NEWS DIGEST, MUMBAI : WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2009 International Security- DAVID HEADLEY CHASE Strong Headley links to 26/11. LeT operative called up contact in Pakistan ahead of terror attack. NIA gives Rahul Bhatt a clean chit, says he is a ‘witness’ and not a ‘suspect’. ( DNA, Mumbai) There is evidence to prove that Pakistan High Commission officials were in touch with David Headley and Rana ( Navbharat Times, Hindi ) Headley’s ‘meditation’ in Pune. The Osho Ashram in Pune has bungled by not sharing information about its foreign guests with the local police as per the law. ( Sakaal, Marathi) David Headley’s Bollywood connection being probed. Besides Rahul Bhatt, the terror suspect was also friendly with Imran Hashmi and Vivek Oberoi. He had also met Kangana Ranaut ( Lokmat, Marathi ) US -CHINA Obama’s Chin Chin Chu: In a major shift in its stand, United States has said Tibet is very much a part of China and called for talks between Beijing and Dalai Lama (Saamana / Loksatta, Marathi ) FINANCE SEBI to insist on margins upfront in cash - India’s capital markets regulator plans to make it mandatory for brokers to collect money upfront as margin from all investors before initiating trades in cash segment. SEBI’s Senior official said ,”It is not very transparent how brokers manage risk if client default is there, to avoid it we want to make client –level margin compulsory in the cash segment”.( Mint ) ENVIRONMENT Like US, government denies climate change” Environment activist Vandana Shiva has accused the Indian Government of toeing the US line on Climate change. Scientists being manipulated into saying wrong things.( DNA ) POLITICAL Strong RSS backing for Nitin Gadkari for BJP presidentship. Rajnath Singh likely to step down within a fortnight ( Lokmat, Marathi ) RSS aims to end personality cult. Gadkari as a Prez is a sign that the BJP is being rebuilt as a cadre based party. But Gadkari is a non-controversial politician with some track record, but little national presence ( DNA, Mumbai) OTHERS India 84th most corrupt country in the world, according to a survey by the Transparency International. While Somali, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Sudan are the most corrupt, New Zealand and Denmark are the cleanest ( DNA, Mumbai ) Editorial- Cophengagen Capers- The pre plan Copenhagen Climate Summit at Danish capital seems to be heading for a crash landing, with both developed and developing countries unable to reach an agreement. Prime Minister of Denmark has suggested a politically but not a legally binding agreement. US President Barack Obama’s statement that even the politically binding agreement to be reached at Copenhagen should become immediately operative does not sound convincing. The harsh truth is that there is a fear in both rich and poor countries that curbs on carbon emissions would mean curbs on economic growth. Rich countries have fear about losing affluence, and poor countries can never leave their poverty behind.The issue of climate change has to be turned into one of economic well being, which is understood by all rather than an intangible apocalypse. Once the people understand the issue, the politicians will fall in line.( DNA) PIB Mb/BG .