"I met a warm person and a close friend. I availed of the opportunity to compliment Bachelet on the distinction of being the first executive woman President of this great country. Her commitment to democracy and social justice stands out. I have conveyed an invitation for her to visit India and I am very pleased that she has accepted," a smiling Patil said after meeting the socialist leader on Monday.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon, who was present at the singing ceremony along with visiting Indian President Pratibha Patil, said India was an 'important' partner for his country in the Asia-Pacific region. The first agreement calls for cooperation in air services between the two countries while the second one was related to enhanced ties in the energy sector.
President Pratibha Patil gave protocol jitters as she inadvertently passed the tricolour at the ceremonial reception without bowing, but quickly went back after her attention was drawn by the Mexican guard commander. Patil, who was inspecting a guard of honour by the Mexican Presidential Guards, walked past the Mexican flag without realising that her Mexican counterpart Felipe Calderon had stopped to pay respect to his country's flag.
President Pratibha Patil's maiden state visit to Mexico began on an unpleasant note as one of her important engagements -- an address to the joint session of Parliament -- was today cancelled at the last minute in view of the blockade of the House by Left-leaning legislators. Despite intense last-minute negotiations, the Mexican officials informed the President's Secretariat about the cancellation of her address officially.
After her inaugural speech at the reception hosted in her honour, the organisers of the function, possibly surprised at an early end of the meeting, asked all those who had gathered to line up for a photo op with Patil.In no time, the entire hall at a five-star hotel saw people queuing up for the photo-op, taking her security personnel by surprise. After nearly 30 minutes, the organisers, unable to cope up with the rush, decided to end the impromptu event.
While the telecom ministry and cellular operators are trying to hammer out differences over the issue, the security agencies have submitted a report to the Union home ministry about the abuse of the new technology by some terrorists modules and hawala operators. The sources said government has already asked telecom companies to make possible monitoring of content transmitted through Blackberry or stop the service as it was causing a major security breach.
According to the PIL, the Government finalised the Rs 16,000 crore deal with French company, Thales, in October 2005. The petition alleged that there were middlemen involved in the deal which was against government's policy. It also alleged that four per cent kickbacks were paid in the deal and the government was trying to protect the middlemen who were influential people. The PIL referred to e-mail and telephonic conversations allegedly between Thales officials & officials.
At a recent high level review meeting convened by the government, RAW officials tried to blame the CBI for not securing the Red Corner Notice against Singh, who fled to the US in May 2004, despite surveillance while the CBI spoke of Interpol's decision and also its subsequent correspondence with RAW officials seeking more details. Singh's disappearance became a major embarrassment for the government and the RAW.
Neither the state police nor any other central security agency confirmed the operation for recovery of the arms and explosive material, including three kilograms of RDX, two Chinese grenades, a grenade launcher, two detonators, seven rounds of AK-47, four rounds of Pika Gun, one wireless set and a mobile phone charger. According to highly-placed sources in the Jammu and Kashmir Home Department, the operation was allegedly stage-managed by the CRPF ahead of Gandhi's visit.
This is the saga of Altaf Ansari alias Raju, who was picked up in a joint operation of UP and West Bengal Police on December 29 last year and released subsequently on January 14 for want of evidence.
Special Security Guard of the state police, which is in-charge of security of the chief minister and other important personalities including National Conference chief Omar Abdullah, have been asked to undergo a rigorous training to be imparted either by elite National Security Guard or any other professional agency.
The CBI has intensified its efforts to arrest and bring back Navy war room leak accused Ravi Shankaran, a kin of former navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash, to the country amid reports that the main accused may have attained a different passport and has been frequently travelling out of the UK.
Gateway of India, Andheri, Oberoi Hotel and Navi Mumbai were places where these militants had already carried out dry runs -- a chilling reminder of 2006 Mumbai serial blasts.
In its chargesheet, the CBI alleged that Kumar, during his tenure as Director General of ICCR, and Tyagi had entered into a criminal conspiracy with Singh and Sharma to facilitate trafficking of nine individuals to Germany. The modus operandi adopted by the accused was to send nine people to Berlin along with a dance troupe. On arrival, these people disappeared and later filed applications seeking political asylum under changed names.
After allegedly failing to cooperate with the Jammu and Kashmir police, the army was served with a final notice to produce its officers and jawans for questioning in connection with the alleged pilferage of food and clothes meant for troops on the Siachen glacier.
As they pass through the cantonment in militancy-hit Kashmir valley, journalists bow their heads to remember an army officer who saved the lives of three newsmen and one of his staff members before being gunned down by Lashker-e-Taiba militants eight years ago.
They continue to wait for new homes that are yet to be readied by the authorities.
The report opined that this could be decided only by the Unified Command, an apex body comprising the Army, police, para-military forces and intelligence officials to tackle insurgency.
The army has finally agreed to cooperate with Jammu and Kashmir Police after its attempts to thwart the probe into the matter were countered by the state administration.
He has been crisscrossing Europe without a valid passport as the external affairs ministry revoked his travel document in 2006.
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