Center planning vision document for North-East
The Centre is planning a vision document for the development of North-Eastern states of the country. The vision document for 2020 will be finalised by January, 2007, following which plans will be prepared for the development of the region. Inaugurating a meeting of the North-Eastern Council here today, Union Minister for Development of North-Eastern Region Mani Shankar Aiyar announced that periodical reviews of various infrastructural projects earmarked for the region would also be taken up from the next month onwards to ensure timely implementation. He expressed concern over the shortfall of expenditure earmarked for various Central ministries and said timely submission of proposals and projects had to be ensured for full utilisation of funds. The construction of new roads to provide connectivity even to the remotest village in the region is on also part of the roadmap of developing the region.

Foreign policy to get boost
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that in the coming decade, India’s foreign policy would witness intensified engagements with not only the major powers, but also emerging power centres as well as immediate and extended neighbourhood. He was addressing the participants of the 46th NDC Course on “Indian Foreign Policy: A Road Map for the Decade Ahead” at National Defence. Mr Mukherjee said demographic trends, policy choices and India’s inherent societal strengths had come together to put the country among the key players of this century.

NHRC pulls up Chief Secy for infants’ death
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the West Bengal Chief Secretary to comment on the death of 17 infants in a noth Kolkata hospital. Taking suo motu cognisance of a report appeared in a national daily, the commission has directed that a copy of the press report should be sent to the Chief Secretary concerned and his comments be sent to the commission within four weeks. The news report had drawn attention to lack of infrastructure and proper care in B.C. Roy Children Hospital, the lone paediatrics referral centre in the state. According to the Medical Superintendent of the hospital, the deaths took place in the neo-natal ward. He said the newborns were underweight and died due to septicemia. According to the news report, some doctors at the hospital tried to pass off the deaths as a mere co-incidence. The commission, however, said these deaths were grim reminder of a similar tragedy in the hospital in the past

CPM against death to Saddam
Members of the Chennai South District unit of the CPM on Sunday staged a demonstration here in protest against the death sentence awarded to former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein by a 'US-backed' trial court in Iraq.

Forest Tribal Rights Bill
Decks have been cleared for the passage of a bill for recognition of forest rights of scheduled tribes with a Group of Ministers (GoM) on Tribal Affairs managing a consensus on certain contentious issues, including a cut-off date for providing rights to tribals.

Blair seeks help from Iran, Syria
Tony Blair has urged George Bush to make a dramatic U-turn by drawing Iran and Syria into efforts to bring stability to Iraq and forge a long-term peace in the wider Middle East. The Prime Minister joined a clamour in Washington for the US President to drop his hardline approach towards what he regards as two rogue states. In his annual foreign affairs speech to the Lord Mayor's Banquet, Mr Blair offered Iran a "clear strategic choice" - a partnership if it stops supporting terrorism in Lebanon and Iraq and accept its international obligations, or isolation if it does not. His advisers said the same choice applied to Syria. Mr Blair's spokesman denied his call meant a softening of British policy - London has always been keener than Washington on dialogue with Tehran and Damascus - and said it would not involve concessions to the two nations. But he added that this was a "moment when people are rethinking policy, and the time to articulate a way forward".

Shots fired at Bangla EC’s residence
Bangladesh Election Commissioner Mahmud Hasan Mansur's residence in the city came under several rounds of gunshots early today, but no one was purportedly hurt. The police said gunmen fired five rounds from shotguns that struck the sentry box and the wall of his residence at Mohammadpur at about 0530 hours local time. The Awami League-led 14-party alliance of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has been demanding resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice Aziz and three Election Commissioners for holding free and fair elections. Despite the widespread demand, the CEC and his colleagues have refused to demit office. Meanwhile, the country’s seaports reopened today and traffic streamed back on highways after the 14-party alliance temporarily lifted a transport blockade aimed at forcing the removal of the controversial election officials

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