Former Indian telecom minister awarded 5 yrs imprisonment

NEW DELHI: Delhi Court has awarded five-year imprisonment to former Indian Telecom Minister Sukhram, India media reported.

Sukhram was awarded five years imprisonment after being convicted of taking Rs. 3 lakhs Indian rupees as bribe to give a lucrative contract to a private firm in 1996.

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India tests nuclear-capable 'Agni-II Prime' missile

NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday sucessfully test fired nuclear capable Agni-II Prime at the coast of Orissa. 

Indian TV said that India has successfully test-fired Agni-II Prime missile, whose name has been changed to Agni-IV. The test was conducted on the coast of Orissa.

Agni-IV could hit the target up to three kilometer, which could help pave the way for the advancement in Indian strategic defence. Surface-to-surface missile is 20 metre long and weighs 17 tons, which has the capability to destroy vehicle from quite a distance. 

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Pak-India ready to ease visa regulations

 NEW DELHI: Pakistan took further steps toward normalization of trade and travel ties with India on Tuesday, agreeing to broaden cooperation on many business fronts with its larger neighbour by February in the latest sign of a thaw in relations between them.

At a bilateral meeting in Delhi, the two countries' trade secretaries agreed that Pakistan will notify India by February of a "negative list" of items that it cannot trade with its neighbour, minutes of the meeting showed.

"There has been further progress," India's trade secretary Rahul Khullar said at a briefing after the meeting with his Pakistani counterpart.

Replacing the current limited "positive list" of items that can be traded with a short list of products that cannot, is a step towards regular trade ties.

Earlier this month, Pakistan promised to give India a most favoured nation trade status, a move that would end heavy restrictions on what India is allowed to export across the border.

India and Pakistan also agreed to push for easing of visa rules that severely restrict business travel across the heavily armed border. They will look at the feasibility of electricity trading and will open a second road trading post by February.

Pakistan's Trade Secretary Zafar Mehmood said the negative list would be drawn up within a couple of months and said an expert panel would decide in January on allowing the trade of oil products.

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Don’t expect miracles from Indo-Pak talks: Antony

NEW DELHI - Indian Defence Minister AK Antony on Tuesday sought to calibrate the growing expectations from the bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan, saying “don’t expect miracles”. Antony said there were positive signs in trade relations between India and Pakistan, but there was nothing beyond that as of now. “Don’t expect miracles,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a South Asian Security Conference organised by the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), reported IANS. “At the moment, we find a positive sign in relations with Pakistan in the area of economic cooperation. It is a good beginning,” he said, referring to the talks between prime ministers Manmohan Singh and Yousaf Raza Gilani on the sidelines of the SAARC summit in the Maldives last week. “It is a positive signal. But we cannot expect miracles. It is a good sign. Beyond that we cannot say,” he said.

Earlier at the conference, Antony said the comprehensive dialogue between India and Pakistan had been “steady”. “There are already clear signs that India-Pakistan trade relations might improve and expand. The expansion in cooperation has created an atmosphere to expand the dialogue on cooperation security,” he said. “However, we need to change our mindset, if we really wish to reap the benefits of mutual cooperation,” he added. Supporting the idea of a cooperative security framework for South Asia on the lines of those in Southeast Asia and Central Asia, Antony said the latter two regions had made considerable progress in their combined security architecture.

“Such a security framework for the South Asian region will require regular consultations and dialogue – both at official and non-official levels. Some of these issues are being discussed at such forums as the SAARC and Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) in the framework of socio-economic development.

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Indo-Pak secretary level talks in second week of Nov

NEW DELHI - Commerce secretaries of Pakistan and India will be meeting in the second week of November to press for normalization of trade between the two countries. 

The commerce secretary-level talks are being held within two months of India-Pakistan trade ministers meeting, which reviewed the bilateral commercial engagement. Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma hosted Makhdoom Amin Fahim in September.

"Essentially, we will review the progress of the agenda set in Islamabad in April," a senior Indian Commerce Ministry official said.

The two countries had resumed economic talks after a long gap in April and had drawn a roadmap for increasing the bilateral trade which has remained at a low level of USD 2.65 billion in 2010-11.

Commerce Secretary Zafar Mahmood would be in New Delhi for three days from November 14 for comprehensive discussions with his Indian counterpart Rahul Khullar, the official said.

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Dozens of houses collapse in China quake

BEIJING - A moderate earthquake in remote northwestern China has destroyed dozens of houses and damaged many more, but there have been no reported casualties, government officials and state media said Tuesday.

More than 50 houses collapsed and hundreds of homes were damaged after the 5.4-magnitude quake jolted the border area of Yining and Gongliu counties in Xinjiang, the local earthquake bureau said on its official microblog.

The quake, which the US Geological Survey revised down to 5.4 from an initial reading of 6.0, struck at 8:21am (0021 GMT) around 96 kilometres (59 miles) east of the city of Yining, at a depth of 27 kilometres.

The China Earthquake Administration said the quake was believed to have caused "major damage" and "strong shaking" was felt in neighbouring counties, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

A special working group had been dispatched to the area to assess the damage and coordinate relief efforts, it added.

Xinjiang is a vast region with a population of around 20 million, of which roughly nine million are Uighurs, a Turkic-speaking mainly Muslim ethnic minority.

A 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck the region in August, injuring at least 26 people, three of them critically, and destroying more than 30 residential buildings.

Earlier on Tuesday, another moderate earthquake measuring 5.5 hit the Sichuan-Gansu border area in China's southwest, a region devastated by an 8.0-magnitude quake in 2008.

An official in Qingchuan county in Sichuan province, where the quake struck at 05:58 am (2158 GMT), told AFP: "It is not very serious".

Another official said the quake had cracked walls and dislodged roof tiles in mountain areas but there had been no reports of casualties or economic losses.

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’مہنگائی پر قابو پانے کیلئے کوشش جاری‘

نئی دہلی: بھارتی وزیراعظم منموہن سنگھ نے کہاہے کہ ملک میں عام اشیاء کی بڑھتی ہوئی قیمتوں پر قابو پانے کے لئے ان کی حکومت کوششیں کرتی رہےگی۔

بھارت کے دارالحکومت دہلی میں صوبائی گورنروں کے ایک اجلاس سے خطاب کرتے ہوئے انہوں نے کہا کہ عام غذائی اشیاء کی بڑھتی ہوئی قیمتوں اور بدعنوانی پر تشویش ہے اس پر قابو پانے کے لئے ریزرو بینک آ‌ف انڈیا اس سلسلے میں ضروری اقدامات کرتا رہے گا۔

منموہن سنگھ نے کہا اس وقت افراط زر کی شرح پر قابو پاتے ہوئے معیشت کی ترقی کو یقینی بنانا سب سے بڑا چيلنج ہے اس سلسلے میں حکومت نے کچھ سخت قدم اٹھائے ہیں اگر اس پر جلد قابو نہ پایا جاسکا تو آنے والے دنوں میں سخت اقدامات کئے جائیں گے جب کہ غذائی اشیاء پر قابو پانے کے لیے زرعی پیداوار بڑھانے کی بھی سخت ضرورت ہے۔

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راڈار پر نظر نہ آنے والے کروز میزائل کا کامیاب تجربہ

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سری لنکا نےپاک فوج طلب کرلی

کولمبو: سری لنکا نے بارودی سرنگوں کی صفائی کے لئے پاک فوج کی خدمات حاصل کر لیں، اس مقصد کے لیے کرنل ظافر نثار کی سربراہی میں 10 رکنی ڈی مائننگ ٹیم سری لنکا پہنچ گئی ہے۔

کولمبو سے جاری ہونے والی پریس ریلیز کے مطابق پاک فوج کی انجینئر کور سے تعلق رکھنے والی 10 رکنی ڈی مائننگ ٹیم کو سری لنکا کی طرف سے دورے کی دعوت دی گئی تھی جو 28 اکتوبر تک وہاں قیام کرے گی۔

اس ٹیم میں شامل تمام اہلکار انتہائی کوالیفائڈ ہیں اور وہ کمبوڈیا اور سوڈان جیسے شورش زدہ ممالک میں اپنی خدمات سرانجام دے چکے ہیں۔

پاکستانی ڈی مائننگ کے اس دوستانہ دورے کا مقصد دونوں ممالک کی افواج کے متعلقہ شعبوں میں تعاون کو فروغ دینا اور ایک دوسرے کے تجربات سے فائدہ حاصل کرنا ہے، یہ ٹیم اپنے قیام کے دوران سری لنکا کے ملاتابو اور مادو کے علاقوں کا دورہ کرے گی۔

واضح رہے کہ پاک فوج کے چیف جنرل اشفاق پرویز کیانی کے رواں سال جنوری میں دورہ سری لنکا کے دوران دونوں ممالک کے فوجی سربراہان نے اس بات پر اتفاق کیا تھا کہ پاکستان پاک فوج کی انجینئر کور کی ایک ٹیم کو سری لنکا بھیجا جائے گا جو بارودی سرنگوں کی صفائی کے لیے سری لنکن فوج کی تربیت کے علاوہ معاونت بھی کرے گی۔

یہ ٹیم اپنے دورے کے دوران کینڈی، گالے، ہمبنگٹوٹا اور سگاریا کے علاقوں کا بھی دورہ کرے گی اس ٹیم کے دورے سے دونوں ممالک کے درمیان دفاعی شعبے میں دوطرفہ تعاون کو مزید فروغ دینے میں مدد ملے گی۔

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پاکستان دوستی دکھانے کیلئے مزید اقدامات اٹھائے

 بھارت نے بھی ڈومور کا مطالبہ کرتے ہوئے کہاہے کہ پاکستان کو یہ ظاہر کرنے کیلئے  وہ ایک دوست ہمسائیہ ہے، مزید بہت کچھ کرنے کی ضرورت ہے جبکہ نئی دہلی نے  پاکستان کی طرف سے حالیہ پکڑے گئے ہیلی کاپٹر سے کسی قسم کی خفیہ معلومات حاصل کرنے کی رپورٹس کی تردید کردی ہے۔  یہ بات بھارتی وزیر مملکت برائے دفاع ایم ا یم پالام راجو نے منگل کے روزکہی ہے۔  ان کا یہ بیان پاکستانی حدود کی خلاف ورزی کرنے والے بھارتی ہیلی کاپٹر کو اسلام آباد کی طرف سے چھوڑے جانے کے بعد سامنے آیا ہے۔  صحافیوں سے گفتگو کے دوران اس حوالے سے سوال پر پالام راجو کا کہنا تھا کہ یہ ایک الگ نوعیت کا واقعہ تھا کہ ہیلی کاپٹر  خراب موسم کے باعث سرحد پار چلا گیا تھا تاہم  میرے خیال میں پاکستان کو یہ دکھانے کیلئے کہ وہ ایک  دوست ہمسائیہ ہے مزید بہت کچھ کرنے کی ضرورت ہے۔  انہوں نے میڈیا کے ا یک حصے کی جانب سے سامنے آنے والی ان رپورٹس کو مسترد کردیا ہے کہ پاکستان نے پکڑے جانے والے ہیلی کاپٹر سے معلومات حاصل کرلی ہیں۔

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Will not talk Afghan peace alone: Haqqani commander

PESHAWAR: The Afghan Haqqani insurgent network will not take part individually in any peace talks with the United States and negotiations must be led by the Taliban leadership, a senior commander said on Tuesday. 

"They (the Americans) would not be able to find a possible solution to the Afghan conflict until and unless they hold talks with the Taliban shura," said the Haqqani group commander, referring to the Taliban leadership council.

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India appreciated Pakistan for returning helicopter

NEW DELHI - Signalling the spirit of the resumed peace process, an Indian Army helicopter that strayed into Pakistan in bad weather Sunday was returned with its crew by Pakistani authorities. India was prompt to appreciate Pakistan's understanding.

The Cheetah helicopter with four officers on board returned to Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir around 6 p.m., ending an inadvertent intrusion that immediately triggered urgent talks between the two foreign and military establishments.

The chopper landed safely in India, Virendra Singh, the army's assistant public relations officer, told IANS.

"We are relieved that our officers and helicopter are back in India. We greatly appreciate the manner in which Pakistan worked with us in resolving the matter," Vishnu Prakash, the spokesperson of the external affairs ministry, said.

The Indian high commission in Islamabad was constantly in touch with the Pakistani side over the incident, which lasted about five hours.

The quick resolution of the issue, which could have become a potential diplomatic minefield, underlined the desire of the both countries to sustain the spirit of trust building that has marked their engagement since they resumed their peace process early this year.

Indian military officials earlier said that pilot error forced the chopper to stray across the Line of Control (LoC) that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

The helicopter carried two pilots, a junior commissioned officer and an engineer officer. They were identified as Major R.G. Raja (pilot), Major G. Kapila (co-pilot), Lt. Col S.P. Verma (engineering officer) and Subedar Adilesh Sharma.

The helicopter had taken off from Leh in Jammu and Kashmir's Ladakh region and was bound for Bhimbhat in Drass sector near Kargil, on the LoC, to bail out an Indian Army helicopter that got grounded there after a snag. An earlier account had mistakenly described the helicopter as a Chetak.

Pakistani officials said the helicopter, which had taken off at around 1 p.m., was forced to land in Skardu sector in Pakistani administered Kashmir for violating the country's airspace. Skardu also lies close to the LoC.

Pakistani military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said "The helicopter had come deep into our airspace. It was forced to land. Four Indian army officers have been taken into safe custody. They are safe." 

Immediately thereafter, the director general of military operations (DGMA) in New Delhi got in touch with his Pakistani counterpart to retrieve the chopper and its occupants.

India's foreign ministry also contacted the Pakistani government.

"It is understood that an army Cheetah helicopter flying from Leh to Bhimbhat with four officers on board strayed across the Line of Control due to inclement weather and landed in Skardu, Pakistan Vishnu Prakash had said earlier.

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جوہری پروگرام کی منتقلی کاایرانی منصوبہ

لندن: ایران نے حساس ایٹمی سرگرمیوں کی غرض سے نیو کلیئر مواد زیر زمین ٹینکرز میں منتقل کرنے کا منصوبہ تیار کرلیا ہے۔

ایرانی سفارتی ذرائع کے حوالے سے کہا گیا ہے کہ یورینیم کے میٹریل کی پہلی کھیپ جلد مقدس شہر قم کے قریب فردو سائٹ منتقل کرنے کا منصوبہ ہے۔

ذرائع کے مطابق زیر زمین سائٹ میں افزودگی پر کام جلد شروع ہوگا۔ یو ایف 6 مواد مشینوں میں بھر دی جاتی ہے جو یورینیم کو ریفائن کرتا ہے۔

 ذرائع کے مطابق افزودہ یورینیم نیوکلیئر پاور پلانٹس میں بطور ایندھن استعمال کیا جاسکتا ہے یا اگر ہائر ڈگری تک پروسیس کہا جائے تو مذکورہ میٹریل ایٹم بم بنانے میں استعمال کیا جاسکتا ہے۔ 3

مغرب کو خدشہ ہے کہ ایران مذکورہ سرگرمیاں ایٹمی ہتھیاروں کی تیاری کیلئے استعمال کر رہا ہے۔

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Pakistan releases Indian chopper with crew

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan released an Indian army helicopter just hours after it strayed across the tense border between the two countries on Sunday, officials said, underscoring a desire by the old rivals to avoid any crisis as they try to improve ties.

The Pakistani military had forced the Indian helicopter to land and detained four Indian army officials after it intruded into its territory in Olding sector in northern Skardu region near the border in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.

But it was released after senior military officials from both sides spoke on a hotline.

"The helicopter and four officers on board returned around5.30 p.m. (1230 GMT) after a contact between the director-general military operations of the two countries, "Pakistani military spokesman Major-General Athar Abbas said.

The Indian defence ministry said the helicopter had returned to Kargil in Indian-ruled Kashmir. "The issue has been resolved," the ministry spokesman, Sitanshu Kar, said.

Indian officials said the helicopter strayed into Pakistani territory because of bad weather.

The Himalayan region of Kashmir lies at the heart of tensions between the nuclear-armed South Asian rivals and has been trigger of two of the three wars between them since their independence from British rule in 1947.

The latest incident took place near Kargil in Indian Kashmir where the two nations came dangerously close to their fourth war in 1999.

However, relations between the two uneasy neighbours have improved after they resumed a peace process this year which was suspended following attacks by Pakistan-based Islamist militants on the Indian city of Mumbai in 2008, that killed 166 people.

"The swift release of the helicopter shows both countries do not want to derail the peace process. Otherwise it could have turned into a major crisis," security analyst Hasan Askari Rizvi said.

The Himalayan region of Kashmir is divided but claimed in entirety by both Pakistan and India.

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ایرانی قدس فورس سےخطرہ،امریکا

واشنگٹن : اوباما انتظامیہ نے خدشہ ظاہر کیا ہے کہ ایران کی قدس فورس سعودی سفیر کے قتل جیسے دیگر منصوبے بھی بناسکتی ہے۔

میڈیا رپورٹس کے مطابق 3امریکی عہدیداروں نے کہا کہ امریکا کو خدشہ ہے کہ قدس فورس سعودی سفیر کے قتل کے منصوبے کی طرح دیگر بین لاقوامی منصوبے بھی بناسکتی ہے۔

ایک عہدیدار کا کہنا ہے کہ ایران کی اسلامی انقلاب کی فوج قدس نہ صرف عراق بلکہ دنیا بھر میں رہنما کارروائیاں جاری رکھے ہوئے ہے اور اس نے عراق افغانستان اور دنیا بھر میں امریکی فورسز پر پراکسی حملے کراکے قدس فورس جس کی ایران میں طاقت میں اضافہ ہو رہا ہے وہ لبنان خلیج ،شام اور ہر جگہ سرگرم ہے۔

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