Hyderabad, Thursday, April 16, 2015

Transcription

Indian
[email protected]
RNI No: APENG/2010/35309
www.indianhorizon.org
Volume
Issue No: 179
No: 6
Horizon
English Daily
In memory of Dr Asima Kemal and Prof. Dr. Salim W Kemal
Published from Hyderabad & New Delhi
Hyderabad, Thursday, July 2, 2015
Money laundering:
Jagan Mohan Reddy
appears before
CBI court
P-2
Ramdan Timings
Sahar - 4:14
Iftar - 7:00
UK Food Standards Agency
finds made in India
Maggi safe to eat
LONDON, July 1 (PTI) UK’s food regulator
Food Standards Agency (FSA) on Wednesday
gave a clean chit to Nestle for Maggi manufactured in India saying levels of lead in the product
are well within the EU permissible levels.
“The FSA can confirm that results from testing samples of Maggi Noodles in the UK have
all found that levels of lead in the product is well
within EU permissible levels and would not be a
concern to consumers,” FSA said in statement.
It further said: “Following an incident in India,
where a sample of Maggi Noodles was reported
to contain high levels of lead, the Food Standards
Agency made the decision to test a selection of
Maggi Noodles as a precaution. In India, this incident has resulted in a large scale withdrawal of
the product.”
Nestle informed FSA that the only variety of
Maggi Noodles they import into the UK from
India is the ‘masala flavour’.
HYDERABAD
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Postal Registration Order No HD/1188/2014-16
Pages 12 + 4 pull out (P16)
Price: 3.00
Greek PM makes new
bailout offer after
IMF default
Congress decries
changes in Nehru’s
Wikipedia profile
P-8
P-5
‘Digital India’ to provide employment to 18 lakh
people, says Narendra Modi at project launch
Briefs
Sensex
[email protected]
New Delhi, July 1 (PTI) Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on
Wednesday said the ‘Digital India’
mission will ensure jobs for 18 lakh
people in the country, adding that
mobile governance will soon be a
reality. “Digital India will enable
investment of Rs 4.5 lakh crore, ensure jobs for 18 lakh people,” Prime
Minister Modi said at the launch of
the mission. “E-Governance is going to change into M-Governance
or mobile governance. Mobile
governance is going to be a reality
soon,” he added.
The Prime Minister also assured
help to the youngsters in their startups. “Why can’t we make quality
electronic goods that are globally
competitive? I assure all help to
youngsters in start ups. I think in
the times to come we will get even
more active in this,” he said.
“Design in India is very important. Just like Make in India is important. The talent of our youth
must be utilised. And we must
focus on designing in India,” the
Prime Minister added. Speaking
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, flanked by Union ministers, unveils the policy documents during
the launch of Digital India Week in New Delhi on Wednesday. PTI
about cyber security, Prime Minister Modi said, “The world is so
worried about cyber security. One
click can change a lot of things. We
must assure the world through innovation that if it is a product of India, the world is secure in the cyber
world.” Digital India aims to trans-
form the country into a digitally
empowered knowledge economy.
Arun Jaitley while addressing
the Digital India programme said,
“From an economic point of view
this is the beginning of a new kind
of freedom for the people.” “Many
changes are taking place in our
Lalit Modi offered me a job, but I
declined, says Sushma Swaraj’s husband
New Delhi, July 1 (PTI) In another controversy, former IPL chief
Lalit Modi alleged he offered a job
to External Affairs Minister Sushma
Swaraj’s husband Kaushal.
While acknowledging that he
had been offered a post by the Ind-
ofil Board, senior advocate Swaraj
Kaushal on Wednesday said that he
did not consent to the same.
“I am a lawyer for Lalit Modi for
over 20 years. I was offered to be Alternate Director on Indofil Board.
I did not give my consent. The re-
country. India wants 8-10% growth
and wishes to grow faster. We have
the challenge of eradicating poverty,” said Jaitley. More than 10,000
people, including top business leaders like Mukesh Ambani of Reliance,
Kumar Mangalam Birla and the
Tata Group’s Cyrus Mistry attended
the event. Mukesh Ambani made
announcements related to Reliance
JIO on internet service rollout, making affordable smartphones and devices in India. “I believe Digital India
will be a huge success because of the
adoption of technology by the youth
of India. Reliance will invest Rs 250
crores across digital India pillars,”
said Ambani.
“TCS has partnered the government for projects like Passport
Seva and others in remote locations,” said Cyrus Mistry, Chairman of Tata Group. “We plan to
invest $7 billion in the next 5 years
to consolidate connectivity infrastructure. Also launching a mobile
wallet,” said Aditya Birla Group
Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla.
“Our Prime Minister is India’s
greatest and world’s most popular leaders in the digital space,”
said Anil Ambani. Earlier, Union
Telecom minister Ravi Shankar
Prasad said the ‘Digital India
Week’ is not only an idea of an
IT-enabled service but an ITenabled society.
quest was withdrawn,” Kaushal’s
statement to ANI read.
Meanwhile,
continuing
to
mount pressure, the AAP on
Wednesday demanded immediate
sacking of Sushma Swaraj.Batting
for a legislation on conflict of interest, the party also demanded that
ministers in the Union government and their immediate family
members should also declare their
pecuniary interests.
Bengal landslides kill 28, Mamata
Cash-for-vote scam
accused Revanth Reddy
announces compensation
released from jail
Siliguri/Kolkata, July 1 (IANS) The
death toll in landslides triggered by incessant rain in West Bengal’s Darjeeling hills has risen to 28, an official said
on Wednesday.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced a compensation of Rs.4 lakh
to the kin of the deceased and Rs.1.25
lakh each to those injured in the wake
of heavy rain since Tuesday.
“So far, we have recovered 28 bodies. Several others are still missing,”
Darjeeling Superintendent of Police
Amit Javalgi said. According to Javalgi,
20 bodies were recovered from Mirik,
six from Kalimpong and one each from
New Delhi, July 1 (IANS) The
Supreme Court on Wednesday
held that a rape accused would
not be let off the hook even if
he agrees to enter into wedlock
with the rape victim, saying
that for a woman, her body is
her own temple and could not
be defiled.
“When a human frame is
defiled, the purest treasure,
is lost. Dignity of a woman is
a part of her non-perishable
and immortal self and no one
should ever think of painting
it in clay. There cannot be a
compromise or settlement as
Sukhiapokhri and Gorubathan areas of
the district. The landslides have badly
affected National Highways 31 and
10, snapping the link with Sikkim. The
heavy rainfall also washed away the
Rohini-Garidhura bridge.
Banerjee assured all assistance to the
affected people.
“Money can never compensate the
loss of life. However, the state government has decided to pay Rs.4 lakh to
kin of those who have died and Rs.1.25
lakh to the injured. The government
will provide all kinds of assistance for
the rehabilitation of those affected by
the calamity,” Banerjee said.
Hyderabad, July 1 (PTI) A day
after getting bail from Hyderabad High Court, Telangana
TDP MLA A Revanth Reddy and
two others were on Wednesday
released from Cherlapally Central Prison here, with scores of
cheering supporters of Reddy
raising slogans and waving
Telugu Desam flags. Reddy,
waving the TDP flag, greeted
the huge gathering even as he
was showered with flowers as
he came out of the jail premises.
No compromise
in rape case with
wedlock offer: SC
it would be against her honour which matters the most. It
is sacrosanct,” said a bench of
Justice Dipak Misra and Justice
Prafulla C. Pant in their judgment.
“We would like to clearly
state that in a case of rape or
attempt of rape, the conception of compromise, under no
circumstances, can really be
thought of,” it said.
“These (rape or attempt of
rape) are crimes against the
body of a woman which is her
own temple. These are offences which suffocate the breath
of life and sully the reputation.
And reputation, needless to
emphasise, is the richest jewel
Amid bursting of crackers and
drum beats, the party workers
and his supporters celebrated
his release as he was being taken in a procession from the jail
towards the TDP headquarters
in Banjara Hills. The followers
were seen garlanding Reddy
who shook hands with them.
Earlier, family members of Revanth Reddy and his relatives
and a large number of party
leaders and workers gathered
near the Cherlapally Central
one can conceive of in life. No
one would allow it to be extinguished,” said Justice Misra
speaking for the bench.
Describing the offer of entering into wedlock by the accused as a “subterfuge”, the
court said: “Sometimes solace
is given that the perpetrator of
the crime has acceded to enter
into wedlock with her which is
nothing but putting pressure in
an adroit manner; and we say
with emphasis that the courts
are to remain absolutely away
from this subterfuge to adopt a
soft approach to the case.”
Prison.Revanth Reddy, the
prime accused in the cash-forvote case along with two others
accused, Bishop Harry Sebastian and R Uday Simha were
granted bail by Hyderabad
High Court on Tuesday with a
direction to furnish a personal
bond of Rs 5 lakh each and two
sureties of the like amount.
They were asked to cooperate
with the investigating agency
(Anti-Corruption Bureau). Reddy was also asked to surrender
his passport and not to leave his
Assembly constituency.
Meanwhile, a group of Osmania University students
held a protest against the
release of Reddy and burnt
his effigy.
Striking Special Auxiliary Police jawans
take out a rally for their demands in Patna on
Wednesday. PTI
2
Indian Horizon, Hyderabad
City
Short Takes
ACB traps engineer
for taking
Rs 20,000 bribe
Hyderabad, Jul 1 (PTI): An Additional Assistant Engineer in
Electricity Department working in
neighbouring Ranga Reddy district
of Telangana was today trapped by
Anti-Corruption Bureau for allegedly taking Rs 20,000 as bribe.
V Ashok Kumar, working at the
office of Assistant Engineer (Operations) at Telangana Southern
Power Distribution Company Ltd
in Vanasthalipuram Sub-station of
the district, was caught by the ACB
Officials at his office, while accepting the bribe amount of Rs 20,000
from a complainant, a Electrical
Contractor for processing and forwarding his work order file.
The bribe amount was recovered
from the note book which belongs
to the Additional Assistant Engineer (kept in bag of his car), an ACB
release said here adding no arrests
have been made so far. The case is
under investigation.
the Gandhi Hospital.
Download of TS.Ed.
CET-2015 Rank Cards
Hyderabad, July 1 (INN): TS
Ed.CET-2015
Convener
Prof.
P.Prasad has informed that the
candidates who have appeared for
TS.Ed.CET-2015 held on 6-6-2015
can download their Rank Cards.
The Rank Cards can be downloaded from the website: www.
tsedcet.org by entering Hall Ticket
Number of the candidate.
Sandra writes to ACB
Hyderabad, July 1(NSS): TDP
MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah,
who was wanted by the ACB in connection with cash-for-vote scam,
today sent a letter to the investigating agency informing the ACB that
he has been discharged from the
hospital and will appear before it
whenever he was asked to come, a
report said.
Last week, Sandra sought time to
appear before the ACB stating that
he was undergoing treatment at a
Admissions begin
hospital. He sent a fresh letter on
Wednesday after the deadline set
at UoH
by the investigating agency. The
Hyderabad, July 1 (INN): The ad- ACB had served a notice on Sandra
missions to the various courses at last week asking him to appear bethe University of Hyderabad (UoH) fore it.
commenced here on Wednesday.
On day one, students were ad- Flames catch OU
mitted to the courses of IMSc Op- student while burning
tometry, IMSc Health Psychology,
Revanth’s effigy
IMA Humanities, MSc-Mathematics, Statistics, Physics and ChemisHyderabad, July 1(NSS): Tension
try, MCA, MSc-Ocean Atmospheric prevailed in the Osmania UniversiScience, Health Psychology, Bio- ty when flames caught an agitating
Chemistry, Plant Biology, Micro- student Sivannarayana on Wednesbiology, Animal Biotechnology, day.
MPH, MA-English, Philosophy and
The students were agitating in
Telugu.
protest against the bail granted to
About 220 students have been cash-for-vote case accused and
admitted on the first day. The ad- TTDP MLA A Revanth Reddy. As
missions will continue till 10th July. part of their agitation, the students
More than 44,000 applications were burnt an effigy of Revanth Reddy
received this time for about 2000 at the Arts College. Petrol fell on
seats in various courses at UoH.
Sivannarayama when the students
sprinkled petrol on the burning efDubai’s company
figy. The students were shocked
when
Sivannarayana
caught
selects MANUU
flames. They put out the flames
students
on Sivannarayana and rushed him
Hyderabad, July 1 (INN): Express to Gandhi Hospital. On receipt of
Flexi, Dubai, a leading corrugation the information, the OU police
box making company in the GCC deployed security personnel at the
Countries has conducted campus Arts College.
placements for Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU), None is leaving
ITI Hyderabad students on 30th Congress: TPCC Chief
June.
According to Dr. M. Yousuf Khan,
Hyderabad, July 1(NSS): TPCC
Principal ITI Hyderabad, the com- Chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy has
pany has selected six students. Ap- said nobody, including former
pointments orders will be given to APCC Chief D Srinivas and CLP
them in a week. The second phase leader K Jana Reddy were leaving
of campus placement by the com- the Congress.
pany will be held on 28th July.
On Wednesday, Uttam Kumar
responded to the news that both
DGP’s mother
senior leaders --- D Srinivas and
K Jana Reddy --- were leaving the
passes away
Congress and made it clear that
Hyderabad, July 1 (INN): Smt Su- both would not leave the party. He
sheela, mother of Telangana DGP said he didn’t know as to why Jana
Anurag Sharma, passed away here Reddy met TRS MP and senior leader B Vinod Kumar. He exuded conon Wednesday.
She was 83 and was suffering fidence that there was no dearth
from old age ailments. Chief Min- of leadership in the Congress in
ister K Chandrashekar Rao and Telangana State. The Congress will
other dignitaries visited the DGP’s sweep the ensuing elections in the
residence and expressed their con- State, he added.
dolences.
TRSV activists hold
protest against bail
to Revanth Reddy
Hyderabad, July 1 (INN): The
Telangana Rashtra Samithi Vidyarthi, the students wing of ruling
party, on Wednesday held protest
in the Osmania University against
bail given to TDP MLA A Revanth
Reddy in the ‘Cash for Vote’ case.
The TRSV activists raised slogans
against the TDP MLA and also burnt
his effigy. They also tried to take out
a rally to Cherlapally Jail which was
foiled by the police. A few students
were also taken into custody.
One of the activists sustained
burn injuries while burning the effigy. He was immediately rushed to
Allu Arjun calls on
cancer-hit children
Hyderabad, July 1(NSS): Tollywood actor Allu Arjun here on
Wednesday consoled four children,
who were suffering from cancer.
Knowing about the deteriorating
condition of the cancer affected children through Make A Wish Foundation, Allu Arjun called on the kids
and spent time with them to make
them happy. He also talked to the
doctors and parents of the children
about the condition of the kids.
Speaking on the occasion, Arjun
said fulfilling the wish of children
on the death bed was a great thing.
He also called upon people to lend
cooperation to Make A Wish Foundation in its noble activity.
Thursday, July 2, 2015
‘French firms investing
Euro 1-2 billion in
India every year’
Hyderabad, Jul 1 (PTI):
French Ambassador Francois Richier today said his
country’s current focus is to
strengthen investments in
India and that French companies have been investing
Euro 1 to 2 billion in the
country every year.
Richier, who is on a twoday visit to Telangana along
with a trade delegation, said
the bilateral trade between
the countries currently
stood at USD 8 billion and
did not grow due to variety
of reasons.
“The French investors
have together invested Euro
20 billion in India. They em-
ploy roughly 3.5 lakh skilled
people in major cities, covering all sectors. It grows
by Euro 1 to 2 billion every
year. It is not only new companies that are investing but
also the existing companies,” the French diplomat
told reporters.
He said there is not much
investment by French companies in Defence sector.
However, with the raised
FDI ceiling in the sector,
some of the companies
from France are expected to
show interest in investing in
that sector, Richier said.
According to Richier, the
bilateral trade with India
Four held for
eve-teasing,
two sent to jail
Hyderabad, July 1 (INN): The She Team
of Hyderabad City Police have caught four
persons for eve teasing women in four different cases at different places in the City.
In the first case, Mohammad Shadiq
Ali, a retired employee of 71 years, was
sitting at Koti bus stop, trying to touch
ladies inappropriately. The victims who
were sitting at the bus stop beside him
were frightened by his acts and shifting
to other places. This was video graphed
by the SHE teams present there and the
accused was caught red handed. He was
produced before the magistrate who sentenced him to jail for two days.
In the second case B Ramulu, 39 years, of
Old Malakpet, was caught at Afzalgunj bus
stop. He was stalking a lady, trying to touch
her since six months. The victim called Dial
100 after being vexed with his behaviour.
is “not that important” for
France as of now as the European country is currently
focusing on strengthening
investments in India and
that the economic exchange
in terms of skill development is more important.
“What is more important is (to) invest in India
and sell in India rather
than export from France,”
the ambassador said, adding there is trade deficit
with India at present.
The delegation called on
Telangana Industries Minister J Krishna Rao and senior
government officials earlier
in the morning.
SHE teams present there caught hold of
him red handed. He was produced before
the magistrate who sentenced him to jail
for five days.
In the third case, Mohammed Mohsin
Ahmed, 25 years, of RC Puram, was caught
while teasing a woman at Mehdipatnam
bus stop. He was teasing and following a
lady, by winking at her, giving gestures trying to talk to her. Entire episode was video
recorded by the SHE team present there.
He was arrested and produced in the court
along with the evidence and was fined.
In the fourth case Mohammad Ishthiyak,
30, was touching the ladies in appropriately
at the Mehdipatnam bus stop, with shoulders, harassing and teasing them. The SHE
teams caught him with video evidence produced before the magistrate and was fined.
Any complaints related to eve teasing can
be immediately informed to Dial 100, or
mailed to [email protected], or posted on sheteamhyd face book page or can be
informed to the Hyderabad City Police whatsapp number-9490616555. Victim or caller
details will be strictly kept confidential.
ABVP demands ban on
Narayana and Chaithanya
colleges in T State
Hyderabad, July 1(NSS): Alleging that the
Telangana Intermediate Board has turned as
‘Inti Board’ (Own Board), Akhila Bharathiya
Vidhyarthi Parishath (ABVP) has demanded
the State government to ban the corporate colleges-- Narayana and Chaithanya, which were
turning as death dens of the students in the
name of ‘brand’ and protect the government Junior Colleges in the State.
ABVP has given a call for Junior Colleges
bandh on Wednesday and made it success
across the Telangana State. They also organized
huge dharna at Intermediate Board. Speaking
on this occasion, ABVP state secretary Niranjan
has alleged that more than 1000 students committed suicides in the last 20 years in Narayana
and Chaithanya junior colleges.
He demanded the Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, who assured before elections
that the corporate colleges would be closed in
Telangana State, to tell as to why the latter was
maintaining silence on this issue. Alleging that
five students were committed suicides in the last
one year in Narayana and Chaithanya colleges,
Niranjan demanded the government to arrest the
colleges’ managements immediately. Close the
colleges, which were making the students’, join
their colleges excessively violating the rules and
without having permissions, he demanded.
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DS meets KCR,
avoids media
Hyderabad, July 1 (INN):
Amid speculations of him
joining the pink brigade, former PCC President Dharampuri Srinivas called on Chief
Minister K Chandrashekar
Rao here no Wednesday.
Accompanied with his
son Sanjay, Srinivas met the
Chief Minister and held discussion for about an hour.
He completely avoided the
media and on reporters’ insistence he assured that he
would to them on Thursday. According to sources,
KCR assured Srinivas that he
would given a Rajya Sabha
ticket or MLC seat. He is like-
ly to join the TRS formally at
a public meeting to be held
in Nizamabad on July 6.
Meanwhile, TPCC President N Uttam Kumar Reddy,
Working President Mallu
Bhatti Vikramarka, Rajya
Sabha MP V Hanumantha
Rao and MLA DK Aruna
tried to vain to meet DS at
his residence. Speaking to
media persons, Uttam Kumar Reddy maintained that
no leader was leaving the
Congress party to join TRS.
He also feigned ignorance
about meeting of TRS MP
Vinod Kumar with Leader of
Opposition K Jana Reddy.
All set for Godavari
Pushkarams from July 14
Hyderabad, July 1(INN): Endowments Minister A Indrakaran Reddy has informed that all arrangements are in
place for the 12-day Godavari Pushkarams to be held from
14th to 25th July.
The Godavari Pushkarams will begin at the auspicious
time between 6.26 am to 6.38 am on July 14 at Dharmapuri
in Karimnagar district. The Pushkarams will be held at 106
Ghats in Karimnagar, Adilabad, Nizamabad, Warangal and
Khammam districts. Addressing a press conference here on
Wednesday, the minister said the event would be celebrated at a grand scale at a cost of Rs. 600 crore. He said almost
80% of the works at Pushkar Ghats have been completed.
Indrakaran Reddy said that the State Government had
requested the Centre to bear 30% of the cost. However,
the Centre had promised to sanction Rs. 100 crore each to
Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. However, the Centre has so
far released only Rs. 50 crore for Telangana. He expressed
displeasure over non-release of adequate funds by the Centre for the event.
The minister said elaborate security arrangements were
being made and nearly 18,000 policemen would be deployed for round-the-clock security. All arrangements like
better roads, toilets, drinking water and medical teams are
being made to ensure that the pilgrims do not face any inconvenience. He also informed that Naga Sadhus from Himalayas are expected to participate in Godavari Pushkaralu
in Khammam district.
At least now, govt should support us: Jwala
Hyderabad, Jul 1 (PTI): Fresh
from her Canada Open triumph
along with Ashwini Ponnappa,
ace shuttler Jwala Gutta today
urged the government to come
out and support the doubles
specialists in their endeavour
to win an Olympic medal next
year at Rio.
“We need all the support that
top players need. I think what the
singles players are getting, if we
get that kind of a support, I think
Ashwini and me can win a medal
at the Olympics, definitely. It will
be great. At least now, people who
are responsible wake up. I will
be really happy,” Jwala told PTI
upon her arrival from Calgary.
“I don’t know what to do really. I hope that they are at least
thinking about it right now. This
is what. Being a player, I am
supposed to train and practice
and only think about my game,
what I have to develop and what
weaknesses I have to take care of.
31-year-old said it was crucial
for the shuttlers to get the government support.
“Lot of players are performing, including singles, only because of government funding.
If government does not fund,
lot of players will be lost. We are
really depending on the government. This TOP scheme is that
extra boost,” she said.
Jwala insisted that lack of
support from the government
Shuttler Jwala Gutta, who clinched the Canada Open
2015 badminton doubles title with Ashwini Ponappa, at a
press conference at LB Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad on
Wednesday. (PTI Photo)
would make it difficult for the
youngsters to take up doubles.
“Definitely (absence of government support would make
it tough for the players to get
into doubles). After Ashwini
and me, I don’t see anybody
else coming up. You can see it. I
stopped playing mixed doubles
CPI condemns
lathi-charge against left
wing student leaders
Hyderabad, July 1(NSS): Telangana State CPI
has condemned the illegal arrest of Left Wing
student leaders and lathi-charge on the student unions’ protesting program against the
privatization of education and collection of donations in schools.
On Wednesday, several Left Parties student
and there is no result in mixed
doubles. I was world number
six. People who are talking
about me and my performance
and questioning my career and
my achievements, where is the
next mixed doubles pair, please
show it to me. I would like to
know,” she blasted.
unions have taken up agitation protesting
against the collection of donations by big educational managements from poor and middle
class children.
Reacting on lathi-charge and arrest of Left
Parties student leaders, CPI Telangana State
Council secretary Chada Venkat Reddy has alleged that the managements were collecting
donations on various names. He said that the
protest program against the managements’ attitude by students unions was justified.
Short Takes
Three miscreants
trying to sell antique
idols arrested
bearably due to steep increase in the
cost of farm inputs, the CPI-M leader
alleged that the State government
has miserably failed to procure credit
Visakhapatnam, Jul 1 (PTI): Three facility to the farmers.
persons were arrested today when
they were trying to sell at a high price KCR averse to
two metal idols, said to be antique and sort out issues
made of ‘Panchaloha’, police said.
with AP: Jupudi
Acting on a tip-off, the team led
by Assistant Commissioner of PoHyderabad, July 1(NSS): Andhra
lice, city Task Force, I Chittibabu TDP leader Jupudi Prabhakar Rao
conducted a raid at a guest house in today alleged that Telangana Chief
the city and apprehended the trio, Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao was
the ACP said in a statement.
not inclined to resolve the issues that
Those arrested have been iden- arose between the two Telugu States.
tified as Kuppa Ravi and Rowthu
Speaking to the media at NTR
Ramu, both belonging to Vizianag- trust bhavan here on Wednesday,
aram, and Ramathota Trinadh Ku- Jupudi alleged that a conspiracy was
mar, hailing from Visakhpatnam, hatched against Revanth Reddy since
he said, adding the two idols of god- a couple of months before. Without
desses, said to be made of Pancha- knowledge of Election Commission,
loha, were recovered from them.
the Telangana ACB personnel and
The accused Ravi was in pos- police bugged phones of Andhra
session of the idols for many years leaders. Chandrababu Naidu repeatand, to sell the same, associated edly sent feelers to the TRS president
with Ramu and Kumar, who came for a discussion on various problems
to know about the sale of antique confronting the two Telugu States.
goods, he said.
But, the TRS government did not
He said that they visited the said take it serious and ignored the offers,
guest house and were waiting for Jupudi alleged.
the buying party, when the Task
PK Saxena posted
Force team nabbed them.
The apprehended persons and as Incharge General
the seized idols have been handed
Manager for SCR
over to Station House Officer, 4th
Town police station for further inHyderabad, July 1(NSS): Pradeep
vestigation, he said.
Kumar Saxena, General Manager,
South Western Railway, Hubli has
Re-routing of
been posted as In-charge General
Manager of South Central Railway
certain trains Via
today. He will be taking over charge
Visakhapatnam
subsequent to the superannuation
Hyderabad, July 1 (INN): As of P.K.Srivastava, General Manager,
many as four trains, which are SCR who retired on June 30.
P.K. Saxena belongs to the Inpresently running via Duvvada
(skipping Visakhapatnam), is re- dian Railway Service of Engineer
routed to run via Visakhapatnam (IRSE) of 1977 batch. He completed
his Graduation in Civil Engineerwith effect from 1st July.
They are 18047 / 18048 Howrah – ing from Rewa Engineering College,
Vasco-da-Gama – Howrah Express Madhya Pradesh in 1977 and started
(4 days in a week); 12254 / 12253 his career as Assistant Engineer in
Bhagalpur-Yesvantpur-Bhagalpur Khandwa of Central Railway in the
weekly Express; 12867 / 12868 year 1980.
Howrah – Pudhucherry-Howrah
weekly Express and 22855 / 22856 Sapling plantation
Santragachi-Tirupati-Santragachi plan by HMDA from
weekly Express.
tomorrow
Chance to get clear
pending passport
applications
Hyderabad, July 1 (INN): On-hold
applicants who have submitted their
application for grant of passport services at Passport Seva Kendra, Vijayawada before May 9, 2015 and whose
cases are pending for want of additional documentation have been advised to visit passport Seva Kendra,
Vijayawada on any working day between 9.30 am to 4.30 pm along with
required additional documentation
for clearance of their cases on or before July 16.
Post July 16, all the on hold applications pertaining to regional Passport office, Hyderabad Jurisdiction
will be transferred Hyderabad main
office on any working day between
9.30 am to 11.30am. All on hold applications more than one year shall
be closed automatically by the system, informed Regional Passport Office Ashwini in a press release.
CPI-M calls farmers’
protest rallies in
AP from Aug 1
Hyderabad, July 1(NSS): AP State
secretary of CPI-M P. Madhu has said
the crop loan burden of the farmers
in Andhra Pradesh was increasing
heavily year after year.
Speaking to mediapersons at Vijayawada, the CPI-M leader said the
Rs 19,000 crore additional crop loan
burden has risen to Rs 65,000 crore
in a gap of two years. While this was
so, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu
Naidu, who had proclaimed that he
would waive crop loans of the farmers, has washed off his hands by
waiving crop loans to the tune of just
Rs 7,000 crore.
Opining that the financial burden
on the AP farmers was increasing un-
Hyderabad, July 1(NSS): The
HMDA Urban Forestry Wing is organizing plantation program under
TKHH from July 3 to 10 at various
places under its limits.
The Urban Forestry Wing is arranging free distribution of saplings
from various HMDA Parks in the city.
The free distribution of seedlings will
be supplied from 6 am to 10 am and
it will be continued till the end of
TKHH i.e. July 10.
The details of parks are: K.B.R.
Walkway Garden, Jubilee Hills; Dr
G.S.Melkote Park, Narayanaguda;
Indira Priyadarshini Park, Saroornagar: Rajiv Gandhi Park, Vanasthalipuram; Sanjeevaiah Park and
Necklace Road. On Friday, some
10,000 saplings will be planted on
Central Median, Nanakramguda
and Narsingi interchanges of Outer
Ring Road.
Gattu ridicules TD
on Revanth release
celebration
Hyderabad, July 1(NSS): TRS leader Gattu Ramachandra Rao today
ridiculed that even a mouse in Telangana State is not scared to Andhra
Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s rhetoric on section 8.
Addressing a press conference here
Rao slammed Naidu for pretending a
law and problem in Hyderabad and
pressing to invoke section 8 to diver
cash for vote scam. He flayed that
Naidu’s son Lokesh is just a twitter
man and cannot dare to come outside. Terming the TDP as ‘Telivaina
Dongala Party’ he said that none
is afraid of to Lokesh and his father
Naidu, he rebutted.
The TRS leader took serious exception to the Telugu Desam leaders for celebrating in Andhra area
the release of Revanth Reddy from
Cherlapally jail.
3
State
Andhra CM to
inaugurate
‘Godavari Harathi’
Rajahmundry (AP), Jul
1 (PTI): Andhra Pradesh
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will today inaugurate the ‘Godavari Harathi’ festival, celebrating
the sacred Godavari river on
Pushkar ghat, in East Godavari district.
“The Chief Minister will
arrive from Chittoor district this evening by flight
and proceed to Pushkhar
ghat, where he will inaugurate the festival, which is
expected to be attended by
around 600 people from all
walks of life, including artists and scholars,” Godavari
Pushkarams’ special officer
K Dhanujaya Reddy said.
From today, ‘Harathi’
(aarti) will be offered to river Godavari at 6 PM everyday, he said, after holding
a meeting with Buddhavarapu Charitable Trust, which
organises the festival, and
officials concerned.
Buddhavarapu
Charitable Trust will organise the
daily Harathi to Godavari
from today, he said.
East Godavari District
Magistrate H Arun Kumar,
who reviewed the arrangements, said the 250-metrelong ghat was modernised
and all facilities such as toilets, dress rooms, have been
set up for the convenience
of the pilgrims.
Reddy, along with Rajahmundry SP (Urban) S Harikrishna, district Sub-Collector V Vijayarama Rao and
Municipal Commissioner J
Murali, visited the Pushkar
ghat and reviewed the preparations for the event.
He also urged SP Harikrishna to take all precautionary measures in view
of a large number of people
expected to throng the festival venue.
Meanwhile, in a separate
statement, the state Culture
department released a list
of programmes, including
dances and stage plays, that
will be held during the 12day ‘Godavari Maha Pushkaralu’ beginning July 14.
HC not satisfied with
CBI report on law
colleges in AP, Karna
Madurai, Jul 1 (PTI): The Madras High Court bench
here today said that it was not satisfied with a CBI report
on the functioning of Law Universities and colleges in
Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and inter-state offences
committed by 14 LLB degree students hailing from Madurai and directed the agency to conduct a detailed probe
on it and file a report.
The court had on April 29 directed CBI to probe the inter-state offences committed by the 14 students who had
enrolled themselves in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh’s
private law colleges.
The court gave the direction on a petition by K Sriguru,
an advocate, who submitted that the 14 students illegally
obtained admissions in law colleges in Andhra Pradesh
and Karnataka.
He submitted that without having sufficient attendance and by “bribing college authorities”, they wrote
the examination using proxies. Most of them did not have
formal education, he alleged, adding, they were trying to
get themselves enrolled in the Bar Council after getting
their degree and sought a CBI probe on the matter.
Justice Nagamuthu today also ordered issue of direction to implead Tamil Nadu Bar Council and Bar Council
of India as respondents and sought their explanations
regarding the complaints.
Pranab worships at Lord
Venkateswara temple
President Pranab Mukherjee offers prayers to the sacred Dwajasthambham
(flag-mast) of Lord Shiva at the ancient cave temple of Sri Kapileswara
Swamy in Tirupati on Wednesday. Also seen in the photo are Andhra CM N.
Chandrababu Naidu and Governor ESL Narasimhan. (PTI Photo)
va, called Kapileswaraswamy at the ancient cave
temple close to the foot of
the hills, temple sources
told PTI.
He paid obeisance at the
sub-shrines of Sri Ganesh,
Sri
Subramanyaswamy
and Navagrahas situated
inside the Kapileswara
temple.
Before visiting the Lord
Venkateswara
temple,
Mukherjee also offered
prayers at the shrine of
Lakshmivaraha
Swamy
adjacent to it.
On his arrival at the hill
shrine, he was accorded
Tirupati, Jul 1 (PTI):
President Pranab Mukherjee offered prayers at the
ancient hill shrine of Lord
Venkateswara at Tirumala
near here today.
Andhra Pradesh Chief
Minister N Chandrababu
Naidu and Governor E S L
Narasimhan were with the
President during his visit.
Mukherjee arrived here
from Hyderabad on an
eight-hour spiritual sojourn today. Before proceeding to the sacred hills,
he paid obeisance to Goddess Padmavathi at nearby
Tiruchanur and Lord Shi-
a
ceremonious
traditional reception. Temple
priests, amid chanting of
vedic hymns, conducted
Mukherjee to the sanctum
sanctorum of the shrine.
Later, Mukherjee was
honoured by presenting him with a sacred silk
cloth of the Lord, prasadam, holy photo and celestial water in a tiny bottle.
It was his second visit
to the hill shrine after assuming office on July 25,
2012. Tight security arrangements were in place
here in view of the high
profile visit.
Quid pro-quo case:
Jagan appears before CBI court
Hyderabad, Jul 1 (PTI): YSR Congress
chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and other
accused in the case pertaining to alleged quid-pro-quo investments made
in his firms today appeared before a
special CBI court here which posted
the matter to July 24.
Jagan, the prime accused in the case,
who represents Pulivendula Assembly seat
in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh, his
close aide and financial advisor V Vijay Sai
Reddy and other accused including former
minister Mopidevi Venkata Ramana, also
appeared before the court in connection
with different aspects of the case.
Some IAS officers and representatives of
several companies, who have been named
in the 11 charge sheets were also present in
the court to mark their presence. The Judge
adjourned the hearing to July 24.
The case pertains to alleged investments made by various private firms and
individuals to the tune of several crores
of rupees in Jagan’s businesses as part of
quid pro-quo arrangement for various favours bestowed on them during the tenure of his father late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh
between 2004 and 2009.
The CBI has accused Jagan of amassing huge wealth through illegal means by
misusing the office of Rajasekhara Reddy.
RINL eyes capacity expansion of 16 mt by 2025
Hyderabad, Jul 1 (PTI):
Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), the corporate entity of Vizag Steel, is chalking
out plans to expand capacity
to 16 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) by 2025 with
an investment of Rs 35,000
crore, a a top official said.
P Madhusudan, CMD,
RINL, said the present capacity of 6.3 mtpa would be
increased by 1 mt by 2018
through modernisation of
the existing capacities.
T-Congress asks
KCR to frame new
Education Policy
Hyderabad, July 1 (INN):
Accusing the TRS Government of playing with the lives
and careers of thousands of
students, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir
on Wednesday demanded
that Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao come out with
one clear Education Policy to
end the entire confusion.
Addressing a press conference at Congress Legislature
Party Office here, Shabbir Ali
pointed out that 10 out of 11
“By 2025, RINL has corporate target to achieve 16
mtpa.
The current 6.3 mtpa will
become 7.3 mtpa through
modernisation by 2018.
After that, in two phases,
we want to grow up to 16
mtpa,” Madhusudan told
PTI.
“Each million tonne
would cost about Rs 4,000
crore. Another 9 mt to be
taken in two phases would
cost about Rs 35,000 crore,”
universities in the State have
no regular Vice-Chancellors.
The appointment of VCs is
being delayed as KCR himself
wants to become the Chancellor of varsities by amending the Universities Act. “The
CM must hasten the processes. The delay in appointment
of VCs is badly affecting the
functioning of universities.
Almost all universities have
less than 50% staff and many
employees are due to retire
soon,” he said.
Similarly, he said confusion is being created over
the engineering seats and
a deliberate attempt is being made to increase the
he said.
He said the capex for the
current fiscal is Rs 1,402
crore and the PSU is confident of achieving that.
The steel maker had earlier said it had fixed the target of 5 mt of hot metal, 4.9
mt of liquid steel and 4.3 mt
of saleable steel production
and turnover of around Rs
18,000 crore.
On the tie-up with Power
Grid for making Transmission Line towers, he said
the proposed JV would be
investing Rs 330 crore in
the first phase and a similar
amount in the second phase.
The new JV company will
set up a Transmission Line
Tower (TLT) manufacturing
unit in Visakhapatnam.
“The Transmission Tower
Unit with an annual capacity of 1,20,000 tonnes will be
set up with an investment of
around Rs 330 crore in the
first phase. In the second
phase, it is planned to have
demand-supply gap. Quoting figures, Shabbir Ali said
there were 290 engineering
colleges and about 163,570
seats in the State at the time
of formation of Telangana.
While the JNTU-Hyderabad
had scrapped 43,000 seats
last year, about 45 managements themselves have surrendered their colleges due
to rising confusion. Of 245
colleges, the JNTU-H did not
permit 25 colleges to admit
students this year. This has
reduced the number of seats
in private colleges, under
JNTU jurisdiction, to 77,955
as against 90,556 candidates,
who qualified for EAMCET.
rolling mills which will enhance the total capacity to
1,80,000 tonnes per annum
of transmission line tower
parts,” he explained.
The CMD further said the
JV will have the benefit to
procure black angles from
RINL.
Consultant MECON has
already prepared the Techno Economic Feasibility
Report. Land has already
been earmarked for the
project by RINL.
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4
South
Short Takes
Sabarinadhan
sworn as MLA
HC slaps fine
on petitioner
Thiruvanathapuram, Jul 1 (PTI): Becoming the youngest legislator in the
140 member Kerala assembly, 31-yearold K S Sabarinadhan of Congress took
oath as MLA today.
He had won the Aruvikkara assembly
bypoll. He took the oath in the name of
God in the assembly.
Sabarinadhan, the son of former
Speaker G Karthikeyan, whose death
necessitated the bypoll, is an engineering graduate and an MBA degree
holder.
In one of the fiercest triangular poll
battles fought in the state in recent
times, Sabarinadhan won the seat by
a margin of 10,128 votes against his
nearest rival M Vijayakumar (CPI-M) of
LDF Opposition who was polled 46,320
votes. BJP candidate and former union
minister, O Rajagopal, got 34,145 votes.
Madurai, Jul 1 (PTI): Madurai Bench
of the Madras High Court today slapped
a fine of Rs 10,000 on a Transport Company owner for not producing a genuine medical certificate to prove that he
was not well and was not aware of the
notice issued to him.
Justice S Vaidyanathan said the petitioner S Kannan, had made a false statement and affidavit before the court. The
Medical certificate issued said that he
needed complete rest from December,1,
2013 to Jul 9, 2014. It said he was fit to resume duty on July 2014, 2015.
The petitioner had simply approached the doctor for issuing the
medical certificate and the doctor had
put the dates in a spur of moment without even focussing on the year (whether 2014 or 2015.)
Kerala Tourism
holds first roadshow
in China
Adiga donates Rs 1 cr to
his alma mater
Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 1 (PTI):
Kerala Tourism has hit the streets of
Shanghai with a first-ever roadshow
aimed at attracting high-spending Chinese tourists from the world’s largest
outbound tourism market.
The roadshow, which comes close on
the heels of Kerala Tourism’s first-time
participation in Beijing International
Tourism Expo (BITE) 2015 last week,
was held yesterday, with 70 buyers
from the Chinese travel and tourism
industry in attendance.
The event at the sprawling Hotel Jinjiang Tower witnessed a huge footfall
and a large presence of the mainstream
and local Chinese media, a release said
here today.
Mangaluru, July 1 (PTI): Man Booker
prize winning author Aravind Adiga has
donated Rs one crore to his alma mater, the Canara High School Association, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary. Adiga, who did his primary
and secondary education from the institution, sent the cheque to the school
yesterday. The association would utilise the money to set up endowments
named after five teachers who founded
the institution in 1891, Association secretary M Ranganath Bhat said in a release here.
Adiga himself volunteered to make
a donation to the institution and the
endowments would be used to provide
free education to economically backward students studying in the institution’s primary schools, Bhat said.
Raids conducted at
helmet shops
Stalin, Vijayakant take
ride in Metro Rail
Madurai, Jul 1 (PTI): Labour Department officials today raided some shops
selling helmet without ISI marks and at
exhotibitant prices to the buyers, who
were rushing to shops to buy headgear
in the wake of Madras High Court order making wearing it compulsory
from today. Labour inspector Kalidoss
said they seized the fake helmets without ISI marks and covering/scrapping
company the price in order to sell at an
exhorbitant price.
He said action had been intiated
against the shop owners who sold the
helmets with mentioning the price of
the helme. Show cause notice had been
issued to 10 traders for selling helmet at
a high cost. The Labour department officials also asked public to complain to
them if the shop owners sold helmets at
a high price.
Chennai, Jul 1 (PTI): The Metro Rail
fever seems to have caught up with politicians, with DMK Treasurer M K Stalin
and DMDK founder Vijayakant taking
a ride in the newly launched services
here today.
The Alandur-Koyambedu sector, first
phase of the Rs 14,600 crore Metro Rail
project, was flagged off by Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Sunday.
Stalin was accompanied by his
supporters,including former Mayor M
Subramaniam and travelled from Koyambedu to Alandur, while Vijayakant,
the Opposition Leader in the Tamil
Nadu Assembly, opted to travel from
the opposite side with his senior colleagues in tow.
Liquor bottles seized
from Maruti car
Kozhikode, Jul 1 (PTI): As many as
313 IMFL bottles of different quantities were seized today from a car from
Mahe, at nearby Vatakara, police said.
Mahe is an enclave of Puducherry
Union Territory in Kerala.
On information, a police team led by
Vatakara Sub-Inspector, Aravindhan
stopped the speeding cat and seized
750 ml bottles (60 nos), 500 ml bottles
(244) and 375 ml bottles (nine).
Rohit who was driving the car was arrested in connection with it, they said.
E-rickshaws to
be introduced
Puducherry,Jul 1 (PTI): In an effort to
promote pollution free travel, Puducherry government will introduce battery
operated E Rickshaws for senior citizens, women, children and the infirm.
These would provide connectivity to
their homes and to commute from bus
terminals and railway stations.
The e-rickshaws, to be operated by
poor unemployed youth, would be run
on a pilot basis and cover the Eastern
zone of Mahatma Gandhi Road and
within boulevard limits, a press release
of the Transport Secretariat here said
The permits for these areas would
soon be issued, it said.
TN fishermen go on
indefinite fast
Rameswaram (TN) Jul 1 (PTI): About
250 fishermen began an indefinite fast
in front of the bus stand here today,
demanding the release of 14 fishermen
arrested by the Sri Lankan navy since
June 2, and also their boats.
N J Bose, president of the Tamil Nadu
and Puducherry Fishermen’s Association, told reporters that 19 boats in the
custody of the Sri Lankan government
had been totally damaged as they had
been anchored and not maintained.
He charged the BJP government with
not fulfilling its election promises like
retrieving Katchathivu islet, allowing
fishermen to fish in traditional areas,
creating a separate Ministry for the
fisheries department and taking steps
to prevent attacks on Indian fishermen.
“This is a dark period as far as the
fishermen are concerned. The government should act and take steps to get
the fishermen released,” he said.
Two killed, four
injured in accident
Salem, July 1 (PTI): Two cooks returning from work were killed today
when a speeding mini lorry rammed
their two wheeler at Ethapur, about 55
km from here, police said.
Under the impact the lorry hit another lorry and toppled, injuring four persons, they said. The injured have been
hospitalised.
Mekedatu plan will be scrutinised as
per CWDT orders: Centre
Chennai, Jul 1 (PTI): Karnataka government’s proposal for a dam across River
Cauvery in Mekedatu will
be examined by the Union
government as per the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal orders, Union Water
Resources Minister Uma
Bharati has said.
“DPR (detailed project
report) of project at Mekedatu as and when received
will be examined as per
Clause-XIII of Final order
February 5, 2007 of Cauvery
Water Disputes Tribunal
(CWDT),” she told PMK MP
Ambumani Ramadoss in a
letter, copies of which were
released to the media here.
Clause XIII says that
“whenever any hydro
power project is construct-
ed and Cauvery waters are
stored in the reservoir, the
pattern of downstream releases should be consistent
with our order so that the
irrigation
requirements
are not jeopardised.”
Citing Anbumani’s letters to her on the Cauvery
issue and referring to him
raising the issue in Lok
Sabha, the Minister said
she examined the issue.
The PMK MP had raised
the issue of constitution
of Cauvery Management
Board and proposed construction of a dam across
River Cauvery at Mekedatu in Karnataka.
“I would like to inform
you that the DPR of only
one project, namely Shivasamudram Run of the
River Power Project, was
received in Central Water
Commission from Karnataka Power Corporation
Limited during February
2014,” she said.
But the DPR was returned to Karnataka, directing it to get comments
of basin states, especially
Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, to enable its examination from the inter-state
angle, she said.
“DPR of no other project, except the above, has
been received by CWC, she
said, adding, “Karnataka
has clarified that they have
no plans to proceed with
the construction of projects without first informing the Supreme Court.”
On constitution of Cau-
very Management Board,
she said Karnataka and
Tamil Nadu have taken
different stands on it.
“Therefore, in pursuance to directions of the
Supreme Court, a pro tem
committee with Secretary (Water Resources) as
chairman and chief secretaries of concerned states
and chairman CWC as
members, has been constituted for implementation of CWDT orders. I
hope this clarifies the position,” she said.
Karnataka has maintained that Tamil Nadu’s
opposition to Mekedatu
drinking water project is
“politically
motivated”
and that they would go
ahead with it.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said that the
drinking water and power
generation project would
enable the state to store
30 to 35 tmc water during
rainy season and utilise it
as drinking water for Bangalore rural, urban and
nearby areas.
Ever since Karnataka announced the plan, farmers
in Tamil Nadu have gone
on protests. On March 7,
farmers of delta districts
tried to cross over to Mekedatu site from Denkanikottai in Tamil Nadu, but
were thwarted by police.
On March 28, a bandh
supported by opposition parties was held in
the state, which evoked a
mixed response.
Kerala plans law
against superstition
Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 1 (PTI): Kerala government plansto bring out an anti-superstition legislation, but wants consensus in society to curb cruel
practises held in the name of religion, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said today.
He was replying to a calling attention moved by K
Sivadasan Nair (Cong) in the assembly to the necessity for enacting a law to prevent the uncivilised and
cruel practise of piercing of spears in body parts, including that of children as part of religious customs.
The Minister said that certain practises are part of
age-old religious customs and traditions. “They cannot
be banned by law. They can be curbed only after arriving at a consensus in society by discussion.”
MiG 29K aircraft training simulator
commissioned at NIAT
Kochi, Jul 1 (PTI): A MiG 29K Aircraft Training
Simulator Facility was commissioned today at the
Naval Institute of Aeronautical Technology (NIAT),
the largest aviation training establishment in the
country. The facility was commissioned by Vice
Admiral Sunil Lanba, Flag Officer Commanding-inChief, Southern Naval Command, inside the naval
base here at a function which was attended by Naval
personnel and Russian specialists.
The simulator training facility, set up by the Indian Navy as part of the MiG 29K Aircraft contract,
would provide a platform for smooth transition of
air crew and maintenance personnel from training
environment to actual maintenance and operation
scenario, according to a Navy release.
“The personnel trained with this training facility
would be adept in handling maintenance challenges/operational evolutions,” it said.
The MiG 29K Simulator Training Facility has
‘state-of-the-art’ training stations for imparting real
time training to air crew and technical personnel on
all systems of the aircraft and associated maintenance requirements.
Bollywood actor Suneil Shetty with actress Mandira Bedi and Joint
Commissioner (Traffic) Milind Bharambe at the launch of ‘Street Smart,
Street Safe’, a road safety campaign in Mumbai on Tuesday. (PTI Photo)
ED arrests Mumbai trader on
money laundering charges
Chennai, Jul 1 (PTI):
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested a
Mumbai-based trader for
allegedly laundering over
Rs 19 crore funds sourced
by him and others after defrauding a national bank
in 2013.
Officials said the zonal
office of the agency here
arrested Ajit Jain yesterday
under the provisions of
the Prevention of Money
Laundering Act (PMLA) as
he was “instrumental in
laundering the proceeds of
crime of over 19 crore.”
“Investigations in the case
FIR against Lokayukta’s son
over bribery scandal
Bengaluru/Belagavi, Jul
1 (PTI): An FIR was today
filed against Karnataka Lokayukta Bhaskar Rao’s son
in connection with an alleged bribery scandal, as the
issue rocked the assembly
and pressure mounted for
the exit of the anti-graft ombudsman.
The FIR was filed on the
basis of a complaint that
an executive engineer was
asked to pay Rs 1 crore bribe
to avoid a raid, Upa Lokayukta Subash Adi told PTI.
Asked if Lokayukta’s son
would be arrested, he said
it was left to the institution’s
Superintendent of Police Sonia Narang, who blew the lid
off the alleged scandal.
The alleged scam came
to light after Narang wrote
a letter to Lokayukta Registrar about the complaint she
received from the Executive
Engineer, who alleged that
someone from the Lokayukta office demanded Rs 1
crore in bribe to avoid a raid.
As the Opposition and
various
organisations
stepped up pressure for
a CBI probe, the government said it could not hand
over the case to the central
agency unless the Lokayukta
itself asks for it.
“This (Lokayukta) Act was
made in 1985;... we cannot
give it to CBI under Section
AASSC plan to certify
5.20 lakh trainees in
aerospace in 10yrs
Bengaluru, Jul 1 (PTI): The newly
constituted Aerospace and Aviation Sector Skill Council (AASSC)
has drawn up a plan to certify about
15 sub clause 3 of Lokayukta
act...,” Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said in the Assembly which is holding its
monsoon session in Belgavi.
He said as per the recommendation made by Lokayukta under the provisions of
the Act, a Special Investigation Team headed by ADGP
rank officer Kamal Panth
who had earlier worked for
CBI, had been formed.
Siddaramaiah said “... We
can wait till the SIT report
comes,” and added that,
meanwhile, the government
will look at strengthening
the Lokayukta Act after taking advice from legal experts
and others required.
5,20,000 trainees and groom 6,000
trainers over a 10 year period in the
aerospace sector.
“We have signed the term sheet
with NSDC (National Skill Development Corporation) covering project
objectives, segments, target training
trades and broad execution plan,” T
are on,” ED Joint Director K
S V V Prasad said while confirming the development.
The case dates back to
2013 when Canara Bank
registered a criminal case
with Chennai Police for
cheating and duping of Rs
19.21 crore funds against
a few of its officials, private entities and National
Award winning Bollywood
actress Leena Maria Paul.
ED sources said Jain was
allegedly involved in routing and laundering of the
funds from the accused to
the mastermind of the financial fraud after receiv-
ing the amount in “several
dummy companies” by
way of RTGS (Real Time
Gross Settlement).
The agency, which registered a money laundering
case last year to probe this
fraud, has charged Jain
with indulging in alleged
illegal transfer of funds
through hawala and money laundering.
Jain was later produced
in a special anti-money
laundering court here
from where he was remanded to judicial custody. The CBI is also probing
this case.
LDF stages walkout over
alleged attack on media
Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 1 (PTI): CPI-M led LDF
Opposition members in Kerala today staged a walkout from the Assembly in protest against alleged
attack on the media and house of an MLA by UDF
workers even as Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala denied the incident.
The Opposition sought leave for an adjournment
motion on the alleged attack on Editor-in-Chief M V
Nikesh Kumar of Malayalam TV channel ‘Reporter’
here yesterday and house of K B Ganesh Kumar, KC
(B) MLA, who recently snapped ties with the ruling
Congress led UDF, at Pathanapuram.
The incidents reportedly happened while UDF
workers were celebrating the victory of Congress candidate K S Sabarinadhan in the Aruvikkara by-poll.
Replying to the notice for the motion, Chennithala said UDF workers had not attacked the journalist.
“Government is of the view that media should
be allowed to function freely in a democracy.
Some people mocked him and in fact police escorted Nikesh Kumar to his car by providing security,” he said.
Suvarna Raju, Chairman and Managing Director of HAL, also the
Chairman of AASSC, said.
The AASSC Board Meeting was
held here yesterday. According to
Raju, about 30 courses will be introduced in the first three years to
ensure greater relevance of skills
in the aerospace sector battling for
talent in various disciplines. “We
also have a challenge to set up new
institutes and centres of excellence.
As an immediate step, we have now
decided to appoint a CEO of AASSC
with clear role to him”, he said, according to an HAL release.
Indian Horizon Hyderabad
Lalit Modi now drags Varun
Gandhi into row
chance. There was no any kind of deal
or discussion over his help,” an aide to
Varun Gandhi told IANS, requesting
anonymity.Lalit Modi on late Tuesday
alleged in a series of tweets that Varun
Gandhi met him and offered to settle
everything.“@varungandhi80
came
to see me at my house a few years
ago and said he can settle everything
in @INCIndia with his aunt,” Modi
tweeted.“He wanted me to meet her
sister from Italy. I heard him next I
heard from our common friend who
introduced us that auntie wants 60 mil-
lion dollars. Told them whaaaat are u
nuts go HKG a kite. Can he deny that. I
hope he does,” Modi posted on Twitter.
In another tweet, he clarified: “The
auntie he refers to is #soniagandhi.
The sister is #soniagandhi sister - just
for clarity.”“Please clarify @varungandhi80 did u or did u not come to my
house in London. Whilst staying at the
Ritz hotel in London a few years ago,”
said another of his tweets.The BJP
came in support of Varun.“The whole
world knows that the families of Rahul
Gandhi and Varun Gandhi are separate, party wise and ideology wise,” BJP
spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain told
media on Wednesday.
level tactics” the “mischievous”
changes made in Wikipedia pages
on late prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his forefathers and
pointed fingers at the government.
“Let me make it clear that this is
Congress on Wednesday dubbed as the most reprehensible, cheap, un“reprehensible, cheap and gutter- democratic and gutter-level tactics
by whoever has done it,” Congress
leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi told
the media here.
The Congress claimed that a software that tracked anonymous Wikipedia edits indicated that the mischievous changes were made to the
entries on June 26.
New Delhi, July 1 (IANS) Former
IPL chief Lalit Modi has claimed that
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Varun Gandhi met him in London “a few
years ago” and offered to “settle everything” with Congress president Sonia
Gandhi.
Though Varun Gandhi accepted
meeting Lalit Modi, he denied having
struck any kind of deal between them.
“Varun-ji met Lalit Modi in London
along with Bharatpur, Rajasthan, MLA
Jagat Singh three years ago. He was in
London and the meeting was only a
Congress decries
changes in Nehru’s
Wikipedia profile
Calcutta University teachers allege
assault; minister seeks report
Kolkata, July 1 (IANS) Calcutta
University vice chancellor Suranjan Das and some teachers were on
Wednesday manhandled by supporters of West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress students’ wing,
a section of teachers alleged. The
students’ wing denied the charges,
while the state’s education minister
sought a report on the matter.
Claiming that Das has denied the
assault, Education Minister Partha
Chatterjee said he has sought a
report on the matter from the vice
chancellor.
The Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) also denied
the charges.The alleged incident
took place during an agitation by
a section of teachers and other
university employees against the
suspension of finance officer Harisadhan Ghosh over allegations of
corruption.
The agitation was backed by the
Left-affiliated West Bengal College
and University Teachers’ Association (WBCUTA).
According to WBCUTA general
secretary Srutinath Praharaj, the
attackers “jumped” on the vice
chancellor who had rushed to the
spot in the campus when teachers and staff members were being
attacked.“It is obvious that they
are supported by the ruling party.
They were not students of the university. The teachers were carrying
out their agitation in Darbhanga
Hall when the outsiders attacked
them and also manhandled the vice
chancellor,” Praharaj said.Claiming
consent of farmers.In
its written representation to the JPC, five MPs
from the SAD — Naresh
Gurjal, Balwinder Singh
Bhunder, Sukhdev Singh
Dhindsa, Prem Singh
Chandumajra and Sher
Singh Ghubaiya — said
that they firmly believe
that land is a priceless asset of the farmers.
“Not even an inch of it
should be acquired by the
government without the
consent of the farmers/
land owners.” they said.
The MPs also insisted
that land should only be
acquired for public sector
projects and the “government should not get into
acquisition for private
entities”.They added that
farmers should not be
denied the right to approach court for grievance redressal.The SAD
is a votary of full proof
safeguards for compensating not only farmers
but also those “dependents on land, including
farm labourers”, their
MPs wrote.The Paksha
led by Lok Sabha MP Raju
Shetty has pitched for
“consent of 70 per cent
of farmers and five-time
compensation” for the
acquisition of land for
the projects undertaken
with public-private partnership for infrastructure
development.
The 2013 Land Act
provides for four-time
compensation on the existing market rate, which
has been left unchanged
in the NDA’s bill.
The Shiv Sena, the
largest constituent of the
NDA after the BJP, has
18 MPs in the Lok Sabha
and three in the Rajya
Sabha while the SAD has
four in the Lok Sabha and
three in the Rajya Sabha.
Mr. Shetty is the lone MP
in the Lok Sabha from his
party.RSS affiliates including Swadeshi Jagaran
Manch, Bhartiya Kisan
Sangh, Bhartiya Mazdoor
Sangh and Akhil Bhartiya
“BJP parl board to decide on
CM face for Bihar”
PATNA July 1 (PTI): Fending off persistent queries from
various quarters about its chief ministerial face for the crucial Bihar Assembly polls, senior BJP leader Syed Shahanwaz Hussain today said the party’s Parliamentary Board
will take a call on the issue.
“Let us leave the decision on chief ministerial face to our
parliamentary board to decide,” he said in reply to a volley
of questions from reporters here.
“We have a a galaxy of leaders (in Bihar) ... But in BJP it
is only the Parliamentary Board that decides on issues like
declaring the chief ministerial face or going to polls under
collective leadership,” the BJP national spokesperson said.
Asked whether BJP felt any pressure to declare its chief
ministerial face for Bihar after the secular alliance did so
about a month ago by projecting incumbent Chief Minister
Nitish Kumar for the high-profile job, he said, “Our rivals
did so as they have only one leader available for the post.
“In contrast, BJP has many choices and has its own decision-making mechanism to take up such matters,” he said.
Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram
have also opposed the bill
and demanded restoration of the consent clause
and social impact assessment.The Paksha also
demanded that if the land
remained unused for five
years after acquisition, it
should be returned to its
owners. This provision
existed in the UPA bill,
which has been modified
in NDA’s bill.The Paksha
also demanded that the
government should not
allow the change of purpose for acquisition.
“In the event any
change is proposed, government shall notify and
the farmer will be entitled
for revoking his consent
or additional compensation as per market value,”
it said while red-flagging
the acquisition of fertile
land.“Never acquire the
fertile land except for
military or high priority
projects in the interest of
the national interest,” the
Paksha said.
MNS demands scalps of scam-accused
Maharashtra ministers
Mumbai, July 1 (IANS) Raj Thackeray’s MNS on Wednesday demanded the resignation of state
ministers Pankaja Munde and Vinod
Tawde who are facing allegations of
involvement in various scams.
In a sharply worded statement,
the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s
general secretary and former legislator Nitin Sardesai wondered whether
the “hunger” of the Bharatiya Janata
Party ministers has increased after
remaining out of power for 15 years.
“All allegations against them must
be thoroughly investigated and till
then, they must quit their posts to
facilitate an independent inquiry.
They should show that they are different from the previous Democratic
Front (Congress-NCP) government,”
Sardesai said.Referring to the denials by both Tawde and Munde about
AAP demands CBI probe
into mysterious deaths in
Vyapam scam
that the assailants were members
of the TMCP, some teachers alleged that they pushed and shoved
around and even women faculty
members were not spared.Education Minister Chatterjee claimed
Das denied being assaulted.“The
vice chancellor told me nobody assaulted him and no such incident
happened. I have sought a report
of the whole incident from him,”
Chatterjee said.The minister said
the administration will not tolerate
disturbances at educational institutions.Denying the involvement of
their activists, TMCP state president Ashok Rudra assured action if
involvement of Trinamool activists
was found.The WBCUTA said it will
stage protest marches on Thursday
across the state.
Fault lines to the fore in NDA over land bill
NEW DELHI, July 1
(PTI): Fault lines in the
NDA over the land bill are
visible with three of BJP’s
allies - the Shiv Sena, the
Shiromani Akali Dal and
the Swabhimani Paksha
— red-flagging a number
of provisions of the proposed legislation.
The contentious bill,
which proposes amendments to the Land Acquisition Act of 2013, is
under examination of a
Joint Committee of Parliament which is about
to conclude its consultation process and consider
it clause-by-clause next
week.
While the Shiv Sena
has, for quite some time,
been on record seeking
incorporation of a clause
providing for 70 per
cent consent of farmers
in the bill, the SAD and
the Paksha have written
to the panel headed by
S.S. Ahluwalia that “not
an inch” of land should
be acquired without the
5
Nation
INDORE July 1 (PTI): Aam Aadmi Party
(AAP) on Wednesday demanded a CBI
probe into the mysterious deaths of those
involved in the high-profile MP Professional
Examination Board (MPPEB) scam.
“The mysterious deaths of the accused in
VYAPAM scam should be handed over to the
CBI as soon as possible. These deaths have
added a dangerous proportion to the scam,”
AAP spokesman and party state convener
Alok Agrawal told PTI. He claimed that more
than 40 accused in scam had died in mysterious conditions so far.
Agrawal said former MP minister Laxmikant Sharma, an accused in the scam,
was already incarcerated. Besides, names
of high profile politicians and officers were
cropping up in the scam. In such a situation,
it has become necessary that a CBI probe
should be carried out in these unnatural
deaths, he said.
the allegations, Sardesai said “there
can be no smoke without a fire”,
and pointed out that the people of
Maharashtra had voted for the BJPShiv Sena as they were fed up with
the erstwhile “corrupt regime” of
the Congress-Nationalist Congress
Party.
“An intellectual with a clean image like Devendra Fadnavis became
the chief minister and he was highly
praised in the media. But, in barely
a year since coming to power, the
people of the state are feeling disappointed as now even BJP ministers
are facing allegations of committing
irregularities worth crores of rupees,” he said.
On a sarcastic note, Sardesai
said the ‘party with a difference’
was now behaving like the previous regime.“After remaining out of
Badaun gangrape: All accused
nabbed, DNA test on
BADAUN July 1 (PTI): One more
person was today arrested in connection with the alleged gangrape of
a Dalit teenager and DNA samples
of all the three accused have been
sent for forensic examination, police
said.“While Ankit and Rishab were
arrested on June 28, the main accused Shivam has been arrested today,” Superintendent of Police Anil
Kumar Yadav said.
The DNA samples of all the three
accused have been sent for forensic
examination and another medical
examination of the girl was also conducted to ascertain the fact of the
case on directives of DIG, Bareilly
range, RKS Rathore.According to
the complaint filed on June 28, the
14-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped by three youths of her neigh-
Contaminated
midday meal lands
Goa self-help
group in soup
Panaji, July 1 (IANS)
The Goa education department on Wednesday
formally suspended the
services of a self-help
group after 22 students of
bourhood in the Civil Lines area on
June 23 who took her on a motorcycle to a secluded spot in Nagla Sarki
village and raped by the youths who
fled the scene leaving her in an unconscious state, police said.
The forensic team, the SP said,
could not get any evidence from the
spot due to rains as complaint was
filed on June 28, while the incident allegedly took place on June 23.“Due to
changing statement of the girl, we are
facing difficulty in the probe. We are
taking precautions so that innocent
is framed in the case,” the SP said.A
condom, piece of match box, cloth,
plastic cap and an inch-long piece
of wood that were allegedly inserted
in her private part were recovered,
Dr Hakim Singh, who performed the
medical examination on the girl, said.
Ensure safety of all religious
places: Centre to HC
central government on Wednesday questioned the Delhi Police
move to provide safety to churches
only and asked Delhi High Court
that efforts should be made to protect other religious places also.
A division bench of Chief Justice
G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath
was informed by advocate Anil
Soni, appearing for the Centre,
and churches and minority-run
institutions, that police should
ensure safety of other religious
places like temples, mosques and
gurdwaras.
“They (police) have done a commendable job by providing safety
to churches. But efforts should be
made to protect other religious
places also,” Soni argued.
He said through the Centre’s
affidavit that there were 106 incidents of trespass, theft, vandalism or destruction at temples,
two cases in mosques and 10 in
gurdwaras, whereas there were
only six attacks on churches in the
same period.The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL)
seeking protection of all religious
places, particularly churches.The
bench asked Delhi Police to file a
status report in four weeks on the
steps taken to protect other religious places.
The court would hear the matter
next on September 2.
“Steps have been taken for the
security and safety of the churches and minority-run institutions
through wide publicity including
media with an aim to reach the
masses,” the police affidavit said.
The PIL, filed by advocate Reegan
S. Bell, asked authorities to compensate the places of worship
that were attacked and to ensure
they were restored to their original
form.
The plea said that since December 2014, six churches in Delhi
were vandalised but no one has
been arrested.
Saying that the government
failed to prevent the attacks, the
PIL urged the court to seek an action-taken report from the central
and Delhi governments and Delhi
Police regarding the attacks and
efforts made by them to secure
these places.
SC dismisses plea seeking removal of union ministers
New Delhi, July 1 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed
a petition seeking dismissal of seven
union ministers, including Finance
Minister Arun Jaitley, for being Rajya
Sabha members.
An apex court bench headed by
Chief Justice H.L. Dattu observed that
when any one can become a minister
power for 15 years, has their ‘hunger’
gone up? This is the question being
raised in people’s minds.”
The MNS said the government
seems to be continuing with the
policies of the previous regime and
whenever allegations are levelled
against corrupt ministers, the chief
minister “with a clean image” issues
a “clean chit” to them.
This was the first formal reaction
by the MNS after the government
was rattled by the charges against
Education Minister Tawde and
Women and Child Welfare Minister
Munde.
The Congress has already lodged a
formal complaint with the Anti-Corruption Bureau to probe the charges
against Munde, but both Munde and
Tawde have dismissed all the allegations.
then why object to Rajya Sabha members.The chief justice was obviously referring to the constitutional provision
which says that even a person who is
not a member of any house can become a minister and remain so for six
months during which period he has
to be elected to either the Lok Sabha
or the Rajya Sabha.“We can’t re-write
a high school fell ill after
eating curried peas allegedly contaminated with a
dead lizard.
The action against
‘Ekta Mahila Mandal’ was
taken pending an inquiry
by the food and drugs
department into Tuesday’s incident, Education
Director Gajanand Bhat
the constitution,” Chief Justice Dattu
observed while dismissing the plea
filed by Patna-based advocate Harendra Pratap Singh. Besides Jaitley, the
petition sought quashing of appointment of union ministers Piyush Goel,
Najma Heptullah, Dharmendra Pradhan, Prakash Javadekar, Ravi Shankar
Prasad and Smriti Irani.
told IANS.“It is standard
procedure. The self-help
group provides food to 15
schools, including Mahanandu Naik Memorial
High School at Bhoma in
Ponda sub-district, 25 km
from Panaji.
Its services to all other
schools have also been
stopped for now,” Bhat
said.On Tuesday, 22 students of classes VII and
VIII were admitted to a
local government clinic
for a short while after they
consumed contaminated
curried white peas.
The students were discharged after being kept
under medical observation for a short while.
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav sharing cake during
a programme to celebrate his birthday in Lucknow
on Wedenesday. PTI
AFSPA: Amnesty seeks
probe into human rights
violations in J&K
New Delhi july 1 (PTI): Calling the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) as one of the “primary facilitators
of impunity” by security forces, Amnesty International on
Wednesday demanded its repeal and sought investigation
into cases of human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir by an “independent and impartial” authority.
The international human rights body has also sought
removal of all “requirements of sanction or prior permission” to prosecute security force personnel and has
held “lack of political will” as a long-standing problem in
Jammu and Kashmir. The demands have been made by
Amnesty International in a report, titled “Denied: Failures
in accountability for human rights violations by security
force personnel in Jammu and Kashmir”, which was released here today.
“One of the primary facilitators of impunity is the existence of Section 7 of the AFSPA under which security
forces are protected from prosecution for alleged human
rights violations. This legal provision mandates prior executive permission from central or state authorities for
prosecution of a member of the security forces,” the report reads. “The lack of political will to account for past
and present actions of the security forces, including the
state police, is fortified by legislation and aggravated by
other obstacles to justice, especially for those who lack
financial resources or education,” it adds.
The 72-page report is an analysis of government and
legal documents related to over 100 cases of human rights
violations committed between 1990 and 2013. It also
contains 58 case studies of alleged excesses by the armed
forces in the state. Amnesty has asked the government for
an independent and impartial probe into all human rights
violations in the state. “Both the governments of India
and Jammu and Kashmir must take immediate steps to
ensure that all human rights violations and crimes under
international law alleged to have been committed by Indian security forces, including police, are investigated by
independent and impartial authorities.”
6
EDIT
Indian Horizon
Strategic convergence sans robust
economic engagement unsustainable
BY AMIT DASGUPTA
P
Thursday July 2, 2015
Indian Seas can be used during war and
peace time as per law
India is situated between two major Oceans and navigations for the Far East countries to the western seas has to
have access to pass through Indian ocean. This permission to cross Indian ocean, not only should be available to
commercial ships, but they are equally needed for navel
military of other ships, especially in modern navel wars,
great importance is attached to submarines as well. It’s a
matter of great care and courtesy for India also. When any
country which is in between two major oceans will have
larger number of ships and their varities visiting from one
position to the other. Every country must understand that
army is a section, which is to be considered only after the
trade and economy as well as the exchange of education
and knowledge are equally important. The restrictions are
justified only if a military situation develops to the extent where such restrictions become inevitable. However,
there have been many conflicts grown since the Two Great
Wars. We may have the benefit of some inventions and
technological developments, which are useful for human
race. Never the less, we must not ignore that war needs
have forced nations to invent weapons and other instruments of war in such a way that human race has been suf-
rime Minister Narendra Modi,
with the personal attention he has
paid to foreign policy, lifted bilateral engagement to an entirely different
level within a year of assuming office.
There was international relief when
he released the pause button that the
engagement with the global community had been put into and injected the
much-needed vigour that had somehow
dissipated during UPA-II.
However, the prime minister needs to
urgently recognize that in a globalizing
world, genuine engagement is measured
principally in economic terms. India, in
other words, needs to be perceived as being good for international business, especially at a time of global economic slowdown and fears of recession. If this were
to happen, it would be Modi’s greatest
foreign policy achievement. In the eyes
of the international community, India
would have finally and truly arrived.
Perhaps this is best understood in
the context of India-Australia relations.
For various historical reasons, starting
from India’s advocacy of non-alignment, its perceived alignment with the
Soviet Union during the Cold War era,
its nuclear tests followed by the spate
of attacks on Indian students, bilateral
relations had been static and even, at
times, antagonistic.
In recent years, especially after the
2009 incidents on Indian students, efforts
to seek a closer engagement were largely
one-sided with Canberra reaching out to
an aloof Delhi. Modi’s visit to Australia
last year genuinely got the people to believe that the moribund relationship was
finally set to dramatically change for the
better. Words like “strategic partnership”
entered the lexicon and the joint statement issued by the two prime ministers
was positive and exciting. Some identified areas of cooperation, such as in the
fields of defence, security and transnational crime were entirely governmentled
and
government-administered.
People would read and hear about such
cooperation. They did not, however, directly participate either in the decision
making process or its execution. Nevertheless, such cooperation sends out a
powerful political signal that the heads of
government are now committed to cutting across a gamut of sectors because
they see a strategic convergence.
Where people get directly involved is
with regard to people-to-people contact and more significantly, in trade and
commerce. In neither of these, despite
a prime ministerial endorsement, do we
find any significant shift in mindsets,
especially from the Indian side. Unless
Modi personally intervenes, the spring of
heightened hope will become the winter
of lost opportunity.
Let me explain. At the end of this
year, India was to hold, in Australia, as
announced by Modi, the Make in India and Festival of Indian Culture. Six
months into the year, the coordinating
agency from the Indian side is yet to be
decided upon, a calendar of events is yet
to be drawn up and venues are yet to be
booked. In countries like Australia, where
world-class venues, such as the Sydney
Opera House, are decided at least a year
in advance, this is clearly unprofessional.
When the image Modi is trying to project
is that of a ‘will-do’ India - young, hungry,
professional and competent - all we have
succeeded is to demonstrate that we are
none of these. Consider again the strong
message India could have sent with Modi’s flagship Make in India project, if we
were to showcase examples of joint collaboration with Australian industry and
other international partners in actually
manufacturing in India. However, this
requires planning and preparation.
Consider also how a major fillip could
have been given to his related Skilling India flagship project. Australia has some
exceptional vocational training institutes
that could largely enhance skills in India.
This could have been used as an ideal
platform to begin a dialogue that engages
both the Australian and the Indian public. If we get a buy-in to the Skilling India
idea from the public, significant participation and thus, endorsement, could
have followed.
Move now to the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement [CECA]
or the India-Australia FTA that is currently under negotiation. This truly would be
an area of significant impact, in tangible
terms, on India-Australia relations. Less
than a week ago, Australia and China entered into a historic FTA. Australia-China
trade is already at $150 billion, whereas
India-Australia trade is barely in double
digits. Ch-AFTA, as it is referred to, is expected to unlock significant opportunities for both sides and further strengthen
economic cooperation. It is anticipated
that after the agreement takes effect, 85
percent of products from Australia would
enter the Chinese market tariff-free.
Tourism is also expected to be a significant gainer through the FTA, with Australian service providers receiving guarantees that they can construct, renovate
and operate wholly-Australian hotels
and restaurants in China.
IANS
Indian Ocean cannot be backyard of India: China
BY HARDEV SANOTRA
T
he Indian Ocean cannot be a backyard of India which navies of other
countries could not visit, according
the Chinese ministry of defence here.
China, which has been expanding its
naval operations into the blue waters of
the world, says that it’s important that
oceans are accepted as part of the legitimate area of operation.
Senior Captain Zhao Yi told visiting
Indian journalists on Tuesday that India
had a “special role to play in stabilising
the Indian Ocean region”, but it could
not be treated as its backyard.
Answering questions from the journalists, he said that it was “not appropriate”
to say that the ocean could be India’s
backyard, “otherwise how would you explain the right of navigation by the navies
fering beyond tolerance. The war going on around Syria
of Russia, American and Australia there,”
he said. Zhao met the journalists along
with eight other officials and top academics attached to ministry of defence,
including the ministry’s spokesperson.
Special Colonel Yang Yujun, the
spokesperson explained that he had
invited the others to bring about a better understanding of military issues.
Zhao said that a geopolitical research
thinktank in the US has said that “severe clashes” could break out in the Indian Ocean area, adding that he did not
agree with that.
“But if someone views the ocean as
their backyard, this possibility could not
be eliminated.” He said the region was
very important for international maritime trade and was “vital” not only for
China but for the world. “So it is under-
standable for the Chinese navy to navigate the Indian Ocean,” he said through
a translator. In a white paper on China’s
military strategy released by the ministry of defence on May 26, and which
was discussed by the spokesperson at
the interaction with Indian journalists,
the military has said that the “traditional
mentality that land out-weighs sea must
be abandoned and great importance has
to be attached to managing the seas and
oceans and protecting maritime rights
and interests”. The paper also says that
in line with the strategic requirement of
offshore waters defence and open seas
protection, the Chinese navy “will gradually shift its focus” from offshore waters
defence to combination of such waters
and “open seas protection”.
IANS
Modi heads for Central Asia; energy,
connectivity, anti-terror on agenda
and Baghdad are not the classified world wars but, if we
examine the damaged done to human beings continuous-
BY RANJANA NARAYAN
ly for several years have been heavier and the refugees`
movement from their homelands to other countries be allowed limitless as we observed that the children, women
and old people have been suffering beyond tolerable extent. The question arises, who is responsible for this. The
straight answer is that the United Nations has failed to
perform the most important duty of maintaining and restoring peace for years together and the sectarian partiality is active and these unbearable experiences is required
a complete overhaul of the United Nations institution and
the laws and rules under which they work. It’s a shear
waste of time and money, which could be better used on
refugees, especially on children, old people and women.
India has been aspiring to be the member of Security
Council, inspite of knowing fully well that a Security Council has been rendered as an inactive institution and fails to
perform its duty because of the Veto system. It is against
the democracy as well as against the interest of humanity.
We feel that greater understanding among the various nations must be encouraged.
P
rime Minister Narendra Modi’s
visit to the five ‘stans” of Central
Asia -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan -- next week will see energy security high on the agenda plus talks on the
North-South connectivity corridor that
will give India access to the resourcerich region and beyond.
Forming a joint front against emerging extremist and terror threats would
also figure high on the agenda for the
talks, sources here said.
Modi, who is to visit the five Central
Asian republics and Ufa in Russia for
the BRICS and SCO summit, will be on
an eight-day tour from July 6 to 13. He
wiill visit Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan
ahead of the July 8-10 back-to-back
BRICS and SCO summits.
Modi’s visit would help in re-engagement with a resource-rich region that
India has not really engaged with but
where China has fast spread its reach
through major infrastructure projects,
like pipelines, and with unfolding plans
like the ‘One Belt, One Road’ economic
linkage project.
The five countries are part of the
old Silk Road, the ancient trade route
through which not only silks and spices
were ferried but was also a pathway for
exchange of ideas, art, architecture and
spiritual beliefs.
The five land-locked countries, once
part of the erstwhile Soviet Union, are
very keen on Modi’s visit -- as their
envoys mentioned during a talk earlier this week. Prime ministerial visits
to the region have been few and far
between, with the last visit being by
Manmohan Singh who barely stopped
over at Almaty, Kazakhstan, in 2011
while on way back from Sanya, China,
where he attended the BRICS summit.
For the five republics, relations with
India would prove to be a balancing
factor, with both China and Russia
pushing to gain more influence and
firmer foothold.
Talks during Modi’s visit would also
focus on terrorism, which is a common
concern, and tackling the rising influence of the Islamic State terror group.
Over 1,500 youth from the region are
reported to have joined the jihadist
organization and are fighting in Syria
and Iraq. The five countries, which
follow moderate Islam and are secular in nature, are concerned about the
spread of the Islamic State’s influence
among its youth.
In Kazakhstan, where Modi would
visit July 7-8, talks would largely focus
on energy cooperation and uranium
mining. Modi’s visit to capital Almaty
would coincide with the first drilling for
oil in the Satpayev block, in which India
has 25 percent stake. ONGC Videsh Ltd
(OVL) -- the overseas arm of state-run
ONGC -- had in 2011 picked up 25 percent stake in the Satpayev oil block in
the North Caspian Sea.
Both sides are set to ink a major
agreement for joint exploration and
mining of uranium in Kazakhstan,
which has the world’s largest uranium
reserves. Cooperation in the field of expanding the country’s 15,000-km railways track is also on the anvil.
In Uzbekistan, where the prime minister visits first, the talks are expected
to focus on joint ventures, besides
boosting trade.
In Turkmenistan, the $10 billion
TAPI gas pipeline project would top
Modi’s agenda during his July 10-11
visit to Ashgabat. The TurkmenistanAfghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas
pipeline project, which is gathering
speed after many years of no move-
ment, is expected to bring Turkmen
natural gas from its giant Dauletabad
and Galkynysh gas fields to Pakistan
and India. The legal framework for the
pipeline project would be finalized by
September after which the consortiums are to be announced. The project is expected to take off in December, according to the country’s envoy
here Parakhat H. Durdyev.
Fertilisers is another major area of
cooperation between the two countries. India is to set up a urea manufacturing unit in Turkmenistan. Later, a
potash manufacturing unit would also
be set up in the country, Durdyev sad.
Both Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are
keen to have India on board the CASA
1000 project, under which the hydropower energy of the two countries can
be tapped. Both Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are rich in water sources cascading
from the mountain ranges.
Both the countries are also keen to
see the North South Transport Corridor kick off. Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan
are members of the corridor project,
a multi-modal corridor project which
aims to connect Mumbai with St. Petersburg in Russia, while touching
Iran’s Bandar Abbas port.
Kazakhstan is also a member of the
corridor project, which has held two
dry runs, including one last year.
The five countries are also looking for
Iran’s Chabahar port to be upgraded
fast by India and made operational,
so that connectivity to their region
could be boosted. The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC)
Programme -- under which India carries out capacity building training
programmes in recipient countries for
their people -- is also much sought after
by the five Central Asian republics.
Readers Response and contribution Welcome
IANS
OP-ED
Obama’s presidential
renaissance
Those who saw it could sense the
‘arc of history’ bending in the US
president’s direction and the fierce
relevance of his story
BY EDWARD LUCE
7
ISRAEL STRIVES TO MANAGE ITS OCCUPATION
BY ‘ECONOMIC PEACE’
The latest threat to the Zionist entity according to the Israeli president
and prime minister and powerful US-based Zionists is the non-violent
civil society-empowered movement BDS, which is aimed at boycotting,
divestment and sanctioning Israel
BY RAMZY BAROUD
D
S
ometimes change tiptoes up and surprises you. There
could be no better illustration of America’s dramatic
week than the White House lit up in rainbow colours
as the confederate flag was lowered in the south. There
was no starker moment than President Barack Obama urging the Christian doctrine of grace on the bible belt in the
town where the first shot of the civil war was fired. Last
week reality put the most far-fetched episode of West Wing
into the shade — and there is probably more to come. Is
Obama finally ushering in the change he promised?
The optics certainly favour that view. A week ago
Obama faced the spectre of his signature health-care
bill unravelling in the Supreme Court and the defeat of
his big trade agenda in the Pacific and the Atlantic. In
either case, his presidency would have turned rapidly
lame duck. But a week is a long time in politics, as they
say. Both disasters were averted — one by a conservative-majority Supreme Court, the other at the hands of a
Republican Congress. Events peaked with what Obama
described as the legal “thunderbolt” that put same sex
marriage on an equal footing across all 50 states.
Then came his eulogy to Clementa Pinckney, the pastor slain the previous week by a white supremacist along
with eight of his congregation. With a force no other
president could have summoned, Obama drew on the
revivalist oratory of black church tradition to shame
the culture of hatred that led to the massacre. Even by
Obama’s standards, it was a striking performance that
combined a repudiation of the south’s racist history
with a rallying cry to a new era of social justice. Those
who saw it could sense the “arc of history” bending in
Obama’s direction and the fierce relevance of his story.
Obama went to Charleston to speak at a funeral. He left
at the emotional pinnacle of his presidency.
Yet change is a slippery thing. Five years ago, when
Obama signed the Affordable Care Act, he said: “This is what
change looks like.” It was a defiant statement after months
of bitter wrangling. Last week, after countless Republican
attempts to repeal “Obamacare”, and dozens of lawsuits,
the Supreme Court rejected the latest challenge to the law.
More in relief than defiance, Obama repeated his 2010
sentiments: the law was here to stay. This time, however, he had an eye on the 2016 election. Every Republican
candidate has vowed to abolish the statute if they are
elected to the White House. Given the likelihood there
will be a Republican Congress after 2016, Obama’s most
consequential reform is still not entirely safe. There are
also more lawsuits pending. Even now it does not qualify as change you can take to the bank.
The most durable changes usually come from below. That is the case with gay marriage. Opponents of
last week’s Supreme Court ruling claim it amounted
to “legislating from the bench”, much as in 1973 when
the court legalised abortion in Roe v Wade. In fact, the
Supreme Court was putting its seal on what has been
a vertiginous shift in US society. A decade ago, more
than two-thirds of Americans opposed same sex marriage. Now roughly 60 per cent support it. Even before
last week’s ruling it was legal in 38 states. Only in 2012
did Obama feel bold enough to add his own backing and
then only because Joe Biden, the vice-president, let slip
his support. Obama has not played a big role in the gay
rights revolution. But has ridden the wave well.
Other kinds of change are so glacial they are hard
to detect. Such is the case in US race relations. Many
thought Obama’s election in 2008 would finally close a
chapter on centuries of racial division. But as Obama
said in his eulogy, nothing can be taken for granted —
even under America’s first black president.
Tensions between many US police forces and African Americans are as heightened today as at any time
in recent memory. Large chunks of US society remain
institutionally racist — from prison sentencing to job
interview bias. The wealth gap between African Americans and whites is wider than when Obama took office.
Meanwhile, politics in the US south remains stubbornly
wedded to its “Lost Cause”.
Will Charleston make it different? Following the massacre, some southern states finally agreed to get rid of
the Confederate flag. But it is a symbol. A bigger problem is the ease with which fanatics can acquire guns,
something against which Obama has long railed. He
reiterated his plea in Charleston last week. But the
chances of Congress doing anything to hinder gun sales
before he leaves office are very slim. Sometimes things
change so that they can stay the same. Gun control is the
American north’s lost cause. At other times, such as with
the health-care law, change is painfully built, “brick by
brick, calloused hand by calloused hand”, as Obama
put it after his first election. Last week brought to the
fore both the majesty and limits of the US presidency. It
would not have been the same on anyone else’s watch.
COURTESY : GULF NEWS
espite its palpable attempt at striking the right
‘balance’, the recently published United Nations Human Rights Council report on Israel’s
war on Gaza last summer is already ruffling feathers.
In a piece published in the New York Times, Richard
Kemp called it ‘flawed and dangerous’, since it dared
to contextualise the war within the ‘protracted Israeli
occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip’, in addition to the siege imposed on the latter.
If simply stating what should be the least contested
component in the conflict is considered dangerous
by Israel’s dedicated intellectual clique, then one can
expect their furious response to any attempt at prosecuting Israel for war crimes and crimes against humanity. True to form and like many before him, Kemp
resorted to a sheer misrepresentation of the facts and
utter lies in his retort to the conclusions reached by
Judge Mary McGowan Davis in her report.
“Hamas deliberately positioned its fighters and
munitions in civilian areas knowing that Israel
would have no choice but to attack them and that civilian casualties would result,” he wrote. Expectedly,
Kemp did not bother to provide any evidence of the
outrageous claim.
Thanks to massive funds dedicated to media propaganda, and its ability to sway willing and morallyflexible friends such as Kemp, Israel is likely to dodge
yet another indicting report. This leaves us with the
question: now what? What does Israel want exactly?
Does it want to subdue the Palestinians by denying
them their rights for eternity?
Now that Netanyahu’s government is overflowing
with more rightwing zealots, a return to the ‘negotiation table’ is unattainable.
Gershon Baskin is a regular contributor to the Jerusalem Post, a rightwing Israeli newspaper. He has
to be more or less embodied in the Israeli political
establishment, otherwise he would have never been
allowed to initiate the “secret back channel for the
release (of captured Israeli soldier) Gilad Schalit” as
he proudly states in his bio. That in mind, it would
be fair to assume that Baskin’s recent article in the
Jerusalem Post — “Encountering Peace: Obviously
no peace now, so what then?” (June 24) — is not a
mere intellectual exercise aimed at finding ‘creative’
solutions to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
In the article, Baskin offers a way to manage the
Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Not an end to the occupation, but a gentler way to
sustain it, if not profit from it.
Baskin’s reading of the situation is quite bleak. He
carefully tries not to place any responsibility on any
side for the lack of any political horizon, as a way
to gain credibility. “Neither side seems to be particularly interested in escalation and violence,” he
wrote, reaching a puzzling conclusion that seems at
odd with reality, at least Palestinian reality: “Note-
worthy is the sense that the young people on both
sides have of being more interested in their daily
lives than in national causes.” But that aside, Baskin
has a solution, one that requires a degree of flexibility
on the part of the Israeli government, to show more
leniency in the way it manages its occupation of the
Palestinians. Baskin calls on Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu to take the initiative of making border areas places of trade and economic exchanges, and to make the permit system required of
Palestinians to move about in their own occupied
land more efficient.
Bid to replace political peace
Just in case, one would conflate Baskin’s initiative
with Netanyahu’s gambit in 2008-09 of ‘economic
peace’ — aimed largely at maintaining the profitable
occupation, subduing the Palestinians and avoiding
any political accountability — Baskin calls on Netanyahu to “be careful not to use concepts like ‘economic peace’ which are immediately interpreted as
a means to replace ‘political peace,’ meaning the
end of the occupation and the creation of a Palestinian state.” “There should be no spin and no lies.
There is no chance of negotiating peace now, so let’s
see what can be done to improve the lives of people
until there is a chance of making peace,” he wrote,
more or less the same guiding principles behind Netanyahu’s ‘economic peace.’
Interestingly, the word settlements [colonies] (as
in ‘illegal settlements’ as designated by international
law) is not mentioned by Baskin. Not once. And knowing of Netanyahu’s adamant position on the continued expansion of colonies, Baskin’s omission of the
topic altogether must also mean that his proposal is
not pre-conditioned on ending or at least freezing the
theft of Palestinian land for colony construction.
Another omission is that of any references to international law, and the Fourth Geneva Convention
in particular. Treating Palestinians with respect is
not a favour that is to be bestowed by Netanyahu
and his army, but has been long articulated in the
Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.
Article 50, for example, reads, “The Occupying
Power shall, with the cooperation of the national
and local authorities, facilitate the proper working of
all institutions devoted to the care and education of
children.” By ceasing to target Palestinian children,
whether through arrests or violence, Israel would
hardly be extending a hand for peace or co-existence.
In other words, what Baskin is asking for by way to
manage the Israeli occupation, is a requirement by
international law that should have been put in place
decades ago, as a prerequisite to ending the occupation. Also not mentioned in Baskin’s ‘so what then?’
initiative is Gaza, whose children have been starved
and killed with impunity throughout nine years of a
protracted and heinous siege that is only interrupted
by deadly and more heinous Israeli wars.
But why did Baskin neglect Gaza altogether? It
cannot be that the man who wrote and profited from
a book about his Gaza-related adventures called The
Negotiator: Freeing Gilad Schalit from Hamas, failed
to understand the centrality of the Gaza siege to
the overall Palestinian national discourse. So what
is really behind Baskin’s supposed bold proposal?
Baskin is very close to those in power. His initiatives
are rarely his own, and the latest is a mere reflection
of the political bankruptcy of Netanyahu’s government. Baskin is wrong. Palestinians have shown a lot
of willingness to end the conflict in a method that
hinges on Israel’s respect for international law, including the ending of the construction of colonies.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian National Authority of
Mahmoud Abbas is finding itself in an impossible
situation: whereas on one hand it is reaping the ample benefits of being the caretaker government of an
imagined ‘authority’, itself under Israeli occupation,
and on the other it is having to seek international
recognition of a Palestinian state, a matter that is
most upsetting for Israel.
Moreover, the US, which seems to have given up
on persuading Netanyahu to re-engage in the ‘peace
process’, has now moved on to more pressing matters in the region, where balances are more fractious
than ever before. But if an agreement is reached
between Iran and the US and its allies, then Israel
would have no other option but to find another enemy to justify its military belligerence and heightened
sense of political urgency.
Indeed, that new enemy is being quickly manufactured, as Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, Prime
Minister Netanyahu, and powerful US-based Zionists such as Sheldon Adelson seem to all agree that
the non-violent civil society-empowered movement,
BDS, aimed at boycotting, divestment and sanctioning Israel, is Israel’s greatest threat. While Israel gears
up for its new ‘existential’ battle against civil society
organisations, it’s keen on normalising the occupation of Palestine. This is why the ‘economic peace’
formula keeps resurfacing every now and then, the
latest being Baskin’s elucidation. Baskin should
know that not a single past formula aimed at fashioning a ‘peaceful’ military occupation has ever worked.
He also ought to remember that the so-called golden
age of the Israeli occupation was precisely the few
years that preceded the First Palestinian Uprising in
1987. It was then that all hell broke loose.
TUNISIA’S FLEDGLING DEMOCRACY TO THE TEST
The latest terrorist attack in Sousse is the worst in the country’s history, but there is hope that the
nation will overcome the current challenges — just as it has on several counts since 2011
BY RORY MCCARTHY
J
ust three months after the shooting of 22 holidaymakers in the Bardo museum in Tunis, the
country has been attacked again. On Friday, a
gunman opened fire and killed at least 38 people
on the beaches of Sousse, on the northern Mediterranean coast. Most of the victims were foreign tourists, making this both a human tragedy and a profound challenge to Tunisia’s fledgling democracy.
This new attack is the worst terrorist incident in
the country’s history and it means that Tunisia’s
vital tourism industry will now be gravely weakened. The once-hopeful democratic transition of
the country after the Arab Spring is also in danger,
with growing calls for a tougher security policy. The
attacker opened fire on the beaches of two resort
hotels in Port Al Kantaoui, at the northern end of a
long stretch of beachfront hotels that runs through
the city of Sousse. This area is the main destination
for western package tourists in Tunisia.
The Tourism Minister, Salma Elloumi, called
the Sousse attack a catastrophe and admitted that
there was no way to ensure “zero risk”. According to one assessment, revenue from the tourism
industry and related economic sectors accounted
for up to 14.9 per cent of the Tunisian economy
in 2014. Even if the tourist industry had begun to
recover four years after the Arab uprisings of 2011,
the Bardo shooting in March and this latest attack
in Sousse will surely start a long-term crisis.
However, despite the record loss of life, the latest attack was not entirely unprecedented. Sousse
has been targeted before, apparently because it
attracts so many western tourists. Hotels there
were bombed in 1987, at the height of a clash between the Tunisian regime and the Islamist movement in the country. Then in October 2013, a suicide bomber killed himself on the beach outside
a downtown Sousse hotel in a failed terror attack.
Sousse is not just a tourist destination, it has
played an important role in the country’s history,
producing many of the administrative elite who
have run Tunisia since independence in 1956.
Former president Zine Al Abidine Bin Ali was from
Hammam-Sousse, a northern suburb close to the
scene of the attacks. The city has a secular middle
class, but also significant support for the moderate Islamist movement Al Nahda — I spent a year
in the city interviewing Al Nahda activists about
the history and the evolution of their movement.
Sousse also has large, impoverished suburbs, filled
with Tunisians who have travelled from the poorer towns and villages of the interior in search of
work. As in other poor urban areas in the country,
there has been significant Salafist radicalisation
here, dating back even to before the 2011 uprising.
Insurgent campaign
There is no certainty yet over who was behind
the latest attacks or whether the attacker was from
Sousse. Although Daesh claimed responsibiity,
the shootings were probably the work either of a
Daesh (the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq
and the Levant) supporter or of a smaller Tunisian
militant group, Uqba Bin Nafi, which is linked to
Al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and which has
been fighting an insurgent campaign against the
military and security forces since late 2012.
There could be a process of “outbidding” under
way between these two groups, which could well
escalate the violence inside Tunisia. There are also
suggestions that Daesh has been trying to step up
its activities inside the country as part of its wider
campaign of violence across the region. The decisions the Tunisian government make in the coming weeks will determine the fate of country’s al-
ready fragile transition to democracy. Although
the Bin Ali regime was toppled in a popular uprising in January 2011, many of the political and
economic interests of the former regime remain
intact and the judiciary and security forces remain
largely unreformed. The “deep state” is still at
work in the country.
There has been a knee-jerk tendency to resort
to authoritarian measures in the name of security
and stability in the years since the uprising and a
backslide into the state’s old ways remains a real
risk for Tunisia.
That much was made clear when, after the attack, the President, Beji Qaid Al Sebsi, travelled to
Sousse to meet the survivors and promised that
“painful but necessary” measures would follow.
Mohsen Marzouk, an adviser to Al Sebsi and now
the head of the Nidaa Tunis party, which leads the
coalition government, called for the creation of
new private sector security forces, and said: “We
are at war and we must apply the law firmly.”
Already, the government has drafted a bill that
would jail any Tunisian found to have “denigrated” the armed forces.
Human Rights Watch warned that the bill did
not meet international human rights standards
and is also concerned about a new law on judicial
reform that fails to give the judiciary sufficient independence from the executive.
Other politicians have proposed a national congress to discuss a strategy to confront the terrorist
challenge and popular marches against terrorist
violence. But there is still no clear strategy to confront the worsening security crisis and declining
economic situation. The damage done to the tourism industry follows waves of strikes that have affected the important phosphate mining industry
in the south. There is hope that Tunisia will yet
overcome these challenges, just as it has overcome
many others since 2011. Politicians have always
found a way to negotiate consensus solutions every time a crisis has threatened this hopeful and
extraordinary transition to democracy, but that
task is becoming ever harder.
The views expressed in these columns are the writers’ own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Indian Horizon or its management.-Editor
8
International
WORLD SNIPPETS
X-rays and CT scans don’t
cause cancers: Study
New York, July 1 (IANS) Humans may have developed over the years the ability to repair damage
from low-dose radiation from X-rays, CT scans and
other medical imaging procedures, says new research.
In recent years, there has been widespread media
coverage of studies purporting to show that radiation from X-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans
and other medical imaging causes cancer.“But such
studies have serious flaws, including their reliance
on an unproven statistical model,” researchers
said.“Although radiation is known to cause cancer
at high doses and high-dose rates, no data have ever
unequivocally demonstrated the induction of cancer following exposure to low doses and dose rates,”
said corresponding author James Welsh from
Loyola University Medical Centre in the US.
Bulgarian imam jailed
for spreading Islamist
propaganda
Sofia July 1 (PTI): A controversial Bulgarian imam
was sentenced to two years in prison Wednesday for
propagating “anti-democratic ideals” and inciting hatred on religious grounds. Ahmed Moussa Ahmed is
the only one of 13 Muslim clerics charged with spreading radical Islamist propaganda to be sentenced to
prison.
He had been twice given jail sentences for promoting radical ideology in mosques, conferences and cafes but remained free pending his appeal. The others
imams and muftis (experts in Islamic law) received
fines.Ahmed Moussa Ahmed, the self-declared spiritual leader of a Roma community in the south of the
country, is also suspected of spreading IS propaganda
and helping Bosnian jihadists travel to Syria.
Five militants killed in
Lebanese army ambush
Beirut, July 1 (IANS) The Lebanese army on
Wednesday said it ambushed Nusra Front militants
in eastern Bekaa Valley overnight, leaving at least
five jihadis dead.
In a communique by the Guidance Directorate, the army said “the troops saw gunmen moving from the northeastern border town of Arsal to
its outskirts when it ambushed the militants in the
area of al-Khazzan that lies between Wadi Ata and
Aqaba al-Jird”, Xinhua news agency reported“The
army opened fire at the group of militants after issuing warnings to stop. At least five fighters were
killed and several of them were injured,” it said.The
military identified one of those killed as Syrian Ghaleb Saeed Ghiyyeh.Meanwhile, the National News
Agency said that the army units deployed in and
around Arsal took additional measures following
the clash to avoid any possible retaliatory attacks.
2,000-year-old ritual
bath discovered near
Jerusalem
Jerusalem, July 1 (IANS) A 2,000-year old ritual bath
was discovered near Jerusalem under a living room of
a private house, the Israeli Antiquities Authority said
in a statement on Wednesday.
The ancient ritual bath, known in Hebrew as a
mikve, was discovered amid renovations at a private
home in Ein Karem, a village near Jerusalem, and believed to have originated from the period of the Second Temple, which was a Jewish temple situated in
Jerusalem between 516 BC and 70 AD, Xinhua news
agency reported.
According to the antiquities authority, the mikve
was 3.5 metres in length, 2.4 metres in width, 1.8
metres in depth, and built out of rocks and plaster.
According to the authority, they’ve discovered a staircase, pottery vessels believed to be crafted during the
first century AD and fragments of stone vessels.
Over 48,000
Indians acquired
EU citizenship
in 2013
Brussels, July 1 (IANS) In 2013,
round 985,000 people acquired
citizenship of a European Union
(EU) member-state, among them
48,300 Indians, three-quarters of
whom acquired British citizenship.
The EU’s statistical office, Eurostat, on Wednesday said that
of the total number of people obtaining the citizenship of one of
the 28 EU member-states in 2013,
89 percent were citizens of nonEU countries.The largest groups
with the sources saying at least 60
soldiers were killed while Samir
put the number of those killed and
injured so far much lower - at 10.
The toll could not be immediately verified in the aftermath of
the major attack.
The militants also took soldiers
captive and seized weapons and
several armoured vehicles, officials said.The Islamic State’s Egypt
affiliate, Sinai Province, claimed
responsibility for the attacks, it
said in an online statement.
“In a blessed raid enabled by
God, the lions of the caliphate have
simultaneously attacked more
than 15 checkpoints belonging
to the apostate army,” the Sinaibased militant group Ansar Beit elMaqdes, which changed its name
after pledging allegiance to the
IS, said.The group said it attacked
over 15 security sites and had carried out three suicide bombings.
The outfit?has claimed responsibility of many attacks against security forces in North Sinai.
Brussels, Jul 1 (AFP) Greek Prime
Minister Alexis Tsipras made a fresh
reform proposal to eurozone ministers today after Greece became the
first advanced economy to default on
an IMF payment.
Eurozone ministers were to consider the latest gambit by the leftist premier in a conference call later today
even as debt-stricken Greece’s creditors poured cold water on the latest
plan.German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble effectively ruled out
all negotiations, saying that no Greece
deal was possible before Sunday’s
Greek referendum on bailout terms.
“First of all Greece must clarify its
position on what it wants, and then
we will have to talk about it, under
conditions that are now far more
difficult,” Schaeuble told a Berlin
press conference.The crisis is hitting
hard in Greece, where banks will be
closed all week, although around a
thousand branches opened today to
allow the elderly to receive pension
Havana/Washington, July 1 (EFE)
US Interests Section chief Jeffrey DeLaurentis on Wednesday delivered a
letter from President Barack Obama
toCuba’s President Raul Castro on
re-establishing diplomatic relations
and opening embassies.
DeLaurentis was received by acting Foreign Minister Marcelino Medina, Spanish news agency Efe reported.It is expected that the historic
announcement on re-establishment
Muridke, Punjab Home Minister Colonel (R)
Shuja Khanzada told a press conference here.
“One of the four terrorists killed on Monday
during a raid of law enforcement agencies near
Lahore was the head of Al-Qaeda networks in
Pakistan and in Punjab province,” Khanzada
said.The minister also claimed that Al-Qaida
of the embassies in Washington and
Havana will be made in the next few
hours.
Earlier, CNN quoted a White
House official as saying that in Havana, the American embassy is likely
to occupy the same building where
the Interests Section currently operates. That is the same structure,
situated on the Havana waterfront,
which housed the American embassy prior to the severing of diplomatic
network’s Indian sub-continent head Maulana
Asim Umer is an Indian national who is hiding
in Afghanistan.
Earlier, American national Mahmood was
the head of Al-Qaida’s network in the sub-continent. He was killed in a drone attack.
Al-Qaida’s leader Ayman al-Zawahri had announced the creation of al-Qaida in the Indian
sub-continent in September.The raid on Monday was the first known operation against the
group in Lahore.Elite Force commandos on
Nationally Determined Contributions) are at an advanced stage and
we hope to submit the same wellahead of the Paris COP (Conference
of the Parties),” Joint Secretary (Climate Change) in the Indian Ministry
of Environment, Forest & Climate
Change, Ravi Shankar Prasad said at
a high-level event on climate change
here on June 29.Prasad said India
has gone through an extensive process of multi-stakeholder consultations, which included the central
ministries, provincial governments,
civil society, think-tanks and media
in the process of formulating the
INDCs.Assuring of India’s readiness
to contribute and play its due role
North Korea
warned of sanctions
over n-programme
A manager of a bank opens the entrance for the pensioners
in Athens, Wednesday, July 1, 2015. About 1,000 bank branches
around the country were ordered by the government to reopen
Wednesday to help desperate pensioners without ATM cards
cash up to 120 euros ($134) from their retirement checks. Eurozone finance ministers were set to weigh Greece’s latest proposal for aid Wednesday. AP/PTI
20 Yemeni
civilians killed
by Houthi shells
Sanaa, July 1 (IANS) Houthi
Shia militia bombings killed at
least 20 civilians on Wednesday
in a residential neighbourhood
in the southern Yemeni city of
acquiring citizenship of an EU
member-state in 2013 were citizens of Morocco (86,500 people,
of whom 84 percent acquired citizenship of Spain, Italy or France),
followed by Turkey (46,500, 60
percent acquired German citizenship), Colombia (42,000, 93
percent acquired Spanish citizenship), Albania (41,700, 95 percent
acquired citizenship of Greece
or Italy) and Ecuador (40,400, 95
percent acquired Spanish citizenship).Moroccans, Indians, Turks,
Colombians, Albanians and Ecuadorians represented together
almost a third (31 percent) of the
total number of people who acquired EU citizenship in 2013.
Aden, a bastion for forces loyal to
exiled President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi.Many of the wounded,
including women and children,
could not be evacuated from the
al-Mansoura neighbourhood due
to fighting, medical officials told
Efe news agency.
The gravity of the situation has
forced authorities to ask citizens
for assistance and blood dona-
Seoul, July 1 (IANS) South Korean President Park Geun-hye
on Wednesday warned North
Korea of facing harsher sanctions unless it abandons its
nuclear weapons programme,
Yonhap news agency reported.
North Korea has long been
under an array of US and international sanctions for its nuclear
and missile programmes. However, the country has rejected
repeated international calls to
give up its nuclear programme,
viewing it as a powerful deterrent against what it claims is the
US’s hostile policy against it.
tions.Both locals and members of
the Hadi-loyalist Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) blamed
the Houthis for the attack.
Al-Mansoura is a populous district controlled by the PRC, but
has been under siege by Houthis
rebels.Meanwhile, officials warned
that Houthis were preparing to
breach the district.Aden, the major
city in Yemen’s south.
Pak heatwave toll crosses
1,300 with 25 more deaths
Karachi, Jul 1 (PTI) Another 25 people died in
Pakistan’s Sindh province
today as the death toll in the
country’s deadliest heatwave in a decade reached
1,361 even as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ordered an
inquiry into the tragedy.
According to officials the
victims were admitted to
hospitals for treatment of
heatwave-related illnesses
in the province and died
today.“They were 22 deaths
reported today from different hospitals in Karachi and
three in Badin and Tharparkar districts,” a Sindh
health department official
told PTI.Afzal Bughio said
that the death toll from the
heatwave in Karachi was
around 1,260 while 101
more deaths were reported
from other parts of the
province.
Pakistan’s biggest city
and financial capital Karachi was gripped by a
scorching heatwave last
month when temperatures
soared to around 45 degrees
Celsius and coupled with
heavy power breakdowns
and load shedding led to
hundreds of deaths.
Although the heatwave
has subsided in the city and
other parts of the province
but Karachiites are yet to
witness the full return of
the customary sea breeze
which makes life easier in
the hot weather.
ties after the Cuban Revolution in
the 1950s.
“We expect President Barack
Obama and Secretary John Kerry
to address this publicly tomorrow
morning,” the official added.The reestablishing of embassies is a final
step in the full diplomatic thaw President Obama initiated in December.
Since then, the US has eased some
travel restrictions to Cuba and allowed for some new economic ties.
the tip of intelligence agencies raided a house
in Ferozwala, Sheikhupura district, 60 kilometers from here, on last Monday and killed three
terrorists while one blew himself up.
Two terrorists who also suffered bullet injuries were captured alive.
The minister said the terrorists belonged to
Al-Qaida network in Pakistan.He said the terrorists were tasked by Al-Qaida leadership to
blow up the Lahore office of Intelligence Bureau and kill some politicians.
India hopes to summit climate targets before Paris summit
New York, Jul 1 (PTI) India has
assured the international community that it is in advanced stages of
formulating its post-2020 climate
change targets and hopes to submit
them to the UN ahead of the highlevel conference in Paris later this
year.“Our domestic preparations for
formulating the INDCs (Intended
payments.The Greek proposal was
sent by Tsipras to heads of the institutions that have overseen Greece’s
two bailouts worth 240 billion euros
since 2010, just as the European part
of the EU-IMF bailout expired.“The
Hellenic Republic is prepared to accept this...agreement subject to the
following amendments, additions or
clarifications,” the letter said, referring to the reforms-for-cash contract
binding Greece with its creditors.
The government said any deal would
have to allow Greece to maintain a 30
per cent VAT discount on islands and
postpone a 2012 pension reform until
October 2015.
Reopening embassies: Obama letter given to Cuba
“Al-Qaida’’s Pak network head
killed in security raid”
Lahore, Jul 1 (PTI) The head of Al-Qaida’s
Pakistan wing has been killed in a raid by
counter-terrorism commandos earlier this
week near Lahore, foiling their plot to attack
the offices of a spy agency, Punjab Home Minister said today.The deceased Al-Qaida head
has been identified as Abdali who hails from
Greek PM makes new bailout
offer after IMF default
IS bombers attack army
in Egypt; 60 killed
Cairo, Jul 1 (PTI) At least 60
Egyptian soldiers were today killed
as heavily-armed IS militants
launched a wave of simultaneous
attacks on army checkpoints, including three suicide bombings,
in one of the biggest assaults in the
restive Sinai Peninsula.
“More than 70 terrorist elements waged simultaneous attacks against five security checkpoints in North Sinai,” army
spokesperson Brigadier General
Mohamed Samir said in a statement on his Facebook page.
Fighting between the dreaded
militants and the soldiers is ongoing, with army and police currently chasing the attackers using
ground and air force, security
sources said.
The attack, which occurred in
Sheikh Zuweid city of North Sinai,
included suicide car bombings
and heavy weapons that damaged
large parts of the checkpoints, the
sources said.There were conflicting reports of casualty figures,
in reaching a meaningful, equitable
and effective agreement at Paris,
Prasad said “we strongly believe that
developing countries can do much
more if they are enabled in their efforts by provision of finance, technology development and transfer
and capacity building support from
developed countries.“Such an in-
ternational compact of cooperation
would help us tread a path that is
urgently required to address climate
change and its adverse effects,” he
said.
The Paris agreement must also
deliver on an ambitious pre-2020
outcome under the Convention and
this will help build trust and confidence in the process leading upto
the post-2020 period.
Another black church in South
Carolina burns, cause unknown
COLUMBIA July 1
(PTI): An African-American church in South Carolina that was burned
down by the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan
(KKK) in 1995 caught
fire again Tuesday night,
though authorities said it
was too soon to say what
caused the latest blaze,
which broke out on a
night of frequent storms.
No one was believed to
be inside at the time.
The fire at the Mount
Zion African Methodist Episcopal church in
Greeleyville broke out
at a time when federal
authorities are investigating conflagrations at
several other predominantly black churches
in the South including one on Friday at
a church near Aiken,
UN: At least
1,466 Iraqis
killed in
June
BAGHDAD July 1 (PTI):
At least 1,466 Iraqis were
killed by armed conflict
in June, up more than 40
percent from the previous month as security
forces suffered mounting casualties battling
the Islamic State group,
according to UN figures
released Wednesday. The
monthly death toll was
the highest since last September, and the rise from
South Carolina but so far
the fires don’t appear to
be related. Greeleyville
is a town of about 400
people around 50 miles
(80 kilometres) north of
Charleston, where a pastor and nine members of
a historic black church
were fatally shot on June
17 in what authorities are
investigating as a hate
crime.Agents from the
State Law Enforcement
Division were on their
way to the Greeleyville
church before the fire
was out, Division Chief
Mark Keel said.
But he said they would
have to wait until the hot
spots were extinguished
before using dogs and
other investigative tools
to figure out what started
it. “We do know they
apparently had some
strong storms,” Mr. Keel
said. “Talked to a guy
who said they had a lot
of lightning down there
tonight [Tuesday night].
I don’t know whether
that had anything to do
with it at all.”The image
of orange flames coming
from the same church
the KKK burned down
20 years ago brought up
painful memories, said
Williamsburg
County
Councilman
Eddie
Woods Jr., who got out
of bed to drive to the
church after hearing
about the fire.
“That was a tough
thing to see,” Mr. Woods
said. “It is hurting those
people again. But we’re
going to rebuild. If this
was someone, they need
to know that hate won’t
stop us again.”
last month appeared to
be almost entirely due to
higher casualties among
security forces. Some 800
Iraqi security forces and
pro-government militiamen were killed in June,
more than twice the 366
killed in May, according
to the UN.The U.N. mission said those killed in
June include at least 665
civilians. It put the total
number of wounded at
1,687. Baghdad was the
worst-affected province,
with 324 civilians killed
and 650 wounded. In May
at least 1,031 people were
killed across the country,
including 665 civilians.
The latest casualty count
was the highest since last
September, when 1,420
Iraqis were killed. The UN
said the latest figures are
an “absolute minimum’’
as it has not been able verify causalities in conflict
zones or count those who
have died from the secondary effects of violence
after fleeing their homes.
“The terrorists of the so
called ISIL and sectarian extremists are largely
responsible for this violence which has affected
all aspects of life in Iraq,’’
UN envoy Jan Kubis said.
Sinha pledges required capital
support for public sector banks
New Delhi Jul 1 (PTI): The government on Wednesday said it’s
currently examining the funds
requirement of public sector
banks over the next 3 years and
promised required capital support as part of a comprehensive
package to strengthen them. “We
are working and trying to understand exactly what the capital requirements are going to be in the
next 2-3 years for (public sector)
banks. And we are there to support them and provide them the
capital that they need,” Minister
of State for Finance Jayant Sinha
said at an event organised by
IVCA here.
A high-level panel comprising Sinha and Financial Services
Secretary Hasmukh Adhia are assessing the capital requirement.
The last meeting of the panel
will be held on July 3 in Bengaluru. Last year, Finance Minister
Arun Jaitley had said that to be in
step with Basel-III norms, there
is a requirement to infuse Rs
2.40 lakh crore as equity in public sector banks by 2018. For the
current fiscal, the government
has allocated Rs 7,940 crore in
the Budget for capital infusion in
state-owned banks.
, the FM last month promised
to provide more than the budgeted amount this fiscal. “As
far as public sector banks are
concerned, we put in place a
comprehensive package to really strengthen our banks. There
are five aspects and dimensions
we are trying to do,” Sinha said.
First and foremost, Sinha said,
the government is working on
governance changes relating to
role of MDs, the board and the
like. “We are working and trying to understand exactly what
the capital requirements are going to be in the next 2-3 years for
(public sector) banks. And we
are there to support them and
provide them the capital that
they need,” Minister of State for
Finance Jayant Sinha said at an
event organised by IVCA here.
He said, “We have been working on strengthening management of banks by making selection process transparent. Third,
we have been working on improving operating performance
of these banks a well in terms
of technology and risk management.” The Finance Ministry will
soon wrap up the exercise. The
upcoming meeting in Bengaluru
will take stock for banks such as
Andhra Bank, Indian Overseas
Bank, Corporation Bank, Canara
Bank, Syndicate Bank and Vijaya
Bank. The Ministry is already
done with the assessment for
other public sector banks.
Cabinet clears scheme
for providing irrigation to
all villages
New Delhi Jul 1 (PTI): In order to reduce
farm sector’s dependence on monsoon,
the Centre on Wednesday approved a
central scheme for providing irrigation
facility to every village by converging the
ongoing schemes being implemented by
various ministries. The ‘Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)’
was cleared at the Union Cabinet meeting, headed by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi. “The Agriculture Ministry’s proposal on PMKSY has been approved in
the cabinet meeting today,” sources said.
The new scheme assumes importance as
65 percent of the total 142 million hectare
of cultivable farm land in the country is
still not covered by irrigation.
According to sources, the PMKSY aims
to ensure access to some means of protective irrigation to all agricultural farms
in the country, to produce ‘per drop more
crop’, thus bringing much desired rural
prosperity. The scheme, with a budget allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for this fiscal,
proposes to provide flexibility and autonomy to states in the process of planning and executing projects for ensuring
water to every farm. It would also ensure
that district and state irrigation plans get
prepared on the basis of agro-climatic
conditions and sources of availability of
water in that region. That apart, PMKSY
seeks to promote extension activities relating to ‘on farm water management and
crop alignment’ for farmers and grass
root level field functionaries, they added.
The state agriculture department
would be the nodal agency for implementation of PMKSY projects, while
there would also be an inter-ministerial
National Steering Committee (NSC) for
periodic review of the same. The PMKSY
intends to focus on ‘end-to-end solution’
in irrigation supply chain by implementing the new programme in a “project
mode” with decentralised state-level
planning and execution, sources said.
A number of central schemes are operational to augment irrigation coverage.
However, the goal of bringing irrigation
water to every village farm has still been
far from reality, primarily due to fragmented approach followed by existing
schemes. PMKSY funds would be given to
states as 75 percent grant by the central
government.
Greece declines to pay IMF
loan instalment on Tuesday
Athens Jun 30 (PTI): Greece will not
repay the loan instalment due to the
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
on Tuesday, Greek Finance Minister
Yanis Varoufakis said even as the country mulled taking legal actions to block
its exit from the eurozone. However,
Varoufakis expressed hope that a debt
deal can be reached with international
creditors, Xinhua news agency reported. The Greek minister made the statement outside the finance ministry in
Athens when asked by media about the
issue with the critical deadline expiring
on Tuesday afternoon.
He categorically said “No.” His
comments came ahead of the July 5
referendum called by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. Greece`s failure to
meet its financial obligations to the
IMF for a second time in a month and
pay off 1.5 billion euros ($1.7) in loan
instalment could launch formal procedures for default in coming weeks.
Varoufakis made remarks amid
media reports that in the past few
hours Greece`s dialogue with international creditors has resumed to
achieve a last-minute debt deal and
avert a financial collapse and possible
exit from eurozone. According to an
earlier report, Athens is said to have
Govt to provide roadmap
for ending corporate tax
exemptions in 45 days
New Delhi Jul 1 (PTI): A road map to eliminate all tax
exemptions and incentives for corporates will be unveiled in the next 45 days as a prelude to lowering of
corporate tax rate to 25 percent over a four-year period,
Revenue Secretary Shaktikanta Das Wednesday said.
“With regard to corporate tax reduction, the Finance
Minister in the last Budget has spelt out that it will be
reduced from 30 percent to 25 percent over the next
four years and it will be accompanied by elimination of
exemptions and incentives,” he said at an event organised by IVCA here.
“We are now currently working on the removal, elimination of exemptions and incentives and some time in
the next 45 days or so, we will be spelling out the road
map for removal of exemptions and incentives,” he said.
It will be put up in the public domain so that the Ministry gets the inputs from stakeholders to firm up the
proposals, Das said. “Work on that front is very much
on board,” he added. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in
the Budget, had said the basic rate of corporate tax in
India at 30 percent is higher than the rates prevalent in
other major Asian economies, making domestic industry uncompetitive, and it would be brought down to 25
percent over four years. Explaining the rationale for the
reduction of corporate tax in a phased manner to 25 percent, Das said the government would have been happy
to do it immediately, but there were fiscal issues to attend to. “The fiscal deficit is sacrosanct and cannot be
compromised, so there is the whole issue of affordability
in a single year. You cannot reduce the tax from 30 percent to 25 percent,” he said.
Greece seeks new EU loans
after IMF debt default
The European Union will decide
Wednesday whether to grant Greece
a last-minute bailout package to
avoid pushing it further towards an
exit from the eurozone. Greece on
Tuesday failed to make a 1.5 billion
euro ($1.7 billion) payment to the International Monetary Fund, becoming the first industrialised country to
do so. On the same day, the international bailout keeping its economy
afloat formally expired.
The missed payment underlined
the failure of more than five months
of wrangling between Greece`s radical left government and its creditors
to reshape its bailout and prevent it
dropping out of the eurozone. But
finance ministers from the eurozone
were set to resume talks in Brussels
on Wednesday after under-pressure
Athens asked for a new two-year aid
plan -- the third in five years. Greece
has requested a further 29.1 billion
euros from the European Stability
Mechanism (ESM), to “fully cover its
financing needs and the simultane-
ous restructuring of debt,” for the
next two years, according to the office of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
Greek officials have indicated they
would be willing to suspend a referendum planned for Sunday on the
reforms demanded by its creditors if
Wednesday`s talks produce an eleventh-hour agreement on the new
funding request.
“There was a willingness to take a
look at the question in the referendum or update the referendum or
suspend it,” an EU source told AFP
after talks Tuesday between Greek
Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis
and his eurozone counterparts. “All
that depended on the signal the
Eurogroup would give to this new
proposal,” the source added. Ratings agencies cut their ratings on
Greece`s debt, predicting it will return to recession this year. In Athens,
around 20,000 people braved torrential rain late Tuesday to turn out
to show their support for a bailout
deal. Banks in Greece will be closed
9
Business
all week amid the spiralling debt crisis, but around a thousand branches
will open on Wednesday to allow
the elderly to receive pensions payments. For everyone else, there was
no choice but to queue -- sometimes
for hours -- at cash machines to withdraw a maximum of 60 euros a day.
The ongoing uncertainty hit European stocks and the single currency
on Tuesday. But in Asian trade on
Wednesday, the euro held steady
buying $1.1136 compared to $1.1139
in New York late Tuesday. The European Central Bank`s governing
council will also meet on Wednesday
to discuss the crisis in Greece.
It was the ECB`s decision on Sunday to refuse to increase emergency
funding for Greek banks that pushed
Athens to close lenders and impose
the capital controls. The ECB is
thought likely to stick with its current stance on Greek banks but could
take measures to prevent contagion
in other eurozone markets. Greece
has entered uncharted waters with-
out international aid for the first time
in five years, sparking fears of a chaotic eurozone exit which could have
untold repercussions for global markets and the EU.An IMF spokesman
in Washington confirmed the payment due by 2200 GMT Tuesday had
“not been received,” making Greece
the wealthiest ever to default to the
Washington-based global lender.
“We have informed our executive
board that Greece is now in arrears
and can only receive IMF financing
once the arrears are cleared,” Gerry
Rice said in a statement. The IMF is
now considering extending Greece`s
payment deadline -- something it
has only done twice before in 1982
for Nicaragua and Guyana -- giving it the power to ease pressure on
Athens as it starts fresh talks with
the EU. Tsipras plunged the protracted discussions into chaos over
the weekend when he announced
the referendum, urging Greeks to
vote against the pension cuts and
sales-tax increases demanded by its
received a message from European
Commission President Jean-Claude
Juncker on Monday night to accept
the creditors` draft. The Leftist Greece
government is believed to have rejected once again the lenders` draft as
a basis for further discussion, but was
preparing a new agreement proposal
to submit to the other side before calling for a Eurogroup meeting as early
as Tuesday evening, television channel Mega reported, citing sources.
According to other media reports,
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was under pressure by a group of his close
aides, ruling party radical left SYRIZA
lawmakers and ministers, including
Deputy Prime Minister Yannis Dragassakis, into seizing the opportunity
for last-minute negotiations.
According to the reports, the
government`s General Secretary Spyros Sagias has threatened to reign,
while the country`s economy minister has expressed strong doubts over
the referendum idea that triggered a
series of developments over the past
weekend after Tsipras`s announcement on Saturday. With banks closed
and capital controls imposed since
Monday, the clock was ticking against
Greece and the eurozone.
Scenarios circulated in Athens suggested that Greece was already on
way to the return to its own currency
drachma. Haris Theocharis, a former
general secretary at the ministry of finance and current member of parliament with the centrist River (Potami)
party, claimed that the government
was making preparations for the transition. The prime minister`s office
dismissed the suggestion as an “irresponsible science fiction scenario”.
Varoufakis told Britain`s Dily Telegraph that Greece was analysing possibly taking legal action against the
European institutions to block its exit
from the eurozone, Efe news agency
reported. “The Greek government will
make use of all our legal rights,” Varoufakis told the British daily on Tuesday, Greece, according to the newspaper, has threatened to file a court
order not only to block the expulsion
from the shared currency, but also to
avoid stifling the country`s banking
system. “We are taking advice and will
certainly consider an injunction at
the European Court of Justice. The EU
treaties make no provision for euro
exit and we refuse to accept it. Our
membership is not negotiable,” the
minister argued.
Kotak Bank lowers base
rate to 9.75%
Mumbai Jul 1 (PTI): The fourth largest
private sector lender Kotak Mahindra
Bank (KMB) on Wednesday cut its base
rate by 0.10 per cent to 9.75, joining its
larger rivals which have announced
such downward revisions in the recent
past. “Kotak Bank has reduced its base
rate from current level of 9.85 per cent
per annum to 9.75 per cent per annum
with effect from July 2,” the city-based
lender said in a statement.
The bank’s executive vice-chairman
and managing director Uday Kotak
had last week hinted of a cut in the
base rate. The new rate being offered by
the bank is 5 bps higher than its larger
rivals. Larger players like ICICI Bank,
HDFC Bank and Axis Bank have each
announced two rate cuts this fiscal. The
most competitive offering in the system
is at 9.70 per cent. SBI was the first off
the blocks to reduce its base rate earlier this month after Rajan in the June 2
monetary policy statement urged banks
to pass through the sequence of rate
cuts into lending rates. SBI had reduced
its base rate by 15 basis points to 9.70
per cent. The second largest private sector lender HDFC Bank followed suit last
week by slashing its base rate by 0.15 per
cent to 9.70 per cent and ICICI Bank also
tweaked its offering to match the leader.
Rajan, who has been pressing hard for
the banks to transmit the 0.75 per cent
cut in repo rate to the borrowers, has
also warned bankers of dis-intermediation by other money market instruments where the rates are lower.
Maruti picks up
pace, sales grow
1.8% in June
New Delhi Jul 1 (PTI): Country’s
largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India
(MSI) on Wednesday reported 1.8 percent rise in total sales in June at 1,14,756
units as against 1,12,773 in June 2014.
The company said its domestic sales
increased 1.6 percent in the month to
1,02,626 units as against 1,00,964 units
a year ago. Sales of mini segment cars,
including Alto and WagonR, declined
27.9 percent to 34,336 units compared
with 47,618 units in the year-ago period, MSI said in a statement.
Sales of the compact segment
comprising Swift, Estilo, Ritz, Dzire
rose 24.4 percent to 45,701 units in
June this year as against 36,741 units
last year. MSI said compact sedan
Dzire Tour stood out as sales rose by
as much as 87.6 percent during the
month under review to 2,893 units as
against 1,542 in June 2014.
The sales of company’s mid-sized
sedan Ciaz, which was launched in
October 2014, stood at 3,700 units.
The company had sold 322 units of
SX4 sedan in June 2014. There was no
sale of premium sedan Kizashi during
the month. Utility vehicles, including
Gypsy, Grand Vitara and Ertiga, saw a
sales growth of 10.6 percent at 5,531
units in June this year, from 5,003
units in the corresponding month last
year. Sales of vans -- Omni and Eeco
-- rose 7.5 percent to 10,465 units in
June this year as against 9,738 units in
the same period of the previous year.
Exports during the month rose 2.7 per
cent to 12,130 units compared with
11,809 units in June last year, MSI said.
McNally to raise Rs 100 crore from EMC
New Delhi Jul 1 (PTI): McNally Bharat
Engineering will raise Rs 100 crore by
selling shares to EMC Ltd, which will
also launch an open offer worth over
Rs 131 crore to the company’s public
shareholders. “Mcnally...Has entered
into an agreement with EMC Ltd and
Williamson Magor Group to enable an
additional equity investment of up to
Rs 100 crore as primary equity capital
into McNally,” the company has said in
a filing to BSE.
This capital infusion of Rs 100 crore
by the company will be done through
a preferential allotment of one crore
shares to EMC at a price of Rs 100 apiece.
“The company shall use the proceeds...
To meet its working capital requirements and thus expedite execution of
the various projects in hand,” it said.
Post the preferential allotment, EMC’s
stake in McNally will increase to 29.64
percent. To comply with Sebi norms,
EMC along with others will launch an
open offer to acquire additional 26 percent stake in McNally. The offer would
be worth over Rs 131 crore. EMC Ltd, a
service provider for power transmission
and distribution firms, had earlier in
March invested Rs 50 crore.
10
Business
Commodity takes
Oil prices rise
as Iran nuclear
talks extended
New York, Jun 30 (AFP) Oil prices
rebounded today as Iran and six major powers extended a deadline for
reaching a nuclear deal that could add
Iranian oil to an oversupplied global
market. US benchmark West Texas
Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in August rose USD 1.14 to USD 59.47 a barrel. In London, Brent North Sea crude
for August closed at USD 63.59 a barrel, an increase of USD 1.58 from yesterday’s settlement. Both key futures
contracts had fallen on Monday as
Greece lurched toward a debt default
and potential exit from the eurozone.
The uncertainty roiled markets, pushing WTI down USD 1.30 and Brent USD
1.25. Traders focused on Iran nuclear
talks in Vienna for a deal to end the 13year standoff between Iran and six major powers over Tehran’s controversial
program. Iran and the so-called P5+1
-- the United States, Britain, China,
France, Russia and Germany -- gave
themselves an extra week, until July 7,
to clinch an agreement after no breakthrough in the negotiations was in sight
ahead of a midnight deadline today.
Under the framework of the talks, Iran
agreed to substantially scale down its
nuclear activities in order to make any
attempt to develop nuclear weapons
-- an aim denied by Tehran -- virtually
impossible. In return, sanctions that
have suffocated the Iranian economy
by choking its lifeblood oil exports
will be progressively lifted. “For the oil
market the Iran nuclear deal is fundamentally most important even though
Greek turmoil will help to throw the
oil market around from day to day,”
said Bjarne Schieldrop, chief analyst at
Commodities SEB Markets.
Gold extends losses
on global cues,
sluggish demand
New Delhi, Jul 1 (PTI) Gold prices continued to slide for the second straight
day and fell by Rs 140 to Rs 26,710 per
ten grams at the bullion market today
largely in tandem with a weak global
trend and slackened demand from jewellers. Silver followed suit and shed Rs
100 to Rs 36,050 per kg. Traders attributed persistent fall in the precious metals to a weakening global trend as signs
of an improving US economy boosted
prospects of higher borrowing costs,
reducing their demand as an alternative investment.Gold prices continued
to slide for the second straight day and
fell by Rs 140 to Rs 26,710 per ten grams
at the bullion market today largely in
tandem with a weak global trend and
slackened demand from jewellers. In
the national capital, gold of 99.9 and
99.5 per cent purity dropped by Rs 140
each to Rs 26,710 and Rs 26,560 per ten
grams, respectively. It had lost Rs 100
yesterday. Sovereign, however, continued to be asked at previous level of Rs
23,300 per piece of eight grams in limited deals Besides, easing demand from
jewellers at the spot market dampened
sentiments, they said. Gold in New
York, which normally sets price trend
on the domestic front, fell 0.64 per cent
to USD 1,172.60 an ounce and silver by
0.57 per cent to USD 15.67 an ounce in
yesterday’s trade. In the national capital, gold of 99.9 and 99.5 per cent purity
dropped by Rs 140 each to Rs 26,710 and
Rs 26,560 per ten grams, respectively. It
had lost Rs 100 yesterday. Sovereign,
however, continued to be asked at previous level of Rs 23,300 per piece of eight
grams in limited deals. Following gold,
silver ready declined by Rs 100 to Rs
36,050 per kg and weekly-based delivery by Rs 150 to Rs 35,560 per kg. On the
other hand, silver coins maintained a
steady trend at Rs 54,000 for buying and
Rs 55,000 for selling of 100 pieces.
oils and oilseeds wholesale market
here today on renewed demand from
retailers. However, groundnutoil
maintained a stable trend in the absence of any large-scale buying activity. Among the non-edibles, castorseeds bold and castoroil commercial
declined further on sustained offtake
from shippers and soap industries.
Linseed oil eased on subdued demand from paint and allied industries. In the edible segment, refined
palmolein rose by Rs 5 per 10kg to Rs
505 from Tuesday’s closing level of Rs
500. Groundnutoil closed unchanged
at Rs 970 per 10kg. Castorseeds bold
fell by Rs 25 per 100 kg to Rs 3,950
from Rs 3,975, castoroil commercial
moved down by Rs 5 per 10kg to Rs
820 compared to Rs 825 yesterday and
Linseedoil slipped by Rs 5 per 10kg to
Rs 780 against Rs 785 previously.
Select copra drops
on reduced demand,
good supplies
Mumbai, Jul 1 (PTI) Copra office
Alapuzha, copra office Kozhikode
and copra edible prices dropped at
the spices market here today due to
reduced offtake by millers and bulk
consumers on the back of adequate
stock availability. While, black pepper
and ginger prices firmed up following
increased demand from stockists and
exporters. Copra edible dipped by
Rs 300 per quintal to Rs 10,200 from
Tuesday’s closing level Rs 10,500.
Copra office Kozhikode fell by Rs 200
per quintal to Rs 8,100 from Rs 8,300.
Copra office Alapuzha moved down
by Rs 100 per quintal to Rs 8,300 compared to Rs 8,100 yesterday. Copra office Alapuzha, copra office Kozhikode
and copra edible prices dropped at
the spices market here today due
to reduced offtake by millers and
bulk consumers on the back of adequate stock availability. However,
black pepper climbed by Rs 5 per kg
to Rs 650/735 from Rs 645/730. Ginger bleached and ginger unbleached
rose by Rs 5 per kg each to Rs 240
and Rs 260 against Rs 235 and Rs 255.
Following are today’s closing rates
(in Rs with previous rates in brackets): Black pepper (per kg) 650/735
(645/730), ginger bleached (per kg)
240 (235), ginger unbleached (per kg)
260 (255), copra office Alapuzha (per
quintal) 8,300 (8,400), copra office
Kozhikode (per quintal) 8,100 (8,300),
copra Rajapur Mumbai (per quintal)
15,500 (15,500), copra edible Mumbai
(per quintal) 10,200 (10,500).
Nickel rebounds on
fresh demand
Mumbai, Jul 1 (PTI) Nickel, zinc,
brass and copper armiture prices rebounded smartly at the non-ferrous
metal market here today on good buying by stockists amid fresh demand
from alloy industries. While, tin and
select copper dropped further on
sustained stockist selling following
subdued offtake from consumer industries. Globally, London nickel was
trading steady in early trade as the dust
settled a day after it slid to six-year
lows, while copper was little changed
after China’s June factory growth
came in a tad slower than expected.
Nickel climbed by Rs 5 per kg to Rs 940
from Tuesday’s closing level of Rs 935.
Nickel, zinc, brass and copper armiture prices rebounded smartly at the
non-ferrous metal market here today
on good buying by stockists amid fresh
demand from alloy industries. Nickel,
zinc, brass and copper armiture prices
rebounded smartly at the non-ferrous
metal market here today on good buying by stockists amid fresh demand
from alloy industries. Zinc moved up
by Rs 2 per kg to Rs 172 from Rs 170.
Copper armiture, brass utensils scrap
and brass sheet cutting edged up by a
Re per kg each to Rs 426, Rs 305 and Rs
318, respectively. However, tin dipped
by Rs 15 per kg to Rs 1,130 as against
Rs 1,145 yesterday. Copper cables
scrap, Copper scrap heavy and copper
Mumbai, Jul 1 (PTI) Refined pal- wire bar softened by a Re per kg each
molein recovered smartly at the Vashi to Rs 438, Rs 433 and Rs 458.
Refined palmolein
recovers on
renewed demand
UK Food Standards Agency finds
made in India Maggi safe to eat
London Jul 1 (PTI): UK’s food
regulator Food Standards Agency
(FSA) on Wednesday gave a clean
chit to Nestle for Maggi manufactured in India saying levels of lead
in the product are well within the
EU permissible levels.
“The FSA can confirm that
results from testing samples of
Maggi Noodles in the UK have
all found that levels of lead in the
product is well within EU permissible levels and would not be a
concern to consumers,” FSA said
in statement. It further said: “Following an incident in India, where
a sample of Maggi Noodles was
reported to contain high levels of
lead, the Food Standards Agency
made the decision to test a selection of Maggi Noodles as a precaution. In India, this incident has resulted in a large scale withdrawal
of the product.” Nestle informed
FSA that the only variety of Maggi
Noodles they import into the UK
from India is the ‘masala flavour’.
“The FSA has now tested this
flavour and others from the
Maggi noodles range, as a precaution. As well as tests carried
out by local authorities, the FSA
has also asked Nestle to provide
it with test results from its own
samples. All showed levels of
lead to be well within EU per-
missible levels,” it said. The total
number of samples taken from
Nestle, local authorities and port
authorities were around 900 in
total, FSA added.
Similarly, food regulators of
other countries such the Vietnam Food Administration (VFA),
National Measurement Institute
in Australia and Singapore’s Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) have given clean chit
to the company and said Maggi
noodles imported from India are
“completely safe to eat”. “The
FSA has now tested this flavour
and others from the Maggi noodles range, as a precaution. As
Rupee snaps 5-day losing streak
vs USD, up 20 paise
Mumbai, Jul 1 (PTI)
In restricted trading, the
rupee ended marginally
higher by three paise to
63.61 against the American currency on mild selling of dollars by banks
and exporters on hopes
of foreign capital inflows
into equity in view of
strong equity market. The
rupee opened lower at
63.66 per dollar at the Interbank Foreign Exchange
(forex) as against the yesterday’s closing level of
63.64 and dropped further to 63.6850 per dollar
on initial dollar demand
from banks. However, it
recovered afterwards to
63.55 on selling of dollars
by banks and exporters on
the back of rise in equity
market before ending at
63.61 per dollar, disclosing a marginal gain of 3
paise or 0.05 per cent. It
has gained by 23 paise or
0.36 pct in two days. The
domestic unit moved in a
range of 63.55 and 63.6850
during the day today.
The dollar index was
trading higher by 0.35 per
cent against its major global rivals today. Overseas,
the US dollar was higher in
early Asian trade while the
euro got off to
a cautious start
with Greece’s
fate still hanging in the balance. Oil prices
eased in Asian
trading today
after
Greece
missed
a
1.5-billion-euro
(USD 1.7-billion) payment
to the International Monetary Fund. US
benchmark
West Texas Intermediate for
August delivery fell 68 cents to USD
58.79 while Brent crude
was down 58 cents at USD
63.01. Meanwhile, the Indian benchmark senex
rose further by 240.04
points or 0.86 per cent. .
Pramit Brahmbhatt, Veracity Group CEO said,”
Rupee traded strong & appreciated by three paise
for the day to close at 63.61
on the back of higher domestic equity market”.
The trading range for the
Spot USD/INR pair is expected to be within 63.30
to 64.00. In the forward
market, the premium
ended steady in the absence of market-moving
factors. The benchmark
six-month premium payable in December closed
unchanged at 226-228
paise while June 2016 contract finished marginally
higher at 449-451 paise
as against the yesterday’s
closing level of 449-450
paise. The RBI fixed the
reference rate for the dollar at 63.6223 and for the
euro at 70.7671. The rupee
firmed up further against
the pound sterling to 99.57
from 100.05 previously
and recovered.
well as tests carried out by local authorities, the FSA has also
asked Nestle to provide it with
test results from its own samples. Nestle India currently exports Maggi noodles to Canada,
UK, Singapore and Kenya and
to third parties in the US, Australia and New Zealand. Maggi
noodles were banned in India by
food safety regulator FSSAI over
presence of lead beyond permissible limits and taste enhancer
monosodium glutamate. Nestle
India had recalled the instant
noodles from the Indian market
and destroyed Maggi worth Rs
320 crore.
Punj Lloyd gets
shareholders nod
for term loan up
to Rs 1,500 cr
New Delhi Jul 1 (PTI): Infrastructure major Punj
Lloyd has received shareholders’ approval for taking
term loans up to Rs 1,500 crore with the condition
that the lenders can get the debt converted into equity
shares in case of a default. “The consent of the company be and is accorded to the board in respect with the
financial assistance to be availed from various banks
and financial institutions (lenders) from time to time
in the nature of term-loan assistance...Aggregate to a
sum not exceeding Rs 1,500 crore (facility), such that
in the event of default. “some of the lenders at their
option may be able to convert their outstanding facility to equity shares in the company,” Punj Lloyd said
in a BSE filing today. The shareholders’ nod was given
to the company in an extraordinary general meeting
of the members held earlier. The company said each
such financial assistance to be availed from various
banks and financial institutions would be separate and
distinct from the other. As per the minutes of the meeting it was resolved that, “on receipt of notice of conversion, the board be and hereby is authorised to do
all such acts, deeds and things as the board may think
necessary and shall allot and issue requisite number
of fully paid up equity shares in the company to such
lenders.” The filing said the equity shares alloted to
such lenders shall “rank pari passu in all respects with
the then existing equity shares in the company and be
listed on the stock exchanges where the existing shares
of the company are listed.” Those present in the AGM
included Chairman Atul Punj, Managing Director and
Group CEO J P Chalasani, Director Finance P N Krishnan and Group President Legal and Company Secretary Dinesh Thairani.
Sensex, Nifty end at nearly
2-1/2-month high on fresh buying
Mumbai, Jul 1 (PTI) The S&P
BSE benchmark sensex crossed
28K mark and ended at nearly
2-1/2 month high at 28,020.87
and CNX Nifty also finished at
8,453.05 on fresh buying on the
back of higher global cues as
overseas markets stabilized. Investors sentiment bolstered by
6 month high jump in country’s
eight core infra sectors and firm
Asian cues, sidelining global scare
of Greece default, a broker said.
Shares of Capital Goods, Banking,
Power, Realty, Auto , IT and Teck
sectors firmed up on good buying
enquiries. The secondline shares,
midcap and smallcap indices
also rallied tracking the broader
segments. The sensex resumed
higher at 27,823.65 and shot up
further to a high of 28,099.25 before ending at nearly 2-1/2 month
high at 28,020.87, showing a gain
of 240.04 points or 0.86 per cent.
The sensex had last ended at
28,442.10 on April 17, 2015. The
CNX 50-share Nifty also ended
at nearly 2-1/2 month high at
8,453.05, disclosing a gain of
84.35 points or 1.01 pct. It had
last ended at 8,606.00 on April 17,
2015. Meanwhile, foreign investors sold shares worth Rs 551.38
crore yesterday, according to provisional data.
Global markets stabilized even
as Greece ended up defaulting
on its euro 1.55 billion loan ( 1.73
billion) to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) yesterday with
creditors rejecting a last-ditch effort to buy more time.
In overseas markets, Asian and
European stocks edged higher as
investors appeared to take developments in the Greek debt crisis
in stride. US stocks ended a choppy trading session higher yesterday. Key indices in Germany,
UK and France were up 1.76 pct
to 3.15 pct. Pramit Brahmbhatt,
Veracity Group CEO said,” Local
indices continued to trade higher
on the investors? confidence &
again closed on a positive note.
Indices added over one percent
during the day as the blue chip
co. traded higher on value buying
with well supported from strong
Asian market.
Though the overall sentiment
remained weak in the market because of continued concern about
the Greek default”. Asian stocks
ended higher today as investors
appear to take in stride Greece’s
missed loan payment to the IMF.
Key equity benchmark indices
Japan, South Korea, Singapore
and Taiwan were up 0.14 pct to
1.14 pct while China’s Shanghai
Composite fell by 5.23 pct. The
stock market in Hong Kong was
closed for holiday. 23 scrips out
of the 30-share sensex pack ended
higher while seven finished lower.
Major gainers were BHEL (3.67
pct), Axis Bank (3.60 pct), Cipla
(2.75 pct), Tata Motors (2.36 pct),
SBI (1.83 pct), TCS (1.54 pct),
Larsen (1.52 pct), Wipro (1.51
pct), Icici bank (1.35 pct), ONGC
(1.31 pct), Infoys (1.25 pct), VEDL
(1.15 pct) and Bharti Airtel (1.10
pct). However, Lupin dropped by
0.48 pct, Bajaj Auto 0.48 pct, ITC
0.41 pct and Gail India 0.40 pct.
Among the S&P BSE sectoral indices Capital Goods rose by 1.69 pct,
Power 1.64 pct, Bankex 1.63 pct,
IT 1.48 pct, Realty 1.48 pct, Auto
1.33 pct and Teck 1.27 pct.
Small-cap and Mid-cap indices
also rose by 1.45 pct and 1.30 pct
respectively. The market breadth
remained positive as 1,889 stocks
ended in the green, 877 closed
in the red and 116 ruled steady.
Total turnover rose further to Rs
3,226.25 crs from Rs 2,719.86 crs
yesterday.
11
Sports
Opening the batting will help
me: Robin Uthappa
Mumbai Jul 1 (PTI): After regaining
his place in the India squad for the
upcoming tour of Zimbabwe, Rohin
Uthappa said he is not sure about the
position he would bat in but pointed
out that opening the innings will help
him play his natural game. Following
highs and lows in his international
career spanning a little over nine
years, the top order batsman, who
also keeps wickets at times, got an
opportunity to don the national
colours again as he was selected in the
India team under newly-appointed
skipper Ajinkya Rahane.
Rahane was on Monday named
captain of the 15-member side as
Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat
Kohli, among other seniors, were
rested. India will play three OneDay Internationals (ODI) and two
Twenty20 Internationals against
Zimbabwe. The first ODI is scheduled
for July 10. “Opening the batting
comes extremely easily to me because
that’s what I do in domestic cricket. I
am not really sure what position I will
be batting in this series. If it is up the
order, it would just be about going out
there and playing my natural game,”
Uthappa was quoted as saying by bcci.
tv on Wednesday. The 29-year-old
said he is grateful for the opportunity
and would love to make the most of it
and come out with flying colours.
“I am very grateful for this
opportunity and glad that it has
come my way. It is something that I
was working for and looking forward
to for some time. I look at this as a
good opportunity for myself and
would love to make the most of it
and hopefully everything will go as
planned and I would come out with
flying colours,” he said. As one of the
more experienced members in the
squad, the Karnataka batsman said
he makes sure that he keeps everyone
on their toes and up and about. After
regaining his place in the India squad
for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe,
Rohin Uthappa said he is not sure
about the position he would bat in but
pointed out that opening the innings
will help him play his natural game.
Following highs and lows in his
international career spanning a
little over nine years, the top order
batsman, who also keeps wickets
at times, got an opportunity to don
the national colours again as he was
selected in the India team under
newly-appointed skipper Ajinkya
Copa America 2015: Lionel
Messi sparkles as Argentina
thrash Paraguay to enter final
Concepción Jul 1 (PTI): Lionel Messi
produced
a
scintillating
individual
performance as Argentina destroyed
Paraguay 6-1 to reach the final of the Copa
America here Tuesday. The Barcelona
superstar tormented Paraguay mercilessly
as the favorites produced their best display
of the tournament and advanced to a
showdown with Chile in Saturday`s final.
Although Messi failed to end his run
of more than 900 minutes without an
international goal from open play, he turned
creator as Argentina tore Paraguay apart.
Goals from Angel Di Maria (2), Marcos Rojo,
Javier Pastore, Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo
Higuain completed an emphatic rout for the
South American giants.
A satisfied Messi was delighted
Argentina`s potent collection of attacking
talent finally appears to have clicked with
Saturday`s final looming. “We`ve been
playing well -- we knew once we scored one
goal, many more would come, and that`s
what happened,” said Messi as he collected
his man-of-the-match award.
“We got an early goal and then found
more space, and then we got the second.
We continued to play the same way and
more goals came.” Argentina, who finished
runners-up in last year`s World Cup, are
determined to clinch a first major title
in 22 years at the Copa America. “The
important thing is that we`ve achieved
our first objective by reaching final. Now
we need to win it,” Messi said.Manchester
United defender Rojo and Paris SaintGermain`s Pastore had given Argentina
a 2-0 lead midway through the first half
before Paraguay pulled one back through
Lucas Barrios. But any Paraguayan hopes of
repeating their heroics in the group phase --
when they came back from two goals down
to draw 2-2 -- were snuffed out by two goals
in six minutes from Di Maria early in the
second half. The carnage was completed
with a headed goal from Manchester City
striker Aguero in the 80th minute before
substitute Higuain made it 6-1 just after
coming on. Argentina`s opener came from
a setpiece after 15 minutes. Messi flighted a
teasing free-kick into the area and when the
ball dropped to Rojo, the defender reacted
quickest and drilled in a low shot.
The Argentinians should have doubled
their lead six minutes later when Messi
sprinted clear of the Paraguayan cover and
released Pastore down the left. But with
the goal begging, Pastore took took too
long to get a shot away and Victor Caceres
was able to slide in to make a desperate
last-ditch block. Yet Pastore did not have
to wait long to make amends, seizing his
chance when presented with another giltedged opportunity by Messi six minutes
later. Slick approach play saw the ball end
with Messi, who deftly carved open the
Paraguayan defence to play in Pastore.
The midfielder controlled on the run with
a sublime first touch before bludgeoning
a low shot past Justo Villar.A disastrous
start for Paraguay was compounded
when veteran striker Roque Santa Cruz
limped out of the contest, to be replaced
by Barrios. As half-time approached,
however, Argentina`s defensive frailty was
exposed once again with sloppy play at the
back presenting Barrios with the chance
to lash home a shot from 20 yards to give
Paraguay hope. Paraguay`s fightback was
extinguished within eight minutes of the
restart, however, as two goals from Di
Maria put the favourites 4-1 up.
Discontent brewing in
Pakistan cricket over
new domestic structure
Rahane. Everyone is more or less the
same age and we will definitely be
looking to help each other out with our
own experiences,” he said. Speaking
on the new ODI rules and the batting
powerplay being done away with, he
said, “We just go back to how one-day
cricket used to be played. The only
difference is that any no-ball is a free
hit. “Depending on where I will be
batting in the line-up, my role is going
to change. But behind the wickets
definitely it would be to support and
make sure that I keep everyone on
their toes and up and about. Rahane
was on Monday named captain of the
15-member side as Mahendra Singh
Dhoni and Virat Kohli, among other
seniors, were rested. India will play
three One-Day Internationals (ODI)
and two Twenty20 Internationals
against Zimbabwe. The first ODI is
scheduled for July 10.
Everyone is more or less the same
age and we will definitely be looking
to help each other out with our own
experiences,” he said. Speaking on
the new ODI rules and the batting
powerplay being done away with, he
said, “We just go back to how one-day
cricket used to be played. The only
difference is that any no-ball is a free
hit. The bowlers still have a little bit of
an advantage. The batsmen might be
a little less aggressive now.”
Karachi Jul 1 (PTI): The
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)
is facing stiff resistance from
players
and
its
affiliated
departments
and
regions
over a proposed domestic
structure which is likely to be
implemented this year. The
resistance has come in the form
of dozens of players presently
playing in the United Kingdom
for clubs in different leagues,
protesting the timing of the new
domestic season.
Some
Departments
are
even pondering going to court
against the new structure. The
PCB had at its last General Body
announced a new domestic
structure with emphasis on less
teams in the premier first class
competition, the Quaid-e-Azam
Trophy. The biggest change
brought about the by the Board
is that now while the top six
departments and six regions will
directly qualify for the Quaid
Trophy two departmental teams
and two regions will qualify after
appearing in a qualifying nonfirst class three day matches
tournament for which the Board
has announced dates.According
to the schedule, the qualifying
tournament will begin from
August 1, something unheard of
in Pakistan’s domestic season
as it normally starts in mid
September with the first class
events. Many of the players
presently employed on contracts
in England have complained if
they are forced to return home to
play in the qualifying event their
employers/clubs will not offer
them contracts from next year.
“It is understandable because
if we return midway obviously
these clubs are not going to be
happy and they will look for
overseas professionals from
other countries which will badly
affect our livelihood,” one player
said. He said the English season
ended around mid-September.
“If we lose this chance to earn
abroad how will we manage
because there is no real money
for domestic players in Pakistan,”
another player said. A senior
official of a department said there
had been discussions on going to
court to get a stay order against
the implementation of the new
domestic structure. “Last year
when they implemented a new
structure they said it would be
tried out for three years now all
of a sudden they have decided to
change it this year.
Mitchell Starc expresses dissatisfaction
over use of pink ball for day-night Test
Melbourne Jul 1 (PTI):
Australia paceman Mitchell
Starc has expressed concerns
about the pink ball to be used in
the first day-night test, saying it
behaved “very differently” to the
usual red ball and crowds might
not even be able to see it.
Starc, who was named the
player of the World Cup in March,
also questioned the efficacy of
the format as a measure of a
cricketer`s career, suggesting
night tests might need to be
recorded separately given the
vastly different conditions on
offer. The 25-year-old left-armer
was involved in a round of
Sheffield Shield day-night trial
matches in Australia but was not
convinced by the concept.
“It doesn`t react anything like
the red ball, in terms of swing and
the hardness of it anyway,” he told
media in England, where Australia
are preparing for the Ashes. “It
goes soft pretty quickly, I didn`t
see a huge amount of reverse
BCCI mulling
performance-based
incentives for Indian team
New Delhi Jul 1 (PTI): Encouraged by the financial
model followed by Cricket Australia and England
and Wales Cricket Board, the BCCI is planning to
introduce a performance-based incentive for the
Indian team for each and every home and away
series. There was an initial blueprint that was
drawn at the Board’s finance committee meeting
that took place in the capital here on Wednesday.
While BCCI’s finance committee has agreed in
principle on going the corporate way where profit
sharing will be directly proportional to the board’s
revenue, the members discussed the possible ways
of doing it. According to BCCI sources, it was IPL
COO Sundar Raman, who provided a presentation
for the finance committee members where it was
intimated that Cricket Australia, ECB and BCCI’s
next door neighbours PCB also follow an incentivebased model in their respective countries. “Till
now, BCCI normally gave handsome incentives to
cricketers during triumphs in big tournaments like
50-over World Cup, World T20 or ICC Champions.
swing in that game and I don`t
think it swung from memory
too much until the artificial light
took over. “It definitely reacts
very, very differently to the red
ball. “The other thing as well is,
personally, I couldn`t see the
thing at night on the boundary. I
couldn`t see the ball. So I`m not
sure how the crowd are going
to see it. “I understand the pink
ball has changed a lot from when
it first came in for trials. It`s
improved a lot, so Kookaburra
has done well there. “But time
will tell if it works with the crowds
and the viewership and the way
that cricketers respond to it.”
The first day-night test will be
played between Australia and
New Zealand on Nov. 27, the third
and final match of their series,
with administrators hopeful the
format can translate to improved
crowds and broadcast revenue.
After Tuesday`s announcement,
Cricket Australia chief executive
James Sutherland insisted.
JSW Group in advanced talks with
Diageo Plc to acquire IPL franchise
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Bengaluru Jul 1 (PTI): Steel-to-power
conglomerate JSW Group is in advanced
talks with global drinks giant Diageo Plc
to acquire the Indian Premier League
(IPL) franchise Royal Challengers
Bangalore for an amount that can
go upto Rs 300 crore. “Yes, we are in
negotiation with Diageo to acquire RCB
for Rs 250 crore to Rs 300 crore,” the
Sajjan Jindal-owned company sources
today told PTI here.
The RCB franchise, which is now
eight IPL seasons old, is a wholly owned
subsidiary of United Spirits Limited
(USL), in which Diageo has a majority
stake. Talks have been going on for a
long time but the deal couldn’t come
through because of the public spat
between Diageo and former promoter
Vijay Mallya over alleged diversion to
Kingfisher and their UB Group entities.
The spat came to light when a full-blow
boardroom battle broke out after USL
said it had “lost confidence” in Mallya
after an internal probe and a forensic
inquiry by PWC revealed alleged fund
diversion to Kingfisher and other UB
group entities. RCB is one of the most
attractive teams in IPL despite not
winning the title.
RCB, which was bought by Mallya for
USD 111.6 million in 2008, the second
most expensive team after Mukesh
Ambani’s Mumbai Indians then, have
star-studded players in the form of AB
De Villiers, Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle.
Parth Jindal, who is CEO of Bengaluru
Football Club, had shown interest in
entering the cash-rich IPL business
earlier this year.
Wimbledon heat on Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova
London Jul 1 (PTI): Novak
Djokovic and Serena Williams
target
quickfire
second
round wins at Wimbledon
on Wednesday to escape
the brutal heat expected to
send temperatures soaring
to a tournament record of 35
degrees. Defending champion
Djokovic takes on Finnish
veteran Jarkko Niemenin in the
Centre Court opener.
World number 92 Nieminen
is playing in his 12th and last
Wimbledon having ended
the All England Club career
of 2002 champion Lleyton
Hewitt over five sets in the first
round. Djokovic, also the 2011
champion, has a 5-1 career
record over the 33-year-old
Nieminen, a quarter-finalist in
2006. The last time Djokovic lost
in the second round at a Grand
Slam was at 2008 Wimbledon,
when as number three seed he
was defeated by Marat Safin.
Fourth seed and French
Open champion Stan Wawrinka
takes on world number 48
Victor Estrella Burgos, only the
second Dominican Republic
player to take part in a Grand
Slam. Wawrinka recorded his
best Wimbledon performance
by reaching the quarter-finals
in 2014. Japanese fifth seed Kei
Nishikori takes a 6-1 career lead
into his second round match
against Santiago Giraldo while
2014 semi-finalist Milos Raonic,
the seventh seeded Canadian
faces German veteran Tommy
Haas. At 37 years and 100 days
old, Haas is bidding to become
the oldest man to reach the
third round at a Grand Slam
since Jimmy Connors, who was
just past his 39th birthday when
he made the last 32 at the 1991
US Open. US Open champion
Marin Cilic, the ninth seed,
meets Lithuania`s Ricardas
Berankis in a tussle between two
former world junior number
ones.
Five-time
women`s
champion and top seed
Williams faces Hungary`s Timea
Babos as she continues her bid
to sweep a calendar Grand
Slam. Fourth seed and French
Open champion Stan Wawrinka
takes on world number 48
Victor Estrella Burgos, only the
second Dominican Republic
player to take part in a Grand
Slam. Wawrinka recorded his
best Wimbledon performance
by reaching the quarter-finals
in 2014. Maria Sharapova, the
2004 champion and fourth
seed, tackles Dutch qualifier
Richel Hogenkamp. Meanwhile
organisers say a heat rule,
which allows for a 10-minute
break between the second and
third sets of women`s matches,
could be used Wednesday when
temperatures are expected
to surge to around 35C on
Wednesday. However, the rule
does not apply to the men`s tour.
The highest-ever temperature
recorded at Wimbledon was
34C in 1976. Despite the heat,
All England Club chiefs say
the Centre Court roof will
not be closed to preserve the
tournament`s integrity as an
outdoor event.
12
Entertainment
Indian Horizon
Why Hrithik is on a hunt for directors
Hrithik Roshan is apparently keen on getting into full
fledged production and is busy
meeting some 'offbeat' filmmakers too
Currently busy with the
shoot of Ashutosh Gowariker's
period drama Mohenjo Daro,
Hrithik Roshan is said to be
taking out time to approach
a few noted directors for collaborations.
A source tells us that the
actor recently met Nishikant
Kamath, who is directing Ajay
Devgn in the remake of the
Malayalam film, Drishyam.
"Hrithik is looking forward
to sign new projects, but not
merely in the capacity of an actor. He is open to co-producing a film if he likes the script,"
says a source.
Another industry source revealed that the actor would be
meeting AR Murugadoss in a
day or two. "A couple of other
reputed directors are also on
his list at the moment. These
days, stars have a big say in
how the project must shape up
apart from sharing the film's
profits. So, it won't be surprising if Hrithik is actually seeking
to collaborate on any project,"
the source adds.
Hrithik remained unavailable for comment.
Courtesy:SantaBanta.com
Kareena Kapoor
upbeat about
shooting in
Kashmir
Actress Kareena Kapoor is looking forward to
the Kashmir schedule of Salman Khan starrer
"Bajrangi Bhaijaan" slated to begin next month.
She says the movie will be "big".
After "Kyunki", "Main Aurr Mrs Khanna" and
"Bodyguard", this is the fourth time Kareena is
collaborating with Salman on silver screen - and
she's excited. "We are looking forward to going
to Kashmir for the film's next schedule. We will
be going there next month. It will release on Eid
this year," Kareena told reporters here Thursday
at the red carpet of Filmfare Glamour and Style
Awards' red carpet.
"After 'Bodyguard', I'm coming (on screen)
with Salman again, so fans must be very excited.
I'm sure it will be big one," she added.
For now, Kareena is going to head to Amritsar
for "Udta Punjab".
After AIB Roast another serious
trouble for Ranveer
Ranveer Singh sustained a
ligament tear in his shoulder
while filming a fight sequence
for 'Bajirao Mastani'
Ranveer Singh got hurt
on Wednesday night while
shooting for Sanjay Leela
Bhansali's 'Bajirao Mastani'
and has sustained a ligament
tear in his shoulder. A unit
member says, "It was during
a fight sequence that he was
pushed and got injured. After
calling for first aid, he finished the shoot. Later, he was
taken to hospital."
Doctors have advised him
rest for two days, says another source, adding: "Incidentally, we were supposed to
shift to another location the
next day and it took us two
days to shift the equipment
and arrange the set-up. So,
he got some time to relax and
will resume shoot soon."
The film's spokesperson
confirms the story and says
the accident did not affect the
shoot schedule in any way.
The actor tweeted that he was
on the road to recovery.
Ranveer Singh, who has been
in the headlines ever since the
controversial AIB roast session, has apparently hurt himself while filming Sanjay Leela
Bhansali's Bajirao Mastani.
News is that Ranveer was riding
a horse while filming an action
sequence when he was pushed
and got injured, sustaining a
ligament tear in his shoulder.
Though immediate first aid was
administered and the shoot
completed, Ranveer Singh was
later taken to hospital.
Tweeting about the same
Ranveer posted, "As for the injury, I'm fine. Mard ko Dard
nahi hota....aur badi badi filmon mein aisi chhoti chhoti baatein hoti rehti hain ;) #shithappens". Currently, doctors have
advised the actor complete rest
for the next few days. As for the
film, the schedule remains unaffected as the location for the
shoot was to be changed and
will take a few days to set up.
Bajirao Mastani is co-produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali
and Eros International, the film
that features Priyanka Chopra
and Deepika Paukone apart
from Ranveer is expected to recreate a chapter of Maratha history that would require mammoth expenses.
Big B named Timeless Fashion Icon
Apart from his memorable
performances on screen, Indian
cinestar Amitabh Bachchan is
also known for making style statements with designer jackets, suits,
sherwanis, kurtas and pyjamas off
screen. No wonder then that he
was honoured with the 'Timeless
Fashion Icon' accolade by Filmfare Glamour Style and Fashion.
Big B took to his official blog
to share his views over the award
ceremony held here Thursday.
"Filmfare Glamour Style and
Fashion holds an award ceremony for the stylish and awards me
with 'Timeless Fashion Icon'.
"Strange are the ways of life.
From 'time' to 'timeless'. Time
passed in one. Timeless recognition in another! Dear Lord...what
prisms you put us through," Amitabh posted on srbachchan.tumblr.com. The 72-year-old, who
was known for his bell bottoms
style in 1970s, was touched by the
hugs he got from the young generation actors.
"An evening of warm embraces and love... Aditi Rao Hydari
... Tabu...Preity Zinta...Eliana
deCruz...Karan
Johar...Yuvraj
Singh... And Akshay, Alia, Sid-
dharth, Kareena, Shruti, Nargis
Fakri... and a host of others. The
list and its respect is endless...it
makes one so humble and honoured when the generation next
gives its affection and love the
way it does (sic)," he added.
He also pointed out the irony
of life and the revelry around the
event as he attended a funeral
earlier that day.
"A dear friend passes away
to inhabit his 'final' journey in
Chennai and I travel there early
morning to lend a hand and embrace, to those that mourn in
the family... And then as you tear
yourself away from the depths of
remorse, you find yourself back in
environs that depict the reverse- a
celebration," he said.
Meanwhile, after garnering
plaudits for his critically acclaimed performance in "Shamitabh", Amitabh is prepping up to
regale cinema lovers with "Piku"
and "Wazir" this year.
Courtesy:Bollylife.com
Sonam Kapoor admitted to hospital due
to swine flu
Reports of Sonam Kapoor admitted to a hospital in Rajkot
started doing rounds recently but
BollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY reveals that she is hale and hearty
and NOT hospitalized!
The news of Sonam Kapoor admitted to a hospital and the doctors suspecting the illness to be
swine flu started doing rounds a
little while back. But we at BollywoodLife got in touch with her
spokesperson who has denied all
the reports claiming that the rumours are false and that the Prem
Ratan Dhan Payo actress is currently shooting in Rajkot.
Sonam’s spokesperson says that
the actress only went to the hospital to get a blood test done as post
her recovery from the respiratory infection she had a few weeks
back, she was suffering from recurring fever. To find the cause
for this fever Sonam was advised
by her doctors by in Mumbai at
Kokilaben hospital to get a blood
test conducted. And that it all she
went in for at Rajkot. She also got
a chest X-ray done just to be sure
about her respiratory issues. The
spokesperson has also revealed
to us EXCLUSIVELY that Sonam
is back on the Prem Ratan Dhan
Payo set and she is healthy as a
horse. So all you Sonam fans out
there who were worried about her
health, chill out. The star is fine
and busy shooting for her next big
hit!
Courtesy:Bollylife.com
Katrina excited to take up action genre
Katrina Kaif has usually done love
stories but the actress says she is
looking forward to go beyond her
romantic image with action films
Dhoom 3 and Bang Bang.
The two films, starring Aamir
Khan and Hrithik Roshan, involve
hardcore action and Katrina herself
will be seen performing some dare
devil stunts.
"Bang Bang is inspired by Hollywood film Knight and Day but we
have re-done the story to suit Indian
audience. It is an action comedy and
I haven't done anything like this in a
long time.
"All my previous movies have
more or less been love stories. This
also has a love angle but with a twist.
It is a huge change and I am really excited about it," she told PTI. Katrina
is currently busy filming Aamir Khan
starrer Dhoom 3 in Switzerland.
"We are still shooting... Still have a
lot of work to do but it is shaping up
well. It is a very glamorous and bold
role at the same time. I am having a
good time working with Aamir. He
is a wonderful actor, extremely supportive."
The Singh Is Kinng star recently
joined the list of actresses who have
worked with the top three Khan's
(Salman, Shah Rukh and Aamir) of
the industry.
Though she feels lucky to have
worked with the three superstars,
Katrina says beyond a point name
does not matter more than the work
she is being offered. "The big deal is
they are legends and have been in
the industry for the longest time... I
am very fortunate to have got an opportunity of working will all three.
It has been a learning and informative experience but beyond that I
think it is not whom you work with
but the kind of movies you do and
what are you interests. What matters
to me is the script and the director
I am working with," she said. Coming from a non-filmy background
and considering her non-fluency in
Hindi, Katrina has achieved a lot by
delivering hits like New York, Raajneeti, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara,
Bodyguard, Ek Tha Tiger and Jab Tak
Hai Jaan.
Courtesy:Mid-Day.com
Printed, published & Owned by Dr.Rahimuddin Kemal, Printed at Kemal Publication's, H.No-8-2-618/3, Road No. 11, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. 500034, TS. Editor Mr.Fahim
Kemal. Published from Dil-a-Veez, H.No.8-2-618/3, Road No. 11, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad-500034.TS. India. Phone Nos: 040 66839818: Fax No: 040 23373717.
Email: [email protected] [email protected]

Hyderabad, Thursday, April 16, 2015

Transcription

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