Sharif ends suspense, to attend Modi swearing in

New Delhi/Islamabad : After keeping both countries guessing for two days, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Saturday accepted the invite to watch Narendra Modi take oath as India's next prime minister, a grand event being attended by seven other neighbours and a few thousand guests. It will be yet another occasion for the leaders of the two wary nations to talk, even though informally, and marks a new phase in neighbourhood diplomacy by India's new head of government.

The two prime ministers will be meeting face to face eight months after the New York meeting between outgoing prime minister Manmohan Singh and Sharif on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September.

Sharif Saturday confirmed he will attend the oath-taking ceremony Monday evening, an event to be attended by leaders of six other South Asian nations as well as Mauritius, that has a large ethnic Indian population.

Accompanying Sharif will be Sartaj Aziz, adviser on national security and foreign affairs, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi.

Sharif would be holding a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi on the morning of May 27. He would then call on President Pranab Mukherjee, and fly back the same afternoon.

The Pakistani prime minister's acceptance of the invite came a day after his brother Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif met Pakistani army chief General Raheel Sharif. Shahbaz Sharif, who visited India earlier this year and is an important figure in the Pakistani government, is believed to have explained to the general the positive outcome of the visit and the importance of maintaining good ties with India.

On Friday, the Pakistan Foreign Office had urged Sharif to attend the ceremony, saying that the bitterness towards Pakistan shown during the election campaign in India would subside after the formation of a new government in New Delhi.

The acceptance of the invite was lauded, especially on social media. Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif, who had a day ago tweeted 'I personally think cordial relations with new Indian government should be cultivated. It will help remove psychological barriers, fear and misgivings', welcomed the move with a tweet. So did many other Pakistani journalists and former diplomats. ' Former Pakistani envoy to the US Sherry Rehman posted: 'Good news, moving on from stalemate.'

Narendra Modi had invited the leaders of all the member states of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) for the swearing-in ceremony - in a first such event.

Modi and Sharif will hold a short bilateral meeting the following morning, being termed only a 'courtesy call' and not any structured talks. With Aziz and the two other Pakistani officials in tow, the meeting is likely to have all the trappings of a bilateral meeting.

'It is a good step forward that he (Modi) has taken so early in the term. It is a significant move,' a senior Indian envoy who has been closely following India-Pakistani diplomatic moves, told IANS.

However, the envoy who declined to be named, said that Pakistan had still to show major forward movement in the trial of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks case. 'Trial is still going on, it has still to be concluded.. There is also the issue of respect for the sanctity of the Line of Control, and also the issue of non-state actors (acting out of Pakistani territory),' he added.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Kashmiri opposition leader, Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti, have welcomed Sharif's decision to attend the oath taking ceremony.

'Very glad to hear Pakistan's prime minister has accepted the invite, it shows that he can prevail over forces inimical to good relations with India,' Omar tweeted.

'I hope that this will mark a new beginning in ties between the two countries. The people of Jammu and Kashmir will be watching it closely,' he wrote on Twitter.

Leader of Opposition Mehbooba Mufti told reporters: 'The SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) relations have always been hostaged by India-Pakistan acrimony.'

'We are hopeful as the decision to invite Pakistan prime minister by Modi and its acceptance by Sharif is a positive development,' said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief.

Besides Sharif, the dignitaries who will attend include Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, Maldives President Abdulla Yameen, Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, and Bangladesh Parliament Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury. Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam is also attending the ceremony.

After outgoing prime minister Manmohan Singh skipped the Commonwealth summit in Colombo last November, this will be an occasion for Modi to meet Rajapaksa and come to grips with the Tamil issue. The invite to the Sri Lankan leader has already been criticised by Tamil parties, including Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will be in Tokyo on a prior scheduled visit.

It is the first time in India's history that leaders from neighbouring countries have been invited to the swearing-in ceremony of an Indian prime minister.

Modi, who will be sworn in at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan Monday evening, will hold brief bilateral talks with each leader the following day.

'BJP pinged 144 million Net users in latest election'

New Delhi: The IT cell of "Elect Modi Campaign" reached out to as many as 144 million people across India in the latest elections -- a formidable bank to tap into to garner vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party, a senior office bearer overseeing it has said.

"We were able to reach out to virtually every internet user in the country," said Vinit Goenka, national co-convenor of the BJP's information technology cell, who formulated the digital strategy for his party's star campaigners.

"If you ask me, 'how much of that translated into votes?', I can't give a proper answer with figures. But they formed a huge vote bank. This apart, the internet users that we pinged also had a multiplier effect in influencing more voters," Goenka told IANS.

For the record, some 834 million people were eligible to vote and 553.8 million or 66.4 percent cast their ballot. This was the highest ever voter-turnout both in absolute and in percentage terms.

Goenka also said that 'Gen Next' -- what with more than 100 million first-time voters joining the electoral rolls -- was one of the key factors that helped the campaign. In that, the fact that the IT cell was able to reach out to them was crucial.

"Earlier, the father or the grand-father would tell youngsters at the dining table what the news was and what its interpretation should be. But today, it is an age where the youngsters get news as it happens," said Goenka.

"The youths are aware. They form their own opinion. So, they use their own judgement in deciding whom to vote for. I won't be surprised if young voters also now influence their parents and grand-parents. But this must is a given: They vote as they want."

Goenka said contrary to popular belief that the IT cell was started in the run-up to the latest national elections, it has been functioning since April 2006, albeit at a smaller level, and gained momentum in 2008, when it was used in Maharashtra.

"This time around, it went pan-India. Narendra Modi gave it a lot of intensity. He said we must focus on nine 'I's -- issues, ideology, inter-personal communication, internet, intensity, introspection, industry, integration with the party and ideating."

Goenka said quite a few innovative concepts, practiced elsewhere, but alien to politics in India were adopted by the IT Cell, such as a bloggers' meet, video conferencing with voters across cities and interactive call centres for voter registration.

"We also conducted two round-table sessions, this was earlier, with the chief executives of $2-billion-plus companies, to sentitise the political leadership about the kind of challenges that are faced by the industry. This was again a hit."

Thai army chief declares himself acting PM

Bangkok: Thailand's army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha has declared himself as acting prime minister until someone is found to permanently serve the post, media reported Friday.

"As some laws stipulate that 'the prime minister' authorises actions under the law, Prayuth Chan-ocha and his assigned individuals will uphold that authority for the time being," the Bangkok Post quoted a statement of the National Peace and Order Maintaining Council (NPOMC) as saying.

Chan-ocha, who is also the leader of the NPOMC, made the announcement Thursday night.

He will act as the prime minister for administrative purposes.

Chan-ocha Thursday declared a coup in Bangkok and has seized power from the caretaker government in order to prevent tensions.

Following the coup, the NPOMC announced that the country's constitution was temporarily suspended. The government has been terminated, but the senate and independent agencies will still be able to perform duties.

The NPOMC also ordered educational institutes to be suspended from Friday to Sunday.

Radio and TV stations have been blacked out and are playing only traditional music.

Other communications, including print media, internet and both regular and mobile phones were not affected.

However, it ordered all media, including print and internet, not to interview former government officials, academics, judges or other members of independent organisations "in a way that may create conflict or confusion among the public".

All government agencies have continued to work normally, foreign relations are not being affected, and movement of weapons have been banned.

It is the 12th military coup in Thailand since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932.

Chan-ocha Tuesday declared martial rule in the country and called on the public not to panic, saying that the military would maintain peace and order and bring the situation back to normal.

Pakistan PM to attend Modi's swearing in

Islamabad: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will attend the oath taking ceremony of Indian Prime Minister designate Narendra Modi to be held Monday, Radio Pakistan said Saturday.

Nawaz Sharif will head to New Delhi to represent Pakistan in the ceremony, a spokesperson at the Prime Minister's House said.

Cell phones may induce allergic reactions in kids: Study

Washington: Do not let your kids use mobile phones for a long time as metals used in manufacturing cell phones such as nickel and chromium may induce skin allergies in them.

Called allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), the prolonged cell phone exposure can cause dermatitis of the face, neck, hands, or anterior thighs - common places exposed to cell phones, researchers warn.

"With the rising use of cell phones and other mobile devices, pediatricians can expect to see additional cases of ACD," said Mary Cataletto, a professor of clinical pediatrics at State University of New York at Stony Brook.

A team of researchers led by Jacob Thyssen from Copenhagen University Hospital Gentofte reviewed the current literature on mobile phone dermatitis in both children and adults.

They found that nickel sensitisation is common in children, resulting in ACD prevalence levels of up to 33 percent.

The authors have provided important diagnostic tips for practitioners and strategies to raise awareness of nickel- or chromium-induced mobile phone ACD.

"Thyssen’s paper discusses diagnostic patch testing for common metal allergens and the value of spot testing of the patient’s phone in establishing a causal relationship,” Cataletto explained.

Previous studies have identified mobile phones and related devices as sources of metal sensitisation and potential causes of ACD.

Despite efforts to control allergen release in phones, many phones on the market release levels of metals, such as nickel and chromium, which are sufficient to induce ACD, said the paper published in the journal Pediatric Allergy, Immunology and Pulmonology.

IANS

Mubarak sentenced to three years in jail

Cairo: An Egyptian court Wednesday sentenced former president Hosni Mubarak to three years in jail for embezzlement of public funds designated for presidential palace maintenance, media reported.

The Cairo Criminal Court, presided by Judge Ousama Shaheen, also sentenced Mubarak's sons Alaa and Gamal to four-year jail terms in the same case, Xinhua reported citing state-run Nile TV.

The Mubaraks were fined 125 million Egyptian pounds (nearly $17.5 million), and were ordered to reimburse 21 million Egyptian pounds (nearly $2.9 million) to the state treasury.

Mubarak and his sons, along with four other aides, were charged with misappropriating 100 million pounds ($14 million) of funds intended to refurbish the presidential palace.

The four aides were acquitted for lack of evidence.

IANS

Several killed in multiple blasts in China's Xinjiang

Beijing: Several people were killed and injured Thursday in over a dozen explosions in an open-air market in Urumqi, capital of China's restive Xinjiang province which is home to mostly Muslim Uighurs.

Witnesses said two cross-country vehicles driving from north to south ploughed into people in the market at 7:50 a.M and explosives were thrown out of the cars, one of which exploded, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

It said unknown number of people were killed and injured.

Injured were rushed to different hospitals, police said.

A businessman in the market said he heard a dozen of big bangs. The open air morning market is located near the Renmin Park in downtown Urumqi.

Ambulance and police cars parked at the entrance of Park North Street leading to the market helped evacuate the injured.

Flames and heavy smoke were seen nearby while the area had been cordoned off after the blast.

Xinjiang, bordering Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Afghanistan, has been plagued by violence for years.

The region has witnessed riots between native Muslim Uygurs and Han settlers from outside the province.

Uygurs, a Turkic speaking community, resent the settlements as they believe the large scale migration is marginalising them in their own homeland.

China accuses the East Turkistan Islamic Movement, an al-Qaeda affiliate, responsible for the large scale violence in and outside Xinjiang.

Last month Xinjiang was the scene of a railways station attack which killed three and injured 79 people. The attack was blamed on radical religious extremists seeking to take control of the region.

Rupee rises 32 paise to hit fresh 11-month high against USD

MUMBAI: Extending its rising streak for the fourth straight session, the rupee today jumped by another 32 paise to trade at a fresh 11-month high of 58.47 against the US dollar in early trade on sustained foreign capital inflows after the BJP-led NDA swept the Lok Sabha elections.

Increased selling of the dollar by banks and exporters amid sustained foreign capital inflows supported the rupee, dealers said.

Besides, a strong rally in domestic equity market in opening trade and the euro's gain against the dollar overseas also helped the rupee, they added.

The rupee rose 50 paise to 58.79 to end at 11-month high against the dollar on Friday.

Meanwhile, the benchmark BSE Sensex rose 275.82 points, or 1.14 per cent, to trade at 24,397.56 in opening trade.

Sensex surges 276 points on strong capital inflows

MUMBAI: Continuing its upward journey, the benchmark BSE Sensex spurted by nearly 276 points in opening trade today on sustained fund inflows on hopes of a stable government at the Centre after the BJP-led NDA's victory in the Lok Sabha elections.

Sectoral indices led by realty, PSUs, capital goods and bankings stocks continued to trade in the positive territory with gains up to 2.54 per cent.

The 50-share NSE Nifty also gained 65.40 points, or 0.91 per cent, to 7,268.40.

The 30-share Sensex zoomed by 275.82 points, or 1.14 per cent, to trade at 24,397.56. The gauge had rallied by over 216.14 points after touching an intra-day record high of 25,375.63 in Friday's trade.

Brokers said sentiments turned extremely bullish, following sustained capital inflows by foreign funds at the domestic bourses and widespread buying by retail investors on the victory of Narendra Modi-led BJP in Lok Sabha polls.

Further, a firming trend in other Asian markets buoyed the trading sentiments here, they said.

Among other Asian markets, Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.17 per cent while Japan's Nikkei gained 0.24 per cent in early trade today.

The US Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.27 per cent in Friday's trade.

Esa's Cryosat mission sees Antarctic ice losses double

By Jonathan Amos

Science correspondent, BBC News

Continue reading the main story

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Antarctica is now losing about 160 billion tonnes of ice a year to the ocean - twice as much as when the continent was last surveyed.

The new assessment comes from Europe's Cryosat satellite, which has a radar instrument specifically designed to measure the shape of the ice sheet.

The melt loss from the White Continent is sufficient to push up global sea levels by around 0.43mm per year.

Scientists report the data in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

The new study incorporates three years of measurements from 2010 to 2013, and updates a synthesis of observations made by other satellites over the period 2005 to 2010.

Cryosat has been using its altimeter to trace changes in the height of the ice sheet - as it gains mass through snowfall, and loses mass through melting.

'Big deal'

The study authors divide the continent into three sectors - the West Antarctic, the East Antarctic, and the Antarctic Peninsula, which is the long finger of land reaching up to South America.

Overall, Cryosat finds all three regions to be losing ice, with the average elevation of the full ice sheet falling annually by almost 2cm.

In the three sectors, this equates to losses of 134 billion tonnes, 3 billion tonnes, and 23 billion tonnes of ice per year, respectively.

Cryosat's double antenna configuration allows it to map slopes very effectively

The East had been gaining ice in the previous study period, boosted by some exceptional snowfall, but it is now seen as broadly static in the new survey.

As expected, it is the western ice sheet that dominates the reductions.

Scientists have long considered it to be the most vulnerable to melting.

It has an area, called the Amundsen Sea Embayment, where six huge glaciers are currently undergoing a rapid retreat - all of them being eroded by the influx of warm ocean waters.

About 90% of the mass loss from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is going from just these few ice streams.

At one of them - Smith Glacier - Crysosat sees the surface lowering by 9m per year.

Keen vision

"CryoSat has given us a new understanding of how Antarctica has changed over the last three years and allowed us to survey almost the entire continent," explained lead author Dr Malcolm McMillan from the NERC Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling at Leeds University, UK.

"We find that ice losses continue to be most pronounced in West Antarctica, along the fast-flowing ice streams that drain into the Amundsen Sea. In East Antarctica the ice sheet remained roughly in balance, with no net loss or gain over the three-year period," he told BBC News.

Cryosat was launched by the European Space Agency in 2009 on a dedicated quest to measure changes at the poles, and was given a novel radar system for the purpose.

It has two antennas slightly offset from each other. This enables the instrument to detect not just the height of the ice sheet but the shape of its slopes and ridges.

This makes Cryosat much more sensitive to details at the steep edges of the ice sheet - the locations where thinning is most pronounced.

It also allows the satellite to better detect what is going on in the peninsula region of the continent where the climate has warmed rapidly over the past 50 years.

"The peninsula is extremely rugged and previous satellite altimeters have always struggled to see its narrow glaciers. With Cryosat, we get remarkable coverage - better than anything that's been achieved before," said Prof Andy Shepherd, also of Leeds University.

Future change

The GRL paper follows hard on the heels of two studies that have made a specific assessment of the future prospects for the Amundsen Sea Embayment.

One of these reports concluded that the area's glaciers were now in an irreversible retreat.

The other paper, considering one of the glaciers in detail, suggested the reversal process could take several hundred years to be completed.

A loss of all the ice in the six glaciers would add about 1.2m to global sea level.

Prof Duncan Wingham proposed the Cryosat mission and is its principal investigator. He told BBC News: "We lack the capability to predict accurately how the Amundsen ice streams will behave in future.

"Equally, a continuation or acceleration of their behaviour has serious implications for sea level rise. This makes essential their continued observation, by Cryosat and its successors."

Prof David Vaughan of the British Antarctic Survey was not involved in the Cryosat survey. He commented: "The increasing contribution of Antarctica to sea-level rise is a global issue, and we need to use every technique available to understand where and how much ice is being lost.

"Through some very clever technical improvements, McMillan and his colleagues have produced the best maps of Antarctic ice loss we have ever had. Prediction of the rate of future global sea-level rise must be begin with a thorough understanding of current changes in the ice sheets - this study puts us exactly where we need to be."

Cryosat's radar copes better with the rugged terrain of the Antarctic Peninsula

Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter:@BBCAmos