After Air India, Indigo, now 2 SpiceJet 'fake' pilots held

Jaipur, Mar 22: Indian aviation industry has encountered with a serious problem when one after another pilots from well-known airline services came under investigation scanner. Pilots of Air India, Indigo were arrested earlier. Now, two more pilots have been arrested over their forged documents but this time they were the pilots of SpiceJet.

Anuj Chaudhary and Amit Mundra - the two detained Spice Jet pilots worked in New Delhi. Today (Tuesday, Mar 22) both of them were produced in a session court in Jaipur and were sent to judicial custody.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had recently suspended the licenses of seven such 'fake pilots' and two flying school instructors.

The fake documents provided by the pilots came in the limelight when Indigo Airlines pilot Parminder Kaur Gulati was accused of violating landing norms. She was suspended and on Mar 8, she was arrested.

Her arrest soon was followed by the arrest of an Air India's Captain J K Verma over his sham papers of marks cards which were submitted to get pilot licenses.

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Air NZ CEO says media overplaying Japan's disaster

Wellington, Mar 21: Air New Zealand's CEO Rob Fyfe has criticised media reports in two messages to his staff, saying that if the coverage of the Japanese and earthquake-cum-tsunami and nuclear disaster led to a loss of lives and exacerbated human suffering is in those areas affected by the earthquake, it would tantamount to a humanitarian travesty.

Fyfe described himself as a lone voice trying to fight the sensational media, in his second message to his staff, stuff.co.nz reports.

In the first message, written four days ago, he had claimed that there was no probability that Tokyo residents would be affected by radioactivity from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power station.

In the latest message, Fyfe said that the media is struggling to figure out which disaster and human tragedy should be given greatest prominence.

"As a result of misleading media coverage in many countries around the world, some airlines have come under pressure to stop flying to Japan and some governments are coming under pressure to recall their search and rescue personnel," Fyfe said in the message.

"If lives are lost and human suffering is exacerbated in those areas affected by the earthquake and tsunami because of exaggerated and inaccurate media coverage, it will be a humanitarian travesty," he added.

He further insisted that his airline would keep its staff in Tokyo.

Insisting that he has been disappointed with New Zealand media coverage on Japan's tsunami affected Fukushima power plant, Fyfe said: "Little of it is fact based, it is increasingly taking the form of a docu-drama with a mixture of fact, ill-informed non-expert opinion and a fair dose of fiction."

ANI

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Will radiation in crops ring bad news for farmers in Japan?

Fukushima, Mar 20: If the recent tsunami and massive earthquake hasn't scarred the Japanese yet, the nuclear fallout will. The blazing Fukushima nuclear power plant seems to be under control with international aid flowing to avoid any long-standing effects of the radiation leaks, the damage is slowly starting to show. There are reports that considerable amounts of contamination have seeped into the food chain.

Traces of radioactive material were found in milk, spinach and tap water acquired near the Fukushima plant. The traces have also been found to exceed government safety limits. The news spread and is causing distress to the large number of Japanese citizens who are still reeling under the deadly impact of the tsunami and earthquake that has robbed everything they have worked for in their lifetime.

State Secretary of Health Minister Yoko Komiyama confirming the fears said that consuming the tainted milk for a year would mean consuming enough radiation that would come forth from a CT scan. Extremely small traces were also detected in tap water and fears of any health risks from them were ruled out.

The samples for testing were collected from farms in and around the nuclear power plant that also produce rice, melons and peaches. The fears could impact food supplies within Japan as well as foof exports with many nations in the process of checking for radioactive traces in Japan food imports.

Especially worrisome was the iodine levels in spinach that exceeded safety limits by 7 times according to a food safety official. The excessive iodine levels could increase chances of thyroid cancer. The other possibility is detecting traces of Cesium that also poses hazardous health risks.

Farmers are especially worried since the crops will have less takers over contamination fears.

OneIndia News

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Afghan forces to take control in 7 areas: Karzai

Kabul, Mar 22: Afghan President Hamid Karzai today said that his security forces will soon take charge of security in seven areas around the nation, the first step toward his goal of having Afghan police and soldiers protecting the entire nation by the end of 2014.

In a speech today in Kabul, Karzai said the provincial capitals of Lashkar Gah in southern Afghanistan, Herat in the west, Mazer-e-Sharif in the north and Mehterlam in the east are slated for transition from NATO-led forces to Afghan soldiers and police beginning in July.

In addition, all of Bamiyan and Panshir provinces, which have seen little to no fighting, are on the transition list. Also slated for transition is Kabul province except for the restive Surobi district, which is along a main route to the Pakistan border and in proximity to dangerous areas of neighbouring provinces, he said.

"The Afghan nation doesn't want the defence of this country to be in the hands of others anymore," Karzai told hundreds of dignitaries and Afghan police and soldiers at the National Military Academy of Afghanistan in the capital.

He struck a nationalistic chord in his speech, which was peppered with criticism of the international effort. Karzai said that the transition process would expand from the capitals to the provinces.

"This is our responsibility to raise our flag with honor and pride," he said.

Karzai also reiterated his call for the Taliban to join the peace process. He also said that night raids, civilian casualties and irresponsible arrests have bolstered the insurgency. The death of civilians must end, he said.

A series of recent airstrikes that have lead to the death of numerous civilians have seriously eroded relations between Karzai and the US-led military coalition.

He emphasised that the war against militants should not be fought in the villages of Afghanistan, but should be directed at the "roots and safe havens."

It was a veiled reference to neighbouring Pakistan where insurgents plot attacks out of reach of Afghan and coalition troops.

AP

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Mohamed ElBaradei attacked by mob; fails to cast vote

Monday, March 21, 2011, 8:18 [IST]Cairo, Mar 21: While the situation in Egypt is slowly limping back to normal, the latest attack on Mohamed ElBaradei, Nobel laureate and star reformer who played catalyst in the ouster of Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has hampered the peace efforts in the country. The attack happened yesterday.

An angry mob attacked ElBaradei who held the reins of the reform movement in Egypt yesterday without any provocation. The country is taking the first steps towards democracy with elections being carried out on Saturday.

ElBaradei was attacked by a group of men who smashed his car windows and pelted stones at him. He was not injured in the attack but was forced to flee from the place. He had arrived to cast his vote in a referendum that seeks to adopt a package of constitutional amendments that would allow new parliamentary and presidential elections. The elections are planned to be held later this year or early next year. He could not cast his vote in the melee.

His supporters along with him are of the opinion that the changes need not be implemented immediately opining that it was too soon to carry out such reforms. There are also serious apprehensions that if an early voting is carried out, the radical group, the Muslim Brotherhood will get an unfair advantage taking into account the highly volatile situation.

While the Egyptian turmoil triggered a wave of protest across the Middle East the country was rooting for the ouster of the dictatorial administration of Mubarak and pave way for a more democratic way of governance. The first phase of voting enjoyed a good response, with officials saying that the polls received "unprecedented response". An estimated 45 million voters gathered to cast their vote for constitutional reforms and to go through elections in the next 6 months.

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Libya a warning to Mideast authoritarians: Ban

Cairo, Mar 21: The Libya war and revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia should be a warning to authoritarian leaders in the Middle East and North Africa still ordering forces to shoot demonstrators, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said.

Ban, who has castigated the king of Bahrain and strongly condemned the repression of demonstrations in Yemen and Syria in recent days, told AFP as he began a trip to Egypt and Tunisia today that other nations have a duty to speak out.

"It is clear that a wind of change is sweeping this region," he said in an interview.

"The international community, while we closely follow the situation, has a responsibility to help those people, so that leaders could hear clearly and sincerely the voices of the people, their aspirations."

The UN secretary general said leaders in Bahrain, Yemen and Syria must have seen the uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt and now Libya where Muammar Gaddafi's brutal crackdown led to UN-sanctioned military strikes.

"We are living in an era of globalisation and communications, so they must have been following and they must have been listening to what the international community expects them to do," Ban said.

"I have been talking to all the leaders in the region, all the leaders without exception, every day, urging them to take bold reform measures that respect the will of their people and ensure freedom of speech." In Syria, security forces have shot and killed several demonstrators in the southern town of Deraa.

Ban last week called for "genuine reforms, not repression." In the Yemeni capital Sanaa, more than 50 demonstrators have been killed.

The UN chief condemned the government and yesterday said he doubted that President Ali Abdullah Saleh''s decision to sack the government would calm the population.

Ban spoke with the Bahrain's monarch, King Hamad, last week to highlight his "deepest concern over reports of excessive and indiscriminate use of force by security forces and police in Bahrain." He warned that their actions could breach international humanitarian law.

The Arab League was instrumental in getting the UN Security Council to pass Resolution 1973 last week which approved military action against Gaddafi.

Ban has called the resolution "historic" because it "affirms unequivocally, the international community's determination to fulfill its responsibility to protect civilians from violence perpetrated upon them by their own government."

AFP

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Forces bomb Gadhafi's residence; coalition pounds Libya

Tripoli, Mar 21: US and UK are continuing its offensive in Libya and today is the third day of air strikes battering Libya. The allied forces is turning no stone unturned to bring peace to the region. Muammar Gaddafi, however still remained in his defiant stand.

A stray cruise missile landed inside the compound of Gaddafi destroying the administrative building completely. The Bab al-Aziziya compound also houses his residence and is located 50 metres from the building, revealed Moussa Ibrahim, Libyan spokesperson. He added, “This was a barbaric bombing which could have hit hundreds of civilians gathered at the residence of Muammar Gaddafi about 400 metres away from the building which was hit."

The Western world is hoping to put an end to the crisis that has crippled the country with casualties rising everyday and is abiding by the United Nations directive for a no-fly zone over Libya. With more countries joining in the coalition with the latest entrants being Belgium and Qatar, Gaddafi has called for a ceasefire over rising coalition power. "I sincerely hope and urge the Libyan authorities to keep their word," said the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

The new ceasefire call by Gaddafi has raised suspicions with the Pentagon over its credibility. Gaddafi, however said that it was heeding an African Union call for an immediate end to hostilities. But the US rubbished this claim saying that they themselves did not obey the truce call. But anti-Gaddafi potestors welcomed the air strikes aimed at the Gaddafi stronghold.

The Libyan spokesperson added, “Western countries say they want to protect civilians while they bomb the residence knowing there are civilians inside." There are also widespread reports that the Pentagon had given clear instructions on not to bomb Gaddafi's residence and still carried out an attack that could have been deadly. The unnamed US official said that neither Gaddafi nor his residence was the intended target.

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US to hand over Libyan operation command to France or UK

Washington, Mar 21: US Defence Secretary Robert Gates today said that his country expects to hand over the leadership of the military operations against Libyan regime to a coalition likely to be headed by either the French, the British or NATO in a matter of days.

"I think that there are a couple of possibilities: one is British and French leadership, another is the use of the NATO machinery and I think we just have to work out the command and control that is most accommodating to all of the members of the coalition," Gates told reporters travelling with him to Russia.

Claiming a "strong and successful" start of the operation ''Operation Odyssey Dawn'' in Libya, he said several Arab countries are planning to joint the military coalition.

He conceded that Arab nations are reluctant to work under the command and control structure of NATO forces, so this would be kept in mind while deciding the leadership of the coalition.

"I think that there is a sensitivity on the part of the Arab League to being seen to be operating under a NATO umbrella, and so the question is if there is a way we can work out NATO's command and control machinery without it being a NATO mission and without a NATO flag and so on," Gates said.

Reiterating that there would be no US boots on the ground in Libya, Gates said but it is pretty clear that the US agreed to use its unique capabilities and the breadth of those capabilities at the frontend of this process, and then it expects "in a matter of days" to be able to turn over the primary responsibility to others.

"We will continue to support the coalition. We'll be a member of the coalition. We will have a military role in the coalition, but we will not have the preeminent role," he said.

US President Barack Obama, he said, felt strongly about limiting the scale of US military involvement in this operation.

"He's more aware than almost anybody of the stress on our military. But these naval and air assets that we can bring to bear have clearly played an important role here at the frontend and we will continue to play a role, but we will be one of a number of partners beginning, I hope, in a few days," he said.

Gates said all countries probably would like to see Libya remain a unified state. Having states in the region begin to break up because of internal differences is a formula for real instability in the future, he observed.

"So I think trying to keep these states as unified states as they have been for some period of time is important.

I don''t think we ought to do anything to encourage partition or division of these countries. I think that would be a real formula for enduring instability," he argued.

US-led Western forces have unleashed over 100 Tomahawk cruise missiles on military targets in Tripoli and along the Mediterranean coast in last two days.

PTI

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Coalition air strikes hits Gaddafi's command centre in Tripoli

Tripoli/Washington, Mar 21: Coalition air-strikes bombed Libya's air defence systems for a second night in which a missile flattened a building housing Muammar Gaddafi's command centre very close to his private residence in Tripoli, even as the US insisted he is not on the target list.

The missile launched during operations by the US and European forces to patrol the no-fly zone destroyed what one coalition official described today as Gaddafi's "command and control capability" inside the Libyan leader's compound at Bab el-Aziziya in south of capital Tripoli.

It was unclear where Gaddafi(68) was at the time of the strike on his air defences as part of a renewed allied assault on Libya involving British submarines and RAF Tornado jets.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said the US expects to turn control of the Libya military mission over to a coalition probably headed either by the French and British or by NATO "in a matter of days."

The three-storey administrative building which was flattened is about 50 metres from Gaddafi's iconic tent where the Libyan strongman generally meets guests in Tripoli. It was hit by a missile, Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim told reporters who were taken to the site by bus.

"This was a barbaric bombing which could have hit hundreds of civilians gathered at the residence of Muammar Gaddafi about 400 metres away from the building which was hit," Ibrahim said.

Smoke was seen rising from within the heavily fortified compound which houses Gaddafi's private quarters as well as military barracks and other installations. A Libyan official displayed to reporters a piece of shrapnel, apparently from the missile, at the ruined building.

Pentagon spokesman Vice-Admiral William Gortney at a news briefing at Washington said, "We are not going after Gaddafi. At this particular point I can guarantee he is not on the target list."

Gortney also said it had no evidence of civilian casualties in airstrikes by coalition forces over Libya.

"There is no indication of any civilian casualties," he insisted in comments that came after Tripoli's official media said the airstrikes were targeting civilian objectives and that that there were "civilians casualties as a result of this aggression."

In contrast to US position, British Defence Secretary Liam Fox suggested that Gaddafi was a legitimate target, so long as steps were taken to avoid harm to civilians around him.

Asked about Fox's remarks, Gates said it would be "unwise" to have coalition forces try to kill Gaddafi in military strikes in Libya and that the allied operation should stick to the parameters as authorized by UN Security Council.

"I think that it's important that we operate within the mandate of the UN Security Council resolution," he said.

There were also signs of unease in the Arab world over the scale and nature of the attacks.

"What has happened in Libya differs from the goal of imposing a no-fly zone, " the Arab League's secretary general Amr Mussa said.

"What we want is the protection of civilians and not bombing other civilians," Mussa said.

Asked about criticism about the air strikes from the Mussa, Gates said he was reassured by renewed support for the operation by the bloc.

Gates said governments were discussing how best to organize the military command of the operation, with Arab states reluctant to have a NATO flag over the intervention.

Gates, who was speaking on a US military plane en route to Russia, said the intervention was backed by "a very diverse coalition" and warned that expanding its goals could complicate the consensus around the UN resolution.

"If we start adding additional objectives then I think we create a problem in that respect," he said. "I also think it's unwise to set as specific goals things that you may or may not be able to achieve."

Initially, the goal was to shut down Gaddafi's air force to safeguard civilians, he said.

"The key is to first of all, establish the no-fly zone, to prevent him from using his military forces to slaughter his own people," he said.

Gates also said that the US expects to turn control of the Libya military mission over to a coalition probably headed either by the French and British or by NATO "in a matter of days."

In his first public remarks since the start of the bombings, Gates said President Barack Obama felt very strongly about limiting America's role in the operation, adding that the president is "more aware than almost anybody of the stress on the military."

"We agreed to use our unique capabilities and the breadth of those capabilities at the front of this process, and then we expected in a matter of days to be able to turn over the primary responsibility to others," Gates said. "We will continue to support the coalition, we will be a member of the coalition, we will have a military role in the coalition, but we will not have the preeminent role."

Gates' comments came as American ships and aircraft continued to pound Libya, taking out key radar, communications and surface-to-air missile sites along its Mediterranean coast. Even as his military was under siege, Gaddafi has vowed to endure through a long war against what he called colonial crusader aggression by the international coalition.

PTI

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Gaddafi threatens Mediterranean war following "aggressive" international air strikes in Libya

Sunday, March 20, 2011, 10:45 [IST]Tripoli, Mar 20: Colonel Muammar Qaddafi has warned that the "aggressive, and foolish" international air and missile strikes inside Libya have turned North Africa and the Mediterranean Sea into a "real war zone."

"The interests of the involved countries will be subjected to threats as of now in the Mediterranean Sea because of this aggressive, foolish act that's completely unjustifiable, other than it is a mere crusader colonial aggression that aims to launch a second wide ranging crusader campaign," CBS News quoted Gaddafi, as saying.

In his latest statement, the dictator fell short of blaming al Qaeda over the uprising, but instead urged other nations and people to stand by Libya to fight off "colonial aggression."

Qaddafi said that the aggressive actions in Libya are "only making this people stronger, tougher, more united within an internal and united national front. Right now, weapons depots are being opened in order to arm the people with all sorts of weapons, in order to enable them to defend Libya's independence its unity and its Honour."

ANI

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Gaddafi flees from Libya? Bombing continues

Tripoli, Mar 21: Following the simultaneous bombings at Muammar Gaddafi's residence by the forces from United States and United Kingdom, sources informed that no trace of the rigid Libya leader has been found yet. From Sunday (Mar 20) midnight, forces started bombing, sources reported. The news raised question - has Gaddafi fled from Libya?

Arab media on Monday, Mar 21 reported that one of the sons of Gaddafi, Khamis Gaddafi died in hospital. Khamis was injured during the bombings at Gaddafi's residence.

A stray cruise missile landed inside the compound of Gaddafi destroying the administrative building completely. The Bab al-Aziziya compound also houses his residence and is located 50 metres from the building, revealed Moussa Ibrahim, Libyan spokesperson. He added, "This was a barbaric bombing which could have hit hundreds of civilians gathered at the residence of Muammar Gaddafi about 400 metres away from the building which was hit."

The Western world is hoping to put an end to the crisis that has crippled the country with casualties rising everyday and is abiding by the United Nations directive for a no-fly zone over Libya. With more countries joining in the coalition with the latest entrants being Belgium and Qatar, Gaddafi has called for a ceasefire over rising coalition power. "I sincerely hope and urge the Libyan authorities to keep their word," said the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

The new ceasefire call by Gaddafi has raised suspicions with the Pentagon over its credibility. Gaddafi, however said that it was heeding an African Union call for an immediate end to hostilities. But the US rubbished this claim saying that they themselves did not obey the truce call. But anti-Gaddafi protesters welcomed the air strikes aimed at the Gaddafi stronghold.

The Libyan spokesperson added, "Western countries say they want to protect civilians while they bomb the residence knowing there are civilians inside." There are also widespread reports that the Pentagon had given clear instructions on not to bomb Gaddafi's residence and still carried out an attack that could have been deadly. The unnamed US official said that neither Gaddafi nor his residence was the intended target.

OneIndia News

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Muammar Gaddafi must go: Barack Obama

Washington, Mar 22: US President Barack Obama has asserted that it is America's policy that the Libyan leader, Muammar Al Gaddafi must go and his Administration has multiple tolls to ensure that this goal is achieved.

"It is US policy that Gaddafi needs to go. We have got a wide range of tools in addition to our military efforts to support that policy.

We were very rapid in initiating unilateral sanctions and then helping to mobilize international sanctions against the Gadhafi regime," the US President said during a joint news conference with his Chilean counterpart Sebastian Pinera in Santiago, Chile.

Obama said the US military action is in support of an international mandate from the Security Council that specifically focuses on the humanitarian threat posed by Colonel Gaddafi to his people.

"Not only was he carrying out murders of civilians, but he threatened more; he said very specifically: We will show no mercy to people who live in Benghazi," he said.

"In the face of that, the international community rallied and said, we have to stop any potential atrocities inside of Libya, and provided a broad mandate to accomplish that specific task.

As part of that international coalition, I authorized the US military to work with our international partners to fulfill that mandate," Obama said.

The US froze assets that Gaddafi might have used to further empower himself and purchase weapons or hire mercenaries that might be directed against the Libyan people, he said.

"So there are a whole range of policies that we are putting in place that has created one of the most powerful international consensuses around the isolation of Mr.

Gaddafi, and we will continue to pursue those," he added.

However, America's military action is in support of the UN Security Resolution 1973. That specifically talks about humanitarian efforts.

"We are going to make sure that we stick to that mandate," he said.

"With respect to initiating this action while I was abroad, keep in mind that we were working on very short time frames. We had done all the work, and it was just a matter of seeing how Gaddafi would react to the warning that I issued on Friday", the US President Obama said.

"After consultation with our allies, we decided to move forward. And it was a matter of me directing Secretary of Defense (Robert) Gates and Admiral (Mike) Mullen that the plan that had been developed in great detail extensively prior to my departure was put into place," he added.

PTI

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Kate Middleton 'gets keys to 500K fleet of Jaguar XJ limos for big day'

London, Mar 20: It's official! Jaguar has been selected as the vehicle to chauffeur bride-to be Kate Middleton to next month's royal wedding venue.

It has emerged that Middleton has been handed the keys to a 500,000-pound fleet of Jaguars, reports the Daily Star.

Palace aides, organising the big day, have taken delivery of seven new top-of-the-range Jaguar XJ limos for the wedding. The five-litre British-made motors were dispatched from the firm, based in Castle Bromwich in the West Midlands, earlier this month.

Middleton has already said she does not want to arrive at the Westminster Abbey service on Apr 29 in a traditional horse-drawn carriage.

And it is understood palace aides felt that vintage royal Rolls-Royces and Bentleys might be 'too stuffy' for her and Prince William.

"When the Prince of Wales was attacked by students in his Rolls-Royce, it sent a message out about what people think is acceptable," said one aide.

"People seem to think this sort of show of wealth is just too much," the aide added.

It is understood that Middleton will have the pick of the motors for her own use n the big day, with several kept as back-ups in case of mechanical problems.

The supercharged Jaguars reach 60mph in just 4.7 -seconds and they can also top 155mph on the straight.

The remaining Jags will be used by royal minders and to ferry -senior aides and guests from the Abbey to Buckingham Palace.

"They are a modern young couple who like to do things their own way in their own style," said a senior palace aide.

"Miss Middleton might feel a bit daft rattling around with her father in the back of a vast Rolls-Royce Phantom on their way to the Abbey," he added.

Meanwhile, Jaguar remained tight-lipped on the matter.

"Due to demands on security, we are not at liberty to discuss any vehicles sent to the royal household," said a company -spokesman.

ANI

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Ex-Israeli president jailed for rape

Jerusalem, Mar 22: Disgraced former president Moshe Katsav was today sentenced to seven years in jail after being convicted of charges of rape and other sexual assault offences, making him the highest-ranking Israeli leader sent to prison.

The District Court panel also handed him two years of probation and ordered him to pay compensation of 125,000 Israeli Shekels (USD 35,000) to his two women victims who were only identified as ''Aleph'' and ''L''.

The sentence was passed by two of the three judges in the panel. Katsav was convicted in December 2010 of rape, sexual harassment, indecent acts and obstruction of justice, following a four year old scandal that shocked the Jewish state. Katsav is the highest-ranking Israeli leader sent to prison.

''Aleph'' will receive USD 28,000 while ''L'' will get USD 7,000.

Reading out the sentence judge George Kara observed that "the defendant committed the crime" and "like every other person he must bear the consequences."

"No one is above law," the judge said, adding due to the severity of the crime, the punishment must be clear and precise.

The ruling ended the trial that lasted 18 months during which harrowing accusations were made in the court, depicting Katsav as a sexual predator who routinely harassed his female staff.

The former head of state was accused of twice raping ''Aleph'' during his term as tourism minister and sexually assaulting two other women, while he was a president.

An unrepentant 65-year-old Katsav shouted "this is a victory of lies" as the sentence was read out and vowed to go in appeal. He has 45-days to appeal against his sentence.

The former President broke down in tears upon hearing the judges decision, saying " they are wrong. They made a serious mistake. it will be proven. The lie won today, you will all see." "The women know that they lied. I was not given a chance to defend myself...you kept interrupting my testimony", he added.

Katsav was forced to resign as president and hand over the reigns to his political rival Shimon Peres.

The former President will begin serving his sentence on May 8, 2011 after his lawyers struck a deal with Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein to give him a month and a half to prepare for his prison term.

In December, the Tel Aviv District Court judges, George Karra, Judith Shevach and Miriam Sokolov, handed down a unanimous verdict on the Katsav case convicting him of charges of sexual offences.

"The crime of rape damages and destroys a person's soul...Due to the severity of the crime, the punishment must be clear and precise," the judges said.

"The defendant committed the crime and like every other person, he must bear the consequences. No man is above the law," they added.

Katsav was convicted of raping and sexually assaulting A, a former employee of the Tourism Ministry while he was the minister.

He was also found guilty of sexually harassing H. and of sexually abusing and harassing L. from the President's Residence and obstruction of justice.

The year-long trial took place almost entirely behind closed doors and left the public wondering whether the 65-year-old former Israeli leader was wise to drop out of a plea bargain two years ago.

The plea deal meant Katsav would not face the most serious charges and promised him a suspended sentence at worse, but the former president decided to prove his innocence in court.

"I am not vengeful, but I think the court should send a message. Regardless of how many years he spends in prison, (Katsav) will always be a villain, victim A. was quoted by her associates as telling Ynetnews.

"The number of years (sentence) is not the issue here, but the harsh verdict, which proved that Katsav committed these despicable acts and raped me," she said.

Women organisations surrounded the court shouting slogans against the former Israeli President and urging the judges to handover a severe judgement.

PTI

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Wyclef Jean shot during campaigning in Haiti

Port-au-Prince, Mar 20: Popular Haitian musician and hip-hop star Wyclef Jean, has been shot. The singer/performer was attacked at in the Haitian capital while he was campaigning for the presidential candidate Michel Martelly. He suffered injuries to his right hand when the bullet pieced him and his condition is believed to be stable.

A member of the music group 'The Fugees', he is also a politician and had filed his nomination in the Presidential elections in 2010. He was later disqualified for not having been a resident of Haiti for 5 years. After the debacle, he was campaigning vigorously for Martelly.

Haiti has slowly started crawling back to life after a deadly earthquake ripped the Caribbean country resulting in a death toll of around 92,000 people and thousands homeless.

The Presidential elections to be held today (Mar 20) will see 4.7 million voters choose their leader. The top contenders are Michel Martelly, a singer and entertainer and a recent arrival in the political scene and Mirlande Manigat, the former first lady and a law professor by profession.

The first round of voting on Nov 28 was marred by allegations and unrest. The elections are being supported by the United Nations to choose the people's leader for a country that is constantly disaster-stricken and is considered the world's poorest .

The 41 year old singer wanted to bring reforms in the regime. His staff declared through twitter, "We have spoken to Wyclef, he is ok. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers."

OneIndia News

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Insider trading trial: Jury hears more tapes

New York, Mar 22: Jurors at the insider trading trial of Raj Rajaratnam have listened to more wiretaps that prosecutors say show disgraced former Intel executive Rajiv Goel provided secret information about pending technology industry deals to Sri Lanka-born billionaire.

The prosecution yesterday played a secretly recorded phone conversation between Goel and Rajaratnam, who is the main accused in the biggest insider trading case to hit US courts in decades.

In a Mar 19, 2008 call, Goel told Galleon Group founder, Rajaratnam, that Intel was planning to make a USD 1 billion investment in a new joint venture with Clearwire and others to develop an ultra-fast wireless Internet service, The New York Times reported.

Rajaratnam allegedly purchased through a Galleon technology fund 125,800 shares of Clearwire on Mar 24, 2008, based on inside information provided by Goel about the venture, according to the Wall Street Journal.

"Intel has a board meeting, in fact, today," Goel can be heard telling Rajaratnam.

Goel has already pleaded guilty to giving Rajaratnam insider tips. The main question of this case is whether Rajaratnam, 53, made USD 45 million by using leaked confidential information.

His lawyers say that Rajaratnam conducted his business based on information that was already in the public domain and through research.

Out of the 26 people arrested in this case, 19 have pleaded guilty. Rajaratnam, however, denies any wrongdoing but could face up to 20 years in prison, if found guilty.

A government witness, Sriram Viswanathan, a senior Intel executive, told the jury that Goel had access to confidential information regarding a deal -- nicknamed Project Rain  that Intel was having about creating a new 4G wireless network.

The information included details like how much money Intel might invest, which Goel shared with Rajaratnam, NYT reported.

Earlier in the day, Margaret Holloway, a senior credit analyst for Moody's Investors Service, testified that she gave confidential information about Hilton''s planned sale to Blackstone Group LP to a junior analyst, Deep Shah, WSJ reported.

Shah is believed to be in India. Rajaratnam allegedly got the information from a woman called Roomy Khan, who got it from the Moody analyst, and then he bought up shares in the hotel chain before the 2007 buyout.

Rajaratnam's lawyers argued that information about the deal was already in the public domain.

PTI

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Coalition bombards Gaddafi's command centre near his home

Tripoli/Cairo, Mar 21: Western forces intensified strikes on Libyan defence targets flattening a command centre close to Muammar Gaddafi's private residence, as more nations joined the campaign in Libya and the Arab League declared its commitment to the UN-mandated action after initially voicing concerns over the bombardment.

US President Barack Obama said today that he favours the Libyan leader's ouster from power but added that the UN-authorised effort's was limited to establishing a no-fly zone over Libya and protecting civilians.

Obama said the United States would transfer leadership of the military operation to other, unnamed participants within a matter of days, not weeks, but he declined to provide a more precise timetable. Obama, however, said that it was US policy that Gaddafi needs to go.

British Prime Minister David Cameron also said that there is no decent future for Libya with Gaddafi but the coalition had no legal authority for bringing out a regime change.

The western powers denied that civilians had been killed in their operations which got underway after the UN Security Council (UNSC) gave its nod for imposing a ''no fly'' zone over Libya.

A rebel spokesman, meanwhile, said at least 40 people had died today in fire from Gaddafi's forces in Misrata.

A coalition official said Gaddafi''s "command and control capability" inside the Libyan leader's compound at Bab el-Aziziya in south of capital Tripoli had been demolished.

It was unclear where Gaddafi was at the time of the strike on his air defences as part of a renewed allied assault on Libya involving British submarines and RAF Tornado jets.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said the US expects to turn control of the Libya military mission over to a coalition probably headed either by the French and British or by NATO "in a matter of days".

The Arab League which had earlier voiced concern over civilian casualties in the bombardment, later got back behind the campaign.

Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa declared his commitment to the UN-mandated action after a meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and talks with Cameron.

"What has happened in Libya differs from the goal of imposing a no-fly zone," Amr Mussa had earlier said.

"What we want is the protection of civilians and not bombing other civilians," Mussa said.

The three-storey administrative building which was flattened is about 50 metres from Gaddafi's iconic tent where the Libyan strongman generally meets guests in Tripoli. It was hit by a missile, Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim told reporters who were taken to the site by bus.

PTI

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US fighter jet Strike Eagle F-15 crashes in Libya

Tuesday, March 22, 2011, 17:47 [IST]Benghazi (Libya), Mar 22: United States military said on Tuesday, Mar 22 that its Air Force fighter jet, F-15 Strike Eagle, crashed in Libya during the air strikes.

US military officials added that the both crew members ejected safely and one of them was recovered. Special mission was launched to recover the other pilot. Some sources reported that recovered pilot with minor injuries was rescued by rebel Libyan soldiers.

A spokesman for the Africa Command, Vince Crawley said that crash was happened due to a mechanical failure and it was "not due to enemy or hostile actions". He refused to give more details on the crash as the second crew member is still missing.

OneIndia News

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Google's Gmail accusation not acceptable: China

Tuesday, March 22, 2011, 15:42 [IST]Beijing, Mar 22: Responding to Google's accusations of interfering Gmail services, China said on Tuesday, Mar 22 that it was not acceptable. Beijing officials rejected Google's accusations without commenting much on the matter.

"This is an unacceptable accusation," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told during a regular news conference.

Earlier on Monday, Mar 21, the search engine giant Google accused that Chinese Communist government of interfering its popular email service, Gmail. Google said that government's intervene makes it difficult for Chinese Gmail users to access the service.

"There is no technical issue on our side; we have checked extensively. This is a government blockage carefully designed to look like the problem is with Gmail," Google said in a brief statement.

Google has been facing strict censorship from Chinese government since Jan 2010. Recently, Google decided to reduce its presence in China.

OneIndia News

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Efforts to reconnect power lines resume at Fukushima N-plant

Tokyo/Fukushima, Mar 22: Battling to avert a widespread disaster, emergency workers at Japan's quake- crippled Fukushima nuclear plant today stepped up efforts to cool overheating reactors and restore power, as authorities sought the US military's help in tackling the "extremely tough" situation.

The critical work at the plant was stalled yesterday after smoke rose from No.2 and No.3 reactors, sparking fears of fresh radiation leaks from the area rocked by the March 11 quake of magnitude 9 and devastating tsunami that left nearly 22,000 people dead or unaccounted for in Japan''s northeast.

Although white smoke, possibly steam, was still found to be billowing from the buildings housing the No.2 and No.3 reactors, the plant's operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said it was not obstructing electricity restoration work.

Firefighters and the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) personnel were also ready to restart their mission to spray tonnes of coolant water onto spent nuclear fuel pools at the No.3 and No.4 reactors, according to TEPCO.

An external power source was connected to the No.4 reactor this morning, making it the fifth of the plant's six reactors to have regained the power supply needed for the restoration of a ventilation system to filter radioactive substances from the air and some measuring tools at the control room, Kyodo news agency reported.

Following the powerful quake and tsunami, the cooling functions failed at the No.1, No.2 and No.3 reactors and their cores are believed to have partially melted.

Defence Minister Toshimi Kitazawa said that the smoke rising from the No.2 reactor were vapours caused by water-discharging operations. He said the blackish smoke was detected yesterday at the No.3 reactor as some rubble had caught fire following a rise in temperature.

Japanese defence authorities have also sought support of the US military to jointly tackle the ongoing nuclear crisis and coordination is underway, Kitazawa said.

SDF helicopters will begin measuring "drastically changing" temperatures at the plant daily except for rainy days to "relieve people''s concerns," instead of the earlier planned twice a week, he said.

Industry Minister Banri Kaieda said separately that the situation remained "extremely tough."

"It is difficult to say that things are showing progress...," he was quoted as saying.

PTI

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Radioactive substances in seawater near Japan plant

Osaka, Mar 22: High levels of radioactive substances have been detected in seawater near a quake-crippled nuclear power plant in Japan, its operator said early today.

The substances were detected in seawater which was sampled yesterday about 100 metres south of the Fukushima No 1 plant, a Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) official said, stressing it was not a threat to human health.

"Normally, such radioactive substances are not detected in the area," said Naoki Tsunoda, adding that the company will continue monitoring at the same point and in other areas.

TEPCO said the level of iodine-131 was 126.7 times higher and caesium-134 was 24.8 times higher than government-set standards.

The level of caesium-137 was also 16.5 times higher while that of cobalt-58 was lower than the standard, said Tsunoda.

A 9.0-magnitude quake and ensuing tsunami on March 11 devastated Japan''s northeastern Pacific coast, knocking out the plant's cooling systems and leaving it on the brink of a catastrophic meltdown.

Helicopters and fire trucks have been deployed to pour water over heating fuel rods at the plant since Thursday.

AFP

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2 Indians among crew of Italian ship detained in Tripoli

Rome, Mar 20: Italy is ready to use all possible means to free the 11-strong crew, including two Indians, of an Italian high-seas tugboat being held in the Libyan port of Tripoli, Defence Minister Ignazio La Russa said today.

"We are on standby for an evacuation of the detained tugboat crew by all possible means," he told Rai 3 television.

Armed men, including one who claimed to be the harbour master, detained the crew comprising eight Italians, two Indians and one Ukrainian and were holding them on board the 75-metre ship, officials and media reports said.

"This is a delicate situation which the harbour master's office and the foreign ministry are monitoring. When they ask us to intervene, we will do so, but that does not depend solely on the defense ministry," La Russa said.

Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said it was unclear why the men had been seized but that Rome did not exclude a kidnapping.

"We don't know what are the intentions of the men who seized the 11 crew members yesterday, but we cannot exclude a kidnapping," the minister said during a telephone call to an Italian television programme.

The ANSA news agency quoted sources as saying the action occurred yesterday afternoon shortly before French warplanes launched air strikes at the start of a Western military operation against Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi's forces.

The tugboat was discharging Libyan employees of the Libyan oil firm NOC at the time.

A crisis team of the Italian foreign ministry was monitoring the situation and was in touch with the tugboat's owner, August Offshore, a company based in the southern Italian port of Naples that specialises in assisting oil rigs as well as exploration and production activities.

AFP

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N Koreans told to use pets as quake warning: report

Seoul, Mar 20: North Korea advised its citizens today to use their pets as an early-warning system for earthquakes, amid heightened fears following Japan's quake-tsunami disaster.

Governments worldwide have focused on ensuring their alert systems go some way to protecting them against the horror wreaked by natural disasters such as the massive tremor and giant waves which killed thousands in Japan on Mar 11.

While Pyongyang has also told North Koreans about the technology it has in place to anticipate disasters, state media urged the public to take note when animals behave oddly.

The Sunday edition of Rodong Sinmun, a newspaper of the North's ruling party, and a report yesterday from the official Korean Central New Agency warned that people should beware if they see dogs barking incessantly, cattle refusing to eat or horses constantly trying to storm out of stables.

Evidence of the reliability of animal behaviour in predicting quakes remains mixed, although National Geographic reported after the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami that many species fled to safety before the catastrophe.

Elephants ran for higher ground, dogs refused to go outdoors and flamingos abandoned their low-lying breeding areas, nationalgeographic.com reported.

"The belief that wild and domestic animals possess a sixth sense -- and know in advance when the earth is going to shake -- has been around for centuries," the magazine said.
It is thought that low-frequency electromagnetic signals may cause animals to behave unusually before an earthquake.

The state-run Korean Central TV station aired a series of programmes last week on how to respond to government quake alerts, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said.

The programmes detailed how the alerts would be issued via sirens and bells in case of emergency and advised people to evacuate to open spaces such as nearby parks

AFP

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Egyptians vote for constitutional amendments

Cairo, Mar 21: In the first ever referendum held in Egypt in the post-Mubarak era, the country has given an overwhelming mandate in favour of constitutional amendments. According to official results declared on Mar 20, more than 77 percent of the voters have endorsed the amendments proposed by Egypt's supreme judicial committee.

Nearly 41 million Egyptians cast their votes on Mar 19, which is nearly 41 percent of the country's total population and according to analysts is a much better figure than the 10 percent turnouts in Mubarak regime.

Egyptians, according to the referendum have approved a package of nine amendments, most of which deals with elections. One proposed amendment suggests loosening of the requirement for independent candidates aspiring for the presidency. And in another major amendment, there is a suggestion to limit presidency to two four-year terms as opposed to the current limitless tenure in office.

According to reports, the National Democratic Party and the Muslim Brotherhood, urged a yes vote on the referendum. While other opposition parties, including the youth activists who led the uprising against Hosni Mubarak opted for a no on the proposed amendments and instead preferred to draft a new constitution.

With the majority going in favour of the constitutional amendments, the stage is now set for a parliamentary election, which according to the ruling military council will be held in June.

Egyptians had earlier in 2011 launched a massive protest asking for the immediate step down of Hosni Mubarak who had clung on to power for three decades. The protests, aided by the usage of social networking sites Facebook and Twitter, came to its logical conclusion when the country's military forced Mubarak to step down and thus paving a way to usher in new democratic changes in the African nation.

OneIndia News

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Grayish smoke billowing from quake hit Japanese reactor

Tokyo/Fukushima, Mar 21: Workers attempting to salvage Japan's tsunami hit Fukushima nuclear reactor had to be evacuated after smoke was seen billowing in a latest in a series of troubles to hit the moves to stabilise the radiation leaking plant.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan said slow but "steady progress" is being made in tackling the brewing crisis at the quake-hit Fukushima nuclear power plant.

"Grayish smoke was seen coming out from a building that houses the No.3 reactor of the troubled atomic unit and Tokyo Electric Power Co., which runs the unit said that workers had been "temporarily" asked to evacuate.

Kan also told a Cabinet-level emergency disaster headquarters meeting held at his office that he will gear up for reconstruction of the eastern Japan areas pummeled by the Mar 11 earthquake and ensuing tsunami, the Kyodo reported.

Meanwhile, the death toll from the Mar 11 earthquake and tsunami that hit northeastern and eastern Japan and the number of those reported missing touched to near 22,000 as of today, the National Police Agency said, Kyodo reported.

After the smoke was spotted at the southeast of the building around 3:55 p.m., TEPCO said it had temporarily evacuated its workers from the site as it assessed the situation. The amount of smoke later decreased, TEPCO added.

Japan will monitor radiation levels in the Pacific Ocean near the Fukushima plant, where firefighters have been using seawater to cool reactor units, officials said.

Following a magnitude 9.0 quake and ensuing tsunami on March 11, cooling functions of the No. 3 reactor were lost and its core is believed to have partially melted.

At present, coolant water is pumped into the reactor and a pool for spent nuclear fuel. The roof and upper walls of the building that houses the No. 3 reactor were blown off by a hydrogen explosion last week.

On Sunday, pressure in the No. 3 reactor's containment vessel temporarily rose, but it later stabilized.

The number of deaths reported in a total of 12 prefectures came to 8,649, while people reported by their relatives to be missing climbed to 13,262 in six prefectures.

Police have identified about 4,080 bodies, including 2,990 returned to their families, the agency said.

A total of about 340,000 evacuees, including those who fled from the vicinity of the troubled nuclear reactors in Fukushima Prefecture, are now staying at some 2,070 shelters set up by 16 prefectures. .

PTI

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US, UK fire missiles on Libyan defence targets

Cairo/Washington, Mar 20: US and UK have launched Tomahawk missiles on Libyan defence targets in Tripoli and along the Mediterranean coast, shortly after French warplanes flew over Benghazi to enforce the no-fly zone in the strife-torn African nation.

More than 110 Tomahawk missiles, fired from American and British ships and submarines, hit about 20 Libyan air and missile defence targets, US Navy Vice Adm William Gortney said at a Pentagon briefing.

"Coalition forces have launched ''Operation Odyssey Dawn'' to enforce UN Security Council Resolution 1973, which protects the Libyan people from their ruler (Muammar Gaddafi)," Gortney said.

US military forces are on the leading edge of the coalition operation, taking out Libya''s integrated air and missile defence system. "The ordnance is aimed at radars and anti-aircraft sites around the capital of Tripoli and other facilities along the Mediterranean coast," the Pentagon said in a statement.

The US will conduct a damage assessment of the sites, which include SA-5 missiles and communications facilities.

Earlier, French warplanes reportedly have hit four tanks used by the Gaddafi''s forces on the outskirts of the opposition stronghold of Benghazi, on a day when opposition fighters in the city came under constant artillery and mortar fire.

However, Libyan state television reported civilian targets in Tripoli had been bombarded, as well as fuel stores in Misurata. The state news agency reported that there had been "civilian casualties as a result of this aggression".

The action by coalition forces came after their leaders approved military strikes against Gaddafi's forces.

"Today I authorised the Armed Forces of the United States to begin a limited military action in Libya in support of an international effort to protect Libyan civilians. That action has now begun," US President Barack Obama said in Brasilia.

In London, UK Prime Minister David Cameron said British forces were in action over Libya. "What we are doing is necessary, it is legal and it is right... I believe we should not stand aside while this dictator murders his own people." French President Nicolas Sarkozy, earlier, noted his country''s warplanes are already targeting Gaddafi's forces.

Meanwhile, in a brief statement on state television, Gaddafi said the air strikes marked the beginning of another "crusade", adding that the Mediterranean and North Africa were being turned into a "battleground".

He said that arms depots should be opened so that Libyans may defend themselves, Al Jazeera reported.

While, Mohammad al-Zawi, the secretary-general of the Libyan parliament, said his country was facing a "barbaric" attack, and reiterated that Libyan forces had been observing a "ceasefire".

PTI

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Detained Taliban militants shot dead: Pak Army

Islamabad, Mar 21: Five detained Taliban militants were shot dead in the northwestern Swat valley of Pakistan when they tried to snatch weapons from security personnel and escape, the Army said today.

The militants were arrested in Matta area of Swat following a tip-off from local residents a few days ago, an official of the army-run media center in Swat said.

He said the militants had told security forces that they had stored their arms in the mountainous area of Darosh Khel.

The troops took the militants to identify the location "But they tried to snatch arms from the soldiers and to escape," the official said. The troops then fired at the militants and killed them.

The bodies of the militants were handed over to police, who shifted them to a hospital for identification, the official said.

However, local residents said the slain militants were arrested during a military operation in Swat in 2009. Hundreds of militants, civilians and security personnel were killed in the operation.

Nearly two million people fled Swat and nearby Buner district as the result of the fighting and the army cleared the areas after an operation lasting several months.

Several international and Pakistani rights groups have disputed claims by the security forces that detained militants have been killed while trying to flee.

They allege that the security forces have carried out extra-judicial killings and demanded an independent inquiry into such incidents. The army has denied all such allegations.

PTI

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Two AFP journalists missing in Libya since Friday

Tobrok (Libya), Mar 21: Agence France-Presse journalists Dave Clark and Roberto Schmidt, have been missing since Friday in Libya while working in the eastern Tobruk region, the agency said.

Clark, a 38-year-old reporter, and photographer Schmidt, 45, had informed the agency in an email on Friday of their plans to head 35 kilometres (22 miles) out of Tobruk.

They planned on meeting opponents of the regime of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and speaking with refugees fleeing the battles between rebels and the loyalists.

Clark and Schmidt were accompanied by a photographer from the Getty Images agency, Joe Raedle. The three journalists have not been heard of since sending the email Friday night.

Paris-based Clark has been in Libya since Mar 8 while Schmidt, who normally works out of the Nairobi bureau, arrived in Libya on Feb 28.

Since the Feb 15 start of the insurrection against Gaddafi's regime, a number of foreign journalists have been arrested in Libya.

The authorities in Tripoli said they are holding four New York Times journalists after they went missing in the east of the country last Tuesday.

The paper said they were to be freed on Friday but there has been no confirmation that they were indeed released.

On Saturday the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera satellite television said that four of its journalists, including a Norwegian and a Briton, are being held in Tripoli after being arrested in Libya's west.

Al-Jazeera cameraman Ali Hassan al-Jaber was killed on March 12 in an ambush near the rebel stronghold of Benghazi -- the first reported death by a foreign media of a journalist in Libya since the start of the uprising.

AFP

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More trouble for Yemen Prez; 3 top generals join opposition

New York, Mar 22: Three top generals of Yemen, including Major General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, have thrown their support behind the protesters, as have several ambassadors and diplomats.

The withdrawal of support came after President Ali Abdullah Saleh ordered a violent crackdown on protestors who have been demanding his ouster for more than a month. Government snipers killed more than 40 people Friday after opening fire on crowds.

The three military commanders all hail from Saleh's Hashid tribe and tribal leaders were said to be rallying around one of the men, Major General al-Ahmar.

Yemen's embattled President Saleh is the most serious challenge to his 32-year rule after three top military leaders joined the opposition.

On Sunday, Saleh's own powerful tribe called for him to step down, as top diplomats quit and his entire cabinet was fired ahead of a mass resignation.

Saleh defiantly refused calls that he resign and insisted he still had wide support, the Daily News reports.

"We're still here... the great majority of the Yemeni people are with security, stability and constitutional law. Those who are calling for chaos, violence, hate and sabotage are only a tiny minority," he said.

Al-Ahmar had been a long-time confidante of Saleh and commander of the army's strongest armored division.

Protestors took to the streets amid uprisings across the region that have toppled leaders in Tunisia and Egypt and led to international military intervention in Libya.

ANI

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Oil prices rise on concerns about Libya and supplies

New York, Mar 21: Oil prices today climbed as energy experts warned that Libya's oil exports could be off the world market longer than expected, and countries including the US enforced a no-fly zone over Libya.

Traders also fretted about other uprisings in the Middle East and how much they would affect production among OPEC heavyweights Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Benchmark West Texas crude for May delivery gained USD 1.47 at USD 103.32 per barrel at midday on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The Apr contract, which ends tomorrow, rose USD 1.36 to USD 102.43 per barrel. Prices climbed after another violent weekend in Libya. Muammar Gaddafi vowed a long war as allied forces smashed his air defences.

A top French official today said international intervention could last awhile. Oil traders said they're increasingly concerned about political stability in North Africa and the Middle East, which produces 27 per cent of the world's oil. The Libyan uprising has halted that country's exports, and experts said it's unclear when oil shipments will resume.

Markets hate uncertainty, analyst and trader Stephen Schork said. "Could this be a protracted no-fly zone like the one we saw in Iraq" following the Persian Gulf War? Protests in Yemen, Bahrain and Syria also are destabilising the Middle East, a region that includes Saudi Arabia and Iran, two of the top three oil exporters in the world. Combined, Saudi Arabia and Iran produce 12.4 million barrels of oil per day.

Analyst Jim Ritterbusch said he expects oil prices will swing up and down this week as traders react to headlines out of the Middle East.

Meanwhile analysts said Japan will increase imports of fossil fuels to replace power lost from nuclear reactors damaged in the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck that country. Several idled oil refineries also were put back online last week.

AP

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Moderate quake shudders Philippines, Taiwan

Manila, Mar 21: After a spate of natural calamities that brought havoc to the world with the most deadly one being the tsunami and earthquake in Japan, this time a quake struck Philippines and Taiwan on Sunday afternoon. No casualties or massive damages were reported.

An earthquake with 6.1-magnitude struck areas of northern Luzon at 4:26 pm, the impact was felt even in Manila and other northern provinces. The epicenter of the quake is believed to be 122 kilometers northeast of Laoag City and occurred in a depth of 39 km.

“It’s quite big, so we are calling and checking on islands in the north, but there are no reports of damage yet,” said Ismael Narag, officer in charge of the seismology department at the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has been quoted as saying.

Another quake with lesser-intensity hit Taiwan, according to Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau at 4 pm and was centered around 45 km from Taitung county. The quake was mild at 5.9 in the Richter scale.

Philippines falls under the Pacific Ring of Fire that is considered seismically-active and are earthquake prone that covers the Pacific Ocean basin. The Ring of Fire is over 40,000 km long and touches 4 of the world’s continents as well as major island chains.

OneIndia News

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Warning "Bell" for Sri Lanka

Monday, March 21, 2011, 12:40 [IST]Chennai, Mar 21: England batsman Ian Bell is confident that his team can beat Sri Lanka in their own backyard in Saturday's World Cup quarterfinal at Colombo's R.Premadasa Stadium.
Bell said that they will draw on the memory of their one-day series win the last time they played in Sri Lanka in 2007. "We're excited to be going to Sri Lanka. That's the place we wanted to go because we had success on our last one-day tour there three winters ago and won 3-2," the Sun quoted Bell, as saying.

"But it will be tough. Sri Lanka are as good as any team in the world at the moment," he added.

Bell further said that despite the team's long season so far, they are ready to give everything in the final three games of the six-week tournament.

"You saw against the West Indies how desperate we are to win and that is a really good sign regardless of what has happened in the past few months. It's not what has gone that matters, it is what is to come that we focus on, though there is no point looking too far ahead," Bell said.

"We have three games to win it so that looks quite nice, but we don't need to look beyond Sri Lanka. If we put in a good performance there we will take a lot of confidence from it," he added.

Oneindia Cricket

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Lawless Gaddafi threatened US interests: Obama

Santiago, Mar 22: President Barack Obama assured top US lawmakers that military strikes on the forces of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's lawless regime were in the national interest of the United States.

"Left unaddressed, the growing instability in Libya could ignite wider instability in the Middle East, with dangerous consequences to the national security interests of the United States," Obama said in a letter to Republican House Speaker John Boehner and Senate President Pro Tempore Daniel Inouye.

The president also answered lawmakers publicly pressing him to detail what US forces aimed to achieve in Libya and openly worrying that "mission creep" could lead to a protracted entanglement with no defined end-point.

Obama said US strikes on Libyan air defenses and military airfields "will be limited in their nature, duration, and scope" and aimed to set the stage for a no-fly zone as called for under a UN Security Council resolution.

"United States forces are conducting a limited and well-defined mission in support of international efforts to protect civilians and prevent a humanitarian disaster," he said.

The US president asserted that "the United States has not deployed ground forces into Libya" but did not repeat past pledges not to deploy them in the future.

And he slammed Gaddafi's "illegitimate use of force," accusing him of killing "substantial numbers of civilians" and "forcing many others to flee" to neighboring countries, thus threatening to destabilize the region.

"Gaddafi's defiance of the Arab League, as well as the broader international community moreover, represents a lawless challenge to the authority of the Security Council and its efforts to preserve stability in the region.

"Gaddafi has forfeited his responsibility to protect his own citizens and created a serious need for immediate humanitarian assistance and protection, with any delay only putting more civilians at risk," said Obama.

AFP

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Windies launch strong reply against India

Sunday, March 20, 2011, 20:16 [IST]Chennai, March 20: The Windies were in the middle of a robust riposte chasing India's 268 all out as they had reached 132/2 in 25 overs. The side from the Caribbean was on course for victory thanks to an admirable stand of 57 between Darren Bravo (22) and an unbeaten Devon Smith (70*) who was motoring along with Ramnaresh Sarwan at 25 overs. R Ashwin and Suresh Raina were the only two bowlers to get a wicket.
Off-break Ashwin opened the bowling for India, but was unable to make any immediate impact as the West Indies openers began their side's innings effectively. Devon Smith took two fours off Zaheer Khan, one in the 2nd and one in the 4th over, while Kirk Edwards knocked a boundary off Ashwin in the 3rd. In between, Edwards was actually run-out by Virat Kohli, but the umpire didn't refer it upstairs and the batsman survived. Harbhajan Singh was greeted into the attack by a huge six over long off from Edwards. But in the very next over, Ashwin had the same batsman trapped in front from a decision that was referred for review. Edwards was on his way for 17 and the Windies were 33/1 in 6.2 overs.

Darren Bravo and Smith took their side to past 50 in the 12th over. In the following over, Bhajji bowled four byes after which Smith smacked him for a four. The momentum kept swinging the Windies' way as Bravo lofetd Aswin for a six and then swatted him for a four as his the visitors climbed to 73/1 in 13 overs.

But Suresh Raina then got the breakthrough in his first over when he had Bravo caught by Bhajji at long on for 22 off 29 balls. The Windies were 91/2 in 17 overs. In the 19th over, Smith smacked Rain for a four and then ran a single off him to notch up a half century off 64 balls. In the same over, the batting duo had brought up the Windies' 100.

Yuvraj Singh was brought on to bowl in the 21st over and was straight away cut for four by Smith who carted the same bowler for a six in his next over. The Windies had reached 132/2 in 25 overs.

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Yemen president sacks cabinet, crowds bury 'martyrs'

Sanaa, Mar 20: Embattled Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh sacked his government today as mourners massed in Sanaa to bury many of the 52 people gunned down by his loyalists, and more regime figures quit over the killings.

Tens of thousands of people turned out for the funerals in what witnesses said was the biggest gathering of Saleh's opponents since protests against his autocratic regime erupted in late Jan.

About 30 bodies were laid out in rows, and the square near Sanaa University overflowed with mourners who gathered under tight security and despite the state of emergency.

On Friday pro-Saleh snipers raked demonstrators in the square with bullets from surrounding rooftops, in an attack which more than doubled the death toll from several weeks of unrest to around 80.

The violence drew condemnation from the United Nations, the European Union and the United States, which sees Saleh as a key partner in battling al-Qaeda in the region.

Saleh suffered a further blow with the resignation today of Yemen's ambassador to the United Nations, Abdullah Alsaidi, and human rights minister Huda al-Baan in protest at the deadly attacks on demonstrators.

"Abdullah Alsaidi has submitted his resignation to protest at the use of violence against demonstrators," a foreign ministry official said.

The defections add to a long list of resignations, including two other ministers and 23 MPs who have ripped up their membership of Saleh's ruling party. In an apparent attempt to placate the opposition the president sacked his government today.

"The president has dismissed the government but asked the cabinet to remain in a caretaker position until a new one is formed," the official Saba news agency reported.

Waving Yemeni flags and shouting slogans denouncing the regime, the mourners formed a massive procession as they carried the bodies in coffins on their shoulders to the cemetery.

"Ali, the blood of the martyrs will not be in vain," they chanted, referring to Saleh.

"The president gave the orders to shoot," said Ahmad, one of the mourners. Ali Abed Rabbo al-Qadi, the head of the independent parliamentary bloc who was in the crowd, said those responsible for the killings must be "held responsible for every drop of blood that has been shed."

Leading Muslim clerics called on Yemeni soldiers to disobey orders to fire at demonstrators, and blamed Saleh -- in power since 1978 -- for the slaughter on Friday.

AFP

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Sachin walked on edging ball, Ponting didn't

Chennai, Mar 21: Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar and Australian captain Ricky Ponting's contrasting World Cup dismissals have re-ignited the debate around walking, an issue that gained prominence in the 2003 World Cup semi-final when Adam Gilchrist walked back to the pavilion despite an appeal against him getting no response from the umpire.
Tendulkar had edged a delivery behind in the first over of Sunday's match against West Indies in Chennai, he immediately turned and walked to the pavilion. This was despite umpire Steve Davis giving the 37-year-old not out.

Replays of the incident were inconclusive, which suggests that Davis's initial decision may not have been overturned had Tendulkar stayed at the crease.

Tendulkar's decision to walk was in complete contrast to the actions of Ponting against Pakistan in Colombo.

Ponting admitted after the match that he had edged the ball, but said that he stayed at the crease because he has never been a walker.

"There were no doubts about the nick - I knew I hit it. But as always, I wait for the umpire to give me out. That's the way I've always played the game," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Ponting, as saying.

West Indies captain Darren Sammy praised Tendulkar's sportsmanship, while Ponting's actions were criticised by Pakistan coach Waqar Younis.

"That was just brilliant on his part. It shows the measure of a man. He's a true gentleman," Sammy said.

Waqar said: "There is a system there now in play so you can't get away with it. It's nice to see people walking, but that doesn't happen now I guess.

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Tuffey replaces injured Bennett in NZ squad

Mumbai, Mar 21: Most teams haven't been spared the injury woes this World Cup and some squads have been affected more than once. New Zealand is one such side. While Daniel Vettori is sitting on a sidelines with a knee injury, another Kiwi bowler has been ruled out of the World Cup altogether. The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday approved fast bowler Daryl Tuffey as a replacement player for injured Hamish Bennett in New Zealand's 15-man World Cup squad.
The confirmation was conveyed to New Zealand Cricket on behalf of ICC's Event Technical Committee. Bennett suffered an injury to his left ankle and Achilles tendon while bowling during New Zealand's loss to Sri Lanka in Mumbai on March18.

Any injury-based replacement requires a written submission to the event technical committee along with a diagnosis from a medical practitioner as to the extent of the injury.

Once replaced, a player may not return to the squad save as an approved subsequent replacement for another injured player.

Bennett is the first player to be replaced due to injury in the New Zealand squad for the event.

As with all players in the tournament, the eligibility of a replacement player is subject to approval by the ICC before that player can be officially added to the squad.

The Event Technical Committee consists of David Richardson (ICC Chairman), Professor Ratnakar Shetty (Tournament Director), Campbell Jamieson (IDI representative), Anil Kumble (host nominee), David Lloyd (independent nomination) and Sanjay Manjrekar (independent nomination).

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How will India handle Brett Lee?

Monday, March 21, 2011, 12:10 [IST]Ahmedabad, Marc 21: The man who took the second-most number of wickets in the 2003 World Cup is back to his menacing best and India would do well to watch out for him. Indeed, Aussie pace spearhead Brett Lee has regained his touch as a very effective bowler and after a period of hiatus last year, is back with a bang. Judging by the six games he has played in this tournament so far, Lee could prove quite a handful to India when the two sides meet in the quarterfinal on Thursday, March 24.
After all, in the ongoing global event, Lee has packed quite a punch, taking a dozen wickets at a mind-boggling average of 16.66. He started off the event rather slowly, taking just one scalp in each of his first four games, but even in those he has gone for only a few runs, being difficult to get away outside the ring or through the gaps. Such has been this player's accuracy - fast, straight and more often than not, short of a length. He hits the deck often and bowls in the zone which makes life very uncomfortable for the batsmen facing him. In his last two matches, the bowler has been in devastating form. Uncharacteriscally, he came in for some stick at the hands of Canadian opening batsman Hiral Patel who blasted 54 off 45 balls. But then Lee came into his own, finishing with figures of 4/46 in that match as he helped his side restrict the stuttering Mapleleafs to 211.

But in the match against Pakistan, he almost single-handedly deprived the opponents of a win with his relentless pace and precision. He removed opener Mohammad Hafeez in his first spell, came back in his second to effect a double strike in one over and finished with ominously impressive figures of 4/28. Indeed, he gave the Pakistanis quite a run for their money in the latter's bid to top Group A. In the end, thanks to a fine hand from the young Umar Akmal, Pakistan overcame the scourge of Lee and reached home with four wickets and 54 balls to spare.

India's woes at facing unadulterated pace have been well documented over the years. While the Indian top order initially tore through the South African new ball in their World Cup 2011 encounter on March 12, the Proteas pace battery was able to demolish the middle and latter order.

Now a similar possibility looms, especially as India faces the likes of Lee, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson. After all, even in the World Cup warm-up match at Bengaluru last month, India struggled against this pace battery. Now with three days to go for D-day, the Indian camp will have to do their home-work and figure out how to handle Brett Lee and Co...

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Yuvi, Zaheer sizzle as India rout Windies

Chennai, March 20: India upped their game to induce a middle-order collapse from the West Indies as the visitors slumped from 154/3 to 165/7 in the space of 5.3 overs. After Zaheer Khan returned in his second spell to clean up a cruising Devon Smith for 81, the Windies had no answers to the prodigious turn and crafty flight of slow-left-armer Yuvraj Singh as he picked up two crucial wickets. Finally, Zaheer helped wrap up the match with a match haul of 3/26.
After the Windies put 132/2 on the board in 25 overs, the batsmen at the crease - Devon Smith and Ramnaresh Sarwan - kept pummeling away for runs. In the 26th over, Sarwan got Pathan away for a boundary, while Smith smacked Munaf for another four in the following over. Then Bhajji bowled a rare maiden. But a couple of overs later, the Windies had brought up their 150. However, Zaheer rejoined the attack soon after and was successful straight away. He cleaned up Devon Smith for 81 off 97 balls and the Windies were 154/3 in 30.3 overs. Then Bhajji struck when he had Kieron Pollard caught by Yusuf Pathan at long on. The power-hitter was on his way for 1 and the Windies had slipped to 157/4 in 31.5 overs.

Then Yuvraj came to the party, getting Devon Thomas stumped for 2 as the Windies slumped to 160/5 in 34.2 overs. West Indies captain Darren Sammy was the new man at the crease with a well-set Sarwan at the other end. But then the skipper was run out for 2 as the Windies were in the midst of their own collapse at 162/6 ion 35.3 overs. The visitors still needed 107 runs off 87 balls.

Yuvraj then got a flighted ball to bounce and turn as Andre Russell hit it straight to point. the batsman was on his way for a duck and the Windies were now 165/7 in 37 overs. 5 wickets had fallen for 11 runs. But the slide only continued as Sulieman Benn was caught at mid off for 3 off Zaheer and teh Windies' tail was exposed at 178/8 in 40 overs.

Zaheer then returned to remove Sarwan for 39 off 68 balls as the Windies had reached the hopeless position of 182/9. Then after Devendra Bishoo struck a four and he and Ravi Rampaul ran a couple of singles, Ashwin bowled the latter to hand India victory by 80 runs.

Off-break R Ashwin opened the bowling for India, but was unable to make any immediate impact as the West Indies openers began their side's innings effectively.

Devon Smith took two fours off Zaheer Khan, one in the 2nd and one in the 4th over, while Kirk Edwards knocked a boundary off Ashwin in the 3rd. In between, Edwards was actually run-out by Virat Kohli, but the umpire didn't refer it upstairs and the batsman survived.

Harbhajan Singh was greeted into the attack by a huge six over long off from Edwards. But in the very next over, Ashwin had the same batsman trapped in front from a decision that was referred for review. Edwards was on his way for 17 and the Windies were 33/1 in 6.2 overs.

Darren Bravo and Smith took their side to past 50 in the 12th over. In the following over, Bhajji bowled four byes after which Smith smacked him for a four. The momentum kept swinging the Windies' way as Bravo lofetd Aswin for a six and then swatted him for a four as his the visitors climbed to 73/1 in 13 overs.

But Suresh Raina then got the breakthrough in his first over when he had Bravo caught by Bhajji at long on for 22 off 29 balls. The Windies were 91/2 in 17 overs. In the 19th over, Smith smacked Rain for a four and then ran a single off him to notch up a half century off 64 balls. In the same over, the batting duo had brought up the Windies' 100.

Yuvraj Singh was brought on to bowl in the 21st over and was straight away cut for four by Smith who carted the same bowler for a six in his next over. In 25 overs, the Windies has climbed to 132/2.

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ICC announces umpires for WC QFs

Dubai, Mar. 21: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced official appointments for the quarter-final stage of the Cricket World Cup 2011.
The first quarter-final will take place in Mirpur, Dhaka, on Wednesday to begin four days of thrilling high-stakes cricket with four teams heading home at the end of it. The match official appointments are as follows:

23 March - Pakistan v West Indies, Mirpur

Chris Broad (match referee), Billy Bowden and Steve Davis (both on-field), Daryl Harper (third umpire), Bruce Oxenford (fourth umpire)

24 March - Australia v India, Ahmedabad

Ranjan Madugalle (match referee), Marais Erasmus and Ian Gould (both on-field), Richard Kettleborough (third umpire), Asad Rauf (fourth umpire)

25 March - South Africa v New Zealand, Mirpur

Roshan Mahanama (match referee), Aleem Dar and Rod Tucker (both on-field), Kumar Dharmasena (third umpire), Nigel Llong (fourth umpire)

26 March - Sri Lanka v England, Colombo

Jeff Crowe (match referee), Billy Doctrove and Simon Taufel (both on-field), Tony Hill (third umpire), Shavir Tarapore (fourth umpire).

Appointments for the semi-finals and final will be made in due course.

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Yuvraj: Regaining his Mojo

Monday, March 21, 2011, 11:23 [IST]Chennai, March 21: The batsman who was contemplating retirement in the middle of 2010 while in the midst of a lean patch which saw him display the grossest of inconsistency, is right back in the swing of things. And what better milieu to regain his drive for runs than the World Cup? Indeed, with an average of 56.80 and strike rate hovering around 95 in the ongoing global tournament as well as several wickets in the kitty, Yuvi had reinstated himself as a vital cog in the Indian machinery.
With a string of robust performances in the Cup highlighted by his masterful century against the West Indies on Sunday, March 20, Yuvraj has demonstrated a distinctive maturity and character in his batting. For a moment it seemed that in the match, his efforts would be overshadowed by the fiery spell from the Windies' Ravi Rampaul, whose 5/51 effected a latter order decline in the Indian innings. But at the end of the day and in the context of as engagement in which the Windies went down by 80 runs, one couldn't overlook the magnitude of Yuvraj's contribution towards India's win. The stage was set for a foundation-building stand when Yuvraj came to the crease in the 9th over with India's score at 51/2. Coming out tops in a mind-game with the bowlers at that stage of the match, Yuvraj counter-attacked with a four each off Rampaul and then Andre Russell in successive overs.

Then after receiving a bit of good fortune in the form of a dropped catch by Windies captain Darren Sammy, he buckled down to piling on the singles and twos with Virat Kohli. But even that routine was punctuated with flashes of aggression from Yuvi, like when he lofted Sammy for a maximum in the 20th over to take India past 100.Before the men from the Caribbean knew what had hit them, Yuvraj and Kohli had

taken Indian past 150 while notching up the 100-run stand along the way. Even after Kohli departed, Yuvraj kept his guard admirably and kept counter-attacking. He even weathered the storm stirred up by leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo, getting him away for a couple of boundaries including one to take the score past 200. Then, shortly afterward, he ran a single off Kioron Pollard to bring up his century. Finally, Yuvraj fell playing a tired return catch to Pollard.

But Yuvraj has more than signaled that he is back to his destructive best, not only with the bat but also with the ball. He has taken around 9 wickets in the Cup so far, showing he has what it takes to contribute whole-heartedly. India will be hoping he can keep up the good work as they take on Australia in the quarterfinal on Thursday, March 24.

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We can beat any team after win over Aus: Afridi

Colombo, Mar 21: Following Pakistan's impressive four-wicket win against powerful Australia, captain Shahid Afridi is quite confident that his rampaging team will go all out to defeat West Indies and secure a berth in the last-four stage of the 2011 World Cup.
"With the way we have played against Australia, I'm sure that we are ready to play against any team in the quarterfinals and beyond," The News quoted Afridi, as saying. Pakistan will take on West Indies in the first quarterfinal of the World Cup in Dhaka on March 23.

"I think the conditions there (in Dhaka) are going to suit us. We have a balanced team and our morale is high after beating Australia which is why I'm confident that we will book a place in the semis," said the flamboyant allrounder.

Afridi said that Pakistan's win against World Cup title-holder and top contender Australia has boosted his team's morale and confidence.

"Beating Australia is something that we've always cherished. They are a very tough team to beat, which is evident that from their unbeaten streak in World Cup. The fact that we have beaten them certainly adds a lot to our confidence because our belief that we can beat any team and can go on to win the World Cup is getting stronger with such results," he said.

When asked whether he was surprised with the way his team has bounced back after suffering a 110-run thrashing defeat against New Zealand at Pallekele last week, the skipper replied: "I don't think that I'm surprised because I've always believed Pakistan have the strength to beat any team. What we need is to play to our potential because if we do that, good results will keep coming."

Afridi also hoped that his team's impressive win against Australia would silence critics back home. "Some experts have been rejecting us as a poor team with no chance at the World Cup. I hope that they will change their minds now," he said.

He also praised his players, saying that Pakistan managed to conquer the Aussies due to good team work.

"It's because we played as a unit that we managed to beat them," said Afridi. "I must praise my bowlers, who did a great job. Umar Gul was fabulous, Abdur Rehman bowled impressively while Mohammad Hafeez bowled ten really tight overs.

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