Supreme Court nod for creation of new district in Amethi

In a political victory for Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, the Supreme Court on Wednesday gave the go ahead for creation of a district carved out of Amethi Lok Sabha Constituency represented by Rahul Gandhi and named after Dalit icon Chatrapati Shahuji Maharaj.

The apex court decision came when it quashed the Allahabad High Court’s interim order staying the creation of Chatrapati Sahuji Maharaj Nagar district by renaming Amethi, a pocket borough of the Gandhi-Nehru family and a Congress stronghold.

The issue was decided in favour of the Mayawati government on the ground that an earlier petition challenging its decision was dismissed by the same High Court on August 11.

A Bench comprising Justices R.V. Raveendran and H.L. Gokhale said that the High Court bench which passed the interim order on August 18 should have taken into account the order of August 11 of its own bench.

“Judicial propriety demanded that the High Court should have considered the final judgement of August 11. It could not have taken a different stand,” the Bench said.

Significantly, another division Bench of the High Court comprising Justice Uma Nath Singh and Justice Satish Chandra had dismissed a petition on August 11 challenging the creation of the new district.

The Uttar Pradesh government had moved the apex court challenging the August 18 interim order of the Lucknow Bench of the High Court which stayed restoration of the new district till March 31 next year or till further orders.

The State government had appealed against the order which had restrained the operation, implementation and execution of a July 1 notification issued by the Uttar Pradesh government creating Chatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Nagar district.

The High Court had on August 18 passed the order on the petition filed by one Manoj Kumar Rastogi and two others seeking quashing of the July 1 notification in view of the specific embargo placed through an earlier notification that no change in the boundaries that impedes ongoing census should take place.

They had also sought a direction for restoring the boundaries of Sultanpur and Rae Bareli districts prior to the July 1 notification.

The proposed Chatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Nagar district had within its boundaries five tehsils of Sultanpur and Rae Bareli districts which form part of the Amethi constituency.

Chief Minister Mayawati had ordered the formation of Chatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Nagar district on May 21, 2003, but following a change of guard, her arch political rival Mulayam Singh Yadav had scrapped it on November 23 the same year.

In December 2003, a lawyer of Amethi, Uma Shankar Pandey, had challenged the order scrapping the formation of the district in the High Court.

U.S. has paid “huge price” in Iraq: Obama

AP President Barack Obama walks to the Oval Office after arriving via Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on Tuesday.

In an important policy speech that marked the end of the United States’ combat operations in Iraq, President Barack Obama said, “Tonight, I am announcing that the American combat mission in Iraq has ended. Operation Iraqi Freedom is over and the Iraqi people now have lead responsibility for the security of their country.”

Remarking on the cost of the war of more than seven years, he said that the U.S. had met its responsibilities throughout this “remarkable chapter in the history of the U.S. and Iraq.” However Mr. Obama sought to shift the emphasis to ending the war, saying, “Ending this war is not only in Iraq’s interest – it is in our own. The U.S. has paid a huge price to put the future of Iraq in the hands of its people.”

Accused Pak cricketers may be kept out of remaining matches

AP Mohammad Asif

Four Pakistani cricketers facing police investigation for their role in alleged match-fixing are likely to be kept out of the rest of the Pakistan-England tour following pressure from the English and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) which was reported to be “adamant” that they should be dropped from the remaining matches.

Captain Salman Butt, wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal and bowlers Mohammad Aamir and Mohammad Asif were questioned by Scotland Yard detectives for several hours on Saturday over allegations of “spot fixing” during last week’s final Test match against England at Lord’s.

Dutch police question Arab duo after US terrorist warning

AP An officer checks a passport at the O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. U.S. Authorities arrested two persons on charges of preparation of a terrorist attack. File photo : VARUN VARIER

Dutch police were on Tuesday questioning two Arabs detained at Amsterdam’s airport after a warning by U.S. officials that the men might have been rehearsing a terrorist attack.

Dutch counter—terrorism officials were taking the incident very seriously although the men had posed no risk to the flight from Chicago they had been travelling on, a spokeswoman for the Dutch Coordinator for Counter—Terrorism (NCTB) said.

The men — presumed to be Yemeni nationals — were suspected of carrying a mock bomb in their checked baggage on board earlier domestic flights in the U.S.

Officials were investigating whether the men may have been checking out the flights for possible terrorist attacks, Dutch media reported.

The NCTB spokeswoman said the Dutch investigators were awaiting more information from their U.S. counterparts. The U.S. Home Security Department had raised the original alert.

The men had arrived at Amsterdam’s Schiphol International Airport on a flight from Chicago on Monday night. The Dutch public prosecutor confirmed the men, identified as Ahmed Mohamed Nasser al—Soofi and Hezem al—Murisi, were arrested “at the request of American authorities.” According to U.S. media reports, the men had been carrying fake bombs in their checked baggage on previous domestic flights in the U.S. The ABC network quoted a senior U.S. law enforcement official as saying: “This was almost certainly a dry run, a test.” Al—Soofi, resident in Detroit, Michigan, had attracted attention when he tried to embark on a flight from Birmingham Airport in the U.S. state of Alabama to Chicago because he had been wearing voluminous clothes despite high temperatures.

Officials found 7,000 dollars in cash, several mobile phones and watches taped together, as well as a carpet cutter and three other large knives in his luggage. The man had ultimately been allowed to continue his trip as no explosives were found in his baggage.

On landing in Chicago, al—Soofi had checked in his baggage for a flight via Washington to Dubai and Yemen. Instead of embarking on this flight, however, he had taken a plane to Amsterdam together with al—Murisi. The unaccompanied luggage had been taken off the other plane by officials.

Fearing the future, few Iraqis cheer U.S. departure

U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden, left, walks with Gen. Ray Odierno, right, after he arrived, in Baghdad on Monday. Photo: VARUN.

 

 

As Vice President Joe Biden presides over the formal end to U.S. combat operations in Iraq, few Iraqis are cheering the American exit.

Iraqis, who for years have railed against the U.S. occupation, are generally happy to see that the American presence won’t be endless. But there is also considerable trepidation about whether Iraq can go it alone.

“It’s not the right time,” said Johaina Mohammed, a 40—year—old teacher from Baghdad. “There is no government, the security is deteriorating, and there is no trust.”

Just under 50,000 U.S. troops remain in Iraq, down from a peak of nearly 170,000 at the height of the military surge in 2007. Those troops will be focused on training and assisting the Iraqi military, and will no longer be allowed to go on combat missions unless requested and accompanied by Iraqi forces.

Underscoring the shift, Mr. Biden was making a new appeal to Iraqi leaders Tuesday, including Prime Minister Nouri al—Maliki, to end the political deadlock and seat a new government. The March 7 parliamentary elections left Iraq without a clear winner, and insurgents have since exploited the uncertainty to hammer Iraqi security forces.

Iraqi forces are vastly improved and attacks have plummeted since the dark days of 2006 and 2007. But rarely a day goes by without some loss of life, and spectacular attacks such as the violence on Wednesday that killed 56 people still happen with disturbing regularity.

Mr. Biden and U.S. officials have downplayed suggestions they are abandoning Iraq at a crucial time. The vice—president on Tuesday said militants’ attempts to again wreck havoc in Iraq have been unsuccessful.

“Notwithstanding what the national press says about increased violence, the truth is, things are still very much different, things are much safer,” Mr. Biden said in comments to Mr. al—Maliki before the two met privately.

But many Iraqis do not share his optimism.

India to urge China to curb illegal trade in tigers

Defence ties between India and China may be strained in the wake of the visa denial row, but the two countries hope next week will see increased cooperation in both wildlife conservation and global financial issues as two delegations from New Delhi travel to Beijing.

On Monday evening, a delegation from the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and the National Tiger Conservation Authority arrived in Beijing for a five-day visit, to urge Chinese counterparts to strengthen enforcement and curb illegal trade in tigers and other endangered big cats. Poaching in Indian forests is largely resorted to for meeting the raging demand for tiger parts in traditional Chinese medicine.

INFORMATION ON ACCOUNTS STASHED AWAY IN SWISS BANKS NOW EASIER

India and Switzerland on Monday signed a protocol to the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement that would enable the government get information about some of the illegally stashed wealth in Swiss banks.

                                   It was signed bye the Finance Minister of India Pranab Mukherjee and the Head of the federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland Federal Councillor.