MakadJaal

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Gaddafi's forces battle rebels for Brega - Africa - Al Jazeera English

Troops loyal to Muammar Gaddafi have continued their advance against pro-democracy fighters as they moved eastwards toward Brega.

Brega is one of several oil towns along the fiercely contested coastal strip. Ras Lanuf and Es Sider, west of Brega, have both been retaken by Gaddafi's forces. Zueitina, east of Brega, is still in rebel hands.

Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught reports from Tripoli the Libyan response to recent reported defections

Some rebel forces fell back on Wednesday as far as the town of Ajdabiya, the gateway to the east about 150 kilometres south of the rebel stronghold of Benghazi. Ajdabiya was still in rebel hands on Thursday.

For several weeks pro-democracy fighters and forces loyal to Gaddafi have been fighting across a strip of land between Ajdabiya and Bin Jawad.

Rebels armed mainly with pick-ups mounted with machine guns, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and AK-47 assault rifles have been unable to hold on to gains despite almost two weeks of air strikes by coalition forces.

Brega and Misurata reportedly came under heavy attack from Gaddafi's forces on Thursday, with the frontline moving closer to Ajdabiya.

Misurata – the last major rebel stronghold in western Libya – has been encircled by pro-Gaddafi forces for weeks and repeated coalition air strikes aimed at protecting civilians there have not stopped them.

Civilian casualties

A rebel spokesman said pro-Gaddafi forces shelled Misurata on Thursday, leaving dozens of civilians dead in the past few days when their homes were hit.

"Massacres are taking place in Misrata," the rebel spokesman, called Sami, told Reuters by telephone.

"Artillery bombardment resumed this morning and is still going on. The [pro-Gaddafi] brigades could not enter the town but they are surrounding it.

"Twenty civilians were killed yesterday after their houses were hit by bombardments. Many people were wounded."

Residents say that figure added to the dozens who have been killed in fighting over the past 10 days.

Meanwhile, a NATO commander on Thursday said the bloc was taking seriously reports of civilian casualties in coalition air raids over Libya.

A top Vatican official citing reliable sources in close contact with residents told Reuters at least 40 civilians have been killed in air strikes over Tripoli.

"It is a news report and I appreciate the source of this report but it is worth noting that I take every one of those issues seriously," Lieutenant-general Charles Bouchard, the Canadian commander of the coalition's military operations over Libya, said.

"We are very careful in the prosecution of any of the possible targets that we have. We have very strict rules of engagement provided to us and we are operating within the legal mandate of our United Nations mandate."

'Gaddafi is staying'

A government spokesman on Thursday said that Gaddafi will stay in the country "until the end" to lead it to victory against its enemies.

Moussa Ibrahim, who spoke in Tripoli a day after Moussa Koussa, the former Libyan foreign minister, fled to Britain, said coalition air strikes had only united its top leadership against "a clear enemy".

"If this aggression did anything, it only rallied people around the leader and the unity of the nation," he said. "Especially now. They see a clear enemy."

Ibrahim said Gaddafi and his sons were still in the country.

"Rest assured, we are all here. We will remain here until the end. This is our country. We are strong on every front."

"We are not relying on individuals to lead the struggle. This is a struggle of the whole nation. It's not dependent on individuals or officials."

More 'defections from Gaddafi's inner circle' - Africa - Al Jazeera English

There are unconfirmed reports that more people have left the inner circle of Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, following the high level desertion of Moussa Koussa, Libya's foreign minister, who arrived in the UK on Wednesday.

It is understood a group of top officials who had headed to Tunisia for talks have decided to stay there.

Some Arabic newspapers said Mohammad Abu Al Qassiim Al Zawi, the head of Libya's Popular Committee, the country’s equivalent of a parliament, is among the defectors.

Nazanine Moshiri, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Tunis, said that Abu Zayed Dordah, Libya's prime minister from 1990 to 1994, has also been mentioned.

On Thursday, a second top official confirmed that he would not serve in Gaddfai's regime.

Ali Abdessalam Treki, a former foreign minister and UN general assembly president, had been named to represent Libya at the UN after a wave of defections early in the uprising.

Treki, who is currently in Cairo, said in a statement posted on several opposition websites that he was

not going to accept that job or any other.

"We should not let our country fall into an unknown fate," he said. "It is our nation's right to live in freedom, democracy and a good life."

'Crumbling from within'

William Hague, Britain's foreign minister, said that Koussa had not been offered immunity from prosecution and is "voluntarily talking" to authorities.

Koussa was staying in a safe and secure place and engaged in ongoing discussions with British diplomats, including some who worked at the now-shuttered embassy in Libya, Hague said.

"His [Koussa's] resignation shows that [Muammar] Gaddafi's regime ... is fragmented, under pressure and crumbling from within," he said.

Hague said Koussa had been his contact with the regime in recent weeks and that he had spoken with him several times.

"One thing I gathered between the lines of my telephone calls ... was that he was very distressed and dissatisfied" by the regime's response to protests, Hague said.

Hague said the British government encouraged others around Gaddafi to abandon him and "embrace a better future for Libya."

A Libyan government spokesman confirmed on Thursday that Koussa had resigned but said that Gaddafi still enjoyed the support of his people.

Moussa Ibrahim said that Koussa's decision was personal and "other people will step in and do the job".

Ibrahim said Koussa had been given permission to go to Tunisia because he was sick with diabetes and high blood pressure.

He said the goverment did not know he would go to London.

'Tight security'

Many Libyan government figures have resigned since the uprising against Gaddafi began on February 15.

Interior minister Abdel Fattah Younis and justice minister Mustafa Mohamed al-Jalil have both left, as have numerous ambassadors around the world.

Most high-level Libyan officials are trying to defect but are under tight security and having difficulty leaving the country, a top Libyan diplomat now supporting the opposition said on Thursday.

Ibrahim Dabbashi, Libya's deputy UN ambassador, said that Libya's UN mission, which now totally supports the opposition, knew two days in advance that Koussa planned to defect on Wednesday.

He said the mission had been waiting for about 10 days for Thursday's defection of Ali Abdessalam Treki, a former foreign minister selected by Gaddafi to be the new UN ambassador.

"We know that most of the high Libyan officials are trying to defect, but most of them are under tight security measures and they cannot leave the country," said Dabbashi.

"But we are sure that many of them will benefit from the first chance to be out of the country and to defect.

"I don't think it is easy. But anyway, who has the will, he will find the way.''

'Status reviewed'

Before Koussa's defection, the Nicaraguan government said he sent a letter appointing Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann, a former priest who served as Nicaragua's first foreign minister after the 1979 Sandinista revolution, as Libya's new UN ambassador.

A news conference with D'Escoto, scheduled by Nicaragua's UN mission, was postponed from Thursday to Friday and then postponed again, with no future date announced.

The mission gave no explanation for the delays.

Farhan Haq, a UN spokesman, said the UN had not officially received any letter from Libya regarding a change of credentials involving D'Escoto.

He said the UN did receive a copy of a note from Nicaragua addressed to all UN missions which attached a copy of Koussa's letter to the secretary-general, but he stressed that the UN had never received that letter.

Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the UN, said on Wednesday that D'Escoto needed a G-1 visa, the US visa required for diplomatic representation, if he wants to represent Libya.

If he tries to do so on the tourist visa he now holds, she warned, "he will soon have his visa status reviewed".

Although D'Escoto was born in Los Angeles, California, and once held dual citizenship, Rice said he has renounced his US citizenship.

Lockerbie questions

Scottish authorities said on Thursday that they wished to interview Koussa over the 1988 Lockerbie bombing.

"We have notified the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that the Scottish prosecuting and investigating authorities wish to interview Mr Koussa in connection with the Lockerbie bombing," Scotland's crown office said in a statement.

"The investigation into the Lockerbie bombing remains open and we will pursue all relevant lines of inquiry."

The bombing over the Scottish town in 1988 killed 259 people, mostly Americans, on the plane and 11 on the ground.

Last month, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the former Libyan justice minister and leader of the rebel's interim national council, said that Gaddafi ordered intelligence officers, including the convicted bomber Abdel Baset al Megrahi, to carry out the bombing.

Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora was among those killed, said Koussa's arrival in Britain was an opportunity to finally shed some light on the bombing.

"Koussa was at the centre of Gaddafi's inner circle. This is a guy who knows everything," he said.

"I think this is a fantastic day for those who seek the truth about Lockerbie. He could tell us everything the Gaddafi regime knows."

South Sudan contemplates new capital - Africa - Al Jazeera English

In Southern Sudan, a committee has been formed to investigate whether Juba is suitable to be the capital city.

Many believe a new city should be built from scratch, but there are mixed feelings about a possible move.

Al Jazeera's Haru Mutasa reports from Juba, South Sudan.

2G case: Top lawyers taken, CBI struggles to find ‘best man’

The CBI and the Enforcement Directorate are having a trying time finding “the best man” to serve as Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) in the 2G trial.

Given the high profile of the accused, former Union Minister A Raja, a former Secretary, and heavyweight corporates, the Bench of Justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly, which is hearing the case, repeatedly underlined: “Look out for the best man. We want the most competent person to be appointed as the special public prosecutor and he will deal with no other case.”

But there’s a problem, the best and the biggest are taken, says K K Venugopal, counsel for CBI and ED. “We will get a competent man,” he told The Indian Express. “The name will be placed before the court on Friday (tomorrow).”

The chargesheet is expected to be filed in the special court on April 2.

But Venugopal admits the search has been difficult. “I have conveyed (as much) to the court. All the eminent lawyers and senior advocates have been retained by the telecom companies and other respondents,” he told The Indian Express. Consider this:

Harish Salve, former Solicitor General, appeared for Tata Teleservices and has also accepted briefs for Videocon Teleservices Limited (Datacom Solutions Private Limited), D B Telecom Limited (Etisalat), and Allianz Infratech Private Limited.

Unitech Wireless Group and Loop Telecom Private Limited, named as respondents as alleged beneficiaries, have hired senior advocate C A Sundaram. A veteran at corporate cases, Sundaram is assisted by advocate Meet Malhotra before the apex court Bench.

Former Additional Solicitor General Vikas Singh has been roped in by Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited (Shyam Telelink). He acknowledges there must be “trouble finding the right man” as the special prosecutor. Incidentally, as ASG, Singh was appointed Special Prosecutor in 2006 in the Abu Salem case before the special court. “It would be a difficult choice to make as the person would be required to have an exceptional knowledge of criminal law and must agree to work full-time on this case as suggested by the court,” Singh said. Proceedings before the special designated judge O P Saini are likely to be on a day-to-day basis.

Idea Cellular has got top lawyer C S Vaidyanathan who, in the past, has also taken briefs for telecom cases, like in 2003 when he appeared for Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI) before the TDSAT.

Senior advocate Gopal Jain is appearing for Vodafone Essar South Limited and Vodafone Essar Spacetel Limited.

South Korea wireless provider S K Limited has chosen senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, who was part of the legal team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) which went to US to question David Headley.

Another veteran, Mukul Rohatgi, is representing Shahid Balwa, Managing Director of Swan Telecom and the firm too, along with senior advocate Sidharth Luthra.

Even the independent regulator, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, is not taking any chances and has roped in former Attorney General Soli S Sorabjee, senior advocates Rakesh Dwivedi and P S Narsimhan.

Noted jurist F S Nariman filed an application for making COAI as a party, which was allowed by the bench. Following which, he argued on behalf of the Association.

As for the Department of Telecom, ASG Indira Jaising led by A-G Goolam E Vahanvati, are appearing before the apex court.

PAWAR, PRAFUL USED BALWA PLANE: BJP

Sharad Pawar flew to Dubai in February 2010 in an aircraft owned by Shahid Balwa’s Eon Aviation, the BJP’s Eknath Khadse alleged in the Maharashtra Assembly Thursday. Pawar was accompanied by Balwa, Pawar’s wife Pratibha, and several cricket administrators, Khadse said.

PRAFUL PATEL and Maharashtra minister Jayant Patil, also of the NCP, too had used Balwa’s aircraft last year, Khadse said, and demanded an inquiry into the links of these politicians with the realty tycoon who is now in prison on charges related to the 2G scam.

1.2 billion Indians, sharpest ever decline in growth

India is fast learning to manage its ‘demographic dividend’ and registering significant success in tackling illiteracy, but remains a country that discriminates against its girl children — this is the short summary of the provisional results of Census 2011 released today.

India’s population is now over 1.21 billion (121 crore), up from 1.02 billion in 2001 — 17.5 per cent of the human race lives in the country. But for the first time since 1921, India has added fewer people in 10 years than in the preceding decade. The percentage decadal growth during 2001-11 has registered the sharpest fall since independence — down 3.9 percentage points from 21.54 per cent to 17.64 per cent.

The full report will be out next year. The figures released today are an aggregate of data reported by enumerators in every state, and are yet to be checked for omissions or duplications.

The six most populous states of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have all registered healthy declines in their growth rates for the decade. In fact, as many as 25 states and Union Territories have recorded an average annual population growth rate of 2 per cent or less during this period — with 15 of them growing less than 1.5 per cent annually.

In 2001, only four states and UTs recorded an average annual growth rate of under 1.5 per cent.

There is good news in literacy numbers as well. The literacy rate has risen from 64.83 per cent in 2001 to 74.04 per cent in this Census.

More satisfying is the finding that literacy has spread much faster among women than men — there are now 50 per cent more literate women than in 2001; the corresponding figure for men is 32 per cent.

“The numbers are along expected lines. Growth rate was poised to go down in most parts of the country. In fact, the fall in growth rates is one of the direct consequences of rising female literacy levels,” said Professor K Nagaraj, formerly with the Madras Institute of Development Studies.

The feelgood story is soured, however, by the continuing decline in the numbers of girl children. The latest figures show that in the age group of 0-6, the number of girls per thousand boys has fallen to 914 from 927 in 2001. This number was 976 in 1961, and has since fallen consistently.

“This is a matter of grave concern,” Census Commissioner of India C Chandramauli, who released the provisional figures, said.

The overall sex ratio has shown an improvement, though. The number of women per thousand men is 940, up from 933 in 2001.

8 yrs on, Gujarat has ‘vital details’ on Pandya killing

Nearly four years after 12 people were convicted of the March 26, 2003 murder of former Gujarat minister Haren Pandya, the state government says it has vital new details about the case.

These may be presented to a Division Bench of the Gujarat High Court in a sealed cover tomorrow, when the convicts’ appeals come up for hearing.

In a letter written on March 28, Government Pleader Prakash Jani requested the High Court registrar to keep the “vital details” in the Registrar General’s custody, to be placed on record in connection with the proceedings in the court.

“An important development has taken place”, Jani said, “which may be required to be pointed out during the course of hearing or otherwise, if need be... The State of Gujarat, therefore respectfully prays that the vital details concerning the appeals contained in a sealed cover may kindly be permitted to be placed on record...”

Bias against girls, child sex ratio is lowest since 1947

While the number of women per 1,000 men in India has touched its highest figure, 940, since 1971 when it was just 930, the corresponding number for girls below six is just the opposite — the lowest since Independence.

Provisional Census data show that the child sex ratio, or the number of girls for every 1,000 boys in the age group 0-6 years, stands at a dismal 914, down from 927 in 2001.

The child sex ratio has been in free fall since 1961, when it stood at 976.

The Census figures show that in 27 states/Union Territories, the child sex ratio has shown a decline over Census 2001, a “matter of grave concern”, according to Census Commissioner C Chandramouli who released the data here with Home Secretary G K Pillai.

The only positive here is that Punjab and Haryana, which continue to have among the lowest child sex ratios at 846 and 830 respectively, have improved, up from 798 and 819 during Census 2001. Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Mizoram and the Andaman and Nicobar islands are the only other states/UTs that have shown an increase in the child sex ratio.

Besides Punjab and Haryana, Uttar Pradesh (899, down from 916), Maharashtra (883, down from 913), Chandigarh (867, down from 845) and J&K (859) have the most worrisome figures.

Though the southern states, Kerala (959), Andhra Pradesh (943), Karnataka (943), and Tamil Nadu (946), all have stronger sex ratios when compared to the national average of 914, they are worse off when compared to 2001.

However, the decadal decline in child sex ratio is less steep from that of the previous decade (1991 to 2001). In 1991, it was 945 and fell to 927 in 2001, a fall of 18 points (1.9%). This time, it has fallen to 914, a fall of 13 points (1.4%).

“Though the fall is a little less steep this time around, it is still a decline. It shows that sex determination continues to be practised robustly and rampantly. As is sex discrimination — girls are given less food, less health care, less education and even less affection. Also, it seems policies for the girl child haven’t done much to improve the situation,” said Ravinder Kaur, professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.

That discrimination plays a role in low child sex ratios has been recorded in previous surveys.

For instance, the Sample Registration Survey of the Registrar General of the Census for the year 2003-5 showed that in Punjab, which had a child sex ratio of 798 in the 2001 Census, the infant mortality rate among girls had risen from 52 to 55, whereas it had fallen among boys from 46 to 37.

“This discrimination is obvious. Otherwise, these are not natural sex ratios. There have been studies that show that young girls are not given proper medical care,” said Kirti Singh of AIDWA.

As to the increase in overall sex ratio, 940 in the new Census as compared to 933 a decade ago, Kaur said: “The only reason for that is that life expectancy of women has gone up. This means, that there are more older women in the population that there were 10 years ago but the main concern remains the poor child sex ratio.”