Photo: Rehman Malik, Pakistan's interior minister

Pakistan has accused India of funding the Taliban fighters located along the Pak-Afghan border in order to create mayhem in Pakistan.

Rehman Malik, Interior Minister of Pakistan, in an interview to a television channel, went to the extent of saying that he is prepared to furnish the government of India with evidence to that effect.

Rehman Malik asserted that he is “convinced” about India funding the Taliban and that there are “elements” that do not want Pakistan to be stable.” When asked whether India was among those “elements,” he replied: “Of course.”

He went on to say: “If the Interior Minister of India or anyone else wants to confront me, I will be happy to confront them since I know what I am saying.”

In addition, the Pakistan Interior Minister reiterated that India is fomenting Pakistan’s problems in Balochistan.

There are many political commentators in Pakistan who agree with what Rehman Malik said about India’s alleged role in trouble in their country. Fozia Saeed, renowned academic, has been quoted by the media as saying that there are more Indians in Afghanistan than foreigners from any other country and that he feels “there may be more than meets the eye.”

The Pakistani media had reported that one of the Taliban militants who was killed was found uncircumcised. However, this has not been officially acknowledged.

India has strongly rejected Pakistan’s charge that it is helping and funding the Taliban militants against Pakistan.

Minister for External Affairs Minister S M Krishna stressed that India in fact wants the Taliban and “Talibanism” to be completely eliminated.

A K Antony, Minister for Defence, rubbished Pakistan’s allegations as “totally baseless and absurd.” He asserted that India will not and cannot back Taliban, which is “the greatest threat to peace in the world,” Antony told reporters in New Delhi on the sidelines of a function connected with Defence.

Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor said the government of India is “not at all in the business of destabilising its neighbours.” India is not interested in creating trouble in Pakistan, Shashi Tharoor said, adding that such acts are “not our style” or the kind of policy that India pursues.

Many political observers in India sees Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s invective directed against India as Islamabad’s bid to add insult to India’s injuries. Malik’s comments have come at a time when hostility towards India has been widely recognised as one of the driving forces behind the very existence of the Taliban.

It may be noted that Rehman Malik’s outbursts against India came close on the heels of  India’s Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao saying the other day that India had conveyed its displeasure and disappointment to Pakistan over that country’s “slow and tardy’’ progress in probing the Mumbai attacks.

Nirupama Rao had also said that the recent blast outside the Indian embassy in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, appeared to have been executed by “forces from across the border.’’ However, she had hastened to add that the Indian government would wait for the final investigation report on the incident from the authorities in Kabul.

While anything is possible – in theory – it is extremely unlikely that India has found a faction with the Taliban that it can manipulate for its own objectives. Taliban may hate the Pakistani government of aligning with the United States in its battle agaist the Taliban and Al Qaida – but do even a small faction of them dislike Pakistani government enough to ally with India? We can’t wait to see the “evidence” Rehman Malik claims to have to support his allegations!

While the United States wants Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment project, which it fears could be used for making atomic weapons, Iran argues that its nuclear programme is meant for civilian use.

“Our concern is that,” Crowley told the BBC’s World Today programme, “that Iran’s response itself did not really address what is the core issue of the international community and the core concern, which is Iran’s nuclear ambitions.”

Iran has to prove that it is willing to live up to the commitments it had made, Philip Crowley told the BBC, adding that “one of the questions going forward will be to test Iran’s interest in actual engagement, either with the United States or with the international community, and obviously a core concern is in fact its nuclear programme.”

Mojtaba Samareh, an aide to the President of Iran, had earlier told the newspaper Washington Post in an interview that Iran will not abandon its nuclear programme but that the country was ready to work with the international community to get rid of nuclear arms.

Meanwhile, the reaction from Russia to Iran’s package of proposals on its nuclear plans has been more positive than that of the United States.

Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, is of the opinion that Iran’s latest proposals holds “something to work with” and, based on a brief review of the papers submitted by Iran, there is “something to use.”

The most important thing, Sergei Lavrov said in Moscow, is that Iran is willing to have a comprehensive debate on the situation. It is also clear that Iran is prepared to play a positive role in Iraq and Afghanistan in particular and the region in general.

According to political observers, since Russia’s attitude towards Iran’s overtures continue to differ from that of the Western nations, hitting upon a common ground on the vexed issue could be tricky.

It may recalled that United States President Barack Obama had warned the government of Iran earlier in 2009 that Washington would like to see a “positive response” to its friendlier propositions by the end of September 2009. And, if that does not happen by then, the United States would push for new sanctions against Iran, Obama had warned.

At the same time, Russia made it clear the other day, in the UN Security Council, that it would not support any new rounds of harsh sanctions against Iran.

Tensions have been rising between the Nepal government and the army chief on account of the Maoist government’s insistence on absorbing Maoist cadres – who had been fighting the Nepal army – into the official army of the country.

Chief of Army Staff General Rookmangud Katawal has been resisting the move, as the Maoist cadres were indoctrinated, and their induction would ruin the impartiality of the army.

General Kawatal was also accused by the Nepal government of disobeying orders to sack eight generals, and hiring 2800 recruits into the army without their consent.

The Nepal army – and Rookmangud Katawal – have refused to accept the order of the government, and have called a meeting – leading to coup fears.

Since 2006, when the peace process saw the Maoists coming to power, there has been distrust between the Army and the government due to their violent history.

General Rookmangud Katawal has refused to accept the official letter sacking him, said some reports.

Government loyalist and second-in-command Kul Bahadur Khadka was appointed by the government as the acting COAS of the Nepal army. However, it is unclear if he really is a government loyalist, and if he would accept the position – especially if General Katawal digs in his heels.

There have been some reports that General Katawal would approach the Nepal Supreme Court – again, no confirmation on the same.

Coup fears are well-justified, and an army-government standoff could lead to conflcits between the Maoist cadre and the army pretty quickly.

The government of Nepal is a democractially elected one. It won the elections after a lengthy peace process, and the Maoist cadres whigh fought the Army are now confined to some UN-monitored camps. The country, despite the popularity of the Maoists, is not a Maoist country as there are other politicial parties which have gained reasonable numbers of seats too. The Prime Minister Mr Prachanda is the ex-rebel chief of Maoists.

Opposition parties in the country have opposed the sakching of General Rookmangud Katawal, and had earlier insisted that actions like the integration of the Maoist cadres into the Nepal army should be taken after a consensus is formed.

Further plans of the Nepal Prime Minister and the General Katawal are unclear at the moment.

Photo: Roxana Saberi, US journalist detained in Iran

AFP quoted Abdolsamad Khoramshahi as saying, “I met Ms Saberi yesterday (Sunday) at a revolutionary court. She appeared fine.”

He also said that he couldn’t comment on the accusation again her, and that he would meet her again in a couple of days.

According to reports, Roxana Saberi has been accused by the foreign ministry of indulging in illegal activities, and working even after the Government revoked her press credentials.

According to an Associated Press report, Mr. Qashqavi, the foreign ministry spokesperson, pointed out that Iran had revoked Roxana Saberi’s press credentials in 2006, but he refused to say whether the 31-year-old freelance journalist, who has reported for National Public Radio and other media, was in prison.

Reza Saberi, Roxana’s father has told the American press that his daughter had called from an unknown place in Iran, on February 10, 2009, telling him that she had been arrested for buying a bottle of wine. The person who sold her the wine  reported her to the cops who later arrested her.

Saberi said that Roxana had told him that she had already been held for ten days. She then called back later to say that she would be released in two more days. Neither her family in the US nor her friends in Tehran have heard from her since.

Mr Saberi said that he was going public with the information because of fears for his daughter’s safety.

She had stayed in Iran to complete her master’s degree in Iranian studies and International Relations, and to finish a book on Iranian culture and people.

This is not the first time that an American journalist has gone missing in Iran. In 2007, Iran arrested four Iranian-Americans, including the academic Haleh Esfandiari. They were released after several months of imprisonment and then sent to the US.

The presidential elections in Iran are scheduled for June 2009, during which at least two pro-reform candidates will be running against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In end-February 2009, students at Amirkabir University were arrested and put into the Evin prison. In the wake of such instability in Iran, it makes it tough for the US to find the missing journalist soon.

However the US is putting in efforts to come to Saberi’s rescue. “Our next step is to send a lawyer to the prison and we’ll see what steps they want us to take,” Reza Saberi had told AFP’s Chicago correspondent.

“We want a fair trial. That is what we want. They are accusing her of nothing. We want her to be tried fairly.”

Saberi said that he was counting on the news reports to keep himself aware of her daughter’s situation in Iran. “We have been very anxious and worried because they kept us completely in the dark,” he said.

In the past, Roxana Saberi has taken on subjects that challenges existing mores in the conservative Iran that Mr. Ahmadinejad hopes to continue leading. In 2007, Roxana Saberi produced a radio report for N.P.R. on women being arrested as part of “a new wave of Iran’s nationwide morality crackdown against fashions deemed un-Islamic.”

In 2006, Roxana Saberi had filed a report for the BBC, from Tehran, about the growth of Sufism in the country.

On January 22, 2009, Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Afghan President Hamid Karzai inaugurated a new Indian-built road in Western Afghanistan. The Delaram-Zaranj highway was built six months ahead of schedule, by the Border Roads Organisation. 

The Delaram-Zaranj road extends from Zaranj on the Iranian border to the main road between the cities of Herat, Kandahar and Kabul. The 200km (124-mile) highway, an $85-million project has been totally funded by India. The road links with a route to the coast, near Iran. The Delaram-Zaranj road is expected to help India to export products to Afghanistan through Iran by sea from the Iranian port of Chahbahar.

The 220-km road is another example of India’s $1.1-billion effort to help in the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

With tensions between India and Pakistan escalating, one isn’t oblivious of the fact that India has been denied access through Pakistan. The new road will challenge Pakistan’s hold on trade routes in the region.

Pranab Mukherjee has said in a statement, referring to the terror attacks in Mumbai on November 2008, “This project symbolizes the strong determination of the government and people of these two countries that they will not succumb to the pressure of the forces of terror.”

However there is a lamentable fact linked to the construction of the Delaram-Zaranj road. Eleven Indian workers, 126 Afghan police and and soldiers, who were providing security to the road, lost their lives during the construction of this road running from Delaram in Nimroz to Zaranj on the Iranian border. Reports said that casualties were caused by Taliban attacks.

Pranab Mukherjee was quoted as saying, “In fact, for the construction of (every) 1.5 km (1 mile) of road, one human life was sacrificed.”

“The completion of the road reflects the determination of both India and Afghanistan that nothing can prevent or hinder collaboration between the two countries,” Mr. Mukherjee was quoted as saying.

Mr. Karzai also emphasised that the completion of the Delaram-Zaranj project was a message to those who want to stop cooperation between India and Afghanistan, reports said. 

This project is expected to help develop political and economic relations with other Asian countries too.

Here are the TV schedules for Obama’s Inauguration live coverage:

1) CNN, 2009 Presidential Inauguration TV schedule

7.00 AM – 2.00 PM: Swearing-in and Parade coverage anchored by Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper

2) ABC, 2009 Inaugural TV schedule

7.00 AM – 2.00 PM: Swearing-in coverage by Charles Gibson, Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos
8 PM – 10 PM: Exclusive coverage of the Neighborhood Ball

3) CBS, 2009 Presidential Inauguration TV schedule

7.00 AM – 2.00 PM: Presidential swearing-in coverage by Katie Couric

4) PBS, 2009 Presidential Inauguration TV schedule

8.00 AM – 2.00: President-elect Barack Obama’s Inauguration coverage by Jim Lehrer

5) BBC, 2009 Presidential Inauguration TV schedule

8.00 AM: Live coverage of Barack Obama’s Inauguration

6) MSNBC, Presidential Inaugural TV schedule

7.00 AM – 12 AM: Live coverage of Presidential Inauguration events

7) MTV, Presidential Inaugural TV schedule

7:00 PM – 2:30 AM: MTV will exclusively air the Youth Ball worldwide

Some of the sites that will stream live coverage of Barack Obama’s 2009 Presidential Inauguration:

1) CNN.com will stream Barack Obama’s Inaugural coverage in collaboration with Facebook
2) MSNBC.MSN.COM
3) BBC website, for UK users
4) ABC News
5) PBS
6) USAToday
7) The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies will also stream the 2009 Presidential Inaugural from its website
New York Times will stream the Inaugural ceremonies from its homepage
9) CurrentTV will partner with Twitter for live coverage of the Inauguration and live discussions
10) Justin.tv

Here is a complete list of the day’s program of the 2009 Presidential Inauguration Day:
8:35 AM – 9.45 AM: Prayer service at St. John’s Episcopal Church

10.05 AM – 11 AM: Coffee at the White House with President George and First Lady Laura Bush

11.30 AM:

• Performance by the US Marine Band, The San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus.
• Welcome address and call to order by California Senator Dianne Feinstein.
• Invocation from Dr. Rick Warren, of Saddleback Church
• Performance by Aretha Franklin

11:50 AM: Swearing-in ceremony of Vice President-elect Joe Biden by Supreme Court Justice John Stevens.
12.00 PM:

• Barack Obama’s Presidential Oath of Office  by Chief of Justice of USA, Justice John G Roberts
• Musical performance by Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Gabriela Montero and Anthony McGill, John Williams, composer-arranger

12:05 PM:

• President Barack Obama’s Inaugural addressRecitation of a poem by Elizabeth Alexander
• Benediction by Dr. Joseph Lowery
• National anthem by the U.S. Navy Band Sea Chanters

12:30 PM: Obama will sign inauguration papers in the President’s Room

1:00 PM: Presidential Luncheon

2:30 PM: Barack Obama’s 2009 Presidential Inaugural Parade

7.00 PM: The official 2009 Presidential inaugural balls will be kicked off.

1) Commander-in-Chief’s Ball, 7.00 PM – 12.00 AM

2) Neighborhood Ball, 7.00 PM – 10.30 PM. Performers like Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Faith Hill, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Shakira, and Stevie Wonder will participate in the ball.

3) Youth Inaugural Ball, 9:00 PM – 2:30 AM, for Youth between 18 – 35 years.

4) Obama Home States (Illinois and Hawaii ) Inaugural Ball, Washington Convention Center, Hall E, 7:00 PM – 11:30 PM for Illinois and Hawaii guests

5) Biden Home States (Delaware and Pennsylvania) Inaugural Ball, 8:00 PM – 11:30 PM for Delaware and Pennsylvania guests

6) Eastern Inaugural Ball, 10:00 PM – 2:30 AM, for Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands invited guests

7) Mid-Atlantic Inaugural Ball, 8:00 PM – 12:30 AM, for Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia, New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia invited guests

Midwest Inaugural Ball, 8:00 PM – 1:30 AM, for Kansas, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Missouri invited guests

9) Southern Inaugural Ball, 10:00 PM – 2:00 AM, for Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas invited guests

10) Western Inaugural Ball, 8:00 PM – 1:00 AM

Barack Obama

Barack Obama’s 2009 Presidential Inaugural Day schedule is very much in line with tradition. The 2009 Presidential Inaugural Day schedule will include Barack Obama and Joe Biden’s swearing-in ceremony, the Inaugural Parade, ten Inaugural Balls, Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address, and musical performances by top artists.

Here is Barack Obama’s 2009 Presidential Inaugural Day schedule of events that will be held at the West end of the US Capitol, on January 20, 2009. Timings are Eastern Standard Time.

8:35 AM – 9.45 AM: A prayer service will be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church. Frankin D Roosevelt started the tradition of  morning service at St. John’s Episcopal Church.

10.05 AM – 11 AM: Barack Obama and family have coffee with President Bush and the First Lady Laura Bush at the White House

11.00 AM: The Obamas leave for the West end of the Capitol

11.30 AM: The program will start with a performance by the US Marine Band, The San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus.

This will be followed by the welcome address and call to order by California Senator Dianne Feinstein, an invocation from Dr. Rick Warren, of Saddleback Church, followed by a performance by Aretha Franklin.

11:50 AM: Swearing-in ceremony of Vice President-elect Joe Biden by Supreme Court Justice John Stevens.

12 PM: Chief of Justice of USA, Justice John G Roberts will administer the Presidential Oath of Office to President-Elect Barack Obama. The public will be able to watch the swearing-in ceremony at the National Mall west of 4th Street, without tickets.

This will be followed by a musical peformance by Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Gabriela Montero and Anthony McGill on a piece of music by John Williams, composer-arranger.

12:05 PM: President Barack Obama will give his much-awaited Inaugural address, where he will shed light on his vision for America and his political values.

The inaugural address tradition was first put into practice during the swearing-in of the first US President George Washington in 1789.

The Inaugural address will be followed by the recitation of a poem by Elizabeth Alexander, by the poetess herself, and a benediction by Dr. Joseph Lowery.

This will be followed by the national anthem by the U.S. Navy Band Sea Chanters.

12:30 PM: After the departure of former President George Bush and former Vice President Cheney, Barack Obama will sign inauguration papers in the President’s Room.

1:00 PM: Barack Obama attends luncheon held at the Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol

2:30 PM: Barack Obama’s 2009 Presidential Inaugural Parade will commence with President Obama leading the procession to the White House from Pennsylvania Avenue, which will continue until 6 PM. The parade will be open to the public.

7.00 PM: The official 2009 Presidential inaugural balls will be kicked off.

Barack and Michelle Obama

1) Commander-in-Chief’s Ball, National Building Museum, 7.00 PM – 12.00 AM. This ball is not open to the public.

2) Neighborhood Ball at the Washington Convention Center, Hall D, 7.00 PM – 10.30 PM. The ball will include President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama’s first dance, to Beyonce’s At Last. Other performers will include Mariah Carey, Faith Hill, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Shakira, and Stevie Wonder. Tickets needed. Some tickets reserved for Washington DC residents.

3) Youth Inaugural Ball, Washington Hilton, 9:00 PM – 2:30 AM, for Youth between 18 – 35 years.

4) Obama Home States (Illinois and Hawaii ) Inaugural Ball, Washington Convention Center, Hall E, 7:00 PM – 11:30 PM for Illinois and Hawaii guests

5) Biden Home States (Delaware and Pennsylvania) Inaugural Ball, Washington Convention Center, Ballroom, 8:00 PM – 11:30 PM for Delaware and Pennsylvania guests

6) Eastern Inaugural Ball, Union Station, 10:00 PM – 2:30 AM, for Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands invited guests

7) Mid-Atlantic Inaugural Ball, Washington Convention Center, Hall A, 8:00 PM – 12:30 AM, for Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia, New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia invited guests

Midwest Inaugural Ball, Washington Convention Center, Hall C, 8:00 PM – 1:30 AM, for Kansas, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Missouri invited guests

9) Southern Inaugural Ball, DC Armory, 10:00 PM – 2:00 AM, for Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas invited guests

10) Western Inaugural Ball, Location: Washington Convention Center, Hall B, 8:00 PM – 1:00 AM for Alaska, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Oklahoma, Guam/AS invited guests

Events on January 21, 2009

8.30 AM: National Prayer Service, Washington National Cathedral; not open to public, tickets are required.

Barack Obama 2009 Inaugural Day telecast:

Major TV channels like NBC, ABC, CBS and FOX will broadcast the event EST. Viewers will also be able to view the events live online.

Reports say that TV channels are paying over $5 million for exclusive rights to balls and such. The Barack Obama Inaugural Committee has said that Walt Disney Co. is paying $2 million to show the Neighborhood Ball on ABC.

MTV will pay $650,000 for exclusive rights to broadcast Obama’s 2009 Inaugural Day Youth Ball worldwide.

For the first time, the Presidential Oath of Office of a US President will be such a multi-cultural affair with performances by artists like Aretha Franklin, the San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus choruses, the  U.S. Navy and Marines bands.

Aretha Franklin will sing at Barack Obama

Inauguration Day will also have a musical selection of John Williams, performed by the quartet: Itzhak Perlman, (violin), Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Gabriela Montero (piano) and Anthony McGill (clarinet).

As per tradition, on Inaugural Night, the Presidential Inaugural Committee will host 10 inaugural balls that include the Commander-in-Chief’s Ball, the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball, the Youth Inaugural Ball, five regional balls, and two balls for Illinois and Hawaii, his home states.

Beyonce will sing At Last for Barack and Michelle Obama

Beyonce is said to provide the vocals for Barack and Michelle Obama’s first dance on Inauguration night. She will sing Etta James’ classic At Last.

Reports also say that Beyonce will perform at the Neighborhood Ball that will be held at the Washington Convention Center. She will be accompanied by husband Jay-Z, will.i.am, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, Shakira, Sting, Faith Hill, Mary J. Blige, Stevie Wonder and Maroon 5.

Mariah Carey will perform at the Neighborhood Ball

The Neighborhood Ball will see the likes of celebrities like Jessica Alba, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Kate Walsh as presenters.

Hollywood will be more than adequately represented by Anne Hathaway, Susan Sarandon, Marcia Cross, Tim Robbins, Seal, Adrian Grenier, Ashley Judd, Jane Krakowski, Rachael Leigh Cook, Spike Lee and Ron Howard.

Sting will perform at the Neighborhood ball

Barack Obama’s Inaugural opening ceremony on January 19, 2009 included performances from artists like U2, Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Shakira and Usher among others.

The ceremony also included Martin Luther King III quoting John F. Kennedy, Laura Linney quoting Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Tom Hanks quoting Abraham Lincoln.

2009 Presidential Inaugural ceremony will be held at Lincoln Memorial

It has not been revealed as to how much HBO will have to shell out to air the 2009 Inaugural ceremony of Barack Obama’s Presidential Inauguration week.

The PIC has said that the opening ceremony will be free and open to the public, and anyone across America with cable or satellite services will be able to view the Presidential Inaugural opening ceremony.

While other networks will not be able to air the 2009 Presidential Inaugural ceremony, they will provide extensive coverage of the Presidential Inauguration and other events that will take place before Inauguration Day.

The PIC Executive Director Emmett S. Beliveau, has been quoted as saying, “We are very excited that HBO will be televising the kick-off event for our Inaugural. Their proven track record as a leader in television will help ensure an event that reflects President-elect Obama’s commitment to holding an inauguration that is open, accessible and reflects America’s spirit of unity.  The Presidential Inaugural Committee is committed to staging an Opening Celebration that reflects the best of our nation, and we are pleased that millions of people across the country will be able to share in this historic experience.“

The 2009 Presidential opening ceremony and the other Presidential Inaugural ceremonies are expected to be high-octane events featuring performances by artists from the entertainment and music industry.

The opening ceremony of the Presidential Inauguration will be attended by President-Elect Barack Obama and Vice-President Elect Joseph Biden.

As per tradition, President-Elect Barack Obama will go by train to Washington DC, and will pick up Vice-President Elect Joe Biden and family from Wilmington, DE, on January 17, 2009. Obama and Biden will halt on the way to attend a event in Baltimore.

The PIC has revealed that On January 19, 2009, President-Elect Barack Obama and Vice-President Elect Joe Biden will commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. by taking part in community service activities. On the same night, a youth concert will be held at the Verizon center in Washington DC.

On the Presidential Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009, traditional Inaugural ceremonies and events will take place. These will include musical performances by The United States Marine Band, The San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus, welcome address by Senator Dianne Feinstein, Invocation by
Dr. Rick Warren, and performance by Aretha Franklin.

After which, Vice President-Elect Joe Biden will be sworn in by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, the Honorable John Paul Stevens. The swearing-in event will be followed by President-elect Barack H. Obama’s Oath of Office, administered by the Chief Justice of the United States, the Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr., the Inaugural address, a poem by Elizabeth Alexander,  benediction by the Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery, and the national anthem rendered by the United States Navy Band Sea Chanters.

On Inaugural Night, Barack Obama will host 10 inaugural balls, which include the Commander-in-Chief’s Ball, the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball, the Youth Inaugural Ball, five regional balls, and two for his home states of Illinois and Hawaii.

Scarlett Johanssen and Barack Obama

Will there be many celebrities present at US President-elect Barack Obama’s Presidential Inauguration?

George Clooney with Barack Obama

Given the massive celebrity support Obama has had during his campaign, it is expected that Jay-Z, George Clooney, Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johannsen, Robert De Niro, comedian Chris Rock, Samuel L Jackson, Ben Affleck, Caroline Kennedy, Sean Diddy Combs, and Oprah Winfrey may be present at the presidential inauguration.

Barack Obama does the twist at Ellen Degeneres show

Many of these celebrities have contributed to the campaign and organized fundraisers. Oprah alone raised $3 million at a bash that threw at her California home.

Michelle Obama, Caroline Kennedy, Maria Shriver and Oprah Winfrey

US president-elect Barack Obama’s Presidential Inauguration will take place at the US Capitol in Washington DC on January 20, 2009, two and a half months after the election. The gap between Election day and the Presidential Inauguration day, in the 1800s, was nearly four months. This was because in those days it took a lot of time for travel and proceedings to take place. Later, the gap was reduced to two and a half months, which is used by the outgoing US President for pardons and policy changes. Barack Obama will use the next two and a half months for new high-level appointments, cabinet selection, White House staff selection, and handover for the new team.

Some reports say that Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel was likely to be chosen as the Chief of Staff.

Barack Obama’s inaugural theme “A Birth of New Freedom” is inspired by President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address.

Covered fountain at the Presidential Inauguration platform site

Preparations for the Presidential Inauguration began on September 24, 2008, with the ceremonial “first nail” of the Inauguration platform. On November 5, 2008, the 10,000-feet Inauguration platform was built on the West side of the US Capitol.

First Nail Ceremony to kick off the Presidential Inauguration preparations

As per tradition, Barack Obama’s presidential election will kick off with a procession from the White House to the Capitol. Barack Obama’s Presidential Oath of Office will  be held after the oath is taken by the vice president-elect Joe Biden.

After the presidential swearing-in ceremony, President-elect Barack Obama will give his Inaugural Address, following which Obama will go the National Statuary Hall for a luncheon, and then the Inaugural Parade will be held, which will go back to the White House from the US Capitol.

The US Capitol's Statuary Hall

Nearly 200,000 people are expected to be present.

Barack-Obama’s Presidential Inauguration is expected to be watched extensively around the world, if the frenzy generated on Election day is anything to go by.

President-elect Barack Obama has certainly drawn many firsts. He is the first leader of the Democratic party to win more than 50 percent of the popular vote since 1976. The election also saw the largest turnout, 64.1, since 1905.

Obama’s campaign has been the costliest – $700 million spent on the campaign  – and the longest.

The popular vote for president-elect Obama was 52.3 per cent, and 46.4 percent for senator McCain.