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India, Japan discuss civil nuclear cooperation

Tokyo: Notwithstanding its own nuclear disaster, Japan on Saturday assured India of taking forward the civil nuclear cooperation during the 5th bilateral Strategic Dialogue, which covered discussions on key areas, including defence and trade.

New Delhi also conveyed its appreciation to Japan for its decision to remove seven Indian entities from a banned list, paving the way for bilateral high-technology trade.
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and his Japanese counterpart Koichiro Gemba held comprehensive talks here after which Krishna said "My aim .... is to take our partnership to an even higher level." "I also discussed with Foreign Minister Gemba the status of civil nuclear cooperation between our countries...We have had three rounds of negotiations on this subject. After my discussions today, I am optimistic on this score," he said.

Noting that Japan has removed 7 Indian entities from its Foreign End User List this year, Krishna said this will boost high-technology trade between the two countries.
"One of the entities removed from this List is Indian Rare Earths Limited. We now look forward to greater cooperation between Indian and Japanese firms in the rare earth sector," he said. 

Thanking the Japanese government for its consistent support to India's developmental effort by means of its ODA or Official Development Assistance, Krishna said "This year, Japan has maintained the level of ODA for India despite its focus on reconstruction activity after the earthquake and tsunami.
"This is a strong vote of confidence in India's growth story and exhibits the importance Japan attaches to our Strategic Partnership."

Government trying to scuttle our movement: Bedi

Ghaziabad: Team Anna key member Kiran Bedi alleged the government was trying to render "futile" their fight against corruption as the core committee met Saturday with several main members like N. Santosh Hegde, Medha Patkar and Anna Hazare himself absent and demands being made for a new panel to be set up. Bedi, before going in for the meeting, told reporters: “Government is trying hard to make futile the attempts against corruption launched by Team Anna, but we won't let that happen and all attempts of the government will fail.”

Kumar Vishwas, one of the key members of the core committee, had Friday demanded creation of a new panel. However, he was also not present at the meeting.  Medha Patkar has sent a representative for the meeting.
The meeting is supposed to discuss the "smear campaign against the movement", according to an India Against Corruption spokesperson.

The meeting comes in the wake of allegations of financial impropriety against IAC members Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi and the attack on another member, Prashant Bhushan, by right-wing activists over his comment suggesting a plebiscite on the Kashmir issue.
The meeting, being watched keenly in political circles, began at the office of the Public Cause Research Foundation -- a trust run by Kejriwal -- in Delhi's suburban Ghaziabad town at 11 a.m.

The members who attended the meeting included Vincent M. Concessao, Prashant Bhushan, Shanti Bhushan, Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi, Manish Sisodia, Akhil Gogoi, Sanjay Singh, Naveen Jaihind, Chandra Mohan, Prithvi Reddy, Mayank Gandhi and Devendra Sharma.

Terrorist attack outside US Embassy in Bosnia

Sarajevo: A man armed with hand grenades and an automatic weapon opened fire outside the US Embassy in Bosnia in what authorities called a terrorist attack.
A policeman and the gunman were wounded, but the embassy said none of its employees was hurt.

Sarajevo Mayor Alija Behmen said the gunman "got off a tram with a Kalashnikov and started shooting at the American Embassyon Friday." Witnesses told Bosnian television that the man urged pedestrians to move away, saying he was targeting only the embassy.

He wore a beard and was dressed in an outfit with short pants that reveal his ankles, typical for followers of the conservative Wahhabi branch of Islam.
One police officer guarding the building was wounded before police surrounded the gunman. After a 30-minute standoff, the sound of a single shot echoed and AP video showed the shooter slump to the ground.

The police arrested the wounded man, who one of Bosnia's three presidents said is a foreigner, and took him away in an ambulance as pedestrians cowered behind buildings and vehicles.

State Prosecutor Dubravko Campara identified the shooter as Mevlid Jasarevic, from Novi Pazar, the administrative capital of the southern Serbian region of Sandzak, who was tried in Austria for robbery in 2005. Campara said Jasarevic had crossed the Serbian border into Bosnia yesterday morning. He said Jasarevic had two hand grenades with him when he was arrested and is also currently under investigation by Serbian police, but did not detail why.

Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic confirmed his identity and said he is 23 years old. Bosnian TV said Jasarevic is a Wahhabi follower.

The Wahhabis are an extremely conservative branch which is rooted in Saudi Arabia and linked to religious militants in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Western intelligence reports have alleged that the tense, impoverished area of Sandzak, along with Muslim-dominated regions in Bosnia, are rich ground for recruiting so-called "white Al-Qaida", Muslims with Western features who could easily blend into European or US cities and carry out attacks.

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said several bullets struck the outside wall of the embassy, but that all embassy personnel were safe. She said the wounded police officer had been assigned to protect the embassy.  

Obama lights Diwali Diya at the White House

Washington: US President Barack Obama celebrated Diwali at the White House complex by lighting the traditional diya and hosting a reception for eminent Indian Americans and officials in his Administration. "Diwali is a special holiday for millions across the country", Obama said in his address to the gathering of Hindu Americans here Friday night.

"Michelle and I greatly enjoy the occasion and the celebration in India last year," Obama said recollecting the dancing of the First Lady at the Diwali festival in Mumbai last year, which he too joined.

"Diwali is the time to celebrate victory of light over darkness, hope over despair. Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists consider the day sacred. The message of this day is truly universal," Obama said at the event that was closed for the press.
Among those present on the occasion were the Indian Ambassador to the US Nirupama Rao; Neera Tandaon, the new president of the Center for American Progress, eminent Hindu American Anju Bhargava, USAID Administrator Raj Shah, the US Ambassador to Belize Vinai Thummalapally, Hindu chaplain Pratima Dhar and a Sikh delegation from the Golden Temple.

In his remarks, Obama acknowledged the contributions of the Indian American community in every field of the country from New York Taxi drivers to the teenager, who won the Google science fair this year.
Two years ago Obama became the first US President to celebrated Diwali at the White House.

On that day, he established the President's Advisory Committee on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, which is headed by Kiran Ahuja, who according to the President is doing an outstanding work.