In Monday's South Asia/Middle East papers

28 May 2007 06:00  [Source: ICIS news]

MUMBAI (ICIS news)--These were the top stories at 05:00 GMT in the following South Asia/ Middle-East newspapers’ online versions on Monday. To go to the individual websites, click the links below:

 

The Times of India

Front Page

 

Hotshot power-broker held

Mumbai: The political establishment in Maharashtra was sent into a tizzy on Sunday by the arrest of bigtime contractor, hotelier and power-broker Avinash Bhosale by sleuths of the directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI) at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji airport.

 

Huge turnout for Dalit show of strength

In a hugely symbolic gesture, thousands of tribals and dalits converted to Buddhism at a massive gathering here on Sunday, marking the 50th year of Dr B R Ambedkar’s conversion to the religion to escape the rigid Hindu caste system.

 

Business

 

Beijing pips Delhi again on Dhaka oil

After stalling gas exports and stonewalling a $1bn (€750m) translational energy corridor to India, Dhaka has invited Beijing to develop its oil sector and build roads and pipelines that will allow China to ship out exports and import crude, respectively, through two Bangladeshi ports.

 

Tata Tea battles Kerala CM

For more than a decade now, Tata Tea has fought allegations of “land grabbing’’ at Munnar in Kerala. Originally instigated by VS Achutanandan, now chief minister (CM) of the state, he had argued in his opposition leader days that Tata Tea had encroached on at least 50,000 acres on what he called “an ecologically fragile area”

 

The Economic Times

Front Page

 

Idea, Spice talk merger

A major consolidation in the telecom sector could be on the cards. According to top sources, the option of both Spice buying out Idea Cellular as well as the Birlas (Idea Cellular) buying out Spice are being considered.

 

Colgate’s still shining on brand charts

Benjamin Franklin once famously said that only two things in life are certain: death and taxes. The unfailing regularity, with which Colgate keeps topping brand equity’s survey of most tested brands year after year, makes a strong case to add one more member to that list. By topping the 2007 edition of the brand, Colgate has made it four times in a row.

 

Khaleej Times

Front Page

 

UAE, Oman to forge strategic partnership

The President, his highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan has described his visit to Oman and his subsequent meeting with his Majesty Sultan Qaboos as a significant impetus to UAE-Omani relations.

 

Two UAE nationals killed in accident

Two UAE nationals were killed on the spot, while two others were critically injured in a road accident yesterday afternoon on the Emirates Ring Road that links Sharjah and Ajman.

 

Business

 

DGCX to launch Steel Rebar Futures contract on 27 June

The Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange (DGCX) will open on 27 June its proposed Steel Rebar Futures Contract, the first of four futures contracts targeted for the steel supply chain, that would help the industry to lessen the negative impact of price volatility of % to 20% in the UAE and the Middle East region.

 

Industry minister to lead Omani team at India-GCC business meet

Commerce and Industry Minister Maqbool bin Ali Sultan will lead the Omani team at an India-GCC Businessmen's Conference due to open in Mumbai.

 

Times of Oman

Front page

 

Iran says EU nuclear talks postponed

Iran announced on Sunday crunch talks with the European Union to break the deadlock over its controversial nuclear programme have been postponed, amid growing calls for fresh UN action against Tehran.

 

Israel, Hamas trade threats as rocket kills civilian

Israel and Hamas traded threats on Sunday as an Israeli civilian died in a second deadly rocket strike from Gaza within a week.

 

Business

 

Northwest cleared for post-bankruptcy takeoff

Northwest Airlines is readying its takeoff from bankruptcy, becoming the last of four major carriers to reorganize to cope with the long crisis in the US airline industry.

 

World Islamic economic forum to meet in Malaysia

Government leaders and top business executives will meet from Monday at the annual World Islamic Economic Forum, aimed at boosting cooperation among Muslim communities, event organisers said.

 

Arab Times

Front Page

 

‘US will free 4 Gitmo men’

The United States has decided to release the last four Kuwaiti prisoners in Guantanamo Bay. Al-Wasat, quoting informed sources, said US authorities had informed Kuwait, a staunch ally of Washington, that its remaining citizens in the military base on Cuba do not constitute a danger to American national secure.

 

Almost 1,500 expats arrested in massive, ‘48-hour’ raids on vice

A Kuwaiti woman was confined at the Al-Sabah Hospital due to serious injuries she got when her vehicle overturned several times after colliding with another vehicle at the Ghazally Bridge on Saturday.

 

Business

(No update)

 

Dawn

Front Page

 

Punjab backs Sindh govt, bars Imran from leaving Lahore

After the government of Sindh barred Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf chief Imran Khan from entering the province for one month, its counterpart in Punjab barred the cricketer-turned politician on Sunday from leaving Lahore for three days and stopped him from boarding a Karachi-bound plane.

 

Crisis warning over human smuggling: 10,000 poised to enter Greece, Italy

The embassy of Pakistan in Greece has warned of a diplomatic disaster in the making as an estimated 10,000 illegal immigrants taken to Turkey by a gang of Pakistani human smugglers are likely to be pushed into Greece and Italy, possibly between now and September.

 

Business

 

Erratic wheat policy

In a knee jerk response, the government abruptly suspended wheat export on Wednesday while acknowledging that the open market price of the grain has shot up by 7% in spite of a record bumper crop of 23m/tonnes plus being harvested this season.

 

Intercropping technology to raise food production

The rate of increase in food production is too slow to cope with the rapidly increasing population and with that the rising demand for food. The need of the hour is to increase food production.

 

Business Recorder

Front Page

 

Concentration of power in an individual dangerous: CJ

About 3,000 supporters of suspended chief justice rallied in Islamabad on Saturday as he warned of the danger of power being concentrated in the hands of an individual.

 

SC resumes hearing in CJ's case tomorrow

The 'full court' of the Supreme Court will resume hearing Monday on a set of 24 identical constitutional petitions filed by Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and others challenging formation and competence of the Supreme Judicial Council to try the chief justice and President Musharraf's move to file the reference against the country's top jurist.

 

Business

 

Budget to provide maximum relief to masses: ministers

Provincial Ministers, Rana Shamshad Ahmad Khan, Dr Anjum Amjad, Chairperson Chief Minister's Task Force on Environment, Fatima Atif Malhi and Parliamentary Secretary for Environment, Saadia Humayun have said that 2007-2008 budgets would be reflective of the aspirations of masses and maximum relief would be provided to them.

 

Unemployment down to 6.2% in 2005-06

The overall unemployment rate in the country which stood at 8.3% in 2001-2002 came down to 6.2% in 2005-2006, with 4.95 million people getting jobs during the last two years due to impressive economic growth, the Federal Bureau of Statistics said Sunday.

By: Staff Reporter
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