CWG: Security nightmare, only 14-day dry run possible, say sources

New Delhi: The by-now daily financial scandals around the Commonwealth Games 2010 make those in charge of organizing them - both at home and at the Games' international headquarters - look like Frequent Fliers of a Corrupt Executive Class.

Equally damaging is the intransigent evidence - incomplete venues, those that are ready often flooded in the Delhi monsoon - of broad-based mismanagement.

The big question now is given that the venues aren't finished, how can security checks begin? A range of terrorist groups have warned foreign tourists and athletes not to attend the Delhi Games. Sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs- in charge of handling the security for the Games - tell NDTV that at least 90 days are needed to coordinate and test security gadgets and systems at stadia. Instead, a 14-day dry run will take place.

A company named Electronic Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) was hired to install security devices at the different venues, which includes the athletes' village. However, at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, for example, which is the location of the Opening Ceremony, a wall around the stadium has yet to be completed. That means security cameras, sensors, and a required Intrusion Detection System have not been installed or tested yet. Metal detectors that spectators will walk through have not been set up yet.

So, an Australian company has been hired by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) to review the security. The company will come to Delhi in first week of September to audit security systems. This is a private company that has been visiting every three months for security audits of Games' venues.

The Delhi Police has told the government and the Games' Organizing Committee that 7500 members will handle the security for the Games. But security experts say the Delhi Police is not trained in counter-terrorism.

MP salary hike: Another Rs. 10,000 in tax-free allowances

New Delhi: After a sustained campaign fronted by Lalu and Mulayam Yadav, the government has decided to give Members of Parliament another raise.

Last week, the government increased MPs' salaries from Rs. 16,000 to Rs. 50,000 a month . Their constituency and office allowances were doubled from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000. Now both those tax-free allowances have been raised to Rs.25,000 a month.
Most Opposition MPs had earlier united in the demand that their salaries go upto Rs. 80,001 a month- a rupee higher than what the Cabinet Secretary makes.
MPs say that they are among the lowest-paid public representatives in the world.

They get an allowance of Rs. 2000 a day when Parliament is in session

MPs' pay hike deadlock ends in Parliament

New Delhi: Congress party's chief trouble-shooter Pranab Mukherjee met Lalu Prasad Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav on Saturday to break the deadlock over salary hike for MPs. NDTV sources say, they have reached an agreement.

But the Bill that seeks to increase the salaries of the MPs is unlikely to be introduced today.

On Friday, the Cabinet had approved a 300 per cent hike in the MP's salaries from 16,000 to 50,000 rupees. But the amount was promptly rejected by several parties mainly the Samajwadi party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal. They argued it should be, at least, 80,001 rupee more than the highest paid bureaucrat.

Their daily allowance of Rs. 1000 when Parliament is in session has been doubled. Their monthly constitution allowance has also doubled from Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 40,000

For their office expenses, they now get Rs. 40,000 - twice what they were entitled to so far.

More good news for them. Their conveyance allowance has gone from 1 lakh to 4 lakh.

Spouses are entitled to free train travel from their place of residence to Delhi. Spouses also get upto eight free plane tickets from their place of residence to Delhi.

Lalu Prasad Yadav had led the campaign for new salaries after the Cabinet indicated it wanted to defer a hike. Ministers who said the timing was not correct for higher salaries included Home Minister P Chidambaram and Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni.

They believe that the recent hike in petrol prices as well as the bevy of corruption allegations for the Commonwealth Games make it tough to justify a raise at this point. However, MPs pointed out that they are among the lowest-paid public representatives in the world.

MPs unhappy? Uproar in Lok Sabha over salary hike

Samajwadi Party (SP), Baujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) members on Friday forced adjournment of the Lok Sabha for an hour voicing dissatisfaction over the quantum of proposed salary hike for MPs.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned for an hour on Friday as SP, BSP and RJD members voiced dissatisfaction over the quantum of proposed salary hike for MPs.

Mulayam Singh Yadav (SP) and Lalu Prasad (RJD) were on their feet during Question Hour claiming that the government had insulted Parliament by rejecting the recommendation of its Committee to raise the basic salary to Rs. 80,001 per month.

The Cabinet, at a meeting, approved a proposal to raise the basic salary of MPs to Rs. 50,000 from present level of Rs. 16,000.

"The government decision is an insult of Parliament. The bill should be torn to pieces," Yadav said in the Lok Sabha.

SP members, led by Yadav, backed Prasad and trooped to the well demanding that the MPs' Salary Bill be taken back.

BSP members and a lone JD(U) member who was present were also seen on their feet supporting the issue.

Amidst the ruckus, the government got two bills passed - the medical council of India bill and the trade mark bill. BJP MPs, especially Uday Singh and Kirti Azad protested over the manner in which the government got the bills passed and RJD and Samajwadi Party MPs were upset over the quantum of the salary hike and refused to leave the House after it was adjourned.

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Commonwealth games England rules out terror threat to Delhi CWG

New Delhi: The Common wealth England (CGE) has ruled out the possibility of a terrorist attack during the Commonwealth games (CWG) event scheduled to be held from October 3 to October 14 in New Delhi.

The statement by the CGE comes a day after Australian sportswoman Dawn Fraser expressed fear over the possibility of a Munich-style terrorist attack.

The CGE has nevertheless warned of possible attacks on soft targets in India to scare away athletes before the commencement of the event.

According to a report published in The Daily Telegraph, CGE has written to England's 17 Commonwealth sports federations after receiving positive feedback about the Indian security plan from the Metropolitan Police Specialist Protection Group. The CGE is responsible for preparation and participation of England team in the event.

It has also advised its athletes not to venture out much during the Games.

On Thursday, swimming legend Dawn Fraser had called on athletes to boycott the Common wealth games in Delhi to avoid a Munich Olympic like terror attack.

"Surely there are other championships around the world that we could send our athletes to and I just think we should be looking at that. It's still not too late to pull out. Facilities with leaking roofs --you can't expect athletes to compete in that and the roof may fall in. If I had a son or a daughter, I'd be asking that son or daughter to have second thoughts about going to compete," Fraser said.

In response to Fraser's comments, Common wealth games Federation (CGF) chief Mike Fennell said that she was not sufficiently informed about the security preparations.

"I think this has been refuted by the Australian Common wealth games Association. We live in a world where we respect freedom of speech. But I don't think Miss Fraser knows what is happening in Delhi. She has not inspected it and I don't think she's informed sufficiently to make such a statement," Fennell said.

On Thursday, the CGF chief had expressed satisfaction over the preparation for the event, after inspecting venues.

Fennell finished his two-day inspection tour of the Games venues on Thursday and gave thumbs up to stadiums. But sounding a note of caution Fennell admitted that corruption allegations were a matter of concern and needs to be investigated. He said that the Government must investigate all corruption allegations and added that some work still needed to be done at the venues to make them fully ready for the Games.

Cabinet goes soft on Emaar deal probe

HYDERABAD: The state cabinet went easy on the Emaar-AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) housing project controversy on Thursday, with the chief minister asking his cabinet colleagues not to ‘publicly discuss’ the Emaar issue till the three-member internal committee of AIIC submitted its report.

The report is likely to be submitted to the government within a week. TOI had on Wednesday reported that the state government was not interested in delving deep into the issue and would settle for a probe by an internal committee instead of the CBI.

"The less talked about the issue, the better," the chief minister is believed to have told his colleagues admitting that the high command wanted to know about the scam and the potential damage it could do to the Congress in the state.

But on record, information minister Geetha Reddy said that the state government has instructed APIIC to constitute an ‘expert committee’ to probe irregularities committed by Emaar and its group companies. Addressing the media after the cabinet meeting, she said, chief minister K Rosaiah ordered APIIC to constitute an ‘experts committee’ to look into the matter. "Necessary action will be taken in accordance with the report," she said. The experts are internal officials of the corporation, not higher than the rank of general manager. "The internal panel is likely to look at the prices at which plots were registered and the market prices that prevailed at that time. If they find a dichotomy, Emaar MGF, the company that had been given the development rights might be asked to explain the difference and possibly even be asked to cough up the difference," an analyst said.

Meanwhile, in a bid to defuse the situation, Emaar group representatives have expressed a desire to meet the CM and talk to him, face to face. But the chief minister instead told them to interact with APIIC officials. Following Rosaiah’s diktat, Emaar officials met APIIC representatives but in the presence of ministers Geeta Reddy, Vatti Vasant Kumar and Botsa Satyanarayana.

Notwithstanding Rosaiah’s advice, the issue was raised by health minister D Nagendar and IT minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy in the cabinet, who insisted that the government treat the matter with utmost seriousness as the high command was also asking about the facts. Both the ministers raised several doubts about the role of officials and the need for greater clarity on the issue as it had been widely reported in the media and allegations that government had been cheated of money.

US army cuts combat troop figure in Iraq

Baghdad: The US military command in Baghdad said on Friday that the number of forces still stationed in Iraq was 52,000, lower than the figure given on Thursday under the final pullout of combat troops.

On Thursday it was said that 56,000 soldiers were still deployed in Iraq. But the military command said that was based on data from August 17 and was already outdated.

Under the military drawdown plans, the US troop strength in Iraq is to be cut down to 50,000 by September 1, with their mission to be in supporting and training regular Iraqi forces but not having combat duties.

These US forces are to be withdrawn by the end of 2011. The US military command in Baghdad said the timetable would be strictly adhered to.

After the disclosure of the withdrawal of the last combat brigade from Iraq on Thursday, the US State Department said that it planned to double the number of private security contractors in Iraq to fill the void created by troop pullout.

Spokesman P. J. Crowley said more security personnel will be needed to protect diplomatic and civilian facilities and convoys as the State Department assumes the lead in Iraq from the US military.

"We will still have our own security needs to make sure our diplomats and development experts are well protected," Crowley said.

Salary hiked 3 times, MPs still unsatisfied

New Delhi: Lok Sabha was adjourned on Friday over the issue of salary given to members of Parliament despite the Cabinet's nod to a 300 per cent hike. Leaders of Opposition parties like Rashtriya Janata Dal(RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and Janata Dal-United chief Sharad yadav created ruckus in the House demanding higher pay for MPs.

The basic pay of MPs was on Friday hiked by more than three times from Rs 16,000 to Rs 50,000 by the government which also doubled several other emoluments for them.

Ending speculation about a delay in the pay hike of MPs due to differences among ministers on the issue, the Cabinet gave its nod to hiking the basic pay from Rs 16,000 to Rs 50,000 per month.

However, this is much less than the figure of Rs 80,001 recommended by the parliamentary committee which had said the MPs should get more than government secretaries as the former are above them in the hierarchy.

The government also increased office expenses of parliamentarians from Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000 per month. The constituency allowance has also been doubled from Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000 per month, government sources said.

The limit for interest-free loan for MPs for buying a personal vehicle has been hiked fourfold to Rs 4 lakh from the present Rs 1 lakh.

The government has also hiked road mileage rate for vehicles used by MPs from Rs 13 per km to Rs 16 per km. Spouse of a parliamentarian can now travel any number of times in first class or executive class, the sources said.

Pension benefits have also been increased from Rs 8,000 to Rs 20,000 per month.

Imran Khan Quits Twitter, Feels It’s Not Right For Him

Twitter is used among Bollywood actors as a medium to communicate with fans and also for promoting upcoming movies. However, many actors have reduced using Twitter including Imran Khan who quit Twitter on Wednesday.

Regarding registration into Twitter, Imran said, “I signed up because I saw it as a way to interact with my audience at a personal level. I’ve always looked for ways to do that, whether it was through online chats or live events.”

However, the actor seems to have felt that Twitter was not the correct medium for interacting with his fans.

One of the actor’s friends said regarding Imran stopping Tweeting, “While it allows a two-way communication with the fans, it also requires him to be constantly in touch with them. People tend to discuss everything and often ask a lot of personal questions. That also got to him beyond a point.”

Imran said, “I enjoyed having the chance to reach out to so many people out there and truly appreciate all the love and support I received all this while. I hope that this continues even though I won’t be tweeting any more. It has been a lot of fun and I’m thankful to everyone for all the good times. I think what it boils down to, is that I just don’t feel Twitter is right for me.”

Xbox Live on Windows Phone 7 Hands On: Mobile Levels Up

The first tease of Xbox Live on Windows Phone 7 piqued my interest, sure. But after I had a little hands-on time with some of the games planned for launch, Microsoft's officially got my undivided attention.

Microsoft's trotting out over 50 titles today, all of which and more will be available by the time Windows Phone 7 devices go on sale this holiday season. When I spoke with Kevin Unangst—the company's PC and mobile gaming big boss—he repeatedly mentioned that this list was just a taste. But even with more titles expected before launch, there's already a lot to like here: casual favorites like Bejeweled and Oregon Trail, Xbox exclusive fare from the Halo and Crackdown franchises, three games with "Zombie" in the name. Good times.

How's the interface? In a word: familiar. Once you tap on the Xbox Live tile, you're met with what Matt saw when he took an in-depth tour Windows Phone 7. There's your avatar waiting to greet you. There's the last achievement you unlocked, whether it was on your console or the phone. This is where you see game invites from friends, games you've downloaded. There's a Spotlight area that wasn't up and running yet on the handset I saw, but it serves the same purpose it does on your console. It's Xbox Live on your phone, as promised.

There are also some clever ways Microsoft has optimized the experience for mobile. Your 3D avatar will get dizzy and fall down if you shake the phone, and if you unlock an avatar item on Xbox Live anywhere it's usable on the phone. And your avatar can invade the rest of your phone, too, with Avatar Gadgets, which are simple productivity apps like a flashlight, coin toss, ruler, and leveler that your avatar interacts with on screen.

Every Xbox Live game on Windows Phone 7 has a 200 gamerscore, just like Xbox Live Arcade games, and will accrue to your overall gamerscore. That integrated experience is reflected in your Avatar as well: any customizations you make on the phone will be reflected immediately on the console, and vice versa.

There's going to be a healthy mix of paid and free games, although every download includes a free trial mode (like in Xbox Live Arcade). Unangst wouldn't comment on pricing beyond its being a tiered system. When you do buy a game, though, it won't be with Xbox Live points—it'll be cold hard cash through the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace or carrier billing.

Of course, none of this matters if the games suck. Which, happily, they most definitely don't.

The titles I saw and got a chance to play with weren't entirely finished, but they were in remarkably good shape given that we're still a few months away from release. My overall impression is that the graphics were uniformly sharp, the game play crisp, and the extras—specifically, the achievements—really do help make Xbox Live stand out as a mobile experience. It's far more iPhone than PSP, but there's no shame in that. As for specific quick impressions:

Crackdown 2: Project Sunburst

It's a tower defense game that takes place in the same world as Crackdown 2, which is good, but doesn't directly impact the console game, which is frustrating. Imagine playing a Fable 3 game on your phone that would let you earn Fable 3 gear on your Xbox 360. That's not an option—yet—on Crackdown 2 or any other of the announced launch games. Unangst does acknowledge that "the plumbing exists for us to build those kinds of experiences," and the sooner they can the better.

That being said, the coolest part of Project Sunburst is the ability to set up your defenses anywhere in the world. Like, the actual world, as shown on your phone by Bing Maps. Baddies walk up actual streets—in this case, surrounding a convention center in Cologne, Germany—as you battle them away. It's a straightforward tower defense game, but you get a bit more invested when it's your own neighborhood.

Bejeweled Live

Hey, it's Bejeweled! It's the same casual gamer crack that you'll see on any other platform, with a few adjustments that are being packaged as exclusive Xbox Live content—like the ability to match jewels in the air instead of waiting for them to land. It, along with many of the other games, took forever to load; that'll hopefully be resolved before launch.

Uno

Uno's popularity in the Xbox Live Arcade is easy enough to explain: it's turn-based multiplayer game that easy to understand and fun to play. The phone version is no different—in fact, it's practically identical; the development tools are the same for the console and the phone, meaning that a game produced for one can be easily duplicated on the other.

Max and the Magic Marker

I only got a quick look at MatMM, but it's a straighforward puzzle-scroller, wherein you draw with your marker to go over and around obstacles. More to the point: it's been a popular WiiWare game since its release in March. The move to Xbox Live is indicative of Microsoft's big tent strategy: complement exclusive franchises like Halo with proven winners from other platforms