Intl community must act against States sponsoring terrorism: Pranab
Speaking at the Regional Security & Co-operation Dialogue in the capital External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that the international community needs to collectively fight the menace of terrorism.
In an apparent reference to Pakistan, India on Wednesday said the problem of terrorism becomes complex when "recalcitrant" states do not recognise their international commitments and asked the world community to discipline such nations.
"It clearly spells out that if a state apparatus sponsors terrorism as an act of state policy, or a recalcitrant state refuses to recognise its international commitments and responsibilities on not allowing the use of (its) territory for terror activities, the problem becomes more complex and difficult," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said.
He was making the keynote address at the inaugural edition of ‘The Delhi Dialogue’ between India and ASEAN countries.
Comparing the magnitude of the Mumbai attack to the 11th September terror strikes in the US, he said terrorism today is not just an act of misguided individuals or a small group.
"Therefore it is high time for the international community to recognise that such recalcitrant states must be brought to discipline by resorting to various international mechanisms," Mukherjee said.
The External Minister said the recent Mumbai carnage had shown that both India and ASEAN will need to resolutely rebuff such evil attempts that strike the civilisational roots of the region.
"Our growing economic and political links will send a message that the terrorists’ designs will have to be defeated not just by India but by the international community as a whole," Mukherjee said.
India conveyed disagreement on Miliband’s views to UK: Pranab
After UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband ruffled feathers in New Delhi by linking the Kashmir issue with terrorism, India said on Wednesday it conveyed its disagreement to Britain through diplomatic channels and is treating the matter as a closed chapter.
"In our normal diplomatic channel what is proper and just we have done it and now it is a closed chapter," External
Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters in New Delhi on the sidelines of a function organised by FICCI.
He was asked whether Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had written a letter to his British counterpart Gordon Brown over Miliband’s observations.
Reports had it that Singh had written a letter to Brown over the British Foreign Secretary’s comments linking
resolution of Kashmir issue to terrorism in the region.
Mukherjee said when the Foreign Secretary from UK visited India he had shared his perception about the situation with him and the Indian delegation.
"I equally told him and all the interlocutors that this is your perception and we do not share it," he said, adding that there was no question of giving anyone a cold shoulder.
In an article in a British newspaper Miliband had written that resolution of the Kashmir issue would deny extremists in the region one of the main reasons for taking up arms prompting the External Affairs Ministry to point out that it did not need any "unsolicited advice" on Kashmir.
Miliband had also put his faith in the Pakistani judicial system by suggesting that Pakistanis wanted in connection with the Mumbai attacks should be tried in that country itself to give its judicial system a chance.
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India, Afghanistan to share info to deal with terror
With both countries facing terrorism emanating from Pakistan, India and Afghanistan on Wednesday decided to step up information exchange to deal with the scourge.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is on a two-day visit in Kabul, discussed cooperation in the field of security and developmental projects with President Hamid Karzai and Foreign Minister Rangin Dafdar Spanta.
After his meetings, Mukherjee said he had had very useful discussions on bilateral issues of cooperation.
Spanta said both the countries face "same terrorism from the same source", apparently referring to Pakistan which he did not name.
He said the two sides discussed the problem of terrorism and ways to deal with it.
Asked how India and Afghanistan would cooperate to deal with terrorism, Spanta said, "we have very little cooperation in security and information sharing. We will increase that".
On whether there should be military cooperation between India and Afghanistan, Spanta said, "the two countries are victims of terrorism and need to recognise the problem and focus on concrete measure against it".
"In our region, there are some entities who use terrorism as tool for foreign policy. This should end," the Afghan Foreign Minister said.
He, however, felt that the civilian government of Pakistan was determined to cooperate in fight against terrorism.
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Satyam Board begins a crucial two-day meet today
The six-member Board of Satyam Computer Services (Satyam) will begin a crucial two-day meet in Hyderabad on Thursday in a concerted bid to steer the company away from the current crisis following the Rs 7800 crore financial fraud.
The meeting, the third since the Company Law Board dissolved the depleted Board after the disclosure of the fraud, will have on hand the most important task of appointing Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Chief Financial Officer(CFO), the two key posts being looked at for reviving the scam-tainted company.
Originally slated to be held in Mumbai and on Saturday, the venue was shifted to Hyderabad, the headquarters of the beleaguered company and fixed for two days to meet the exigencies arising out of the liquidity crisis.
Even as 40 applications for the post of CEO had been received, according to Deepak Parekh, a Board member, a decision on final choice may not be taken on the first day, company sources said.
The selection of CFO, too, was likely to be tricky, as the financial figures were yet to be re-instated.
Internal housekeeping, too, was fraught with many intangibles, even though, Parekh had, after the second meeting of the Board, indicated that the company had Rs 7000 crore plus receivables.
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Court sends Rajus, Srinivas to police custody
A local court on Saturday sent Satyam’s tainted founder Ramalinga Raju, his brother Rama Raju and the company’s former CFO Vadlamani Srinivas to four days police custody from Sunday.
The 6th additional chief metropolitan magistrate granted their custody to the state CID police, who had sought seven days detention of them for further questioning.
The Rajus were arrested on 9th January and have been in judicial custody since Saturday last.
Srinivas was arrested on 10th January and sent to judicial remand.
The police had questioned the Rajus on the night of his arrest and sought more time to interrogate him on the Rs 7,800 crore financial fraud he had admitted to in Satyam Computer.
The CID has already searched Raju’s house and his office in Satyam and recovered at least 44 documents.
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Pak informs India of actions launched by it over Mumbai attack
In its first formal response to India with regard to the Mumbai attacks, Pakistan on Friday said it had initiated a "series" of actions in connection with the probe into the terror strikes.
Pakistan’s response was conveyed by Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir to Indian High Commissioner Satyabrata Pal, a day after External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said Islamabad should inform New Delhi through diplomatic channels about steps it had taken in the wake of the Mumbai strikes.
During the meeting at the Foreign Office in Islamabad, Bashir discussed with the Indian envoy the ongoing probe and other measures, including actions initiated by Pakistan to implement sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council on the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa and leaders of Lashkar-e-Toiba.
"The Foreign Secretary has conveyed today to the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad the sequence and series of actions initiated by the government of Pakistan in pursuance of its international obligations as well as those relating to the Mumbai terrorist attacks," a Foreign Office spokesman said in a statement.
Bashir "mentioned that an official inquiry has already been launched as announced by the Prime Minister of Pakistan in his address to the National Assembly (lower house of parliament) on January 13", the statement said.
Bashir also said "it was important for Pakistan and India to chart the way forward on anti-terrorism cooperation" and highlighted "the imperative need for an across-the-board constructive bilateral engagement".
The statement did not give details about the various steps that had been initiated by the Pakistan government.
Mukherjee called for sharing of information through diplomatic channels after Pakistan’s Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik held a news conference on Thursday and detailed the action taken against the Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Lashkar-e-Toiba, including the detention of 124 members of banned groups and the closure of five militant training camps.
During his meeting with the Indian High Commissioner, Bashir also "transmitted a letter addressed by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in response to the New Year’s greetings received from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh", the statement said.
Greeting cards sent by Dr Singh to President Asif Ali Zardari and Gilani were seen by the Pakistan government as an indication of India’s desire for better relations following the tensions sparked by the Mumbai attacks.
The Indian High Commissioner’s visit to the Foreign Office coincided with a meeting there between British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Miliband is in Pakistan after a visit to India to help defuse regional tensions.
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Oil prices mixed in Asian trade
World oil prices were mixed in Asian trade on Friday amid concerns over weak energy demand from countries hit by the global economic downturn, analysts said.
New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for February delivery, gained 15 cents to USD 35.55 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Brent North Sea crude for March delivery was down five cents to USD 47.63. The February contract expired on Thursday.
Lower global demand for crude continued to cast a pall over the market, overshadowing geopolitical issues such as the fighting between Israel and Hamas in the Middle East, analysts said.
"The depressed world economy is expected to have a large impact on oil demand this year," especially in industrialised countries, the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said in a monthly report.
The cartel forecast a bigger-than-expected 0.2 per cent drop in global oil demand this year.
In 2008, global oil demand was estimated to have contracted by 100,000 barrels per day (bpd), the first decline in over two decades, it said.
Tony Nunan, a manager for energy risk at Mitsubishi Corp in Tokyo, said New York oil prices could fall further after the February contract expires next week.
Crude prices had plummeted to an intra-day low of USD 32.40 a barrel on 18th December last year, its lowest level since July 2004.
Since September, OPEC, which supplies 40 per cent of the world’s crude, has cut output by a total of 4.2 million bpd in an effort to shore up falling prices.
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Satyam board gets three new members
The government on Thursday appointed three more professionals on Satyam’s board, even as member Deepak Parekh said the IT firm can raise funds by mortgaging assets – dispensing with the need for central assistance.
Apex industry association CII’s chief mentor Tarun Das, noted chartered accountant and a past president of ICAI T N Manoharan and S Balkrishna Mainak of LIC, a major investor in Satyam, would join Parekh, Kiran Karnik and C Achuthan at the board. The expansion comes two days before the board is to hold its second meeting — on 17th January.
Ruling out any bailout package, Corporate Affairs Minister Prem Chand Gupta, while announcing the new nominees, said, "The first impression from the government-nominated directors about the company is that its operations are sound and by and large major customers are willing to remain with the company."
"Until we know the real position, how can we speak of bailout… the company has receivables of Rs 1,700 crore," Parekh said, adding that "financial assistance can be generated by hypothecating some of the assets of the company."
The speculation about the bailout package heightened after Economic Affairs Secretary Ashok Chawla said that the government had received a mail or two from former acting CEO Ram Mynampati indicating that the company needs about Rs 150 crore.
He, however, did not elaborate on when the mails were received and Mynampati, who was appointed acting CEO by the erstwhile board, is in the US meeting clients.
"I am confident that NASSCOM and major companies in IT sector in the country would support the efforts of the present management of Satyam in sailing through the present crisis," Gupta said, while announcing the board expansion.
The investigation into Satyam case has been entrusted to SFIO, which has already begun their probe and would submit its report within three months, while the probe is also underway in eight companies associated with Satyam group, including Maytas Infra and Maytas Properties, the minister added.
On two new auditors Deloitte and KPMG having been engaged to look into the accounts of Satyam, Gupta said that it would take a few weeks before they come out with any findings.
After his meeting with Gupta, Parekh also said that KPMG and Deloitte have begun their work and the board was meeting again on Saturday.
The three-member board, after their first meeting on 12th January, had said that working capital was an immediate concern, but it had not yet determined the liquidity needed.
Besides Gupta, Parekh also met Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Thursday. After the meeting, he said that Satyam has large receivables and assets could be hypothecated after getting report from the accountants, who can take 8-12 months.
"Unless the accountants who are restating the accounts confirm the receivables, we do not know the veracity of correctness of the recievables," he said, while adding that a financial assistance might not be needed, if the company gets the receivables on time.
"The collections are coming everyday… As Satyam is a running company, lots of collections are planned… We are trying our best to salvage the company," Parekh said, adding that the salaries to the staff in the US were paid today.
Earlier in the day, Gupta said that the company can raise funds from banks, if needed.
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Miracle on Hudson: Plane survives crash landing on water
All 155 passengers and crew aboard a US Airways airbus A320 had a miraculous escape after the plane ditched into a frigid Hudson river off west side Manhattan within seconds of take off, apparently after it ran into a flock of geese.
Federal investigators were examining the plane to pin point the cause of failure of the engines within seconds of its taking off from La Guardia airport in New York.
"We’ve had a miracle on the Hudson," New York Gov David Paterson told a news conference and called the pilot a hero for landing the plane in the fast-moving river.
"The pilot somehow, without any engines, was able to land this plane" and there were no serious injuries, Paterson said.
Officials said bird hit, caught on radar, looks to be the most plausible cause but they would finally announce it after investigations are complete.
Passengers said the pilots had declared an emergency and had taken one round to ensure that they were following safety instruction before asking them to "prepare for impact."
Reports said that the pilot originally wanted to take the plane back to the airport but decided to crash land on water apparently after he realised it might not be possible.
Within minutes, ferries which normally take tourists round the Manhattan Island, and water taxis reached the scene and started rescuing passengers, some of whom jumped directly into them and some went up the wing and were helped in.
Later, they were joined by other rescue workers including firemen and police.
The water was frigid and temperature minus 7 degrees C when the accident occurred and those who had jumped into water were taken to hospitals for check up.
But most passengers were plucked directly from the plane and an emergency worker said at least one young passenger they brought to hospital had removed his clothes so that he could swim to the shore in case rescue was delayed.
Fortunately, the plane did not sink and remained afloat which helped in the rescue and saved lives.
Announcing that all passengers, including a baby, were safe, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg praised the pilot for doing a "masterful job" of landing the plane on the river and then making sure that all had been rescued before getting out of it.
He also praised the pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, noting that he had walked through the plane twice after landing to ensure everyone was out before he himself got out.
A former air force pilot, Sullenberger has 40 years of flying experience.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said at least 486 planes had suffered bird collisions since 2000, leading to 166 emergency landings and 66 aborted takeoffs.
Officials said shortly after take off, the pilot radioed that he had suffered double bird hit. A passenger told television networks that he heard some sort of explosion and then there was smell of gas.
The plane, some of them said, hit water pretty hard and several passengers suffered bleeding injuries and a crew member fractured her leg. But there were no life-threatening injuries, officials said.
Experts say emergency landing was much more dangerous on water than on land and there is great possibility of breaking up after landing.
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Want to see Pak implementing its words, says Pranab Mukherjee
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said that India wants to see Pakistan implementing its words on Mumbai terror probe.
He was responding to media statements by the Interior Adviser of Pakistan assuring India of unconditional support in the Mumbai probe.
The Pakistan Interior adviser urged India to use direct diplomatic channels with Pakistan saying Islamabad needs more information in order to proceed with its own investigation.
The Minister said that instead of being informed through the media, India would be happy to receive a direct response from Pakistan through existing diplomatic channels.
Mukherjee’s comments reflect lack of India’s faith in promises and declarations that Pakistan has been making on ending terrorism without actually implementing those.
India wants Pakistan to take "urgent, transparent and meaningful" steps to dismantle terror infrastructure on its soil and ensure there is no recurrence of Mumbai-type attacks.
India says it has provided enough material to enable the Pakistan government to launch an efficient probe that would lead to punishment to those behind the terror acts in this country.
Islamabad’s refrain that the material provided is not sufficient is seen by India as an excuse for not taking any action.
India says Pakistan should honour its commitments made at the highest level to India and the international community.
The world has also been calling upon Pakistan to implement the resolution 1267 of UNSC, which had proscribed LeT and JuD and designated a number of LeT operatives including saeed as terrorists.
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Fighting rages in Gaza as toll nears 1,000
Israel’s army fought street battles with Hamas fighters in Gaza’s main city and bombarded the southern border from the air as the death toll from its war on Hamas neared the 1,000 mark.
"This is the 18th day of the Israeli aggression against our people, which is becoming more ferocious each day as the number of victims rises," Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said on Tuesday as terrified Gaza residents fled for their lives.
"Israel is keeping up this aggression to wipe out our people over there," added Abbas, speaking from his base in the West Bank.
Israeli special forces backed by tanks and air strikes barrelled their way ever deeper into Gaza’s City on Tuesday, advancing several hundred metres into several neighbourhoods in the south, witnesses said. The thud of tank shells and the crackle of gunfire echoed through much of the day.
Although there were no reports of air strikes in the evening, residents reported extensive gunbattles in Zeitun neighbourhood and Jabaliya refugee camp on the city outskirts, where Apache helicopter gunships were also in action.
Palestinian medical sources said around 70 people were killed on Tuesday, bringing the overall toll to around 975 Palestinians, with a further 4,400 wounded.
Ten Israeli soldiers and three civilians have been killed in combat or by rocket attacks since 27th December, when the Jewish state began its deadliest ever offensive on Gaza, ruled by the Islamist Hamas movement since mid-2007.
Israel also carried out a wave of bombing raids on the border town of Rafah, sending hundreds of people fleeing onto the streets.
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