Sint-Truiden – Hasselt – Antwerpen – Rotterdam – Den Haag vv 26 and 27 November 2011

27/11 – Antwerpen Centraal, Benelux IC train to Brussel Zuid
I change here for a train to Hasselt, and have to wait 45 minutes, just like on the way out

 27/11 – Antwerpen Centraal, multilevel station

27/11 – Antwerpen Centraal, ‘first floor and ground floor’

27/11 – Antwerpen Centraal, floor -1, track 13 for the train to Hasselt
Underneath this level is floor -2, mostly used by Thalys Highspeed and Benelux IC trains to Amsterdam

To see more Belgium/Netherlands Public Transport pictures go to:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157622685920411/

More Belgian/Netherlands pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

The Tribune – BSF recovers 14-kg heroin worth Rs 70 cr

Tribune News Service

Ferozepur, January 21. The Border Security Force today recovered 14-kg heroin from near the border fence after a heavy exchange of fire with Pakistan-based smugglers. Rajesh Gupta, DIG, BSF Sector Headquarters, Ferozepur, said that in wee hours, BSF jawans deputed at Muthianwali border outpost in Khemkaran sector spotted some movement from Pakistani side through their night vision devices.

The BSF DIG said that immediately the jawans sounded an alert and challenged the three intruders coming from Pakistani side who fired back towards the BSF post.

He said that the jawans also opened fire and following several rounds of firing, the intruders retracted back towards Pakistani side under the cover of darkness.

Gupta said that in the morning, the BSF launched a search operation during which 14 packets of heroin weighing 1 kg each were recovered from the area close to a border pillar.

He said that one 12 feet long plastic pipe was also recovered from that spot near border fencing which was being used to push the packets across the fencing.

The BSF personnel also recovered woolen caps and shawls from the spot.

The DIG said that some blood strains were also seen in the area, which indicate that one of the smugglers might have been hit during the firing.

The DIG informed that the price of the seized contraband in the international market was around Rs 70 crore, adding that they had also seized heroin worth Rs 40 crore in the last fortnight.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120122/punjab.htm#19

BBC News – Thein Sein says Burma on ‘right track’ to democracy

Friday 20 January 2012. Burma’s President Thein Sein says the country is on the ”right track” to democracy and will continue to “move forward”. ”We don’t have any intention to draw back,” the former general said.

The Washington Post interview, his first with Western media, was conducted on Tuesday.

He said the West should lift economic sanctions because the government had met many of their demands, including freeing political prisoners.

The military, he said in the interview, was ”no longer involved in the executive body”, but retains a quarter of the seats in parliament.

”We cannot leave the military behind because we require the military’s participation in our country’s development,” he said.

President Thein Sein took office in March 2011, after the country’s first elections in 20 years in November 2010. Before that Burma was governed by a military junta.

Since then his military-backed civilian government has begun a process of reform, including dialogue with the pro-democracy camp.

This month it held ceasefire talks with rebel groups and released hundreds of political prisoners, including the highest-profile dissidents.

Speaking from his office in the capital Nay Pyi Taw, he told the Washington Post that he had been able to ”reach an understanding” with pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The Nobel Laureate and head of the National League for Democracy (NLD) – who was freed from house arrest shortly after the November polls – has registered to run in a by-election on 1 April for a parliamentary seat.

Correspondents say the polls will be a key test of the government’s reformist credentials.

”If the people vote for her, she will be elected and become a member of parliament,” he said. ”I am sure that the parliament will warmly welcome her. This is our plan.”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16644235

The Tribune – Akalis offered me money to keep mum: Varinder Kaur, Slapgate victim

Archit Watts, Tribune News Service

Gidderbaha, January 20. Varinder Kaur, the Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) teacher who was allegedly slapped by an Akali sarpanch recently, has claimed the SAD leadership had offered her money to stay mum after the incident.

Having earlier refused to support any party, Varinder today came out openly in support of the Congress for the January 30 polls. Speaking at a rally in the presence of CLP leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal at Harike Kalan village in Gidderbaha constituency, she appealed to the electorate to elect the Congress.

Narrating her plight from the stage, Varinder said, “The time has come to teach the ruling Akalis a lesson. Their Daula village sarpanch, Balwinder Singh ‘Toti’, slapped me a number of times at Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal’s Sangat Darshan where we had gone to register our protest. This is the real face of the Akali leadership who do not even mind serving girls with slaps if they seek their rights.”

Urging the voters to ensure the defeat of the ruling alliance, she said: “Even after the slapping incident, no senior SAD leader came to my house to give any assurance about justice. They only offered me money to keep mum and not to highlight the issue.”

Varinder said she would go to other constituencies as well seeking support for the Congress candidates.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120121/punjab.htm#10

The Tribune – Punjab politicians focus on asset building, says study

Kanchan Vasdev, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 20. In Punjab, there seems to be no better option for financial growth than a career in politics. At least that is what five of the sitting MLAs, who are contesting elections yet again, have proved by declaring an asset growth between 1,000 and 2,000 per cent in their affidavits this time.

According to a report prepared by an NGO, Punjab Election Watch and Association for Democratic Rights, of the 77 sitting MLAs in the fray, the average assets of these MLAs as declared in 2007 was Rs 4.6 crore. The figure rose to Rs 10.7 crore in 2012, registering a growth of 133 per cent in five years.

Topping the list is Congress MLA from Bholath in Kapurthala, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who has declared an increase of 2,282 per cent in his assets as compared to the last elections. This time, his worth is Rs 52 crore which is Rs 50 crore more from the last elections.

Close on his heels is Gurpreet Singh Kangar, Congress MLA from Rampura Phul, who has recorded a 1,066 per cent increase in his assets. His worth was Rs 99 lakh during the 2007 Assembly elections and now he has declared assets worth Rs 11 crore.

Ajit Singh Shant, another MLA, a Congress nominee, has shown an increase of 1,054 per cent in his assets this time.

The MLA, who is contesting from Nihal Singh Wala segment in Moga, has declared assets worth Rs 49 lakh. His worth was Rs 4 lakh last time. Assets of Kewal Singh Dhillon, another Congress MLA from Barnala, depict an increase of 1,048 per cent, with his worth going up from Rs 6 crore in 2007 to a whopping Rs 78 crore this time.

A similar ‘growth pattern’ was observed in the assets of SAD MLA Bikramjit Singh Khalsa, who’s worth is Rs 5 crore this time. His assets have zoomed by 1,033 per cent.

In rupees, the maximum growth in assets has been declared by Kewal Singh Dhillon. In his case, the difference from the last time is Rs 71.67 crore. Following him is Sukhpal Singh Khaira declaring an asset growth of Rs 50.45 crore and Sukhpal Singh Nannu of the BJP with a growth of over Rs 47.8 crore.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120121/main2.htm

The Hindu – Ancient India possessed a sense of history: Romila Thapar

Staff Reporter

Kottayam, 21 January 2012. Historian Romila Thapar has pointed out that ancient India possessed a sense of history and this was contrary to what had been assumed by colonial powers.   Inaugurating a three-day national seminar on ‘New History’ at the Mahatma Gandhi University here on Thursday, Prof. Thapar reinterpreted ancient Indian literary sources so as to highlight ancient Indian historical consciousness, historical traditions and historical writings. She also sought to expose the allegation of some Western scholars that ancient Indians were people with no sense of history.

Prof. Thapar said that attempting to derive chronological information and to characterise the nature of societies from the epics of Mahabharata and the Ramayana made little sense. These issues were either ignored or forgotten by some historians who used the epics as source material. It was high time people realised that the epics had many versions.

The epics had to be seen as oral poetry and, therefore, one had to accept that the texts as they were available today had gathered encrustations around them.

Professor Thapar said three aspects of the study of historical traditions merited examination.

These were the widely-held view that Indian civilisation lacked a sense of history, the recognition that historical traditions of diverse cultures will, inevitably, differ and, finally, the nature of the representation of the past in the early Indian historical traditions.

Inaugural session

Indian Council of Historical Research Chairman Basudev Chatterji delivered the keynote address. The inaugural session was chaired by Vice-Chancellor Rajan Gurukkal. IUCSSRE Joint Director Radhika Parakkat, and Associate Fellow P. Madhu spoke.

ht://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2818111.ecetp

Sint-Truiden – Hasselt – Antwerpen – Rotterdam – Den Haag vv 26 and 27 November 2011

27/11 – Rotterdam CS, NS Intercity Doubledecker

27/11 – Rotterdam CS, Thalys Highspeed train to Paris

27/11 – Rotterdam CS, Thalys Highspeed train to Paris

 27/11 – Rotterdam CS, Benelux Intercity (Bombardier TRAXX engine) to Brussel
Going on the Thalys would have saved an hour, but would have cost too much money

To see more Belgium/Netherlands Public Transport pictures go to:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157622685920411/

More Belgian/Netherlands pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

The Tribune – 26/11: Pakistan panel arriving on February 3

Islamabad, January 20. A judicial commission from Pakistan would visit India from February 3-6 to interview officials who were involved in the investigation of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said today.

Malik announced the dates for the commission’s visit during a meeting with Indian High Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal at the Interior Ministry this afternoon, official sources said. India had earlier suggested to Pakistan that the judicial commission should visit in the first half of February.

Malik announced the date for the visit after the completion of various technical formalities, including the selection of the officials who would be a part of the panel, the sources said. (PTI)

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120121/main5.htm

Dawn – US committed to ‘mutually respectful’ Pakistan ties

Washington, 21 January 2012. The United States “remains committed to a strong, mutually respectful” relationship with Pakistan and Washington’s civilian assistance for the South Asian country has not been affected in the aftermath of the November 26 strikes on Pakistani border posts, the State Department said on Friday.

“We consider bilateral US civilian assistance to be an important component of that relationship and believe it can help Pakistan become a more prosperous, stable, and democratic state, which serves the national interests of both the United States and Pakistan,” the Office of Spokesperson Victoria Nuland said in response to a question taken at the daily briefing.

“Civilian assistance to Pakistan continues and has not been interrupted since the tragic November 26 incident,” the spokesperson noted.

The November 26 attacks on Pakistani check posts claimed lives of two dozen Pakistani soldiers, angering the Pakistani nation and the government.

After the incident, Islamabad closed Nato supply routes and initiated a full review of ties with the United States, which is nearing its completion.

The State Department also noted that since the passage of the Kerry-Lugar-Berman legislation in October 2009, the US government has disbursed $2.2 billion in civilian assistance, including approximately $550 million in emergency humanitarian assistance.

“In FY 2011 specifically, we disbursed approximately $855 million (not including any emergency humanitarian assistance).

Our non-humanitarian civilian assistance funds are spent in five priority sectors: energy, economic growth, stabilization of the border regions, education, and health.

Notably, in 2011 the people of the United States supported the construction of 210 kilometres of road in Fata and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, funded the world’s largest Fulbright exchange program, and sponsored initiatives promoting private sector growth and civil society development in Pakistan.”

Earlier, spokesperson Nuland shared the view that Pakistan and the United States should pursue broad-based bilateral relations.

It is “completely in sync with our view of the US-Pakistani relationship, that it should be broad and deep, that we have work to do together across the range of issues, whether we’re talking about increasingly open society, economic things, development things, and the full range of security issues.

So we would certainly  share the view that we have a lot to do together across the range of concerns,” she remarked at the daily briefing. (APP)

http://www.dawn.com/2012/01/21/us-vows-mutually-respectful-pakistan-ties.html