During the negotiations, which began on September 4, both the proponents and sceptics stuck to their positions but finally reached common ground on Saturday after American prodding and deft diplomacy by New Delhi.
Hectic negotiations on India getting NSG waiver are going down to the wire with last-minute changes being pushed by sceptic countries to incorporate their concerns in the draft to hammer out a consensus.After four rounds of discussions that spilled over late into Friday night, Austria, which was among a couple of countries holding out, gave enough indications that 'more work still' needs to be done that will enable India cross a major hurdle in operationalising the N-deal.
After a day-long meeting on Thursday, delegates to the 45-member nuclear cartel expressed optimism over a consensus to end the country's three-decade long nuclear isolation by Friday. "We are close to a consensus. There may be a statement for the Press on Friday," a western diplomat, who refused to be identified either by name or country, said after the delegates considered a revised US draft waiver at the conclusion of 2nd session of the opening day of the two-day meeeting.
The draft of the proposal for the India-specific exemption at the Nuclear Suppliers Group has undergone further changes which include a provision for regular information by its head about New Delhi's adherence to its guidelines on global atomic trade, a move aimed at pacifying countries having reservations over the waiver to India.
Malaysian Unity and Culture Minister Mohammedd Shafie Apdal was on Saturday elected chairman of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in a bitter contest defeating British Parliamentarian of Indian origin Lord Swraj Paul.
In a controversial turn to the election to a top Commonwealth parliamentary post involving high-profile Labour peer Swraj Paul and a Malaysian minister, the British delegation on Thursday alleged that India and the host country were involved in "shocking deals".
Recognising the "serious threat" posed by terrorism to the peace and stability of South Asia, the 15th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Summit on Sunday in a declaration supported "strongest possible cooperation" against the menace and signed a key agreement in this regard.
After Prime Minister Manmohan Singh conveyed his concern over the Indian embassy attack in Kabul, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani met Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Colombo and discussed the incident for which Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence has been blamed.
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was released on Thursday on bail after hours of interrogation and staying overnight in the lock-up for a sodomy case.
Anwar, 60, was picked by by police personnel at 10.30 IST and bundled up in a white car less than an hour before a deadline to appear at police headquarters, for questioning in the case filed by an aide on June 28.
Describing terrorism as a "common menace," Pakistan Wednesday agreed to fight it jointly with India and gave a commitment for maintaining ceasefire on the Line of Control. After extensive talks between External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the two sides also reported progress on Kashmir, Siachen and Sir Creek issues and expressed willingness to push forward the confidence building measures.
After a six-month pause, India and Pakistan on Tuesday resumed their composite dialogue with the Foreign Secretaries meeting here to discuss various bilateral issues including terrorism, Kashmir and confidence building measures. Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and his counterpart Salman Bashir held delegation level discussions to review the fourth round of composite dialogue. Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek and various confidence building measures were discussed.
"We will not hesitate to take the strictest measures, including using legal provisions against hoarding and profiteering whether in food, cement or steel," Commerce Minister Kamal Nath said. The minister, who is in Singapore to attend the Incredible India @ 60 event showcasing the growth of a resurgent India, told reporters that though there was the provision of 18G of the Industrial Act, "we don't propose to use it."
Finance Minister P Chidambaram has blamed the US' biofuel policy of diverting food grains such as corn for producing bio-fuels for the spurt in food grain prices globally. He also said that lack of adequate regulations in the US sub-prime market has led to global financial uncertainties. He said the demand for staple food was on the rise, leading to higher prices, but diverting food for fuel had also contributed to increase in food prices. He called US' priorities lopsided.
A victory for Abdullah's party is widely expected but it is not known as yet if it would capture the two-thirds majority, which it has done since 1957. The doubts have been sparked by a public show of discontent by the ethnic Indians who are demanding racial equality since the November 25 banned rally by more than 20,000 people who for the first time in decades held anti-government protest in this Malay majority Muslim nation.
Five ethnic Indian leaders, detained indefinitely under a draconian security law in Malaysia for organising a rally to demand racial equality, on Tuesday failed to get any reprieve from the high court, which turned down their application for freedom.
Hindraf's A Sivanesan is among the 11 lawyers contesting for the opposition DAP. He will face Malaysian Indian Congress vice president SVeerasingam in Sundkai seat in Perak state. M Manoharan, who is currently held under the draconian Internal Security Act that allows indefinite detention without trial along with four other Hindraf members for organising the November 25 rally of ethnic Indians here, is also in the fray.
Police said it detained at least 20 supporters of the non-governmental Hindu Rights Force (Hindraf), which organised the rally, days after announcing plans that its members would march to the Parliament house along with a group of children led by the organisation's chief Wayathamoorthy's five-year-old daughter Vvaishnnavi.Hindraf member and lawyer N Surendran, however, claimed that at least 60 people, including two leaders of the organisation, have been detained.
Ending months of speculation, Malaysian Premier Abdullah Badawi on Wednesday dissolved the Parliament to pave the way for snap elections, in which his ruling coalition is expected to emerge as a winner but with a reduced majority. Abdullah said the Malaysian King has given his approval for dissolving the Parliament so that the elections could be held early.
Referring to a comment in a blog that Abdullah had asked him to resign and not seek re-election, Vellu said those spreading such 'lies' on the Internet and via SMS were 'mad'.
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