Article 3

September 8, 2013, 5:57 am

महाभारत में महाबली भीम का किरदार निभाने वाले प्रवीण कुमार आम आदमी पार्टी में शामिल

आज पूर्व निगम पार्षद व भाजपा नेता चौधरी रामबीर सिंह ने भी किया "आप"जोइन

टीवी पर बहु चर्चित धारवाहिक महाभारत में महाबली भीम का किरदार निभाने वाले प्रवीण कुमार कल औपचारिक तौर पर आम आदमी पार्टी में शामिल होंगे. प्रवीण कुमार धारावाहिक महाभारत में कौरवों के भ्रष्टाचार और अन्याय ही नहीं, ज़मीनी स्थर पर भी भ्रष्टाचारियों और जनता के हित में आवाज़ उठाते रहें हैं.

कल करावल नगर विधानसभा के अंतर्गत आने वाले सोनिया विहार वार्ड में अरविन्द केजरीवाल की जनसभा में प्रवीण कुमार पार्टी औपचारिक रूप से पार्टी में शामिल होंगें. टीवी पर भीम का किरदार निभाने के आलावा प्रवीण कुमार एक अन्तराष्ट्रीय स्थर के खिलाडी भी है. इन्होने 1966 और1970 में एशियन गेम्स में स्वर्ण पदक भी जीता है. इसके अतिरिक्त प्रवीण कुमार ने कई फिल्मों में भी काम किया है.

आज दिल्ली नगर निगम के पूर्व पार्षद, भाजपा नेता व दिल्ली में गुज्जर समाज के वरिष्ठ प्रतिनिधि चौधरी रामबीर सिंह आम आदमी पार्टी में शामिल हो गए. उन्होंने पार्टी के कार्यालय में अपने साथियों सहित अरविन्द केजरीवाल जी से मुलाकात कर पार्टी की सदस्यता हासिल की. चौधरी रामबीर सिंह करावल नगर विधानसभा में स्थित खजूरी वार्ड से निगम पार्षद रहे है व संयुक्त नगर निगम में समिति के अध्यक्ष व शाहदरा उत्तरी क्षेत्र के जोन चेयरमैन भी रहे है. चौधरी रामबीर सिंह के साथ-साथ आज करावल नगर विधान सभा में सोनिया विहार क्षेत्र से समाजवादी पार्टी के निगम प्रत्याशी रहे श्री दिनेश यादव व पश्चिमी करावल नगर से RWA से श्री गिरिजेश यादव भी आम आदमी पार्टी में शामिल हो गये. उल्लेखनीय है कि कुछ दिन पहले करावल नगर विधान सभा से समाजवादी पार्टी के विधानसभा अध्यक्ष व निगम के प्रत्याशी श्री राम सेवक उपाध्याय भी आम आदमी पार्टी में शामिल हो गए थे.

ELECTRICITY CONNECTION OF AAP LEADER SHAZIA ILMI’S RESIDENCE DISCONNECTED

The electricity meter of Shazia Ilmi, AAP candidate from RK Puram Assembly seat, was forcibly removed by BSES officials in the presence of eight police personnel from CR Park police station. Despite protests, the electricity meter was not only removed, but the seal was also broken and taken away by BSES officials.

It is shameful that while electricity bill of both Ruling and Opposition party leaders has been mounting for years, the government has been going smooth on them. It was recently widely reported that BJP supremo Rajnath Singh has a due of over Rs 5.50 lakh, Jagdish Tytler of over Rs 10 lakhs, Ram Vilas Paswan of over 1.50 lakhs – the list is long. Surprisingly, no action has ever been taken against them. This only proves that the BJP and Congress are hand in glove.

On the other hand, the connection of AAP leader Shazia Ilmi who has been very vocal against inflated electricity bills in the national capital has been terminated. Her electricity bill for the last few months was just Rs. 58000. It is even more surprising that 8 police personnel were called to oversee the removal of electricity meter at Ilmi’s residence for BSES officials.

In the month of March, Aam Aadmi Party had launched Bijli-pani satyagrah as part of which people were requested not to pay the inflated electricity bills. Shazia Ilmi had not paid her bills for the last few months as part of protest against electricity hike in Delhi and inflated electricity bills by Shiela Dikshit Government. The police and the BSES members have also threatened a raid on Ilmi’s residence in case she tried to restore electricity connection herself.

Unperturbed by the incident Shazia Ilmi said, “I will continue my fight against unjustified increase in price of electricity which is eating into the budget of common man. I will not be intimidated by any act of coercion and strong arm tactics of Delhi Government and Delhi police.”

It is clearly evident that state machinery is being used to harass AAP leaders and volunteers. Shazia Ilmi has also alleged that the RK Puram office situated at Munirka market has been barricaded by the police to prevent effective access to AAP office. This has been done by the Traffic Police deliberately on the pretext of preventing traffic jams as there have been no incident of traffic jams in that part. The barricading has been done only in that particular part of the market where AAP office is situated. Not only this, there has been excessive surveillance on AAP activities in RK Puram area, with the meeting venue being frequented by police personnel irrespective of private or public spaces used as venues. These incidents smack of political bias and misuse of state machinery against targeting AAP leaders and volunteers.

Tourism Minister sanctions major projects to North eastern states.

In a major boast to the North-East tourism sector, Union Tourism Minister Shri K. Chiranjeevi has approved Central Finance Assistance (CFA) to various tourism development projects in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Nagaland.

Sikkim:

1) Development of Tourist infrastructure at Bura-Nilkantha at Legship in West Sikkim. Rs.89.10 lakh.

Buranilkantha is a beautiful river side location en-route to Geyzing and Renchenpong. By strengthening tourist facilities at this spot is found essential to render a way side tourist point along this circuit, so that the tourists are not strained by distant travel. The project involve in the development of amenity block, construction of Eco-friendly walkways and Landscaping & Beautification.

2) Strengthening of wayside tourism facilities along with the national highway in Sikkim Circuit. Amount Sanctioned Rs.160.00 lakh.

This project involves in the construction of Car parking area, way side amenities along with the NH-31A in Rangpo town.

3) Rs.160.00 lakh has been sanctioned towards, Providing and display of superlative signages and hoardings in Sikkim. The proposed signages and Hoardings will be displayed at various places like railway stations, bus stops and hotels, in order to showcase and propagate the tourism potential of the state.

4) Development of Tourist Circuit along Marchak including Development of Barchangey water site in East Sikkim.

Amount Sanctioned Rs.160.00 lakh.

This project involves in the development of Tourist infrastructure like tourist accommodation, cafeteria, viewing deck and water bodies at Barchangey waterfall site.

Arunachal Pradesh:

1) “Mega Tourist Destination at Tawang ”.

Amount Sanctioned Rs.463.34 lakh.

This project involves in the construction of Guest house complex, Tawang monestry restaurant, Dormitory complex and development of waterfall viewing gallery, Children Park and Amphitheatre at Tawang.

2) Construction of Tourist Complex at Hunli Lower Dibang Valley District.

Amount Sanctioned Rs.98.05 lakh.

Hunli region is part of the lower Dibang valley district and is popular for its scenic beauty and cold temperature which attracts domestic and foreign tourists. With a view to project the region as a major destination, government has conceived this project as a flagship project to preserve and to promote eco tourism and provide accessibility to tourist in terms of adventure. This project will increase the inflow of visitors because the project will provide the platform to disseminate knowledge about the multi-fascinating local tribal people inhabiting the areas from centuries.

Nagaland:

1) “Eco-Adventure and culture destination at Kuhuboto”.

Amount Sanctioned Rs.100.00 Lakh.

Kuhuboto is a virgin tourist destination which is rich in natural beauty. This place is endowed with lush green mountains and valleys, flowers, mountain streams etc. Kuhuboto has a close proximity to Dimapur, which is promising destination both from Tourism and Business stand point.

This project involves in the construction of Budget Accommodation hotel, tourist reception center, open air theater, public toilet, food court, parking area and cafeteria.

Prashanth

CAIT URGED MCDs TO MOVE HIGH COURT FOR MORE TIME IN APPEAL FOR SEALING CASES

COMPETENT AUTHORITY SHOULD BE MOVED TO CONSTITUTE MORE APPELLATE TRIBUNALS

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has demanded all three Municipal Corporations of Delhi to move to Delhi High Court appealing for granting more time to people of Delhi for filing appeal against sealing and demolition of their shops in Appellate Tribunal of the MCD.

It is noteworthy that the Supreme Court which was earlier hearing the matters pertaining to sealing and demolitions in Delhi has transferred all petitions and IAs pertaining to sealing of shops to Appellate Tribunal of MCD in its order dated 30th April,2013. The other IAs and petitions challenging Master Plan or Act of the Central Government were transferred to Delhi High Court The apex court also granted a time of one month for filing an appeal before the Appellate Tribunal for the persons who could not do so earlier. But because of the fact that most people were remained unaware of the order of the Supreme Court, they could not avail the opportunity.

Therefore, the CAIT has urged all three MCDs to file an appeal before the High Court for granting more time for filing such appeal.

The apex court has also directed the Appellate Tribunal to dispose of the cases as early as possible within a period of one year. The CAIT said that about 700 IAs have been transferred to Appellate Tribunal and since there is only one such Tribunal, it is almost difficult for the Tribunal to dispose of the cases in stipulated period as directed by the Supreme Court. Therefore, the CAIT has also urged the MCDs to take necessary action in requesting the competent Authority to constitute more Appellate Tribunals so that all such cases must be dispose of at the earliest.

उत्तर प्रदेश में आखिर कब रुकेगा हिन्दुओं का उत्पीडन: विहिप

अखिलेश की नमाजवादी सरकार की कमान आजम खान के हाथ!

नई दिल्ली सितम्बर 8, 2013। हाल ही की उत्तर प्रदेश के मुजफ़्फ़र नगर जिले की दर्द विदारक घटना ने हमें फ़िर से एक बार मुगलिया सल्तनत की याद ताजा कर दी है जब हिन्दुओं की बहू-बेटिंया इज्जत के डर से घर से बाहर जाने से भी परहेज करती थीं। वहां एक तरफ़ तो हिन्दू युवकों ने अपनी बहिन की इज्जत बचाने हेतु प्रयास किया किन्तु उन्ही की सरे आम हत्या की गई। इतना ही नहीं हत्यारों को पकडने की बजाए मारे गए युवकों के परिजनों पर ही पुलिस ने केस बना डाला। कभी हिन्दुओं की धर्म नगरी अयोध्या की 84 कोसी परिक्रमा पर प्रतिबन्ध लगाया जाता है तो कभी हमारे हिन्दू नेताओं और पूज्य संतों को अकारण जेलों में बन्द कर दिया जाता है। विश्व हिन्दू परिषद दिल्ली के महा मंत्री श्री सत्येन्द्र मोहन ने घटना पर गहरा छोभ व्यक्त कर मृतात्माओं को श्रद्धांजलि देते हुए पूछा है कि उत्तर प्रदेश में आजम खान के कमान वाली नमाजवादी सरकार आखिर कब तक हिन्दू समाज का इस प्रकार दमन करती रहेगी।

विहिप दिल्ली के झण्डेवालान कार्यालय पर हुई एक बैठक की विस्तृत जानकारी देते हुए विहिप दिल्ली के मीडिया प्रमुखश्री विनोद बंसल ने बताया कि अयोध्या की 84 कोसी परिक्रमा में मात्र 200 संतों की धार्मिक यात्रा से रोकने के लिए उत्तर प्रदेश सरकार ने चालीस हजार सुरक्षा कर्मी तैनात किए जहां किसी प्रकार से शान्ति भंग होने का कोई कारण ही नहीं था। किन्तु, मुजफ़्फ़र नगर जैसे संवेदन शील जिले में पुलिस नदारद थी। और जो कुछ पुलिस कर्मी थे भी तो लगता है कि उसे कुछ और ही निर्देश थे। विहिप ने इस बैठक में पारित अपने एक प्रस्ताव में पूछा है कि उत्तर प्रदेश सरकार का यह दोगला चेहरा आखिर कब तक हिन्दू समाज से छुपा रहेगा। बैठक में सभी मृतकों को श्रद्धांजलि देते हुए घटना की न्यायिक जांच के साथ साथ किसी भी सूरत इनकी पुनरावृति रोकने की मांग की गई। साथ ही इस बात पर भी आश्चर्य व्यक्त किया गया कि जब देश में कहीं भी हिन्दुओं का नर-संहार होता है तो राजनैतिक दल किस बिल में घुस जाते है कि उनकी आबाज भी नहीं निकलती?

बैठक में विहिप के प्रान्त उपाध्यक्ष श्री गुरुदीन प्रसाद, श्री दीपक कुमार, श्री महावीर प्रसाद व बजरंग दल के प्रान्त संयोजक श्री शिव कुमार सहित अनेक पदाधिकारी उपस्थित थे।

भवदीय

विनोद बंसल,

मीडिया प्रमुख,

इंद्र्प्रस्थ विश्व हिंदू परिषद, दिल्ली।

मो – 9810949109

Boletín informativo. Sábado 7 de Septiembre 2013.

Portada

Cuarenta años del golpe militar en Chile, cuarenta años del neoliberalismo

Por Carlos Berzosa | El 11 de septiembre se cumplen cuarenta años del derrocamiento de Salvador Allende y la implantación de una dictadura brutal en Chile. La dictadura vino acompañada de la puesta en marcha de una política económica basada en el monetarismo de Friedman y las ideas de libre mercado defendidas por este economista. Los Chicago Boys, denominación que se dio a graduados chilenos que se educaron con Milton Friedman en la Universidad de Chicago, tomaron las riendas de la economía.

CRÓNICAS DE AMÉRICA LATINA | JAVIER M. GONZÁLEZ
A 40 años del golpe contra Allende, las heridas siguen abiertas

En Chile todavía falta un largo camino para la justicia y la verdad.

LIBROS | POR ÓSCAR SOTO
Allende en el recuerdo

El libro, escrito a los cuarenta años del golpe de estado en Chile será presentado el próximo 10 de septiembre en la librería Rafael Alberti, en Madrid.

A 40 AÑOS DEL GOLPE MILITAR
¿En qué está Chile?

Por Fernando Morales | Cuarenta años es un tiempo intermedio, entre el desaparecimiento de una generación que en aquella época le tocó advertir lo que se avecinaba y le tocó decidir el rol que jugaría en la tragedia.

ECONOMISTAS FRENTE A LA CRISIS
Entre la ignorancia y la fe del carbonero

Por José Moisés Martín, Monica Melle, José Ignacio Pérez Infante y María Luz Rodriguez.

ELECCIONES EN ALEMANIA (II)
Programas electorales

Por Gabriel Flores | El SDP sigue sin entender las razones de la postración en la que se encuentra y esa incomprensión se refleja en su programa electoral.

· Antonio Antón: Sobre las críticas a la clase gobernante
La crítica a la clase gobernante y a los líderes políticos (a Rajoy y también a Rubalcaba), que alcanza al 80% de la población, es justa y realista...

SE ACERCA AL MILLÓN DE CLIENTES
La banca ética creció un 11%

Los resultados consolidados del grupo muestran que el balance total de Triodos Bank creció un 11% durante los seis primeros meses del año, hasta los 5.900 millones de euros, un resultado que iguala al del mismo período de 2012.

RETOMA SU ACTIVIDAD
La Cumbre Social dará un nuevo impulso a la movilización social

Una vez cumplido el primer año de su constitución a finales de julio de 2012, la Cumbre Social retomará la actividad con la celebración de un plenario al que asistirán todas las organizaciones que la integran.

"PIDO PERDÓN COMO SOCIALISTA"
Odón Elorza cree que es momento de que los socialistas pidan perdón a los andaluces por los ERE

"Vivimos el momento para pedir perdón a los andaluces por la corrupción de los ERE. Lo pienso y lo siento así. Por eso pido perdón como socialista", ha escrito el exalcalde de San Sebastián en su cuenta de Twitter.

MANTIENE QUE NO RETIRARÁ LOS BLOQUES
Picardo (Gibraltar) acusa a España de crear un ambiente "casi prebélico"

"Se ha creado odio y animosidad, se han quemado coches de gibraltareños, se les chilla, en un ambiente casi prebélico que crea el Gobierno", ha dicho el ministro principal de Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo.

NO A LA GUERRA
El petróleo, detrás de la probable intervención en Siria

Ecologistas en Acción repudia la guerra civil en Siria, el uso de armas químicas por cualquier contendiente y la intervención bélica extranjera en el conflicto en forma de ataques, soldados o venta de armas.

PARA SEGUIR LA ELECCIÓN DE LA SEDE OLÍMPICA
La Puerta de Alcalá será en un 'gran escenario'

En el gran escenario que se situará junto al monumento, actuarán durante la tarde del sábado artistas como Manu Carrasco, Pastora Soler, Carlos Baute o Lagarto Amarillo, entre otros cantantes.

CINE: PROPUESTAS PARA LA SALA OSCURA
La piedra de la paciencia

· Alberto Requena: Verificabilidad
La Ciencia, como es bien sabido, nació en la antigua Grecia, con Tales de Mileto encabezando a esa pléyade de excelentes racionalistas que le sucedieron...

MODIFICAR / CANCELAR SUSCRIPCIÓN

Está recibiendo este boletín tras solicitar este servicio a través de la web de Nueva Tribuna. En cualquier momento puede modificar o cancelar su suscripción accediendo a esta dirección.

Nueva Tribuna Información continua y análisis para una ciudadanía comprometida con los valores de libertad, igualdad y justicia.

Decriminalizing Defamation: Global perspectives on punishments for speech

Centre for Communication Governance at National Law University, Delhi and Foundation for Media Professionals

Invites you to a panel discussion on

Decriminalizing Defamation: Global perspectives on punishments for speech

Monday, 9 September 2013

Press Club of India, Raisina Road

3.30 pm

Keynote address:

Manish Tewari

Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting

Panelists:

Peter Noorlander

CEO, Media Legal Defence Initiative, London

Nani Jansen

Freedom of Expression Lawyer with International Experience

Chinmayi Arun

Research Director, Centre for Communication Governance

Moderator:

Paranjoy Guha Thakurta

President, Foundation for Media Professionals

For more details see attachment

ninglun

Foundation for Media Professionals (FMP)

www.fmp.org.in

↧

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Paes Radek Stepanek win Men’s Doubles title & Serena,retain Women’s Singles title

9092013

Leander Paes and his Czech teammate Radek Stepanek have clinched the Men’s Doubles title of the US Open Tennis tournament, the fourth and final Grand Slam of the season, at New York. In the title clash late last night, the fourth seeded Indo-Czech pair defeated the second seeded Austrian-Brazilian pair of Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares, in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3 to lift the trophy. Besides being the eighth Men’s Doubles Grand Slam title, this was Paes’ third US Open title.

World Number One American Serena Williams has retained the Women’s Singles title, beating Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, 7-5, 6-7, 6-1. This was Serena’s 17th Grand Slam Singles title.

The Men’s Singles final match between Serbia’s World Number One Novak Djokovic and Spain’s Rafael Nadal will be played today.

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Wrestling regains its place in Olympics

9092013

Wrestling has regained its place on the Olympics sports roster, after the International Olympic Committee, IOC voted for it. Wrestling got 49 out of the 95 votes cast by the IOC members in Buenos Aires in Argentina. The voting at the 125th IOC session ensured that wrestling will be on the Olympic roster in the 2020 games, to be hosted by the Japanese city of Tokyo, as well as in the 2024 Games.
The Indian Olympic Association and the Wrestling fraternity have hailed wrestling’s re-inclusion in the Olympic Games, saying it will inspire more youngsters to take up the sport.

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9092013

International news views

Mamnoon Hussain 12 the President of Pakistan

mamnoon hussain to take oath as 12th president of the country in a ceremony at aiwan-e-sadr today .

chief justice of pakistan justice iftikhar muhammad chaudhry will administer the oath.

mamnoon hussain bagged 432 votes of the electoral college in the presidential elections held on 30th of july this year.

his rival wajihuddin ahmed of pti took 77 votes while the main opposition pakistan peoples party boycotted the presidential election.

the seventy-three years old mamnoon hussain is a businessman turned politician. he was born in agra in 1940 and came with his family to karachi after 1947. he studied at the institute of business administration in karachi.

mamnoon hussain remained governor of sindh from 19th june‚ 1999 to 12th october 1999.

president asif ali zardari on sunday left the presidency after successfully completing his five-year term, paving the way for india-born mamnoon hussain to take over.

zardari is the first elected president to complete his constitutional tenure and to be replaced by an elected individual in pakistan’s history that has witnessed numerous military coups.

he was given a guard of honour, which was not attended by either the prime minister or the three service chiefs.

however, sharif had hosted an official farewell lunch for zardari earlier this week and praised him for keeping the flag of democracy flying in the country.

zardari, 58, left for lahore where he is expected to spend his days working on the revival of his pakistan peoples party which was dealt a crushing defeat in the may 11 general election.

husband of former prime minister benazir bhutto, zardari had a controversial term but was able to keep democracy on track.

zardari, as president, remained in the eye of storm for holding dual office and faced allegations of using the president’s house for partisan politics and ignoring key issues facing the country.

he faced a strong and assertive judiciary which pursued him over multi-million-dollar corruption cases against him in switzerland.

the casualty of the struggle was then prime minister yousuf raza gilani, who was sacked for refusing to ask switzerland to reopen the cases.

another big crisis for him was the ‘memogate scandal’ and also the unilateral us operation in may, 2011, in the garrison city of abbottabad that killed al-qaeda chief osama bin laden.

while the president’s post is largely ceremonial, zardari, as the chief of the then-ruling ppp, played an active role in the functioning of the government.

ukmilitary wastesful 1.58 billion pounds

UK Ministry of Defense has been implicated in 1.58 billion pounds ($2.47 billion) of wasteful spending over the last two years, which comes at a time when the country faces stringent defense cuts, UK media reported. Accounts from the 2012-2013 books obtained by The Daily Mail show that while the country was getting rid of older regiments, firing thousands of armed forces personnel and sending historical equipment to the junk yard, it was doing so to balance out losses, bad spending and accounting errors. And while some personnel were getting the sack, hundreds of others were being overpaid because of a clerical blunder, with the sum totaling 640,000 pounds and no plans to recover it. Losses in the anti-missile storage department have led to the MoD writing off more than half a billion pounds, adding to that the purchase of the wrong types of bombs for training programs and almost 400,000 pounds for lost equipment in Canada. Various other items on the list simply pile up on top of the mistakes: 100,000 pounds in security at the G8 summit, 1.5 million pounds in overpaid tax by the revenue department and almost 500,000 pounds for a dispute over computer services at one of the academies of the armed forces. In the last financial year, 33.5 million pounds allocated for military purposes got misplaced by the bookkeepers. The balance had to be written off as, according to a note in the books, there is no information on where it went. Also, while the MoD withdrew large amounts of military equipment from service – including ships and planes – it was giving other equipment away as gifts, namely 50 Leyland DAF trucks worth 450,000 pounds each to Uzbekistan and counter-terrorism training equipment to Pakistan priced at 294,000 pounds.

Thai Airways flight with 302 aboard skids off runway; 14 injured

A Thai Airways airplane carrying more than 280 passengers skidded off the runway while attempting to land at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, injuring 14 passengers, the airline said Monday. The incident marked the second mishap in less than two weeks for Thailand’s national carrier. The Airbus A330-300 that departed from Guangzhou, China, had a ‘glitch’ in its wheel base while landing late Sunday, the airline said. “After touchdown at Suvarnabhumi Airport, the landing gear malfunctioned and caused the aircraft to skid off the runway. Sparks were noticed from the vicinity of the right landing gear near the engine; the matter is under investigation,” Thai Airways President Sorajak Kasemsuvan said in a statement Monday. Most of the injuries occurred as passengers evacuated the aircraft, the statement said. The aircraft was carrying 288 passengers and 14 crewmembers.

N. Korean leader Kim Jong-un has a baby – Dennis Rodman

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife have a baby daughter, Reuters quoted basketball star Dennis Rodman, who met with Kim last week, as saying. Kim’s wife Ri Sol appeared pregnant in photographs taken last year by North Korea’s state news agency. She then disappeared from public view and returned last October. The basketball player told The Guardian that Kim held a baby during his visit to North Korea. Rodman described Kim as a “friend,” adding that “I held their baby Ju-ae and spoke with Ms. Ri as well. He’s a good dad and has a beautiful family.” Kim, who succeeded his father, is the third family member to rule North Korea. However, considering the country’s traditions, it is unlikely that Kim’s daughter would ever rule the country.

Philippine city shuts down after Muslim rebel attack

One hundred heavily armed Muslim rebels attacked the southern Philippine city of Zamboaga, shutting down its urbanized and populous center, AFP quoted authorities as saying. Members of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) entered the city by boat, instigating clashes that left one soldier dead and six others wounded. They also took 20 civilian hostages. The rebels, who oppose peace talks, want to raise their banner of independence at city hall, Zamboaga Mayor Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said. MNLF was founded in the early 1970s to fight for an independent Islamic state in the region. Insurgencies by the group have left more than 150,000 people dead and led to the spread of more armed groups in the area.

Italian journalist freed in Syria after 5 months

Italian journalist Domenico Quirico was freed after being kidnapped in Syria in early April, Reuters quoted the Italian Foreign Ministry as saying on Sunday. The journalist came to Syria on April 6 and disappeared four days later. Quirico has vast experience in reporting on conflicts in Africa and the Middle East, and works for La Stampa daily. In June, the journalist confirmed that he was kidnapped during a phone call to his wife, noting that his health was okay. Quirico is on a flight back to Italy.

Israeli authorities approve 5,000 work permits for Palestinians

Israel has approved 5,000 work permits for Palestinians from the West Bank. The decision came just after Israel and the Palestine Authority renewed direct talks following a three-year stalemate. Nearly 70,000 Palestinians have permanent work permits for Israel, according to a defense official who spoke with AFP on condition of anonymity.

Egyptian army launches air strikes on militant hideouts in Sinai

Egyptian military helicopters launched air strikes on suspected militant hideouts for a second day in Sinai after an Al-Qaeda-inspired group claimed responsibility for a bombing that targeted Egypt’s interior minister last week. The Ansar Beit al-Maqdis group posted a statement on its website saying that one of its suicide bombers targeted the convoy of Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim, who survived the attack. The military has so far killed “nine terrorists” and destroyed militant hideouts and weapons depots, army spokesman Colonel Ahmed Aly said in a statement on Facebook.

Sinai militant group claims responsibility for bomb targeting Egypt’s interior minister

An Al-Qaeda-inspired group based in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula said it was behind a bombing that targeted the country’s interior minister, Mohammed Ibrahim, in a failed assassination attempt, AFP reported. “God has allowed your brothers in Ansar Beit al-Maqdis to shatter the security organization of the murderer Mohammed Ibrahim through a martyrdom operation,” the group said in a statement on an Islamist forum. On Thursday, a suicide bomber attacked Ibrahim’s motorcade, causing an explosion which rocked Nasr City district. More than 20 people were injured in the attack, although Ibrahim escaped unharmed.

Israeli settlements hamper Israel-Palestine peace deal – Qatari FM

The ongoing construction of Israeli settlements is an obstacle to achieving an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, Qatar’s Foreign Minister said. “There are several obstacles to this process…we are talking about settlements,”Khaled Attiya stated, as quoted by Reuters. The remark was made while he spoke at a joint news conference with US Secretary of State John Kerry, after meeting with representatives from the Arab Peace Initiative in Paris. The Arab Peace Initiative, put forward by Saudi Arabia at an Arab League summit in 2002, offers full recognition of Israel if it gives up all land seized in the 1967 Middle East war. It also highlights a “just solution”for Palestinian refugees.

Vettel tops podium at F1’s Italian Grand Prix

German driver Sebastian Vettel has come one step closer to defending his Formula 1 crown by claiming a confident win at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. The Red Bull driver started from pole position and never allowed Spain’s Fernando Alonso of Ferrari, who finished second, to threaten his lead. Third place went to another Red Bull driver, Mark Webber of Australia. With seven races to go in the season, Vettel’s lead from Alonso in the drivers’ championship has increased to 53 points.

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10 killed, 150 injured in suicide bomb attack Afghanistan’s Wardak

At least 10 have been killed and 150 injured as a group of suicide bombers attacked a national intelligence agency compound in Wardak’s provincial capital Maidan Shahr, Afghanistan, media reports, citing a local official. Attaullah Khogyani, spokesman for Wardak’s provincial government confirmed that four personnel were killed and a gun battle was underway. The injured, including women and children, have been taken to hospitals for medical treatment.

Scotland Yard faces questioning after Buckingham Palace broken into

Britain’s Scotland Yard will be subject to a very serious inquiry by the home affairs select committee into what is being called the worst security breach since 1982. On Saturday, British press revealed that a man scaled the Palace’s 12 foot fence on Monday, outsmarting dozens of guards and managed to sneak into the state rooms, which can only be accessed through the courtyard on the inside. He was arrested together with a suspected accomplice, with security assuring the Royal family that this was not an act of terrorism, but an attempted robbery. The commander of the Royals’ said that the incident proves that terrorists could enter Britain’s best-guarded building undetected. The breach is the most serious since 1982, when an unemployed father of four sneaked into the Palace to find Queen Elizabeth asleep on her bed, proceeding to have a 10-minute conversation with her before a guard burst in.

Chinese reporter released early after 8 years

Chinese journalist and poet Shi Tao, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2005, was released 15 months early, the writers’ organization PEN International said in a statement. It didn’t explain why the term was shortened. Shi was sent to prison for disclosing state secrets after he leaked a secret government memo, detailing restrictions on news coverage during the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests. His sentencing was partially based on information provided by online giant Yahoo, which provided Shi’s personal information to the prosecutors. The company, which was rebuked by the US Congress over the incident, apologized and paid compensation to Shi’s wife after the World Organization for Human Rights lodged a lawsuit.

Iranian FM visits Iraq to discuss Syria debacle

Iran’s recently appointed Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, is visiting neighboring Iraq. The Syrian crisis and the US plans for a military operation against the Syrian government are top of his agenda with his Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zebari and other senior officials. Tehran has been a staunch supporter of Damascus in its two-year-long fight against the armed opposition. Baghdad has a common interest with the Syrian government, since the Islamist Al Nusra Front fighting to topple the Syrian government is part of an Iraq-based branch of Al-Qaeda, which wants to create an Islamist state in territories carved out of both Iraq and Syria.

The drone strike kills 15 in Afghanistan

An apparent NATO drone strike has killed 15 people in the eastern Kunar province, Afghan authorities said. Nine of those killed were civilians, including women and children, the report said. Provincial police chief Abdul Habib Sayed Khaili said the attack targeted a pickup truck soon after six militants boarded it on Saturday evening. NATO spokeswoman, 1st Lt. AnnMarie Annicelli, said on Sunday that a precision airstrike killed 10 enemy forces. She said no civilian deaths were reported in the incident.

Businesswoman linked with death-sentenced Chinese ex-minister charged

Businesswoman Ding Shumiao, who is implicated in the corruption schemes of the fallen Chinese railway minister Liu Zhijun, has been charged with bribery and illegal business activities, reports Xinhua citing the Beijing prosecutor’s office. She is suspected of intervening in bidding for railway development projects through her connections in the ministry. The case involves operations totaling some $30 billion, the news agency said without clarifying details of the alleged crimes. Liu, a driving force behind China’s bullet train network, received a suspended death sentence in July in what was one of highest-profile corruption cases in the country in years. The sentence is expected to be commuted to life imprisonment.

Zardari to step down as Pakistan president

Pakistan President, Asif Ali Zardari, is due to step down on Sunday after holding the office for a record five years in a country that used to live under the shadow of military dictatorship. His greatest contribution to Pakistani politics is said to be the assertion of the democratic process in the country. Six years after his wife, two-time prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, was murdered, Zardari, 58, is set to make history by becoming the first elected president to complete a full term in office and hand over to another elected candidate after a peaceful ballot box. He is due to vacate the presidency on September 8 to a guard of honor. His successor, a businessman and close ally of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Mamnoon Hussain, is to be sworn in on Monday.

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September 9, 2013, 12:29 am

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Mithu Chakraborty is India’s first Super Mom!

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Mom from Kolkata is declared the winner of Zee TV’s DID Super Moms!

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Surat, 8 September 2013: Millions of TV viewers joined the live audience of over eight thousand as they cheered wildly at the Surat International Exhibition & Convention Centre, Surat, when Mithu Chakraborty of Kolkata was declared the winner of Zee TV’s ‘DID Super Moms’! In a competition that was intense as well as highly entertaining, Mithu who was a part of Siddhesh’s Stunners was announced as the nation’s first ever Super Mom by millions of fans across the country. Fans watching the show could watch the Grand Finale LIVE on Zee TV from 8 PM to 11 PM. The winner was presented the coveted ‘Super Moms’ trophy along with a prize of Rs. 10 lakhs, while the first runner up received Rs. 5 lakhs and the remaining three finalists received prize money of Rs. 1 lakh each. Current Bollywood sensation Sonakshi Sinha brought the glitz and glamour to the evening along with Grandmaster Mithun Da, judges Marzi Pestonji and choreographer Ahmed Khan .

Sonakshi Sinha was at the finale to promote her upcoming film – Akshay Kumar starrer ‘Boss’ and unveiled the first look of the film. The actress who had made an appearance on the show in the initial stages was extremely delighted to meet the 5 finalists. She recounted having learnt some dance moves from Zoya and Cecille when she promoted her film Lootera on the show with co-star Ranveer Singh. “The last time I was on the show I remember telling Mithu never to consider herself any less than anyone else. I am extremely happy that Mithu has been declared the winner of the show. She is an inspiration to thousands of women across the country to never give up on themselves.” said Sonakshi about Mithu’s win.

Mithu who had initially caught the attention of the judges and Govinda at the Kolkata audition of the show when she delivered an energetic performance to a catchy Bollywood number. Memorably Farah Khan had said to her “Whoever said that being overweight means you cannot dance…you have just proved all of them wrong!” Gaining popularity right from the time she made it to the Top 16, Mithu has become synonymous with her highly energetic masaaledaar filmy performances. As seen from her win tonight, audiences across the country have become extremely fond of this self admitted ‘typical housewife’ whose first public performance was on the stage of DID Super Moms. “I owe my success to my mother, husband as they have been the ones who pushed me to audition in the first place. If it weren’t for them I wouldn’t be here. The other person who has put his heart and soul into my win is my skipper Siddhesh who has worked with me day in and day out right from the start.” says Mithu while talking about her win and the people behind it.

The evening of the finale was marked by some breathtaking performances by each of the Top 5 finalists, their skippers along with renowned choreographer Ahmed Khan. The Top 5 each danced in styles that have now become synonymous with them. While Cecille brought the feel of the carnival with songs like ‘Senorita’ and ‘Tum Hi Ho Bandhu’, her co-finalist Phulawa brought the flavors of Maharashtra to Surat with her act. Shraddha performed an stunning illuminati act to ‘Ishqwala Love’ and ‘Titli’, Mithu played to the audiences with current Bollywood favorites ‘1234 Get On The Dance Floor’ and ‘Pinky’ and Zoya relived her past aqua performances with yet another beautiful performance. And if the individual performances weren’t enough to satisfy audiences’ cravings, the Top 5 faced off against each other in an act that brought to life all the five elements. Viewers also got to watch the four skippers Prince, Raghav ‘Crockroaz’, Jai and Siddhesh perform together on stage for the first time this season. Needless to say, the crowd went into a frenzy watching these spectacular performances and were up on their feet, dancing on their seats!

Commenting on the Grand Finale of the immensely successful show, Mr. Ajay Bhalwankar, Head – Programming, Zee TV said, “Heartiest Congratulations to Mithu. With this edition of DID, we have proved to the country that dance as an art form is not just limited to the young but even dreams of dance can be fulfilled no matter the years that may have lapsed in the middle. These mothers are truly Super Moms in the truest sense of the word and the millions of viewers across the nation is testament to that. My best wishes to all the finalists in their future endeavors.”

Skipper Siddhesh said, “I am really proud of Mithu for what she has achieved today. I think she is an inspiration to all the mothers out there who might have given up on their dreams post marriage. Right from the auditions to the finale, she has worked very hard and completely deserves the trophy! I wish her all the very best for whatever the future has in store for her.”

Master Farah Khan and Marzi Pestonji have been the judges along with Grandmaster Mithun Dada. The talented mothers who made it to the ‘Top 16’ this year have been mentored, groomed and choreographed by their ‘Skippers’ who are popular contestants from the previous seasons of Dance India Dance. The skippers have been the king of Slow Motion dance – Raghav aka Crockroaz, the “Prince” of Locking and Popping from Season 1 of Dance India Dance, Siddhesh Pai, the Bollywood and expressions specialist of DID Season 1 and Jay Kumar Nair, the gifted contemporary dancer from Season 1. With stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Vidya Balan, Ranveer Singh, Arjun Rampal, Parineeti Chopra, Huma Qureshi, Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi and Sushant Singh Rajput having been guests on the show, they have all left floored by the sheer talent of these mothers. So much so that Shah Rukh Khan, on wrapping his shoot on DID Super Moms, tweeted “Supergirls move over..Supermoms are here!” This line penned by the superstar aptly captured the entire season as the show opened with a phenomenal viewer response while celebrating the spirit of womanhood and encouraging women all over the country to pursue their dreams.

The Finalé went LIVE on Zee TV from Surat International Exhibition & Convention Centre, Surat@ 8 PM on 8^th September, 2013

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September 9, 2013, 12:58 am

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The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and, even more importantly,
BE UNDERSTOOD.” ~ Dr. Ralph Nichols, a world renowned psychologist

15 year old Ami is no exception to the rule above ... Produced by Zee’s very own in-house production arm Essel Vision, ‘Khelti Hai Zindagi Aankh Micholi’ tells the story of Ami, an average adolescent girl who is waiting to be understood ...!

She’s not the brightest student, not a champion at sports, no special talents to boast of … ! Far from perfect, she is unpredictable, inconsistent and her biggest grouse is that nobody really understands her. However, Ami’s very charm lies in her many imperfections! It was only her father who had once been able to decode this maze called ‘mi’ and truly understand her. He was the only one who accepted her with all her moles and warts …! Naturally, all hell broke loose for Ami when she lost him to AIDS 2 years ago! Starting 9^th September at 10 PM every Monday to Friday on Zee TV, ‘Khelti Hai Zindagi Aankh Micholi’ explores the life of this impressionable young girl who has lost her superhero and must find her own path without his love, support and guidance. Will destiny introduce Ami to someone else who can appreciate her for who she is and mentor the restless, volatile youngster into finding her calling and coming into her own? Only time will tell!

Ajay Bhalwankar, Head-Content, Hindi GECs, ZEE said, “Adolescence is an extremely critical stage in our lives when most of us go through a process of soul-searching and finding one’s own identity and individuality. We often stumble and get lost along the way and turn to that one elder who we think truly understands us. For many girls, their father is their superhero who can show them the way when they lose their sense of direction. Khelti Hai Zindagi Aankh Micholi tells a very touching story of a girl struggling to find her path in life once her father, the only man who truly understood her, passes away. The show will find its viewers smiling and misty-eyed through so many of its moments because these are emotions we all can relate with!”

Having played the brave and righteous ‘Jhansi Ki Rani’ on Zee TV, child actor Ulka Gupta makes a comeback as Ami ... ! Popularly known as the firebrand Manu (the young Rani Lakshmibai) who spiritedly wielded a sword and charged away on a horse, Ulka’s new role of the average-adolescent-next-door is in sharp contrast with her previous avatar!

Ulka said, “When I first heard the script, I was taken aback at the similarities I found between my on-screen character and myself in real life. I’m sure there are thousands of girls out there in India who will be able to completely relate with Ami ... after all, no one is perfect ... we all have shortcomings and flaws, insecurities and complexes ... and we need that someone special to reassure us and motivate us. While manu was a symbol of girl power and an inspiration for girls, Ami will be a reflection of every girl’s reality. I cant explain how excited I am to play this role and I would like to thank Zee TV for this second wonderful opporunity!”

The beautiful Gautami Kapoor, who has been away from the arc lights for a while now after getting married to popular actor Ram Kapoor, returns to the tube as Ami’s mother Shruti in ‘Khelti Hai Zindagi Aankh Michauli’.

Gautami said, “My character is that of Shruti, Ami’s mother. She is your average housewife who has led a sheltered life for several years at home, leaving all crucial decisions to her husband, until one day that he suddenly passes away. Everything changes for her overnight ... she must double up as a mother and father to her kids and step up as the sole provider of the household. Needless to say, this isn’t easy for Shruti and she often finds herself buckling under the pressure. I liked the way Shruti’s relationship with Ami has been layered and the treatment the show has been given. I hope the audience is happy to have me back on screen and will appreciate my role.”

The ensemble cast of the show includes prominent faces such as Farida Dadi, Vinay Jain, Suhita Thatte and Manisha Purohit playing interesting parts that present never-before-seen attributes of their personalities.

On the launch day of the show, Zee TV has plans of leveraging the network of dabbawalas across Mumbai and Delhi to send across a note to fathers of daughters across various municipal offices, shops, corporate houses – asking them to leave a message for their daughters who they often end up missing out on quality time with. These messages will be aired on Zee TV in the course of the show’s telecast as a gesture of love from these fathers to their daughters!

Starting 9^th September, stay tuned to ‘Khelti Hai Zindagi Aankh Micholi’ at 10 PM every Monday to Friday on Zee TV.

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September 10, 2013, 8:30 am

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International snaps

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11 people killed by roadside bombs in Afghanistan

Two roadside bombs killed 11 people in Afghanistan on Tuesday, officials said. In the first attack, a bus traveling to Kabul from Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan hit an explosive in Ghazni Province. The seven dead included three children, while 17 people were wounded. In a second attack, in Helmand’s Musa Khela district, a car hit a roadside bomb, killing one woman and three men, while eight people were hurt. A suicide car bomb went off in front of an Afghan National Army security post in Logar province’s Khushi district, wounding four soldiers.

Gulf states demand Security Council acts against Assad

Gulf Arab states renewed their demands Tuesday for the UN Security Council to take deterrent measures against the Syrian government over its alleged involvement in the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack. “The Gulf Cooperation Council condemns the ugly crime committed by the Syrian regime by using internationally banned chemical weapons, which resulted in the killing of hundreds of civilians,” Reuters quoted Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa as saying.

Man charged with plotting to assassinate Putin jailed for 10 years

Moscow City Court on Tuesday convicted Kazakh citizen Ilya Pyanzin of plotting to assassinate President Vladimir Putin and sentenced him to 10 years in a high-security penal colony. Pyanzin had pled guilty and entered into a plea bargain with prosecutors, who had called for a jail sentence of 15 years. The alleged group of would-be assassins, consisting of Chechen-born Adam Osmayev and Ruslan Madayev, as well as Pyanzin, was exposed in January 2012 after a homemade bomb accidentally detonated in an apartment in Odessa, Ukraine, killing Madayev, RIA Novosti reported.

Iran won’t give up ‘one iota’ of nuclear rights – Rouhani

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday that Tehran will not give up “one iota” of its nuclear rights. The comments come ahead of a meeting later this month between Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on restarting negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear program.“Our government will not give up one iota of its absolute rights” on the nuclear issue, AFP quoted Rouhani as saying. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has urged Iran to provide necessary cooperation, and a new round of talks between Tehran and the UN watchdog is set for September 27.

Iraq bombings kill at least 14 civilians, injure 48

Separate bomb attacks in Iraq killed at least 14 civilians and injured dozens on Tuesday, officials say. Near the eastern city of Baqouba, 60km northeast of Baghdad, three car bombs targeted outdoor markets, killing at least 10 civilians and injuring 34. A bomb hidden inside a coffee shop killed four and injured 14 in the town of Latifiyah, about 30km south of Baghdad.

Berlusconi allies threaten to bring down coalition over ex-PM expelling vote

Allies of Silvio Berlusconi have stepped up threats to bring down Italy’s ruling coalition if center-left lawmakers refuse to delay a hearing over expelling the former prime minister from parliament. A cross-party Senate committee resumes talks at 18:00 GMT after an initial meeting on Monday, to decide whether Berlusconi should be stripped of his seat in the upper house following a conviction for tax fraud last month, Reuters reported. It is unclear if a possible government crisis would lead to new elections.

Demonstrator dies as Turkey protests continue over Gezi Park

A 22-year-old protester in the southern province of Hatay has died in continuing protests over the Gezi Park. Ahmet Atakan died after being struck in the head by a tear gas canister fired by police, Dogan news agency reported. He took part in a march to show solidarity with students and locals in Ankara resisting against the construction of a road through Middle Eastern Technical University. The event was also staged to commemorate Abdullah Comert, another local of Antakya’s flashpoint neighborhood of Armutlu, who was killed by police in early June at the beginning of the Gezi protests.

8 children of US servicemen injured in Germany road accident

Eight children of US servicemen were injured after two school buses collided in southern Germany on Tuesday, police said. One bus with 23 American schoolchildren was heading to a school at the Grafenwoehr base in Bavaria when it collided with another school bus that had no passengers. Eight children were slightly injured, and six of them were taken to hospital with bruises and sprains.

4 killed in Egypt’s Sinai attacks

Attacks in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula over the past 24 hours, mostly against soldiers, have killed at least four people, security officials said Tuesday. Two people were killed and 10 others, including one soldier, were wounded when clashes erupted between troops and supporters of former President Mohamed Morsi in the town of Bir al-Abed, AFP reported. Separately, one soldier was killed and two wounded when a rocket-propelled grenade struck an army checkpoint next to the regional capital of El-Arish. Unknown gunmen near the Suez Canal killed another soldier, and three others were wounded in other attacks in the region.

4 men found guilty in Indian gang-rape trial

Four men were found guilty on Tuesday of the rape of a woman on a bus in the Indian capital, New Delhi, and her murder, a crime that triggered protests. All four could be hanged for the murder conviction, a defense lawyer said, adding that arguments on sentencing are due to begin on Wednesday. They had all pleaded not guilty, Reuters reported. The woman victim, dubbed Nirbhaya, 23, a trainee physiotherapist from a lower-middle class family who had worked in a call center, was lured onto the bus on the night of December 16. The case cemented India’s reputation as being unsafe for women.

44 killed as 2 buses collide in Iran

At least 44 people were killed when two intercity buses collided on a road south of Iran’s capital, local media report. Late on Monday, one of the buses swerved into the opposite lane due to a flat tire, colliding head-on with the other bus, and both caught fire. Another 44 people injured in the accident were taken to hospital in the city of Qom, about 130km south of Tehran.

Tehran backs Russia’s plan to put Syria’s chemical weapons under intl control

Iran has supported Russia’s offer to work with Syria to put its chemical weapons under international control. Tehran “favors that initiative and we find this to be within the framework of putting a halt to militarism in the region,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said, as cited by Reuters. Any action on chemical weapons should ensure they are not available to the rebels, Afkham said. “There are concerns regarding possession of an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in the hands of terrorists,” she added.

2 dead, 1 child injured in Thai school bombing

Two soldiers were killed and one child was injured in a suspected Muslim rebel attack on a school in southern Thailand, Reuters reports. The officers were part of a patrol unit sent to the location to protect the teachers, who are seen by the Islamic resistance as representing the government. “The explosion occurred inside the compound of a school in Yala province this morning where children were playing. The bomb was planted by local rebels,” authorities said. “At least one child was injured.” Yala – along with Pattani and Narathiwat – is predominantly Muslim and positions itself against the majority Buddhist orientation of the rest of Thailand. This resistance has lasted for decades, but has violently reignited in 2004. The attack comes after several weeks’ pause in negotiations between the government and the rebels.

California Senate okays tough gun storage bill

A new bill passed by the California state Senate would make storing a firearm where it is accessible to a child a misdemeanor. The bill would override existing California law that states charges may only be filed against the gun owner if someone is injured. AB231 passed on a 24-15 vote and now goes to the state Assembly.

Norway’s new prime minister proclaims historic win for right-wing parties

Erna Solberg will become Norway’s second female prime minister and the country’s first conservative prime minister in decades, after defeating Labor Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg. Center-right Solberg is widely expected to form a government with the anti-immigration Progress Party. She described her win as “a historic election victory for the right-wing parties.” The election was Norway’s first since Anders Breivik, a far-right extremist, killed 77 people in a bombing and shooting at a Labor Party youth camp two years ago. He was previously a member of the Progress Party. Media agencies

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Syria agrees with Russian weapons plan to “uproot US aggression”

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Syria agreed on Tuesday, with the Russian proposal to place its chemical weapons stocks under international control to “uproot US aggression”, hours after President Barack Obama said he would “absolutely” put on hold any military strike on the country if it does so.

Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said his country quickly “agreed to the Russian initiative.”He said Syria did so to “uproot US aggression.”

“Yesterday, we had a round of very fruitful negotiations with (Russian Foreign Minister) Sergei Lavrov and he came forward with an initiative on chemical weapons,” Muallem said after a meeting with Russian parliament (Duma) speaker Sergei Naryshkin in Moscow.

On Monday, Moallem welcomed Russia’s initiative. “I carefully listened to (Russian foreign minister) Sergei Lavrov’s statement about it. In connection with this, I note that Syria welcomes the Russian initiative based on the Syrian leadership’s concern about the lives of our nationals and the security of our country,” Muallem had said.

The proposal put forward by Russia – a key ally of Syria – is a dramatic shift after America was gearing up for weeks to lauch attacks against the embattled regime.

Earlier in the day, Russia announced that it was holding talks with the Bashar al-Assad regime to formulate a “workable, precise and concrete” plan for the smooth transfer of the chemical weapons. “We (Russia) are currently working on preparing a workable, precise and concrete plan and for this there are literally right now, in these minutes, contacts with the Syrian side,” Lavrov informed.

“And we expect to present this plan soon and we will be ready to work on it with the UN secretary general, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, with the participation of members of the UN Security Council,” he said.

Meanwhile in separate interviews with six US news channels, Obama said, “If Syrian President gives up his chemical weapons, a military strike would absolutely be on pause.” He also called the Russian proposal a “potentially significant breakthrough.”

“Absolutely, if, in fact, that happened,” Obama said when asked if the military strike was on pause if Assad yields control of his chemical weapons to international authority.

“That’s in our national security interest. If we can do that without a military strike, that is overwhelmingly my preference. And now the key is, can we see a sense of urgency?” Obama added.

Asserting that he always preferred a diplomatic resolution to the Syrian crisis, Obama said, “I fervently hope that this can be resolved in a non-military way.”

Obama, unsure of getting enough Congressional support on Syria, said he would take a final decision after talking to American people directly.

According a media report, Obama could fall short of 50 votes needed to get Senate authorisation for a military strike against Syria for its alleged use of chemical weapons against its own people.

The US had alleged that sarin – a deadly nerve agent – was used by the Assad regime near Damascus on August 21 that left at least 1,429 civilians, including over 400 children, dead. The Syrian government denied the charge, saying rebels had used the deadly gas to defame it.

In Paris, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius today said France would place forward a resolution in the UN Security Council to press Syria to dismantle its chemical weapons.

The proposal would also condemn the chemical weapons attack in Damascus, he said. In Cairo, the Arab League head Nabil Elaraby expressed the group’s backing for the Russian proposal, saying the League has been always in favour of a “political resolution.”

But the Russian initiative failed to bring cheers among Syrian rebels, who dismissed it as a manoeuvre to escape punishment. Meanwile, the main opposition bloc – Syrian National Coalition – said the proposal “aims to procrastinate and will lead to more death and destruction of the Syrian people.”

“A violation of international law should lead to an international retaliation that is proportional in size,” it said in a statement. “Crimes against humanity cannot be dropped by giving political concessions or by handing over the weapons used in these crimes.”

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State Civil Aviation Ministers Conference

10092013

“Beginning of a Fruitful and Mutually Beneficial Partnership”: Shri Ajit Singh

With the recognition that civil aviation is a growth engine for economic development, it is high time that Central Government and State Governments join hands together and let the sector soar into greater heights, said Union Civil Aviation Minister, Shri Ajit Singh while addressing the Conference of State Aviation Ministers and Secretaries of the state governments here today. He said the Conference was a “beginning of a fruitful and mutually beneficial partnership bringing synergy in efforts.”

Highlighting the causes of losses to the airlines, Civil Aviation Minister said, “One of the major reasons for the economic losses of the airlines is the high cost of ATF, which constitutes 40-50% of the operational cost of all domestic carriers. Compared with our neighboring hubs, ATF prices in India are 50-60 % costlier. This is mainly due to the high base price of ATF topped up by the very high ad valorem VAT imposed by state governments.” The Civil Aviation Ministry has taken this up with the Ministry of Petroleum and state governments. Some states have responded positively. Jharkhand has reduced VAT on ATF to 4%, Madhya Pradesh has agreed to reduce it to 23% at Indore and Bhopal and 13% at other airports. West Bengal has agreed to reduce it with certain conditions. The Minister said, “The reduced VAT on ATF can be a game changer for the states also as seen in the case of Chhattisgarh. Chhattisgarh had reduced VAT on ATF to 4% in 2010 and it has since seen six-fold increase of ATF uplift from Raipur and an increase in number of flights from Raipur from 8 to 18 per day. With more people travelling to the state, there has been considerable spin-off effects to the economy.” He made a request to the representatives of the state governments to reduce VAT on ATF to 4%. This would significantly reduce operational expenses of the airlines leading to reduced fares and more passenger traffic.

Emphasizing that growth in the civil aviation sector is equitable and inclusive, Shri Ajit Singh said, “The issue of providing regional and remote area connectivity therefore, attains great significance. Considering the vastness of the country and varied terrains- ranging from the high mountainous region in the North, hilly terrains in the North-East, and deserts in the West and thickly populated congested regions in the South, the number of airports in the country is very small. We need to develop smaller low-cost no-frill airports in potentially economically growing cities identified in various parts of the country, with the help of the state governments.” There are 454 airports and airstrips in the country out of which only 93 are operational. Many of the smaller airstrips are owned by state governments. The respective state government can provide land required for expansion free of cost and develop road and electricity connectivity to the airports.

There is a need to encourage the airlines to operate flights to provide regional air connectivity to Tier-II & Tier-III cities and connectivity to remote and difficult areas. “This is possible only if operational costs of the airlines are reduced to minimum and the State Governments can contribute by bearing some operational expenses like cost of security, power, fire and rescue machinery and providing incentives by minimizing property tax of the airports and also under-writing of seats in the flights,” the Civil Aviation Minister said. Ministry of Civil Aviation is already working to bring out an integrated policy regime in this regard which includes encouraging airlines to acquire smaller planes and reduction of various airport charges.

An Inter-Ministerial Task Force was constituted by the Planning Commission to prepare a financing plan for the 12th Plan period. The Task Force has provided a blue-print for robust expansion and modernization of airports across the country, especially with private participation and recommended the development, operation and management of several airports through Public-Private Partnership (PPP). In line with the recommendation of the Task Force, Government of India has decided, in principle, to operate, manage and develop 20 airports of Airports Authority of India under PPP which include Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Coimbatore, Trichy, Varanasi, Indore, Amritsar, Udaipur, Gaya, Raipur, Bhopal, Agartala, Imphal, Mangalore and Vadodara. RFQs for Chennai and Lucknow airports have already been uploaded and RFQs for another four airports are in the process. Further, Government of India is in the process of identifying 50 low cost small airports for their development in collaboration with state governments through feasibility studies to be carried out by Airports Authority of India.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation is also trying to provide international connectivity to new destinations not only from Metro International Airports but also from the Regional International Airports. Only last week, the Ministry gave new Bilateral International Traffic Rights to Indian carriers to fly to different destinations from Lucknow, Chandigarh, Madurai, Mangalore, Trivandrum, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Bagdogra. “I hope the Indian carriers, who have been given these rights, would start their flights effective Winter-13,” the Minister said. There is a need to set up an expertise in the state governments to look into the issues associated with general aviation, he added.

During the meeting the delegate from West Bengal raised the issue of night landing at Bagdogra and demanded pro-active steps from Pawan Hans services between Kolkata and Durgapur whereas the representative of the Government of Meghalaya requested for granting permanent refuelling facility in the state. The representative of the UP Government drew attention towards making flying rules more realistic and user friendly while the Jharkhand Government appealed for waiving off night parking charges in cases of non-scheduled operators. The Conference was also addressed by Minister of State in Civil Aviation, Shri K. C. Venugopal. It was attended by about fifty delegates including Aviation Ministers of eight states.

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Kapil Sibal, to interact with Media

10092013

INVITATION

Dear Friend,

You are invited to cover the following event as per the details given below:

EVENT: Minister of Communications & Information Technology, Shri KapilSibal, to interact with Media on matters concerning the Telecom sector.

VENUE: Banquet Hall, 3^rd Floor, Hotel Ashok, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.

TIME: 12.45 P.M.

DATE: September 11, 2013 (Wednesday).

Yours sincerely,

( K.K.PANT )

Press Officer for the Ministries of: Communications & IT; Law & Justice; Corporate Affairs; and Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises

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“International Conference on Public Health Priorities in the 21st Century:

10092013

Minister for Health and Family Welfare Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad, will address the “International Conference on Public Health Priorities in the 21st Century: The Endgame for Tobacco.”
Date	11^th September (Wednesday)
Time	9.00 am
Venue	Taj Palace, New Delhi

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Press Conference India-Japan Ministerial and Government-Business Dialogue meeting

10092013

Anand Sharma, Union Minister for Commerce & Industry and Mr. Toshimitsu Motegi, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan will meet tomorrow for the below-given events:

1. Business Government Dialogue (OPEN FOR VISUAL COVERAGE ONLY)

Venue: Long Champ, Hotel Taj Mansingh, New Delhi

Date: Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Time: 1245 hrs

2. Press Conference (OPEN FOR ALL)

Venue: Diwan-e-Am, Hotel Taj Mansingh, New Delhi

Date: Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Time: 1355 hrs

You are invited to cover the event.

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10092013

Naresh –

It’s actually kind of scary to think about what would happen if some members of Congress get their way and let the government shut down.

Think about it:

– Students would lose access to Head Start, which provides critical early education to kids in need.
– Veterans could see their benefits delayed, and uniformed military could find their paychecks interrupted.
– New Social Security applicants would have to wait to receive their benefits.
– Small businesses would be hurt, as the Small Business Administration wouldn’t be able to process new loans.

That’s obviously just a small glimpse of what’s at stake in this debate — we need more voices of reason to speak out.

Add your name and tell Congress to pass a smart budget, and don’t put our economy — and programs that help millions of Americans — at risk:

http://my.barackobama.com/Pass-a-Budget

Our elected officials shouldn’t use the economy, the budget, or even the threat of taking away health care from millions of Americans just to score political points with their base. We have to hold them accountable.

Thanks,

Lindsay

Lindsay Siler
National Director of Issue Campaigns
Organizing for Action

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A delegation of Punjabi farmers settled in Kutch district meet Badal

10092013

A delegation of Punjabi farmers settled in Kutch district expresses full-confidence in the Gujarat government before Punjab chief minister Prakash Singh Badal

******

Punjab chief minister Mr. Prakash Singh Badal:

Punjabi farmers are fortunate that they are making progress in an honest and safe state like Gujarat
Expose those trying to malign image of Mr. Narendra Modi and government of Gujarat by holding a press conference in Chandigarh

Gujarat chief minister Mr. Narendra Modi:

There is no question of confiscating land of Punjabi farmers or forced them out of Kutch district

Both the chief ministers accepts an invitation and agrees to jointly visit Kutch district

A delegation of the Punjabi farmer families who have settled in Kutch today held a meeting with visiting Punjab chief minister Prakash Singh Badal, chief guest at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Agriculture Summit -2013, on Monday. During their meet with Punjab chief minister Mr. Badal at Mahatma Mandir, the Punjabi farmer families who have become active participant in the progressive, peaceful and business friendly environment of the state, praised the total cooperation of Gujarat government. They told Mr. Badal of it was being a deliberate political ploy to disgrace the state government and Mr. Narendra Modi, which they have condemned thoroughly.

Also the delegation extended an invitation of joint visit of Kutch by Mr. Modi and Mr. Badal, which the duo has accepted it. The families met Mr. Badal on the sidelines of first Vibrant Gujarat Global Agriculture Summit – 2013 at Gandhinagar.

While praising the Gujarat government’s compassion and sentiments of Punjabi farmers of Kutch, Mr. Badal said, “Punjabi farmers are fortunate to have been residing in a state which is honest, good law and order situation and safer social life, and where sisters and daughters with gold ornament on can roam around even at midnight without fear. Punjabis have made their names wherever they have stayed in the World.”

It should be noted that Gujarat chief minister and the government has made it very clear that there is no question of either taking away the land of Punjabi farmers to force them out of Kutch district. The visiting delegation from Kutch has accepted the suggestion of holding a press conference in Chandigarh to expose the political ploy behind it and those detractors trying to disgrace the Gujarat government when the issue is sub-judice in the Supreme Court.

Welcoming the sentiments of the Punjabi families toward Gujarat, Mr. Modi during his recent public speech made it clear that state government will take stern action against the official behind this entire issue and not the families but he will be dismissed first.

Gurudwara of Lakhpat which houses the charanpaduka of Guru Nanak, the Shikh Guru, was affected due to earthquake and later on it was restored. It also won the Asia Pacific Heritage Award. At no stage Gujarat government wanted to take away the land or forced the Punjabi families to leave the state, and no such question had arisen.

It was detractors of state government who spread this ill information to disgrace state under the guise of speaking for Punjabi families. And thus Punjabi farmers must understand this reality and must keep their faith in the state administration.

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Totalrail

10092013

Dear N.K,

Here’s your copy of Total Rail newsletter, our bulletin on news, views and the latest thinking on the rail world. We hope you find it useful and thought provoking.

Enjoy!
Lorna

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Agro Seminars at Global Agriculture Summit

10092013

Agro Seminars at Global Agriculture Summit help realizing Chief Minister’s dream of generating a vibrant economy in rural India:

Vibrant Gujarat Global Agriculture Summit witnesses 11 successful agro-related seminars in two days:

Mahatma Mandir, September, 10: The two-day Global Agriculture Summit-2013 that began with a bang in Gandhinagar witnessed as many as 11 agro-related seminars aiming to educate farmers with application of modern science technology in their farming, animal husbandry and food processing methods. Significantly, three country seminars by Netherlands, Israel and Denmark were also held. A gigantic Kishan Panchayat was also held in presence of Chief Minister Narendra Modi, where innovative farmers shared their experiences that encouraged the farmers across the country present in the Panchayat.

The seminars that were organized to realize Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s dream to generate a vibrant economy in rural India and promoting farming and strengthening farmers by ensuring handsome return to their produces, encouraging organic farming, holistic health care and application of modern technology in farming by the farmers of different states and countries.

Bio-Technology in Agriculture seminar:

Agricultural bio technology holds a very important place as far as development of agriculture sector is concerned. The seminar saw large presence of the farmers and participants as they saw luminaries like Dr. Swapan Kumar Dutta, deputy director general of crop science at ICAR, Dr. S R Rao of department of biotechnology government of India, Dr. Rajiv Modi of CII Gujarat chapter and Dr Mohammed Oufattole talked on range of aspects affecting the sector. The dignitaries were of the view that biotechnology is a potential tool to address food security issue in India and it has shown great potential in terms of benefits to the farmers and community at large. It has also played key role in introducing crop varieties with high yield, increased nutritional values, improved resistance to climatic conditions, reduced maturation period and has increased the shelf life of the produce.

Hi-tech Horticulture and Far Mechanism:

The seminar was attended by large group of participants, which saw important addresses from dignitaries like Dr. K L Chaddha, former deputy director general of horticulture at ICAR, Gujarat government’s agriculture minister Mr. Babu Bokhiriya, Dr. Balraj Singh director National Research Centre on Seed Spices, Dr A M Shekh vice-chancellor of Anand Agriculture University and others. The talks by speakers revealed that in recent years the horticultuproduction (fruits, vegetables and other horticulture crops), in India has increased considerably. In last five years it has increased by 30%. As compared to total production of 191.80 million tonnes in year 2006-07, it has increased to 250 million tonnes in year 2011-12. Apart from productivity, the seminar discussed on the challenges faced by the horticulture of which major challenge was how to reduce the post harvest losses which amounts to almost 16-18% of the total horticulture produce in the country.

Input-Output Agriculture Supply Chain and Linking Farmers to the Market:

The seminar was addressed by former agriculture advisor to Planning Commission on Dr V V Sadamate, minister of education, food and civil supplies Mr. Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, Dr A R Pathak vice chancellor of Navsari Agriculture University, chief advisor to National Centre for Cold Chain Development Pawanexh Kohli and others. Since India is endowed with great agricultural advantage, another biggest advantage was its soil fertility, which is highly favorable for different crops. As of now country has 15 broadly classified agro-climatic zones, which are best suited for cultivation. The seminar also focused on present agriculture value chain, its inefficiencies and the ways to improve farm-market linkages. It also dwelled on issues like market imperfection ranging from shortage of storage space, poor transportation facilities and improper infrastructure being another factor adding to the rising food inflation.

Agriculture, Livestock and Dairy Sector:

Animal husbandry has been an integral part of Indian agriculture sector where land and cattle traditionally are two basic income yielding assets for Indian farmers. The seminar was addressed by dignitaries like minister of social justice and empowerment Ramanlal Vora, GCMMF (Amul) managing director R S Sodhi, NDDB executive director Sangram Chaudhary, director National Dairy Research Institute Dr A. K. Srivastava and others from the filed.

Access to Agriculture Credit & Risk Management:

Since Indian agriculture sector is heavily dependent on monsoon, making it an inherently risky activity. The seminar was addressed by luminaries from the field which included P S Shenoy, ex-chairman Bank of Baroda, minister of revenue Anandiben Patel, Rajesh Sinha executive vice president National Commodity & Development Exchange, chief general manager National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development M K Mudgal, ex-DGM (R&D) Agriculture Insurance Company of India Dr K N Rao and others. The speakers said that timely and low cost credit from institutional sources will be of a great help especially to the marginal farmers. It also focused on historical overview of agriculture credit in India, agri credit system in country and recent policy initiatives and risk associated with it.

Food & Agro Processing: The seminar had speakers like Vishwanath Tiwari, MD Gandour India Food Processing Pvt Ltd, minister of state for agriculture and food chairman & CEO Himalaya International Ltd Manmohan Malik, Rajender Reddy Gaddam MD of Srini Food Park Pvt Ltd.

Country Seminar – Israel: The seminar was addressed by Dr Edna Pesis department of post harvest, Dan Meiri GM Agritech, Raz Ganelevin development manager Meteor Agricultural Nets, Ronen Koll, regional manager Affimilk.

Country Seminar – Denmark: Mr. Anders Adamisen, counselor food and agriculture Denmark, Ajit L Inamdar, director & CFO Cheminova India Ltd, director strategic initiative & external affairs Danfoss Industries Pvt Ltd and Krishnan G S regional president of Novozymes South Asia Pvt Ltd addressed the participants of the seminar.

Others seminars which were held during this Vibrant Gujarat Global Agriculture Summit -2013 include Agriculture & Nutritional Security, Agricultural R&D Extension and Country Seminar by Netherlands.

Cecil/Yashpal

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Joint Press Conference of Ministry of IT & Communication & CAIT

10092013

Joint Press Conference of Ministry of IT & Communication and Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT)

The Ministry of IT & Communication, Government of India in association with Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), an apex body of the trading community has decided to launch a joint project for up gradation, modernistion and computerization of retail trade of India.

To give details of the joint project, its basic fundamentals and structure, a joint Press Conference by Senior officials of Ministry and Senior Leaders of CAIT will be held tomorrow 11th September, 2013 at 4.00 pm. at Constitution Club, Rafi Marg, New Delhi.

Since it is a unique project of its own kind, we shall be grateful if you kindly depute a Staff Correspondent of your esteemed news paper to cover the same.

Thanking you. With regards

Truly yours

Praveen Khandelwal
National Secretary General
Contact Cell : +91-9891015165-9310199771

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Arjun Singh Chaudhri shoots fiery 65 for round one lead

10092013

Forest Hills Golf Resort, Mohali, September 10, 2013: Arjun Singh Chaudhri of Noida shot a fiery five-under-65 to be the round one leader at the PGTI Feeder Tour event being played at the Forest Hills Golf Resort in Mohali district in Punjab. Akshay Sharma of Chandigarh is in second place at three-under-67.

Arjun Singh ChaudhriⳠbogey-free 65 at the par-70 course came as a result of some excellent hitting. Arjun, the current Feeder Tour Order of Merit leader, began the day with birdies on the first two holes as he landed it within three feet on both occasions. The 34-year-old converted a six feet putt for birdie on the fifth to move to three-under for the day. ChaudhriⳠtee shot stopped two feet from the hole on the 11^th to set up another birdie. His final birdie of the day came on the 14^th where he holed an eight-footer.

Chaudhri said, ㉠was in good hitting form today. I hit 16 greens in regulation and landed it close on a consistent basis. One has to keep it in play on this course as there are a lot of hazards. The five-stroke victory in the first event of the Feeder Tour season at Faridabad had given me a lot of confidence and Iⶥ been playing well since then.伯span>

Akshay Sharma of Chandigarh fired four birdies against a lone bogey in his round of 67 to be placed second.

Moinuddin Malak of Pune occupies third place at one-under-69 while the 2010 Feeder Tour Order of Merit champion Maniram Sharma of Karnal is in fourth place at even-par-70.

PanchkulaⳊAngad Cheema and the Chandigarh duo of Rajiv Kumar Jatiwal and Roop Singh are in tied fifth place at one-over-71 along with DelhiⳠHoney Baisoya, Shubhankar Sharma of Gurgaon and Patna golfer Md Nawab.

Ashbeer Saini of Kapurthala is placed tied 11^th along with Rajinder of Chandigarh and DelhiⳠWasim Khan.

The two seasoned Chandigarh professionals Ranjit Singh (six-over-76) and Harmeet Kahlon (eight-over-78) finished the day in tied 32^nd place and tied 44^th place respectively.

The top-36 players (and ties) will make the cut at the end of round two on Wednesday.

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Aug export grows at 12.9%

10092013

India’s exports for the month of August 2013 stands at USD 26.14 billion with a (Y-O-Y) increase of 12.9% as compared to USD 25.83 billion in July 2013 with a (Y-O-Y) growth of 11.6%. During August 2013, the imports were USD 37.05 billion with a (Y-O-Y) growth of around (-) 0.7% as compared to USD 38.10 billion in July 2013 with a (Y-O-Y) growth of (-) 6.2%. The balance of trade stands at around USD (-) 10.92 billion during August 2013 as compared to USD (-) 12.27 billion during July 2013.

Value of foreign trade USD billion

Period	July	August	Apr-August
Exports
FY 14	25.83	26.14	124.43
Growth (%)	11.64	12.97	3.89
Imports
FY 14	38.10	37.05	197.79
Growth (%)	(-)6.2	(-)0.68	1.72
Trade balance
FY 14	(-)12.27	(-)10.92	(-)73.37

Source: PHD Research Bureau, compiled from Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt of India

The cumulative figure for the period of April-August FY2014 shows exports at USD 124.43 billion as compared to USD 119.77 billion in April-August FY2013 with a growth of 3.89%; while the cumulative imports for April-August FY2014 stands at USD 197.79 billion as compared to USD 194.44 billion in April-August FY2013 with a growth of 1.72%. The cumulative figure for the balance of trade for the period of April-August FY2014 stands at USD (-) 73.37 billion as compared to USD (-) 74.67 billion in April-August FY2013.

Trend in Exports and Imports (%)

Source: PHD Research Bureau, compiled from Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt of India

Warm regards,

Dr. S P Sharma

Chief Economist

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Letter to Mamat Banerjee on Ban on Cycles

10092013

National Office : 6/6 Jangpura B, New Delhi 110 014 . Phone : 011 2437 4535 | 9818905316

E-mail: napmindia@gmail.com | Web : www.napm-india.org

New Delhi, September 10, 2013

To,;Smt. Mamata Banerjee,

Chief Minister of West Bengal

Sub: Ban on non-motorised transport in the city of Kolkata by Police

Dear Mamata Ji,
Namaskar !

We are stunned to know that the Kolkata Traffic Police through 29th May, 2013 Gazette Notification has passed an order to ban cycles, hand cart, pull cart, tri-cycles and other forms of non-motorised roads from 174 major and minor streets in the Kolkata city. The order is not only in violation of the National Urban Transport policy of 2006 that encourages non-motorized forms of transport but also an assault on livelihoods of working class people. Millions of poor and working class people in Kolkata are dependent on these forms of transport for earning an honest living and also commute within the city.

Cycles are a perfect manifestation of your party’s slogan and vision – since Bicycles and non-motorized transport are socially inclusive, directly support livelihoods, inexpensive; take much less space, good for the environment and health, and least likely to cause jams and accidents.༯span>

Here are few facts and figures for your attention:

Data of the Union Ministry of Urban Development shows people in Kolkata make nearly 2.5 million cycle trips a day, second only to Delhi.
Kolkata is the only metropolitan city in India where trips by cycle (11 per cent) outnumber trips by cars (8 per cent).
Traffic accident data for West Bengal (2011) shows only 1.5 per cent of road accidents happen due to fault of cyclists against 71 per cent due to faults of motor vehicle drivers
Kolkata has the lowest number of private cars and the least amount of road space (6 per cent) among metro cities. Even smaller cities like Gwalior have more registered motor vehicles than Kolkata. Cycling is practical and popular with the masses.
Cycles do not slow down vehicular traffic. Average speed of traffic in Kolkata varies between 14-18 km/ hour. The national average is 22 km/hour
With a population of over 14 million, urban agglomeration of Kolkata is among the most densely populated in the country. At least 7,750 people live in one sq km area. Cycling is a practical mode of transport in such areas

We are aware that these notifications have been passed on the orders of the Honorable High Court, but we feel your government must deal with this legally, rather than taking this anti poor and anti working class step.

Hence we urge you to revoke this ban and demand that adequate authorities on lines of other Metro cities be set up to take where local authorities can work with experts to find a holistic solution to KolkataⳠtraffic congestion problems that focuses to provide safety to pedestrians and Non Motorised Transport through building of cycle tracks, public cycle scheme and integrate that with other forms of public transport.

We do hope your government will take adequate notice and revoke the ban at the earliest.༯b>

Yours Sincerely,

Medha PatkarୠNarmada Bachao Andolan and the National Alliance of PeopleⳠMovements (NAPM)

Prafulla SamantaraୠLok Shakti Abhiyan, NAPM, Odisha

Dr. Sunilam - Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, NAPM, MP

Gautam Bandopadhyay֠Nadi Ghati Morcha, NAPM, Chhattisgarh

Vilas Bhongade, Suniti SR, Suhas Kolhekar, Prasad Bagwe୊NAPM, Maharashtra

Gabriel Dietrich, Geetha Ramakrishnan֊Unorganised Sector Workers Federation, NAPM, TN

C R Neelakandan NAPM Kerala

Ramakrishnan Raju, Saraswati Kavula, P Chennaiah NAPM Andhra Pradesh

Bhupender Singh Rawat, Rajendra Ravi, Anita Kapoor, Sunita Rani, Madhuresh Kumar, Seela M֠NAPM, Delhi

Arundhati Dhuru - NAPM, Uttar Pradesh

Sister Celia - Domestic Workers Union & Sudhir Vombatkere - NAPM, Karnataka

Vimal BhaiୠMatu Jan sangathan, NAPM, Uttarakhand

Krishnakant,༢>Anand Mazhgaonkar, Paryavaran Suraksh Samiti, NAPM Gujarat

Pranab Banerjee, Samar Bagchi, Anuradha Talwar, Debjit Dutta, Amitava Mitra, Kalyan Sengupta, Pasharul AlamNAPM West Bengal

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IEEE STANDARDS ASSOCIATION FORMS CLOUD COMPUTING INNOVATION COUNCIL

10092013

TO HELP ACCELERATE AND ADVANCE INDIAⓠIT INFRASTRUCTURE

IEEE-SA Industry Connections think tank intends to develop standards proposals, education initiatives and policy recommendations for cloud computing in India and other emerging markets

༯span>

New Delhi, India, 10 September 2013 IEEE, the world’s largest professional organization advancing technology for humanity, today announced that the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) has formed the Cloud Computing Innovation Council for India through its Industry Connections program. The new council will serve as a 㴨ink tank䠦or propelling technological innovations across the cloud-computing ecosystem in India and other emerging markets.

㔨e council is very important to the adoption and deployment of cloud computing as IndiaⳠIT (information technology) infrastructure of choice,䠳aid Srikanth Chandrasekaran, standards senior manager for IEEE India. 㔨e government of India is already driving several cloud-computing projects under the guidance and leadership of the Department of Electronics & Information Technology (DEITy). To help further direct these programs, the council will provide proposals for standards, research, education initiatives and regulatory, legislation and policy recommendations to promote innovation thatⳊvital to the framework of this technology.伯span>

㔨is council is focused on developing an innovation framework and ecosystem to enable new and relevant cloud-computing initiatives in the country for both national and global impact䬠said Pamela Kumar, chair of the Cloud Computing Innovation Council for India. 㗥 will soon publish a white paper that will specify an innovation roadmap for cloud-computing technologies in India. The scope of this white paper encompasses the usage scenarios and service delivery, platform and infrastructure technologies, and the enablement framework for cloud computing. The council is composed of 14 working groups addressing global trends in the relevant technologies, initiatives and opportunities in India. This includes challenges and barriers unique to the Indian ecosystem, which will be providing recommendations and innovation proposals.伯span>

The new council is established as an IEEE-SA Industry Connections activity. Through Industry Connections, IEEE-SA facilitates like-minded organizations and individuals coming together quickly, effectively and economically to build consensus at strategic points in a technologyⳊlifecycle. Industry Connections activities have the unique opportunity to leverage IEEE resources in a customized format to produce a variety of shared results.༯span>

㔨e new council provides a platform for companies, government agencies and others to come together to accelerate the deployment and mobilization of innovation for cloud computing,䠳aid Konstantinos Karachalios, managing director of the IEEE-SA. ス gathering industry experts and members of other professional bodies and academia, the council aims to position India as a global provider of cloud-computing services and infrastructure. As the council further matures, we look forward to the formation of globally relevant IEEE standards and other technological advancements that will make a significant difference in the future of cloud computing in India and around the world.

For more information about the IEEE-SAⳠIndustry Connections program, please visit standards.ieee.org/industryconnections.

To learn more about IEEE-SA, visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ieeesa, follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ieeesa, connect with us on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1791118 or on the Standards Insight Blog at http://www.standardsinsight.com.

About the IEEE Standards Association

The IEEE Standards Association, a globally recognized standards-setting body within IEEE, develops consensus standards through an open process that engages industry and brings together a broad stakeholder community. IEEE standards set specifications and best practices based on current scientific and technological knowledge. The IEEE-SA has a portfolio of over 900 active standards and more than 500 standards under development. For more information visit http://standards.ieee.org/.

About IEEE

IEEE, a large, global technical professional organization, is dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. Through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities, IEEE is the trusted voice on a wide variety of areas ranging from aerospace systems, computers and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, electric power and consumer electronics. Learn more athttp://www.ieee.org.

Regards,

Niti Thakur,Account Executive
+91 9560519528

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Categories : Uncategorized

“India & the US”

10092013

Session on
“India & the US”
With
Mr. Shivshankar Menon, National Security Adviser

Friday, September 20, 2013, 12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m.
WWF Auditorium, 172 – B, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi

India and US relations have transformed over the last few years. Amid a perception that the India-US relationship has plateaued of late, both countries are banking on a successful visit by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in September to take their ties to greater heights.

As a precursor to Prime Minister’s visit to United States, Aspen India invites you to special session on “India and the US” with Mr. Shivshankar Menon, National Security Adviser.

The session will be chaired by Mr. Gautam Thapar, Chairman, Aspen Institute India and Chairman & CEO, Avantha Group

Participation is restricted and will be by prior registration only. The session will be followed by Lunch.

WHEN
Friday, September 20, 2013 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
    Registration : 11:30 am
  WHERE
WWF Auditorium, 172-B, Lodhi EstateNew Delhi – 110003

Please respond by clicking one of the buttons below

SHIVSHANKAR MENON
Menon is National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of India since 23 January 2010. Menon was previously Foreign Secretary of India from October 2006 to August 2009. He has served as Ambassador and High Commissioner of India to Israel (1995-97), Sri Lanka (1997-2000), China (2000-2003) and Pakistan (2003-2006). He has been a member of the Atomic Energy Commission since 2008.
A career diplomat, he served in China (thrice), in Japan, and in Austria in the Embassy and the Mission to the IAEA and UN. He was seconded to the Department of Atomic Energy in the early eighties. His professional experience included India’s relations with her neighbours, atomic energy and disarmament issues, and India’s relations with the major powers. Menon speaks Chinese and some German. He is an MA in ancient history from Delhi University.
He is married to Mohini, and has two children.

GAUTAM THAPAR

Born in 1960, Gautam Thapar was educated at the Doon School in India and studied chemical engineering in the U.S. at Pratt University. Upon returning to India, he worked as a factory assistant in one of his family-owned manufacturing companies. He rose steadily and steered the organisation through a strategic and visionary turnaround. Gautam became Group Chairman in 2006, and the conglomerate was rebranded as Avantha in 2007. With a global footprint in more than 20 countries, Avantha today has business interests in diverse areas, including pulp & paper, power transmission & distribution equipment and services, food processing, farm forestry, energy, chemicals, insurance, infrastructure, information technology (IT) and IT-enabled services. Gautam passionately promotes education, leadership development and sports. He is President of Thapar University, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Chairman of The Aspen Institute India, Past President of All India Management Association (AIMA), and President of the Professional Golf Tour of India. One of India’s youngest global business leaders, Gautam has been appointed Board Member of the National Security Advisory Board. He received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Manufacturing in 2008.

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Global Swing States: India and the International Order

10092013

Tuesday, September 17, 2013, 5:00 – 06:00 p.m.
WWF Auditorium, 172 – B, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi

The international order that has helped ensure peace and prosperity for much of the past six decades confronts numerous challenges today: the rise of China, with its outsized maritime claims; stagnating multilateral trade talks; a weakened global financial architecture; fiscal and political pressures in the U.S. and Europe; and the retrenchment of democracy in many parts of the world. How might India, with its large and growing economy, its strategic location, and its commitment to democratic institutions, influence the future international order?

Aspen Institute India and German Marshall Fund of the United States(GMF) invite you to a discussion of, “Global Swing States”, a report co-authored by Dr. Daniel Kliman, Senior Advisor of the German Marshall Fund of the United States and Mr. Richard Fontaine of the Center for a New American Security. The report focuses on how India – along with Brazil, Indonesia, and Turkey – will decisively influence the trajectory of the current international order.

Dr. Kliman will discuss how India’s economic growth and longstanding democratic institutions make it a quintessential global swing state and what this means for the future of U.S.-India relations

Ambassador Kanwal Sibal, Former Foreign Secretary of India, would present the Indian perspective on the report.

Mr. Daniel Twining, Senior Fellow for Asia, German Marshall Fund of the United States will moderate the session.

Participation is restricted and will be by prior registration only.

WHEN
Tuesday, September 17, 2013 5:00 PM - 6:00 PMRegistration : 4:30 pmWHERE
WWF Auditorium, 172-B, Lodhi EstateNew Delhi – 110003

Please respond by clicking one of the buttons below

Dr. Daniel Kliman is a Senior Advisor with the Asia Program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF). He leads the Global Swing States Project, which focuses on how four rising democratic powers — Brazil, India, Indonesia, and Turkey — might bolster the prevailing international order. He also leads the Young Strategists Forum, which aims to develop a new generation of strategic thinkers in the United States, Europe, and like-minded nations. Before joining GMF, Kliman was a visiting fellow at the Center for a New American Security. He has served as a Japan Policy Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and an Adjunct Research Associate with the Institute for Defense Analyses. Kliman graduated from Stanford University and received his Ph.D. in politics from Princeton University.

Ambassador Kanwal Sibal was India’s Foreign Secretary (2002-2003), Ambassador to Turkey (1989 to 1992), DCM in Washington with rank of Ambassador( 1992-1995), Ambassador to Egypt (1995-1998), Ambassador to France(1998-2002), Ambassador to Russia( 2004-2007) and member of the National Security Advisory Board (2008-2010).

Mr. Daniel Twining is Senior Fellow for Asia at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, where he leads a 15-member team working on the rise of Asia and its implications for the West. He is also a consultant to the U.S. government on global macro trends, teaches a graduate course on South Asia at Georgetown University, and teaches a strategic seminar to senior U.S. military officers preparing to deploy to Afghanistan. He previously served as a Member of the Secretary of State’s Policy Planning Staff, where he was responsible for South Asia and regional issues in East Asia; as the Foreign Policy Advisor to Senator John McCain, for whom he handled foreign and defense policy in the United States Senate; and as a staff member of the U.S. Trade Representative. Dr. Twining has also served as senior policy advisor and foreign policy spokesman for several presidential campaigns. He holds a doctorate in International Relations from Oxford University, where he was the Fulbright/Oxford Scholar for three years.

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Categories : Education, Uncategorized, world News

Kishtwar Cauldron: The Struggle against ISI’s Ethnic Cleansing

10092013

Ajit Doval, Director
Vivekananda International Foundation

cordially invites you to the launch of
Kishtwar Cauldron: The Struggle against ISI’s Ethnic Cleansing

Authored by

Maj Gen (Dr) G D Bakshi SM,VSM (retd)

by
Lt Gen S K Sinha PVSM (retd)

(Former Governor of J & K and Assam)

Date:Friday, Sept 13, 2013 at 6:00 pm

Venue : Vivekananda International Foundation
3, San Martin Marg, Chanakyapuri
New Delhi-110021