T20 to celebrate 150th anniversary of Indians landing in SA

India and South Africa meet in a one-off Twenty20 international at the Wanderers Stadium on Friday, with India coach Duncan Fletcher insisting the long, round trip will be worthwhile.

 

The only one-off T20 clash will be played to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Indians landing in South Africa. 

India arrived in Johannesburg on Wednesday with a near-full strength T20 squad, with batsman Virender Sehwag and pace bowler Zaheer Khan the only key players being rested.

South Africa, by contrast, has picked only eight of the squad which won a T20 series in New Zealand last month, resting all its Test players with the exception of Jacques Kallis, who will be the recipient of a special tribute at the match.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) will contribute to the Jacques Kallis Foundation, which provides scholarships for talented cricketers from under-privileged areas to attend leading cricket schools.

Kallis said he would, in turn, assist the Yuvraj Singh Foundation. India player Yuvraj is being treated for cancer. Kallis' father died of cancer in 2003.

The squads (from):

South Africa: Johan Botha (capt), Farhaan Behardien, Faf du Plessis, Colin Ingram, Jacques Kallis, Richard Levi, Albie Morkel, Justin Ontong, Wayne Parnell, Rusty Theron, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Morne van Wyk (wk) and Dane Vilas (wk).

India: M.S. Dhoni (capt, wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ashok Dinda, Gautam Gambhir, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Praveen Kumar, Vinay Kumar, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Suresh Raina, Rahul Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary and Robin Uthappa.

India, Brazil ink six pacts to boost ties in Science & Tech

India and Brazil have signed six pacts on Friday to enhance mutual cooperation in the areas of Science and Technology.

The agreements were for executive program on cultural exchange, Technical cooperation and bio technology. An MoU was also inked to provide scholarship to Brazilian students in India.

Earlier, visiting Brazilian President Dilma Rouseff held talks with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on important bilateral and multilateral issues.

Later addressing media Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh said that both countries will ensure more consultations on global issues including on UN reform.

Dr Singh also assured Brazilian President that will give its full support to the Rio+20 summit on the sustainable development.

Brazilian President said that bilateral trade between both the countries will reach 15 billion dollar in next three years, a jump of 50 percent from the existing trade.

Brazilian President Dilma Rouseff, who is on a state visit to India was given a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Earlier, she also visited Rajghat and paid tribute to father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi.

SC gives time to Centre to decide on nat monument status for Ram Setu

The Centre was granted more time by the Supreme Court to decide whether the mythological Ram Setu could be declared a national monument.

Appearing before a bench headed by Justice H L Dattu on Thursday, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Haren Raval submitted that consultation was needed on the issue with the competent authority and sought more time to file an affidavit on it.

"Take a decision whether or not to", the bench said, while granting the government two weeks time to take a decision. The bench then posted the matter for further hearing on 19^th April.

The bench was hearing a petition filed by Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy seeking the court's direction to declare Ram Setu a national monument.

Earlier, the bench had on 27^th March directed the government to file an affidavit regarding its decision within two days.

"If you say you don't want to file counter affidavit, we can go ahead with the arguments in the case," the bench had said.

The case relating to Ram Setu came under judicial scrutiny after a batch of petitions were filed in the apex court challenging the ambitious Sethusamudram project, which was alleged to cause damage to the mythological bridge.

Sethusamudram project is aimed at constructing a shorter navigational route around India's southern tip by breaching the mythological Ram Setu, said to have been built by Lord Rama's army of monkeys and bears to the demon king Ravana's kingdom Lanka.

As per the Sethusamudram project, the shipping channel is proposed to be 30 metres wide, 12 metres deep and 167 kms long.

All the three Service Chiefs enjoy Govt’s confidence: Antony

Asking the media to desist from damaging the image of the Army, Defence Minister AK Antony has said all the three Service Chiefs enjoy the confidence of the Government.

He was speaking at the seventh defence expo in national capital on Thursday.

His remarks assume significance in the wake of controversy over leakage of a letter written by Army Chief VK Singh to the Prime Minister. Antony said intelligence Bureau has been asked to probe into the leak episode and strongest action under laws will be taken after inquiry.

Defence Minister said country needs substantial step up in allocation for modernization of defence forces as its neighbours are modernizing their defence force at a fast pace.

Speaking on the alleged corruption in defence procurement, Antony said there is policy of zero tolerance on corruption, and if the charges are proved he would not hesitate to scrap the process.

He said the ministry has blacklisted six firms including four foreign firms on the recommendations of the CBI recently.

Meanwhile, the Army Chief General VK Singh has said that the leak of his letter to the Prime Minister on defence preparedness should be treated as “high treason”.

In a brief statement released by Army Headquarters, General said his official communication  with the Prime Minister and Defence Minister is a “Privileged” communication.

He said the cynical approach to tarnish his reputation should stop and sources of the leakage should be found and dealt with ruthlessly.

The media leak of the letter came amid General’s media interview in which he claimed that he was offered a bribe by a retired Lieutenant General for swinging a sub-standard defence deal.

Five LeT militants shot dead in encounter in Kashmir

In the first major encounter in Kashmir this year, Security forces today shot dead five Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants in Handwara area of Kupwara district. 

"Five militants have been killed in an encounter in Handwara area," a defence spokesman said. He said the militants were foreigners.

The militants were asked to surrender after being confronted by the search party but they refused and opened fire, the spokesman said.

A police spokesman said security forces lauched an anti-militancy operation in Laribal-Peer Mohalla near Rajwar forests, 100 kms from here, following information about presence of militants in the area.

This is the first major gunbattle between security forces and militants in Kashmir Valley this year.

Centre stays hanging of BS Rajoana

The hanging of Balwant Singh Rajoana, assassin of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh was on Wednesday stayed by the Centre following a mercy petition. 

Sources in the government said that the hanging, which was scheduled to be carried out on March 31, has been stayed following a petition filed by SGPC, the Sikh religious body.

The sources said the decision to keep the hanging in abeyance was taken since a petition was filed in line with the guidelines followed in such cases.

The scheduled hanging of Rajoana had got the politics of Punjab in a turmoil with the ruling Akali Dal campaigning against his execution while its coalition partner BJP disfavouring such a course.

The state Congress leaders at a personal level had been favouring clemency.

Rajoana, a police constable and a close friend of another assassin Dilawar Singh Babbar, was the second human bomb to be used in case the first one failed to kill Beant Singh on August 31, 1995.

Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal today called on President Pratibha Patil and handed over a mercy petition on behalf of Punjab government seeking clemency for Rajoana.

The President's office later sent his petition to the Union Home Ministry, which will also be decided in due course of time.

Under normal circumstances, the petition would be sent to the Law Minsitry and Punjab government for comments after which it would be forwarded to the President with a view of the Home Ministry.

The President's office already has 18 mercy petitions to decide on.

Rojana row: Bandh cripples life in PunjabNormal life was crippled across Punjab which witnessed sporadic violence during the day-long bandh on Wednesday to protest the scheduled hanging of Balwant Singh Rajoana, a convict in the Beant Singh assassination case.

Most business establishments were shut and road and rail traffic was disrupted at many places.

Areas around the Golden Temple, the main sacred place of Sikhs, were clogged with proteseters carrying saffron flags.

Board examinations, slated for Wednesday, were postponed with offices, private institutions, colleges and schools reporting thin attendance.

The protesters stopped New Delhi Amritsar Shan-e-Punjab at Jalandhar and Mumbai-Jammu Swaraj express at a crossing in Hoshiarpur district for brief periods.

Police swung batons to disperse them and restore calm.

SC refuses to direct Nanavati Comm to summon Modi

In a breather for Gujarat CM Narendra Modi, the Supreme Court has refused to direct Nanavati Commission to summon him for his alleged role in the 2002 riot cases, saying it would amount to judical overreach.

The apex court, which on Monday said that "the question of law should not be decided on the basis of the personality of a person" made it clear that it cannot monitor and interfere with the working of the Commission which is a statutory body and yet to place its report before the Assembly.

"How can we start monitoring the working of the Commission appointed under the Commission of Inquiry Act. It is a statutory body. Can't it be an overeach by this court?"

"We hear so much of judicial overreach these days. This will be another," a bench of justices D K Jain and A K Dave said while declining the plea of NGO, Jan Sangarsh Manch (JSM) to direct the Justice G T Nanavati Commission of inquiry which is going into the cases of riots for the last 10 years.

"The report has to be filed in the House and it is for the House to reject or accept it," the bench said on Monday.

At the outset, the bench wanted to know from the NGO's counsel and senior advocate Colin Gonsalves under which law the court can direct the Commission to summon a person.

When Gonsalves said he was unable to find a single judgement of the apex court on the issue, the bench said, "it is for the Commission to decide whom to summon."

The bench said it would not be prudent for the court to interfere at every stage when the Commisison passes some orders as it would never lead to completion of any inquiry.

"Which inquiry will be completed if it moves in a piecemeal manner and if we start looking into every order passed by it," the bench said while noting that "there are instances where 15 years have passed and the Commission has not filed its report."

The bench, which declined to pass any order to the two-member commission whose tenure is coming to end on 31^st March, however, said, "It is difficult to erase from our mind the cases which have arisen from the 2002 incidents".

The bench did not give credence to submission by Gonsalves that the Commission's order refusing to summon the Chief Minister was arbitrary and for the proper probe his testimony was necessary.

After the bench declined to interfere with the Gujarat High Court order dismissing the plea of the NGO, Gonsalves agreed to its suggestion to withdraw the petition.

The Nanavati Commission was formed in 2002 after the post-Godhra train carnage riots had examined around 400 witnesses.

In 2004, the terms of reference of the Commission had been expanded to include in its purview an examination of the chief minister's role in the riots.

In September 2009, the Commission had rejected JSM's plea to summon Modi and five others for cross-examination with regard to the communal violence in which over 1,000 people were killed.

The Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) had earlier questioned Modi on 2002 riots for over ten hours in 2010.

In November 2009, the NGO had moved the high court for quashing the order but a bench of Justice K S Jhaveri had dismissed its plea terming it as "premature".

In 2010, JSM filed an appeal before the high court's division bench against the single judge order.

Mukul Sinha, counsel for JSM, had argued that summoning Modi and others was required for collecting evidence with regard to the Godhra train burning incident and the riots.

The state government had opposed JSM's plea contending that the NGO had no locus standi to seek summoning of Modi.

It had submitted that the appeal is not maintainable as the Commission's Act does not allow any third party to demand questioning of any person.

It had said it is for the Commission to decide whom it should call for questioning.

Have faith in India, Manmohan tells Korean industry

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday asked South Korean businessmen to help India expand its burgeoning solar and nuclear power sectors by investing in these environment-friendly technologies. 

“We are committed to increasing energy efficiency and the share of renewables, including solar and nuclear power, in our energy mix,” Dr. Singh told a group of top Korean CEOs in Seoul.

Among the CEOs present was Kim Joong-Kyum of the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) which has interests in nuclear power that meets 45 per cent of Korea’s electricity requirements.

“There will be large business opportunities and I am aware of Korean capabilities in environmentally friendly technologies,” the Prime Minister said at a meeting organised by Korean industry chambers.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, during a bilateral meeting with Singh on Sunday, had requested that his country be allocated a site in India to build nuclear reactors.

Apparently sensing the concerns of the Korean businessmen with regard to the much-delayed $12 billion Posco steel project in Odisha, the Prime Minister told the CEOs that “our processes can be slow but there are effective mechanisms for resolution of problems and differences and a strong rule of law.”

“The government is keen to move forward with the Posco project and there is some progress in this regard. I believe that India is a stable and profitable long-term investment opportunity,” he said.

Korea, India's priority

Besides KEPCO, CEOs of Samsung Electronics, Tata Daewoo, Ssangyong Motors, Hyundai Motors and Doosan Heavy Industries were present at the meeting.

“Investment from Korea is a priority for India. We will take pro—active steps to address investor grievances and improve the business climate in the country,” Dr. Singh said.

He said many states have been actively encouraging foreign investment and the Union Government will support these efforts.

“I urge Korean industry to have faith in India,” Dr. Singh said.

He said India is also one of the fastest growing major economies of the world.

“Despite the adverse international environment, we have managed to maintain a growth rate of 7 per cent per annum in the last few years. I am confident that the strong fundamentals of our economy will help us return to a sustained growth path of about 8-10 per cent per annum in the coming years,” he said.

Middle class growing

Dr. Singh said over the past few years the government has invested heavily in education, health and agriculture to give a new deal to rural India.

“Our rural markets are now booming and the middle class is growing rapidly,” he said.

Dr. Singh said India has been undertaking a huge expansion in higher education and skill development, infrastructure of ports, airports, railways, energy and roads.

“India is poised to continue to be a frontline player in the global knowledge economy,” he said.

Infrastructure development

Unveiling ambitious plans for the development of physical infrastructure, Dr. Singh said India was planning to secure investment of almost USD one trillion in the next five years in new projects in highways, power plants, mass transport systems, ports and airports.

“This will be achieved through both public and private investment and Public-Private Partnerships,” he said.

He noted that after the implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in 2010, the bilateral trade has surged by roughly 65 per cent in two years and reached a turnover of USD 20.6 billion in 2011.

“However, it is still below its huge untapped potential,” Dr. Singh said, adding the he and President Lee had decided to revise the bilateral trade target to USD 40 billion by 2015.

“This is a challenge as well as an opportunity that we must both seize together. I look forward to hearing your views,” Dr. Singh said.

Fresh group to devise new method for poverty estimates: PM

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said a fresh group has been set up to devise a new method to assess the number of poor in the country. 

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also favoured a multi-layered apporach to assess poverty estimates and pointed out that the socio-economic and caste-economic census was being conducted across the country that would throw up new data.

"We need a multi-layered approach to assess poverty estimates. We have set up a group to devise a new method to assess poverty," Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a function to give away this year's Padma Awards.

As per the Planning Commission's estimates, the poverty ratio has been pegged at 29.8 per cent in 2009-10, down from 37.2 per cent in 2004-05.
These are based on the daily per capita consumption of Rs 28.65 in cities and Rs 22.42 in rural areas.
Singh said the Tendulkar committee report was not all inclusive.

He pointed out that the earlier the methodology to arrive at poverty estimates on the basis of calorie intake was being followed over 30 years.

According to the Tendulkar Committee's methodology, the poverty line is fixed by factoring in the money spent on health and education besides calorie intake.

The Planning Commission today announced it will constitute an experts' group soon to revisit the methodology for estimating poverty amidst demand for removal of its Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia for pegging the poverty line at such a low level.
"We believe that there is need to revisit the methodology for poverty estimateion," Minister for Planning Ashwani Kumar replied when asked whether government is dumping its latest poverty data.

"The government had taken a decision to set up a technical group to revisit the methodology for estimating poverty in a manner which is consistent with current reality," Kumar told reporters.

India votes for UNHRC resolution against Lanka

Overcoming its dithering, India on Thursday voted for a US-sponsored resolution at the UN's top human rights body censuring Sri Lanka for alleged rights violations during the war against LTTE.

India had initially shown reluctance to vote on a nation-specific resolution but had to change its stand under severe pressure from political parties in Tamil Nadu, particularly DMK which had threatened to pull out its ministers from the UPA government at the Centre.

With 24 votes for, 15 against and 8 abstentions, the 47-member UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted the resolution which noted with concern that an internal inquiry report in Sri Lanka does not adequately address "serious allegations" of violations of international law.
It also asked Colombo to present as expeditiously as possible a comprehensive action plan detailing the steps to implement the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) and to address the alleged violations of international law.
Sources said India decided to vote after persuading the resolution-sponsor to make two changes in the draft so that it became "non-intrusive" and contribute to political reconciliation process in the island.
India did not participate in the debate but voted with countries like Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Uruguay and the US.

Many of India's neighbours, including China, Bangladesh and Maldives, and Russia, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia were among the countries that voted against the resolution which asked the Sri Lankan government to implement the constructive recommendations of the LLRC.

In a veiled attack on India, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister G L Peiris, who was present during the voting, said the most distressing feature is the reality that voting at the Council is now determined not by the merits of a particular issue but by strategic alliances and domestic political issues in other countries, an apparent reference to the politics in Tamil Nadu.

However, Indian sources pointed out that it was successful in bringing about the change in the resolution to add a paragraph which said "recalling Council resolutions 5/1 and 5/2 on institution building of the Human Rights Council" to give a context.
The other change was in reference to the wording of the last para of the resolution which speaks of providing advice and technical assistance on implementing the steps suggested in the resolution.
The amendment makes it clear that the advice and technical assistance would be provided "in consultation with and with the concurrence of" the government of Sri Lanka that made the resolution "non-intrusive", Indian sources said.
Tabling the resolution, the US said Colombo had been given three years to hold its own investigations into the allegations of serious violations but given the lack of action it was appropriate that the Council be pushed to do so.
"An enduring peace will be unsustainable without meaningful steps to foster national reconciliation and accountability," US envoy Eileen Donahoe said.
She also said that India's backing was very helpful because it was a close neighbour.

"We see India's support as nothing but positive."

Ban welcomes UNSC mesasage to Syria

UN chief Ban Ki-moon welcomed UN Security Council's "clear and unified" message to the Syrian government, saying the adoption of statement marks a "turning point" in the international community's response to the year-long crisis in the Arab country. 

The 15-nation UNSC adopted the statement that backs joint UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan's six point proposals to end the violence and human rights violations, secure humanitarian access and facilitate a comprehensive political dialogue between the Syrian government and opposition.

Welcoming the adoption of the statement, Ban said he is "encouraged by the clear and unified message of the Council," which has extended its support to Annans efforts to finding a solution to the year-long Syrian crisis that has killed over 8000 people.

As the situation continues to deteriorate in Syria, "it is more urgent than ever to find a solution that will end the tragic suffering of the Syrian people," Ban said, adding that the united action by the Council marks a "turning point" in the international communitys response to this crisis.

Ban "adds his voice to the Council's in calling upon the Syrian government and opposition to work in good faith with the Joint Special Envoy towards a peaceful settlement of the Syrian crisis, and to implement fully and immediately his initial six-point proposal submitted to the Syrian authorities," a statement by Ban's spokesperson said.

In the statement, the Security Council called upon the Syrian Government and opposition to work with Annan towards a peaceful settlement of the Syrian crisis and to implement fully and immediately his initial six-point proposal.

It also said it will consider "further steps as appropriate" based on any progress reported by Annan on his mission. The presidential statement is non-binding in nature but still becomes part of the UN records.

Unlike a UN resolution, a presidential statement can be adopted if it is approved unanimously by all 15 Council members and does not require nine votes in favour and no vetoes from the five permanent council members to be passed.

The last presidential statement on Syria was adopted in August 2011, when India held the rotating presidency of the UNSC.

UN diplomats called the adoption of the statement a "good sign", given that Russia and China have in the past not been on the same page as the other Council members.

Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said the council had "finally chosen to take a pragmatic look at Syria" by adopting the statement.

 

Maha govt suspends two IAS officers accused in Adarsh scam

Senior IAS officers Pradeep Vyas and Jairaj Phatak have been placed under suspension pending investigation in the Adarsh Housing Society scam, Maharashtra government informed the Bombay High Court on Thursday. 

While Vyas was the Collector of Mumbai, Phatak was City Municipal Commissioner when the scam took place.

According to the CBI, Vyas (49), during his tenure as Collector from August 2002 to May 2005, allegedly connived with other accused and accepted false documents as proof of income and granted membership to those who were not eligible.

His wife Seema Vyas, also an IAS officer, has a flat in the posh Adarsh building. Vyas, a 1989 batch officer was arrested for his alleged role in the scam on Wednesday.

Phatak is alleged to have allowed the height of the building in upmarket Colaba to be raised beyond 100 metres without the approval of the High-Rise Committee of the municipal body.

His son received a flat in the Adarsh Society building allegedly as quid pro quo.

The High Court is hearing a batch of public interest litigations filed by social activists Simpreet Singh and Pravin Wategaonkar seeking monitoring of the probe by the High Court and invoking provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the case.

Plea seeking ban on translated version of Gita dismissed

A Russian court on Wednesday dismissed a petition seeking a ban on a translated version of 

Bhagwad Gita for being "extremist", bringing cheers to followers across the world.

  

"The court in the Siberian city of Tomsk has dismissed the plea," Sadhu Priya Das of Moscow ISKCON told a news agency soon after the verdict was announced.

State prosecutors in the Siberian city of Tomsk had filed an appeal against a lower court's dismissal of their original plea seeking a ban on "Bhagavad Gita As It Is", written by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).

They claimed that the text was "extremist" literature full of hatred and insult to non-believers which promoted social discord.

The higher court in Tomsk "kept the verdict of the lower court intact," a joyful Das said.

As the judge dismissed the plea, the followers in the packed courtroom burst into applause, he said.

"We are grateful to the Russian judicial system," Das said.

Brajendra Nandan Das, Director ISKCON media communication in India, expressed happiness over the verdict. "We have won. The petition seeking a ban on the book has been dismissed," he told a news agency.

The case had drawn a flurry of criticism from Hindus across the world.

When the petition was dismissed by the lower court in Tomsk on December 28 last year, India had welcomed the verdict as a "sensible resolution of a sensitive issue".

The original petition seeking a ban on the translated version of the holy scripture was filed in June 2011 and the trial prompted sharp reactions from across the world.

External Affairs Minister S M Krishna had asked the Russian government to help resolve the issue quickly.

Bhagavad Gita was first published in Russia in 1788 and since then it has been republished many times in various translations.

7.4 quake shakes Mexico, 100s of homes damaged

A strong 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit southern Mexico, damaging some 800 homes near the epicentre and swaying tall buildings and spreading fear and panic hundreds of miles away in the capital of Mexico City.

 

One of the strongest to shake Mexico since the deadly 1985 temblor that killed thousands in Mexico City, earthquake hit hardest in border area of southern Oaxaca and Guerrero states.

In Guerrero, officials confirmed that some 800 homes had been damaged, with another 60 having collapsed.

Hours after the shaking at noon local time (2332 HRST IST last night), there were still no reports of death or serious injury, even after a less powerful, magnitude-5.1 aftershock was felt in the capital and several other aftershocks near the epicentre in a mountainous rural region.

"It was very strong, very substantial," said Campos Benitez, hospital director in Ometepec, about 25 kilometres from the epicentre.

Guerrero Gov. Angel Aguirre, who is from Ometepec, was headed there to survey the damage and ordered emergency crews and civil protection to the area to help with the damage. The state did not say how many were displaced.

In Mexico City, frightened workers and residents poured into the streets of the capital.

Telephone service was down in the city and throughout the area where the quake was felt and some neighborhoods were without power, according to Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard, who set up a hotline for people to report damage.

A pedestrian bridge collapsed on an empty transit bus. About 40 passengers were stranded for a short time on the Mexico City airport air train, but later released. The airport closed for a time but officials said there was no runway damage and they resumed operations.

Samantha Rodriguez, a 37-year old environmental consultant, was evacuated from the 11th floor on the Angel Tower office building.

"I thought it was going to pass rapidly but the walls began to thunder and we decided to get out," she said.

Mexico City, built on a lake bed, was badly damaged in 1985 when an 8.1 earthquake killed at least 10,000 people.

In past years, Guerrero has suffered several severe earthquakes, including a 7.9 in 1957 which killed an estimated 68 people, and a 7.4 in 1995 which left three dead.

Quake was the strongest shaking felt in the capital since a magnitude-6.5 earthquake struck also in Guerrero in December. Officials said at least three people died in Guerrero, but there were no reports of widespread damage.

A magnitude-8.0 quake near Manzanillo on Mexico's central Pacific coast killed 51 people in 1995 and a magnitude-7.5 quake killed at least 20 people in the southern state of Oaxaca in 1999.

In Huajuapan, Guerrero, near the epicentre, hotel manager Marco Antonio Estrada also reported shaken-up guests but no major damage. He said it was longest and strongest he ever felt. People ran out of their homes and cars.

"It was very strong, but we didn't see anything fall," said Irma Ortiz, who runs a guesthouse in Oaxaca. She said their telephones are down, and that the quake shook them side-to-side.

US President Barack Obama's oldest daughter, Malia, was reported to be safe while on vacation with a school group in Oaxaca.

The US Geological Survey set the preliminary magnitude of the first quake at 7.4 and said the epicentre was 11 miles underground. The survey set the aftershock at 5.1. Seismologists and civil protection officials said there didn't appear to be heavy damage or casualties because of where and how the earthquake hit.

There were reports of damaged buildings but none collapsed on the Oaxaca side of the border, said civil protection spokeswoman Cynthia Tovar said. Authorities believed that the absence of tall buildings in the area is one reason.

Another factor may be the high frequency of earthquakes in the region, said USGS seismologist Susan Hoover. There have been 15 earthquakes of magnitude 7 or stronger since 1973 within 500 kilometres of Tuesday's quake. Weaker buildings collapse with each quake, leaving a cadre of stronger ones that can withstand the shaking.

"Another factor to consider is how tested an area has been," Hoover said.

Tamil Nadu govt gives green signal for KNPP

In an apparent U-turn forced by acute power crisis, Tamil Nadu govt on Monday gave its go ahead to the controversial Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, ending months of impasse that threatened the Indo-Russian venture.

 

Meeting a day after the bypoll to Sankarankoil Assembly seat in Tirunelveli district, where the plant is located, the state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, gave the green signal to the project which ran into trouble after locals protested against its commissioning, citing safety concerns.

At the height of the protests, the state cabinet had in September last passed a resolution, seeking a halt to work in the plant site till people's fears were allayed.

However, signs of her softening stand were visible when she appointed a state panel, comprising former Atomic Energy Commission chairman M R Srinivasan, a strong votary of nuclear energy.

Monday’s cabinet meeting, a move aimed at mollifying the locals, also announced a Rs 500 crore special development package for the area to construct houses, cold storage facility for fishermen and laying of roads.

"In accordance with (today's) cabinet decision, immediate steps will be taken (to facilitate commissioning) of the plant," Jayalalithaa said in a five-page statement, breaking her silence over the issue.

S P Udayakumar, convenor of People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy, spearheading the protests, described the AIADMK government's decision as unfortunate and said the stir would continue even as some of them were arrested.

Kingfisher to suspend international flights from 25th

Kingfisher Airlines on Tuesday decided to suspend all international flights from 25th March and further curtail domestic operations even as Government warned the ailing carrier that its flying licence can be cancelled if it failed to meet safety norms. 

"We have decided to suspend our international operations as we are not on IATA platforms. So, there is no sense flying abroad," Mallya, who was summoned by the DGCA, told reporters in New Delhi.

Kingfisher will not operate its international flights in the summer schedule starting from 25^th March, airlines sources said.

Mallya, who had a nearly 90-minute meeting with the aviation regulator to brief them on the present situation of the beleaguered airlines, said, "We are not going with any ambitious target. We will be operating flights with 20 aircraft."

The airlines, which were operating over 400 daily flights 64 aircraft in its winter schedule, slashed it to 170 flights with 28 aircraft last month.

On Sunday, this was reduced to 130 daily flights.

Mallya said he had told Director General of Civil Aviation E K Bharat Bhushan that there would be no disruptions and "schedule integrity will be maintained".

Ahead of the meeting, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh put the onus on Mallya to maintain its operations and adhere to the schedule even as government constituted a special team to check whether the aircraft used by the airline were safe.

He said Kingfisher Airlines has not paid salaries to its employees, cleared dues to oil companies and to the Airport Authority of India.

"Also they have failed to stick to their schedule. They have revised their schedule 2-3 times but they have failed to adhere to it. DGCA is checking on the passenger safety aspect whether the planes are safe and pilots were in good condition," he told reporters.

"If he gives a plan and says I have that many planes, that much schedule, then why should we cancel?" Singh said.

Govt passes NCTC test in Rajya Sabha

Government on Tuesday heaved a sigh of relief as amendments moved by opposition to the President's address on NCTC were defeated in the Rajya Sabha, where UPA is in minority, with the help of SP and BSP while ally Trinamool Congress absented.

 

The government, which has 97 members in the 245-member House, had a smooth sail in the voting on the NCTC after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said nothing would be done to infringe upon the federal structure and next step would be taken only after full consultations with states.

Four amendments moved by CPI-M and BJP were put to vote at the insistence of Opposition members, who were seeking an assurance that the government will not move forward on the NCTC unless there is an "agreement" with the Chief Ministers.

The amendments were defeated by 105 to 82 votes.

SP with four members and BSP with 17 voted with the government. TMC with six members left the House before the voting.

Four more amendments on the issue of Sri Lankan Tamils were also put to vote on the insistence of CPI and AIADMK in which the Government won securing 84 votes of the total 94 present as members from Left and NDA had already walked out.

Subsequently the Motion of Thanks was adopted by voice vote.

Replying to the debate on the Thanks Motion, Dr Singh earlier said the next step on operationalising the NCTC would be taken after full consultations and noted that a meeting of Chief Ministers has been convened in this regard on April 16.

Making a strong pitch for the NCTC (National Counter Terrorism Centre), he said it was an important step in fighting terrorism and left-wing extremism and cited the abduction of two Italians in Odisha as a "grim reminder" of the danger posed by these to national security.