GupShup Forums - World Affairs http://www.paklinks.com/gs/ How aware are you of what goes on in the world around you in the areas of politics, and international relations? Is there any event in the sphere of geo-politics, that catches your fancy? If there is, talk about it here. en Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:43:28 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.paklinks.com/gs/images/misc/rss.jpg GupShup Forums - World Affairs http://www.paklinks.com/gs/ ‘With Maharashtra For Maharashtrians ...Where is India For Indians?’ http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/373269-maharashtra-maharashtrians-where-india-indians.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:44:29 GMT Looks like Maharashtrians are rejecting the Hindi domination. They do not want Hindi to be part of Maharashtra assembly. --- NEW DELHI - Reacting to Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s criticism of Sachin Tendulkar, Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor on Nov 16 said “with... Looks like Maharashtrians are rejecting the Hindi domination. They do not want Hindi to be part of Maharashtra assembly.

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NEW DELHI - Reacting to Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s criticism of Sachin Tendulkar, Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor on Nov 16 said “with Maharashtra for Maharashtrians and Kashmir for Kashmiris, where is India for Indians?”

Tharoor’s posting on social networking site ‘twitter.com’ read: “on Sachin & Sena, my late dad Chandran Tharoor said in 66 — with Maharashtra 4(for) Maharashtrians & Kashmir 4(for) Kashmiris, where is India for Indians?”.

Thackeray had accused Tendulkar of hurting Marathi sentiments with his “Mumbai for all” remarks.

In an interaction with the media on completing 20 years in international cricket, Tendulkar had said, “I am a Maharashtrian and I am extremely proud of that. But I am an Indian first. And Mumbai belongs to all Indians.”

Thackeray, in the party Marathi mouthpiece ‘Saamna’, said that Tendulkar, through his remark, had “left the crease and moved to the pitch of politics and this had hurt the Marathi psyche”.

India Journal - South Asian News for Southern California ]]> World Affairs saregamapa http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/373269-maharashtra-maharashtrians-where-india-indians.html News Channel vandalised by extremists (with pictures) http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/373197-news-channel-vandalised-extremists-pictures.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:13:03 GMT I have always stated that the biggest danger to India are not external forces, not al qaida, not pakistan but Extremist Hindu Fundamentalists.


Shiv Sena Hoodlums Attack TV Channel Offices In Mumbai, Pune

[ Updated 20 Nov 2009, 23:13:10 ]


Suspected Shiv Sena activists on Friday vandalised the offices of a Marathi news channel in Mumbai and Pune and assaulted staff members including journalists for carrying reports that allegedly showed Bal Thackeray in bad light.

Dozens of men armed with iron rods and clubs descended on the office of IBN-Lokmat in suburban Mumbai shouting slogans against the channel for allegedly carrying reports against their leader Bal Thackeray and warned of serious consequences if they persisted with it.

TV channels showed the vandals beating up the staff, overturning furniture and smashing glass panels with flowerpots and sticks.

According to Mumbai Police Commissioner D Sivanandan, seven persons have been arrested and efforts were on to bring to book others responsible for the incident.

A Pune report said some suspected Sena workers pelted the office of IBN-Lokmat on Singhdad road with stones and also damaged an outdoor broadcast van.

The police posted at the office after news broke about the attack on the channel's Mumbai office, have detained eight persons.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan has condemned the attack and promised swift and appropriate action against the perpetrators, saying there was no place for violence in a democracy. "In democracy, everybody has the right to put across one's views, but there is no place for violence.

But then you cannot expect organisations like Shiv Sena and MNS, which use regional and linguistic issues for publicity, to act differently," Chavan said. Asked if the government would ensure the arrest of the ring leaders behind the incident, Chavan said, "nobody will be spared if found responsible for orchestrating it."

Sanjay Nirupam, a former Shiv Sena MP and now Congress Lok Sabha member, denounced the attack, terming it as an assault on the freedom of the media. Abu Asim Azmi, Samajwadi Party MLA, who was assaulted by MNS legislators inside the House for not taking oath in Marathi, slammed the incident, and said "things have taken such an ugly turn because the government did not take any action against the perpetrators of happenings like these in the past."

Maharashtra Government will act against those who instigated the attack on the office of Marathi TV channel 'IBN-Lokmat' in Mumbai on friday, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said.

Asked if the government will act against the "brains and ring-leaders" behind the attack by Shiv Sena, Chavan said "we will certainly do so."

"Seven people have been arrested so far and more arrests will follow. I have asked Police Commissioner D Sivanandan to take stern action against those responsible," Chavan said.

"Only after investigations and interrogation of the arrested persons, we will know the individuals behind the attacks. Nobody is above law and action would be taken," he said.

"The attack shows the deep frustration of Shiv Sena", the Chief Minister said.

Meanwhile, Sena MP Sanjay Raut said the attack was "spontaneous."

"The channel was constantly targeting Sena and misquoted Sena chief Bal Thackeray," he alleged.

Describing the attack on the offices of a prominent Marathi news channel as a "cowardly act", Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil on Friday said the culprits would be traced and booked without delay.

"This attack is an act of cowardice," Patil told reporters on the sidelines of a function in Pune.

Assuring adequate protection to all media establishments, he said the government would make the organisation responsible for the act pay the compensation for the damages if its involvement is proved in the investigations.

Asked if the government would act against the suspected Shiv Sena leaders involved in the act, the minister said, "we shall act against those found guilty after completing the investigations."


Editor of IBN-Lokmat Nikhil Wagle said the attack on the Marathi news channel may have been instigated by Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut. "I suspect Raut is behind the attack," Wagle said.

"Bal Thackeray has become old. Uddhav Thackeray has lost control over Sena and elements like Raut are flourishing in that party," he said.

Raut, who is also editor of Sena mouthpiece `Saamana', said earlier in the day that the attack was "spontaneous".

"The (channel) office is located in the constituency from where Raut's brother contested as a Sena candidate," Wagle said.

"I have been facing Sena attacks since 1991 and it is difficult to believe that any attack takes place without orders from Sena leaders," he said. "Sena has insulted Marathi by attacking a Marathi channel," the veteran journalist said. PTI


You want PICTURES? then go to the following link:

Indiatvnews.com : MAIN :: National News >> Shiv Sena Hoodlums Attack TV Channel Offices In Mumbai, Pune ]]> World Affairs happyheart http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/373197-news-channel-vandalised-extremists-pictures.html why world filled with problems and troubles http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/373039-why-world-filled-problems-troubles.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:15:09 GMT Where is the world going? Why is it filled with problems, troubles, evils and ills, causing unhappiness, confusion and misery of every kind? What lies ahead? In an age of fear, confusion and hopelessness, OQASA is a voice of truth, proclaiming humanity's only hope! OQASA is an international non-profit organization dedicated to Research, Teaching and Development. The central scientific focus of OQASA is on Establishment of Peace through development of Balance of Physical and Metaphysical in Science, Economics, Social Values, Culture, Religion, Law, Politics and so on . Progress is needed in spiritual discovery as in all other dimensions of human experience and endeavor. Progress in Metaphysics needs to be accelerated as rapidly as progress in other disciplines.

 ]]> World Affairs goharali http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/373039-why-world-filled-problems-troubles.html Crisis in confidence, Pakistan continues to lag behind India http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/373024-crisis-confidence-pakistan-continues-lag-behind-india.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:46:23 GMT Washington, Nov.18 (ANI): American experts analysing the latest developments in South Asia are of the view that by all yardsticks, Pakistan continues to lag behind India, and add that this crisis of identity is dangerously close to settling permanently into the Pakistani mind. Participating in...
Washington, Nov.18 (ANI): American experts analysing the latest developments in South Asia are of the view that by all yardsticks, Pakistan continues to lag behind India, and add that this crisis of identity is dangerously close to settling permanently into the Pakistani mind.

Participating in a university panel discussion here recently that was moderated by former US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, Karl F Inderfurth, Dr. Dr. Daniel Markey, senior fellow for India, Pakistan and South Asia in the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), and Dr. Stephen P. Cohen, senior fellow for foreign policy at the Brookings Institution, and Dr. Ashley J. Tellis, senior associate (South Asia Program) at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, were of the unanimous view that Pakistan faced enormous political, diplomatic and military challenges.

With the first anniversary of the 26/11terror strike on Mumbai around the corner, Dr. Markey said that: “The Indians realize that Pakistan is danger of falling apart, and that this could be more of a threat to them than a direct conventional military confrontation.”

He further warned that spasms of violence targeted at India would continue, and the United States was unsure about India practicing restraint if another Mumbai like incident happens.

Dr. Markey also expressed the view that Pakistan has realized that it cannot compete with India, given the doubts that exists in the international community on key issues such as the relationship between the executive and the omnipresent military leadership, the concern over the safety and safeguarding of its nuclear arsenal from both terrorists and insurgents, the perceived unpopularity of President Asif Ali Zardari and the outcome of the military offensive in Waziristan.

On Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, Markey said that the worry for Washington was that they were too close to where terrorists have set up their camps.

Emphasizing that it as paramount for Pakistan to have a capable and credible civilian government to ensure its survival as a modern Islamic state, Markey said current indicators suggested that this is far from achievable at present.

He said there was no doubt in the minds of Pakistanis about the unpopularity of President Zardari, but the greater worry or concern is that: “This unpopularity could turn into fragility, weakness and it may look like he may fall in the near future.”

The corruption and ineffectiveness of the PPP, he said is responsible for growing Pakistani dissent.

The current scenario prevailing in Pakistan also suggested that there has been a falling out between President Zardari and Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Asfaq Pervez Kayani.

Commenting on the Waziristan operations, Markey reiterated that while the Pakistani army has been saying that the operations are a success, “no independent media outlet on the ground” has been able to provide evidence to support this claim. This is because the news media is banned.”

“We (Americans) have very little confidence with the follow operations after the clean up is happening. If the territory will be held and keep the militants away. In essence they are weeds that will be mowed away but will come back,” he added.

On his part, Cohen re-emphasized the view that: “The army cannot govern Pakistan, but wont let anyone else govern it.”

He said that even after more than 60 years of Pakistan being independent, the army remains central to its future.

While admitting that former President-General Pervez Musharraf was “ill competent”, Cohen said his intentions insofar as Pakistan’s interests were concerned, were well meaning.

As far as Waziristan was concerned, he said both the government and the military brass have invested a lot in terms of public relations, but “we do not know what is happening on the ground.” (ANI)

Crisis in confidence, Pakistan continues to lag behind India: Experts ]]> World Affairs 2gd2btrue http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/373024-crisis-confidence-pakistan-continues-lag-behind-india.html Pakistan ranks 42 in list of the most corrupt countries http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/373022-pakistan-ranks-42-list-most-corrupt-countries.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:39:07 GMT KARACHI: Pakistan showing improvement in corruption has slipped to 42 from 47 as compared to 2008, said the Transparency International in its report on Tuesday. Pakistan 2009 Corruption Perceptions Index Score is 2.4, and out of 180 countries, its ranking as the most corrupt country has slipped 5... KARACHI: Pakistan showing improvement in corruption has slipped to 42 from 47 as compared to 2008, said the Transparency International in its report on Tuesday.
Pakistan 2009 Corruption Perceptions Index Score is 2.4, and out of 180 countries, its ranking as the most corrupt country has slipped 5 ranks, from 47 in 2008 to 42nd most corrupt country in 2009.
The CPI 2009 revealed the effects of corruption in the subcontinent, which is more alarming in Pakistan, as Bangladesh, which was the most corrupt country in 2001, 2002 and 2003, has improved its ranking from the 38th most corrupt country in 2008, to 42nd most corrupt country in 2009.
The highest scorers in the 2009 CPI are New Zealand at 9.4, Denmark at 9.3, Singapore and Sweden tied at 9.2 and Switzerland at 9.0. These scores reflect the political stability, long-established conflict of interest regulations and solid, functioning Public institutions.
The Chairman TI Pakistan, Syed Adil Gilani said that the TI Pakistan is of the view that terrorism is the direct result of poverty and anti-corruption efforts in the country had taken a 180 degree turn since Gen (Retd) Pervez Musharraf issued the National Reconciliation Ordinance. He further said that the positive impacts will be visible next year of the few steps of good governance taken during last one year of the restoration of Judiciary by the Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, declaration of Judiciary by the Chief Justice to be Zero Tolerance for Corruption and withdrawal of draft NRO bill from National Assembly on strong protest of opposition of parties and civil society.
The Transparency International Pakistan also congratulated the Pakistan Army, which has proved to the world that the Pakistani Armed Forces are the best.—Agencies

Welcome to Daily Regional Times Online Newspaper ]]> World Affairs 2gd2btrue http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/373022-pakistan-ranks-42-list-most-corrupt-countries.html India Has 52 Billionaires; Mukesh Ambani Richest http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/373015-india-has-52-billionaires-mukesh-ambani-richest.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:35:07 GMT

The Top 10 Richest in India are:
1. Mukesh Ambani $32 billion
2. Lakshmi Mittal $30 billion
3. Anil Ambani $17.5 billion
4. Azim Premji $14.9 billion
5. Shashi & Ravi Ruia $13.6 billion
6. KP Singh $13.5 billion
7. Savitri Jindal $12 billion
8. Sunil Mittal $8.2 billion
9. Kumar Birla $7.8 billion
10. Gautam Adani $6.4 billion

The number of billionaires in India nearly doubled to 52 in 2009 and their combined net worth reached $276 billion, or a quarter of the country's GDP, the India Rich List published by Forbes magazine revealed. A rebounding stock market and a robust economy were behind this turnaround after a year of crisis when their fortunes had fallen



Mukesh Ambani, who heads Reliance Industries, India's largest company by market capitalisation, remained at the top of the wealth chart with a net worth of $32 billion, a rise of 54 percent from the last year's level.

Steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, who made his fortune in the West but still retains his Indian passport, came second with a wealth of $30 billion. The third place went to Mukesh’s estranged brother, Anil, whose net worth rose 40 percent to $17.5 billion.

“This year's list shows yet again that when conditions in the financial markets and the economy are right, India has the scale and resources to produce billionaires faster than most of the countries on earth,” Naazneen Karmali, India Editor of Forbes Asia and Mumbai bureau manager for Forbes magazine, said.

The substantial jump in net worths is evidence that entrepreneurial capitalism is alive and kicking in India, Indrajit Gupta, Editor of Forbes India, said: “What’s more, the growth in wealth creation has been broad-based. Entrepreneurs from a wide variety of sectors comprise the list.”

Though the top ten positions remain largely unchanged, there are some shifts in fortunes across the list. Sunil Mittal has moved down from Number 4 to Number 8 and Azim Premji has moved up to Number 4 position. The Ruia brothers with a net worth of $13.6 billion have made it to number 5 this year. Adi Godrej has moved out of the top 10 to the number 12 position. Savitri Jindal, Nonexecutive Chairwoman of O.P. Jindal Group, at a net worth of $12 billion this year has made it to number 7 on the list – she is one of only six women on the list. The richest newcomers are two brothers from Torrent Power -- Sudhir and Samir Mehta, ranked 23 at $2.02 billion.

Another notable mention is Nandan Nilekani who has stepped down from Infosys board and is now a part of government. He ranks 43 with a net worth of $1.25 billion. Southern India’s TV king, Kalanithi Maran, ranked 20, almost doubled his net worth to $2.3 billion from $1.2 billion. His Sun TV Network operates in four states in the south, a region that accounts for one-quarter of India’s population and one-third of those with television in their homes. Forbes Asia features a cover story on Maran.



The Forbes India cover story highlights how 2009 has been a turnaround year for the rich in India. The list is an indicator of how India’s billionaires have done better than their counterparts in other parts of the world. The story highlights interesting differences between the rich in India and China. The 100 richest Indians are worth $276 billion; their Chinese counterparts have a net worth of $170 billion. The three richest Indians are worth $79.5 billion. It takes 24 Chinese billionaires to be worth $80 billion.

Forbes India - India Has 52 Billionaires; Mukesh Ambani Richest ]]> World Affairs 2gd2btrue http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/373015-india-has-52-billionaires-mukesh-ambani-richest.html Arrests in Europe match-fix probe http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/372718-arrests-europe-match-fix-probe.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:58:01 GMT Image: http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45343000/gif/_45343195_breaking_226x170.gif *Police investigating suspected match-fixing in major European football leagues have made a series of arrests across Europe, officials said.*German prosecutors said raids had been carried out in Germany...


Police investigating suspected match-fixing in major European football leagues have made a series of arrests across Europe, officials said.German prosecutors said raids had been carried out in Germany and other undisclosed European countries.

A statement said the arrests come as part of an investigation supported by the European football body, Uefa.

It said an international gang was suspected of bribing players, coaches, referees and officials to fix games.

The gang then made money by betting on the results, it is alleged.

Reports in the German media said that games in the Turkish top division were suspected of having been manipulated.


Berlin newspaper Morgenpost said the inquiry had targeted 100 people. ]]> World Affairs GSBot http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/372718-arrests-europe-match-fix-probe.html <![CDATA[India among world's worst corrrupt nations]]> http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/372598-india-among-worlds-worst-corrrupt-nations.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:33:40 GMT Why is India so corrupt? There is mounting evidence of low-level corruption involving state officials from police officers to housing department officials. Stopping the rot requires more than political solutions, such as removal from office. It also requires hard-hitting legal action... Why is India so corrupt?

There is mounting evidence of low-level corruption involving state officials from police officers to housing department officials.


Stopping the rot requires more than political solutions, such as removal from office. It also requires hard-hitting legal action against those who are involved.

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Transparency International, an international watchdog NGO, has ranked India as 84 on the list of most corrupt nations comprising 180 countries. The cleanest countries close to scoring a perfect 10 were New Zealand, Denmark and Singapore.



Transparency International, an international watchdog NGO, has ranked India as 84 on the list of most corrupt nations comprising 180 countries. The cleanest countries close to scoring a perfect 10 were New Zealand, Denmark and Singapore.


At the bottom of the list of the Berlin-based NGO are Somalia, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Sudan and Iraq.


Developing countries like Serbia, Burkina Faso, Peru and Ghana fared better than India by claiming 83, 79, 75 and 69 spots respectively.
In a series, we list out the areas where corruption rules in India.


India 84th most corrupt country in the world, says survey - dnaindia.com

]]> World Affairs saregamapa http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/372598-india-among-worlds-worst-corrrupt-nations.html Obama aims to end Afghan war before leaving office http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/372523-obama-aims-end-afghan-war-before-leaving-office.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:58:57 GMT _*Obama aims to end Afghan war before leaving office*_ Wednesday, Dhul-Hijjah 1, 1430 *KABUL*: US President Barack Obama aims to bring the Afghan war to an end before he leaves office, he said on Wednesday – the eve of a swearing-in ceremony Western officials hope would help salvage Hamid...
Obama aims to end Afghan war before leaving office
Wednesday, Dhul-Hijjah 1, 1430

KABUL: US President Barack Obama aims to bring the Afghan war to an end before he leaves office, he said on Wednesday – the eve of a swearing-in ceremony Western officials hope would help salvage Hamid Karzai’s tattered reputation.

In an interview with CNN, Obama said he would soon announce the results of a long-awaited review – which would include an exit strategy to avoid “a multiyear occupation that won’t serve the interests of the US”. “The American people will have a lot of clarity about what we’re doing, how we’re going to succeed, how much this thing is going to cost, what kind of burden does this place on our young men and women in uniform and, most importantly, what’s the end game on this thing,” he said.

“My preference would be not to hand off anything to the next president. One of the things I’d like is the next president to be able to come in and say I’ve got a clean slate.”

In the CNN interview, Obama gave a lukewarm endorsement of Karzai, saying his focus was on the government as a whole.

“I think that President Karzai has served his country in important ways. If you think about when he first came in, there may not have been another figure who could have held that country together,” said Obama. “He has some strengths, but he’s got some weaknesses. And I’m less concerned about any individual than I am with a government as a whole.” reuters


Daily Times ]]> World Affairs Pakistani Dragon http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/372523-obama-aims-end-afghan-war-before-leaving-office.html <![CDATA[Manmohan Singh's state visit to United States]]> http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/372515-manmohan-singhs-state-visit-united-states.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:52:12 GMT US President Barack Obama will host Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the White House on November 24 for the first official visit of his presidency. Terming India as a key ally and major partner, the United States on Wednesday said that the President, Mr Barack Obama, will share impressions and... US President Barack Obama will host Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the White House on November 24 for the first official visit of his presidency.

Terming India as a key ally and major partner, the United States on Wednesday said that the President, Mr Barack Obama, will share impressions and thoughts of his ongoing China visit with the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, when the latter arrives here for a state visit next week.

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When U.S. President Barack Obama welcomes India's prime minister on a visit to Washington next week, there will be one nervous onlooker: Pakistan.

ANALYSIS-U.S. weighs India ties over Pakistan fears | Reuters

With Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ready to flesh out a new partnership between the two giant democracies, Pakistan may find its status as the oldest U.S. ally in South Asia threatened by India's newfound political and economic heft in Washington.

"Few relationships will matter more to the course of human events in the 21st Century than the partnership between India and the United States," U.S. Undersecretary of State for political affairs, William Burns, told a seminar on Wednesday.

"A rising India is essential to the peaceful and prosperous world that the United States seeks."

Rich U.S. praise for India is likely to go down badly in Islamabad, which has seen its longtime rivalry with New Delhi given fresh focus by the U.S-led war in Afghanistan, where each side fears the other may gain an upper hand.

Political analysts agree that Pakistan is an important, if increasingly shaky, asset in the U.S.-led global campaign against Islamic extremism.

But they also say that for Washington, long-term interests with India may trump the uneasy current alliance with Pakistan's civilian and military leaders.

"Nobody talks about a (U.N.) Security Council seat for Pakistan, nobody talks about Pakistan as influencing the course of economic and financial events around the world. India's choices matter," said Evan Feigenbaum, a former senior State Department official now at the Council on Foreign Relations.

"For the United States intellectually but also operationally it is high time to think about India as not just a South Asian power," he said at a conference.

PLAYING BOTH SIDES

In public, U.S. officials are determinedly neutral on the state of relations with India and Pakistan, calling both relationships healthy, important -- and unrelated.

"We all share an interest in stability and peace between India and Pakistan. We all know the stakes," Burns said.

But local concerns are clear. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, on a recent fence-mending visit to Pakistan, was repeatedly hit with charges that Washington already "tilted" toward India, reflecting decades of mistrust.

Hindu-majority India and Islamic Pakistan have fought three wars since independence in 1947, two over Muslim-majority Kashmir which both sides claim.

India accuses Pakistan of supporting a two-decades-long insurgency in Indian-ruled Kashmir, which has killed at least 47,000 people. Islamabad denies the charge.

Suspicions sharpened after the 2008 militant attack in Mumbai, which killed 166 people and was widely blamed in India on shadowy forces in the Pakistani intelligence and military establishment.

Raja Mohan, a professor of South Asian studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said India's fears over another Mumbai-style attack underscored a widespread feeling in New Delhi that Washington was too soft on Pakistan -- in part out of fear of alienating its military.

"There is an in-built veto that has been created without even Pakistan having to assert it. The veto is in Washington itself," he said.

But Pakistan's charges that India is arming Baluch rebels and using Indian consulates in Afghanistan for anti-Pakistan activities also get short shrift, other analysts say.

"When the United States says it does not have information on this, they are not actually looking. India is our new friend and we don't want to know what they are doing," said Christine Fair, an India expert at Georgetown University.

Despite Pakistani misgivings, U.S. officials have welcomed India's involvement in Afghanistan, where it has already pumped some $1.2 billion in development aid.

"They have people on the ground building roads and have done an excellent job," one senior U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "We think they are playing a very helpful role in Afghanistan."

Theresita Schaffer, who heads the South Asia program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Singh's visit might help the United States find a way to open a three-way discussion on the India-Pakistan relationship without sparking fresh fear and suspicion.

"We need to figure out a way to do this," Schaffer said. "Part of the tool kit we need for that is an increased habit with India of talking about different parts of the world -- so that this becomes in some sense a normal thing to do." ]]> World Affairs saregamapa http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/372515-manmohan-singhs-state-visit-united-states.html Pakistan has better literacy ratio than Hindustan: UNFPA http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/372514-pakistan-has-better-literacy-ratio-than-hindustan-unfpa.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:49:59 GMT *_Pakistan has better literacy ratio than India: UNFPA_* Wednesday, Dhul-Hijjah 1, 1430 *ISLAMABAD*: The education rate and literacy indicators in Pakistan are better than those in India, a United Nations Fund for Population (UNFPA) report said on Wednesday. The report claimed Pakistan’s...
Pakistan has better literacy ratio than India: UNFPA
Wednesday, Dhul-Hijjah 1, 1430

ISLAMABAD: The education rate and literacy indicators in Pakistan are better than those in India, a United Nations Fund for Population (UNFPA) report said on Wednesday.

The report claimed Pakistan’s infant mortality ratio per 1,000 live births was 62, compared to India’s 53 per 1,000 live births.

Meanwhile, the maternal mortality ratio in the country was 320 per 100,000 live births, compared to 450 in India.

As per details regarding education, the report said that in Pakistan, 32.3 percent male and 60.4 percent female above 15 years of age were literate. 23.1 percent male and 45.5 percent female above the same age were literate in India.

Gross primary enrolment ratio was 101 male and 83 girls in Pakistan, while it was 114 males and 109 females in India.

The report said that out of the above-mentioned figures, 68 male and 72 female managed to reach grade five in Pakistan, while in India the number was 59 male and 49 females. app


Daily Times

Lo, yeh kya? Mein nahi manta. Hindustan nay apnay aap ko is sadi mein itna chamkaa, chamkaa kar apni khalri utar di hai aur ab aisi khabrein? Nahi, yeh sach nahi ho sakta! ]]> World Affairs Pakistani Dragon http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/372514-pakistan-has-better-literacy-ratio-than-hindustan-unfpa.html 1.2 million newborns die in India http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/372487-1-2-million-newborns-die-india.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:14:17 GMT Newborn deaths spark investigation in India By Harmeet Shah Singh, CNN New Delhi, India (CNN) -- Authorities are investigating the death of six newborns at a government hospital in southern India over allegations of equipment failure and staff negligence. Doctors said the babies either... Newborn deaths spark investigation in India

By Harmeet Shah Singh, CNN


New Delhi, India (CNN) -- Authorities are investigating the death of six newborns at a government hospital in southern India over allegations of equipment failure and staff negligence.

Doctors said the babies either had congenital defects or were premature, said K. Dharma Reddy, a top administrative official for Vijaywada city.

Some parents blamed the deaths -- five of them in the 24 hours since Saturday -- on faulty incubators and medical negligence, he said.

"We are appointing an inquiry committee. Stern action will be taken in case of negligence," Reddy added.

The hospital also would be upgraded if needed, he said.

In January, five newborns receiving treatment for jaundice at a government hospital in northern India died as a fire broke out in its phototherapy unit.

RELATED TOPICS
India
Every year, nearly 1.2 million newborns die in India, most within the first few days after birth, according to the government. Infections, prematurity and hypothermia are thought to be the leading causes.

India ranks 73rd in infant mortality rates in the world, according to the CIA World Factbook, with an estimated 30.15 deaths per thousand for 2009. By comparison, best-ranked Singapore has an estimated 2.31 deaths per thousand.

The United Kingdom has an estimated 4.85 deaths per thousand while the United States has an estimated 6.26 deaths per thousand.


Newborn deaths spark investigation in India - CNN.com ]]> World Affairs happyheart http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/372487-1-2-million-newborns-die-india.html <![CDATA[New Delhi's 'eunuchs' ..!!]]> http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/372485-new-delhis-eunuchs.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:11:00 GMT New Delhi's 'eunuchs' forge lives in conservative nation


New Delhi, India (CNN) -- Dotting a crammed neighborhood in the Indian capital are homes that can be easily located without addresses.

Say "hijras," and residents and shop owners at New Delhi's Beri Wala Bagh will give quick directions to houses where India's so-called third gender -- intersex people and eunuchs -- live together in well-kept homes intermingled with businesses and temples.

Intersexual refers to a variety of conditions where there is a discrepancy between a person's external and internal genitals.

On Friday, the groups won a longtime campaign to be listed as "others" instead of male or female, on voting forms. This was seen by many as a way to acknowledge a separate, unique identity.

Despite some strides, the hijras -- loosely called eunuchs in Indian English -- continue to face widespread bias among India's largely conservative population. At one time, eunuchs were valued as trusted loyalists of India's Mughal emperors, in power until the late 19th century.

Hijra homes are their "monasteries" -- each with a revered supreme head, or guruji.

"Our guruji is not in town. Sorry, it's the guruji who can speak, not us," said one resident of the New Delhi neighborhood.

Dressed as a woman, Pavitra, a eunuch from a hijra home designed as a shrine, was willing to help. In her hoarse male voice, she summed up what the community is mostly associated with in modern India.

Tips from their own network guide them to families celebrating male events: wedding of a son or birth of baby boy.

Most families welcome hijra blessings but dread what they fear could be a curse.

"This is where lies a cultural sanction to their (hijras') existence in India," said Anjali Gopalan, head of the nonprofit Naz Foundation, which campaigns for the rights of sexual minorities in the country.

So while some hijra residents may have sources of economic sustenance, their community remains an object of derision, Gopalan said.

They feel like being trapped in a body not their own

--Anjali Gopalan, Naz Foundation
Many third-gender people end up begging in the streets and at traffic intersections. Some turn to prostitution.

In India, most hijras are believed to be eunuchs, or castrated males, and those without economic means adopt a hijra clan.

"They feel like being trapped in a body not their own," Gopalan said, adding that despite many beliefs to the contrary, there was no evidence of forced castration.

Gopalan hailed as a "fabulous step in right direction" India's recent voting rights change, following a long campaign by eunuchs and intersexuals to be listed as "others" instead of male or female on electoral rolls and voter forms.

The groups wanted the option.

However, Gopalan said they remained barred from the rights to inheritance, marriage and the adoption of children.

"It's a whole new journey ahead," Gopalan said.

Asked about her new right as a voter, a smiling Pavita responded, "What will change?"

Before I spoke with her, she didn't know about the option to ask her election officer to replace what she told me was an "M" for male in the gender box of her voter card with an "O." It wasn't clear she wanted to.


New Delhi's 'eunuchs' forge lives in conservative nation - CNN.com ]]> World Affairs happyheart http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/372485-new-delhis-eunuchs.html We now want Taliban to rule Afghanistan: UK http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/372408-we-now-want-taliban-rule-afghanistan-uk.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:27:28 GMT _*Senior Taliban will play role in Afghan govt, says Miliband*_ Wednesday, Dhul-Hijjah 1, 1430 *EDINBURGH*: *Ending the war in Afghanistan will include senior Taliban commanders sitting in government in Kabul, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said on Tuesday.* Miliband also told a...
Senior Taliban will play role in Afghan govt, says Miliband
Wednesday, Dhul-Hijjah 1, 1430

EDINBURGH: Ending the war in Afghanistan will include senior Taliban commanders sitting in government in Kabul, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said on Tuesday.

Miliband also told a meeting of NATO’s parliamentary assembly that military action must be accompanied by a political surge to restore Afghans’ faith in their corruption-scarred government.

Miliband said the vast majority of Taliban fighters are not committed to a global jihad and can be persuaded to stop fighting. He said a settlement must also include those top Taliban commanders prepared to renounce violence.

“Once reintegration gains momentum, and the insurgency is starting to fray or crumble, we will need to support President (Hamid) Karzai in reaching out to those high-level commanders that can be persuaded to renounce Al Qaeda and pursue their goals peacefully within the constitutional framework,” Miliband said.

“This will be far from straightforward. But the historical lessons are clear. Blood enemies from the Soviet period and the civil war now work together in government. Former Talibs already sit in the parliament. It is essential that, when the time is right, members of the current insurgency are encouraged to follow suit.” Miliband said Afghanistan was not “a war without end”, and that success depended on political as well as military strategy.

He said that military strategy “must be allied to civilian effort to improve governance, especially at the local level”.

Miliband said “the Afghan people also need to see, from the appointments of Cabinet ministers and provincial governors, that there is a fresh attempt to govern in their interests”.

Miliband said good governance for Afghanistan did not mean imposing Western-style democracy, but building on “the ancient but continually evolving traditions on which the Afghan polity has existed as a stable but loose confederation for some two and a half centuries”. He also called on more support for Pakistan to help “squeeze the life out of the terrorist threat from both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border”. ap


Daily Times

360 Degree U-Turn. ]]> World Affairs Pakistani Dragon http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/372408-we-now-want-taliban-rule-afghanistan-uk.html Soviet lessons http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/372233-soviet-lessons.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:58:07 GMT Andrew North
BBC News



All the most senior ministers were at the Afghan strategy meeting.

They knew things were not going well, but from their leader there was a whiff of panic.

"We just need to be sure that the final result does not look like a humiliating defeat: to have lost so many men and now abandoned it all... in short, we have to get out of there."

Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev - the speaker of those words - was understandably alarmed.

It was June 1986, almost a year since he had taken the decision to start withdrawing Soviet troops from Afghanistan and hand over more responsibility to the government there.

But Soviet losses, already above 10,000, kept mounting.

With conflicting signals this week about the direction of Western policy in Afghanistan, there is a hint of the same kind of panic and indecision.

Soviet exit strategy

US President Barack Obama is still deciding whether to send in thousands of US reinforcements.




SOVIETS IN AFGHANISTAN
  • 1979 - Brezhnev sends in troops
  • 1988 - USSR pledges to withdraw
  • 1989 - final Soviet withdrawal
  • Soviet deaths - estimated at 15,000
  • Afghan deaths - estimated at one million
Yet the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown - facing ever-greater opposition to the Afghan war - has been highlighting possibilities for UK troops to pull back in some areas next year.

It is less than two weeks since he was saying: "We cannot, must not and will not walk away."

But as Mr Gorbachev found, getting out is at least as difficult as staying in.

It took almost four years to pull out entirely - because of a combination of dithering over strategy and last-ditch efforts by Moscow to prop up its client government in Kabul in the hope of maintaining some pride and influence.

The former Soviet leader's difficulties are detailed in previously secret transcripts of Politburo meetings and diary entries recently released by the Washington-based National Security Archive.

They make sobering reading for British and American leaders, as they decide whether to double-up or cut their losses in Afghanistan.

There are certainly differences - not least America's determination to make the Soviet withdrawal as costly as possible in blood and treasure.

Lost battle

But there are echoes too of the difficulties the US and its allies face now.





By the late 1980s, Moscow's exit strategy was basically the same as Nato's today - to build up an allied government in Kabul with sufficient trained army and police forces to defend itself, thereby allowing foreign troops to leave.

But even with the backing of a 100,000-strong Soviet army and billions of rubles in aid, the Afghan government struggled to establish its legitimacy and authority much beyond the capital - much like President Hamid Karzai's Western-backed administration today.

This bleak assessment of the situation in late 1986 by the Soviet armed forces commander, Marshal Sergei Akhromeev, sounds eerily familiar.

"Military actions in Afghanistan will soon be seven years old," Mr Akhromeev told Mr Gorbachev at a November 1986 Politburo session.

"There is no single piece of land in this country which has not been occupied by a Soviet soldier. Nonetheless, the majority of the territory remains in the hands of rebels.

"The whole problem is that military results are not followed up by political actions. At the centre there is authority; in the provinces there is not.

"We control Kabul and the provincial centres, but on occupied territory we cannot establish authority. We have lost the battle for the Afghan people".

Familiar problems

By that point, Soviet trainers had created an Afghan army 160,000-strong - double the size of the force Nato has trained so far - together with thousands of much-feared secret policemen.

Yet once Soviet forces had left, they could do little more than defend Kabul and a few other cities.

Only massive military aid, coupled with incompetence and in-fighting among the US-backed mujahideen opposition, allowed the Afghan government Moscow left behind to cling on in Kabul for a few more years before finally collapsing.

There were familiar problems too with the financial assistance Moscow gave.

It hoped the funds would bolster the capacity of the Afghan government and pay for projects that would benefit people, winning hearts and minds.

However corruption rendered much of its useless.


As the Politburo discussed a new aid request from Kabul in January 1987, Marshal Sergei Sokolov said: "In 1981, we gave them 100m roubles of free assistance. And all of that went to the elite. And there was nothing in the hamlets - no kerosene, no matches." ]]> World Affairs GSBot http://www.paklinks.com/gs/world-affairs/372233-soviet-lessons.html