MELBOURNE, Dec 22 (UNI): IBT Education Ltd, an Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) listed company, has announced the takeover of the largest British education consultancy in India, Study Overseas Ltd (SOL) and its associate company Employment Overseas Ltd (EOL) for a combined consideration of 3.74 million pounds.
"We are extremely pleased to add SOL's extensive Indian market coverage to our strong student recruitment presence in China through EduGlobal China," Chief Executive Officer Rod Jones said in a statement to the ASX.
SOL is stated to be a provider of student recruitment services to UK educational institutions and has ten liasion offices in Delhi, Mumbai (two offices), Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Coimbatore and Visakhapatnam.
The acquisition of SOL will provide IBT with extensive representation in the significant overseas student markets of India and China and further expand IBT's global education services offering, the CEO added.
"SOL provides us with ten recruitment offices throughout India and we expect SOL to expand its network further into other major centres in the country in the future," he said.
IBT Education is viewing EOL (SOUK) as a vehicle to enter the British market especially London which is considered a major centre for overseas students looking to study in the UK.
The latest acquisition would allow Australians to recruit British students looking to study in Australia.
This objective would be even more easier to achieve as SOL and EOL (SOUK) have recently diversified and added student recruitment services to Australian educational institutions.
The demand for Australian education from both Indian and British students, according to the IBT statement, has seen significant increases over the last few years.
As EOL (SOUK) also offers employment and immigration services, IBT Education would get significant competitive advantages as they can offer such services to both overseas students on completion of their courses.
Pakistan court adjourns case linked to London plot RAWALPINDI, Pakistan, Dec 22 (Reuters): A Pakistani court adjourned a hearing today into charges against a Pakistani-British man suspected of being a key figure in a plot to blow up airliners over the Atlantic Ocean, his lawyer said.
Pakistani officials in August identified the suspect, Rashid Rauf, as a "key person" in a plot broken up by British police that month, to carry out suicide bombings on airliners travelling from London to the United States.
Last week, a Pakistani anti-terrorism court dropped terrorism charges against Rauf because of a lack of evidence, his lawyer said, and referred lesser charges to a civil court.
Rauf appeared in a court in Rawalpindi today, but the judge adjourned the hearing until January 5, at the request of the defence.
Rauf, wraped in a black shawl and wearing a white Muslim prayer cap, rejected the accusations against him.
"Wrong, injustice," he said to reporters when asked about the charges.
Asked if he thought he would get justice, the bearded young man said: "Let's see".
Rauf faced charges of forgery, impersonation and possessing explosives, said his lawyer, Hashmat Habib.
The prosecution accused Rauf of possessing hydrogen peroxide with the intention of making bombs but Habib said he would tell the court it was an antiseptic chemical that could be used for healing wounds.
British police said on August 10 they had foiled a plot to use liquid explosives to bring down several airliners on their way to the United States.
British police have charged 17 people in connection with the plot.
Pakistan said in August it had arrested seven people in connection with the plot, including two British Muslims of Pakistani descent, one identified as Rauf.
Rauf, who a Pakistani official said had been in contact with an al Qaeda operative in Afghanistan, is the only suspect in Pakistan who has been identified.
According to reports, Rauf left Britain and travelled to Pakistan in 2002 after the murder in Britain of an uncle.
After the Heathrow plot was exposed, Britain said it was seeking Rauf's extradition.
Pakistan said it was considering the request.
A British official said the extradition request had been made in connection with an investigation into the murder.
Unfair parliamentary election to impair Pakistan's ties with EU ISLAMABAD, Dec 22 (UNI): The visiting European Union (EU) delegation has made it clear to Pakistan that if the 2007 parliamentary elections are not held in a fair and transparent manner, the country stands a chance of impairing its relations with the EU.
"The general elections 2007 should be held in a transparent manner, with complete schedule being announced well in advance of six months, enabling the EU monitoring team to survey the pre-election and post-election procedures carefully," Pakistan's private online news agency quoted British Parliament member Nina Gill as saying in Lahore.
Gill, who heads the seven-member EU parliamentary delegation said that Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf had assured them of "keeping his promises".
However, Gill and other members of the delegation member declined to comment when asked why the EU had so far supported a president in uniform.
Commenting on General Musharraf's four-point formula on settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir issue, the delegation said that the formula was quite viable and had been responded to positively by India.
The formula envisages demilitarisation, self-governance and joint management in the disputed Himalayan region.
India has already welcomed the formula, which General Musharraf spelt out at least twice since last August during his interactions with Indian media.
The delegation also expressed satisfaction over Pakistan's trade relations with the EU, and said that the third generation trade accords with Pakistan would be encouraged.
It also stressed on Pakistan's major role and effort to oversee the logical conclusion of SAFTA, and urged the government to take steps to encourage mutual trade, tourism and investment.
Pakistan welcomes Dr Manmahan's vision of peace and friendship ISLAMABAD, Dec 22 (UNI): Pakistan has welcomed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement regarding his vision for a treaty of peace, security and friendship.
"It is a positive response to the efforts made by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to resolve outstanding issues between India and Pakistan, and establish peace and security in the region," Dawn newspaper quoted foreign office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam as saying.
She said Dr Singh has welcomed General Musharraf's ideas and talked about the need for discussing issues with an open mind.
"Pakistan had always emphasised the need for a reciprocal flexibility," the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson did not offer any comment when asked if the signing of a peace treaty with India was possible before the settlement of the Kashmir dispute.
Indian, Pakistani officials begin two-day talks on Sir Creek ISLAMABAD, Dec 22 (UNI): Senior Indian and Pakistani defence officials today began two-day talks to work out a mechanism for a fresh joint survey of boundaries in the Sir Creek area.
Chief naval hydrographer Rear Admiral V R Rao and his Pakistani counterpart Major General Jamilur Rehman led their respective delegations on the first day of the talks held in the garrison town of Rawalpindi as part of the ongoing peace process.
"The two sides discussed ways to work out a mechanism for undertaking joint survey of the Sir Creek," Defence Ministry officials said in Rawalpindi.
The survey, which is the second one in the last two years, will enable Pakistan and India to demarcate the maritime zone and resolve the 22-year old dispute over a 60-mile long strip of water.
The first joint survey had been carried out in January 2005.
The Sir Creek dispute is one of the eight items on the agenda of the ongoing composite dialogue and is considered a relatively less complicated issue.
Pakistan and India have had several rounds of talks at both technical and governmental levels since 1969 on the Sir Creek issue.
The history of the issue dates back to 1914 when an agreement was signed between the then government of Sindh and Rao Maharaj of Kutch.
According to the agreement, both the sides agreed to a boundary line running through the middle of the creek as a border between the two states.
The final demarcation was completed in 1925 in which the boundary was shown by a 'green line', depicted on the eastern side of the creek.
One side of the creek is under Pakistan's control whereas there are naval installations of India on the other side, media reports say.
India says the boundary should be in the middle of the 100 km estuary while Pakistan insists the border should lie on the southeast bank.
