EU bans oil imports from Iran, imposes other curbs

Tehran responds with threat to block Strait of Hormuz

A file photo shows a USS aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea.
The vessel passed through the Strait of Hormuz and is now in the Gulf.

Brussels/Tehran, Jan 23
The European Union banned imports of oil from Iran on Monday and imposed a number of other economic sanctions, joining the United States in a new round of measures aimed at deflecting Tehran's nuclear development programme.

In Iran, one politician responded by renewing a threat to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, an oil-exporting route vital to the global economy, and another said Tehran should cut off oil to the EU immediately. That might hurt Greece, Italy and other ailing economies that depend heavily on Iranian crude and, as a result, won as part of the EU agreement a grace period until July 1 before the embargo takes full effect.

A day after a US aircraft carrier, accompanied by a flotilla that included French and British warships, made a symbolically loaded voyage into the Gulf in defiance of Iranian hostility, the widely expected EU sanctions move was likely to set off further bellicose rhetoric in an already tense region. Some analysts say Iran, which denies accusations that it seeking nuclear weapons, could be in a position to make them next year.

So, with Israel warning it could use force to prevent that happening, the row over Tehran's plans is an increasingly pressing challenge for world leaders, not least U.S. President Barack Obama as he campaigns for re-election in November.

Meeting in Brussels, foreign ministers from the 27-state EU, which as a bloc is Iran's second-biggest customer for crude after China, agreed to an immediate ban on all new contracts to import, purchase or transport Iranian crude oil and petroleum products. However, EU countries with existing contracts to buy oil and petroleum products can honour them up to July 1.

EU officials said they also agreed to freeze the assets of Iran's central bank and ban trade in gold and other precious metals with the bank and state bodies. Along with US sanctions imposed on December 31, the Western powers hope choking exports and hence funding can force Iran's leaders to agree to curbs on a nuclear programme the West says is intended to yield weapons. 

India tells Norway to settle kids’ custody issue

New Delhi, January 23
As an Indian couple battles in Norway for the custody of their two children - taken away and sent to foster care by the Child Protective Services, India today asked the Scandinavian country to work out a settlement with the family of the two children.

External Affairs Minister S M Krishna called Norway’s Charge d’affaires Aslak Brun to his residence to discuss the issue and later spoke to his Norwegian counterpart.

Talking to reporters, he said he has come to the conclusion after the talks that a reasonable settlement could be worked out.

"This (settlement) has to be worked out with the family of the children," Krishna said when asked if any other solution to the issue was acceptable to the Indian government. Three-year-old Abhigyan and one-year-old Aishwarya, children of Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharya, an NRI couple living in Stavanger, Norway, were taken under protective care by Barnevarne (Norwegian Child Welfare Services) in May on the grounds that they were not looked after properly by their parents.

Barnevarne has placed them in foster parental care as per the directive of the local Norwegian court, mandated under Norwegian laws.

Asked about the couple’s visa that is likely to end in early March, Krishna said Norway was willing to accommodate the Indian government to the extent possible within the limits of jurisdiction. "If there are visa issues, I think it can be worked out," he said.

India has over the last two months issued a couple of strong demarche to Norway on its decision to separate the two Indian children from their NRI parents and conveyed that it felt it was "an extreme step and unjustified".

India joins select club, gets N-powered sub Nerpa

New Delhi, January 23

Russia has formally handed over Nerpa, a nuclear-powered submarine, to India. The submarine that has the capacity to fire nuclear warheads was today rechristened INS Chakra and it now flies the Indian Tricolour.

The submarine is on a 10-year lease to India under $ 900 million contract. The ceremony to name the submarine was conducted in the Far Eastern Primorye Territory. Russian submariners trained their Indian colleagues to handle Nerpa in the Pacific Ocean. The submarine is on its way to India and is expected to be here in the next few weeks, sources said

The vessel has the capacity to carry four 533mm torpedoes and four 650mm torpedos. Though the Russians, under the Missile Technology Control Regime, cannot give any N-tipped missiles with the submarine, India has its own missiles which match the size of the torpedo tubes available on Nerpa. The DRDO has already mimicked an under-water launch of a missile that could be fitted onto the indigenously produced INS Arihant.

After the US, Russia, France, Britain and China, India will become the sixth operator of nuclear submarines in the world.

Significantly for India, it will be almost after a gap of two decades that the Indian Navy will operate a nuclear-powered submarine. The country had earlier leased a submarine from Russia that was returned.

The submarine’s total displacement is 12,770 tonnes while its maximum speed is 30 knots. It can plunge into depths of 600 metres while its endurance to remain under water is 100 days. The under-water endurance of nuclear submarine is what makes it so potent. Diesel-electric powered submarines — which the Indian Navy uses — have to surface every 3-4 days to ‘breathe’. The Nerpa will have a crew of 73.

Reports from Moscow said that Indian Ambassador to Russia Ajai Malhotra attended the event, besides United Shipbuilding Corporation head Roman Trotsenko, Eastern Military District commander Admiral Konstantin Sidenko and other officials.

Plot to abduct Sachin: 8-yr jail for 6 HuJI men

New Delhi, January 23
The life sentences awarded to six Harkat-ul Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI) terrorists, including three Pakistani, by a trial court for plotting to kidnap cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly in 2002, were reduced to eight years each by the Delhi High Court today.

While upholding the trial court's 2010 judgment, a Bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and SP Garg modified the order on their sentence and reduced the life term awarded to them to eight years on the ground of parity. The HC reduced the sentence, acceding to the pleas of the HuJI militants that three other key accused, who had earlier confessed to their crime, were awarded 8 years' jail term in 2007 under the Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act.

The court's verdict came on appeals by three Pakistani convicts Tariq Mehmood, Arshad Khan and Ishaq Ahmed and their three Indian accomplices, Ghulam Mohammed Dar, Ghulam Qadir Bhat and Mufti Mohammed Israr, who had been convicted under the provisions of the POTA, the IPC and the Arms Act. 

Shoe hurled at Rahul Gandhi

Vikasnagar, January 23

A shoe was hurled towards Rahul Gandhi by a youth while he was addressing an election rally at a town, 40 km from  Dehradun, today.

The shoe fell 10 metres short of the Congress general secretary, Dehradun SSP G N Goswami said.

The youth, identified as Kuldip, was immediately taken into custody, Goswami said. As the security personnel and Congress supporters grabbed Kuldip, Rahul was heard saying, "Don't hit him". The shoe-hurling incident on Rahul came two days after a similar attack on Team Anna here.