Russia offers four-step plan for Syria's arms handover: Report

ASTANA: Russia has handed the United States a plan for the Syrian regime to hand over its chemical weapons in four stages, starting with Damascus becoming a member of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, a report said on Thursday. The plan, first announced by Moscow this week, aims to avert threatened US military action in retribution for a chemical weapons attack outside Damascus that the West says was perpetrated by the Syrian regime. Revealing the details of the plan for the first time, Russia's Kommersant daily said it had been given to the American side on Tuesday, although Russia only announced on Wednesday evening that the plan had been passed on.

Speaking in the Kazakh capital Astana, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov did not give details of the plan but said it would work "on the understanding that" it would allow force not to be used. As a first step, Damascus would join the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Kommersant said, quoting a Russian diplomatic source. Then Syria would have to declare the location of the chemical weapons arsenals and where they are made. The third step would be allowing OPCW inspectors into Syria to examine them. The fourth and final step would be deciding, in cooperation with the inspectors, how to destroy the weapons. Kommersant, which is known for its strong foreign ministry sources, said that who would physically destroy the weapons has yet to be decided but it was not excluded that the United States and Russia could do this jointly.

Lavrov and US counterpart John Kerry are due to discuss the plan in Geneva during talks on Thursday.

The top Russian diplomat — on a visit to the Kazakh capital before heading to Geneva — said that both Russia and the United States would be taking experts on chemical weapons to the talks. He said Syria should join the OPCW "which will involve Syria announcing the location of its chemical weapons and disclosing its chemical programme". "We will discuss in Geneva this initiative ... on putting Syrian chemical weapons under international control, on the understanding that it will allow the rejection of the use of force on Syria," he said, quoted by Russian news agencies. Lavrov said he did not rule out UN-Arab League Syria envoy Lakhdar Brahimi joining the talks in Geneva to discuss a stalled US-Russian initiative for a peace conference in the Swiss city. Kommersant said that it was the American side who requested the talks after receiving a copy of the details of the Russian plan.

Russia offers four-step plan for Syria's arms handover: Report

ASTANA: Russia has handed the United States a plan for the Syrian regime to hand over its chemical weapons in four stages, starting with Damascus becoming a member of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, a report said on Thursday. The plan, first announced by Moscow this week, aims to avert threatened US military action in retribution for a chemical weapons attack outside Damascus that the West says was perpetrated by the Syrian regime. Revealing the details of the plan for the first time, Russia's Kommersant daily said it had been given to the American side on Tuesday, although Russia only announced on Wednesday evening that the plan had been passed on.

Speaking in the Kazakh capital Astana, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov did not give details of the plan but said it would work "on the understanding that" it would allow force not to be used. As a first step, Damascus would join the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Kommersant said, quoting a Russian diplomatic source. Then Syria would have to declare the location of the chemical weapons arsenals and where they are made. The third step would be allowing OPCW inspectors into Syria to examine them. The fourth and final step would be deciding, in cooperation with the inspectors, how to destroy the weapons. Kommersant, which is known for its strong foreign ministry sources, said that who would physically destroy the weapons has yet to be decided but it was not excluded that the United States and Russia could do this jointly.

Lavrov and US counterpart John Kerry are due to discuss the plan in Geneva during talks on Thursday.

The top Russian diplomat — on a visit to the Kazakh capital before heading to Geneva — said that both Russia and the United States would be taking experts on chemical weapons to the talks. He said Syria should join the OPCW "which will involve Syria announcing the location of its chemical weapons and disclosing its chemical programme". "We will discuss in Geneva this initiative ... on putting Syrian chemical weapons under international control, on the understanding that it will allow the rejection of the use of force on Syria," he said, quoted by Russian news agencies. Lavrov said he did not rule out UN-Arab League Syria envoy Lakhdar Brahimi joining the talks in Geneva to discuss a stalled US-Russian initiative for a peace conference in the Swiss city. Kommersant said that it was the American side who requested the talks after receiving a copy of the details of the Russian plan.

Putin takes exception to America’s ’exceptionalism’

Washington:  As his plan to secure Syria's chemical weapons put Russian President Vladimir Putin on the centre stage, he reached out to American people to warn the US against bypassing the United Nations and pursuing military action. "The potential strike by the United States against Syria ... will result in more innocent victims and escalation, potentially spreading the conflict far beyond Syria's borders," he wrote in a New York Times op-ed published online Wednesday night. "A strike would increase violence and unleash a new wave of terrorism," Putin wrote using the piece "to speak directly to the American people and their political leaders ... at a time of insufficient communication between our societies."

"We must stop using the language of force and return to the path of civilised diplomatic and political settlement," he wrote asking President Barack Obama to pursue the possibility of a diplomatic settlement to the Syrian crisis.
Calling the ongoing civil war an "internal conflict, fuelled by foreign weapons supplied to the opposition," Putin cautioned against siding with an opposition in Syria which he said includes "more than enough (Al) Qaeda fighters and extremists of all stripes." Russia, he said, is "not protecting the Syrian government" but rather favours "a compromise plan."

Military action against the Syrian government without UN Security Council approval "is unacceptable under the United Nations charter and would constitute an act of aggression," Putin wrote. He and Obama share "a growing trust," Putin wrote but also challenged Obama's case for American exceptionalism in his speech Tuesday night
"It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation." Putin wrote.

"We are all different, but when we ask for the Lord's blessings, we must not forget that God created us equal," he concluded. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke by phone Wednesday, on the eve of their scheduled meeting in Switzerland. The two discussed a "shared objective of having a substantive discussion about the mechanics of identifying, verifying and ultimately destroying Assad's chemical weapons stockpile," officials said.

Kerry is taking an interagency team of experts to deal with "identifying the mechanics" of how the plan will work, State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said. "So how would you go in? How would you destroy? What are the steps you would take?" The US was going into the talks with "eyes wide open," she said. "Our goal here is to test the seriousness of this proposal, to talk about the specifics of how this would get done," White House spokesman Jay Carney also said that any diplomatic solution on Syria's chemical weapons "needs to be credible, it needs to be verifiable, and we will work with our allies and partners to test whether it can be achieved."

Trying to reach a diplomatic solution on Syria's chemical weapons "will take some time," he acknowledged. Still, the timeline is finite, Carney said. It's "certainly not the case that were are interested in delay or avoidance of accountability here." But even as the US pursues a diplomatic solution, the CIA has begun delivering weapons to rebels in Syria marking a major escalation of the US role in Syria's civil war, the Washington Post reported Wednesday. The shipments began streaming into the country over the past two weeks, along with separate deliveries by the State Department of vehicles and other gear, it said citing unnamed US officials and Syrian figures.

Putin takes exception to America’s ’exceptionalism’

Washington:  As his plan to secure Syria's chemical weapons put Russian President Vladimir Putin on the centre stage, he reached out to American people to warn the US against bypassing the United Nations and pursuing military action. "The potential strike by the United States against Syria ... will result in more innocent victims and escalation, potentially spreading the conflict far beyond Syria's borders," he wrote in a New York Times op-ed published online Wednesday night. "A strike would increase violence and unleash a new wave of terrorism," Putin wrote using the piece "to speak directly to the American people and their political leaders ... at a time of insufficient communication between our societies."

"We must stop using the language of force and return to the path of civilised diplomatic and political settlement," he wrote asking President Barack Obama to pursue the possibility of a diplomatic settlement to the Syrian crisis.
Calling the ongoing civil war an "internal conflict, fuelled by foreign weapons supplied to the opposition," Putin cautioned against siding with an opposition in Syria which he said includes "more than enough (Al) Qaeda fighters and extremists of all stripes." Russia, he said, is "not protecting the Syrian government" but rather favours "a compromise plan."

Military action against the Syrian government without UN Security Council approval "is unacceptable under the United Nations charter and would constitute an act of aggression," Putin wrote. He and Obama share "a growing trust," Putin wrote but also challenged Obama's case for American exceptionalism in his speech Tuesday night
"It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation." Putin wrote.

"We are all different, but when we ask for the Lord's blessings, we must not forget that God created us equal," he concluded. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke by phone Wednesday, on the eve of their scheduled meeting in Switzerland. The two discussed a "shared objective of having a substantive discussion about the mechanics of identifying, verifying and ultimately destroying Assad's chemical weapons stockpile," officials said.

Kerry is taking an interagency team of experts to deal with "identifying the mechanics" of how the plan will work, State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said. "So how would you go in? How would you destroy? What are the steps you would take?" The US was going into the talks with "eyes wide open," she said. "Our goal here is to test the seriousness of this proposal, to talk about the specifics of how this would get done," White House spokesman Jay Carney also said that any diplomatic solution on Syria's chemical weapons "needs to be credible, it needs to be verifiable, and we will work with our allies and partners to test whether it can be achieved."

Trying to reach a diplomatic solution on Syria's chemical weapons "will take some time," he acknowledged. Still, the timeline is finite, Carney said. It's "certainly not the case that were are interested in delay or avoidance of accountability here." But even as the US pursues a diplomatic solution, the CIA has begun delivering weapons to rebels in Syria marking a major escalation of the US role in Syria's civil war, the Washington Post reported Wednesday. The shipments began streaming into the country over the past two weeks, along with separate deliveries by the State Department of vehicles and other gear, it said citing unnamed US officials and Syrian figures.

10,000 preventive arrests over Muzaffarnagar riots

Lucknow: Over 10,000 preventive arrests have taken place till Wednesday following the communal violence in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district, a senior police official said. Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arun Kumar said arrests were on and so far over 10,000 preventive arrests had been made till Wednesday.

As many as 2,000 licensed arms have been seized by the district administration and their licences cancelled.  
"Things are looking up now and life is getting back to normal and no fresh case of violence has been reported," Kumar said. Police officials are carrying out door-to-door checking to identify "any remnants of mobs" and have since confiscated a large amount of ammunition, including 41 cartridges of AK-47. Muzaffarnagar district witnessed communal violence last weekend that left 38 people dead and compelled the authorities to call in the army.

10,000 preventive arrests over Muzaffarnagar riots

Lucknow: Over 10,000 preventive arrests have taken place till Wednesday following the communal violence in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district, a senior police official said. Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arun Kumar said arrests were on and so far over 10,000 preventive arrests had been made till Wednesday.

As many as 2,000 licensed arms have been seized by the district administration and their licences cancelled.  
"Things are looking up now and life is getting back to normal and no fresh case of violence has been reported," Kumar said. Police officials are carrying out door-to-door checking to identify "any remnants of mobs" and have since confiscated a large amount of ammunition, including 41 cartridges of AK-47. Muzaffarnagar district witnessed communal violence last weekend that left 38 people dead and compelled the authorities to call in the army.

Swap unhealthy food ingredients with healthy ones

New Delhi: There are multiple options at home that can make your meal wholesome and complete without compromising on taste, says an expert. Rohan Arora, founder and CEO of Bueno Foods Pvt. Ltd. (food outlet in Gurgaon that provides healthy food options) shares names of some of the healthy ingredients that can be used at home:

- Low fat cottage cheese prepared at home instead of the packed and processed ones that we get in the market.
- No tinned fruits and vegetables. - Whole wheat with extra fiber instead of white flour (maida). - Fresh herbs like basil, thyme, rosemary, garlic, oregano (dried), coriander, mint, parsley and freshly ground and whole spices like cinnamon, cardamom, chilli flakes and chillies instead of the crushed processed ones. - Honey, brown sugar and jaggery instead of packed white crystal sugar.

Swap unhealthy food ingredients with healthy ones

New Delhi: There are multiple options at home that can make your meal wholesome and complete without compromising on taste, says an expert. Rohan Arora, founder and CEO of Bueno Foods Pvt. Ltd. (food outlet in Gurgaon that provides healthy food options) shares names of some of the healthy ingredients that can be used at home:

- Low fat cottage cheese prepared at home instead of the packed and processed ones that we get in the market.
- No tinned fruits and vegetables. - Whole wheat with extra fiber instead of white flour (maida). - Fresh herbs like basil, thyme, rosemary, garlic, oregano (dried), coriander, mint, parsley and freshly ground and whole spices like cinnamon, cardamom, chilli flakes and chillies instead of the crushed processed ones. - Honey, brown sugar and jaggery instead of packed white crystal sugar.

100 killed in Central African Republic clash

Bangui: Nearly 100 people were killed in days of fighting in Central African Republic between supporters of former president Francois Bozize and the forces loyal to President of Transition Michel Djotodia, the state radio reported Wednesday. Djotodia overthrew Bozize in March and was sworn in Aug 18 as head of the transitional government. The takeover was condemned as a coup. 

Citing a statement from the presidential office, the radio Wednesday said the clashes since Saturday have caused 150 or so casualties, including almost 100 people killed in the fighting and 50 injured, Xinhua reported. Bossangoa and Bouca are among the worst hit areas northwest of the capital Bangui, it said.  
Bossangoa, the home region of Bozize, has become another hotspot since the rival forces fought in the districts seen as his strongholds in Bangui last month.

While Djotodia's Seleka fighters are trying to disarm the pro- Bozize elements, the latter seem to manoeuvre for a comeback of their leader. Levy Yakete, spokesperson for Bozize, recently said the attacks were launched by former armymen who want to bring Bozize back for the mandate as the president elected by his people. The Economic Community of Central African States has provided for a transitional period of 18 months, pending an election to end the crisis. A 1,400-strong peacekeeping mission is deployed in the troubled country, which has witnessed repeated coups since independence from France in 1960

100 killed in Central African Republic clash

Bangui: Nearly 100 people were killed in days of fighting in Central African Republic between supporters of former president Francois Bozize and the forces loyal to President of Transition Michel Djotodia, the state radio reported Wednesday. Djotodia overthrew Bozize in March and was sworn in Aug 18 as head of the transitional government. The takeover was condemned as a coup. 

Citing a statement from the presidential office, the radio Wednesday said the clashes since Saturday have caused 150 or so casualties, including almost 100 people killed in the fighting and 50 injured, Xinhua reported. Bossangoa and Bouca are among the worst hit areas northwest of the capital Bangui, it said.  
Bossangoa, the home region of Bozize, has become another hotspot since the rival forces fought in the districts seen as his strongholds in Bangui last month.

While Djotodia's Seleka fighters are trying to disarm the pro- Bozize elements, the latter seem to manoeuvre for a comeback of their leader. Levy Yakete, spokesperson for Bozize, recently said the attacks were launched by former armymen who want to bring Bozize back for the mandate as the president elected by his people. The Economic Community of Central African States has provided for a transitional period of 18 months, pending an election to end the crisis. A 1,400-strong peacekeeping mission is deployed in the troubled country, which has witnessed repeated coups since independence from France in 1960