CURRENT AFFAIRS: 09/24/11

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Analysis: Fukushima to slow, not stop, nuclear growth

Environmental group Greenpeace calls it a "dying and dangerous" industry and Europe's biggest engineering conglomerate, Siemens, is exiting the sector altogether.

The United States expects some fraying of relations with China over its $5.3 billion plan to upgrade Taiwan's F-16 fleet but not as "shrill" a reaction as if it had met the request for new fighter jets, the top U.S. military commander in the region told Reuters on Friday.

Pakistani officials warned Friday that they could jettison the United States as an ally if American officials continued to accuse Islamabad's intelligence agency of assisting a leading Afghan Taliban group in recent attacks in Afghanistan.

Many Western delegates walked out during Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad's speech to the UN General Assembly on September 22.

September 24, 2011

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has used a meeting with Mahmud Ahmadinejad to admonish the Iranian leader over his speech earlier this week at the UN General Assembly.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused the U.N. nuclear watchdog of being in the pocket of the United States and illegally releasing the names of three nuclear scientists who were then assassinated by alleged Israeli-trained killers.

In a wide-ranging interview Thursday evening with The Associated Press, he also claimed that explosive material and not airliners alone brought down the World Trade Centre, attacked U.S. policies from Libya to Afghanistan, and said when his second and final term ends in two years “new elections will be held and someone else will occupy this office.”

Chinese man forced "sex slaves" to act in porn shows, prostitution: police

ZHENGZHOU, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese man who kept six "sex slaves" in his basement prison, forced the women into prostitution and to feature in porno videos posted on the Internet to make money, police investigators said Saturday, a day after the case was exposed and shocked the nation.

A Chinese man has been detained on suspicion of keeping six women in secret underground rooms as his sex slaves for two years and killing two of them, a state-owned newspaper reported

The Southern Metropolis Daily said that over the past two years, the man, Li Hao, allegedly kidnapped women who worked as hostesses at karaoke bars and locked them in two small rooms he had dug beneath a rented basement in Luoyang city in Henan province.

French president Nicolas Sarkozy's best man has been charged in an arms sales corruption scandal. Photograph: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images

Nicolas Sarkozy's battle for re-election has been overshadowed by a major corruption scandal after two of his closest friends were charged by judges investigating alleged kickbacks on arms sales to Pakistan.

The investigation, known as the "Karachi affair", is the biggest French corruption scandal since the second world war, Sarkozy's political opponents said.

REFILE-Short honeymoon likely for Zambia's Sata

Zambia's new leader Michael Sata will struggle to deliver quickly on his economic promises to the young and unemployed voters who propelled him to power without upsetting foreign investors in Africa's biggest copper producer, analysts said on Saturday.

Obama said the time for UN inaction against the Syrian government 'is over' [Reuters]

The US president has called on the UN Security Council to impose sanctions on the government of Bashar al-Assad, as Syrian activists said that government forces had killed at least three civilians in the country's northwest.
The deaths in Jabal al-Zawiya, and the province of Homs, were reported just hours before Barack Obama addressed the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday.

BEIRUT — A young woman was found beheaded and mutilated, apparently by Syrian security agents, underscoring what witnesses and the U.N. human rights office said Friday was a fearsome new tactic of retaliating against protesters' families to snuff out the 6-month-old uprising against the regime of President Bashar Assad.

US general meets Kayani, discusses Haqqani network

Islamabad: US General James Mattis met Pakistan Army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and discussed the al Qaeda-linked Haqqani network, a media report said on Saturday.

General Kayani protested the recent attacks from Afghanistan in Pakistan and demanded that these be stopped.

Pakistan’s shadowy intelligence agency actively backed last week’s deadly attack on the U.S. embassy in Kabul, according to America’s top soldier. That blunt and public accusation against a supposed ally seemed certain to further weaken already-frayed relations between the Obama administration and Islamabad’s shaky regime.

Anti-Gaddafi forces fire near Sirte, 24 September.

Anti-Gaddafi forces have been trying to seize Sirte for months

Libyan government troops are clashing with supporters of ousted leader Col Muammar Gaddafi in one of his last strongholds, Sirte, reports say.

Black smoke was seen rising from the coastal city after National Transitional Council (NTC) soldiers reportedly entered from the west.

MOSCOW — Vladimir V. Putin, who for more than a decade has labored to consolidate authority in Russia under his control, will run for president next year, replacing his protégé, Dmitri A. Medvedev, and possibly extending his rule until 2024.

Russia’s ruling tandem of President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is set to switch roles next year, with Mr. Putin returning to the presidency and Mr. Medvedev taking over the government.

Mr. Medvedev asked the ruling United Russia party on Saturday to support Mr. Putin’s run in next year's Presidential election, while Mr. Putin backed Mr. Medvedev to head the next government.

Clashes between government forces and opposition protesters have led to at least 16 dead, according to a Yemeni medic at the scene of the latest arrest in Sanaa, the Yemen capital.

Defected army soldiers ride in a vehicle after a rally to demand the ouster of Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sanaa September 23, 2011: '16 dead' as government forces attack protesters

Medic Mohammed al-Qabatis says troops loyal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh tried to storm the protesters' encampment in the early hours of Saturday. The camp on Change Square has been epicenter of Yemen's uprising and daily sit-ins to demand Saleh's resignation.

Protests in Yemen, 17 killed

SANAA: Government forces attacked an opposition protest camp in Sanaa overnight afterPresident Ali Abdullah Saleh returned to Yemen from a three-month absence and at least 17 protesters and soldiers were killed, witnesses and protesters said on Saturday.

Times NIE aspiring journalists 'grill' CM

MUMBAI: It was a back-to-school day for Prithviraj Chavan, and an "enlightening experience" for many schoolchildren and teachers from schools across Mumbai .On Friday, the Maharashtra chief minister took time off his busy schedule to meet over 900 high school kids from 350 Mumbai schools for a Q&A session at theTimes NIE Newsmakers' Meet 2011 organized in association with Cello Pens.

Social activist Anna Hazare has now threatened the Maharashtra government with a fast-unto-death if his version of Jan Lokayukta Bill is not passed in the Assembly by the end of winter session. He wrote a letter to Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Thursday, saying that he would go on a fast-unto-death at Saint Dnyaneshwar Samadhi at Alandi near Pune if the Bill was not passed.

India on Saturday made it clear that there is no change in its “well-established” position on the Palestinian statehood which it recognised way back in 1988, amid the US threat to veto any resolution seeking full UN membership for Palestinians.

A rainbow brings cheer to Sikkimese amid pain and sorrow

On Friday morning, the road was cleared up to Toong from Mangan, headquarters of North Sikkim district. Five days after the massive earthquake that struck the region, it came as a big relief to local residents as well as the Army personnel who were engaged in the gargantuan task of clearing the roads.

From Toong, the road bifurcates towards two quake-ravaged destinations, Shipgyre and Chunghthang.

Hazare to PM: go beyond Lokpal

Seeks electoral reforms, amendment to land Bill and revision of judicial accountability Bill

Widening the scope of his anti-corruption campaign, social activist Anna Hazare urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to not only bring a strong Lokpal Bill, but also introduce electoral reforms, amend the Land Acquisition Bill to give primacy to gram sabhas and revise the Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill to include corruption in judiciary.

Social activist Anna Hazare on Wednesday expressed support to a Pakistan delegation's demand for release of fishermen jailed for trespassing on the territorial waters of either country, according to one of the team members.

Sikkim earthquake: 10,000 food packets airdropped, more roads opened

NEW DELHI: With most of the roads opening for regular traffic in the quake-hit Sikkim, the ongoing relief works got a boost on Friday. More Army, ITBP and NDRF personnel could reach interiors and bring villagers to relief camps.

Opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) has come out in support of Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru. The party said it would support the resolution seeking clemency for Guru inJammu and Kashmir Assembly

New Delhi: Bringing an end to the controversy over paternity suit filed against veteran Congress leader ND Tiwari, Delhi High Court on Friday acknowledged that the youth Rohit Shekhar is his son. The court ruled that there is enough evidence to prove that Tiwari fathered him. The court, how

Shah Commission seeks details of closed-down mines in Goa

Justice M B Shah Commisison, probing the illegal mining activity in Goa, has sought details of the mines which have been closed down for some or the other reason in the last five years.

An official at the state Mines and Geology Department said that U V Singh, a member of the Centre-appointed Commission, visited the department on Friday and sought a list of such mines.

PANAJI, SEPT. 22:

About 400-odd iron ore traders in Goa have come under the scanner after a preliminary inquiry by the Central government-appointed Shah Commission pointed towards large scale illegal mining activity in the State.

Former DMK minister K.P.P. Samy was arrested here today in connection with the abduction and murder of a fisherman in 2006 and remanded in judicial custody.

Mr. Samy was arrested from his house at nearby Thiruvotriyur in connection with the murder of one Chelladurai hailing from a local fishing hamlet, police said.

The Congress veteran and former Union Minister, Vasant Sathe, died here on Friday night after heart attack. He was 86 and is survived by daughters Suhas and Suniti and son Subhash.

After he complained of chest pain late in the evening, he was rushed to a private hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Strange are the ways of Indian politics. Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader LK Advani, who was the most convinced supporter of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and among the first to "bless" his fast, and dependent on him because his Lok Sabha constituency Gandhinagar falls in Gujarat, now seems all set to queer the pitch for the Gujarat chief minister's national ambitions, says Neerja Chowdhury.

Justice Kabir says application is maintainable, but Justice Nijjar rules plea is misconceived

The Supreme Court on Friday gave a split verdict on the Centre's plea seeking to recall its order on black money, with one judge holding that the application was maintainable and the other saying it was not.

Acting on the petitions filed by the former Union Law Minister, Ram Jethmalani, and others, the court had ordered constitution of a special investigation team headed by the retired Supreme Court judge, B.P. Jeevan Reddy.

A big show of strength is being planned by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on September 25 with the “mother-of-all rallies” proposed at a location not far from Gandhinagar, just a few days ahead of the next court hearing on the appointment of a Lokayukta.

Railway traffic affected across Telangana due to 'rail-roko' call

Train services across Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh today came to a standstill following the 36-hour 'rail roko' call given by Telangana JAC as a part of the 'Sakal Janula Samme' (general strike by all sections) over the the demand of separate Telangana state.

Normal life in the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh was badly affected on Saturday when trains, buses and autorickshaws suspended operations as part of the general strike called by the Telangana Joint Action Committee (T-JAC) in support of its demand for a separate State.

Amid the raging controversy back home over the 2G spectrum auction issue, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said he will speak on it only when he reaches India on Monday.

"I told you that my question is only addressed to that (2G). What is to be told there, I will tell it there (in India), not now," Mukherjee told a group of Indian journalists in Washington.

More trouble for Kerala govt, Palmolein case judge recuses himself

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Precipitating an unprecedented crisis for Kerala's four month old Oommen Chandy government, a designated Vigilance Court judge who had ordered further probe against the chief minister in connection with the Palmolein import scam case, recused himself on Saturday.

The Vigilance court judge, P K Haneefa, who had ordered an investigation into the role of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in the 1992 Palmolein import case, on Saturday recused himself from the case. Mr Haneefa said there was “some personal attack” against him through the media for passing the order last month.

Orissa MLA, his PSO shot dead by suspected Maoists

BHUBANESWAR: A ruling Biju Janata Dal legislator Jagabandhu Majhi and his personal security officer were gunned down at a public meeting in Nabarangpur district, around 500 km from here, in southern Orissa on Saturday.

A legislator of the ruling BJD in Orissa, Jagabandhu Majhi, and his personal security officer were shot dead by suspected Maoists at a public meeting in Nawarangpur district on Saturday.

New Delhi: P Chidambaram has allegedly told Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that a note questioning his actions during India's telecom scam is part of an orchestrated campaign within the government against him.

New Delhi: Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, one of the greatest cricket captains India has produced, died in New Delhi today after battling with a lung infection which was diagnosed about three months back.

Aftershocks measuring 3.9 magnitude strike Sikkim

Gangtok: Just days after an earthquake caused massive destruction in Sikkim, mild tremors were felt in Sikkim tonight due to aftershocks measuring 3.9 on the Richter Scale.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) confirmed the aftershocks happened at 10:15 pm.

New Delhi: In the midst of row over Planning Commission affidavit on Below Poverty Line (BPL) cap, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has written to the Commission's Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia questioning the current methodology and said relying on plan panel's estimate to arrive at cut offs will not resolve the problem.

Hyderabad: The sakala janula samme or general strike by pro-Telangana groups, which has been on for over 10 days now, has thrown life out of gear for most people in the Telangana districts. Ordinary people are badly affected, with business hit because of power cuts, no transport and many services crippled.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Clashes between government forces and opposition protesters have led to at least 16 dead, according to a Yemeni medic at the scene of the latest arrest in Sanaa, the Yemen capital.

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