Tourism ministry to set up multi-lingual helpline

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NEW DELHI: Tourism ministry will set up a multi-lingual helpline to provide tourism-related information and local assistance to foreign travelers.

Initially, the helpline will be in French, German, Spanish, Korean and Italian besides Hindi and English. The helpline will be a 1800 number that will be accessible from anywhere in India and should start functioning in the new calendar year.

The primary objective of the proposed helpline is to provide tourism-related information. The proposal was mooted at a meeting with the representatives of leading travel trade associations held in the ministry of tourism.

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Space Pictures This Week: Ice “Broccoli,” Solar Storm

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'Fiscal cliff' deal talk, Apple lift US stocks at year-end

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WASHINGTON: US markets closed out the year on Monday with a sharp jump on news that Congress was close to a deal to avert the fiscal cliff - but also on a 4.4 percent gain by market giant Apple.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 166.03 points (1.28 percent) at 13,104.14.

The broad-market S&P 500 gained 23.79 points (1.69 percent) at 1,426.19, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite surged 59.20 points (2.00 percent) to 3,019.51.

The gains reversed losses of the previous week when cliff worries were strong, and left the main indices with respectable gains for the year: 7.3 percent for the Dow, 13.4 percent for the S&P 500, and 15.9 percent for the Nasdaq.

With a midnight deadline looming to avert the sharp tax hikes and spending cuts aimed at slashing the fiscal deficit - but which could force a recession - the White House and congressional leaders said a deal was nigh that would mitigate the worst effects.

Nothing was certain: while the Senate was expected to pass the compromise legislation after it is finalised, possibly before the midnight Monday deadline, in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, where resistance could be tougher, the vote would not be before Tuesday.

But the markets pushed higher in expectation that the immediate threat of more than $400 billion in tax increases would mostly be avoided.

"A compromise over taxes and spending would be an important step that supports economic growth in the year ahead," said Gary Thayer, strategist at Wells Fargo Advisors.

Major shares were nearly all in the green, led by Apple's surge.

The world's most valuable company by market capitalisation - an even $500 billion at the end of trade on Monday - was a major driver of the markets ruing the year. Even though its price at Monday's close, $532.17, was well below the year's high of $705.07, Apple shares still racked up a 25.8 percent gain for 2012.

Other major gainers on Monday included ExxonMobil, up 1.8 percent; General Electric (2.6 percent); and Caterpillar (2.8 percent).

Bond prices fell. The 10-year US Treasury yield rose to 1.76 percent from 1.71 percent Friday, while the 30-year moved to 2.95 percent from 2.88 percent. Bond prices and yields move inversely.

- AFP/de



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Delhi gang-rape: Nirbhaya case rarest of rare, Krishna Tirath says

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NEW DELHI: Favouring imprisonment till death for the six accused in the Nirbhaya gang rape, Union minister Krishna Tirath on Monday said that the case was an exceptional one and should be treated as "rarest of rare".

Following hectic consultations last week with over 40 NGOs, social and women's rights activists, the ministry plans to consult with the ministries of home and law to recommend life term without parole till the natural death of all accused, including the juvenile offender.

Speaking on the issue, Tirath, who holds the charge for the ministry of women and child development, said, "I am of the opinion that an exception should be made in this case keeping in view the sheer brutality of the crime. My view is that the accused should be subjected to harshest punishment possible. This could be life imprisonment without parole till the natural death of the accused. The juvenile offender in this case should also be treated as an adult."

Tirath will meet home minister Sushilkumar Shinde and law minister Ashwani Kumar on January 4 to finalize the government's recommendations before they are submitted to the Justice Verma Committee. Incidentally, when a court awards life imprisonment to a convict in a heinous crime, it means the guilty is to spend the rest of his life behind bars.

But given the reformative sentence system operational in India, the state has been vested with the discretion of commuting the sentence if the prisoner exhibits good conduct for a prolonged period erasing any perception of being a threat to society. A prisoner can apply for release from jail on grounds of good conduct after completion of 14 years in prison.

Over the past several years, the discretionary power has been utilized to grant relief to everyone across the board even in cases where a person is sentenced to life after being found guilty of heinous crime.

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Space Pictures This Week: Ice “Broccoli,” Solar Storm

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Fiscal Cliffhanger: Tax Deal 'Within Sight,' Not Done

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President Obama said an 11th-hour agreement to avert year-end tax hikes on 98 percent of Americans is "within sight" but not yet complete with just hours to go before the nation reaches the so-called fiscal cliff.


"There are still issues left to resolve but we're hopeful Congress can get it done," Obama said at a midday White House news conference. "But it's not done."


Congressional and White House negotiators have forged the contours of an agreement that would extend current tax rates for households making $450,000 or less; raise the estate tax from 35 to 40 percent for estates larger than $5 million; and prevent the Alternative Minimum Tax from hammering millions of middle-class workers, sources said.


The deal would also extend for one year unemployment insurance benefits set to expire Tuesday, and avert a steep cut to Medicare payments for doctors.


"I can report that we've reached an agreement on the all the tax issues," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said in an afternoon speech on the Senate floor.


But Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., was among the less conciliatory Republicans.
Rather than staging a "cheerleading rally," he said, the president should have been negotiating the finishing touches of the deal.






Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images











'Fiscal Cliff': Lawmakers Scramble for Last-Minute Deal Watch Video









"What did the president of the United States just do? Well, he kind of made fun, he made a couple of jokes, laughed about how people are going to be here for New Year's, sent a message of confrontation to the Republicans," McCain said. "I guess I have to wonder, and I think the American people have to wonder whether the president really wants this issue resolved or is it to his short-term political benefit for us to go over the cliff?"


McCain said the president's speech today "clearly will antagonize members of the House," and "that's not the way presidents should lead."


Both sides remained at odds on what to do about the other significant piece of the "fiscal cliff" -- the more than $1 trillion of automatic cuts to defense and domestic programs set to begin tomorrow.


The White House has proposed a three-month delay of the cuts to allow more time to hash out details for deficit reduction, while many Senate Democrats want a flat one-year delay. Republicans insist that some spending cuts should be implemented now as part of any deal.


"In order to get the sequester moved, you're going to have to have real, concrete spending cuts," Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., said. "[Without that], I don't know how it passes the House."


Vice President Joe Biden and McConnell, R-Ky., have been locked in behind-the-scenes negotiations for much of the day, sources said, following several "good" conversations that stretched late into Sunday night.


"We are very, very close," McConnell said today. "We can do this. We must do this."


If a deal is reached between Biden and McConnell, members in both chambers would still need to review it and vote on it later today. Passage is far from guaranteed.


"This is one Democrat that doesn't agree with that at all," Iowa Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin said of the tentative deal. "No deal is better than a bad deal, and this looks like a very bad deal the way this is shaping up."


"I don't see how you get something voted on today," Rogers said. "Even if they get a handshake deal today, you have to put the whole thing together and that's probably not going to happen before midnight. So it would make sense to roll into tomorrow to do that."






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Senate negotiators search for deal to avoid the ‘fiscal cliff’

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell appealed directly to Vice President Biden Sunday to try to break an impasse in negotiations over a last-ditch deal to avoid the “fiscal cliff,” as Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid stepped back from talks.


McConnell came to the Senate floor and announced he’d reached out directly to the White House for help shortly after Democratic aides said negotiations between McConnell (R-Ky.) and Reid (D-Nev.) had suffered a “major setback.”


Democrats said Republicans had demanded a politically contentious reduction in Social Security benefits in exchange for President Obama’s request to extend emergency unemployment benefits and cancel deep cuts to the Pentagon and other agency budgets. A Democratic aide close to the talks described the request as a “poison pill.”

But when he spoke on the Senate floor Sunday afternoon, Reid said McConnell has been negotiating in “absolutely good faith.” Reid seemed to suggest that the stalemate was the fault of Democrats and the White House, who had been unable to produce a counter-offer to a proposal McConnell delivered to Reid’s office Saturday evening — nearly 19 hours earlier.

“I have had a number of conversations with the president, and at this stage we’re not able to make a counter-offer,” Reid said, adding of McConnell’s talks with Biden: “I wish them well.”

Biden has not been involved in the talks to this point, but he and McConnell have a long history of working together to break difficult legislative logjams. Senior Republican aides said McConnell decided to turn to Biden after it became apparent that aides to Reid were slow-walking the negotiations.

McConnell presented Reid with his first proposal Friday evening. Democrats then waited until 3 p.m. Saturday to respond and, after a flurry of activity Saturday evening, went dark after receiving McConnell’s latest proposal at 7:10 p.m.

Most, if not all, of the GOP proposals sought to change the measure of inflation for Social Security, senior Republican aides said, adding that Democrats had not indicated until Sunday that it was a deal-breaker.

“There’s no single issue that remains an impossible sticking point,” McConnell said on the Senate floor. “The sticking point appears to be the willingness and interest or frankly the courage to close the deal. I want everyone to know, I’m willing to get this done, but I need a dance partner.”

The abrupt developments in negotiations came after a brief interlude of unusual optimism.

The Democratic aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations, said Democrats had shown flexibility over the weekend on the major sticking points involving taxes. They had not ruled out maintaining the tax on inherited estates at the current low rate, as Republicans prefer. And they had been open to a deal that would allow taxes to rise on many fewer wealthy households than Obama had proposed. Republicans were seeking tax increases only on income higher than $400,000 or $500,000 a year, while Obama wanted to set the threshold at $250,000 a year.

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E. Timor bids farewell to peacekeepers after 13 years

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DILI: The UN ends its peacekeeping mission in East Timor Monday after 13 years of boots on the ground in Asia's youngest nation following a bloody transition to independence.

The mission, which saw the presence of some 1,500 UN troops and police, will take down its flag and send home the last of its peacekeepers, including five Portuguese officers, while a "liquidation team" of 79 will remain to tie up loose ends.

The mission began withdrawing troops in earnest in October when national police resumed responsibility for security, following the peaceful election of a new president and parliament.

"The Timorese people and its leaders have shown courage and unswerving resolve to overcome great challenges," United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) chief Finn Reske-Nielsen said in a statement.

"Although there remains much work ahead, this is an historic moment in recognising the progress already made."

Reske-Nielsen said the withdrawal did not mark an end to the partnership between the UN and the country, officially called Timor-Leste, as "challenges still remain".

"As peacekeepers depart, we look forward to a new phase in this relationship focusing on social and economic development."

Observers say there is little indication that there will be renewed violence in the short term, but public institutions, including the police force and judiciary, remain weak.

There are also concerns that rampant poverty, high unemployment rates among the youth and a fast-growing population could lead to future unrest.

Government critics have highlighted the economy's heavy reliance on significant but depleting offshore oil and gas reserves that they say benefit urban Timorese more than the regional poor.

The UN played a key role in the birth of East Timor, organising the 1999 vote that ended Indonesia's 24-year occupation, in which around 183,000 people -- then a quarter of the population -- died from fighting, starvation or disease.

It oversaw East Timor until 2002, when an independent government took over.

UN peacekeepers streamed in again in 2006, when a mass desertion among the armed forces prompted fighting between military factions and police, and street violence left at least 37 people dead and tens of thousands displaced.

The only major violence since was a failed assassination attempt on then-President Jose Ramos-Horta in 2008.

- AFP/jc



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Tourists boom brings back smiles on hoteliers in Manali

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MANALI: Quenching the thirst of tourism industry of Manali, which had been plagued by slowdown, large number of tourists have belatedly thronged here for New Year celebration and the town has been jammed with the crowd of visitors from all over the country.

Most of the hotels are fully occupied, while others doing better than the average business. People involved in tourism business were shocked after lean Christmas season. But, unexpected flow of tourists has brought back smiles on their faces. Thousands of tourists have thronged Solang, Hadimba Temple, Vashisht and all tourist places of Manali. Recent snowfall has also proved fruitful for Manali, which is attracting more and more tourists.

Over three dozen luxury and ordinary buses plying on Delhi-Manali route are already booked for next few days and tourists are facing problems in reaching Manali. Most of them are opting for personal cars and tourist cabs. "All Volvo buses to Manali had already been booked and we had to spend Rs 5,000 more to hire a car on Saturday evening," Vikram Seth from Delhi said, who is in Manali along with his family for New Year celebrations.

Over 10,000 tourists on Sunday reached Solang valley, the snow point of Manali. Even more tourists are expected on December 31. Fearing overcrowd in Srinagar, Joshi family from Ahmadabad decided to visit Manali at the last stage. "Our travel agent suggested us to visit either Shimla or Manali and we opted for Manali. We had lot of fun during snowfall but had not expected the crowd here," Ashish Joshi said.

According to data from Manali green tax barrier, number of vehicles entering the area has increased many folds in last two days. Seeing the crowd of tourists, Manali Beopar Mandal decided to open the market on Sunday, which otherwise remains closed. Good flow of tourists seems like healing the wounds of tourism entrepreneurs who have made special arrangements for New Year celebrations.

While private hotels have arranged for DJ parties and Himachal folk dance, the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) is organizing New Year party at its Club house in Manali. HPTDC assistant general manager Mohan Lal Sharma said couple can enjoy delicious food, couple games and folk dances on New Year eve and 2013 Miss Queen contest would be the main attraction, he said.

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Cliffhanger: 'Major Setback' For Budget Talks

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With less than two days remaining for Congress to reach a budget agreement that would avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff," ABC News has learned that negotiations have reached a "major setback."


According to Democratic sources the row was sparked when the GOP offered a proposal that included a new method of calculating entitlement benefits with inflation. Called the "chained consumer price index," or Chained CPI, the strategy has been criticized by some Democrats because it would lower cost of living increases for Social Security recipients.


"We thought it was mutually understood that it was off the table for a scaled-back deal," an aide said. "It's basically a poison pill."


President Obama has floated chained CPI in the past as part of a grand bargain, despite opposition from the AARP and within his own party.


Also in the Republican plan brought today: An extension of the current estate tax and no increase in the debt ceiling. Higher income earners would see their taxes increase, but at levels "well above $250,000," the sources said.


That "major setback" in the talks was evident on the floor of the Senate this afternoon.


"I'm concerned about the lack of urgency here, I think we all know we are running out of time," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said, "I want everyone to know I am willing to get this done, but I need a dance partner."






J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo











Sens. Charles Schumer and Jon Kyl on 'This Week' Watch Video











Fiscal Cliff Negotiations: Could Economy Slip Back into Recession? Watch Video





McConnell said he submitted the Republican's latest offer to Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., at 7:10 pm last night and was willing to work through the night. Reid promised to get back to him at 10 this morning, but has yet to do so.


Why have the Democrats not come up with a counteroffer? Reid admitted it himself moments later.


"At this stage we're not able to make a counteroffer," Reid said noting that he's had numerous conversations with Obama, but the two parties are still far apart on some big issues, "I don't have a counteroffer to make. Perhaps as the day wears on I will be able to."


McConnell said he believes there is no major issue that is the sticking point but rather, "the sticking point appears to be a willingness, an interest, or frankly the courage to close the deal."


Reid said the fiscal cliff negotiations are getting "real close" to falling apart completely.


"At some point in the negotiating process, it appears that there are things that stop us from moving forward," he said. "I hope we're not there but we're getting real close and that's why I still hold out hope that we can get something done. But I'm not overly optimistic but I am cautiously optimistic that we can get something done."


Reid said there are serious difference between the two sides, starting with Social Security. He said Democrats are not willing to cut Social Security benefits as part of a smaller, short-term agreement, as was proposed in the latest Republican proposal.


"We're not going to have any Social Security cuts. At this stage it just doesn't seem appropriate," he said. "We're open to discussion about entitlement reforms, but we're going to have to take a different direction. The present status will not work."


Reid said that even 36 hours before the country could go over the cliff, he remains "hopeful" but "realistic," about the prospects of reaching an agreement.


"The other side is intentionally demanding concessions they know we are not willing to make," he said.






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