Pakistani-American David Headley, a terror suspect in the Mumbai attacks, will plead guilty before a US court tomorrow, a move that may get him a lighter sentence than the maximum death penalty. Headley, who was arrested by the FBI in October last year, will move a plea bargain which will be heard by US District Judge Harry Leinenweber tomorrow. "Yes, he will plead guilty," John Theis, Headley's lawyer, told PTI. He declined to comment on whether Headley would be pleading guilty to all or some of the charges against him.
The 49-year-old Lashkar-e-Toiba operative had pleaded not guilty to the 12-count superseding indictment filed against him on January 14. He had got away with a lesser sentence after he was arrested in 1998 for smuggling heroin into the US from Pakistan as he cooperated with the investigation in the case. He was sentenced to less than two years in prison and thereafter went to Pakistan to conduct undercover surveillance operations for the Drug Enforcement Administration. Son of a Pakistani diplomat and a Philadelphia socialite, Headley, a Chicago resident, faces six counts of conspiracy involving bombing public places in India, murdering and maiming persons in India and providing material support to foreign terrorist plots and LeT; and six counts of aiding and abetting the murder of US citizens in India.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Indian-American professor wins $500,000 US science award
Indian-American computer scientist Subhash Khot, most well known for his "Unique Games Conjecture", has received the prestigious National Science Foundation's (NSF) $500,000 Alan T. Waterman Award. The award is given annually to an outstanding young researcher in any field of science and engineering supported by the NSF. The honour includes a grant of $500,000 over three years for scientific research or advanced study in any field of science.
An Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay graduate, Khot is associate professor at the New York University's Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences. A theoretical computer scientist, he works in an area called "Computational Complexity" which seeks to understand the power and limits of efficient computation.
"Subhash Khot is a gifted and ambitious young scientist," said NSF Director Arden L. Bement, Jr. "He courageously tackles some of the most challenging computational problems, all the while advancing computer security, with vast consequences for the broader security of our personal identities, commercial interests, societal institutions...even for national security as a whole. "Subhash is a brilliant theoretical computer scientist and is most well known for his Unique Games Conjecture," added Jeannette Wing, assistant director for NSF's Computer Information Science and Engineering (CISE) directorate. "He has made many unexpected and original contributions to computational complexity and his work draws connections among optimisation, computer science, and mathematics."
Khot has made significant inroads to identifying "computational intractability" or problems that cannot be solved fast. He has uncovered a problem about probabilistic games called "the Unique Games Problem". His work shows that it lies at the core of a variety of intractable computational problems, NSF said. Khot has received an NSF Career Award, a Sloan Foundation Fellowship, and a Microsoft New Faculty Fellowship. With his colleagues at NYU, Princeton, Rutgers University, and the Institute for Advanced Study, he is part of a $10-million NSF "Expeditions in Computing" grant under which the researchers are seeking to bridge fundamental gaps in our understanding of computational intractability. Khot did his doctorate in computer science from Princeton University in 2003. Currently, an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science at the Courant Institute, Khot was previously an assistant professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology (2004-07).
An Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay graduate, Khot is associate professor at the New York University's Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences. A theoretical computer scientist, he works in an area called "Computational Complexity" which seeks to understand the power and limits of efficient computation.
"Subhash Khot is a gifted and ambitious young scientist," said NSF Director Arden L. Bement, Jr. "He courageously tackles some of the most challenging computational problems, all the while advancing computer security, with vast consequences for the broader security of our personal identities, commercial interests, societal institutions...even for national security as a whole. "Subhash is a brilliant theoretical computer scientist and is most well known for his Unique Games Conjecture," added Jeannette Wing, assistant director for NSF's Computer Information Science and Engineering (CISE) directorate. "He has made many unexpected and original contributions to computational complexity and his work draws connections among optimisation, computer science, and mathematics."
Khot has made significant inroads to identifying "computational intractability" or problems that cannot be solved fast. He has uncovered a problem about probabilistic games called "the Unique Games Problem". His work shows that it lies at the core of a variety of intractable computational problems, NSF said. Khot has received an NSF Career Award, a Sloan Foundation Fellowship, and a Microsoft New Faculty Fellowship. With his colleagues at NYU, Princeton, Rutgers University, and the Institute for Advanced Study, he is part of a $10-million NSF "Expeditions in Computing" grant under which the researchers are seeking to bridge fundamental gaps in our understanding of computational intractability. Khot did his doctorate in computer science from Princeton University in 2003. Currently, an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science at the Courant Institute, Khot was previously an assistant professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology (2004-07).
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
IIM Calcutta graduate to get high salaries
KOLKATA: Indian Institute of Management-Calcutta (IIM-C) has turned out to be the first choice of recruiters with the best pay packets in this year's campus placements. One of its students has bagged a record $350,000 (Rs 1.6 crore) offer from a global investment bank based in South East Asia and two more have been offered packages of over Rs 1 crore.
What's more, IIM-C got 91 slot-zero offers (when the largest firms give out the best salaries). That's the highest among all IIMs on Day 1 and 2, say sources. IIM-Bangalore, the second best, is way behind with 64 offers, and IIM-Ahmedabad students got 50 offers during the first two days of placements based on the newly introduced 'cohort system'. These figures exclude pre-placement offers. The three in the crore-plus bracket will join as associates of investment banks in London and Singapore.
There were initial hints that IIM-Ahmedabad had bagged the highest offer of Rs 1.44 crore while IIM-Bangalore's best pay packet was Rs 1.14 crore this year. Later, sources in IIM-C confirmed that one of its students has bagged the highest offer — a staggering Rs 1.6 crore a year. The highest domestic package bagged by an IIM-C student is more than Rs 60 lakh annually for an I-bank's Mumbai office.
Officials, however, refused to confirm the figures or reveal the names of the students. The IIM-C placement process kicked off on Saturday, with financial bigwigs and global consulting firms opening the account. UBS, the Swiss investment bank, hired exclusively from IIM-C. Temasek Holdings, the investment arm of the Singapore government, drew the largest number of its recruits from IIM-C compared to other B-schools in the country. So did Oliver Wyman, a US-based consulting firm, which hired IIM-C students for its offices in New York, London, Singapore and Dubai.
What's more, IIM-C got 91 slot-zero offers (when the largest firms give out the best salaries). That's the highest among all IIMs on Day 1 and 2, say sources. IIM-Bangalore, the second best, is way behind with 64 offers, and IIM-Ahmedabad students got 50 offers during the first two days of placements based on the newly introduced 'cohort system'. These figures exclude pre-placement offers. The three in the crore-plus bracket will join as associates of investment banks in London and Singapore.
There were initial hints that IIM-Ahmedabad had bagged the highest offer of Rs 1.44 crore while IIM-Bangalore's best pay packet was Rs 1.14 crore this year. Later, sources in IIM-C confirmed that one of its students has bagged the highest offer — a staggering Rs 1.6 crore a year. The highest domestic package bagged by an IIM-C student is more than Rs 60 lakh annually for an I-bank's Mumbai office.
Officials, however, refused to confirm the figures or reveal the names of the students. The IIM-C placement process kicked off on Saturday, with financial bigwigs and global consulting firms opening the account. UBS, the Swiss investment bank, hired exclusively from IIM-C. Temasek Holdings, the investment arm of the Singapore government, drew the largest number of its recruits from IIM-C compared to other B-schools in the country. So did Oliver Wyman, a US-based consulting firm, which hired IIM-C students for its offices in New York, London, Singapore and Dubai.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Sonia Gandhi, Nooyi in Asia's 8 top power women
WASHINGTON: Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Pepsico's India-born CEO Indra Nooyi and ICICI Bank chief Chanda Kochhar figure in CNN's list of eight of Asia's top power women.
Taking a "look at the key women who are shaping Asia's political and economic landscape" on the occasion of 100th International Women's Day, the CNN's list is headed by China's "Paper Queen" Zhang Yin.
Indra Nooyi, in the second place, "lords over some 185,000 corporate minions in close to 200 countries", notes CNN. "Nooyi's hard-as-nails leadership and her sense of fun (one-time lead guitarist in an all-girls rock band still performs regularly at corporate functions) has earned her spots on many 'best leader' lists in the US," it adds.
"Converted Indian Sonia Gandhi's story reads like a soap opera," says CNN of the third-placed Italy born president of the Indian National Congress and chairperson of ruling United Progressive Alliance.
"Born Edvige Antonia Albina Maino in Italy, she met future husband and Indian political aristocrat Rajiv Gandhi at Cambridge and tied the knot four years later. Rajiv became India's prime minister but was assassinated in 1991.
"Years later (Sonia) Gandhi entered politics as a primary member of the Congress before rising through the ranks to become party leader in 1998.
"Under her leadership, the Congress become the Lok Sabha's single largest political party."
Fifth placed "Chandra Kochhar is no stranger to 'key women' lists," notes CNN. The head of ICICI Bank -- India's second largest bank -- has frequently been named in Fortune's "Most Powerful Women in Business" list. Last year she figured among Forbes' "World's 100 Most Powerful Women".
"Little wonder, considering how the mother of two is responsible for some 15 million customers in India, which makes up a third of India's retail lending," it says.
Others on the list are Ho Ching (4), wife of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and CEO of Singapore's government-owned investment company Temasek, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (6), Hyun Jeong-eun (7), chairwoman of massive South Korean conglomerate Hyundai, and Indonesia's Finance Minister Sri Indrawati (8).
Taking a "look at the key women who are shaping Asia's political and economic landscape" on the occasion of 100th International Women's Day, the CNN's list is headed by China's "Paper Queen" Zhang Yin.
Indra Nooyi, in the second place, "lords over some 185,000 corporate minions in close to 200 countries", notes CNN. "Nooyi's hard-as-nails leadership and her sense of fun (one-time lead guitarist in an all-girls rock band still performs regularly at corporate functions) has earned her spots on many 'best leader' lists in the US," it adds.
"Converted Indian Sonia Gandhi's story reads like a soap opera," says CNN of the third-placed Italy born president of the Indian National Congress and chairperson of ruling United Progressive Alliance.
"Born Edvige Antonia Albina Maino in Italy, she met future husband and Indian political aristocrat Rajiv Gandhi at Cambridge and tied the knot four years later. Rajiv became India's prime minister but was assassinated in 1991.
"Years later (Sonia) Gandhi entered politics as a primary member of the Congress before rising through the ranks to become party leader in 1998.
"Under her leadership, the Congress become the Lok Sabha's single largest political party."
Fifth placed "Chandra Kochhar is no stranger to 'key women' lists," notes CNN. The head of ICICI Bank -- India's second largest bank -- has frequently been named in Fortune's "Most Powerful Women in Business" list. Last year she figured among Forbes' "World's 100 Most Powerful Women".
"Little wonder, considering how the mother of two is responsible for some 15 million customers in India, which makes up a third of India's retail lending," it says.
Others on the list are Ho Ching (4), wife of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and CEO of Singapore's government-owned investment company Temasek, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (6), Hyun Jeong-eun (7), chairwoman of massive South Korean conglomerate Hyundai, and Indonesia's Finance Minister Sri Indrawati (8).
In US, Muslim women challenge mosque gender separation
WASHINGTON: A group of Muslim women have risked arrest as they sought to pray in the main area of the Islamic Centre of Washington -- an area ordinarily reserved exclusively for men.
"Wooden barriers have to be taken down and women have to be allowed to join, to pray behind the men in the main praying area. That's our request," said Fatima Thompson, an American Muslim who converted to the faith 18 years ago.
"We are against gender segregation, against the fact that women are put aside or in a totally different room at the mosque," added Thompson, who led the group of female protestors, all self-identified progressive Muslims.
The yesterday protest was the second time women have sought to share the main prayer area at the mosque in Washington DC, after a group of 20 women first tried in February.
"The general issue we are pushing is gender segregation and the ramifications it fosters. It's not healthy, and not reflective of our society here. It's very reflective of very restrictive, ultra orthodox societies," Thompson added.
Their hair covered with headscarves, the group of six women entered the mosque's prayer area via the main door usually reserved for men and walked through to the room where around 20 men had already arrived. Women and children ordinarily enter the Washington mosque, located in the city's embassy district, through a small door hidden behind a screen.
"Wooden barriers have to be taken down and women have to be allowed to join, to pray behind the men in the main praying area. That's our request," said Fatima Thompson, an American Muslim who converted to the faith 18 years ago.
"We are against gender segregation, against the fact that women are put aside or in a totally different room at the mosque," added Thompson, who led the group of female protestors, all self-identified progressive Muslims.
The yesterday protest was the second time women have sought to share the main prayer area at the mosque in Washington DC, after a group of 20 women first tried in February.
"The general issue we are pushing is gender segregation and the ramifications it fosters. It's not healthy, and not reflective of our society here. It's very reflective of very restrictive, ultra orthodox societies," Thompson added.
Their hair covered with headscarves, the group of six women entered the mosque's prayer area via the main door usually reserved for men and walked through to the room where around 20 men had already arrived. Women and children ordinarily enter the Washington mosque, located in the city's embassy district, through a small door hidden behind a screen.
Monday, March 1, 2010
'US-China relationship has to get back to business quickly'
The relationship between China and the United States, which has gone through a bumpy ride, has to get back on track as soon as possible, a top Obama Administration official has said.
"We've gone through a bit of a bumpy path here, and I think there's an interest both within the United States and China to get back to business as usual as quickly as possible," Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs P J Crowley said.
The acknowledgment comes in the wake of the differences between the two countries and even exchange of words on key issues like human rights, arms sale to Taiwan, the Dalai Lama meeting President Obama and Iran.
US Deputy Secretary of State Jim Steinberg is visiting Beijing this week to discuss with Chinese officials on a wide range of issues.
"We have a very broad, deep, complex relationship with China. There are many areas where we have achieved a consensus view. North Korea would be a great example of that. There are some areas where we do not yet have a convergent view. Iran might be an example of that," Crowley said.
"We have different perceptions of our national interest, you know, when you talk about dialogue with the Dalai Lama, for example, or you talk about regional security issues, perhaps involving Taiwan," Crowley said, adding that he expects that the US Deputy Secretary will talk about the full range of these issues.
"We have a common interest in stability in the region; we have a common interest in working together on issues like climate and the environment. We have a common interest in working on issues such as piracy in and around the Horn of Africa," he said.
The US-China relationship, which has recently seen some issues crop up, could be refocused with both the countries having the opportunity to understand each others perspective and views, Crowley added.
"We've gone through a bit of a bumpy path here, and I think there's an interest both within the United States and China to get back to business as usual as quickly as possible," Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs P J Crowley said.
The acknowledgment comes in the wake of the differences between the two countries and even exchange of words on key issues like human rights, arms sale to Taiwan, the Dalai Lama meeting President Obama and Iran.
US Deputy Secretary of State Jim Steinberg is visiting Beijing this week to discuss with Chinese officials on a wide range of issues.
"We have a very broad, deep, complex relationship with China. There are many areas where we have achieved a consensus view. North Korea would be a great example of that. There are some areas where we do not yet have a convergent view. Iran might be an example of that," Crowley said.
"We have different perceptions of our national interest, you know, when you talk about dialogue with the Dalai Lama, for example, or you talk about regional security issues, perhaps involving Taiwan," Crowley said, adding that he expects that the US Deputy Secretary will talk about the full range of these issues.
"We have a common interest in stability in the region; we have a common interest in working together on issues like climate and the environment. We have a common interest in working on issues such as piracy in and around the Horn of Africa," he said.
The US-China relationship, which has recently seen some issues crop up, could be refocused with both the countries having the opportunity to understand each others perspective and views, Crowley added.
Another Indian-American chosen by Obama administration
WASHINGTON: In yet another appointment of Indian-Americans in the Obama administration, an eminent attorney from the community has been chosen for the US President's Advisory Committee on the Arts. Obama has appointed eminent Indian-American attorney, Amy K Singh, as President's Advisory Committee on the Arts for the prestigious John F Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, the White House has said. Based in Obama's home town Chicago, Singh practises in areas of entertainment, advertising and marketing, and provides counsel to clients on event production and promotion, television production, talent and other matters.
Before starting her own practice, she held several positions, including as general counsel/senior vice president of DDB Chicago Inc, and as an associate in the Chicago office of the firm now known as Sidley Austin LLP. Singh was a member of the junior board of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is currently on the board of the Mikva Challenge. She works to support the arts and youth which develops civic leadership in Chicago's high school youth, the White House added.
Before starting her own practice, she held several positions, including as general counsel/senior vice president of DDB Chicago Inc, and as an associate in the Chicago office of the firm now known as Sidley Austin LLP. Singh was a member of the junior board of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is currently on the board of the Mikva Challenge. She works to support the arts and youth which develops civic leadership in Chicago's high school youth, the White House added.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)