Webber extends deal

UN chief hails G8 leaders’ understanding on Syria

United Nations: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon Tuesday welcomed the understanding reached on Syria by leaders of the Group of Eight (G-8) industrial nations. Ban welcomed the commitment to bring the Syrian sides to the negotiating table, saying that he stands ready to convene the Geneva Conference on Syria as soon as possible to help [...]

Modi meets Advani to get backing for new role

New Delhi: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday met L.K. Advani to get the BJP patriarch’s backing for his new role as head of the BJP’s campaign committee, an elevation that has split the NDA. He also discussed with senior leaders the strategy for the five assembly elections scheduled this year-end as well as the [...]

Obama defends surveillance of American communications

Washington: As the US whistleblower accused President Barack Obama of worsening “abusive” practices, Obama defended extensive surveillance of US communications, saying it had disrupted multiple terrorist plots and had adequate checks and balances. Reacting to Edward Snowden’s charges that expanded surveillance programmes instead of curtailing them as he promised as a candidate, he asserted that [...]

One step forward, two steps back

There are positive signals from the G8 summit regarding the plan of action that must be pursed in Syria. Russian leader Vladmir Putin, the man who is the main hurdle to the creation of some means formidable to bringing down Assad, has hinted that he may allow removing Assad provided there is a plan for [...]

Rowhani offers softer tone, same policies

Newly elected president Hassan Rowhani struck a diplomatic chord in his first news conference but offered little real change in key policy areas, especially on the long-running dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme. Concretely, he ruled out any halt to the nuclear activity that has drawn UN, EU and US sanctions, repeating a long-standing Iranian position [...]

Top revenge

Andhra Pradesh tops in revenge murders over illicit affairs according to the National Crime Records Bureau statistics. The motive for 445 murders, reported in the State last year, was revenge on cheating partners or their paramours. This amounts to 16 per cent of the murder cases registered here. While the motive for 317 murder cases [...]

Rain, rain, don’t go away

Don’t blame the weather for your gloominess. Good rainfall last week and the forecast of further rains due to an active South-West monsoon prompts farmers to sow crops in 50,000 hectares more than last year in Andhra Pradesh. The acreage is expected to increase 25-30 per cent over the normal area of 81.12 lakh hectares, [...]

The man who took a ‘stand’ at Taksim Square

A man stood still in Istanbul’s Taksim Square: silent, staring straight ahead, he had not moved for hours. His peaceful action, on the square that police cleared of protesters on Saturday and where the Turkish authorities have banned gatherings, was a new form of protest. He arrived Monday evening as night was falling and took [...]