Swiss bank dress code: Skin-tone lingerie, no tight-fitting skirts Read more: Swiss bank dress code: Skin-tone lingerie, no tight-fitting skirts

ZURICH: Swiss banking giant UBS has issued a strict dresscode for employees, calling on them to wear "skin-coloured" lingerie and to ditch "fancy and coloured" artificial fingernails.

In a document of over 40 pages, UBS underlined details from head to toe, including permissible hairstyles, what cut of skirt and which type of socks to wear.

Women should not wear "flashy" jewellery or skirts that are "too tight behind".

Underwear must not be "visible against clothing or spilling out of clothing". Rather, they should be "skin-coloured under white shirts."

Employees should ensure that natural roots are not showing if they have coloured their hair. "Three days of stubble is not permitted and a visit to the barber is recommended once every four weeks," it added.
Employees are also urged to "avoid smelling of strong scent, garlic, onion and cigarette smoke".

Men should wear a "straight-cut two button jacket and pants that make up part of a classic professional suit." They should not wear ties that do not match the "morphology of the face" nor socks with cartoon motifs.

"The reputation of UBS makes up our most precious asset. Adopting an irreprochable behaviour implies having an impeccable presentation," said the bank, which has been trying to rebuild its reputation since suffering record losses during the financial crisis.


Read more: Swiss bank dress code: Skin-tone lingerie, no tight-fitting skirts - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Swiss-bank-dress-code-Skin-tone-lingerie-no-tight-fitting-skirts/articleshow/7115166.cms#ixzz18LEE5d4B

Assange free from prison, back to leaking secrets

LONDON: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was released on bail Thursday — confined to a supporter's 600-acre estate but free to get back to work spilling U.S. government secrets on his website as he fights Sweden's attempt to extradite him on allegations of rape and molestation.

The silver-haired Australian, who surrendered to British police December 7, will have to observe a curfew, wear an electronic tag and report to police in person every day.

But there are no restrictions on his Internet use, even as U.S. authorities consider charges related to thousands of leaked diplomatic cables and other secret documents WikiLeaks has released. The site has released just 1,621 of the more than 250,000 State Department documents it claims to possess, many of them containing critical or embarrassing U.S. assessments of foreign nations and their leaders.

Dressed in a dark gray suit, Assange emerged from London's neo-Gothic High Court building late Thursday following a tense scramble to gather the money and signatures needed to free him. Speaking under a light snowfall amid a barrage of flash bulbs, Assange — who's been out of the public eye for more than a month — told supporters he will continue bringing government secrets to light.

``It's great to smell the fresh air of London again,'' he said to cheers from outside the court. ``I hope to continue my work.''

Assange ignored shouted questions from the assembled media. Later, BBC footage captured the 39-year-old riding in a white armored four-by-four outside the Frontline Club, a venue for journalists owned by his friend and supporter Vaughan Smith. The broadcaster reported that Assange jumped upstairs for a celebratory cocktail at the bar, then went back outside to engage in a brief verbal joust with journalists over the merits of one of the leaked cables.

A few hours later, Assange arrived at Ellingham Hall, Smith's 10-bedroom mansion about 120 miles (195 kilometers) northeast of central London. Assange told journalists there that his time in prison had steeled him, giving him time to reflect on his personal philosophy and ``enough anger about the situation to last me 100 years.''

Assange was granted conditional bail Tuesday, but prosecutors appealed, arguing that he might abscond. High Court Justice Duncan Ouseley rejected the appeal Thursday, saying Assange ``would diminish himself in the eyes of many of his supporters'' if he fled.

``I don't accept that Mr. Assange has an incentive not to attend (court),'' Ouseley said. ``He clearly does have some desire to clear his name.''

WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson had said Assange might have to spend one more night behind bars anyway, because of difficulties producing the 200,000 pounds ($316,000) bail pledged by several wealthy supporters, including filmmaker Michael Moore. But lawyers managed to collect the money quickly.

The restrictions Ouseley imposed on Assange amount to ``virtual house arrest,'' Hrafnsson said. But he added that Assange can still use Smith's estate as a base for coordinating the publication of the leaked cables.

``There is a good Internet connection there,'' he noted. The subject of whether Assange should have Internet access was never raised in court. WikiLeaks continued publishing documents even while Assange was in prison — including a new batch that hit the Web two hours ahead of his release.

``We have seen in the week I have been away that my team is robust,'' Assange told the BBC outside the Frontline Club. ``It does show the resilience of the organization, that it can withstand decapitation attacks.''

The publication of the cables has angered U.S. government officials, embarrassed allies and nettled rivals. The U.S. State Department says that international partners have curtailed their dealings with Washington as a result of the cable leaks, and have gone on the offense in a bid to limit the diplomatic fallout.

Assange insists that publishing the documents was essential to expose government wrongdoing. In particular, he has referred repeatedly to one cable that asked diplomats to gather information on United Nations staff such as their passwords, frequent flier numbers and even biometric information.

State Department officials say the cable originated from the U.S. intelligence community and deny Assange's contention that it ordered diplomats to spy. On Thursday, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva continued America's damage-control efforts over the document.

``I just want to assure everybody we're not collecting data on U.N. officials,'' Betty E. King told reporters in Geneva.

U.S. officials are investigating WikiLeaks and considering charges against Assange, a case that if pursued could end up pitting the government's efforts to protect sensitive information against press and speech freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment. The government suspects WikiLeaks received the documents from an Army private, Bradley Manning, who is in the brig on charges of leaking other classified documents to the organization.

Australia's prime minister said Thursday that police determined that WikiLeaks did not break any laws in the country. The government had ordered the Australian Federal Police to investigate whether the website had broken local laws in publishing sensitive U.S. diplomatic documents leaked to it because Assange is Australian.

Assange was arrested not because of WikiLeaks, but because Swedish officials are seeking him for questioning on allegations stemming from separate encounters with a pair of women in Sweden over the summer. The women have accused Assange of rape, molestation and unlawful coercion. Assange denies the allegations, which his lawyers say stem from a dispute over ``consensual but unprotected sex.''

After his release, Assange said he will ``continue to protest my innocence in this matter and to reveal, as we get it, which we have not yet, the evidence from these allegations.''

Although Swedish officials insist the extradition effort has nothing to do with the WikiLeaks controversy, Assange's supporters say the timing of the allegations suggest that the case has been tainted by politics.

In Washington, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley stressed that the U.S. has no involvement in Sweden's case. He said of Assange's release, ``Perhaps that will put the conspiracy theories to bed once and for all.''

The Swedish moves could complicate any potential U.S. effort to bring Assange to trial for revealing classified information. A U.S. extradition request would have to compete with the Swedish one, and the legal wrangling could drag on for months or years.

Swedish prosecutor Marianne Ny said the bail decision would not change the ongoing investigation in Sweden, and the extradition case would be handled by British authorities. Assange's next hearing is set for January 11.

Read more: Assange free from prison, back to leaking secrets - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/Assange-free-from-prison-back-to-leaking-secrets-/articleshow/7115753.cms#ixzz18LDtUvCQ

WikiLeaks boss Assange gets bail but stays in jail

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has succeeded in securing a bail at a British court where he appeared in connection with a case of sexual misconduct.

The embattled whistleblower who was accused of sexual misconduct by two women in Sweden is resisting an extradition claim by the country.

Granting him bail on an amount of 240,000 pounds (Over Rs 1.5 crore), the court ordered Assange to adhere to strict bail conditions.

The 39-year-old Australian, who has earned the wrath of the US for leaking a huge cache of secret diplomatic documents, has been imprisoned for a week now after he gave himself up to Scotland Yard in London.

File photo of Julian Assange

No plan to ban anthem in Tamil: SL

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka denied on Monday plans to outlaw the singing of the national anthem in Tamil after the main minority party raised strong objections to the mooted ban.

The status quo will remain, said public administration minister John Seneviratn, who is in charge of the managing code of conduct for the national anthem.

The Sunday Times in Colombo reported that the cabinet of president Mahinda Rajapaksa decided last week to order that only Sinhala should be used for the anthem.

Language and discrimination were key issues used by Tamil Tiger separatists to gain popular support for their campaign of suicide bombings and assassinations that terrorised the country until last year.

Read more: No plan to ban anthem in Tamil: SL - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/No-plan-to-ban-anthem-in-Tamil-SL/articleshow/7096583.cms#ixzz183frs75N

Saudi Arabia receives $1.2bn for damage during Gulf War

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia has received USD 1.2 billion from the United Nations in compensation for the damage caused by the 1991 Gulf War to the environment in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom, the country's head of the Presidency of Metrology and Environment Protection has said.

Following his meeting with a United Nations delegation Prince Turki Bin Nasser Bin Abdul Aziz said compensation was taken from the Iraqi government by the United Nations and given to the kingdom, according to a media report.

Prince Turki said that USD 100 million was spent on coasts and water cleaning operations while another USD 100 million was paid to local and foreign companies working on the cleaning project.
The rest of the money will be spent on the completion of cleaning affected areas, Gulf News quoted him as saying.

During the Gulf War exploding and burning of several hundreds of oil wells in Kuwait created pollution and caused damage to the shoreline and marine life and significantly affected the multimillion-dollar Saudi fisheries industry in the Eastern region.

Read more: Saudi Arabia receives $1.2bn for damage during Gulf War - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Saudi-Arabia-receives-12bn-for-damage-during-Gulf-War/articleshow/7075271.cms#ixzz17iTdm4aQ

WikiLeaks founder Assange may surrender to British police

LONDON: Julian Assange's lawyer was arranging to deliver the WikiLeaks founder to British police for questioning in a sex-crimes investigation of the man who has angered Washington by spilling thousands of government secrets on the internet.

Lawyer Mark Stephens told reporters in London that the Metropolitan Police had called him to say they had received an arrest warrant from Sweden for Assange. Assange has been staying at an undisclosed location in Britain.

"We are in the process of making arrangements to meet with police by consent," Stephens said on Monday, declining to say when Assange's interview with police would take place.

The 39-year-old Australian is wanted on suspicion of rape, sexual molestation and unlawful coercion in Sweden, and the case could lead to his extradition. Interpol placed Assange on its most-wanted list on Nov. 30 after Sweden issued an arrest warrant. Last week, Sweden's highest court upheld the detention order.

Assange has denied the accusations, which Stephens has said stem from a "dispute over consensual but unprotected sex." The lawyer has said the Swedish investigation has turned into a "political stunt."

The pressure on WikiLeaks mounted from other quarters Monday: Swiss authorities closed Assange's bank account, depriving him of a key fundraising tool. And WikiLeaks struggled to stay online despite more hacker attacks and resistance from world governments, receiving help from computer-savvy advocates who have set up hundreds of "mirrors" - or carbon-copy websites - around the world.

In one of its most sensitive disclosures yet, WikiLeaks released on Sunday a secret 2009 diplomatic cable listing sites around the world that the US considers critical to its security. The locations include undersea communications lines, mines, food suppliers, manufacturers of weapons components, and vaccine factories.

Pentagon spokesman Col. David Lapan called the disclosure damaging and said it gives valuable information to the nation's enemies.

"This is one of many reasons why we believe WikiLeaks' actions are irresponsible and dangerous," Lapan said.

WikiLeaks has been under intense international scrutiny over its disclosure of a mountain of classified US cables that have embarrassed Washington and other governments. US officials have been putting pressure on WikiLeaks and those who help it, and is investigating whether Assange can be prosecuted under espionage law.

In what Assange described as a last-ditch deterrent, WikiLeaks has warned that it has distributed a heavily encrypted version of some of its most important documents and that the information could be instantly made public if the staff were arrested.

For days, WikiLeaks has been forced by governments, hackers and companies to move from one website to another. WikiLeaks is now relying on a Swedish host. But WikiLeaks' Swedish servers were crippled after coming under suspected attack again on Monday, the latest in a series of such assaults.

It was not clear who was organizing the attacks. WikiLeaks has blamed previous ones on intelligence forces in the US and elsewhere.

WikiLeaks' huge online following of tech-savvy young people has pitched in, setting up more than 500 mirrors.

"There is a whole new generation, digital natives, born with the Internet, that understands the freedom of communication," said Pascal Gloor, vice president of the Swiss Pirate Party, whose Swiss Web address, wikileaks.ch, has been serving as a mainstay for WikiLeaks traffic.

"It's not a left-right thing anymore. It's a generational thing between the politicians who don't understand that it's too late for them to regulate the Internet and the young who use technology every day."

Meanwhile, the Swiss postal system's financial arm, Postfinance, shut down a bank account set up by Assange to receive donations after the agency determined that he provided false information regarding his place of residence in opening the account. Assange had listed his lawyer's address in Geneva.

"He will get his money back," Postfinance spokesman Alex Josty said. "We just close the account."

Assange's lawyers said the account contained about $41,000. Over the weekend, the online payment service PayPal cut off WikiLeaks and, according to his Assange's lawyers, froze $80,000 of the organization's money.

The group is left with only a few options for raising money now - through a Swiss-Icelandic credit card processing center and accounts in Iceland and Germany.

Monday marked the first day that WikiLeaks did not publish any new cables. It was unclear whether that had anything to do with the computer attacks.


Read more: WikiLeaks founder Assange may surrender to British police - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/WikiLeaks-founder-Assange-may-surrender-to-British-police/articleshow/7056682.cms#ixzz17PEqCNw5

Spain arrests seven over links to Mumbai attacks

MADRID (Reuters) - Seven men have been arrested in Barcelona, accused of providing fake identification documents to al Qaeda-linked groups including the one that carried out the Mumbai attacks in 2008, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.

Six Pakistanis and one Nigerian were arrested on Tuesday and early Wednesday accused of stealing passports and other travel documents from tourists in Barcelona and sending them to Thailand where they were falsified and passed to extremist organised crime groups, it said in a press release.

Among the groups the documents were sent to was the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which was blamed for the attacks in Mumbai in November 2008 in which 166 people were killed, as well as Sri Lanka's separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

The ministry said the arrests were part of an international operation in which two Pakistanis and one Thai were also arrested in Thailand, accused of leading the group set up in Spain and other European countries.

The ministry said the group robbed people whose age and nationality enabled members of the militant groups holding the falsified documents to travel freely across borders.

"This large-scale operation neutralises an important cell providing passports to al Qaeda, weakening the falsification apparatus of this organisation at an international level, and as such its operational capabilities," the ministry said.

Spanish police recovered numerous identification documents in the homes of those arrested, as well as hard discs, memory sticks, 50 mobile phones and SIM cards, and cash in dollars, euros, and British pounds.

Mother of WikiLeaks chief fears for his safety

SYDNEY: The mother of Australian-born WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange today expressed fear for her son's safety, saying the forces he was challenging had become "too big".

Christine Assange said her "highly intelligent" and curious son had been raised as a strongly ethical "seeker of truth".

But Assange said her son, now subject to a global Interpol arrest demand over rape charges in Sweden, had become "too smart for himself" and she now feared for his safety.

"He sees what he's doing as doing a good thing in the world, fighting baddies if you like," Assange told the Courier Mail, her local newspaper in Queensland.

"I'm concerned it's gotten too big and the forces that he's challenging are too big," she added.

The WikiLeaks chief, who is said to lead a spy-like life of rarely sleeping in the same place twice, has sparked a political storm by dumping about 250,000 secret US diplomatic cables onto the Internet.

His mother -- who according to the Courier Mail does not even own a computer -- defended the 39-year-old's actions as being driven by deep conviction, and said he had not always been destined for a career in computer hacking.

"He didn't actually come from a background of high technology, he came from a background of creativity and a love of learning and books," Christine Assange said.

"Whether you agree with what Julian does or not, living by what you believe in and standing up for something is a good thing."

She said Julian Assange had put his life on hold when he was just 18 to care for his newborn son, Daniel, who is now 20 and works as a software developer in the southern city of Melbourne.

"Jules put his life and university studies on hold to parent Daniel and be there for him," Christine Assange said.

"He's a very good father -- not many men of that age will fight for their kid, but he stepped up to the responsibility."

Julian Assange's marriage to Daniel's mother reportedly broke down and there was a protracted custody battle.

Christine Assange said the father and son had even attended the University of Melbourne together -- Julian studying mathematics and physics while Daniel, then aged just 15, began a degree in genetics.

She said her son had distanced himself from the family for their own safety, but disputed some unflattering portrayals given of him by critics and ex-colleagues.

"He was (a) lovely boy, very sensitive, good with animals, quiet and has a wicked sense of humour," she said.

Read more: Mother of WikiLeaks chief fears for his safety - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Mother-of-WikiLeaks-chief-fears-for-his-safety/articleshow/7026979.cms#ixzz16vWmlKvb

Suit filed against ISI, LeT over Mumbai attack in US: Report

NEW YORK: Relatives of a Rabbi, who was gunned down along with his pregnant wife during the Mumbai attacks in 2008, have filed a wrongful death suit against Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence and Lashkar-e-Taiba at a Brooklyn court, local media reported on Tuesday.

Rabbi Gavriel Noah Holtzberg and his wife Rivka, who originally were from Brooklyn were killed when the attackers entered the Chabad Lubavitch centre in November 2008. They were slaughtered in front of their two-year-old son Moshe, who was rescued by his nanny Sandra.

The law suit was filed at the Brooklyn Federal Court here by the grandfather of Moshe who now lives in Israel, according to a report in The New York Post.

It claimed that ISI had worked closely with LeT and provided support to the gunmen who killed 166 and wounded more than 300 people, the report said.

"Obviously, Pakistan is an ally of the US in the war in Afghanistan and our efforts to fight al Qaeda," said James Kreindler, the attorney who filed the suit on behalf of Holtzberg family.

"We know, however, that ISI has straddled some fences and while Pakistan is certainly cooperating with us, the ISI has used (Lashkar-e-Taiba) for its own purposes," the NY Daily News has quoted Kreindler as saying.

The claim is largely based on the involvement of Pakistani-American David Headley who has pleaded guilty to plotting the attacks with LeT, the report said, adding the government of Pakistan has also been named as defendants in the suit.

Read more: Suit filed against ISI, LeT over Mumbai attack in US: Report - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Suit-filed-against-ISI-LeT-over-Mumbai-attack-in-US-Report/articleshow/6973820.cms#ixzz164ocdkTj

Cambodia stampede kills at least 345 at festival

PHNOM PENH: A stampede on a bridge in Cambodia's capital killed at least 345 people and injured nearly as many after thousands panicked on the last day of a water festival, authorities and state media said on Tuesday.

Witnesses said the stampede began after several people were electrocuted late on Monday on a small bridge lined with lights connecting Phnom Penh to a nearby island where thousands had gathered to celebrate the water festival and watch a concert.

Most drowned, suffocated or were trampled while trying to leave the bridge. Many had been eating in outdoor restaurants and were crossing the bridge to return to the city.

"I was stuck in the crowd for a long time and it was so hot and I lost consciousness," survivor Huon Khla, 22, told Reuters.

State television said at least 240 of the dead were women. "People were carrying bodies of relatives, including children and women," said Vann Thon, 25. "Everyone was looking scared."

Prime Minister Hun Sen apologised for the disaster in which at least 329 people were hurt. He ordered an investigation as television footage showed relatives weeping over the bodies of the dead piled one on top of the other.

"This is the biggest tragedy in more than 31 years after the Pol Pot regime," he said, referring to the Khmer Rouge, whose agrarian revolution from 1975-1979 killed an estimated 1.7 million people in Cambodia under the command of Pol Pot.

Emergency crews carried inert bodies away from the scene. Dozens of victims were laid out in long rows for identification.

A paramedic desperately tried to revive one victim before giving up on the lifeless body, while other rescuers helped the injured into a fleet of waiting ambulances.

Investigation underway

The rescue effort went on into early Tuesday. Hun Sen urged the country to remain calm and ruled out terrorism as a cause for the catastrophe, which took place on the third and final day of the Bon Om Touk water festival celebrating the reversing of the current of the Tonle Sap River.

An estimated 5 million of Cambodia's 14 million people visit the capital during the festival each year.

"It needs further investigation," he said, declaring Thursday a national day of mourning.

Flashing coloured lights along the sides of the small bridge at the heart of the disaster shed a fitful light on the scene -- a road strewn with shoes, clothes and possessions discarded in the panic that gripped the crowds when the crush occurred.

The bridge connects the capital to Koh Pich, or Diamond Island, a small stretch of land owned by a local bank and filled with new exhibition centres, restaurants and entertainment areas.

It is popular among women shoppers, especially during the water festival when retailers offer discounts on clothing and other goods.

The stampede was the world's worst since January 2006, when 362 Muslim pilgrims were crushed to death while performing a stoning ritual at the entrance to the Jamarat Bridge near Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

Read more: Cambodia stampede kills at least 345 at festival - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Cambodia-stampede-kills-at-least-345-at-festival/articleshow/6973556.cms#ixzz164oLDZdr

Prince William, Kate to marry in 2011

LONDON: UK's much-awaited royal wedding is to take place next year with an official announcement saying that Prince William, the second-in-line to the British throne, is to marry his longtime companion Kate Middleton in 2011.

William-Kate wedding, which is likely to rekindle memories of the fairytale wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1981, will climax an eight year on and off romance.

William is the most liked British royal after the late Queen Mother who died in 2002 aged 101 and Britons have been eagerly awaiting the nuptials for years.

"The wedding will take place in spring or summer of 2011, in London," a statement from the Clarence House announcing the wedding said, adding that further details about the marriage will be announced in due course.

"Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton became engaged in October during a private holiday in Kenya. Prince William has informed the Queen and other close members of his family. He has also sought permission of Miss Middleton's father," the statement said.

William and Kate, both 28, will live in North Wales where the Prince is currently serving with the Royal Air Force.

The first to comment on the announcement was the Prime Minister David Cameron, who said "he was delighted" and wished the royal couple very best.

The royal announcement was broken at a Cabinet meeting this morning and Cameron took the call from Buckingham Palace and later relayed the news to his ministers.

Read more: Prince William, Kate to marry in 2011 - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/Prince-William-Kate-to-marry-in-2011/articleshow/6936323.cms#ixzz15VdX48hz

Russia test launches land, submarine-based ICBMs

STAFF WRITER 19:22 HRS IST

Moscow, Oct 28 (PTI) Russia today successfully launched two inter-continental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) from land and naval platforms in order to test the operational capability of deployed missiles.

The RS-12M Topol missile was launched from the Plesetsk space centre in northern Russia and hit its designated target on the Kura test range in Russia's Far East Kamchatka region, Space Forces spokesman Lt Col Alexei Zolotukhin told ITAR-TASS.

The tested missile was in active service from 1987 to 2007 with the 54th Strategic Missile Division near the town of Teikovo in Ivanovo region, about 240 km northeast of Moscow.

Today's test launch has allowed Russia to extend the service life of Topol missiles to 23 years from initial 10 years.

The Defence Ministry said today that the Russian naval submarine "Bryansk" also test launched the regular 'Sineva' ballistic missile from the submerged position in the Barents Sea.

Nearly 6,000 complaints against Afghan vote

STAFF WRITER 19:33 HRS IST

Kabul, Oct 28 (AFP) An Afghan election watchdog has registered almost 6,000 complaints following last month's parliamentary poll, around half of which could affect the final results, an official said today.

The Independent Election Commission (IEC) has already thrown out 1.3 million votes amid concerns about fraud in the September 18 poll, the second of its kind since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001.

The cancelled votes account for more than 23 percent of the ballots cast.

Ahmad Zia Rafaat, a spokesman for the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) a UN-backed election watchdog, said his organisation received nearly 6,000 complaints about irregularities and fraud since voting day.

"From the election day to date we have received 5,971 complaints," Rafaat told reporters, putting around 2,500 of the complaints in the most serious category of potential irregularities known as "group A".

He said 70 percent of the objections had been processed.

Now, second check-in bag to cost $50 extra on flights to US -

NEW DELHI: Now the key to get a great bargain between India and US is — travel light. From November 15, the world's largest airline, Continental, and German major Lufthansa will stop allowing economy passengers to check in two bags, weighing up to 23kg, free of cost. Instead, they will levy a $50 charge on the second bag and a similar fee for each subsequent bag.

The two other US carriers operating in India, American Airlines and Delta, already levy a charge for the second check-in bag. Recently, the Air France-KLM combine introduced this concept even on flights between India and Europe. Industry sources say it's just a matter of time before Indian carriers start emulating their western counterparts to earn some more money and reduce spending on handling baggage.

"India was the last market in the world where we were allowing two free check in bags. From mid-November, economy class passengers will have to pay $50 for the second bag. This charge won't apply to flyers who are member of our frequent flyer programme," Charles M Duncan, V-P (Transatlantic and India) of the recently merged United-Continental said.

Continental Airlines has a daily direct flight between New York Liberty and Delhi (the first non-stop flight between the two countries launched five years back) and Mumbai. Incidentally, Continental was the last US carrier to be serving free hot meals on domestic flights in America, a practice it has now discontinued.

Indian carriers will wait and watch as foreign carriers start levying new charges. "A number of foreign airlines, especially American, only serve soft drinks free of cost to economy flyers and sell liquor and beer. Foreign low cost carriers (LCCs) that have started flights between India and nearby countries like Gulf and southeast Asia now charge for food.

The new age traveller has accepted the idea of paying for add-ons and we will also introduce them at the appropriate time," said an Indian LCC head.

The new charges may not always mean extra burden for flyers. For instance, Air France-KLM combine earlier used to allow any number of check in bags free of cost as long as their combined weight was 20kg. Now they allow one check bag of up to 23kg and charge $55 for the second bag.

On their part, airlines insist the charge for check-in bag is as much a move to enhance revenue as also to act as deterrent for packing in more bags. "Handling every bag costs money and has risks associated with it. Having a lower volume of check-in bags will mean lower handling costs, quicker turnaround time and optimal utilization for cargo," said an official.

Read more: Now, second check-in bag to cost $50 extra on flights to US - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Now-second-check-in-bag-to-cost-50-extra-on-flights-to-US/articleshow/6831963.cms#ixzz13iVdcfkE

Ratan Tata to host Obama at Taj

MUMBAI: During her visit to Mumbai in July 2009, Hillary Clinton stayed at the Taj to express and lend her support to iconic hotel that was one of the main targets during the 26/11 terror attack. Now, on November 6, Barack Obama will follow suit. And host Ratan Tata, chairman of the Tata Group, is believed to meeting the US president and his team in an exclusive meeting.

He, along with trusted lieutenant, R K Krishna Kumar will brief the US President on the more than 48-hour siege that Taj was under. During those horrific nights, more than 160 people, including guests and staff, lost their lives. Obama will be staying at one of the suites of the hotels heritage wing to mark the second anniversary of the attack . He and his wife Michelle Obama will be the first high-profile guests to occupy the opulent suite since the hotel became entirely functional in August.

Later, Obama will be delivering a keynote address to a select group of business leaders from US and India at the Trident Hotel to promote better trade and investment links between the two nations. Terry McGraw CEO of McGraw Hill Companies will lead the US delegation. Other business leaders that make up the elite guest list include India-born CEO of PepsiCo Indra Nooyi, GE's Jeffrey Immelt and Honeywell's David Cote.

India Inc will be represented by Wipro's boss Azim Premji, Mukesh Ambani , chairman of RIL, Anand Mahindra, MD of Mahindra & Mahindra and Adi Godrej, chairman of Godrej group.

Read more: Ratan Tata to host Obama at Taj - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Ratan-Tata-to-host-Obama-at-Taj/articleshow/6819079.cms#ixzz13WukAqZU

North Korea may be preparing for third nuclear test: Repo

SEOUL: North Korea appears to be preparing for a third nuclear test, a South Korean newspaper said on Thursday, citing a government source.

US satellites detected movements of personnel and vehicles at the location where the reclusive communist state carried out its first two nuclear tests, the Chosun Ilbo said.

But a South Korean defence ministry official said on condition of anonymity that such movements were being constantly detected, possibly for the daily maintenance of key strategic facilities there.

"Hectic movements of personnel and vehicles have recently been detected in Punggye-ri," Chosun quoted the unidentified government source as saying.

The North also appears to be restoring tunnels demolished during the first two tests, according to the source.

"However, it is unlikely (the North will) carry it out soon. It is expected to take another three months (to complete preparations for a third test)," the source said.

North Korea conducted its first nuclear test in October 2006 and a second in May 2009 in Punggye-ri in the northeastern province of North Hamgyong, the month after it walked out of six-party nuclear disarmament talks.

The Chosun report came as Seoul is preparing to host a Group of 20 summit next month, welcoming world leaders including US President Barack Obama.

North Korea said on Saturday it was willing to resume the six-nation disarmament talks but would not be "hasty" because the United States and some other parties were "not ready".

The United States says the North must mend relations with the South and show sincerity about nuclear disarmament before any resumption of the negotiations.

China, the North's sole major ally and economic lifeline, is pressing to restart the six-party forum, which groups the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia and began in 2003.

Prospects for renewed negotiations have been clouded by South Korean and US accusations that the North torpedoed one of Seoul's warships in March, a charge Pyongyang denies.

The 1950-53 Korean War ended only in an armistice and without a formal peace treaty.

Read more: North Korea may be preparing for third nuclear test: Report - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/North-Korea-may-be-preparing-for-third-nuclear-test-Report/articleshow/6784705.cms#ixzz12xmjSR2A

Over 60 killed in Sri Lanka explosives depot blast

COLOMBO: At least 60 people were killed including two Chinese contractors in eastern Sri Lanka on Friday after an accidental blast at an explosives depot at a police station, a military spokesman said.

Military spokesman Major General Ubaya Medawala said police were issuing explosives to Chinese contractors working on a road project when the accident occurred.

"It's an accidental explosion. The munitions were kept at the police station for safety reasons. It exploded as police were issuing some munitions to the contractors," Medawala said.

"We believe over 60 have died -- this includes two Chinese contractors and the rest policemen," he said.

TOI

US announces new flexible policy on sex change in passports

WASHINGTON: The United States has announced new flexible policy guidelines regarding gender change in passports and consular reports of birth abroad.

Under the new rule beginning June 10, when a passport applicant presents a certification from an attending medical physician that the applicant has undergone appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition, the passport will reflect the new gender.

The new guidelines are more flexible and has been announced on the occasion of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Trans gender Pride Month, include detailed information about what information the certification must include.

"It is also possible to obtain a limited-validity passport if the physician's statement shows the applicant is in the process of gender transition," the State Department said adding that no additional medical records are required "Sexual reassignment surgery is no longer a prerequisite for passport issuance.

A Consular Report of Birth Abroad can also be amended with the new gender," it said.

As with all passport applicants, passport issuing officers at embassies and consulates abroad and domestic passport agencies and centres will only ask appropriate questions to obtain information necessary to determine citizenship and identity, the State Department said.

The new policy and procedures are based on standards and recommendations of the World Professional Association for Trans gender Health (WPATH), recognised by the American Medical Association as the authority in this field.

TOI

Terrorists storm Lahore mosques; 30 feared dead

LAHORE: Heavily armed Taliban guerrillas on Friday stormed two mosques in this Pakistan city, killing at least 30 people and injuring many others, according to TV reports. The mosques of the minority Ahmadi sect were packed with about 1,500 worshippers.

The apparently coordinated attacks by two groups of terrorists, which began at around 1.45 pm local time, targeted the mosques in Garhi Shahu and Model Town areas of Lahore.

Witnesses said at least two terrorists wearing suicide vests blew themselves up at the mosque in Garhi Shahu. They said the attackers lobbed grenades and fired indiscriminately as they entered the two mosques.

TV channels reported that at least 30 people were killed and many others, including seven policemen, injured in the attacks. Among the injured was Superintendent of Police Haider Ashraf.

Television footage showed gunmen firing indiscriminately from the rooftop of one of the mosques. Gunfire could be heard as people ran to take cover outside the mosque.

A police official told reporters that among the terrorists involved in the Model Town attack "one terrorist is dead, one injured and one has been held".

Worried relatives of the worshippers who were trapped inside the mosques desperately tried to seek information about their fate.

Tehreek-e-Taliban Punjab has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Suicide bombers struck at a market in Lahore city March 12, killing 45 and injuring over 100.

TOI

Cameron becomes new British PM as Brown quits

LONDON: Conservative leader David Cameron on Tuesday night took over as Britain's new prime minister after Queen Elizabeth II invited him to form the new government following the resignation of incumbent Gordon Brown.

A statement from Buckingham Palace said the Queen had requested 43-year-old Cameron to form a new government.

"The right honourable David Cameron accepted Her Majesty's offer and kissed hands upon his appointment as prime minister," it said.

Cameron said he planned to form a "full" coalition government of his Conservative party and the Liberal Democrats.

The Conservatives emerged as the largest single party in the May 6 election that triggered the ending of the Labour party's record 13 years in office.

Labour leader Gordon Brown tendered his resignation as prime minister to Queen Elizabeth during a 15-minute audience at the Buckingham Palace on Tuesday evening.

As per protocol, after resigning, Brown suggested to the Queen that Cameron was in the position of commanding the confidence of the House of Commons, and as such, he should be invited to form the next government.

India was the first country Cameron visited after taking over as the Conservative leader in 2006.

He has promised to forge a "new special relationship" with India and support India's bid for a seat in the United Nations Security council.

His party's manifesto says that the party will "work to establish a new special relationship with India, the world's largest democracy".

It also commits the party to "work towards greater stability in Afghanistan and Pakistan" and support India's bid for a seat in the UN Security Council.

TOI

Obama asks the world to lock down nuclear materials

STAFF WRITER 20:10 HRS IST

Lalit K Jha and Ajay Kaul

Washington, Apr 13 (PTI) US President Barack Obama today warned that terror groups like al-Qaeda were trying to acquire nuclear material for weapons posing one of the "greatest threats" to global security and pitched for concrete collective steps to deal with this challenge.

Addressing the Nuclear Security Summit here, Obama said the world would need "a new manner of thinking and action" to deal with the real problem facing the world peace and stability.

"Terrorist networks such as al-Qaeda have tried to acquire the material for a nuclear weapon. And if they ever succeeded, they would surely use it.

Rajapaksa's ruling coalition gains early lead in Lanka polls

V Sriram

Colombo, Apr 9 (PTI) Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's party gained early leads today against a divided opposition, winning 15 of the 20 parliamentary seats for which results were declared.

Rajapaksa's United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) won 15 seats while former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe's United National Party (UNP) managed to win five seats, election officials said.

On the other hand, detained former army chief Sarath Fonseka led Democratic National Alliance (DNA) was yet to register a victory in the results declared so far.

The Unicameral Sri Lankan Parliament has 225 seats out of which 196 is contested directly and the rest 29 are nominated based on the percentage of votes polled by various National political parties and groups.

Rajapaksa's party is involved in a three-cornered contest with the main opposition UNF alliance and the JVP and Fonseka's DNA, and was favoured in the opinion polls.

Indian origin Businessman tops Ireland's rich list

STAFF WRITER 5:51 HRS IST

London, Apr 1 (PTI) Septuagenarian Pallonji Mistry, an Indian origin business magnate has topped Ireland's rich list with a worth of 3.9 billion pounds.

Mistry ? who became an Irish citizen in 2003 through his Irish born wife ? has interests in real estate, cars, heavy industry, tea and partly owns the Taj Mahal Hotel.

Mistry reportedly has 18.4 per cent stake in India's largest private conglomerate Tata Sons.

Iran's top nuclear negotiator heads to China

STAFF WRITER 3:23 HRS IST

Tehran, Apr 1 (AP) Iran's state media says the country's top nuclear negotiator is heading to China to discuss possible UN sanctions against Tehran over its disputed nuclear program.

Iranian state television reported that Saeed Jalili will travel to China today for talks with senior Chinese officials "concerning the nuclear program".

The US and other Western powers are pushing for a new round of UN sanctions on Iran over its defiance to halt its uranium enrichment program.

China wields veto power on the Security council and has been a vocal opponent of sanctions on Iran.

US officials have said they believe Beijing may be changing its stance.

The US and some of its allies accuse Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Iran has denies the charges.

UN official expects no climate deal until 2011

STAFF WRITER 6:44 HRS IST

Amsterdam, Apr 1 (AP) A new legal agreement committing nations around the world to curb greenhouse gas emissions is unlikely to be completed before the end of 2011, two years later than originally envisioned, the top UN climate official said.

Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the UN climate change secretariat, yesterday said countries need to restore confidence in UN negotiations following the dismal results of the Copenhagen summit in December, which ended in a vague agreement of principles and a pledge of finances for poor countries most threatened by climate change.

"There was a great deal of frustration at the end of the Copenhagen conference in terms of process," de Boer said in a conference call with reporters from his office in Bonn, Germany.

World raises nearly USD 10 bln for quake-hit Haiti

STAFF WRITER 7:0 HRS IST

United Nations, Apr 1 (AFP) The global community pledged nearly USD 10 billion for Haiti over more than three years to put the quake-ravaged nation back on its feet.

As part of the total USD 9.9 billion, UN member states and international organisations participating in a donors' conference here pledged USD 5.3 billion for the 2010-2011 period, far exceeding the USD 3.8 billion that was sought by conference organisers for that period.

That target was meant to fund a USD 4.0 billion action plan put forward by the Haitian government to fund reconstruction projects over the next two years in the poorest country in the Americas.

"The member states and international partners have pledged USD 5.3 billion for the next two years and USD 9.9 billion in total for the next three years and beyond," Ban told a press conference wrapping up the meeting.

"Friends of Haiti have acted far beyond expectations.

UN climate chief quits

STAFF WRITER 18:31 HRS IST

Paris, Feb 18 (AFP) Yvo de Boer, head of the UN's climate change convention, will resign as of July 1, his office announced today.

De Boer, who is executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, will join the consultancy group KPMG as global advisor on climate and sustainability and work with a number of universities, the UNFCCC secretariat said.

The announcement came nearly two months after the Copenhagen summit on climate change, widely seen as either a disappointment or a chaotic failure.

The UNFCCC, an offshoot of the 1992 Rio summit, gathers 194 nations in the search for combating the causes of man-made climate change and easing its effects.

Its key achievement is the Kyoto Protocol, the only international treaty that requires curbs in heat-stoking greenhouse gases blamed for disrupting the climate system.

Russia unveils new nuclear doctrine

MOSCOW: Lowering the threshhold for the use of nuclear weapons, Russia has said it reserves the right to hit back with nukes in case of an aggression, in a new doctrine which may be a veiled warning to China and rising NATO powers.

"Russia reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in response to the use of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction against it and its allies, as well as an aggression against the Russian Federation with the use of conventional weapons jeopardising the very existence of the state," a military doctrine signed by President Dmitry Medvedev said.

Speaking on the conditions of anonymity some foreign diplomats believe that the lowering of threshold for the nuclear weapons could be a veiled warning to China, which has an overwhelming numerical advantage over Russia with the total population less than 147 million.

A retired three-star Soviet general, who wished not to be named, told PTI yesterday that after 1968 border conflict with China, the Soviet General Staff had virtually given up the concept of a conventional war with 'our great Asian neighbour', the new doctrine has publicly stated the stance.

Expansion of NATO closer to the boundaries of Russia, deployment of missile shield elements on the perimeter of its land and maritime borders, international terrorism, proliferation of WMD and growing number of nuclear powers have also been identified as the external threats for the security of the nation.

TOI

Chief of Indian army conferred rank of Nepal's General

STAFF WRITER 18:7 HRS IST

Shirish B. Pradhan

Kathmandu, Jan 21 (PTI) President Ram Baran Yadav today conferred the honorary rank of General of the Nepal Army on Indian Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor in the presence of top dignitaries in the capital, underlining the close relationship between the two forces.

The top Indian general received an insignia, sword and citation from President Yadav at a special function in the Rastrapati Bhawan this evening.

Defence Minister Vidya Bhandari, Nepal Army Chief Gen.

Chhatraman Singh Gurung and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood were among the top dignitaries present at the function in Sheetal Niwas.

The honour for General Kapoor comes after Nepalese army chief General Chhtra Man Singh Gurung was conferred with the Honorary title of General of the Indian Army by President Pratibha Patel in New Delhi on December 14, upholding a six-decade old tradition.

Over 100,000 feared dead in horrific Haiti quake

PORT-AU-PRINCE: More than 100,000 people were feared dead in Haiti on Wednesday after an earthquake decimated the capital Port-au-Prince, where Haiti quake survivors faced a second night on streets still littered with the dead.

Schools, hotels, hospitals and the presidential palace lay in ruins and people pleaded for help as they lay trapped beneath mountains of concrete, and the capital was "mostly destroyed" an AFP correspondent said.

Mournful songs and prayers rose above the dust and debris-cloaked city of two million people as darkness descended. Dusk saw horrific scenes of the injured laying in the back of pick-up trucks which normally ferry residents through the city's thronged streets.

A dead victim was pinned between the fallen roof of her home and her bed, and rescuers tore at the wreckage of a children's hospital with their bare hands.

Jeanwell Antoine held a trapped baby's arm and sought to comfort it as he clawed through the rubble. "It is not me who is pushing back this earth. It is the hand of God, who loves life and is guiding me so I can save this baby," he said.

With every hour crucial for those trapped, a global aid operation swung into action, with rescue teams bringing heavy lifting gear and desperately-needed medicines and food.

Casualty figures were impossible to calculate, but Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive told CNN the final death toll from the 7.0 quake could be "well over 100,000." President Rene Preval told the network 50,000 could be dead.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton compared the tragedy to the Asian tsunami which killed more than 220,000 people five years ago. "The Indian Ocean tsunami was such a terrible tragedy and with such high loss of life. This will be a very high loss of life as well," she said.

Preval, unsure of where he would sleep after his home and the presidential palace were destroyed, painted a scene of utter devastation. "Parliament has collapsed. The tax office has collapsed. Schools have collapsed. Hospitals have collapsed," he told the Miami Herald.

With thousands of people missing, dazed survivors in torn clothes wandered through the rubble as more than 30 aftershocks rocked the ramshackle and impoverished capital.

Dust filled the air, scattered fires broke out, and injured people slumped on the blood-soaked floor of one clinic waiting for treatment. Elsewhere, outside a field hospital, mothers huddled with shell-shocked children.

Some injured survivors wore makeshift slings and blood-soaked bandages. Others were carried on pieces of debris used as stretchers, past piles of smashed concrete, from which crushed bodies protruded.

Fanning safety fears in the crime-hit capital, the United Nations said the main prison had collapsed, allowing some inmates to flee into a city where basic services and communications were shut down.

The earthquake was the latest tragedy to hammer Haiti, which has been scarred by years of unrest, crime and political tumult.

"They have had a long and tortured history, but they are good people, they are survivors," said former US president Bill Clinton, the UN envoy to Haiti.

"These people deserve a chance to bury their dead, to heal their wounded, to eat, to sleep, to begin to recover, and they can't do it with just government help alone," Clinton said, appealing on CNN for cash to buy food aid.

The quake late Tuesday struck just below the earth's surface on a notorious fault line, meaning the shock was intense and damage severe, scientists said.

UN officials said at least 16 of its staffers were dead, 56 were injured and a further 150 were missing. The head of the UN mission to Haiti, Hedi Annabi, was thought to be among the dead.

US President Barack Obama vowed a swift and aggressive effort to save lives and spoke with an array of regional leaders to coordinate the aid operation. "This tragedy seems especially cruel and incomprehensible," he said.

Officials said the first US search and rescue teams workers were already deploying from the airport in Port-au-Prince.

The US military also mobilized ships and aircraft, and an aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, was due to arrive Thursday.

Officials said the naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, home to a controversial camp for terror detainees, may also be used to house refugees.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates cut short foreign trips to return to Washington as the scale of the crisis became clearer.

Plane-loads of rescue teams and relief supplies were quickly dispatched from nations including Britain, Canada, Russia, Spain, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Russia.

The World Bank said it planned to extend an additional 100 million dollars in emergency aid to Haiti to help recovery and reconstruction.

The massive quake toppled the cupola on the country's gleaming white presidential palace, a major hotel where 200 tourists were missing and the headquarters of the UN mission in Haiti.

Jordan reported that three of its peacekeepers were killed and 21 wounded in the quake. Brazil said 11 of its peacekeepers were killed while eight Chinese soldiers were buried in rubble and 10 were missing, state media said.

The Haitian resort town of Jacmel was also devastated. "I was driving back to Jacmel in the mountains when the entire mountain seemed to fall down all around me," said Emmet Murphy, local head of the US non-governmental organization ADCI/VOCA.

Two hundred foreigners were missing at the Hotel Montana, French Secretary of State for Cooperation Alain Joyandet said.

TOI