Archive for ‘India alert’

01/05/2012

* Sign nuclear non-proliferation treaty, Japan tells India

The Hindu: “Japan on Monday asked India to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty NPT even as the two sides decided to reopen talks on a bilateral civil nuclear agreement.

During the sixth Foreign Minister-level strategic dialogue here, the two sides agreed to prepare a master plan for the industrial development of south India, especially areas around Chennai and Bangalore, and accelerate talks on export of rare earths to Japan.

Another decision was to extend their dialogue to a code of conduct in outer space, cyber security and maritime issues, including security and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. The talks also covered Japanese investment in high speed trains, the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor and the Dedicated Freight Corridor. While agreeing to step up interaction between the Coast Guards, India and Japan decided to hold their first-ever maritime exercises towards the middle of the year.”

via The Hindu : News / National : Sign nuclear non-proliferation treaty, Japan tells India.

27/04/2012

* Negotiations resume; Maoists make fresh demands

The Hindu: “As negotiations between Maoist- handpicked mediators and those of the Chhattisgarh government resumed on the second day to end the hostage crisis involving abducted Sukma

Flag, in style used by many South Asian Commun...

Flag used by many Communist Parties. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Collector Alex Paul Menon, Naxals on Friday made fresh demands for the release of nine of their jailed leaders. Chief Minister Raman Singh’s Principal Secretary N. Brijendra Kumar on Friday told PTI that the state government has received a fax from Naxals, demanding the release of a total of 17 Maoists.

Earlier, they had demanded release of eight of their comrades including two women besides asking the government to halt the anti-Maoist offensive “Operation Green Hunt” and sending security forces in Bastar to barracks. Meanwhile, official sources said that day two of mediators’ talks to secure the safe and early freedom of the 32-year-old IAS officer, resumed at the Pahuna guest house here, after Thursday’s negotiations, remained inconclusive.”

via The Hindu : News / National : Negotiations resume; Maoists make fresh demands.

As The Maoists have released the Italian hostages and the legislator in Orissa, signs are hopeful for the situation in Chhattisgarh, though the leadership may not be united.

26/04/2012

* Maoists treated me well, says freed Odisha MLA Jhina Hikaka

Times of India: “Maoists on Thursday freed Laxmipur legislator Jhina Hikaka in Odishas Koraput district, over 500 km from the state capital, after holding him hostage for 33 days. This brought to an end the twin hostage crisis that had rocked the eastern state in March.

Map of India showing location of Orissa

Map of India showing location of Orissa (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

At around 10: 30 am, Hikaka was received by wife Kaushalya along with Koraput-based lawyer Nihar Ranjan Patnaik besides hordes of media persons at Balipeta village in Narayanpatna block, which has a strong presence of Maoists and its frontal organization Chasi Muliya Adivaasi Sangh CMAS.

Earlier, Maoists had released Italian nationals Claudio Colangelo and Bosusco Paolo on March 25 and April 12 respectively after kidnapping them from the Kandhamal-Ganjam region on March 14. While the Sabyasachi Panda-led Odisha State Organising Committee had taken away the foreigners, the CPI Maoist Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee AOBSZC had held the legislator captive.”

via Maoists treated me well, says freed Odisha MLA Jhina Hikaka – The Times of India.

25/04/2012

* S&P cuts India’s outlook from stable to negative; markets hit

A logo of the Standard & Poor's AA- rating

A logo of the Standard & Poor’s AA- rating (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Times of India: “Ratings agency Standard & Poors on Wednesday cut India’s outlook to negative from stable, citing its large fiscal deficit and expectations of only modest progress on reforms given political constraints, battering stocks, bonds and the rupee.

The lowered outlook jeopardises India’s long-term rating of BBB-, which is the lowest investment grade rating. “The outlook revision reflects our view of at least a one-in-three likelihood of a downgrade if the external position continues to deteriorate, growth prospects diminish, or progress on fiscal reforms remains slow in a weakened political setting,” S&P credit analyst Takahira Ogawa said in a note.”

via S&P cuts Indias outlook from stable to negative; markets hit – The Times of India.

What would you expect, given recent decisions in India, such as that to retroactive review foreign takeovers or mergers and apply taxes or penalties retroactively is not helping in foreign investment. While China has been assiduously wooing everyone, see https://chindia-alert.org/2012/12/31/question-who-did-china-woo-in-2012/ – plus for April a senior Chinese minister/politician either visited or hosted the following: Caribbean, Kazakhstan, Britain, Cyprus, Brunei, Iceland, Sweden, Germany, Poland, Thailand, Japan, North Korea, Timor-Leste, Colombia, South Sudan; Indian ministers/politicians and ministers are firmly ensconced at home!

23/04/2012

* Solar giant turns the desert green and blue in Gujarat

The Times, London: “Asia’s mightiest solar power farm has been switched on in the Indian desert state of Gujarat. It is part of a drive to transform the region into one of the world’s leading green energy producers and to provide electricity to some of the 400 million people who still have no access to it.

The Gujarat Solar Park, which spans a remote 3,000 acres near the border with Pakistan, started generating 214 megawatts of electricity, sufficient to power 90,000 British households, over the weekend. The huge array of solar panels outstrips China’s 200MW Golmud Solar Park as the biggest in Asia. An official said that eventually the facility would reach a capacity of 1,000MW (edit – equivalent to a nuclear power station), bigger than any other single existing solar power plant in the world.

India, which is heavily dependent on imported coal, oil and gas for its energy requirements, is still chronically short of electricity and is aiming to build 20,000 megawatts of solar capacity by 2020.”

via Solar giant turns the desert green and blue in Gujarat | The Times.

19/04/2012

* Agni-V launch: India demonstrates ICBM capability; China reacts cautiously, says India not rival

Times of India: “Reacting cautiously to India’s test of Agni-V missile, China on Thursday said the two countries are not rivals and enjoy “sound” relations though the sources in the Chinese establishment feel that the launch can give rise to another round of arms race in the region.

“China has taken note of reports on India’s missile launch. The two countries have sound relationship. “During the recently held BRICS meeting in Delhi the leadership had consensus to take the relationship further and to push forward bilateral strategic cooperative partnership,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told a media briefing in Beijing when asked about the launch.

In Delhi, the diplomatic sources in the Chinese embassy said the “Agni-V launch can give rise to another round of arms race in this part of the world. “They were also critical of the media commentary on the successful launch of the nuclear capable 5000 km-range Agni-V missile, saying it sounded provocative. Asked whether China was concerned as most of the country would come under the Agnis range, Liu said in Beijing that “both the countries are emerging powers. We are not rivals. We are cooperative partners. We should cherish the hard earned momentum of cooperation.”

via Agni-V launch: India demonstrates ICBM capability; China reacts cautiously, says India not rival – The Times of India.

18/04/2012

* India to test fire long-range missile

BBC News: “India is due to test fire a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The locally-developed Agni-V missile has a range of more than 5,000km 3,100 miles and is expected to be launched in the eastern state of Orissa.

Visual description of the approximate range of...

Visual description of the approximate range of the (Indian) Agni ballistic missile series. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Analysts say the Agni meaning “fire” in Hindi and Sanskrit missile family is to be the cornerstone of Indias missile-based nuclear deterrent. The missiles are among India’s most sophisticated weapons. In 2010, India successfully test-fired Agni-II, an intermediate-range ballistic missile with a range of more than 2,000km 1,250 miles.

Defence analyst Rahul Bedi says the successful test flight of the Agni-V missile, which is capable of delivering a single 1.5-ton warhead deep inside nuclear rival China’s territory, will strengthen India’s nuclear deterrence once it comes into service by 2014-15. It is 17.5m-tall, solid-fuelled, has three stages and a launch weight of 50 tons. It has cost more than 2.5bn rupees $480m; £307m to develop.

Only China, Russia, France, the US, and Great Britain have such long-range missiles. Israel is thought to possess them.”

via BBC News – India to test fire long-range missile.

Let’s hope this doesn’t start a military space race between India and China. Both countries must surely haev better things to invest their money in than nuclear missiles!

18/04/2012

* Who’s Returning to India and Why?

WSJ: “A recent front page article in the New York Times documented the migration of second generation Americans back to their ancestral countries, including India, China, Brazil and Russia.

India’s faltering growth may be disappointing, but it’s still much more rapid than the continued stagnation of the U.S. economy. In certain fields, at least there are still opportunities to be seized in India by those with a taste for adventure.

Labor economists call this kind of migration the “reverse brain drain.” Ironically, the migrants are often the kids or sometimes grandkids of the original “brain drain,” skilled workers and professionals who left India and other developing countries in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s to seek opportunities in the booming U.S. economy.

In fact, a more accurate term for the highly mobile skilled workers of today, favored by labor economists, is “brain circulation.” These people are agile and will seek out opportunities wherever they exist. So if things don’t work out in India, they might return to the U.S. or try their luck somewhere else.”

via Economics Journal: Who’s Returning to India and Why? – India Real Time – WSJ.

16/04/2012

* Violence breaks out at Indian beef-eating festival

BBC: “A beef-eating festival at a university in the Indian city of Hyderabad has led to clashes between rival sets of students, police say.

They say that Hindus who regard cows as sacred fought with low caste Dalit groups who organised the event. About 1,500 people were fed beef biriyani as part of the festival late on Sunday evening. Dalit groups want beef on the campus hostel menu.  Right wing Hindu groups say eating beef is not Hindu practice.

Last year’s event at Osmania University also ended in violence. The BBC’s Omer Farooq in the city says that says there has been tension for a few days now on the campus. Our correspondent says that has been the case ever since organisers announced that the festival – held over the weekend – would go ahead. Right wing Hindu groups soon afterwards declared their intention to stop it.”

via BBC News – Violence breaks out at Indian beef-eating festival.

14/04/2012

* Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khans detention: US apologises, India talks tough

Cover of

Cover of My Name Is Khan

Times of India: “The US customs and border protection authorities have expressed “profound” apologies for the Shah Rukh Khan detention incident. However, taking the incident seriously, external affairs minister SM Krishna has asked the Indian ambassador to US, Nirupama Rao, to take up the matter with the authorities. Reacting strongly to the detention, Krishna said it has become a policy of detention and apology by the US which cannot continue.

Earlier, Shah Rukh Khan was detained at a New York airport for over two hours by immigration officials after arriving from India in a private plane with Nita Ambani, to address students at Yale University here. While Nita, wife of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, and the rest of their group were cleared immediately, Khan was stopped and was given immigration clearance only after about two hours, sources told PTI. 46-year-old Khan was to address a press conference at 2pm and deliver his lecture at 4pm at the Yale University. However, he arrived for the press meet three hours behind schedule and his hour-long lecture started at about 6pm.

“Whenever I start feeling too arrogant about myself, I always take a trip to America. The immigration guys kicked the star out of stardom,” Khan said with some sarcasm addressing the students at the University. He added that he always has his “small victories” even in such circumstances. “The immigration officials always ask me how tall I am and I always lie and say 5 feet 10 inches. Next time I am going to get more adventurous. If they ask me What colour are you, I am going to say white,” Khan said.”

via Shah Rukh Khans detention: US apologises, India talks tough – The Times of India.

Life imitates art. Shah Rukh Khan starred in a film called “My name is Khan” – which was subtitled and I’m not a terrorist – is mainly about him being stopped at US airports after the 911 Twin Towers terrorist action.

 Related pages: http://watchnewmoviesonline.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/my-name-is-khan-2010-watch-movie-online.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Name_Is_Khan – “Upon its release, the film broke many box office records.[9] My Name is Khan was the highest-grossing Bollywood film overseas at the time. Within four weeks, the film crossed the INR70 crore (US$13.97 million) mark in India and became the first film of 2010 to do so. In the overseas markets, the film grossed INR110.34 crore (US$22.01 million).[10] My Name is Khan is currently the sixth highest grossing Bollywood film with a worldwide gross of 200 crores.[11] The film was released in India on DVD on 28 April 2010. Blu-ray in India, plus a DVD release worldwide followed on 10 August 2010.[12]

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