Couple slips though security to crash White House state dinner

Updated on : Thursday, November 26, 2009

WASHINGTON: Crashing a state dinner at the White House apparently takes a security breakdown as well as some kind of nerve.

The Secret Service is looking into its own security procedures after determining that a Virginia couple, Michaele and Tareq Salahi, managed to slip into Tuesday night's state dinner at the White House even though they were not on the guest list, agency spokesman Ed Donovan said.

President Barack Obama was never in any danger because the party crashers went through the same security screening for weapons as the 300-plus people actually invited to the dinner honoring Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Donovan said.

The Secret Service learned about the security breach Wednesday after a media inquiry prompted by the Salahis' online boasts about having attended the private event, Donovan said.

India want to boost nuclear cooperation with France: Manmohan

Updated on : Tuesday, July 14, 2009

NEW DELHI: With nuclear cooperation with France set to intensify, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed hope that his visit to France would lead to building up the partnership in atomic energy.

Mr Singh in his departure statement was clear that India was looking forward to building a strong civilian nuclear partnership with France, which was the first country India signed an agreement with after casting off the nuclear apartheid status.

“We would like to build upon our partnership in the areas of trade and investment, high technology, space, nuclear energy, defence, education, culture, tourism and scientific research and development,’’ said Mr Singh in a departure statement. He left for a five-day tour that will first take him to France and then to Egypt for the 15th Non-Aligned Summit.

Manmohan Singh sworn in as PM for 2nd term

Updated at: 2020 PST, Friday, May 22, 2009

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was sworn in for a second term Friday, amid a row between his Congress party and a key ally over cabinet posts following their resounding election triumph.

The 76-year-old, soft-spoken economist and 19 members of his cabinet took their oath of office from Indian president Pratibha Patil at the presidential palace in New Delhi. The portfolios of those sworn in have yet to be allocated.

A dispute over cabinet positions clouded the day, with a key regional ally from southern India, the DMK party, threatening to quit the alliance.

Singh is the first prime minister since India's first post-independence leader Jawaharlal Nehru to return to office after completing a full five-year term.

Congress had campaigned hard on a poverty-alleviation platform for India's rural millions, and voters also responded to the image of Singh as a steady, pragmatic leader capable of steering the country through an economic downturn.

His coalition won 262 seats in the 543-member national parliament, just 10 short of the 272 needed for a working majority.

The alliance quickly garnered pledges of support from independents and others to take its voting strength to 322.

But Singh and Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi have had to bargain hard with their electoral partners over the distribution of cabinet positions.

The sticking point in talks with the DMK, the biggest ally, has been over its demand for nine cabinet positions with the Congress willing to concede only six.

"We both have differing perceptions on this," a Congress official told AFP after Singh met senior party colleagues at his residence to try and finalise his cabinet.

"The prime minister thinks the people have spoken in favour of good governance and he intends to focus on performance and accountability while choosing his ministers. That is his prerogative," another Congress source said.

Manmohan to be sworn-in as Indian PM today

Updated at: 0704 PST, Friday, May 22, 2009

NEW DELHI: Dr. Manmohan Singh will be sworn-in as India's Prime Minister second consecutive term on Friday, May 22, in New Delhi.

Dr. Singh is armed with the support of 322 MPs, including those of the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

The oath-taking ceremony of the new UPA government will be held at the Central Hall of Rashtrapati Bhawan (Presidential Palace). The President will administer Oaths of Office and Secrecy.

The council of ministers is likely to be dominated by the Congress who has won 200 seats alone, is expected to keep the key cabinet portfolios, after the party's election sweep. The outgoing council of ministers had 78 members comprising 30 cabinet ministers, eight ministers of state with independent charge and 40 ministers of state or junior ministers.

Indian President having satisfied herself, on the basis of various letters of support received, that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) alliance, which is also the largest pre-election alliance, is in a position to command majority support of the newly constituted 15th Lok Sabha and to form a stable Government, appointed Dr. Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister and requested him to indicate the members of the new Council of Ministers.

Earlier, Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi met the president at Rashtrapati Bhavan Wednesday evening to stake claim to form government.

Manmohan Singh escapes shoe attack

Updated at: 2015 PST, Sunday, April 26, 2009

AHMEDABAD: A man hurled a shoe at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during an election rally in Ahmedabad on Sunday, in what has become a way of mark of protest during the ongoing Lok Sabha polls campaign. Security forces promptly detained the shoe-thrower and took himto Alicebridge police station. According to reports, the incident took place barely three or four minutes into PM’s speech when an urbane looking youth, apparently in his early 20s, sitting in the front row hurled a shoe towards the dais. The shoe, however failed to reach the intended target and fell short by a fair distance. The PM’s security immediately detained the miscreant after wrestling him to the ground. According to reports, the youth identified as Hitesh Chauhan and a student of Computer Engineering, is a resident of the city’s Bapunagar area. In his The PM, meanwhile, forgave the youth and has asked authorities not to lodge any case against him. The PM was in the city to address a rally of select audience, including Congress party workers, intellectuals and business people.

Sectarianism greatest threat to Pakistan: Manmohan Singh

Updated at: 1230 PST, Sunday, April 19, 2009

GAUHATI: Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh has said that sectarianism was the greatest threat to Pakistan.

Addressing a public meeting in Assam province’s capital city here, he said that Congress was not responsible for the martyrdom of Babri Masjid. He further said, “There was no room for violence in our politics.” Manmohan Singh said that he would not like to talk much about Lal Krishna Advani.

As regards, Pakistan’s nuclear assets, he said that this has been assured that it was in safe hands.