Govt will talk to Swiss banks on disclosing details: Pranab

NEW DELHI: Finance
minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday said the government will look into the matter of the rejection by Swiss banks to hand over
details of their Indian clients.

Speaking to newsmen before entering his North Block office Mukherjee said, "What can I comment? I will look into the matter and discuss the Swiss banks’ rejection to disclose details with authorities in banking
sector."

This reaction from the finance minister comes after Swiss banks declined India's request to unearth its black money parked in their banks. India has also been told not to come on 'fishing expeditions'.

Swiss bank authorities rejected India's request to disclose details of clients, saying Swiss law and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Model Tax Convention do not permit fishing expeditions.

The Swiss authorities added that they would not co-operate in the indiscriminate trawling through bank accounts in the hope of finding something interesting.

"This means that India cannot simply throw its telephone book at Switzerland and ask if any of these people have a bank account here," a top Swiss bankers’ association official said.

According to sources the Swiss bank-client confidentiality has never been 100 percent absolute and Swiss legislators have built in provisions for it to be lifted during criminal investigations and also in many civil cases and it has also evolved over time.

"The key for the exchange of information in tax matters is the Double Taxation Agreement between Switzerland and India," said SBA's Head of International Communications James Nason.

Double Taxation Agreements are being currently revised to incorporate the OECD standard on the exchange of information in tax matters according to the OECD's own Model Tax Convention.

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Kaminey pushes Vishal, Shahid into A-list

'Vishal has always been critically-acclaimed but commercially not that successful. For example, 'Omkara' was a lazy proposition business-wise... it didn't even have a good opening. But the opening for 'Kaminey' has been huge and it has had a good first weekend too," trade analyst Taran Adarsh told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

"He has proved his credentials with the movie that he is also commercially viable. At the end of the day everything boils down to how rosy your balance sheet looks because the stakes are very high and Vishal, after this film, has realised that it's good to make critically-acclaimed films but it's also necessary to strike a balance," he said.

Film critic Omar Qureshi also had something similar to say.
"Vishal is now top of the ladder. He is multi-talented and is of a different league altogether post-'Kaminey'. He is a very intelligent filmmaker and versatile...who even writes, composes and sings apart from directing," said Qureshi.

"He made a movie like 'Maqbool' with lesser-known stars and a great story and then graduated to A-list stars in 'Omkara'. He then decided that he wanted to make an out-and-out big-budget masala movie and so graduated to level three and that too with a very intelligent film," he added.

Bharadwaj started his Bollyood innings as a composer for Gulzar's "Maachis" (1996) followed by movies like "Satya" (1998) and "Chachi 420" (1998) before taking on the director's mantle. He proved his genius with his movies and his versatility as a music composer, singer, writer and filmmaker.

Noteworthy is his association with poet-filmmaker Gulzar and singer Sukhwinder Singh in all his films. And he has successfully explored the best in actors like Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor in "Omkara" and Shahid Kapoor in "Kaminey".

"Vishal is a very dangerous director... It's a challenge for an actor to work with him but at the same time it's very fruitful too... he brings out a new talent in you every time he takes a shot," Shahid had said of the director.

In "Kaminey", Shahid plays morally-incompatible twins -- one a ruffian with a lisp and the other a simpleton who stammers. Not only has he bagged accolades for his performance, the film has also changed his image -- from the chocolate boy-next-door to an A-lister.

"With 'Kaminey', Vishal has given Bollywood its own Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie combo. He has proven that behind a media shy and quiet face lies a calculating mind. He is indeed Bollywood's new maverick," said an industry source.

"Kaminey" was also praised for its songs -- specifically "Dhan tan tan" -- and its cinematography.

"Vishal has been been a very underrated director for a long time and with 'Kaminey', he has taken entertainment to another level and that too without compromising on the aesthetic side. He is a supremely talented person," said Siddharth Roy Kapur, CEO of UTV Motion Pictures that has produced and distributed the movie.

Bharadwaj's future projects include "Ishqiya" and a movie with Hrithik Roshan.

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Indians in Oz more cautious about safety following attacks

MELBOURNE: Avoiding late-night travel and sitting close to tram drivers here are among some steps being followed by Indian students, who have
become "more vigilant" than before in the wake of a spate of attacks against the youths from the community in Australia.

"These days we leave our accommodation early and return early. In trams, sitting near the driver is also an ideal option. We have become more vigilant than before," Rajesh Ramnathan, a Ph.D student at RMIT University here, said.

He said he informs his house mates before leaving for work or university so that they can enquire about him if he does not come back in time.

"My friends do the same thing. When they go out, they tell me and I know where they have gone. I speak to them in between to find out if all is well," he said.

Divya Sharma, a student of the same university, said that she does 'yoga' to remain calm and it also helps her to be disciplined while travelling by the public transport system. "Yoga helps me to remain calm and cool. More importantly, you have to be disciplined while travelling in the trams."

Sharma, who also teaches yoga at the university, said the Indian students are now focussing more on cultural activities to reach out to their Australian counterparts. They are set to hold a function 'Sab Kuch Thik Thak Hay' around Diwali when they plan to organise activities like a fashion show and Bollywood dance programme.

Another possible reason for the attacks against the Indian students could be the fact that they work part-time along with pursuing their studies and travel late in the night, which makes them vulnerable to assaults. "We are more visible than any other community," Rahul Pande, a student of Deakin University, said.

Radhika, a student of Melbourne University, said that certain areas are unsafe in the city. The students have been advised not to take laptops and I-phones with them when travelling late in the night.

There are nearly 97,0000 Indian students in Australia and 46,000 of them are in Victoria state, of which Melbourne is the capital city. They are pursuing education in all the nine universities and about 250 private educational institutions in Victoria.

In the wake of the attacks, the Victorian Police has started sensitisation programmes in which they involve student community and tell them about their safety and security.

"My parents are much worried about me. I have become more careful these days. I am participating in the students' sensitisation programme on safety and security carried out Victorian Police. I am a safety ambassador," Trupti Choudhary, who studies in Victorian University, said.

Harshvardhan, a student of the same university, said he feels unsafe to step out of his house after 8 pm in the evening in view of the attacks.

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LTTE tried to buy nuclear weapons: Report

Colombo: In a startling disclosure, the detained LTTE chief Kumaran Pathmanathan has told investigators that the rebels had tried to acquire nuclear weapons and know-how to be used against the Sri Lankan Army.

A media report has said that Pathmanathan who was recently arrested in a South East Asian country has told interrogators that his organisation had tried to acquire nuclear weapons and technology from Western countries.

"LTTE had been the first terrorist outfit that had tried to obtain nuclear power. Had they been successful in obtaining nuclear power, it would have flowed into the hands of other terror organisations too", the Nation newspaper said quoting military analysts.

"KP has revealed that the arms purchased with the money collected were shipped to the LTTE. How he purchased anti-aircraft missiles from arms dealers in the USA has been disclosed", the newspaper said.

Meanwhile, the former commander of LTTE Supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran and Cabinet minister in the Sri Lankan government, Karuna Amman say it may be difficult to find a successor to KP.

"They (LTTE) can't do anything because all international networks were controlled by KP himself", Amman said.

"Because after the LTTE was defeated and Prabhakaran was killed, Kumaran Padmanathan announced that he was the leader. So I am glad he is arrested and in police custody. The LTTE can never come up again", Amman said.

54-year-old Pathmanathan succeeded as LTTE chief after Vellupillai Prabhakaran was killed along with most of the top rebel leaders in May this year.

"KP was handpicked by Prabhakaran as their international liaison for arms dealing, purchasing and handling their funds.

KP is an intelligent man. He speaks many languages which is why he was chosen", Amman told the newspaper.

Bureau Report

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UK teen convicted over Facebook bullying

A British teenager became the first person to be jailed in the country for bullying on a social networking site after posting a death threat on Facebook.

Keeley Houghton, 18, cried as she was sentenced to three months in a young offenders' institution after pleading guilty for harassing Emily Moore, The Telegraph reported.

She was also given a restraining order banning her from contacting Emily in person via the Internet or in any other manner for five years.

While convicting Houghton District Judge Bruce said, "Since Emily Moore was 14 you have waged compelling threats and violent abuse towards her.

"Bullies are by their nature are cowards, in school and society. The evil, odious effects of being bullied stay with you for life. On this day you did an act of gratuitous nastiness to satisfy your own twisted nature", he said.

Houghton had posted she would kill Moore, whom she had bullied for four years since they were at school together.

People have previously been jailed for harassment and stalking on social networking sites but she is first to be jailed for bullying via the Internet, the newspaper said.

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Near air miss in Mumbai

Mumbai: An air disaster was averted at the Mumbai international airport when two small private jets were involved in a near-miss on Sunday after they took off from the same runway almost simultaneously.

According to a DGCA official, the incident occured when the Air Traffic Control(ATC) reportedly gave the clearance to the pilots of the two chartered aircraft to take off around the same time from Runway 27.

One of the planes was a chartered aircraft 'Challenger' from Bermuda while the other was a CRJ jet belonging to Pinnacle Air of India, the official said. One of the planes was headed for Aurangabad while the other was going to Delhi.

It was not immediately known how many passengers were in the two aircraft, both of which had non-scheduled operator permits. The incident happened around 1130 AM, the official said.

Further details are awaited. It was the second time in three months when there was a air-miss at Mumbai airport.

On May 31, two aircraft got clearance to take off simultaneously from two runways but the pilots stopped the planes in the nick of time.

The incident occurred at 7.27 AM when Air India's Mumbai-Delhi and Jet Airways' Mumbai-Kolkata flight were scheduled for departure.

Bureau Report

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Hakimullah Mehsud appointed new chief of Pak Taliban

As authorities here asserted that the militants on the country's soil were in disarray, Pakistani Taliban announced on Saturday Hakimullah Mehsud as their new chief. The development comes days after reports claimed that he was killed in a duel with a rival claimant.

The announcement of new Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan chief, who led a campaign to impose the 'jiziya' tax on the minority Sikh community, was made by militant commander Maulvi Faqir Muhammad, who just days back had appointed himself as the successor to Baitullah Mehsud.

Though the Taliban declared appointment of a new chief, they stuck to their claim that Baitullah was still alive, but was "seriously ill and hiding".

Maulvi Faqir said a 42-member 'shura' or supreme council selected Hakimullah as the new leader during a meeting held in South Waziristan tribal region.

Along with Hakimullah, Taliban also announced that they had appointed Azam Tariq as the new spokesman for the group, after their mouthpiece Maulvi Omar was nabbed by police in a raid in Bajaur area in Tribal areas in NWFP.

Faqir also claimed Baitullah wanted a new Taliban chief to be appointed in his lifetime.

Pakistani and American officials have said they are certain that Baitullah was killed with his second wife and several guards when a drone fired missiles at his father-in-laws house on August 5.

Recently, Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik had quoted reports to say infighting had broken out among various Taliban factions in which Hakimullah had been killed.

The new TTP chief Hakimullah hails from powerful Mehsud Pushtun tribe and is a cousin of Baitullah. He is in his late twenties and was a strong contender for the Taliban leadership.

Hakimullah has also served as spokesman for Baitullah and led Taliban militants in the Khyber and Orakzai tribal agencies, where he imposed jiziya on Sikhs, forcing them to flee the area.

He is also the cousin of Qari Hussain, known as trainer of suicide bombers, who is said to be responsible for dozens of attacks across Pakistan.

Hakimullah has good contacts with Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a Sunni group that often targets the minority Shia community.

He also has good contacts in Punjab and Sindh and has trained a large number of Punjabi Taliban militants in South Waziristan. He has used the Punjabi militants to carry out suicide attacks outside the tribal belt.

Maulvi Faqir, who spoke to reporters in Peshawar on phone from an undisclosed location, said the Taliban are ready for a dialogue but the Pakistan government has no power to talk to the militants or to maintain peace as "foreign forces" are controlling it.

Taliban leaders from the tribal and settled regions of Pakistan attended the shura meeting, which selected a new chief in view of Baitullah's illness, he said.

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Drought affects 4.6 million in China

Beijing: China's anti-drought authority has urged for more efforts to fight drought in the north of the country that is affecting some 4.6 million people, and warned of a possible drought in the south.

The drought in the north was threatening 8.67 million hectares of crops, the office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said on Saturday.

About 4 million hectares of crops are seriously affected and 4.61 million people and 4.05 million heads of livestock were facing difficulty in accessing drinking water, the headquarters said.

The drought has affected north and northeast China since late July. Last week, the Ministry of Agriculture raised the emergency response level to the drought to three and asked local governments to strive to ensure least possible reduction in agricultural output.

The ministry has dispatched three working teams to organise anti-drought efforts in the worst-hit provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Inner Mongolia.

IANS

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Brazil to build five submarines with France help

Sao Paulo: Brazil will build five submarines in collaboration with France to protect its vast off shore oil reserves in the Amazon region, a media report said on Sunday.

The Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper said President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has already approved the submarine project prepared by the Defence Ministry.

Brazil will also build a nuclear submarine as part of the project, it said.

The Ministry also plans to set up of a joint general staff comprising personnel from the Army, Navy and the Air Force
to protect the region. The proposal, which is already cleared by the President, will now be submitted to the Congress.

The government has invested nearly USD 30 billion to boost its defence industry.

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Close shave for Delhi-Ranchi Rajdhani Express

A close shave for the Delhi-Ranchi Rajdhani Express while it was crossing Jharkhand.

Just 10 minutes after the train crossed an area in Latehar district, the track was blown up by Maoists.

The incident took place at about 7:30 am on Monday morning.

Maoists have called for a two-day bandh across five states, starting Monday to protest against the 'illegal' detention of two of their leaders Anil and Kartik by the Bihar police.

The bandh will be observed in Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal
, Orissa and Chhattisgarh.

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England regain the Ashes, beat Australia 2-1

London: England regained the Ashes with a 197-run win over Australia in the fifth and final Test at the Oval on Sunday.

Victory, achieved with more than a day to spare, saw England take the five-match series 2-1.

Australia, set what would have been a record fourth innings victory total of 546, were bowled out for 348 with Michael Hussey last man out for 121, when he was caught close in by Alastair Cook off spinner Graeme Swann.

"It's a special moment. It hasn't sunk in yet. We had to dig in and fight," said England skipper Andrew Strauss.

"When we were bad in the series, we were very bad but when we were good we were very good."

Australia captain Ricky Ponting said: "We gave it all we could, but it wasn't enough. Full credit to England, they won the crucial moments and deserved to win the series.”

"I think this series has shown that Test cricket is alive and well around the world."

From 327 for five, the end came swiftly with four wickets going down for 16 runs in 32 balls, with fast bowler Stephen Harmison taking three for seven in 13 himself.

It was a remarkable turnaround for England, who'd lost the fourth Test by an innings and 80 runs at Headingley, and had only clung on for a draw in the series opener at Cardiff by a single wicket.

Australia had been making steady progress at 217 for two before Ponting was run out by Andrew Flintoff's direct hit in the all-rounder's last match before his Test retirement.

Five balls later, Michael Clarke was also run out for nought, before England's progress was checked by a sixth-wicket stand of 91 between Hussey and Brad Haddin.

But just when England fans were starting to fret again, Haddin, on 34, went down the pitch to Swann, who took four for 120 in 40.2 overs, and hoisted a mistimed drive to Strauss at mid-wicket.

And 327 for six became 327 for seven when Australia lost another two wickets in quick succession.

Mitchell Johnson went for a seven-ball nought, brilliantly caught by diving second slip Paul Collingwood off his Durham team-mate Harmison.

Peter Siddle then got a leading edge off Harmison and Flintoff held a simple catch at mid-off.

Harmison made it two wickets in two balls when Stuart Clark was snapped up at short leg by Cook.

Ben Hilfenhaus survived the hat-trick but the end was nigh.

England had taken the new ball after tea with Australia 278 for five.

Meanwhile, Hussey's two off Stuart Broad saw him to a first Test century in 29 innings off 219 balls with 11 boundaries.

Flintoff and Strauss had earlier stunned Australia with two run-outs, the first they'd suffered this series, before tea to dismiss Ponting and Clarke.

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Miss Venezuela is Miss Universe... again!

And the crown goes to...
As Miss Venezuela Stefania Fernandez takes home the Miss Universe 2009 crown, the first runner-up title is shared by Miss Australia Rachael Finch and Miss Puerto Rico Mayra Matos Perez, with the title of second runner-up going to Miss Kosovo Gona Dragusha.

Top 5 contestants are...
Heartbeats pace up as the hosts of the evening Celebrity Apprentice star Claudia Jordan and Access Hollywood co-anchor Billy Bush, announce the contestants who made it to the top 5. The names are...
Miss Dominican Republic, Ada
Miss Australia, Rachael Finch
Miss Puerto Rico, Mayra Matos Perez
Miss Venezuela, Stefania Fernandez
Miss Kosovo, Gona Dragusha

Sub-title winners
Miss Congeniality: Miss China, Wang Jingyao
Miss Photogenic: Miss Thailand, Chutima Durongdej

Gowns galore...
Glitz and glamour takes charge as the top 10 contestants sizzle on the stage in gorgeous evening gowns.

Top 10 beauties
Competition gets tougher as the list narrows down to top 10, which includes:
Miss Australia, Rachael Finch
Miss Venezuela, Stefania Fernandez
Miss South Africa, Tatum Keshwar
Miss Dominican Republic, Ada
Miss Kosovo, Gona Dragusha
Miss Czech Republic, Iveta Lutovska
Miss Switzerland, Whitney Toyloy
Miss Puerto Rico, Mayra Matos Perez
Miss France Chloe Mortaud
Miss USA Kristen, Dalton

The swimsuit round
The temperatures on the stage soar high as the bikini clad contestants sashay down the ramp.

Top 15 announced
The top 15 contestants who will now vie for the crown are:
Miss Puerto Rico, Mayra Matos Perez
Miss Iceland, Ingibjorg Egilsdottir
Miss Albania, Hasna Xhukici
Miss Czech Republic, Iveta Lutovska
Miss Belgium, Zeynep Sever
Miss Sweden, Renate Cerljen
Miss Kosovo, Gona Dragusha
Miss Australia, Rachael Finch
Miss France, Chloe Mortaud
Miss Switzerland, Whitney Toyloy
Miss USA Kristen, Dalton
Miss Venezuela, Stefania Fernandez
Miss South Africa, Tatum Keshwar
Miss Dominican Republic, Ada Aimee De la Cruz
Miss Croatia, Sarah Cosic

The stage is set!
The stage is set in the hues of blue and the 84 contestants take the stage in white floral dresses for the introduction.
The pageant, being telecast live from 6.30 am IST on Star World, from Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas is being hosted by Access Hollywood co-anchor Billy Bush and model, actress and former Miss Rhode Island USA Claudia Jordan. In recent years, the contest has been watched in over 180 countries.

The girls will be judged in three categories — swimsuit, evening gown and interview as they vie for the coveted title.

Earlier, the confident and gorgeous beauty won a lot of compliments during her stay at the Bahamas, where the contest is being held. Ekta told us, “Somebody told me that I represent my country very well. Another compliment that touched my heart was — ‘though you look very Indian, yet your personality is very global’.”

Back home, designer Ritu Kumar, who has designed her national costume for the pageant, had commented, “Her height, I think, is her strongest point and then comes her classic face. I see amazing confidence in her.”

Designers Gauri-Nainika, who designed her evening gown, added, “Ekta is a very natural person. When we were working with her, she was not trying to be someone she is not.”

At the end of the show, Miss Universe 2008, Venezuelan Dayana Mendoza, will crown her successor.

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