Asia Africa Intelligence Wire articles from December 2004, page 3

Asia Africa Intelligence Wire archives from December 2004

Damage-control, Sibal-style...
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service NEW DELHI, Dec. 30. - Mr Kapil Sibal today tried his best to convince the media that there hadn't been any earthquake or tsunami warning after the home ministry alert issued in the...

Good cop, bad cop, new cop!
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Sandeep Sarkar in Ranchi Dec. 30. - 2005 will see a new look Jharkhand police constabulary, claims the state police. If you are looking, say, to get away breaking rules by bribing the cop on duty, then -...

Bakery trial court seeks SC extension.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Press Trust of India MUMBAI, Dec. 30. - The special court conducting re-trial in the Best Bakery carnage case has sought extension of the proceedings in view of the Supreme Court deadline ending tomorrow....

KMC sits on Didi's wish.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) KOLKATA, Dec. 30. - The Trinamul Congress-run Kolkata Municipal Corporation is at odds with the wishes of its party supremo Miss Mamata Banerjee as it is yet to make a move on its leaders' suggestion to keep...

Footprints in time for sporting greats.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) KOLKATA, Dec. 30. - The first of its kind in Asia, a new concept called Footprints Park will pay what is hoped will be a lasting - and very visible - tribute to famous sportspersons and help preserve their...

All set for Joggers' Park.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Sharmistha Mukherjee in Kolkata Dec. 30. - Post multiplexes, malls and discs, Kolkata is having its very own Jogger's Park soon. If Mumbai joggers get to view the splendour of the seaside and the Queen's...

TAI fears over tea re-export.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service SILIGURI, Dec. 30. - Import of inferior quality tea for re-export from India is haunting the tea industry. Apprehensive of the ill effects it could have on the image of Indian tea in...

Railways urged to clear civic dues.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service MALDA, Dec. 30. - The English Bazaar Municipality chairman, Mr KN Choudhury, today submitted a memorandum to the railway minister, Mr Lalu Prasad, to clear the Malda town station's dues...

Curtains down on River Festival.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service KOLKATA, Dec. 30. - The River Festival, 2004, meandered out of Kolkata on Thursday and was seen off by several dignitaries, chief among whom were Sourav and Dona Ganguly, who stole the...

Toy Train on profit track.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) SILIGURI, Dec. 30. - Breaking a 124-year-old jinx, the toy train is showing signs of becoming remunerative. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway may still have a long way to go before it can offset the losses...

Cops grope in the dark.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) KOLKATA, Dec. 30. - City police are clueless about the theft at the Indian Museum yesterday. A sandstone head of the Buddha from Sarnath was stolen from the museum. After the theft, about 30 of the museum...

KMDA weighs VRS option.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Tarun Goswami in Kolkata Dec. 30. - The state Urban Development department has proposed to introduce Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) for the staff of Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) along...

Party in private this New Year's eve.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) KOLKATA, Dec. 30. - Call it a reversal in trends, or just the desire for privacy, but a private party seems more popular with the hip crowd this season, than disc or pub hopping. The footfall may not have...

Keeping mum at work.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service KOLKATA, Dec. 30. - As the number of working mothers increase, some firms in the city are taking a progressive step by implementing women-friendly policies. A survey carried out across...

Theft ahead of more cover.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service KOLKATA, Dec. 30. - Antique thieves, it seems, pre-empted the bid to beef up security at the Indian Museum. In early December, a team of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)...

Mines asked to adopt pollution-curb measures.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service KEONJHAR, Dec. 30. - "When a new mine or a plant is going to be set up, pollution is the first word that comes to mind. So I request the existing and the new mines and plant owners to...

Villagers resist dyke survey.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service MALDA, Dec. 30. - Villagers, led by local political leaders, have prevented the survey work for finalising the alignment of the proposed ninth retired embankment. Villagers...

Himul to set up mini-dairy.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service DARJEELING, Dec. 30. - A "mini-dairy," the first of its kind in the hills, will be set up in Ghoom, 8 km from here, by Himul (The Himalayan Cooperative Milk Producers' Union). ...

Lions come to the aid.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service SILIGURI, Dec. 30. - The Lions Club of Siliguri Citizens has decided to raise funds to help tsunami victims. According to the club PRO, Mr Nirmal Agarwal, sale proceeds of tomorrow's...

Prisoners' forum raises relief funds.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service SILIGURI, Dec. 30. - Imagine a jailbird collecting subscription for the tsunami victims! Well, here are nine prisoners doing just that. Lakkhan Roy, Uttam Biswas, Doma Bin are some...

Fly ash can help farming: IIT.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service MIDNAPORE, Dec. 30. - Fly ash being emitted from thermal power stations has become a constant source of trouble for the people residing in and around the thermal power plants in the...

Municipality gears up to meet SC deadline for mid-day meal.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service HALDIA, Dec. 30. - Due to lack of initiative both on the part of administration and municipality authorities, thousands of students studying in the primary schools and Sishu Sikha...

Author traces rise of Indian economy.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service BHUBANESWAR, Dec. 30. - The Pavanee Educational and Cultural Trust hosted a lecture here yesterday with Ashutosh Seshabalaya, managing director of the Allilon nv, Brussels, who has...

Spook comes compact.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service BHUBANESWAR, Dec. 30. - A horror CD film in Oriya titled as Bhoota Kothi, was released here today. The film has been directed by Tatwaprakash Satpathy, a renowned Oriya music...

The year that was for Sikkim.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service GANGTOK, Dec. 30. - The year 2004 has proved a milestone in Sikkim. One of the significant achievements of the state this year was the recognition that came from close neighbour China as...

Cycle rally to save infants.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service BHUBANESWAR, Dec. 30. - In a novel move, members of Indian Academy of Pediatrics, Pune, branch will launch a bicycle rally from Bhubaneswar to Kolkata on 1 January morning in order to...

Cards are passe, just say it with SMS.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service BALASORE, Dec. 30. - What are the first things that the Christmas and New Year season reminds of? Cakes, celebration and shops overflowing with greetings cards. While the first two...

Master plan for city after 35 yrs.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service BERHAMPUR, Dec. 30. - Berhampur, the largest city in south Orissa is yet to receive a proper master plan for the development of the city. The president of the Berhampur Builders'...

MLAs urge banon high-rise.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) BHUBANESWAR, Dec. 30. - More than 20 MLAs have urged upon the state government to impose a ban on the construction of high-rise apartments in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Talcher and other places coming...

Over 3,000 quake-resistant schools coming up in state.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service BHUBANESWAR, Dec. 30. - As many as 3,254 earthquake-resistant school buildings are being constructed in the state in order to ensure safety of school students. Disclosing this here...

Govt sounds alert in coastal dists.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) BHUBANESWAR, Dec. 30. - The Orissa government has sounded an alert in the coastal districts asking people not to go near the sea in view of the warnings about the possibility of fresh tsunami waves, revenue...

Tsunami fears fail to fade.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service BHUBANESWAR, Dec. 30. - The tsunami fear reverberated along the coastal districts of Orissa as television channels showed evacuation taking place in parts of southern India and...

Dead Ridley count worries experts.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service CUTTACK, Dec. 30. - With increasing number of dead Olive Ridley turtles being washed ashore along the Orissa coast since November, the wildlife experts are concerned afresh. They have...

KMC sits on Didi's wish.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service KOLKATA, Dec. 30. - The Trinamul Congress-run Kolkata Municipal Corporation is at odds with the wishes of its party supremo, Miss Mamata Banerjee, as it is yet to make a move on its...

Antique thieves struck before museum security beef-up.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service KOLKATA, Dec. 30. - Antique thieves, it seems, pre-empted the bid to beef up security at the Indian Museum. In early December, a team of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)...

Keeping mum at work.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service KOLKATA, Dec. 29. - As the number of working mothers increase, some firms in the city are taking a progressive step by implementing women-friendly policies. A survey carried out across...

Fresh plea for fire sub-station.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service DARJEELING, Dec. 30. - The recent fire in the heart of the town, that killed one person and razed two shops, has led to renewal of demands for setting up a sub-station in the town...

Malda treasury releases teachers' PF.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service MALDA, Dec. 30. - The Malda treasury has released all payments related to provident funds of high school teachers after over five months, said officials. The payments were held up since...

IMA frowns on docs accepting gifts from pharma sector.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Press Trust of India BHUBANESWAR, Dec. 30. - Taking a tough stand on doctors accepting "gifts" from the pharmaceutical industry, the Indian Medical Association has formulated a set of guidelines for the...

KMDA weighs VRS option.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Tarun Goswami in Kolkata Dec. 30. - The state Urban Development department has proposed to introduce Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) for the staff of Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) along...

What we were told was coming.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service NEW DELHI, Dec. 30. - India was in a state of panic today as the Centre issued a tsunami alert. Masses of humanity residing on the south-eastern coast and islands off it fled their homes...

Turning a blind eye to Guatemala.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) World View by Jonathan Power Eight years ago this week, after 2,00,000 deaths, 40,000 "disappearances" and 440 decimated villages, peace formally came to the last redoubt of the Central American war zone,...

RAW truth: Run away, getaway!
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Recently, seven months after the defection of Research and Analysis Wing joint secretary Ravinder Singh to the USA, a newspaper highlighted the details of how the CIA had spirited Singh and his wife away,...

African light denies England win.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Associated Press DURBAN, Dec. 30. - Darkness drove the players from the field with just over an hour left to play today at Kingsmead Stadium as South Africa salvaged a draw on the final day of the second of...

No retiring Romario, this!
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Associated Press RIO DE JANEIRO (Brazil), Dec. 30. - Romario has denied he was quitting soccer - one day after Brazilian media reported that he was retiring, local news agencies said. 'I'm not quitting,'...

Bengal fight to retain Elite status.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Statesman News Service KOLKATA, Dec. 30. - As Bengal take on Madhya Pradesh tomorrow at Eden Gardens in their last Ranji Trophy Elite A league tie, it boils down to a crucial fight for avoiding relegation...

Battle royal on the cards.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) SNS & Agencies MUMBAI, Dec. 30. - A battle royal is on the cards as champions Mumbai take on Delhi in their concluding Group 'A' Elite Ranji Trophy league match at the Wankhede Stadium from tomorrow onwards....

PCB chief backs captain and coach.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Press Trust of India ISLAMABAD, Dec. 30. -Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mr Shaharyar Khan today threw his weight behind captain Inzamam-ul Haq and coach Mr Bob Woolmer saying there was 'no need to press the...

Hewitt wants faster courts.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Associated Press ADELAIDE, Dec. 30. - Lleyton Hewitt says the slow pace of the Melbourne Park courts is denting local hopes at the Australian Open. Hewitt, Australia's top-ranked tennis player and the...

Gunning for Chelsea.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Associated Press NEWCASTLE, Dec. 30. - Patrick Vieira volleyed Gunners to a 1-0 win over the Magpies in the Premier League, cutting the latter's lead to five points. The Gunners' captain scored in first-half...

Lankans to fly back today.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Associated Press WELLINGTON, Dec. 30. - Sri Lanka's cricketers had to remain in New Zealand an extra day after withdrawing from their scheduled tour, with most desperate to return home to their families and...

MacGill recalled, Razzaq back.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Associated Press MELBOURNE, Dec. 30. - Leg spinner Stuart MacGill and all-rounder Shane Watson were recalled to the Australian squad today for the third Test against Pakistan, freeing Brett Lee to play...

A special Santa...
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) A special Santa... Devang Kumar of Class III in La Martiniere for Boys, celebrated Christmas with his very 'own' Santa. Devang's Santa was very different from the ones available in the market for it was all...

Movie Montage: Veer Zaara.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Director: Yash Chopra Music: Late Madan Mohan Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Rani Mukherjee Transcending borders A simple Indian Air Force pilot falls in love with an aristocratic Pakistani girl. The love...

Awards galore...
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Awards galore... Recently, The International Award for Young People, India previously known as Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme organised its annual awards function at Rotary Sadan. Numerous participants from...

The Big Challenge.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Breaking new ground, Eicher Skyline Quiz contest made a big impression on the National Quizzing scene. From just one state to over 18 states, from one city to more than 35 cities, and from 50 participants to...

In School:.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Sports and thrills It was on 9 December that the students of Auxilium Convent School, Bandel, were full of vigour and impetuous pep as they observed the Annual sports day. "Dronacharya", as the Blue House...

THE SERVE COLUMN: God listens.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) VOICES 237 Hello girls and boys, Hello girls and boys, I have to tell you, I don't remember what I write week to week, because normally I send a little bunch together, and then the Editor writes to remind me...

Invigorating episode.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) ation and expectations by students from round the country. It was the 5th Inter Institutional L.N. Birla National Debate and participants from 8 different regions of India graced the venue Jointly organised by...

Corrigendum.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Corrigendum In the Voices issue of 16 Dec the article "Stop the Violence" by Mayuri Mukherjee, the text in the fifth para should have read as "In Kolkata, this campaign was organised by West Bengal Campaign...

The Nightingle.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Mayuri Mukherjee "She was Goddess incarnate. It was not human art but divine grace which manifested itself through her voice... And now her music will continue to be heard in heaven." Bharat Ratna M.S....

MAUS.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Sunayana Roy A Survivors Tale: My Father Bleeds History: Art Spiegelman Pantheon Books From Hell: Allan Moore and Eddie Campbell Eddie Campbell Comics Continuing this month's special on graphic novels "...

Amazing theatre.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) The 21st National Theatre Festival 2004 organised by Nandikar was held at the Academy of Fine Arts from 16 to 24 December, enthralling all theatre buffs with the myriad plays presented, the diverse themes and...

Mind over matter: Memory Systems.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury 'Memory Systems' signify the assemblages of ingenious in order to facilitate recollection. Such systems are sometimes referred to as 'mnemonics' or 'memoria technica'. Etymologically...

.Spellbound.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Two days of whole hearted preparations... frantically flipping through the pages of an Oxford Dictionary, copying down the difficult words... yet when we walked into the Rabindra Sadan auditorium, none of us...

The one-man industry.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Mayuri Mukherjee Tell us about Janmadata. Well, Janamadata is a film that is being produced by Jhamu Sugandh from Mumbai in collaboration with my company - Ideas. It is being directed by Swapan Saha.The film...

Exemplary model.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) The date is 15 November, one after just after Children's Day. Take a look at the newspapers of that day. Yes, it is the same old story with the stereotype headlines. All celebrating a day "to make life better...

Musharraf to continue as Army Chief.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Press Trust of India ISLAMABAD, Dec. 30. - Claiming that majority of Pakistanis wanted him to remain in uniform, Pakistan President Mr Pervez Musharraf tonight announced his decision to continue as Army...

US troops kill 25 insurgents after Mosul attack.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Associated Press BAGHDAD, Dec. 30. - US troops and warplanes killed at least 25 insurgents as they attacked an American outpost in northern Iraq with a car bomb and explosives, the US military said today. In...

Poll officials reject Yanukovych plea.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Associated Press KIEV, Dec. 30. - Election officials today rejected Mr Viktor Yanukovych's voluminous appeal against this week's presidential election results, saying the Prime Minister had not proved there...

Peres to become Sharon's No. 2.
December 31, 2004... (From The Statesman (India)) Agence France Presse Jerusalem, Dec. 30. - Israeli Opposition leader Mr Shimon Peres will become Prime Minister Mr Ariel Sharon's number two in a new coalition government, a statement from the premier's...

(AECAA) Capral chief executive Greg L'Estrange resigns.
December 31, 2004... (From RWE) Sydney - Friday - December 31: (RWE Australian Business News) - Capral Aluminium Ltd today announced Mr Greg L'Estrange had resigned as chief executive and managing director, effective Thursday December 30. "Mr...

(AEGGP) Golden Gate's Syd-A3 flows gas; pipeline completed.
December 31, 2004... (From RWE) Sydney - Friday - December 31: (RWE Australian Business News) - Golden Gate Petroleum Ltd today announced that on a flow of short duration, its Syd-A3 well in Bethany, Texas, flowed gas at an estimated rate of between 200 and...

PROFILE - INDONESIA'S RUBBER INDUSTRY (DEC 2004).
December 31, 2004... (From Asia Pulse) **************************************************** A PROFILE OF INDONESIA'S RUBBER INDUSTRY PREPARED BY ASIA PULSE ANALYSTS (UPDATED DEC 2004) ***************************************************** ...

INDIAN O'SEAS BANK, W.UNION TO PROVIDE MONEY TRANSFER SERVICE.
December 31, 2004... (From Asia Pulse) NEW DELHI, Dec 31 Asia Pulse - Indian Overseas Bank has tied up with US-based Western Union to provide money transfer service to Indian diaspora. As per the agreement, money transferred through Western Union could...

INDIAN RUPEE ENJOYS STRONG RUN IN 2004, GAINING 4.22 PCT.
December 31, 2004... (From Asia Pulse) MUMBAI, Dec 31 Asia Pulse - Unabated robust foreign portfolio investments and trade inflows fuelled the Rupee's dream run against the US Dollar for the third straight year with the domestic currency maintaining a firm...

SOUTH KOREAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - DEC 31, 2004.
December 31, 2004... (From Asia Pulse) SEOUL, Dec 31 Asia Pulse - The following are top headlines in major Korean newspapers on Dec. 31, 2004. VERNACULAR DAILIES - Rival Parties Fail to Agree on Four Reform Bills (Kyunghyang Shinmun) - Rival...

ANALYSIS - INDIAN GOVT APPEARS TO HAVE REINED IN INFLATION.
December 31, 2004... (From Asia Pulse) NEW DELHI, Dec 31 Asia Pulse - Surging price levels, which had hit the economy hard on the back of global oil prices and poor monsoon, appears to have been reined in as the year 2004 closes with inflation coming down...

INDIA JOINS FOUR MEMBER GROUP TO PROVIDE RELIEF TO VICTIMS.
December 31, 2004... (From Asia Pulse) NEW DELHI, Dec 31 Asia Pulse - India today agreed to join a four-member core group with the US, Australia and Japan to coordinate with the UN worldwide efforts to provide relief to victims of Sunday's devastating...

CHINA'S COMMODITY MARKET SET TO CONTINUE STRONG GROWTH IN 2005.
December 31, 2004... (From Asia Pulse) BEIJING, Dec 31 Asia Pulse - The strong growth momentum of China's commodity sales is expected to continue into 2005, according to the latest forecast made by the Ministry of Commerce. Total retails of consumer goods...

ANALYSIS - YEAR OF MISSED OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIA'S OIL SECTOR.
December 31, 2004... (From Asia Pulse) NEW DELHI, Dec 31 Asia Pulse - It was a year of missed opportunities and going back on reforms for India's oil sector which came under severe strain from international oil prices shooting to record highs and flamboyant...

ANALYSIS - INDIA BOOKS STRONG EXPORTS IN 2004.
December 31, 2004... (From Asia Pulse) NEW DELHI, Dec 31 Asia Pulse - It was "India Shining" on the trade front with exports growing at about 24 per cent against odds like rupee appreciation and soaring crude oil prices while New Delhi put up a stupendous...

FOREIGN FUNDS FLOW INTO NON-GOVERNMENT COS IN CHINA'S JIANGSU.
December 31, 2004... (From Asia Pulse) Byline: the end of November, the province approved 3,353 NANJING, Dec 31 Asia Pulse - Statistics from the Bureau of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade of East Chinas Jiangsu Province show that non-governmental...

CHINA LAUNCHES WORLD'S LARGEST IPV6 NETWORK.
December 31, 2004... (From Asia Pulse) BEIJING, Dec 31 Asia Pulse - The China Education and Research Net 2 (CERNET2), a backbone network based on IPv6, the next-generation Internet protocol, has begun operation This is a demonstrative project, marking...