WikiLeaks: India declines comment, defends U.S. ties

India on Tuesday said it has a multi-faceted and forward-looking strategic partnership with the U.S. and there was a regular, open and candid dialogue between the two countries.

While reacting to release of diplomatic cables by whistle-blower Website WikiLeaks, the Ministry of External Affairs said, “We would prefer not to comment on the issue of Wikileaks, which purportedly are an account of privileged internal U.S. government assessments and correspondence.

“We have a multi-faceted and forward-looking strategic partnership with the United States and there is a regular, open and candid dialogue between the two countries, on a number of matters of mutual interest,” the official spokesman of the MEA said.

As part of its massive leak of a quarter million classified documents of the U.S. government, the Website released a “secret” cable issued by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in which she has described India as a “self-appointed frontrunner” for a permanent UNSC seat.

Ms. Clinton had also directed U.S. envoys to seek minute details about Indian diplomats stationed at the United Nations headquarters, according to classified documents released by WikiLeaks.

Obama gets 50,000 jobs

Obama gets 50,000 jobs; deals worth $10 billion signed

It will make headlines back home in the United States, and after his 'shellacking' in the mid-term polls, Barack Obama could certainly use some good press. And, India Inc seems to be buying into President Obama's 'win-win' mantra.

Obama today announced that "several landmark" deals worth $10 billion (nearly Rs. 44,000 crore) have been reached between the two countries for creating about 50,000 jobs in the US.

"There is no reason why India cannot be our top trading partner (from 12th position now)... I'm absolutely sure that the relationship between India and the US is going to be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century," President Obama said addressing the US India Business Council meet. "Boeing is going to sell dozens of planes to India and GE is going to sell hundreds of electric engines. The deals are worth USD 10 billion and will create more than 50,000 jobs in the US," he said.

Just before the address at US-India Business Council (USIBC) in Mumbai, Reliance Power announced a power equipment deal for 2,400 MW plants from GE and low-cost carrier Spicejet announced a deal to buy 33 new-generation 737 aircrafts from Boeing.

 

Making his visit against the backdrop of electoral reverses on top of economic difficulties, including a high unemployment percentage, 9.6 percent in October. He talked of the perception elsewhere of India being a haven for call centres and American retail giants being feared in India as putting small Indian shopkeepers out of business, and said these are stereotypes and ignored realities.

Obama said, "...there still exists a caricature of India as land of call centres and back offices that costs American jobs. That's a real perception. There are many Americans whose only experience with trade and globalisation has been shuttered factories or jobs being shift overseas." The US accounts for about 60 per cent of India's about $60 billion IT and IT-enabled services exports. But the reality, President Obama said, was that jobs were being created in both the countries and said India was emerging as one of the fastest markets in the world with one of the largest workforce.

"Increase in trade and commerce was a win-win proposition for both the nations," Obama said. The US President added, in 2010, trade and investment ties was not just a one-way street, it was a dynamic two-way relationship creating jobs and growth in both the countries.

India-US trade stood at US $36.5 billion in 2009-10 fiscal and the two countries aim to double trade in the next five years. Describing India, which receives about 8 per cent of its total foreign direct investment from the US, as a defining and indispensable partner of the 21st century, President Obama asked India to reduce trade barriers, while committing to reciprocate.

India Nepal ink pact to boost cooperation in education sector

India and Nepal have inked a pact to boost cooperation in the education sector as New Delhi pledged to provide Rs 25 million to improve infrastructure in one of the oldest institutions in the country's eastern Taplejung district.

An MoU was inked between the Embassy of India and the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction, Ilam district, Friday for providing assistance for the construction of two separate hostels for boys and girls.

New Delhi's financial grant of Rs 25 million for the construction of hostels of Shri Sinam Higher Secondary School comes under Nepal-India Economic Cooperation.

Established in 1950 as a primary school and later upgraded as higher secondary school in 2001, the school is one of the oldest educational institutions in Nepal.

The new infrastructures would cater to the educational need of over 1,200 students, about half of them girls, according to an Indian Embassy press release.

Zebras from Germany for zoos in Karna

The Zoo Authority of Karnataka is trying to purchase zebras from Germany for two zoos in the state, a top official said today.

"We are trying to buy two pairs of zebras from the international market in Germany, one pair each for Bannerghatta Biological Park and one pair for Mysore zoo", M N Jayakumar, Member Secretary of ZAK, told reporters today.

Bannerghatta Park does not have any zebra while the Mysore zoo has five zebras.

ZAK is also receiving two Asiatic lions from Rajasthan.

"Since we do not have any Asiatic lions and have only African lions, we are getting two from from Jungadh in Rajasthan", he said.

On the revenue earned by BBP, which get about a lakh visitors in a month, he said "revenues have improved with the now 50:50 sharing between Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) and BBP. It was earlier 60:40.

Moon has water, and its own water cycle

A year after announcing the discovery of water molecules on the moon, NASA scientists have now said the earth's satellite is not only rich in useful materials, it has a water cycle of its own.
 

In fact, new studies suggest that there is a lot more water on the moon than earlier thought.

The new data uncovered by NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO found evidence that the lunar soil within shadowy craters is rich in useful materials, and the moon is chemically active and has a water cycle.

Scientists also confirmed the water was in the form of mostly pure ice crystals in some places.

The results are featured in six papers published in the 22nd October issue of Science.

"NASA has convincingly confirmed the presence of water ice and characterised its patchy distribution in permanently shadowed regions of the moon," said Michael Wargo, chief lunar scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

The twin impacts of LCROSS and a companion rocket stage in the moon's Cabeus crater on 9th October, 2009, lifted a plume of material that might not have seen direct sunlight for billions of years.

As the plume traveled nearly 10 miles above the rim of Cabeus, instruments aboard LCROSS and LRO made observations of the crater and debris and vapour clouds.

After the impacts, grains of mostly pure water ice were lofted into the sunlight in the vacuum of space, NASA said.

"Seeing mostly pure water ice grains in the plume means water ice was somehow delivered to the moon in the past, or chemical processes have been causing ice to accumulate in large quantities," said Anthony Colaprete, LCROSS project scientist and principal investigator at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif.

"Also, the diversity and abundance of certain materials called volatiles in the plume, suggest a variety of sources, like comets and asteroids, and an active water cycle within the lunar shadow," he said.

Volatiles are compounds that freeze and are trapped in the cold lunar craters and vaporise when warmed by the sun.

The existence of mostly pure water ice could mean future human explorers would not have to retrieve the water out of the soil in order to use it for valuable life support resources.

In addition, an abundant presence of hydrogen gas, ammonia and methane could be exploited to produce fuel, it said.

Scientists believe the water and mix of volatiles that were detected could be the remnants of a comet impact.

According to scientists, these volatile chemical by-products are also evidence of a cycle through which water ice reacts with lunar soil grains.

NASA said by understanding the processes and environments that determine where water ice will be, how water was delivered to the moon and its active water cycle, future mission planners might be better able to determine which locations will have easily-accessible water.

Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi

The Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi is less than a month away and city and her citizens are getting ready to greet the visiting multitudes into their city. Curiosity and anticipation about the Games is at its peak. The Image & Look FA of the OC is all set to feed this curiosity and anticipation by dressing up the city and the venues in the colours and designs of the Delhi 2010 Games.

World over, identities or logos and designs for international sports events resonate with local culture and art of the host city. The logo of the Delhi 2010 Games is inspired by the Ashoka Chakra, our national symbol of freedom, unity and power. The Delhi Games logo spirals upwards, representing the growth of India into a proud, vibrant nation, her journey from tradition to modernity, her economic transformation into a superpower and her capability to host a memorable Commonwealth Games.

"While designing the ‘Look' for the Delhi 2010 Games, we have tried to juxtapose the traditional forms and patterns, which are exclusively ‘India' with some modern art forms. Traditional patterns such as jaali, ambi and rangoli share space with contemporary and digital flows and weaves, giving the program an interesting and exclusive look", said Sangeeta Welinkar, ADG, Image & Look, Organising Committee Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi.

The design of the XIX Commonwealth Games is inspired by the city of Delhi itself; the awe-inspiring landmarks, the grand celebrations, her energy, vitality and big heart.

Graphic illustrations of historical monuments and sport silhouettes have also been specially created to add depth to the design.

The tagline, ‘Come Out and Play' is an invitation to everyone involved with the Games to participate in whichever way they can, in the true spirit of sportsmanship. It also calls the people of India, especially Delhi, to come out in support of the Games and play the perfect hosts to the visitors.

The colour palette combines the distinctive colours of the Delhi 2010 (purple, green & pink) with the official colours of the Commonwealth Games (blue, red & yellow).

The colour green signifies life, energy and high spirits and also represents the fact that Delhi 2010 will be the first-ever Green Commonwealth Games. Purple combines with the stable and calming aspects of blue and the mystical qualities of pink. Red, Yellow and Blue are the Commonwealth Games colours, representing the ‘Trinity of Values' - Humanity, Equality and Destiny.

The Delhi 2010 pictograms are inspired by the graphic and simple ‘Sanjhi', a paper cutting and stencil art form from Uttar Pradesh in India, used to tell stories.

Shera, the mascot, is the face of the Delhi 2010 Games. He is omnipresent, energising the city and exhorting everyone to make the Games a grand success and to ‘come out and play'. He is also a reminder of the depleting numbers of his species and the fragile environment he lives in and our responsibility towards the protection of his race and his ecosystem.

The Delhi 2010 ‘look' is a unique combination of these designs and graphic elements, culminating into a visual explosion, creating a vibrant brand that will generate excitement and anticipation for the Delhi 2010 Games.
The Look of the Games will manifest itself in the city on flags, bridge panels, bus Q shelters, hoardings, public utilities, view cutters etc. Stakeholders of the Games such as Delhi Government, MCD, NDMC, PWD, DTC etc are working hand in hand with the OC to brand the city in the colours of the Games.

In competition venues, the precinct and Field of Play (FOP) will be branded. Branding in the FOP is guided by strict rules set by the International Federations, driven by the sport itself and has been planned and approved by International & National Sports Federations. Image & Look has worked with the Sport FA to try and brand all sport equipments with Delhi 2010 brand.

Athletes will first be exposed to the Delhi 2010 look at the new T3 terminal at the airport, which will vibrantly reflect the host city and the XIX Commonwealth Games.

The Games Village is called ‘Khel Gram', is the showpiece of the Delhi 2010 Games and is slated to be one of the best ever in international sports events. It is a home away from home for athletes and we have tried to give it an effervescent and exciting look to generate a buoyant mood in its residents. Indian art forms like Madhubani, Gond, Warli and Sanjhi, have been used to differentiate the four residential zones. The international zone, training areas etc have also been branded with a special look.

Image & Look has been working consistently with all FAs to provide design solutions for all their requirements and has also designed the Victory Medals, lanyards, certificates, Commemorative Medal, Accreditation Cards, Uniforms, Value programs, invitation cars, manuals, tickets etc

India's vibrant and varied cultural collage will be on view during Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010, truly reflecting the spirit of India.

Commonwealth Games will be a proud moment for India

Asking people to treat the Commonwealth Games as a national festival, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday exuded confidence that the country will successfully host the October event, preparations for which have been plagued by controversies.

"The Commonwealth Games will start in Delhi after about one-and-a-half months. This will be a proud moment for the whole country and especially for Delhi," Singh said addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort.

"I am convinced that all our countrymen will treat the Games as a national festival and will leave no stone unturned to make them a success," he said.

The Prime Minister said a successful Delhi Games would also be a signal that India is rapidly marching ahead.

"The successful organisation of Commonwealth Games would be another signal to the world that India is rapidly marching ahead with confidence," he said.

The preparations for Commonwealth Games have been marred by a spate of corruption charges and delay in construction works following which the Prime Minister stepped in and gave overriding powers to a committee of secretaries to supervise the event.

Observing that there have been slippages in time schedules and deficiencies, Singh yesterday directed thorough probes into complaints of procedural and other irregularities by the ministries concerned and said that those found guilty should face severe and exemplary punishment.

See the Delights of San Juan on a Trip to the Tropical Island of Puerto Rico

When choosing Caribbean cruise deals you may not pay too much attention to whether the liner calls at Puerto Rico, but if that is the case, you could be missing out on visiting a fascinating tropical island.

Puerto Rico's capital San Juan has become a regular port of call for Royal Caribbean Cruises on its liners' Eastern Caribbean routes, allowing passengers to experience a taste of the island's heritage and culture.

If you choose to visit San Juan on your trip around the Caribbean, you will almost certainly enjoy warm weather as you explore its natural beauty and historic buildings.

Even at the coldest times of the year, the average temperature is around 25 degrees C, making Puerto Rico a perfect winter destination.

The tropical climate makes soaking up the sun an enticing prospect and Puerto Rico's capital has a number of beautiful white sand beaches which are ideal spots for relaxing and topping up the tan.

If you are feeling a little adventurous, the beach at Ocean Park is a popular place for kitesurfing and windsurfing.

And if you count yourself as very adventurous, you may want to head out of San Juan to visit the El Yunque National Forest - a rainforest which is home to some birds, amphibians and plant species which cannot be seen anywhere else in the world.

Passengers of Royal Caribbean Cruises and the other cruise lines which call at San Juan will also find plenty to do if they choose to stay in the city during their time in Puerto Rico.

It is packed with historic buildings, many of them dating back to the time when the Spanish first colonised the island in the early 16th century.

The Cathedral of San Juan Bautista is the second oldest cathedral in the western hemisphere, while the San Juan National Historic Site includes several forts built by Spanish settlers to defend the city.

While wandering round Old San Juan in search of the famous buildings, you will also walk through the many plazas which act as meeting points for residents, giving you a flavour of the local culture.

Whether you've spent the day on the beach or exploring the old town, you'll probably want to end it by sampling some of the local food and drink.

Head for the bars and restaurants of Isla Verde or Condado and you'll see how the locals like to enjoy an evening out - a memorable way to end your stay in Puerto Rico.

Travel insurance covers volcanoes

TORONTO Canadian travellers who are stranded in Europe by the volcanic ash cloud are not necessarily out of pocket if they began their journey with travel insurance, but they need to check their policies. The team answering calls at RBC Insurance is running "full out," a company executive said this week.

"If people have purchased cancellation and interruption insurance in their travel insurance, whether it be in a package or stand-alone basis, they're likely to have some type of benefit related to this particular event, the volcanic ash volcano in Iceland," said Tim Bzowey, vice-president of travel.

Silvana Aceto, speaking for the CAA south-central Ontario office in Thornhill, said her region has been dealing with 58 passengers who are stuck in Europe, and who booked trips through the company.

RBC Insurance has had contact with a "significant number" of people in Europe, but Bzowey couldn't offer an exact count.

It's all hands on deck at the 24-7 insurance office, he said.

"Thankfully we're accustomed to crises in the travel business, whether it's a tour operator failure or an airline failure, SARS, H1N1, 9-11, earthquakes, tsunamis -- these are all events that have happened in the recent past ... but every time one of these comes up, it's a little bit different.

"And I never in my career would have anticipated a volcano in Iceland would be an issue for us."

Any RBC policyholder currently in Europe and unable to get home when they planned will automatically have their coverage extended, he said.

"There's been no additional cost for that."

There is an allowance to cover meals, accommodation, phone calls, taxis and car rental, with the deluxe package allowing for a maximum of $700 to be spent.

Bzowey agreed that the money "absolutely isn't" going to last a traveller long if they need a hotel room for five days.

"This is why these situations aren't easy and we want to get people home as soon as practically possible," he said.

In most cases, the $700 is more than enough when the main goal is to get a client home as quickly and safely as possible, the company said. Bzowey commended the airlines for doing "the best they can in a difficult situation."

"We're encouraging all of our clients to check with their airline, check with their tour operator, make sure that communication is open because the situation is quite dynamic, and what might be the situation today could be very different tomorrow," he said.

The same goes for Canadians stuck on this side of the pond who booked their flights to Europe prior to April 15.

They need to talk to the airline and tour operator about changing their dates if the ash situation improves, Bzowey said, and if that's not possible, then they need to open a claim.

Qantas Says Rising Global Economy Boosts Business Travel Demand

Australia's biggest carrier, said an improving global economy is feeding a recovery in business demand while leisure travel remains strong in the face of increased borrowing costs.

"We are seeing very strong leisure demand despite interest rates having gone up," Qantas Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce said in an interview broadcast on Sky Business Channel today. "We're still seeing the business market recovering because confidence is returning to the business sector."

The Reserve Bank of Australia signaled it is likely to raise borrowing costs further after increasing its benchmark interest rate to 4.25 percent on April 6, the fifth advance in seven months. Sydney-based Qantas is increasing capacity as domestic economic growth and gains in the Australian dollar spur travel demand.

"We had expected the business market to return, and our intakes in terms of business traffic have been strong as we had been expecting," Joyce, 43, said.

Rates 'not affecting leisure travel'

Rising interest rates have not affected leisure travel on Qantas, the national carrier's chief executive says.

Qantas Airways Ltd CEO Alan Joyce said higher interest rates would be expected to have a negative effect upon discretionary spending and therefore impact leisure travel rather than business travel.

"(But) if you look at how robust the economy is, we are seeing very strong leisure demand despite interest rates having gone up," Mr Joyce told Sky Channel's Sunday Business program.

"We're still seeing the business market recovering because confidence is returning to the business sector, people are travelling again.

"So while we always have to keep an eye on the impact on discretionary expenditure, we're certainly not seeing any impact on our leisure traffic or on our business traffic as a consequence of that."

Mr Joyce said outbound tourism had been "pretty strong" given the strength of the Australian dollar.

The business market was "returning".

"We had expected the business market to return, and our intakes in terms of business traffic have been strong as we had been expecting," Mr Joyce said.

However, the United Kingdom and United States markets were still relatively weak.

"The UK market, with the economy there, will probably take a bit longer the recover," Mr Joyce said.

"The US market: there is some strength there. It's stronger than the UK but still weak relative to the pre-GFC (global financial crisis) level.

"But Qantas is comfortable that the improvements that we were expecting are occurring, and they are occurring at the rate that we were expecting."

In February, Qantas Airways reported its lowest first half net profit in at least a decade, did not pay an interim dividend and said its major overseas markets remained weak.

Qantas posted a $58 million net profit for the six months to December 31, down 72 per cent from $210 million in the prior corresponding period.

Eco-tourism burned by SWC

Pretoria - For certain sectors of the local tourism industry, the Fifa World Cup Soccer tournament is bad news.

High prices for airline tickets and other services, as well as large numbers of other visitors, have scared off prospective clients, several business people told Sake24 last week.

Corporate travel, moreover, is expected to come to a standstill for about 12 weeks around the tournament.

Various tourism businesses will find the 2010 winter a dismal season.

Paul Stones of Paul Stones Safaris Africa says he usually receives nine to 11 Safari groups during the winter season. Only two are coming this year.

Stones says hunters make their bookings as much as a year or two ahead. The markets from which they are sourced include the US, Britain, Germany, Russia and Spain.

Prospective visitors are restricted in their choice of airlines because only some permit travellers to bring their firearms along. The South African regulatory system makes it almost impossible to hire a firearm here.

Stones says when hunters wanted to make their reservations, they found that airline tickets and accommodation had become very expensive.

Although cheaper flights have been available since January, these people have already decided on other destinations.

Another factor weighing with hunters is that on arrival at the airport they have to get a temporary gun licence.

The prospect of going through this process at an airport overrun by soccer fans has scared off many prospective clients.

For Americans, in particular, hunting safaris are a way to celebrate one's graduation. This happens once in a lifetime and, if that client is lost, the opportunity has gone forever. What is more, these clients come hunting during their summer vacation and at no other time of the year.

Stones says an average hunting package lasts 10 days. A couple - with the man coming to hunt and his wife accompanying him - might spend $27 000 to $30 000.

Adri Kitshoff, CEO of the Professional Hunters' Association of South Africa (Phasa), says that only after the hunting season will it be possible to assess the full impact on the industry.

The 2007/08 income from game hunting and day fees was almost R1bn. This excluded taxidermy, transport and a wealth of other expenditure.

The industry provides work for some 70 000 people, and there are almost 10 000 registered game-hunting farms in the country.

Peter Lawson of Lawson Birding & Wildlife Tours says his industry is suffering just as much.

Lawson's clients, which come to view birds, butterflies, dragonflies or other wildlife, mostly come from the US, the UK and Europe. He generally manages up to six tours during June and July, but this year there has been only one booking. Groups - generally eight to 10 people - are now also smaller with only four or five. But things look better for later in the year.

He also blames higher prices for the decline in reservations and says people must realise that tourists are not obliged to come here. They can choose to go anywhere in the world.

According to a recent Department of Trade and Industry report on bird-watching tourism, foreign birdwatchers spend considerably more than other tourist types. Their average expenditure per visit is R38 652.

Another segment that has practically ground to a halt for the tournament weeks is business travel, says Natalia Thomson, editor of Travel News Weekly.

Various large companies have placed a moratorium on travel while the matches are being played.

Tourvest Travel Services CEO, Morné du Preez. told Travel News Weekly that corporate travel is expected to come to a standstill for 10 to 12 weeks around the tournament, which means that 2010 will itself probably not be a good year.

Source: fin24.com

Asia now world's biggest air travel market: IATA

SINGAPORE: The Asia-Pacific region has overtaken North America as the world's largest air travel market with 647 million passengers in 2009, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Monday.

By contrast, 638 million people flew on commercial flights in North America last year, IATA said at an aviation business conference on the eve of the Singapore Airshow featuring the world's leading aviation industry players.

Within Asia, China has eclipsed Japan over the past decade as the region's largest domestic market, with 1,400 aircraft compared with Japan's 540 and 5.7 million weekly seats against 2.6 million in Japan.

IATA director general Giovanni Bisignani told the conference that the Asia-Pacific market will continue to grow rapidly with an estimated 217 million additional air passengers a year in the region by 2013.

"While we see dynamism and diversity within the region, the aspect of Asia-Pacific that excites me most is its potential," said Bisignani.

"More than a quarter of the 2.2 billion people who flew last year, or 647 million people, flew within Asia-Pacific markets.

"It has eclipsed travel within North America as the traditional leader in traffic numbers."

IATA represents some 230 carriers that account for more than 90 percent of scheduled air traffic, but does not include many of the budget airlines credited with a boom in short and medium-haul travel in recent years.

Its members in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, and North America recorded year-on-year declines in passenger demand of 5.0 to 5.6 percent in 2009, according to an earlier IATA report.

But Asian airlines staged a stronger recovery in demand in December, at nearly twice the global average, while travel on European and North American carriers stagnated or slipped.

 

Source : TOI

India Republic Day Celebrations Security

NEW DELHI — Paramilitary soldiers and police set up road blocks and snipers took positions atop government buildings as hundreds of thousands of people turned out to celebrate India's national day Tuesday.

India celebrates its Republic Day on Jan. 26 every year, but this year security measures were notched up following intelligence reports of a possible terrorist attack by Islamic militants.

Last week, the Indian government put its airports on high alert amid reports that al-Qaida-linked militants planned to hijack a plane. Security has also been tightened at all major government telecommunications and power installations, police said.

At least 15,000 paramilitary soldiers were deployed in and around the capital of New Delhi to ensure safety along the route of the annual parade - the highlight of India's Republic Day festivities, said police spokesman Rajan Bhagat.

In downtown New Delhi, hundreds of thousands of people gathered to witness the parade - a showcase of Indian military and cultural pomp - under the eyes of police.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, who is on a four-day official visit to India, was the main guest at the parade, which included marching bands and contingents of soldiers and schoolchildren and an aeronautic display by air force planes.

India is observing the 60th anniversary of the 1950 adoption of its constitution. The country gained independence from Britain in 1947.

Islamic militants attempted to disrupt celebrations by crossing from Pakistan into Indian Kashmir early Tuesday, said J.B. Sangwan, a Border Security Force official. He accused Pakistani soldiers of firing at Indian border posts to provide cover for the extremists.

"There was heavy gunfire from the Pakistani side directed at Indian border posts," Sangwan said. Indian soldiers returned fire, Sangwan said.

A different version of events came from the Pakistani side. A military official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media said Indian forces fired first and Pakistani soldiers responded.

Neither side reported casualties.

India and Pakistan have fought two wars over control of Kashmir, the Himalayan territory that both claim in its entirety. More than a dozen militant groups have fought Indian forces since 1989, seeking independence for the Muslim-majority state or its merger with Pakistan.

In India's restive northeast, several separatist groups called for a boycott of national day, but thousands of people defied the strike and thronged to celebrations to mark the day.

Source: google.com

TRAVEL GROUP ANNOUNCES: N.Korea to admit more US visitors

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SEOUL, January 13, 2010 (AFP) - North Korea is opening its doors wider to tourists from its traditional enemy, the United States, a Beijing-based travel group said Wednesday.

US tourists will now be allowed to visit the communist state year-round instead of only during the Arirang Festival from August to October, Koryo Tours said.

Founder Nick Bonner said he had received an email Wednesday from the state-run Korea International Travel Company notifying him of the change but giving no further immediate details.

The secretive nation opened to Western tourists in 1987-88 but excluded US citizens a couple of years after that.

In 2002 it allowed Americans to visit for Arirang, a gymnastics and propaganda festival involving tens of thousands of performers.

Bonner said his firm, which specialises in tourism to North Korea, brought in 292 US citizens for Arirang last year.

The North was hit by tougher sanctions last year following its nuclear and missile tests. It is also losing tens of millions of dollars a year after tour programmes for South Koreans shut down amid worsening relations.

Bonner told AFP he saw the latest move as a gradual opening of the tourism industry rather than being motivated by a desire to raise revenue.

"But I don't think it would have happened unless relations (with the US) had calmed down in recent months. Tourism is often at the lead of diplomacy," he said.

After months of tension, Pyongyang last summer began making peace gestures to Washington and Seoul. US envoy Stephen Bosworth visited the North last month to try to persuade it to return to stalled nuclear disarmament talks.

The United States has not had diplomatic relations with the North since the 1950-53 war, in which US forces fought for South Korea.

In a New Year message the North said it wanted better relations with the United States, but it has given no clear signal of readiness to return to the disarmament talks.

Source: javno.com