We are building same reactors for ourselves that we are selling to India: Hollande

NEW DELHI: From defense to cyber security, India and France are in a strategic embrace. France is building India's largest nuclear power complex at Jaitapur and has bagged the biggest fighter aircraft deal for Rafale. The new French president, Francois Hollande, on his maiden visit to India tells The Times of India in an exclusive interview that France is also becoming one of the top investors in India.

Why have you chosen India for your first bilateral visit in Asia?

Quite simply because our relations with India are a priority for France.

For a long time now, we have been building a relationship of trust between our two countries. Our partnership is unique. It is built on a solid foundation, that of values that we share: democracy, attachment to sovereignty, a never-waning interest in each other's culture, the will for social progress. Our constitutions affirm that we are secular republics.

India is an emerging power. Its place matters and will increasingly matter on the international scene. France had understood this in 1998, when we concluded the first strategic partnership with India.

France and India have developed increasingly closer cooperation on very sensitive matters, such as defence, counter-terrorism, space, civil nuclear energy, and henceforth — we decided this on Thursday with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh — on cyber security and against drug trafficking.

Are you satisfied with the pace of negotiations with India on Rafale? Is the deal finalized and if not, why not?

Rafale is a major project for India and France. This exceptional aircraft was selected after a transparent and stringent competition. This project will pave the way for unprecedented industrial and technological cooperation between our companies and our countries over the next 40 years. Agreement on all details of the modalities necessarily takes time. So it's hardly surprising that negotiations have taken over a year for a contract of this scale. I have strong hopes for their positive conclusion. I have kept in mind what minister Salman Khurshid said in Paris, "A good French wine takes time to mature and so do good contracts." This time is coming.

We understand that there is no commercial contract due to be signed for the nuclear reactors at Jaitapur. When do you expect this to happen? Do you still have concerns about the nuclear liability law in India?

Discussions on the Jaitapur project are progressing well and we are determined to conclude them.

Much progress has been made: after the Fukushima disaster, it was the duty of each one of us to be assured anew of the safety of the nuclear reactors. An independent agency conducted the safety assessment in France with the utmost rigour. And it concluded that the EPR has the highest safety levels. We had a transparent dialogue with the Indian authorities on this matter. The best guarantee for India is that, in France, we are building the same reactor as those planned in Jaitapur.

Regarding civil nuclear liability, we obviously respect Indian law. It is the sovereign decision of a country that has witnessed catastrophes like the Bhopal gas tragedy. Civil nuclear energy is an answer, and it also helps cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen energy security.

India has supported the French military intervention in Mali. But what is the endgame there, given that al-Qaeda fighters are now engaging in suicide attacks?

France responded to Mali's request with the support of the international community. We could not let a new haven for terrorists to develop at Europe's door. Terrorism is a global threat that recognizes no borders. The men, their weapons, and their ideology of hate travel from region to region, and they pursue the same goals.

Threats remain in Mali, despite all the progress achieved. But an entire international strategy of reconciliation and development must be put in place, with the deployment of the African force, in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.

I would like to salute India's support over the past few months: it voted in favour of three resolutions of the Security Council on Mali in 2012, and is even the co-author of the second. India also announced a very substantial financial contribution for Mali as well as the African force.

What is your commitment to Afghanistan after 2014?

France will remain at Afghanistan's side. We withdrew our combat troops in end 2012, but we remain committed to the Afghan people in the long term. We signed a Friendship and Cooperation Treaty with Afghanistan, which will translate into a significant enhancement of our civilian cooperation — over 50% — in the coming three years. It will also contribute to the training of Afghan security forces.

Inter-Afghan dialogue is the responsibility of the Afghans themselves. France is deeply attached to the three conditions set for reconciliation: respecting the constitution, abjuring violence, and severing all ties with terrorism.

There are continuing reports of differences between France and Germany on the austerity question. What does this say for the future of the eurozone?

We act in close consultation with Germany on the situation in the eurozone and its future. Today, as yesterday, Franco-German friendship is at the core of European integration. This also applies to the consolidation of the euro zone, adherence to budgetary discipline and competitiveness.

While India and France have a robust strategic partnership, this does not appear to have translated into a deeper economic relationship. In fact France trails other European countries in trade with India. How do you plan to correct this?

In France, as in India, we wish to boost growth. The development of our bilateral trade must contribute to that goal. But to state things frankly, Indian customs duties are very high in certain areas, such as the food-processing sector. The entire challenge of the Free Trade Agreement under discussion between the EU and India is to give fresh impetus to our trade both ways. It should be balanced and mutually beneficial.

Bilateral investment levels are quite low between India and France. How can we change this?

French companies invest a lot in India! The pace has been a billion euros per year since the past two years, with other projects on the horizon. French companies employ more than 2,40,000 skilled Indian workers.

France is thus among the top investors in India. It is a reflection of our confidence in your country's future. Our companies also invest in research — I will, in fact, be visiting a French R&D facility in Mumbai — and professional training. I'm proud that they are thus laying the groundwork for the future.

As for Indian companies, they are welcome. They will find the best technologies in France, very good infrastructure, workforce of exceptional quality, plus, the heart of the world's largest economy — that of Europe.

France has long supported India's candidature as a permanent member of the UN Security Council. How do you think the institutions of global governance can change to reflect the 21st century world order?

Creating a global order for the twenty-first century means resolving as best possible the current global challenges: fighting terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, drug trafficking, as well as preserving the environment and combating climate change.

We need India, its message, its strength for resolving these major issues. France and India were there together for the foundation of the G20. And, France supports India's candidacy to become a full-fledged permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. It will also end the injustice of India not being able to join the Council in 1945.

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Are Honeybees Losing Their Way?

A single honeybee visits hundreds, sometimes thousands, of flowers a day in search of nectar and pollen. Then it must find its way back to the hive, navigating distances up to five miles (eight kilometers), and perform a "waggle dance" to tell the other bees where the flowers are.

A new study shows that long-term exposure to a combination of certain pesticides might impair the bee's ability to carry out its pollen mission.

"Any impairment in their ability to do this could have a strong effect on their survival," said Geraldine Wright, a neuroscientist at Newcastle University in England and co-author of a new study posted online February 7, 2013, in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

Wright's study adds to the growing body of research that shows that the honeybee's ability to thrive is being threatened. Scientists are still researching how pesticides may be contributing to colony collapse disorder (CCD), a rapid die-off seen in millions of honeybees throughout the world since 2006.

"Pesticides are very likely to be involved in CCD and also in the loss of other types of pollinators," Wright said. (See the diversity of pollinating creatures in a photo gallery from National Geographic magazine.)

Bees depend on what's called "scent memory" to find flowers teeming with nectar and pollen. Their ability to rapidly learn, remember, and communicate with each other has made them highly efficient foragers, using the waggle dance to educate others about the site of the food source.

Watch as National Geographic explains the waggle dance.

Their pollination of plants is responsible for the existence of nearly a third of the food we eat and has a similar impact on wildlife food supplies.

Previous studies have shown certain types of pesticides affect a bee's learning and memory. Wright's team wanted to investigate if the combination of different pesticides had an even greater effect on the learning and memory of honeybees.

"Honeybees learn to associate floral colors and scents with the quality of food rewards," Wright explained. "The pesticides affect the neurons involved in these behaviors. These [affected] bees are likely to have difficulty communicating with other members of the colony."

The experiment used a classic procedure with a daunting name: olfactory conditioning of the proboscis extension reflex. In layman's terms, the bee sticks out its tongue in response to odor and food rewards.

For the experiment, bees were collected from the colony entrance, placed in glass vials, and then transferred into plastic sandwich boxes. For three days the bees were fed a sucrose solution laced with sublethal doses of pesticides. The team measured short-term and long-term memory at 10-minute and 24-hour intervals respectively. (Watch of a video of a similar type of bee experiment.)

This study shows that when pesticides are combined, the impact on bees is far worse than exposure to just one pesticide. "This is particularly important because one of the pesticides we used, coumaphos, is a 'medicine' used to treat Varroa mites [pests that have been implicated in CCD] in honeybee colonies throughout the world," Wright said.

The pesticide, in addition to killing the mites, might also be making honeybees more vulnerable to poisoning and effects from other pesticides.

Stephen Buchmann of the Pollinator Partnership, who was not part of Wright's study, underscored how critical pollinators are for the world. "The main threat to pollinators is habitat destruction and alteration. We're rapidly losing pollinator habitats, natural areas, and food-producing agricultural lands that are essential for our survival and well being. Along with habitat destruction, insecticides weaken pollinators and other beneficial insects."

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'Blade Runner' Charged With Murdering Girlfriend

Oscar Pistorius, the Olympic and Paralympic athlete known as the "blade runner," was taken into custody in South Africa today and charged with the murder of his girlfriend, who was fatally shot at his home.

Police in the South African capital of Pretoria received a call around 3 a.m. today that there had been a shooting at the home of 26-year-old Pistorius, Lt. Col. Katlego Mogale told The Associated Press. When police arrived at the scene, they found paramedics trying to revive 29-year-old Reeva Steenkamp, the AP reported.

At a news conference early today, police said Pistorius was arrested and had requested that he be taken to court immediately.

PHOTOS:
Paralympic Champion Charged with Murder

Mogale said the woman died at the house, and a 9-mm pistol was recovered at the scene and a murder case opened against Pistorius, the AP reported.

Police said this morning that there were no other suspects in the shooting, and that Pistorius is at the police station.

Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images; Mike Holmes/The Herald/Gallo Images/Getty Images

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The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said Pistorius' hearing will be Friday at 9 a.m. local time. His court hearing was originally scheduled for this afternoon but has been postponed to give forensics investigators time to carry out their work, NPA spokesman Medupe Simasiku said.

The precise circumstances surrounding the incident are unclear. Local reports say he might have mistaken her for a burglar, according to the AP.

VIDEO: Double Amputee Races to Win Olympic Gold

Police said they have heard reports of an argument or shouting at the apartment complex, and that the only two people on the premises were Steenkamp and Pistorius.

Police confirmed there have previously been incidents of a domestic nature at the home of Pistorius.

Pistorius, a sprinter, had double below-the-knee amputations and a part of his legs has been replaced with carbon fiber blades. In 2012, he became the first double-leg amputee to participate in the Olympics, competing in the men's 400-meter race.

He also competed in the Paralympics, where he won gold medals in the men's 400-meter race, in what became a Paralympics record. He also took the silver in the 200-meter race.

Steenkamp, according to her Twitter bio, is a law graduate and model. She tweeted Wednesday, "What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow??? #getexcited #ValentinesDay."

Steenkamp recently appeared on the cover of FHM magazine, in commercials and was due to appear on a reality-TV show, "Tropika Island of Treasure."

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Obama urges a move away from narrow focus on politics of austerity

Just about every argument in Washington since the 2010 midterm elections, which returned control of the House to Republicans, has centered on reducing the federal deficit. On Tuesday night, President Obama leaned into his second term by declaring that a single-minded focus on deficit reduction would jeopardize the nation’s future. And he sounded an urgent call to rebuild.

Reelected by an ascendent coalition, the president spoke from a position of strength in his fourth State of the Union address. The economy is improving. The Republican Party is in disarray. The time has come, Obama indicated, to pivot away from the politics of austerity.

“Most of us agree that a plan to reduce the deficit must be part of the agenda,” he said. “But let’s be clear: Deficit reduction alone is not an economic plan. A growing economy that creates good middle-class jobs — that must be the North Star that guides our efforts.”

The president rejected the fiscal brinkmanship that defined the past two years. Instead, he framed future fiscal debates as opportunities to shape a “smarter government” — one with new investments in science and innovation, with a rising minimum wage, with tax reform that eliminates loopholes and deductions for what the president labeled “the well-off and well-connected.”

Second-term presidents have a narrow window of time to enact significant change before they become lame ducks, and Obama, while echoing campaign themes of reinforcing the middle class, made an urgent case for a more pragmatic version of populism, one that emphasizes economic prosperity as the cornerstone of a fair society.

Over and over, he noted that the time to rebuild is now.

The “Fix-It-First” program that Obama outlined to put people to work on “urgent repairs,” such as structurally deficient bridges, bore echoes of President Bill Clinton’s call in his 1999 State of the Union address to “save Social Security first.” Clinton’s was an effective line, one that stopped — at least until President George W. Bush took office two years later — a Republican drive to use the budget surplus to cut taxes.

Although Obama’s speech lacked the conciliatory notes of some of his earlier State of the Union addresses, he did make overtures to Republicans and cited Mitt Romney, his presidential challenger, by name.

He combined tough talk about securing the border, which brought Republicans to their feet, with a pledge to entertain reasonable reforms to Medicare, the federal entitlement program that fellow Democrats are fighting to protect.

“Those of us who care deeply about programs like Medicare must embrace the need for modest reforms,” he said.

Obama also pledged to cut U.S. dependence on energy imports by expanding oil and gas development. And he singled out one area where he and Romney found agreement in last year’s campaign: linking increases in the minimum wage to the cost of living.

Obama set a bipartisan tone at the start of his speech, quoting from President John F. Kennedy’s address to Congress 51 years earlier when he said, “The Constitution makes us not rivals for power, but partners for progress.”

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Olympics: Wrestlers vow to fight Olympic removal

PARIS: Wrestlers around the world on Wednesday vowed to fight to save the ancient sport's Olympic status, after the International Olympic Committee voted to drop it for the 2020 Games.

Japan and Turkey -- whose cities Tokyo and Istanbul are bidding to host the Games in seven years' time -- led the calls for the world body to reconsider, as an online petition was organised urging a rethink and gained thousands of supporters.

The president of the Turkish wrestling federation, Hamza Yerlikaya, called the decision, taken at the IOC executive board meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Tuesday, "unfair" and a "mistake" that they would seek to overturn.

"To have the 2020 Olympics in Istanbul without wrestling is unthinkable," said Yerlikaya, himself a double Olympic gold medallist, three-time world champion and eight-time European champion in Greco-Roman wrestling.

"We won't allow it," he added.

In Japan, Yerlikaya's counterpart Tomiaki Fukuda said on his federation's website that he was "dissatisfied and baffled", echoing the views of the sport's world governing body, which called the decision "an aberration".

Wrestling will remain on the programme for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro but faces a fight against seven other sports for inclusion at the Games four years later. A final decision is to be made when all IOC members meet in September.

Members are seen as unlikely to vote against the executive board, however, raising the prospect that one of the few sports that survived from the original Olympics in ancient Greece into the modern era will disappear.

Wrestling first appeared in 708 BC and has only ever been left out of the Olympic programme once before in 1900.

The International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA) has vowed to fight the decision, while multiple medallists Russia and Iran have also said they hoped the IOC would backtrack.

"This issue will definitely be a big blow to the country's sport, as it is one of our country's most popular sports," the head of Iran's national Olympic commitee, Mohammad Aliabadi was quoted as saying in Iranian media, "I will certainly pursue the case."

IOC president Jacques Rogge meanwhile insisted on Wednesday that the vote -- by secret ballot -- was fair and said he understood the angry response from those involved in the sport.

A meeting was planned between the committee and the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA), to discuss the matter, he told a news conference in Lausanne.

Wrestlers have been left dismayed by the decision, with Japan's undisputed queen of the ring, Saori Yoshida, saying: "I am so devastated that I don't know what to do."

Yoshida, a 55kg-class freestyle wrestler who is the face of Tokyo's campaign for the right to host the 2020 Games, has won a record 13 straight Olympic and world championship gold medals over 10 years.

In India, Sushil Kumar, who won a bronze in Beijing and a silver in London last year, said: "I still can't get over the news that we won't be at the Olympics.

"All sportsmen look towards the Olympics as the pinnacle of excellence, everyone wants to take part in them. Now what do we do? Give up wrestling? I hope the IOC will reconsider this decision."

An online petition at change.org entitled "The International Olympic Committee: Save Wrestling as an Olympic sport #SaveOlympicWrestling" has also been mounted, urging the US Senate to take up the matter.

By late afternoon on Wednesday, it had more than 21,000 signatures.

On Twitter, one user, @WrestlersLoveUs, wrote: "Ancient Olympic wrestlers used to sometimes fight to the death. IOC better understand we're ready to do that again. #SaveOlympicWrestling."

-AFP/fl

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Afzal Guru's family lawyers quit

NEW DELHI: Citing "unseemly controversies", ND Pancholi and Nandita Haksar Wednesday quit as the family lawyers of Afzal Guru, the parliament attack convict who was hanged here Feb 9.

"There have arisen unseemly controversies and we do not wish to be part of these discussions," Pancholi and Haksar said in a statement.

The duo were representing Guru's family members who have asked Tihar jail authorities to return them Guru's body buried inside the prison premises.

Pancholi and Haksar said they did not belong to any political party. However, they believed in engagement with the institutions and were working through them because there was no alternative, the statement said.

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Obama Pledges U.S. Action on Climate, With or Without Congress

If there were anything in President Barack Obama's State of the Union to give hope to wistful environmentalists, it was the unprecedented promise to confront climate change with or without Congress, and to pursue new energy technology in the process.

Following his strong statements in his inaugural address about the ripeness of the moment to address a changing climate, Obama outlined a series of proposals to do it. Recognizing that the 12 hottest years on record all occurred in the last decade and a half, Obama said his most ambitious goal would be a "bipartisan, market-based solution," similar to the cap-and-trade system that died in Congress during his first term.(See related story: "California Tackles Climate Change, But Will Others Follow?")

But without legislative action, Obama threatened to act himself using executive authority. "I will direct my Cabinet to come up with executive actions we can take, now and in the future, to reduce pollution, prepare our communities for the consequences of climate change, and speed the transition to more sustainable sources of energy," he said. That will translate, White House officials said earlier in the week, to new regulations for existing coal-burning power plants and directives to promote energy efficiency and new technology research. (See related story: "How Bold a Path on Climate Change in Obama's State of the Union?")

The effort isn't one that can be stalled, he noted. Not just because of a warming planet, but also because of international competition from countries like China and parts of Western Europe that have gone "all in" on clean energy.

Energy experts signaled support of Obama's comments on energy security, including a plan for an Energy Security Trust to use revenue from oil and gas production on public lands to fund new energy research. "Clean energy businesses commend the president for reaffirming his commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to address the damaging and costly impacts of climate change," Lisa Jacobson, president of Business Council for Sustainable Energy, said in a statement. The influential League of Conservation Voters perked up to Obama's vow to act on climate change, even if alone.

Noticeably unmentioned in the speech was the Keystone XL pipeline that would carry oil from Canadian tar sands to the refining centers of Texas. Environmentalists have urged Obama to reject the project's application for federal approval in order to hold the line against carbon-intensive production from the oil sands. (See related blog post: "Obama and Keystone XL: The Moment of Truth?") Energy analysts believe Obama is likely to approve the project in the coming weeks, yet at the same time offer new regulations on domestic oil and natural gas development.

Other environmental analysts took Obama's remarks as simple talk, so far not backed by action. “How many times do we have to have the problem described?” David Yarnold, president of the Audubon Society said after the speech. “Smarter standards for coal-fired power plants are the quickest path to a cleaner future, and the president can make that happen right now.”

Obama's path toward accomplishing those goals will likely be lonely. In the Republican rebuttal to Obama's speech, Florida Senator Marco Rubio sidelined climate change as an issue of concern and highlighted the deep partisan distrust. "When we point out that no matter how many job-killing laws we pass, our government can’t control the weather, he accuses us of wanting dirty water and dirty air," Rubio said. He echoed the long-held Republican concern that remaking an economy may not be the wisest way to confront the problem of extreme weather.

Central to Obama's efforts will be his nominees to lead the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy in his second term. Both roles were at times attacked over his first term, notably when EPA instituted new air and water regulations and DOE was caught making a bad investment in the now-defunct solar manufacturer Solyndra. If the tone of his State of the Union offers a blueprint, he'll choose people unafraid to act.

This story is part of a special series that explores energy issues. For more, visit The Great Energy Challenge.

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Charred Human Remains Found in Burned Cabin

Investigators have located charred human remains in the burned-out cabin where they believe suspected cop killer and ex-LAPD officer Christopher Dorner was holed up as the structure burned to the ground, police said.

The human remains were found within the debris of the burned cabin and identification will be attempted through forensic means, the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department said in a news release early this morning.

Dorner barricaded himself in the cabin in the San Bernardino Mountains near Big Bear Tuesday afternoon after engaging in a gunfight with police, killing one officer and injuring another, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said.

Cindy Bachman, a spokeswoman for the department, which is the lead agency in the action, said Tuesday night investigators would remain at the site all night.

FULL COVERAGE: Christopher Dorner Manhunt

When Bachman was asked whether police thought Dorner was in the burning cabin, she said, "Right. We believe that the person that barricaded himself inside the cabin engaged in gunfire with our deputies and other law enforcement officers is still inside there, even though the building burned."

Bachman spoke shortly after the Los Angeles Police Department denied earlier reports that a body was found in the cabin, contradicting what law enforcement sources told ABC News and other news organizations.

Police around the cabin told ABC News they saw Dorner enter but never leave the building as it was consumed by flames, creating a billowing column of black smoke seen for miles.

A news conference is scheduled for later today in San Bernardino.

One sheriff's deputy was killed in a shootout with Dorner earlier Tuesday afternoon, believed to be his fourth victim after killing a Riverside police officer and two other people this month, including the daughter of a former police captain, and promising to kill many more in an online manifesto.

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Cops said they heard a single gunshot go off from inside the cabin just as they began to see smoke and fire. Later they heard the sound of more gunshots, which was the sound of ammunition being ignited by the heat of the blaze, law enforcement officials said.

Police did not enter the building, but shot tear gas inside.

One of the largest dragnets in recent history, which led police to follow clues across the West and into Mexico, apparently ended just miles from where Dorner's trail went cold last week.

It all began at 12:20 p.m. PT Tuesday, when a maid working at a local resort called 911, saying she and another worker had been tied up and held hostage by Dorner in a cabin, sources said.

The maid told police she was able to escape, but Dorner had stolen one of their cars, which was identified as a purple Nissan.

The San Bernardino Sheriff's Office and state Fish and Wildlife wardens spotted the stolen vehicle and engaged in a shootout with Dorner.

Officials say Dorner crashed the stolen vehicle and fled on foot only to commandeer Rick Heltebrake's white pickup truck on a nearby road a short time later.

"[Dorner] said, 'I don't want to hurt you, just get out and start walking up the road and take your dog with you.' He was calm. I was calm. I would say I was in fear for my life, there was no panic, he told me what to do and I did it," Heltebrake said.

"He was dressed in all camouflage, had a big assault sniper-type rifle. He had a vest on like a ballistic vest," Heltebrake added.

The white pickup truck bought Dorner extra time because police were still looking for the purple Nissan, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Lt. Patrick Foy told "Good Morning America" today.

"We were looking for a purple color Nissan and all of a sudden this white pickup starts coming by in the opposite direction. That's not the suspect's vehicle that we had been looking for," Foy said.

A warden with the Fish and Wildlife department noticed Dorner driving and the pursuit picked up again, Foy said.

"Ultimately, the officer who was driving that vehicle stopped and pulled out his patrol rifle and engaged probably 15 to 20 shots as Dorner was driving away," Foy said.

Dorner then ran on foot to the cabin in which he barricaded himself and got in a shootout with San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies and other officers who arrived.

The two deputies were wounded in the firefight and airlifted to a nearby hospital, where one died, police said. The second deputy was in surgery and was expected to survive, police said.

Police sealed all the roads into the area, preventing cars from entering the area and searching all of those on the way out. All schools were briefly placed on lockdown.

Believing that Dorner might have been watching reports of the standoff, authorities asked media not to broadcast images of police officers' surrounding the cabin, but sent him a message.

"If he's watching this, the message is: Enough is enough," Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Andy Smith told reporters at a news conference Tuesday. "It's time to turn yourself in. It's time to stop the bloodshed. It's time to let this event and let this incident be over."

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Tension running high in Kashmir Valley

KASHMIR VALLEY: Tension is running high in Kashmir Valley, after India's secret execution of a Kashmiri man for his involvement in an attack on parliament in 2001.

A continuous curfew has been in place for four days now, as the government attempts to prevent further outbreaks of violence.

The curfew has brought life to a standstill in the valley.

Three people have died and at least 50 others injured in protests over India's execution of a Kashmiri militant, Afzal Guru, on February 9.

Farooq Ahmed, a resident, said: "This curfew isn't right. Even if someone is sick, the police won't let them leave. Yesterday, there was some stone pelting -- if someone got injured... it's not right. The curfew is making life very difficult for people."

While the police keep a strict vigil, making sure there is no movement on the streets, opposition leaders are speaking out against such extreme measures.

Mehbooba Mufti, an opposition leader from the People's Democratic Party, said: "What has happened is very bad. The consequence of this will negatively impact the psyche of the young generation."

It could take many days before life returns to normal in the valley.

For now, the Kashmir government may succeed in containing the situation.

However, there is still a considerable chance that violence could still break out. And that is not something the state government would look forward to, especially when things were beginning to return to normal after years of conflict.

- CNA/al

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Govt shuffles key diplomatic pack

NEW DELHI: After months of administrative silence, the government has cleared key ambassadorial appointments. Ashoke Mukherji is likely to be India's next Permanent Representative (PR) to the UN, taking over from Hardeep Singh Puri, who retires in end-February after two years of steering India through a rare stint in the UN Security Council. Arun Singh is likely to take over as India's ambassador to France.

Singh has been second-in command in Washington for the past four years, overseeing crucial bilateral ties during the first Obama administration after being envoy to Israel. He will be replacing Rakesh Sood, who has been given a one-month extension to tide over the French president Francois Hollande's maiden visit to India. The bilateral and strategic relationship with France has improved significantly in recent years, with France emerging as the top supplier for nuclear reactors as well as combat aircraft. French Rafale won the contract for India's biggest ever defence deal of 126 MMRCA.

Pakistan will see a changeover, with India's High Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal making way for T C A Raghavan, currently envoy to Singapore. Raghavan has been the head of the territorial division in charge of Pakistan in the ministry of external affairs (MEA), besides serving in Islamabad. He is also known to be a trusted hand for national security advisor (NSA) Shivshankar Menon. Vijay Thakur Singh is slated to take over from Raghavan in Singapore.

Gautam Mukhopadhyay, India's envoy in Kabul, may take over an equally-sensitive portfolio as ambassador to Myanmar. Former governor of West Bengal Gopal Gandhi had reportedly written a letter to the Prime Minister requesting for the post because he had been impressed by Aung San Suu Kyi. Among the MEA mavens, there was little appetite to indulge this request because Myanmar needs skillful professional handling.

This year will also see big changes in the MEA as the ministry gets ready to shop for its next foreign secretary. The post of ambassador to the US will fall vacant soon, though there are rumours that Nirupama Rao might get an extension. London is likely to fall vacant later this year along with The Hague and Berlin. In the immediate neighborhood, the volatile Maldives will be seeing a new High Commissioner after India's controversial envoy, D N Mulay, moves to New York. Rajeev Shahare, joint secretary in the MEA, is slated to take his place. S Jaishankar, India's ambassador to China, is slated to return as well, which could see a movement in Sri Lanka or Malaysia, both of which have expert China hands heading Indian missions.

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