Monday, July 14, 2008

Miss Venezuela clinches Miss Universe 2008 crown


Miss Venezuela Dayana Mendoza has won this year’s Miss Universe title. The 22-year-old beauty beats Miss Colombia, Miss Dominican Republic, Miss Russia and Miss Mexico to clinch the crown. Miss India couldn’t make into last 15 semi-finalists list.

Miss Venezuela Dayana Mendoza has clinched the Miss Universe 2008 crown. The 22-year-old Mendoza beats Taliana Vargas (Colombia - First runner up), Marianne Cruz Gonzalez (Dominican Republic - Second runner up), Vera Krasova (Russia - Third runner up) and Elisa Najera (Mexico - Fourth runner up) to win the beauty pageant. A delighted Mendoza received the crown from Miss Universe 2007, Riyo Mori of Japan. Talking with media persons, Mendoza revealed that she was once kidnapped in her homeland and her past experience taught her to remain poised under pressure.Miss India 2008, Simran Kaur Mundi could not make into last 15 semi-finalist list. For the eighth consecutive year, Indian beauty queens have returned empty handed from one of world’s largest glamorous extravaganza. Lara Dutta fetched the Miss Universe title for India in 2000. Since then Miss India Celina Jaitley (2001), Neha Dhupia (2002), Nikita Anand (2003), Tanushree Dutta (2004), Amrita Thapar (2005), Neha Kapur (2006), Puja Gupta (2007) and Simran Kaur (2008) failed to win the crown for India.

Organised in Nha Trang city of Vietnam, the beauty contest was participated by beauty queens of 80 countries. The venue was attended by thousands of people, while millions of people watched the world’s beautiful womens fight for the Miss Universe 2008 crown within the comforts of their home. For last couple of weeks in seaside city of Nha Trang, several rounds of competitions were organised among the contestants. First, the judges declared the 15 semi-finalist list who took part in three competition rounds namely swimsuit, evening gown, and interview during the broadcast. The 15 semifinalists donning yellow, green and orange bikinis, strutted across the stage during the swimsuit competition. Later top 10 contestants were announced and they walked across the stage in bikinis for the swimsuit competition.

The top ten finalists were Dayana Mendoza (Venezuela), Zana Krasniqi (Kosovo), Elisa Najera (Mexico), Laura Dundovic (Australia), Marianne Cruz Gonzalez (Dominican Republic), Claudia Ferraris (Italy), Taliana Vargas (Columbia), Vera Krasova (Russia), Crystle Stewart (America) and Claudia Moro (Spain). As the competition reduced to last 10, the excitement was very high among the contestants.

Following the evening gown competition, five contestants got eliminated and judges selected the winner from last five contestants. Finally, judges declared Miss Venezuela Mendoza as the winner of the contest. While Best National Costume Award, decided by online votes, went to Miss Thailand. However, during the evening gown competition, an unprecedented incident happened. For the second year in a row, Miss USA (Crystle Stewart) fell down as she made her entrance. Last year, Miss USA Rachel Smith also tumbled during the evening gown competition.

The show was hosted by talk show star Jerry Springer along with former Spice Girl Melanie Brown. Pop star Lady GaGa enthralled the audience with her power-packed performance and also succeeded to steal some limelight from the beauties walking down the ramp. The judges panel consisted of Donald Trump Jr, (executive vice president of the Trump Organisation), Roberto Cavalli (fashion designer and entrepreneur), Nadine Velazquez (international cover girl), Jennifer Hawkins (television presenter and Miss Universe 2004), Louis Licari (celebrity colorist and ’Today Show’ ambush makeover expert) and John Nguyen (vice chairman of Hoan Cau, LTD Investment and Construction).


Pro-talk ULFA leaders seek unconditional dialogue


Sadiya (Assam), Jul 14 : Pro-talk leaders of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) have started a massive campaign to drum up public opinion and force the outfit’s central leadership to hold unconditional negotiations with New Delhi. “As part of our mission, we are engaged in meeting representatives of various organisations and community leaders to elicit public opinion for peace so that our central leadership sees reason to come for peace talks,” expelled ULFA commander Jiten Dutta told IANS.

Dutta and two more senior rebel leaders were expelled by the ULFA last month after they engineered a revolt and helped the Alpha and Charlie companies of ULFA’s 28th battalion to declare a unilateral ceasefire.The 28th battalion was considered ULFA’s most potent striking unit and was blamed for the coordinated attacks on Hindi-speaking migrant workers in eastern Assam during the past few years in which about 150 people were killed.

“I am still the commander of the A and C companies of the 28th battalion with all the cadres with me. The ULFA cannot expel us without a central executive being held,” Dutta said.

The pro-talk leaders said they decided to announce a unilateral ceasefire June 24 after realising their central leadership had failed to address several burning issues facing Assam.

“Our central leadership simply ignored crucial issues confronting the state, including the problem of illegal influx of Bangladeshi nationals,” Dutta said.

The ceasefire group in the past week organised two massive peace rallies in eastern Assam to mobilise public opinion for holding talks between the ULFA leadership and the government.

“The overwhelming response of the people in both the rallies indicates that people in general want peace and an end to bloodshed. The ULFA central leadership should respect the sentiments of the people of Assam,” Dutta said.

The ULFA is fighting for an independent Assamese homeland since 1979 with the outfit reiterating their stand that they would come for direct peace talks only when New Delhi agrees to discuss their main plank for sovereignty or independence.

“If the ULFA says the government should discuss sovereignty, then New Delhi would counter by saying talks should be held within the ambit of the Indian constitution. In this war of words, the prospect for talks would die down. So we feel both sides should come for unconditional talks,” Dutta said.

The Assam government, meanwhile, had set up a designated camp for the cadres of the ceasefire group in Sadiya, the easternmost town of Assam, about 600 km from state capital Guwahati.

“Our cadres would stay in the designated camps and avoid moving around with arms and not indulge in any kind of extortions,” the expelled ULFA commander said. “But we shall not lay down arms.”

IANS

Funds for developing border areas go unutilised

Aizawl, Jul 14 : The nearly two-decade old Border Area Development Programme (BADP), aimed at developing certain areas to prevent influences from across the border, has developed a snag with the under par utilisation of Central funds by the border-states.

The fact that liberal funding by the Union government for BADP is not being actively used by these states is borne out by the fund utilisation figures for 2007-8 compiled by the home ministry. Out of the 17 beneficiary states, only seven have furnished utilisation certificatArunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Uttrakhand (all bordering China), Assam (bordering Bangladesh), Bihar and Uttar Pradesh (bordering Nepal), Punjab and Rajasthan (bordering Pakistan) are still to inform the Centre about the money spent by them during 2007-2008.

The rest of the states, including J&K, where the Centre has gone all out to develop border areas to prevent exploitation of the people by Pakistan, have given proof of having spent only Rs120 crore out of Rs295 crore disbursed by the Centre to them.

Intriguingly, despite Centre’s repeated stress on BADP, the insurgency-hit states such as J&K, Tripura, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram have spent only a fraction of the grant received by them in 2007-08. J&K, the biggest beneficiary of the scheme with a grant of nearly Rs106 crore, could use only Rs71 crore. The next in line, West Bengal with a grant of Rs101 crore, has used Rs11 crore only.

Better situation prevailed during 2006-07 when the border-states could spend Rs350 crore out of a total allocation of Rs520 crore. The states like J&K, Assam, West Bengal, Tripura, Mizoram and Meghalaya had fully utilised the sanctioned amount.

Unruffled by the states’ response, the Centre has further increased the fund allocation under BRDP to Rs635 crore, with a strict monitoring mechanism. This is an increase of Rs55 crore over the allocation for 2007-2008. The states benefited by this increase are Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Rajasthan and UP.

Faced with the none-too-impressive performance of the states on this front, the Centre has issued a bunch of fresh guidelines to ensure better utilisation of funds. The scheme has also been extended to 362 border blocks situated on International Border in 96 districts of the 17 states.

In the face of the excuses offered by the states that the works could not be completed in time due to inhospitable terrain, the Centre has now permitted the states to involve security forces guarding the borders and NGOs for speedy completion of the projects.

DNAes, but that too for sums much less than what had been allocated to them.

Militant groups in Manipur recruiting kids


Imphal, Jul 14 : In what is seen as a move to recruit kids into their ranks, militant outfits in Manipur have been kidnapping school going boys claiming that they had joined their outfits willingly, official sources said.

In the second such incident within a week, two schoolboys reported missing from Thoubal Kiyam Siphai area in Thoubal district, were kidnapped by a militant group on July 8. The boys — A K Ajoy and A K Bipin — both aged 13 were studying in Class VIII, sources said.
Parents of both the boys told local media last evening that a thorough search for the kids had not yielded results.

Medha, mother of Bipin, said she received a telephone call on July 9 night from a spokesman of the banned People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (Prepak), General Secretary group, informing her that the boys were in custody of Prepak.

She said the caller had told her that the boys had joined the outfit ‘willingly’ but said that her son had gone to a nearby canal for fishing.

Both the parents said they had received calls from Prepak General Secretary group telling them not to approach police or media but said they had informed the Thoubal police. They were also told that the boys would be ‘released’ soon.

They said due to threats from the outfit they did not contact the media immediately and appealed to the Prepak General Secretary group to free the boys without harm.

Last week, two other boys, Y.Naobi (13) and Lan Ngamba (11), were kidnapped from Iroisemba in Imphal West district. Later a spoksman of the militant outfit Prepak Cobra Task Force group told the parents that the boys had ‘willingly’ joined the Prepak Cobra Task Force group.

Following public protest, Naobi and Ngamba were handed over to Iroisemba Youth Development Club by the militants on July 12, sources said.
PTI

Nigerian gangs use NE women for drug trafficking


New Delhi, Jul 14 : Anti-narcotic agents are worried over the increasing use of Indian women, sex workers included, by Nigerian cartels to smuggle out drugs. Until recently, Nigerian gangs in India were sending out heroin sourced from Afghanistan via Pakistan to Europe through unsuspecting courier companies. The traffickers would mostly conceal the drugs inside photo frames. They paid heavy service charges - no questions asked.

The modus operandi came to light when one booking agent found white powder leaking from a sealed parcel booked by a Nigerian. He opened it — only to find drugs.The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and Delhi Police cracked down immediately.

And then the Nigerian gangs changed tracks. “These days Nigerian drug syndicates have become extra smart. Now they do not book courier parcels themselves. They are exploiting girls from (northeastern) states,” NCB zonal director Sandeep Mittal told IANS.

“They first befriend those who are into prostitution. They lure them into drug trafficking by promising handsome sums of money. Some fall into their trap, unknowingly or knowingly,” Mittal added.

A study by Guwahati-based NGO Global Organisation for Life Development (GOLD) along with the police revealed that a shocking 20 percent involved in prostitution in the region were aged 11-17 years. Titled “Rise in Child Prostitution in Northeast”, the study lists poverty and displacement because of violence as prime reasons behind the increase in the number of young commercial sex workers in the region.

Asked how the Nigerian gangs touch base with Indian women, a top functionary of NCB said: “It is very simple. They meet them in bars and other happening places.

“They buy them drinks and exploit them. Before parting they request the women to do them a favour by booking a parcel with a courier company. At times they pay extra money to these women.

“Sometimes these women are aware what is in the parcel but mostly they are generally unaware.”

Places in the Indian capital where Nigerian gangs are said to be active include Satya Niketan, Munirka, Sadfarjung Enclave, Ber Sarai and Jiya Sarai in south Delhi and parts of north Delhi.

According to data with Delhi Police, around 2,500 Nigerians live in Delhi. NCB officials however put the figure at 8,000. Officials say most of them are living illegally without any genuine passport or with expired visa.

“The situation is slowly slipping out of our hands. We immediately need to take precautionary measures against Nigerian drug traffickers or they would spoil our young,” a Delhi Police officer said.

Presently more than 70 Nigerians are lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Central Jail. While 65 are on trial, 10 have been convicted.

IANS