Deepak Obhrai re-appointed Canada's parliamentary secretary

TORONTO: Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Wednesday re-appointed senior-most Indo-Canadian MP Deepak Obhrai as parliamentary secretary to the minister of foreign affairs.

Obhrai, who is the longest serving Indo-Canadian MP currently in his sixth term, has served in the same capacity since 2006.

"This is a vote of confidence by the prime minister and I am honoured once again to have been chosen for this important portfolio. I look forward to representing Canada on the international stage,'' Obhrai said in a statement after his re-appointment.

He said he was looking forward to work with the new minister of foreign affairs John Baird.

In naming his new cabinet last week, Prime Minister Harper had appointed first-time Indo-Canadian MP Bal Gosal as a minister of state for sports and two-term MP Tim Uppal, a 37-year-old Canadian-born turbaned Sikh from Edmonton, as minister of state for democratic reform.

But many in the community termed Obhrai's re-appointment to the same post 'a 'demotion' since two junior Indo-Canadian MPs have been made minister of state by 'superseding' him.

Said prominent Gujarati businessman Hemant Shah, "If I were in Mr Obhrai's place, I would have told Stephen Harper: 'Thank you, Mr Prime Minister. But I would like to sit in parliament as an MP only.''

Shah said, "This man has done so much for promoting the India-Canada relationship. He should have been at least made a minister of state.''

A senior Indo-Canadian political leader of the opposition Liberal Party said, "Uppal and Bal have become ministers at the cost of Obhrai because the ruling Conservative Party wants to be seen rewarding the Sikh community which switched loyalties this time to vote for them (the Conservative Party) and helped wrest some important ridings(constituencies) from the Liberal Party.''

An Indo-Canadian corporate executive, who lauded Obhrai for promoting closer ties between India and Canada, added, "Possibly, he should have been awarded with promotion. But then it is the PM's prerogative and you have to accept this.''

With Obhrai's re-appointment, the new Canadian cabinet has three Indo-Canadian faces - the maximum ever in the government.

Ex-IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn moved to new house in New York

NEW YORK: Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was moved on Wednesday from a temporary apartment to a luxurious townhouse in New York's TriBeCa neighborhood where he will await trial under around-the-clock armed guard on charges that he tried to rape a hotel maid.

Strauss-Kahn, who had been expected to be a serious contender to be the next president of France before his arrest, was rushed late on Wednesday to a waiting sport utility vehicle that whisked him to a posh two-story townhouse on a cobblestoned street in TriBeCa, a source close to the case said.

Strauss-Kahn was released on $1 million cash bail and $5 million insurance bond on Friday and taken temporarily to an apartment in New York's financial district after attempts to rent a luxury apartment elsewhere in the city fell through.

He emerged from the temporary apartment wearing a gray suit and blue dress shirt. He was not handcuffed but was surrounded by plain-clothed police and security officers.

Media already were gathered outside the house where Strauss-Kahn likely will spend the next months preparing for his trial. People's silhouettes could be seen through the house's frosted glass windows.

A real estate listing said the three-bedroom, four-bathroom townhouse featured an open kitchen and an "expansive loft-like living-room."

Strauss-Kahn, who spent four nights last week at New York's Rikers Island jail, has denied attacking the maid on May 14 in his hotel room. He has been charged with a criminal sexual act, attempted rape, sexual abuse, unlawful imprisonment and forcible touching. He is due back in court on June 6.

Under the terms of his release, Strauss-Kahn will be allowed to leave the townhouse only to travel within Manhattan for court appearances, meetings with his lawyers, medical appointments and a weekly religious observance.

Deepak Obhrai re-appointed Canada's parliamentary secretary

TORONTO: Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Wednesday re-appointed senior-most Indo-Canadian MP Deepak Obhrai as parliamentary secretary to the minister of foreign affairs.

Obhrai, who is the longest serving Indo-Canadian MP currently in his sixth term, has served in the same capacity since 2006.

"This is a vote of confidence by the prime minister and I am honoured once again to have been chosen for this important portfolio. I look forward to representing Canada on the international stage,'' Obhrai said in a statement after his re-appointment.

He said he was looking forward to work with the new minister of foreign affairs John Baird.

In naming his new cabinet last week, Prime Minister Harper had appointed first-time Indo-Canadian MP Bal Gosal as a minister of state for sports and two-term MP Tim Uppal, a 37-year-old Canadian-born turbaned Sikh from Edmonton, as minister of state for democratic reform.

But many in the community termed Obhrai's re-appointment to the same post 'a 'demotion' since two junior Indo-Canadian MPs have been made minister of state by 'superseding' him.

Said prominent Gujarati businessman Hemant Shah, "If I were in Mr Obhrai's place, I would have told Stephen Harper: 'Thank you, Mr Prime Minister. But I would like to sit in parliament as an MP only.''

Shah said, "This man has done so much for promoting the India-Canada relationship. He should have been at least made a minister of state.''

A senior Indo-Canadian political leader of the opposition Liberal Party said, "Uppal and Bal have become ministers at the cost of Obhrai because the ruling Conservative Party wants to be seen rewarding the Sikh community which switched loyalties this time to vote for them (the Conservative Party) and helped wrest some important ridings(constituencies) from the Liberal Party.''

An Indo-Canadian corporate executive, who lauded Obhrai for promoting closer ties between India and Canada, added, "Possibly, he should have been awarded with promotion. But then it is the PM's prerogative and you have to accept this.''

With Obhrai's re-appointment, the new Canadian cabinet has three Indo-Canadian faces - the maximum ever in the government.

Ex-IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn moved to new house in New York

NEW YORK: Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was moved on Wednesday from a temporary apartment to a luxurious townhouse in New York's TriBeCa neighborhood where he will await trial under around-the-clock armed guard on charges that he tried to rape a hotel maid.

Strauss-Kahn, who had been expected to be a serious contender to be the next president of France before his arrest, was rushed late on Wednesday to a waiting sport utility vehicle that whisked him to a posh two-story townhouse on a cobblestoned street in TriBeCa, a source close to the case said.

Strauss-Kahn was released on $1 million cash bail and $5 million insurance bond on Friday and taken temporarily to an apartment in New York's financial district after attempts to rent a luxury apartment elsewhere in the city fell through.

He emerged from the temporary apartment wearing a gray suit and blue dress shirt. He was not handcuffed but was surrounded by plain-clothed police and security officers.

Media already were gathered outside the house where Strauss-Kahn likely will spend the next months preparing for his trial. People's silhouettes could be seen through the house's frosted glass windows.

A real estate listing said the three-bedroom, four-bathroom townhouse featured an open kitchen and an "expansive loft-like living-room."

Strauss-Kahn, who spent four nights last week at New York's Rikers Island jail, has denied attacking the maid on May 14 in his hotel room. He has been charged with a criminal sexual act, attempted rape, sexual abuse, unlawful imprisonment and forcible touching. He is due back in court on June 6.

Under the terms of his release, Strauss-Kahn will be allowed to leave the townhouse only to travel within Manhattan for court appearances, meetings with his lawyers, medical appointments and a weekly religious observance.

Diplomatic immunity does not apply to family members: US State Department

WASHINGTON: Diplomatic immunity does not apply to family members of consular officers, US State Department has said, a day after the daughter of an Indian diplomat filed a law suit against New York City alleging that she was falsely arrested and suspended for sending obscene emails to teachers at her Queens High School.

"The Vienna Convention on Consular Affairs provides that consular officers are not liable to arrest or detention pending trial, except in the case of a felony where a court warrant is required. But that provision does not apply to family members," the State Departments spokesman, Mark Toner, told reporters at his daily news conference here yesterday.

Family members of the diplomats do carry diplomatic passports, he acknowledged but diplomatic immunity does not apply to them, he noted.

"This is different for consular officers versus those in the embassy. There's different categories," Toner said.

At a news conference in New York, Krittika Biswas, daughter of the vice counsel at the Indian Consulate in Manhattan, Debashish Biswas, claimed that she was ill-treated in prison.

Biswas alleged that she was not allowed to use the bathroom for a long-time when she was in custody at the 107th precinct.

"Eventually, I had to go in front of everyone," Biswas said, referring to a small toilet that was in the cell occupied by other persons.

Diplomatic immunity does not apply to family members: US State Department

WASHINGTON: Diplomatic immunity does not apply to family members of consular officers, US State Department has said, a day after the daughter of an Indian diplomat filed a law suit against New York City alleging that she was falsely arrested and suspended for sending obscene emails to teachers at her Queens High School.

"The Vienna Convention on Consular Affairs provides that consular officers are not liable to arrest or detention pending trial, except in the case of a felony where a court warrant is required. But that provision does not apply to family members," the State Departments spokesman, Mark Toner, told reporters at his daily news conference here yesterday.

Family members of the diplomats do carry diplomatic passports, he acknowledged but diplomatic immunity does not apply to them, he noted.

"This is different for consular officers versus those in the embassy. There's different categories," Toner said.

At a news conference in New York, Krittika Biswas, daughter of the vice counsel at the Indian Consulate in Manhattan, Debashish Biswas, claimed that she was ill-treated in prison.

Biswas alleged that she was not allowed to use the bathroom for a long-time when she was in custody at the 107th precinct.

"Eventually, I had to go in front of everyone," Biswas said, referring to a small toilet that was in the cell occupied by other persons.

Libya: Explosions heard in Tripoli, NATO raids on Nalyut

TRIPOLI: Four explosions were heard in the Libyan capital Tripoli, targeted for two days by NATO, which earlier carried out raids on the western town of Nalyut, Libyan news agency JANA reported.

The blasts were heard at midnight yesterday near the centre of the capital, but the exact target could not be determined, an AFP journalist said. Warplanes continued to fly over the city.

The official Libyan news agency said earlier that NATO raids targeted "civilian and military sites" in Nalyut, 230 kilometres (145 miles) west of Tripoli in the mountainous Jebel Nafussa region where there has been weeks of fighting between rebels and forces of Muammar Gaddafi's regime.

Six powerful explosions struck late on Tuesday near Gaddafi's residence in Tripoli, targeted a day earlier by intensive NATO air strikes, an AFP journalist said.

The regime said those strikes claimed three lives and wounded 150 people.

Libya: Explosions heard in Tripoli, NATO raids on Nalyut

TRIPOLI: Four explosions were heard in the Libyan capital Tripoli, targeted for two days by NATO, which earlier carried out raids on the western town of Nalyut, Libyan news agency JANA reported.

The blasts were heard at midnight yesterday near the centre of the capital, but the exact target could not be determined, an AFP journalist said. Warplanes continued to fly over the city.

The official Libyan news agency said earlier that NATO raids targeted "civilian and military sites" in Nalyut, 230 kilometres (145 miles) west of Tripoli in the mountainous Jebel Nafussa region where there has been weeks of fighting between rebels and forces of Muammar Gaddafi's regime.

Six powerful explosions struck late on Tuesday near Gaddafi's residence in Tripoli, targeted a day earlier by intensive NATO air strikes, an AFP journalist said.

The regime said those strikes claimed three lives and wounded 150 people.

Karunanidhi clan meets Kanimozhi at Delhi court

NEW DELHI: DMK leader M Karunanidhi's son Tamilarasu and daughter Selvi came to meet their jailed half-sister MP Kanimozhi on Wednesday in the Patiala House court complex. Their meeting inside the courtroom lasted for about 45 minutes.

The duo, who were accompanied by DMK parliamentary party leader T R Baalu, also met ex-telecom Minister A Raja and Kalaignar TV MD Sharath Kumar inside the courtroom and exchanged pleasantries.

Tamilarasu's wife Mohana, senior DMK leader M K Stalin's wife Durga and Union minister Dayanidhi Maran's mother Mallika also met Kanimozhi. The DMK MP was seen smiling and looked composed.

As the hearing proceeded, an illustrator of a prominent national daily was caught making sketches of the courtroom scene. The court staff intervened, and asked him to stop the illustration. The matter was reported to Special CBI Judge O P Saini since the illustrator refused to pay heed to the court staff.

The judge took exception to his action, and reprimanded him for breaking the decorum of the courtroom. The court took the copy of his identity card, and also destroyed the sketches made by him in the courtroom.

As the drama unfolded, some of the relatives of the accused, including that of Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Usman Balwa, also protested and demanded that the sketches be confiscated since they "could be misused".

The illustrator was warned of being fined, and also reminded that a scribe has been slapped with a Rs 10,000 fine for filing a frivolous petition in connection with the 2G telecom case. Later, the artist was let off after he apologized to the court.

DGCA stripped of probe powers

NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will no longer be the three-in-one investigator-prosecutor-judge combine when it comes to investigating serious air mishaps.

The government on Wednesday issued an order to set up an independent panel under the civil aviation ministry that will take help from independent experts to investigate accidents and serious incidents. The panel will conduct the probe independent of the DGCA. The demand for having an independent investigator gained momentum after last year's Mangalore crash and the recent spate of incidents in Pawan Hans. The accident investigation committee will have five officers apart from independent resource personnel whose help they can take. The panel will classify a mishap as accident or serious incident as this rating has serious impact on the airlines insurance premium and has been suspected of being manipulated in the past, said a senior official.

Under the new system, reports of any mishap will be sent to the DGCA along with a copy to the panel. The panel will also follow up implementation of the safety recommendations made with every probe report. It will also advise the DGCA from time to time on accident prevention steps, said sources.

The government studied various models for deciding the shape of the independent probe panel. Usually probe panels are kept away from the department whose accidents they would probe to have a fair and independent report with low chances of manipulation. For instance, the agency probing railway mishaps comes under the aviation ministry.

The demand for a probe panel arose after the Mangalore crash. In many cases, accidents happen due to faulty rules or practices of the regulatory agency and parent ministry governing that sector. Any air mishap will have to be probed keeping that factor in mind. So as long as the DGCA conducted probes, the question if it would examine any possible lapses always remained in people's minds. For this reason, the government has set up independent probe panels to examine big crashes like last year's Mangalore crash, said a senior pilot.

Karunanidhi clan meets Kanimozhi at Delhi court

NEW DELHI: DMK leader M Karunanidhi's son Tamilarasu and daughter Selvi came to meet their jailed half-sister MP Kanimozhi on Wednesday in the Patiala House court complex. Their meeting inside the courtroom lasted for about 45 minutes.

The duo, who were accompanied by DMK parliamentary party leader T R Baalu, also met ex-telecom Minister A Raja and Kalaignar TV MD Sharath Kumar inside the courtroom and exchanged pleasantries.

Tamilarasu's wife Mohana, senior DMK leader M K Stalin's wife Durga and Union minister Dayanidhi Maran's mother Mallika also met Kanimozhi. The DMK MP was seen smiling and looked composed.

As the hearing proceeded, an illustrator of a prominent national daily was caught making sketches of the courtroom scene. The court staff intervened, and asked him to stop the illustration. The matter was reported to Special CBI Judge O P Saini since the illustrator refused to pay heed to the court staff.

The judge took exception to his action, and reprimanded him for breaking the decorum of the courtroom. The court took the copy of his identity card, and also destroyed the sketches made by him in the courtroom.

As the drama unfolded, some of the relatives of the accused, including that of Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Usman Balwa, also protested and demanded that the sketches be confiscated since they "could be misused".

The illustrator was warned of being fined, and also reminded that a scribe has been slapped with a Rs 10,000 fine for filing a frivolous petition in connection with the 2G telecom case. Later, the artist was let off after he apologized to the court.

DGCA stripped of probe powers

NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will no longer be the three-in-one investigator-prosecutor-judge combine when it comes to investigating serious air mishaps.

The government on Wednesday issued an order to set up an independent panel under the civil aviation ministry that will take help from independent experts to investigate accidents and serious incidents. The panel will conduct the probe independent of the DGCA. The demand for having an independent investigator gained momentum after last year's Mangalore crash and the recent spate of incidents in Pawan Hans. The accident investigation committee will have five officers apart from independent resource personnel whose help they can take. The panel will classify a mishap as accident or serious incident as this rating has serious impact on the airlines insurance premium and has been suspected of being manipulated in the past, said a senior official.

Under the new system, reports of any mishap will be sent to the DGCA along with a copy to the panel. The panel will also follow up implementation of the safety recommendations made with every probe report. It will also advise the DGCA from time to time on accident prevention steps, said sources.

The government studied various models for deciding the shape of the independent probe panel. Usually probe panels are kept away from the department whose accidents they would probe to have a fair and independent report with low chances of manipulation. For instance, the agency probing railway mishaps comes under the aviation ministry.

The demand for a probe panel arose after the Mangalore crash. In many cases, accidents happen due to faulty rules or practices of the regulatory agency and parent ministry governing that sector. Any air mishap will have to be probed keeping that factor in mind. So as long as the DGCA conducted probes, the question if it would examine any possible lapses always remained in people's minds. For this reason, the government has set up independent probe panels to examine big crashes like last year's Mangalore crash, said a senior pilot.

In a first, Mauritius gives details of black money

NEW DELHI: Yielding under "pressure", Mauritius has for the first time provided bank details of a person being investigated by the Income Tax Department (ITD) for tax evasion and money laundering.

"They (Mauritius) have given information related to a person being probed by ITD who had remitted funds from that country to India," an official said.

While the official refused to provide any further details, he said it is "a major breakthrough" in the government's effort to track and collect proof against tax evasion and bring back the unaccounted money stashed in tax havens.

"There was lot of pressure exerted on Mauritius by Indian government and finally they provide the required information. It is for the first time we have been able to get information from them," he said. Indian agencies are said to have increased their vigilance after they noticed a significant surge in venture capital funds coming into the country from Mauritius in sectors like telecom and real estate. Fund flow from tax havens have been under close scrutiny in recent times for money laundering.

Mauritius accounted for about 42 per cent or $54.22 billion of the total $130 billion worth of FDI in the country since April 2000.

India is also renegotiating its Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement ( DTAA) with Mauritius with a view to facilitating exchange of information between the two countries.

Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday said the government was amending the DTAAs by inserting a clause on information regarding banking sector and also entering into tax information exchange agreements (TIEA) with tax havens.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) is in favour of re-negotiation of the tax treaty with Mauritius so that India could have access to banking details besides tax-related information vis-a-vis that country.

In a first, Mauritius gives details of black money

NEW DELHI: Yielding under "pressure", Mauritius has for the first time provided bank details of a person being investigated by the Income Tax Department (ITD) for tax evasion and money laundering.

"They (Mauritius) have given information related to a person being probed by ITD who had remitted funds from that country to India," an official said.

While the official refused to provide any further details, he said it is "a major breakthrough" in the government's effort to track and collect proof against tax evasion and bring back the unaccounted money stashed in tax havens.

"There was lot of pressure exerted on Mauritius by Indian government and finally they provide the required information. It is for the first time we have been able to get information from them," he said. Indian agencies are said to have increased their vigilance after they noticed a significant surge in venture capital funds coming into the country from Mauritius in sectors like telecom and real estate. Fund flow from tax havens have been under close scrutiny in recent times for money laundering.

Mauritius accounted for about 42 per cent or $54.22 billion of the total $130 billion worth of FDI in the country since April 2000.

India is also renegotiating its Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement ( DTAA) with Mauritius with a view to facilitating exchange of information between the two countries.

Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday said the government was amending the DTAAs by inserting a clause on information regarding banking sector and also entering into tax information exchange agreements (TIEA) with tax havens.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) is in favour of re-negotiation of the tax treaty with Mauritius so that India could have access to banking details besides tax-related information vis-a-vis that country.

2G scam: Behura pins blame on predecessor & Raja

NEW DELHI: Former telecom secretary Sidharth Behura, accused in the 2G spectrum allocation scam, on Wednesday accused his predecessor A K Srivastava of "defending the policy" framed by the then telecom minister A Raja before a special CBI court.

Special CBI judge O P Saini also slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on a journalist for seeking a direction for CBI to make some telecom companies like Videocon-owned Datacom, S-Tel, Aircel and Maxis as accused in the 2G case.

During the hearing, Behura's counsel Aman Lekhi accused Srivastava, who has been portrayed as a star witness by CBI, of having a larger role in the scam and said Behura was appointed telecom secretary after the decision on policy pertaining to spectrum allocation had been taken.

Arguing on the bail plea. Lekhi said, "It is a paradox of this case that Srivastava, who should be made accused, has been made a star witness." He also accused Raja of making changes in the opinion given by the then solicitor general G E Vahanvati.

Putting the entire blame on Raja for the multi-crore 2G scam, Behura told the court that he could not be held responsible for implementing the government policy. "The prime minister was in the picture, ministry of finance and law ministry were in the picture over the telecom policy and he was not a lone ranger," Lekhi said while pressing for bail.

"If others in the government or the Cabinet are not held responsible, how can a civil servant be made an accused? Raja continued in the Cabinet, which shows he retained the confidence of the prime minister and others," he argued.

Deferring the matter for further arguments for Thursday, judge Saini slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on a journalist for seeking a direction for CBI to make some more telecom companies accused in the 2G case.

The court warned a warrant would be issued against Mumbai-based journalist Bharat Bhushan Naudial on his failure to deposit the fine within three days. In his plea, the scribe had alleged that some telecom companies were ineligible for the 2G licence and rules were flouted to favour them.