu control and disaster rescue.

Currently the regional and international situation is experiencing profound and complicated changes and the East Asian countries are facing new chances and challenges for further development, he said.

China is ready to work together with other parties to deepen East Asian cooperation by upholding the established principles and purposes of the East Asia Summit, he said.

While centrality of ASEAN must be respected in the process of East Asia integration, efforts are also needed to enable the existing mechanism to play their role, such as the summit between China and ASEAN (10+1), the summit between ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea (10+3) and the summit of China, Japan and South Korea, said Premier Wen.

He added that China would like to discuss with all its partners the proposals for the economic integration in East Asia and jointly promote the regional peace, stability and development.

He said China welcomes the participation of Russia and the United States in the East Asia Summit, expressing the hope that the two countries would play a constructive role.

Premier Wen also highlighted that China has steadfast determination, explicit polic

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2010-10/30/c_13583253.htm



US takes firm line with China over rows with neighbors
By Lachlan Carmichael (AFP) – 5 hours ago
HANOI — The United States on Saturday fired a broadside at China over the maritime rows roiling Asia and secured assurances over its exports of rare earth minerals, which have become another regional irritant.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton waded into the disputes over South China Sea and East China Sea islands as she took part in the 16-nation East Asia Summit, which the United States is attending for the first time.
"The United States has a national interest in the freedom of navigation and unimpeded lawful commerce," the chief US diplomat said in a speech to the EAS, repeating the US position in the presence of China in Vietnam's capital.
"And when disputes arise over maritime territory, we are committed to resolving them peacefully based on customary international law," Clinton said.
But she also sounded a softer note, saying "with regard to the South China Sea, we are encouraged by China?s recent steps to enter discussions with ASEAN about a more formal binding code of conduct."
The Philippines said China on Friday made such assurances in response to concerns from leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) who met with China's premier Wen Jiabao Friday.
ASEAN, which is part of EAS, hopes that a "declaration" on a mooted code of conduct could lead to a mechanism to govern actions in the disputed waterway -- a resource-rich region which is a vital conduit for trade in goods and energy.
Diplomatic sources say that a working group from ASEAN and China will meet in December to prepare the groundwork and establish technical details on how a code could be formulated.
The United States has said it is willing to help craft the code to end disputes that threaten regional stability.
But Beijing insists on bilateral discussions with those nations that have territorial claims -- a forum where it has more clout -- and has warned the US not to interfere.
Analysts said the United States is re-engaging with Southeast Asia as it tries to counter-balance China's growing assertiveness in the region.
To the north, a row still simmers between China and Japan after Tokyo on September 8 arrested a Chinese trawler captain near Japanese-administered islands, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China.
In a press conference, Clinton repeated remarks she made in Hawaii this week that the islands fall under chapter five of the 1960 US-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security.
Under the treaty, the United States is obliged to defend Japan against any attack on a territory under Tokyo's administration.
China's Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi responded Saturday by telling Clinton to be "cautious" when discussing the maritime issue.
According to comments posted on the Chinese foreign ministry's website, he urged her to "respect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to not make irresponsible remarks."
Meanwhile Clinton said she had won "assurances" from Yang on China's policy toward exports of rare earth minerals, which Beijing has been accused of restricting in the aftermath of the row with Japan.
"Foreign Minister Yang clarified that China has no intention of withholding these minerals from the market. He said he wanted to make that very clear," she said.
In Washington, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Tuesday that the United States was checking to see if China was cutting off rare earths exports to US companies, but had not reached a conclusion on the matter yet.
China recently denied a report in The New York Times that it had halted some rare earth shipments to the United States in response to a US probe into alleged Chinese subsidies for its green technology sector.
Rare earths -- a group of 17 elements -- are used in high-tech products ranging from flat-screen televisions to lasers to hybrid cars, and China controls more than 95 percent of the global market.
Tokyo has accused China of restricting rare earths shipments to Japanese firms after the bitter spat between Asia's top two economies that has spiralled into protests, scrapped meetings and angry outbursts.
AFP

World's big enough for India and China: Wen

   
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China's Premier Wen Jiabao is seen during the 13th ASEAN - China Summit in Hanoi October 29, 2010.
Credit: Reuters/Na Son Nguyen/Pool
   
HANOI | Fri Oct 29, 2010 8:20am EDT
HANOI (Reuters) - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday the world was big enough for their two countries to develop and cooperate, sounding a positive note ahead of a visit planned for later this year.
The world's most populous countries have engaged in repeated diplomatic sparring over the last two years, reflecting growing friction over their disputed borders and roles as emerging global powers despite bilateral trade that has grown 30-fold since 2000.
"There is enough space in the world for India and China to achieve common development ... to have cooperation," Wen said at the beginning of a meeting with Singh on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific summit in Hanoi.
"We must strive to ensure the sound and steady growth of our relationship," he said.
Wen said his "preliminary consideration" was that he would visit India later this year.
"To make the visit a productive one, we will discuss and reach consensus on some major aspects to lay a foundation for the visit."
That visit, which Indian media said would take place in December, would follow a visit to India by U.S. President Barack Obama in early November on a trip that will also take Obama to Indonesia, South Korea and Japan.
Some commentators have portrayed the tour as a White House effort to counterbalance China's influence in Asia, which has worried Indian officials. But Obama's aides said the administration's strategy is to develop both relationships.
China defeated India in a 1962 war, but they still spar over their disputed 3,500 km (2,170 mile) border and the presence of exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, in India.
China's support for India's arch-enemy Pakistan, which backs separatists in disputed Kashmir and also claims the Himalayan region in full, has added to the suspicion.
(Reporting by James Pomfret; Writing by John Ruwitch; Editing by Robert Birsel and Miral Fahmy)

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    http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE69S0N720101029


Union Home Minister P Chidambaram will undertake a two-day visit of Jammu and Kashmir from today.

United States President Barack Obama is expected to "try his level best to avoid the 'K-word'- Kashmir"- during his three-day trip to India that starts next week, a newspaper reported.

"If the topic does come up, Mr. Obama will likely follow the same tack taken by his advisers earlier this week in a briefing with reporters," the Wall Street Journal reported.hen asked, "Will the President talk publicly or privately about Kashmir and the tensions between India and Pakistan?" US Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes had said, "On this specific trip, again, we have a limited amount of time. We have hard dates in terms of summits that we're attending in Seoul and in Japan. And we have a very robust program in India on the front end. And so he wanted to make sure we have the proper focus on that Pakistan trip when it does take place."

"The President believes that the U.S. relationship with India and the U.S. relationship with Pakistan does not take place within any kind of zero sum dynamic. It's often been viewed that way in the past, that if we become closer to one it's at the expense of the other," he had said.

"And we've tried to send the signal that it's the opposite with this administration; that, in fact, actually you see that borne out in the fact that we had a very successful strategic dialogue here, with the Pakistanis in town last week, discussing greater security cooperation in governance and economic issues," Rhodes had added.

The newspaper noted that while Rhodes had given a long explanation- in more than 150 words- not one of them was "Kashmir"!

Responding to a question whether Obama would talk privately or publicly about the longstanding Kashmir dispute and the tensions between India and Pakistan during his forthcoming visit to India, US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns also avoided the 'K-word' while replying, "We have always welcomed dialogue between India and Pakistan and certainly encouraged efforts to improve relations between those two very important countries. Obviously, the pace, scope and character of that dialogue is something that Indians and Pakistanis have to shape. But we'll continue to both welcome and encourage it."

White House reporters being an intrepid bunch, another questioner brought up the topic again, using the K-word specifically. "Just to follow Steven's question on Kashmir. Will the President be making some public remarks explaining the U.S. position on Kashmir? And will he also be addressing- explaining the U.S. relationship with Pakistan publicly?"

"This time Rhodes was even more eloquent, going for a full 286 words, not a single one of them being Kashmir," the paper pointed out.

It also noted how former British Foreign Secetary David Miliband came under fire for his remarks on Kashmir during his trip to India last year.

"And when Richard Holbrooke, Mr. Obama's special representative on Afghanistan and Pakistan at one point suggested he tackle Kashmir too, the idea received a furious rebuff from the Indians," it added.

According to sources, Chidambaram will first visit the cloudburst-hit region of Leh to review the rehabilitation process.He will also hold a meeting with local officials.

On Sunday, he will visit border areas in Kargil before going to Srinagar to meet Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.He will also interact with state administration officials to assess the ground situation in Kashmir Valley.

US President Barack Obama called the discovery of some suspicious packages with 'explosive material' as 'a credible threat against our country,' but officials considered it unlikely to affect his trip to India next week.

'Whenever the President travels, we take a very careful look at what the threat environment might be and look at what the terrorist environment is,' White House counterterrorism chief John Brennan told reporters Friday.

'So we're taking this into account, but at this point there is no effect,' he said at a White House briefing on discovery of suspicious packages in at least two locations abroad that were bound for Jewish organizations in the United States.

Meanwhile,Pakistan Saturday received three new F-16 aircraft from the US as part of 18 such fighter jets scheduled to reach the country by December.

The jets landed at the Shahbaz Airbase of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in southwestern Jacobabad city, media reports said.

It was initially reported that five F-16s will reach Pakistan in this consignment but only three arrived Saturday.

Senior officials of PAF were present at the airbase on the arrival of these aircraft.

Three other aircraft reached Pakistan in June as part of the consignment, while the remaining would be handed over by the end of December. Pakistani pilots were trained by the US Air Force prior to the handing over and they flew the aircraft in the Pakistani airspace.

A PAF spokesman said: 'Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman has congratulated the Pakistani nation on enhanced strength of its fighter jets' fleet.'

Sources said the arrival of these five F-16 jets was scheduled for September 2010 but was delayed due to floods in August and September. The Shahbaz Airbase was partially inundated during the floods that wreaked havoc across Pakistan, leaving over 1,800 dead and over 20 million homeless.

The government of former Pakistan president Gen. (Retd.) Pervez Musharraf had struck a deal with the US for the purchase of 24 refurbished F-16 aircraft to enhance air warfare capacity of the country. The new government, after taking charge in 2008, decided to buy 18 additional new block-52 fighter jets.

On the other hand,US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who has played a key role in strengthening India-US relations, will not accompany President Barack Obama on his trip to India next month.

'The Secretary has been to India and has engaged Indian officials to help prepare for the president's trip,' State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters here Tuesday.

'Given the competing major fora that are underway here, the secretary has her agenda; she will not join the president in India, but others will be in his delegation,' he said explaining Clinton's absence from the Obama delegation.

'But this is characteristic of our engagement where, in the Asia-Pacific region, in the coming days, you'll have the president there, the secretary there, the deputy secretary there, and that just gives you a sense of the breadth of the issues that we are wrestling with in the region,' Crowley said.

Clinton would be in Australia along with Defence Secretary Robert Gates for the 25th anniversary of the annual Australia-US Ministerial Consultations during Obama's India Nov 6-9 India trip.

But Clinton will meet Indian officials in Hanoi ahead of East Asia summit 'to work together on coordination', another senior US official told the foreign media stressing US support for India's growing role in the Asia Pacific region.

'We have stated very clearly that the United States welcomes and supports India's growing role as an Asian-Pacific player,' Assistant Secretary of State for South East Asia and Pacific Affairs Kurt M. Campbell said.

'Obviously, we're also trying to regularise and intensify our overall diplomacy with India going forward,' he said in response to a question

Asked if New Delhi had been briefed as India is the first stop on his four-nation swing through Asia, Brennan said: 'We share on a regular basis with the Indian government. The Indian government is one of our best counter terrorism partners.'

The packages led to increased searches of cargo planes and trucks in several US cities, CNN said citing law enforcement sources with detailed knowledge of the investigation.

US officials believe that Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, commonly referred to as AQAP, is behind the incident.

Obama confirmed that the packages originated in Yemen, the stronghold of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

'We also know that Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula ... continues to plan attacks against our homeland, our citizens, and our friends and allies,' he said during a press briefing on the incident.

One suspicious package, found in the United Kingdom, contained a 'manipulated' toner cartridge and had white powder on it as well as wires and a circuit board, CNN said citing a law enforcement source. A similar package was discovered in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, it said.

Both packages were bound for the United States, 'specifically two places of Jewish worship in Chicago,' Obama said.

'Initial examination of those packages has determined they do apparently contain explosive material,' he said assuring the nation counterterrorism officials are taking the threat 'very seriously.'

Brennan said that 'the materials that were found and the device that was discovered were intended to do harm.'

Brennan, while declining to provide specifics, also said intelligence officials were specifically looking for such suspicious packages when the first discovery-the package in the United Kingdom-was made.

'Our freedom struggle has entered a crucial phase and the next 10 days are very important...when the US president visits India, the attention of the world is going to remain focused on South Asia.

'Our resistance programme has not only created awareness about Kashmir and the sufferings of its people internationally, but has also given sleepless nights to India,' Geelani said in a statement here Friday evening.

The hardline separatist leader has been spearheading the 'Quit Kashmir' campaign for over four months in the Valley since June 11. A total of 110 people have lost their lives in the continuing unrest in the Valley since then.

Geelani's protest programme got a shot in the arm from remarks made by Abdullah Alam, assistant general secretary of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and special representative of the OIC secretary general on Jammu and Kashmir, at an event organised by Pakistan International School and Pakistan consul general in Jeddah Friday.

'The OIC believes the settlement of Kashmir is not far away and people of the state, after so many years of suffering, deserve full respect for their legitimate right to self-determination. Surely, its (settlement) is not far away,' Abdullah Alam had said.

Meanwhile, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, chairman of the moderate Hurriyat group, has decided to convene a conference of the local Ulemas in Srinagar to take a firm stand against what he describes 'as continuing efforts of authorities to disallow Friday prayers at the historic Jamia Mosque in Srinagar'.

Authorities have been imposing curfew or restrictions in areas vulnerable to stone pelting in Old City in Srinagar during the last four months to prevent violence post Friday prayers.

The Jamia Mosque is situated in the Nowhatta area of the Old City that has seen bloody clashes between security forces and youths ever since the separatists announced the 'Quit Kashmir' campaign June 11.

The announcement of protest calendars by the separatists followed the death of a schoolboy Tufail Mattoo, who was killed after a stray tear smoke shell hit him in Rajouri Kadal area of the city near the Jamia Mosque.

But despite the call for intensifying protests, authorities did not impose curfew.

'There is no curfew anywhere in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley except Delina, Palhalan and Bandipora towns of north Kashmir today (Saturday)', a police officer said here.

Shops remained closed in Srinagar and while public transport went off roads, private vehicles plied on city roads.

Obama a bigger threat to U.S. than Al Qaeda: Colorado governor candidate
Colorado gubernatorial candidate Tom Tancredo has claimed that President Barack Obama is a bigger threat to the United States than Al Qaeda or terrorism,

The former Congressman made the comments while campaigning in Canon City earlier this week, reports the Daily Mail.

"It's not Al Qaeda, it's the guy sitting in the White House," Tancredo was quoted, as saying.

Tancredo also said that he believed Obama and Democratic Colorado gubernatorial candidate John Hickenlooper are 'kindred spirits.'

The former Republican congressman is running on the American Constitution Party ticket. (ANI)

East Asia Summit begins

Hanoi, October 30 (ANI): The fifth East Asia Summit (EAS) opened on Saturday in Vietnamese capital Hanoi where leaders of ASEAN and six dialogue partners gathered to discuss strategic issues of relevance to the region The six dialogue partners China, Japan,South Korea,India,Australia and New Zealand would hold talks and exchange views on regional and international issues in the East Asian region with ASEAN nations that include Brunei,Cambodia,Indonesia,Laos, Malaysia,Myanmar,the Philippines,Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S.Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were invited to attend this year's EAS as special guests.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also held talks with the leaders on various strategic issues.

Orissa Chief Minister Patnaik calls for Centre's support for POSCO plant

Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik asked the Centre to see that South Korean steel-maker POSCO is able to set up their plant in the state.

POSCO, the world's third-largest steel maker, wants to mine iron ore in Orissa's Sundergarh district for the proposed steel plant, which aims to produce 12 million tonnes of steel a year.

The project is India's biggest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) proposal, but it has been delayed by over three years due to protests by farmers and tribals who fear losing their livelihood.

"It is the responsibility also of the Central Government to see that such a major plant as POSCO takes off because do remember that it is the biggest Foreign Direct Investment in our country, in the whole country, which will bring not only a great deal of revenue to the state, to Orissa, but also to the country," said Patnaik.

In July, a lower court in Orissa had asked state authorities to review their decision to recommend POSCO for a mining concession, after a local company, also seeking a mining concession, challenged the move.

The proposed steel mill is still awaiting environmental clearances, with a decision likely next month. The litigation over the mining concession is unlikely to hold back the start of the mill's construction once the green nod is given.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist leader, Sitaram Yechury, questioned the validity of handing over the steel-maker contracts for the capacity of 12 million tonnes, despite the firm not requiring it immediately.

"The mines are being given on the assumption that the production capacity will be 12 million tonnes but POSCO itself declared that the 12 million tonne target will be met after a decade or 12 years. They will start with three and gradually expand. Now, if they are producing only three million (tonnes of) steel, giving them mining contracts for the capacity of 12 million, what will they do with the extra?," said Yechury.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) says they will swap off iron ore, now 30 percent... now they will also have a captive port. You have a captive mining, captive port. How much is going out of that. Who will check?" he added.

Last year, the Orissa Government recommended POSCO India to the Central Government for prospecting over 2,500 hectares in Khandadhar region of the state's iron ore-rich Sundergarh district. By Sarada Lahangir (ANI)

Jharkhand fails to utilise central funds for tribals

Jharkhand has failed to utilise Central funds of Rs 74 crore allotted last year for the welfare of scheduled tribes, a top state government official said today. "Out of Rs 78 crore of central grant-in-aid under article 275 (1), the welfare department could draw only Rs 4 crore.

The chief minister has expressed concern over non-utilisation of 100 per cent funds," Chief Secretary A K Singh said here. Funds under article 275 (1) are provided to states by the Centre for the purpose of promoting welfare of the STs and raising the level of administration of the scheduled areas.

He said various other departments had also failed to draw central allocations in full, prompting Chief Minister Arjun Munda to hold a series of review meetings with various department heads for eight consecutive days beginning November one. Munda has directed all the department secretaries to ensure proper utilisation of Central funds.

CBI moves petition before SC, wants Amit Shah''s bail cancelled
The CBI has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking cancellation of the bail granted by the Gujarat High Court to former state minister Amit Shah and sought an urgent hearing. The petition was filed in the Deputy Registrar''s office around 10.30 PM last night after the top brass of the premier investigating agency decided to move the Apex court for cancelling the bail.

Senior lawyer KTS Tulsi, who appeared for CBI in the High Court, accompanied CBI officials when the petition was filed. The Court will be on a brief Diwali recess from Monday.

The Deputy Registrar is the court''s Vacation officer. It is likely that the petition may come up before the Vacation bench of the Supreme Court today.

The Gujarat High Court had yesterday granted Shah bail, three months after he was arrested in connection with the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case.

HC boost for BJP government in Karnataka
In a major boost for the BJP government in the state, a third judge in the Karnataka High Court today upheld the disqualification of 11 rebel BJP MLAs, concurring with the decision of the Chief Justice. Justice V G Sabhahit, to whom the division bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar had referred the matter, upheld Speaker K G Bopaiah''s order disqualifying the dissident MLAs.

The Speaker''s order of disqualification was in accordance with Para 2 (1) (a) of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution--anti-defection law, observed Justice Sabhahit, who has concurred with the ruling given by the Chief Justice earlier. The division bench, which also consists of Justice N Kumar, had earlier given a split verdict with Justice Kumar setting aside the Speaker''s order.

The bench had then referred the matter to the third judge. Justice Sabhahit today placed his order before the division bench for delivering its formal orders.

Today''s order of the court comes as a major victory for the BJP, which has been plagued by dissidence and scraped through a confidence vote in the Assembly on Oct 14 after 16 disqualified MLAs were kept out of the Assembly. BJP counsel Satya Pal Jain hailed the third judge''s order saying this gave a good signal to defectors.

But the JD(S), which has spearheaded the dissidence in BJP by taking its MLAs out of the state before the confidence vote, reacted saying "it is only an intermediate state. We are going to knock at the doors of the Supreme Court and hope the issue will be decided in our favour.

" The case of disqualification of other 5 Independent MLAs, who have also challenged the Speaker''s action, will come up for hearing on Nov 2. The ruling BJP and Opposition Congress-JDS combine have been waiting for the verdict, which has an impact on the party position in the Assembly and the stability of the first saffron government in the south headed by B S Yeddyurappa.

The court on October 21 had declined the plea by five Independents, who also have been disqualified, to allow them to vote during the second motion of confidence moved by Yeddyurappa on October 22 or their votes be kept in a sealed cover till the court decides on their petition. However, the court had then declared that the result of the second floor test would be subject to its final order on the petition by Independent MLAs.

In the first confidence vote on Oct 11, the government won a controversial vote by a voice vote in the midst of pandemonium. The Speaker had disqualified the MLAs on the eve of the first vote.

Governor H R Bhardwaj refused to accept the result of the first trust vote and called for a second vote on October 14, which Yeddyurappa won by a 106-100 margin.

Chavan offers to quit on housing scam, Sonia orders probe

Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan Saturday offered to resign over allotment of flats in Mumbai meant for war heroes to unauthorised people during a meeting with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, who asked two union ministers to probe the matter.

Gandhi constituted a two-member team comprising Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Defence Minister A.K. Antony to probe the allotment of Adarsh Housing Society flats, originally meant for families of soldiers killed in the 1999 Kargil conflict with Pakistan, to politicians, bureaucrats and military officials.

'It is a fact that Chavan has offered to resign. But a decision on the matter would be taken after the two-member committee submits a report to Congress president,' Congress general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi told reporters at the Congress office here.

Chavan met Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence earlier in the day.

Antony, who is in charge of Congress affairs in Maharashtra, and Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel, were also present at the meeting, sources said.

Chavan's mother-in-law and two other relatives are reported to have got flats in the housing society.

Accompanied by his wife Amita, Chavan earlier met Ahmed Patel.

'I have explained all details about the society controversy to Congress president. I have also offered to resign,' Chavan told reporters.

Chavan, 52, said he told Gandhi: 'I am here, my resignation is also here. I leave it to you to take a final view.'

'I have kept the truth in front of her... The truth should come out so that we can find out who all are responsible,' he said.

Congress circles said Gandhi may discuss the Maharashtra political issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after he returns from a foreign tour Saturday night.

'A decision on Chavan's resignation may be taken in the next 48 hours. Otherwise it may be after a week or so,' a senior Congress leader told IANS in Mumbai.

In Delhi, Congress circles said the issue has gained importance as the special session of the All India Congress Committee( AICC) is due to start there Tuesday.

'Our senior leaders Antony-ji and Pranab Muukherjee are finding out the details. Sonia-ji will take an appropriate decision after that,' Mohan Prakash, Congress secretary in-charge of Maharashtra told IANS.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded the immediate sacking of Chavan. 'The BJP demands the chief minister should immediately resign or be removed immediately,' BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman told reporters here.

Chavan said that he welcomed the probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the defence ministry into the allotment.

The scandal has raised a stink, with some senior military officers who got flats claiming they did not know they were meant for 'Kargil martyrs'.

65 percent of American voters want to axe every Congress member
An overwhelming majority of Americans say, if given the choice, they would want to axe every member of the U.S. Congress.

A Rasmussen Reports survey released yesterday found 65 percent of likely voters would prefer to fire every member of Congress and start from scratch.

A whopping 82 percent of Republicans and 78 percent of independents told the pollsters they wanted to give everyone on Capitol Hill the heave-ho, the New York Post reports.

Only 20 percent of all voters wanted to keep the entire Congress unchanged.

If you needed any more confirmation that Washington is perceived as a broken entity by the American people, well, this is it," said National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Ken Spain. (ANI)

Malaysians praise Manmohan Singh's multi-racialism view
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been applauded here for his observation that Malaysia represented the best of Asia in terms of multi-racialism.

Manmohan Singh was in Malaysia as part of his three-nation Asia tour that also took him to Japan. He is currently in Vietnam.

Manmohan Singh's observations during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak have been widely commented upon by politicians, academics and businessmen.

The Indian prime minister was asked if he had discussed the perceived grievances of a section of 2.1 million ethnic Indians settled here.

While Najib said these were not discussed as they formed Malaysia's internal matter, Singh said he was 'confident' that Malaysia has a solution to issues pertaining to its different races.

Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) central working committee member S. Murugesan said Manmohan Singh was 'right on the dot' with his observations.

MIC is the country's largest Indian-based party and is part of the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN).

Malaysia Social Institute official Mohamed Fadzil Che Din said Singh's statement was 'welcome as it represented a positive outlook from a leader who managed the world's largest democracy'.

'Despite tensions all over the region, he (Manmohan Singh) has a positive impression of Malaysia. He knows we are multi-racial,' the New Straits Times Thursday quoted him as saying.

The official added that Malaysia had developed rapidly due to contributions of all races, an achievement that could not be done 'alone'.

University Utara Malaysia College of Business dean Nasruddin Zainuddin said Manmohan Singh's statement should be appreciated, especially from an economic perspective.

Unity in Malaysia, he said, would attract foreign investors who could help the country develop.

'We should take advantage of this. Peace and harmony will build confidence among investors,' he said, adding that it also augured well for the tourism sector.

Zainuddin said Malaysians should acknowledge the contributions of the Indian community and that of the other Malaysians to learn from the different backgrounds.

This, in turn, would allow the country to network more smoothly with the other big economies worldwide, he added.

Opposition lawmaker Mohammed Abdul Wahid Endut said that while he accepted Manmohan's praise for the country, there was room for improvement.

'Politicians must play a role in ensuring that the harmony we enjoy continues,' Endut said.

Native-born Americans lost jobs, but Asians, Indians did not

With the exception of Asian Americans, native-born Americans lost more than a million jobs while foreign-born workers gained hundreds of thousands of jobs as the country emerged from a painful recession, according to a new report.

In April, May and June this year, compared with the same period last year, foreign-born workers gained 656,000 jobs, while native-born workers lost 1.2 million jobs, according to an analysis of economic trends issued Friday by the Pew Hispanic Centre.

But Asian Americans, including Indians, had a different experience. In their case, employment of the native born increased by 208,000 from the second quarter of 2009 to the second quarter of 2010, and employment of immigrants decreased by 102,000.

The unemployment rate for native-born Asians fell from 9.9 percent to 8.7 percent; for foreign-born Asians, it increased from 6.7 percent to 7 percent.

'There is a substantial difference in how the economic recovery is working out for the native-born and the foreign-born,' said Rakesh Kochhar, associate director of the centre and co-author of the new report.

'Only the immigrant experience has been a positive one,' he said. 'The native-born experience - the best that can be said is, 'They bled less than in the last year'.'

Key findings foreign born and native born:

* The foreign-born working-age population (ages 16 and older) in the US increased by 709,000 from the second quarter of 2009 to the second quarter of 2010. That marks a reversal from the preceding year, when the foreign-born working-age population shrank by 95,000.

* The construction sector was a leading source of job losses in the recession, and it remains a leading source of unemployment for native-born workers during the recovery.

Of the 1.2 million jobs lost by native-born workers from the second quarter of 2009 to the second quarter of 2010, 645,000 jobs were lost in construction alone.

* Median weekly earnings of both native-born and foreign-born workers inched up 1.0 percent from 2008 to 2009 -- from $651 to $657 for the native born and from $544 to $550 for immigrants, in 2010 prices.

* In the recovery from 2009 to 2010, median weekly wages of foreign-born workers fell to $525, a loss of 4.5 percent. The wages of native-born workers were virtually unchanged, standing at $653 in the second quarter of 2010.

SC pulls up Centre for poor distribution of foodgrains

Noting that even 10 years after it ordered that the country can ill-afford to have its surplus foodgrains eaten by rats in government godowns or dumped in sea while the poor go hungry, the Supreme Court on Friday asked the Attorney General to respond to the continued inadequate disbursement of foodgrains to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.
"More than nine years ago, this court had passed the order that foodgrains overflowing in storage, especially in FCI godowns, should not be wasted by dumping in the sea or eaten by rats. There is no implementation of the order," a Bench said.
As an example of how their order was disregarded by the government, the Bench cited from the latter's affidavit to show 55,121 tonnes of wheat in Punjab and Haryana storage facilities were damaged and rendered unfit for consumption as of August 1, 2010.
Though it is aware that procurement of adequate foodgrains is essential to provide food security and the interest of farmers has to be safeguarded, the court said procurement ought to be in proportion to ability for storage.
"Mere schemes without any implementation are of no use. What is important is that the food must reach the hungry," the Bench said.
It wants the government to explain the reason for following the 1991 Census figures for food distribution in 2010.
Supreme Court tells Amit Shah to leave Gujarat by tomorrow
Press Trust Of India
New Delhi, October 30, 2010
First Published: 18:30 IST(30/10/2010)
Last Updated: 18:39 IST(30/10/2010)
The Supreme Court on Saturday asked former minister Amit Shah to stay out of Gujarat and leave the state by Sunday morning but did not cancel his bail on which hearing will be held on November 15. The decision came at a special hearing at Justice Aftab Alam's residence here on CBI's plea

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seeking cancellation of his bail granted by the Gujarat High Court on Friday in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case.
The Bench also comprising Justice R M Lodha directed Shah to leave the state by Sunday morning and asked him to stay out till further order and posted the matter for next hearing on November 15.
The Court asked the CBI to supply a copy of its petition to Shah by November six asking him to reply by November 12 after which the agency will file its rejoinder.

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http://www.hindustantimes.com/Supreme-Court-tells-Amit-Shah-to-leave-Gujarat-by-tomorrow/Article1-619984.aspx

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The target for an explosives device found on a cargo plane in the UK may have been the aircraft itself, Home Secretary Theresa May said. A major international terror alert was sparked after security staff found printer cartridges with wires attached in ...

Devices have 'al-Qaeda hallmarks'

BBC News - ‎1 hour ago‎
US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has said two explosive devices found at East Midlands airport and in Dubai had the hallmarks of al-Qaeda or al-Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula. The explosives were in printer cartridges being transported ...

Parcel viable and could have exploded: May

AFP - ‎46 minutes ago‎
LONDON — A suspect package from Yemen found on a US-bound cargo plane at East Midlands airport was "viable and could have exploded", Home Secretary Theresa May said Saturday. Although she said Britain was not thought to be a target, she announced a ban ...
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Bomb 'could have brought down plane'
‎16 minutes ago‎ - ABC Online

Obama: 'Terrorist threat' on Jewish targets thwarted
‎8 hours ago‎ - Jerusalem Post

Tip-off from Yemen triggers security alert on two continents
‎18 hours ago‎ - Vancouver Sun

How it happened: Air cargo security alert
‎20 hours ago‎ - BBC News

Suspect items on U.S.-bound plane sent for tests
‎21 hours ago‎ - Reuters


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Obama on Terror Packages From Yemen (better video)
The UpTake  -  10 hours ago Watch video
<div class="video-thumb thumbnail"><a class="js-link thumbnail-toggle" href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="return false;"><img src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/SkfSdaGuhro/default.jpg" alt="" class="thumbnail" width="120" height="90"> <div class="icon play-icon"></div></a></div> <div class="video-details"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkfSdaGuhro">Obama on Terror Packages From Yemen (better video)</a> <span class="source">The UpTake</span> &nbsp;-&nbsp; 10 hours ago <div class="icon video-icon"></div> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkfSdaGuhro">Watch video</a></div>





Obama: Suspicious Packages Underscore US Need to Remain Vigilant
PBS News Hour  -  13 hours ago Watch video
<div class="video-thumb thumbnail"><a class="js-link thumbnail-toggle" href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="return false;"><img src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ABfW_trXpmE/default.jpg" alt="" class="thumbnail" width="120" height="90"> <div class="icon play-icon"></div></a></div> <div class="video-details"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABfW_trXpmE">Obama: Suspicious Packages Underscore US Need to Remain Vigilant</a> <span class="source">PBS News Hour</span> &nbsp;-&nbsp; 13 hours ago <div class="icon video-icon"></div> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABfW_trXpmE">Watch video</a></div>





White House Briefing On Explosive Packages
The UpTake  -  14 hours ago Watch video
<div class="video-thumb thumbnail"><a class="js-link thumbnail-toggle" href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="return false;"><img src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EN68qQRQrIE/default.jpg" alt="" class="thumbnail" width="120" height="90"> <div class="icon play-icon"></div></a></div> <div class="video-details"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN68qQRQrIE">White House Briefing On Explosive Packages</a> <span class="source">The UpTake</span> &nbsp;-&nbsp; 14 hours ago <div class="icon video-icon"></div> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN68qQRQrIE">Watch video</a></div>





Obama On Terror Packages From Yemen
The UpTake  -  17 hours ago Watch video
<div class="video-thumb thumbnail"><a class="js-link thumbnail-toggle" href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="return false;"><img src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/d2j4-DAPU2Y/default.jpg" alt="" class="thumbnail" width="120" height="90"> <div class="icon play-icon"></div></a></div> <div class="video-details"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2j4-DAPU2Y">Obama On Terror Packages From Yemen</a> <span class="source">The UpTake</span> &nbsp;-&nbsp; 17 hours ago <div class="icon video-icon"></div> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2j4-DAPU2Y">Watch video</a></div>





Obama On Terrorist Bomb Packages
The UpTake  -  18 hours ago Watch video
<div class="video-thumb thumbnail"><a class="js-link thumbnail-toggle" href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="return false;"><img src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/0ZuP8faoL-0/default.jpg" alt="" class="thumbnail" width="120" height="90"> <div class="icon play-icon"></div></a></div> <div class="video-details"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZuP8faoL-0">Obama On Terrorist Bomb Packages</a> <span class="source">The UpTake</span> &nbsp;-&nbsp; 18 hours ago <div class="icon video-icon"></div> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZuP8faoL-0">Watch video</a></div>





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Palash Biswas
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