Article 2

May 29, 2014, 4:58 am

Team India for England tour

29052014

Gambhir back; Binny, Pankaj surprise picks for England tour

Updated on : 28-05-2014 07:17 PM

Veteran opener Gautam Gambhir was on Wednesday recalled while all-rounder Stuart Binny and unheralded paceman Pankaj Singh were the surprise picks in an 18-member Indian squad for the Test series against England starting in the last week of June.

Injured pace spearhead Zaheer Khan and spinners Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha were the notable omissions from the squad announced by the BCCI Secretary Sanjay Patel after a marathon meeting of the selection panel in Mumbai.

The Sandeep Patil-led selection committee also announced the squad for a three-match ODI series against Bangladesh which would precede the tour of England.

Suresh Raina would lead the 15-member squad which would be devoid of big stars such as regular skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma among others.

Raina, incidentally, was not even a member of the Asia Cup held in Bangladesh prior to IPL after his indifferent form in ODIs held earlier.

Spin spearhead R Ashwin and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja have also been rested from the squad for Bangladesh which will play three ODIs in Mirpur on June 15, 17 and 19.

Jammu and Kashmir all-rounder Parveez Rasool has found a place in the squad for Bangladesh which also marks the return of in-form batsman Robin Uthappa, who has been a prolific scorer in the ongoing IPL.

The Bangladesh-bound squad features new faces in Maharashtra batsman Kedar Jadhav and left-arm spinner Akshar Patel of Gujarat.

The tour of England starts from June 26 and concludes on September 7 during which the Indians will play five Tests , an equal number of ODIs and one Twenty20 International.

The left-handed Gambhir’s return to the Test squad was on expected lines after he rediscovered his form in the domestic circuit and has been in good touch in the ongoing IPL as well despite starting with three consecutive ducks.

The 32-year-old’s last Test appearance for India was way back in 2012 in the home series against England.

Rajasthan pacer Pankaj Singh, 29, has been rewarded for his consistent form in the goneby Ranji season during which he picked 45 wickets but his name was not in the reckoning for a place in the Test team.

Binny’s inclusion came as a bit of a surprise but the selectors might have considered the utility of his gentle medium pace bowling in the seaming conditions in England.

Barring Binny and Pankaj’s inclusion, there were no other surprises in the squad for England which has been packed with a host of pace bowlers to capitalise on the seamer-friendly conditions.

The side features seven pacers, led by the gangling Ishant Sharma, and just two spinners in Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

Apart from adding the experienced Gambhir, the batting line-up has not been tinkered with.

Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan are the two openers, followed by Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma.

Wriddhimaan Saha has been taken on board as backup for Dhoni, who is the team’s first-choice wicketkeeper.

The selectors continued to ignore veteran Virender Sehwag, who has done his case no good by continuing to under-perform in the domestic arena.

Only three players — Dhoni, Ishant and Gambhir — of this chosen squad of 18 have the experience of playing Tests in England.

Team for Bangladesh:

Suresh Raina (C), Robin Uthappa, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ambati Rayudu, Manoj Tiwary, Kedar Jadhav, Wriddhimaan Saha, Parveez Rasool, Akshar Patel, Vinay Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Stuart Binny, Mohit Sharma, Amit Mishra.

Teams for England tour:

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (C), Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Gautam Gambhir, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Ishwar Pandey, Ishant Sharma, Stuart Binny, Varun Aaron, Wriddhimaan Saha, Pankaj Singh.

RBY@28/05

Edit : Edit
Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Uncategorized

Towering inferno at Surat orchid building

29052014


A major fire broke out on Thursday in a commercial multi-storey building housing a market of sarees on Puna Kumbharia road here and 80 fire tenders have been rushed to the spot.
“The fire erupted at Orchit tower in Vipul House, a market of sarees, located in front of Sardar market in Puna Kumbhania area of the city,” a fire brigade official said. The number of people trapped inside the premises was yet to be ascertained, officials said, adding that no injuries or casualties have been reported so far. The fire brigade has declared a ‘brigade call’ and deployed 170 fire fighters and almost 80 fire vehicles were on the spot, they said. When more than 16 fire engines are called on a spot, a Brigade Call is declared. The fire broke out at around 10 AM on the fourth floor of the building, soon after the complex opened for the day’s work, an official said. “There are 12 floors in the building which mostly have cloth material establishments,” the official said. The cause of the blaze was yet to be ascertained, he said.

Edit : Edit
Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Uncategorized

16th LS to begin from 4th June

29052014

The first session of the newly constituted 16th Lok Sabha will be held from 4th June to 12th June with President Pranab Mukherjee addressing the joint sitting of both Houses on 9th June.

After the new members take oath on 4th June and 5th, the Speaker will be elected on the next day.The Rajya Sabha will commence from 9th June after the joint sitting.

Senior Congress MP Kamal Nath will be the Pro-tem Speaker who will administer the oath to the new members.

He will be assisted by a panel of Chairmen, consisting of Arjun Charan Sethi (BJD), Purno A Sangma (National People’s Party) and Biren Singh Engti (Congress).

Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu made the announcements on Thursday after a meeting of the Union Cabinet which deliberated on the Parliament session.

“We are studying various precedents while discussing the issue. There is still time to take that call,” Naidu said when asked whether Congress would be given the post of the Leader of Opposition despite it not having the requisite numbers.

“We have not zeroed in on anyone. We don’t want to zero in anyone,” he said when asked whether any name has been shortlisted for the post of the Speaker.

Edit : Edit
Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Media, Politics, Uncategorized

PM identifies 3 key priority areas of governance, delivery and implementation

29052014

Getting down to business, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asked his Cabinet colleagues to set a 100-day agenda with focus on efficient governance, delivery and implementation of programmes.

Believing that the progress of states is crucial for the country’s development, he also instructed his Council of Ministers to give priority to the issues brought forth by the state governments as also the MPs.The directives were given by Modi at a Cabinet meeting in New Delhi in the context of his 10-point vision which includes increasing investment, completing infrastructure projects in time-bound manner and exploiting the natural resources to the country’s benefit.

To send out a similar message across the country, Modi is likely to address the nation, possibly after the brief Parliament session that would be convened from June 4 to 11 during which President Pranab Mukherjee will address the joint sitting outlining the government’s agenda.

“The Prime Minister issued guidelines to the Ministers at the Cabinet meeting… He asked the ministers to set a timetable for the first 100 days listing the priorities,” said Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu.

Modi emphasised that the “most important” aspect that need to be focussed on are efficient governance, delivery and implementation of schemes and programmes, Naidu said while briefing the media on the meeting.

While focussing on these aspects, the government will take forward on priority basis the issues pending from the previous government.

He asked the Cabinet ministers to take Ministers of State along and give them “proper” work so that they feel involved.

The Prime Minister has outlined the “roadmap” and asked Ministers to set the agenda of 100 days, Naidu said, adding efforts would be made to implement it.

Modi told his Cabinet colleagues, at the second meeting in two days, that he would be regularly meeting them as also the Secretaries individually, Naidu said.

To a question, the Minister said issues like price rise, agriculture and women security, will naturally be a priority as these are the focus areas of the BJP-led government.

“Expectations of people are high… Difference sections have different priorities. Every section is important,” he said.

On Modi’s thrust on giving priority to issues raised by states, Naidu said this was in keeping with the “true spirit of federalism”.

He explained that since Modi, as Chief Minister of Gujarat, had worked in a state, he understands the importance of federal structure and gave instructions for maintaining certain standards in this respect.

On the issue of giving work to Ministers of State, Naidu said Modi wants them to be taken along in proper spirit because “a new team” is to be built.

“The spirit of the message has been understood by all the ministers. But an MoS is an MoS. Try to understand. A Cabinet Minister is responsible. They have to segregate work…He cannot give total decision-making to an MoS. But certain work has to be given to the MoS so that they have satisfaction of having some role,” he said

Edit : Edit
Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Media, Politics, Uncategorized

Class XII CBSE results: Girls outshine boys

29052014

By sagarmedia on May 29, 2014 | Edit

Class XII CBSE results: Girls outshine boys

Girls have fared much better than boys in this year’s CBSE class XII examinations, where the overall pass percentage stood at 82.66 per cent.

The pass percentage of girls stood at 88.52 as compared to 78.27 per cent for boys.

Thiruvananthapuram Region registered the best results among all the regions, posting a pass percentage of 94.26, said CBSE in a statement, after the results for the Delhi and the Dehradun regions were declared on Thursday.

The pass percentage across the country stood at 82.66 per cent, slightly higher than what it had registered last year with 82.10 per cent.

In total 10,28,928 candidates had registered for class XII examination this year.

The results of Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram regions were declared on 26th May, and the results of Ajmer, Allahabad, Bhubaneshwar, Guwahati, Panchkula and Patna regions were delcared on Thursday.

Edit : Edit
Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Uncategorized

Pinaka rockets test fired successfully

29052014

Pinaka rockets on Thursday successfully test-fired thrice from a multi-barrel rocket launcher at an armament base in Chandipur-on-sea, about 15 km from Balasore in Odisha.”Three rounds of Pinaka rockets were successfully tested from the proof and experimental establishment at Chandipur,” defence sources said.

Pinaka, which has undergone several tough tests since 1995, has been inducted into the armed forces and the present trials were conducted with some improvements in the system, the sources said, adding some more tests are likely to be held. The unguided rocket system is meant to neutralise large areas with rapid salvos.

The rockets with a range of 40 km and capable of acting as a force-multiplier, were developed to supplement artillery guns, the sources said.

Edit : Edit
Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Uncategorized

Global news

29052014

Norwegian police stops Greenpeace rally on Statoil’s rig

Norwegian police stopped a Greenpeace rally that blocked the Transocean Spitsbergen drilling rig of the Norwegian company Statoil in the Barents Sea after two days of protest, ITAR-TASS reported. Transocean Spitsbergen will continue its way to the Apollo well. However, the company will not start drilling until the environment ministry announces its response to Greenpeace’s complaint. The Greenpeace activists claim the company is violating the ban on drilling closer than 50 kilometers from the ice boundary.

Palestinian unity govt announcement delayed

The announcement of a Palestinian unity government has been delayed until next week, a senior Fatah official said on Thursday. “The announcement of the government lineup has been postponed until next week for further consultations between Hamas and Fatah,” Anadolu news agency quoted Amin Maqbol, Secretary-General of Fatah’s Revolutionary Council, as saying. Sources cited disagreement between the two rival groups on the foreign ministry portfolio for postponing the announcement, the Daily Star newspaper reported.

5.3-magnitude earthquake strikes off Raoul Island, New Zealand

A 5.3-magnitude earthquake struck 107km south of Raoul Island, New Zealand, at 06:39 GMT on Thursday, the US Geological Survey said. The quake struck at a depth of 35km. No damage was immediately reported.

Bombings kill 1 Afghan policeman, NATO soldier dies in helicopter crash

Two roadside bombings in the southern Afghanistan city of Kandahar have killed one policeman and wounded four, AP reported, citing officers. The first explosion struck a police car on Thursday morning, killing one officer and wounding two, and the second blast, minutes later at the same location, wounded two more officers. The international coalition in Afghanistan has said one of its service members died in a helicopter crash on Wednesday in the country’s south. The cause of the crash was not immediately clear.

Edit : Edit
Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Uncategorized

Germany’s Merkel tops Forbes ‘powerful women’ list for 4th year

29052014

German Chancellor Angela Merkel topped Forbes’s list of the world’s most powerful women for the fourth consecutive year. She was followed by US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, AFP reported, citing the magazine. Behind them came Melinda Gates, who co-chairs the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and IMF chief Christine Lagarde. Hillary Clinton, former first lady and ex-Secretary of State, was listed at number six. The annual list includes women in business, media, politics and other areas.

Edit : Edit
Comments : Leave a comment

Categories : Uncategorized

SP: Employment to youths or unemployment allowance

29052014

Samajwadi Party

27 May at 18:19 ·

समाजवादी पार्टी के प्रदेश प्रवक्ता राजेन्द्र चौधरी ने कहा है कि समाजवादी आंदोलन के महानायक डा0 राम मनोहर लोहिया ने “बेकारों को काम दो या बेकारी का भत्ता दो“ का नारा दिया था जिसे समाजवादी सरकार में श्री मुलायम सिंह यादव और बाद में मुख्यमंत्री श्री अखिलेश यादव अमल में लाए। बेरोजगारी भत्ता देने का क्रम शुभारंभ श्री मुलायम सिंह यादव ने पिछली सरकार में किया था जिसके लिए वर्तमान समाजवादी सरकार के बजट में भी प्राविधान है। लेकिन समाजवादी सरकार का जोर इस पर ज्यादा है कि ज्यादा से ज्यादा रोजगार के अवसर सृजित हों और इसके लिए आवश्यक कुशल एवं प्रशिक्षित युवा भी उपलब्ध हों।
लगभग 5.92 लाख बेरोजगार युवक-युवतियों को जो 14 से 35 वर्ष की आयु के हैं, विभिन्न, व्यवसायों में दक्षता प्रदान करने के लिए वित्तीय वर्ष 2014-15 में रोजगारपरक निःशुल्क प्रशिक्षण देने की व्यवस्था की गई है। वित्तीय वर्ष 2015-16 में करीब 08 लाख, वर्ष 2016-17 में करीब 09.26 लाख अर्थात 23.18 लाख बेरोजगार नवयुवकों को तीन वर्षो में रोजगार परक निःशुल्क प्रशिक्षण दिलाया जाएगा। प्रदेश में आर्थिक विकास हेतु दक्ष मानवशक्ति उपलब्ध कराने तथा रोजगार के और अधिक अवसर उपलब्ध कराने हेतु वर्ष 2014-15 में राजकीय औद्योगिक प्रषिक्षण संस्थानों में 26840 प्रशिक्षण सीटों की वृद्धि करने का ऐतिहासिक निर्णय भी लिया गया है।
मुख्यमंत्री श्री अखिलेश यादव प्रदेश में नए उद्योग लगाने और निवेशको को आकर्षित करने के लिए विशेषतया प्रयन्तशील हैं। अभी 12 जून,2014 को मुख्यमंत्री जी स्वयं दिल्ली में एक आयोजन करने जा रहे है जिसमें दुनिया की पचास से ज्यादा कम्पनियां हिस्सा लेगी। इस षो में जर्मनी, कनाडा, इटली, ताइवान, टर्की, चेक रिपब्लिक के उद्योग संगठन भागीदारी निभाएगें। इस का मकसद अधिक से अधिक निवेषकों को यूपी की नीतियों के बारे में समझाना और प्रदेश में निवेश के लिए प्रेरित करना है।
इसमें दो राय नहीं कि जनसंख्या की दृष्टि से देश के सबसे बड़े राज्य उत्तर प्रदेश के चहुॅमुखी विकास के लिए समाजवादी सरकार ने नई नीतियां बनाईं और उन्हें क्रियान्वित कर अर्थव्यवस्था के विकास को तीव्रगीत प्रदान की है। कृशि क्षेत्र का विकास, औद्योगिक विकास, विभिन्न अवस्थापना सुविधाओं के विकास, विद्युत क्षेत्र में आत्मनिर्भरता, चिकित्सा सेवा क्षेत्र में विस्तार, सड़कों में सुधार की दिशा में उठाए गए महत्वपूर्ण कदमों से प्रदेश की अर्थव्यवस्था को सुदृढ़ बनाया जा रहा हैं। औद्योगिक क्षेत्रों के विकासकर्ताओं को राज्य में पूंजीनिवेष के लिए आकर्षित किया गया है और उन्हें परियोजनाएं लगाने के लिए पर्याप्त सुविधाएं दी जा रही है।

Edit : Edit
Comments : Leave a comment

Categories : Uncategorized

Modi quit Vadodara, Mulayam vacate Mainpuri

29052014

Narendra Modi quit his Vadodara Lok Sabha seat, choosing to retain Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Saffron Party recorded victory bagging 71 of the 80 seats in the electionsLS 2014.

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, too elected from two seats in Uttar Pradesh, thus vacate from his pocket-borough Mainpuri thus retains Azamgarh.

As per the rules, a member one elected from two Lok Sabha constituencies has to vacate one of the seats within 14 days of the declaration of result. With Lok Sabha results out on May 16, the deadline was to expire on Thursday.

Parliament sources said the resignation of the two leaders has been received and were under process.

The prime minister had won Vadodara with a near record margin of 5.7 lakh, which was the biggest in this Lok Sabha polls. The BJP has won all the 26 seats in Gujarat.

Varanasi, Modi was challenged by the Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal.

Modi’s challenger Kejriwal lost by more than 3.7 lakh votes.

Edit : Edit
Comments : Leave a comment

Categories : Uncategorized

Two billion people obese

29052014

Nearly 30 percent of the world’s population – or 2.1 billion people – is considered obese or overweight, researchers said, while rates among children have increased by a whopping 47 percent in the last 33 years.

Researchers, concluding the most comprehensive study to date on the global epidemic of obesity, found that the number of people suffering from excessive weight broke the scale, ballooning from 857 million in 1980 to 2.1 billion in 2013. In the same period, rates of global obesity and excessive weight surged 28 percent in adults and 47 percent in children.

The researchers consulted statistics that spanned 188 nations over the last 33 years.

Putting aside the notion that obesity is predominantly a western phenomenon, nations in the Middle East and North Africa, Central America and the Pacific and Caribbean islands have hit “staggeringly high” obesity rates, according to the study by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, reported in the Lancet medical journal.

Among females, researchers showed the biggest obesity increase occurred in Egypt, Honduras, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Oman. Among males, the top gainers included New Zealand, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United States.

The problem was most severe in the Middle East and North Africa, with more than 58 percent of adult men and 65 percent of adult women overweight or obese.

“Two-thirds of the obese population actually resides in developing countries,” said Marie Ng, a global health professor who was one of the contributors to the study.

Edit : Edit
Comments : Leave a comment

Categories : Uncategorized

Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan sign ‘epoch’ Eurasian Economic Union

29052014

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko (from right to left) at the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Astana, Kazakhstan. (RIA Novosti / Michail Klimentyev)

Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan signed the historic Eurasian Economic Union which will come into effect in January 2015. Cutting down trade barriers and comprising over 170 million people it will be the largest common market across the ex-Soviet states.

“The just-signed treaty is of epoch-making, historic importance,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

The troika of countries will cooperate in energy, industry, agriculture, and transport.

“In fact, we are shaping the largest common market in the CIS, with huge production, scientific and technological potential and enormous natural resources,” the President added.

Citizens of Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan will have the right to work freely throughout the member states without having to be issued any special work permits, Putin said.

Over the last three years, trade within the Customs Union has increased by $23 billion, or nearly 50 percent. At the end of 2013, it stood at $66.2 billion.

Belarus and Kazakhstan are in third place in foreign trade with the Russian Federation, after the EU and China, Putin said.

The Russian leader said that the document brings Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus to a new level of integration and fully retains sovereignty.

“We ensure a close and coherent economic collaboration and cooperation. Today we have created a powerful and attractive center of economic development, a large regional market that brings together more than 170 people. Our union has huge reserves of natural resources, including energy, which accounts for one fifth of the world’s gas reserves and 15 percent of oil reserves,” Putin said.

Edit : Edit
Comments : Leave a comment

Categories : Politics, Uncategorized

General Vladimir Kulchtsky, thirteen Ukrainian soldiers killed

29052014

Ukraine’s army has started shelling the eastern Ukraine cities of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, therby resuming its massive military operation in the East of the country, local news outlets report.

“A full-scale military operation has begun in Kramatorsk and Slavyansk. BM-21 launch vehicle “Grad” are being used,” Donbas-based Ostrov agency says.

Fourteen Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in a helicopter crash near the city of Slavyansk, Donetsk Region, according to the acting president of Ukraine, Aleksandr Turchinov.

Anti-government protesters in Slavyansk have downed a Ukrainian forces helicopter in the south-east of Slavyansk, Donetsk region.

Fourteen servicemen, including a general, Vladimir Kulchtsky hgeneralave have been killed in a helicopter crash near the city of Slavyansk, Donetsk Region, according to the acting president of Ukraine, Aleksandr Turchinov who spoke at a parliamentary session in Kiev.

Media agencies

Edit : Edit
Comments : Leave a comment

Categories : Uncategorized, world News

Women Power in Lower house

29052014

Edit : Edit
Comments : Leave a comment

Categories : Uncategorized

Lame Duck IIT+IIM Support for Unqualified Ministers

29052014

Lame Duck IIT+IIM Support for Unqualified Ministers

Ravinder Singh

To presidentofindia@rb.nic.inpmosb@pmo.nic.inmanmohan@sansad.nic.in and 36 More…

Today at 10:14 AM

Lame Duck IIT+IIM Support for Unqualified Ministers
May29, 2014
It is absolutely shocking to read IIT+IIM support for Unqualified
Ministers. Success rate of a better qualified is always better than a
person with no qualification given similar resources.
This is India’s tragedy that we couldn’t find a single person
adequately qualified to be HRD minister of India among 1250m Indians.
The entire debate over the issue is even more disgraceful.
When a similarly Railway Minister was interrogated about Corruption in
a scam he replied ‘I am A Lay Man I Merely Signed On Documents
Produced By Competent Railway Board’ – Newly HRD Minister shall be
signing on dotted Lines.
A Qualified Person is likely to be more receptive to new IDEAS and
realize and correct mistakes compared to a person with no
qualification.
Biggest tragedy of India is Gross Incompetence and failure of IITs and
IIMs to Create World Class Technologies, Factories and Services.
They file Bogus Patents write BOGUS Papers. Worse they don’t want
PATENTS for Indians don’t want Faster Grant of Patents and Utility
Patents.
But IITians and non IITians Perform under professionals of
Multinationals because they have Basic Engineering Training. Syllabus
of IITians and non IITians is identical.
IITians FAIL in India because of UPA or Manmohan Singh or Kapil Sibal
but because – as I reported earlier also, a brilliant IIT+IIM was paid
Rs.28,000 PM Salary working in Regulatory Department and much younger
Nagpur Engineer with Nagpuri MBA was earning Rs.2,00,000 PM working in
sales department.
Indians have WEIRD Value system and we are all victim of it. In USA a
Plumber was earning $25 per hour and a multipurpose clerk in a bank $4
per hour in 1986.
This is the real problem which Indians had not been able to diagnose.
Rent Seeking AICTE, NCTE, MCI
When even AMITY UNIVERSITY one of the biggest file BOGUS patents or
research papers there is little AICTE, NCTE, MCI can do than let them
go on and take some cut in it.
And to prevent Corruption in AICTE, NCTE, MCI we need Even More
Qualified HRD Minister than heads of these regulators.
People who BRIBE are the Real Culprits worldwide except India.
So long India doesn’t punish BRIBE GIVERS corruption will never go
away from Indian System.
Ravinder Singh, National General Secretary.
Sabka Bharat Mission 2019
Y-77, Hauz Khas, New Delhi -110016
Ph: 9650421857, 9718280435
Sabkabharatmission2019@gmail.com

Edit : Edit
Comments : Leave a comment

Categories : Uncategorized

WEC India members Energy News-29th May 2014w

29052014

WEC India Energy News

To WEC India Energy News – NTPC GroupWEC India Energy News – India Group

Today at 10:17 AM

WEC India Energy Portal

One Stop Energy Resource Center

Energy Journal April 2014 Released

With Focus on ‘Energy Access’ this edition shares some sustainable rural energy access projects and WEC India own engagement in this priority domain. We share glimpses of some of the recent discussions under the ‘WEC India Dialogue Series’. We bring highlights of 22nd World Energy Congress held in Daegu as well.

Energy News Menu

India and China need to take steps on climate change: US
The US has said that it is willing to take steps to reduce its emissions but also wants countries like India and China to take responsibility to address the challenge of climate change.
CoalMin to Modi: Focus to be on rail links, green nods
The ministry has also noted the controversial proposal of opening up the coal sector and restructuring of CIL
Delhi power: State lenders approve Rs 1k-cr loan to Reliance Group firms
PFC, REC approve bridge loan of Rs 500 Cr each, to pay NTPC directly
Create national power distribution firm, de-nationalise coal: Infra expert
Govt must focus on five key areas — power, railways, land, capital and public-private partnership
India to build 4 new hydropower projects in Bhutan
Modi met his Bhutanese counterpart Tshering Tobgay and agreed that India would build 4 new hydropower projects with a capacity to generate 2120 MW in Bhutan.
Sasan power project’s 4th unit in MP starts generation
The power generation at the fourth unit of the Sasan Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP) in Singrauli district of Madhya Pradesh has started.
India’s solar sector poised for good growth: Report
A right framework is required to tap the potential, the report by consulting firm Tata Strategic Management Group said.
Tata Power Solar expands module manufacturing capacity
Tata Power Solar has increased the solar module manufacturing capacity of its facility by 60 % to 200 MW and plans to ramp it up further.
Coal India chief S. Narsing Rao quits, hopes to play key role in Telangana
Rao hopes to take up a new role as principal secretary in the Telangana chief minister’s office from 2 June
Uniform Priority allocation norms to be worked out across natural gas source
The allocation criteria for distribution of natural gas currently runs in descending order in priority in sectors like fertiliser, LPG, power
Green Tribunal cancels environment clearance to Aranmula airport
The tribunal has also ordered KGS Group, the promoters of the project, to stop all the construction activities going on at the project
Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd to take up new works to improve power situation
More emphasis had been given to 110 KV and 66 KV categories power lines as these take electricity to consumers at every nook and corner of the state.
TN to lift power supply restrictions
The move will be effective June 1
Petroleum ministry to divert more natural gas from non-core sectors
Another cut in natural gas supply from non-core industries such as refineries, non-urea fertilizer plants and iron and steel units is in the offing, with a view to diverting the resource to the core sector
Experts laud integrated coal, power renewables ministry
Feel petroleum should also have been brought under the ambit of the super-ministry
WTO sets up panel to examine US-India solar power dispute
The US had complained against India’s domestic content requirements under National Solar Mission (NSM) solar power programme

For more information Contact – WEC India Secretariat, C/o NTPC Limited, 7th Floor, Core-6, SCOPE Complex, New Delhi-110 003, India
Email: info@wecindia.in, Phone: 011-2436 3719, Fax: 011-2436 9530, Website: http://www.wecindia.in

–

Edit : Edit
Comments : Leave a comment

Categories : Uncategorized

Election Commission Responsible for Munnabhais in Politics

29052014

Ravinder Singh

To chauthidunia@gmail.comindiaagainstcorruption.2010@gmail.comchandru_14521@yahoo.com and 360 More…

Today at 2:19 AM

Election Commission Responsible for Munnabhais in Politics
May29, 2014
I am glad that Prime Minister has advised his ministers against
engaging their own kins as personal staff would like him to Install
Best Talent to head each Complex Ministry in coming days and engage
Best Talent for PMO through open and transparent process.
For all the problems India has Munnabhais are directly responsible.
It is absolutely stunning how majority of the MPs from all sections of
parties were defending Poorly Qualified or Members of Parliament with
Criminal Background.
Today a post graduate qualification is required to teach 30 High
School students. How is that a High School Pass would head Entire
Education Department (HRD) of India including Institutions of Higher
Studies? – all Schools and Colleges, Professional Institutions etc.
She is not even qualified to teach even primary school children.
We in India are required submit copies of Certificates of Educational
Qualifications even to get a passport and police verification is
carried out – recruitment of even Class IV too require police
verifications, how is that MP are not required to submit their
Certificates of Educational Qualifications and List Criminal or Civil
Cases decided or pending.
It is perfectly normal for highly qualified scientists unable to make
money or not running factory efficiently or professors unable to teach
their nursery school children. But it is Scandalous to appoint an
unqualified to Head Some IT or Manufacturing Company.
But in India situation is altogether different Scientists file BOGUS
patents and research papers, companies adopt corrupt practices or sell
substandard products. Munnabhais can’t be able to restrict them.
Pitroda and Brahamchari filed BOGUS patents and ruled Science and
Innovation in India that led to absolute Collapse of R&D in India.
Suresh Prabhu and Saffuddin Soz have stalled multipurpose dam building
in India and now Uma Bharti is engaged in water department.
It is a long list – every department failed because either it had
unqualified Leader or Mis-qualified Leaders. For example a person with
history background would oversee Highly Technical Telecom or S&T or
Atomic Energy departments.
But a person with no relevant qualification is absolute unfit for any
job which requires specialized qualifications.
Indians are tolerant to poor quality of services, cheating and frauds
and don’t respect qualification and honesty.
Election Commission Responsible for Munnabhais in Politics
It was shocking Media reported how many prominent persons had Voter I
Cards but their names were not in the Voters List.
Munnabhais in Election Commission can’t ensure even this basic right –
A simple procedure is required every time there are Additions or
Deletions a separate list of such additions and deletions be made and
mailed to all residents who are in the list.
Supreme Court in Civil Appeal No. 7178 of 2001 has Empowered Election
Commission to frame rules and procedures to make available full
background of the Candidates.
[However, the Court considered - whether or not an elector, a citizen
of the country has a fundamental right to receive the information
regarding the criminal activities of a candidate to the Lok Sabha or
Legislative Assembly for making an estimate for himself - as to
whether the person who is contesting the election has a background
making him worthy of his vote, by peeping into the past of the
candidate. After considering the relevant submissions and the reports
as well as the say of Election Commission, the High Court held that
for making a right choice, it is essential that the past of the
candidate should not be kept in the dark as it is not in the interest
of the democracy and well being of the country. The Court directed the
Election Commission to secure to voters the following information
pertaining to each of the candidates contesting election to the
Parliament and to the State Legislature and the parties they
represent:-]
It is Scandalous that –
1. Election Commission merely requires Candidates to submit School
name and qualification when Copies of the Certificates were required,
and list of all Criminal Cases with Case numbers were required.
2.  In SC judgment ‘desired that Voters evaluate the Worthiness of the
Candidates’ before making the Choice of Candidate he shall vote.
    Clearly little or information is accessible in time for Voters to
make Intelligent Decisions. At least six months to one year should be
the minimum period for candidates to register and comply with
procedures.
3. It was Scandalous Election Commission didn’t firstly insist on
standard format for submitting Election Manifestos which reflects the
policies and programs of the parties.
    Here Voters are unable to make an assessment of Worthiness of
Political Parties which are represented by Groups of Candidates
collectively.
4.  Along with personal details ‘Bio-data’ should also be submitted by
Candidates.
Ravinder Singh, National General Secretary.
Sabka Bharat Mission 2019
Y-77, Hauz Khas, New Delhi -110016
Ph: 9650421857, 9718280435
Sabkabharatmission2019@gmail.com

↧

Article 1

May 31, 2014, 8:29 am

≫ Next: Article 0

≪ Previous: Article 2

Mutharika wins Malawi’s disputed presidential vote

31052014

Democratic Progressive Party leader Peter Mutharika has been declared the winner of Malawi’s disputed presidential election after defeating President Joyce Banda.

Mutharika, the brother of former president Bingu wa Mutharika, took 36.4 per cent of the votes cast against Banda’s 20.2 per cent, the electoral commission said.

The results were announced on Friday minutes after the high court refused a last-ditch attempt to block their release and allow time for a recount.

Electoral commission Chief Maxon Mbendera declared Mutharika “president-elect” after last week’s vote, which Banda said was marred by “serious irregularities” and “null and void”.

The results showed that Banda was beaten into third place by Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), who garnered 27.8 per cent of the vote.

Party spokeswoman Jessie Kabwila told the MCP, which had made the bid for a recount, would challenge the results in court.

“We are disappointed because this is not a credible election. We will fight through legal means…we are not taking this lying down.”

Mutharika is set to take the reins of the impoverished southern African country under the shadow of a treason charge.

The 74-year-old brother of former president Bingu wa Mutharika is accused of attempting to conceal his brother’s death in office two years ago in an attempt to prevent Banda – then vice-president – from assuming power.

Banda prevailed and took office as decreed by the constitution, booting the former foreign minister out of the administration.

Mutharika, a law professor and former cabinet minister, faces additional counts of inciting a mutiny and conspiracy to commit a felony, along with other officials.

The trial is still pending, but analysts say it is likely the case will be set aside as Malawi’s presidents enjoy immunity from prosecution as long as they are in office.

There is speculation that once Mutharika is in power he could turn the tables on Banda and have her charged with corruption over a USD 30 million graft scandal dubbed “Cashgate”.

Banda has claimed the credit for uncovering the fraud, which saw aid money syphoned into top government officials’ pockets.

But critics, including Mutharika, say the funds went into her party’s election war-chest.

“Banda did everything in her power to prevent Mutharika from becoming president… and then bringing charges against her,” said Clive Gabay of the Queen Mary University of London.

Edit : Edit
Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Uncategorized

Ukraine tells Russia to recognise new president

31052014

Ukraine accused Russia on Saturday of unleashing a global propaganda campaign to persuade global powers not to recognise an election that gave the presidency to a pro-Western tycoon.

Washington for its part admitted to a “fundamental disagreement” with Russia and said President Barack Obama would meet Petro Poroshenko, whose May 25 presidential election win Moscow refuses to acknowledge, in Warsaw on Wednesday.The months-long fight for future of the ex-Soviet nation splintered between a more nationalist west and a heavily Russified southeast has killed more than 300 people and resurrected the geopolitical barriers of the Cold War.

Ukraine’s separatist insurgency only intensified after 48-year-old billionaire chocolate maker Poroshenko won 54.7 per cent of a ballot that was disrupted across swathes of the eastern rust belt.

Government forces reported suffering no casualties today while repelling two rebel attempts to recapture an airport in the eastern hub of Donetsk they had seized a day after the election at the cost of 40 fighters – most of them Russian nationals.

Ukraine’s acting foreign minister said Russia was now using every means at its disposal to unsettle the new Kiev leaders and regain control over its historic domain.

“Five days since elections, there has been no official recognition yet. Obviously, the Russian Federation doesn’t have legal grounds to question the election’s legitimacy,” Andriy Deshchytsya wrote in an opinion piece published in the edition of the English-language Kyiv Post.

“The massive… information campaign Kremlin has launched these days, with an avalanche of doubletalk and fake news, signals one thing — this is Russia’s last chance to try shifting the balance of international public opinion,” he wrote.

Russia yesterday accused Ukraine of breaching the 1949 Geneva Conventions protecting civilians in wartime by killing and wounding peaceful citizens during its seven-week “anti-terrorist operation” in the separatist industrial regions of Lugansk and Donetsk.

Edit : Edit
Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Uncategorized, world News

Modi abolished all the 30 GoMs and EGoMs

31052014

Posted on May 31, 2014 by sagarmedia

Dismantling a legacy of UPA rule, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday abolished all the 30 GoMs and EGoMs and told ministries and departments to take decisions on pending matters.

Announcing the decision to scrap nine Empowered Groups of Ministers and 21 Groups of Ministers, the PMO said this would expedite the process of decision-making and “usher in greater accountability in the system.”

The Ministries and Departments will now process the issues pending before EGoMs and GoMs and take appropriate decisions at the level of Ministries and Departments itself, said the statement.

It said wherever the ministries face difficulties, the Cabinet Secretariat and the Prime Minister’s Office will facilitate the decision-making process.

The statement announcing the abolition of EGoMS and GoMs termed it as “major move” to empower the ministries and Departments. Former Defence Minister A K Antony was heading most of the EGoMs.

The panels were formed to take decisions on issues like corruption, inter-state water disputes, administrative reforms and gas and telecom pricing.

EGoMs had the power to take decisions on the line of the Union Cabinet.

The recommendations of the GoMs were placed before the Cabinet for a final call.

Edit : Edit
Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Uncategorized

DU VC needs to publicly explain the suspension issue

31052014

The Delhi University Vice-Chancellor owes a public explanation on how and at which level the decision to suspend five officials of the University’s School of Open Learning was taken.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is of the view that the University’s decision seriously compromises its autonomy and it is surprising that admission documents have been treated as confidential by the authorities to act in a completely unjustified manner against these officials.

The Vice Chancellor needs to explain what was the basis of the decision to suspend these officials ? Had any inquiry been conducted ? Who ordered the inquiry and what were its terms of reference ? Can an inquiry be completed within hours of a nws item appearing in a newspaper ?

Is it a case of the University authorities trying to please the new political masters since the matter pertained to the new union human resources development minister personally ?

It is shocking that the Delhi University authorities acted with lightning speed against the officials and it is beyond any reasonable understanding that they were suspended within hours of a news item having been published in a newspaper about the admission card of the HRD minister Ms Smriti Irani. It appears that in a desperate bid to score brownie points with the new regime at the Centre, the University authorities seem to have taken an arbitrary decision, which is against the very principle of natural justice.

The Vice-Chancellor, instead of promoting and encouraging transparency, appears to be hell bent on getting into the good books of the political masters in the new regime.

A prestigious institution like the DU cannot be allowed to become a centre of political patronage and when the HRD minister herself has publicly stated that these officials should be reinstated, it becomes extremely important for the Vice Chancellor to come clean on the whole issue and let the students, academic community and the people know what actually led to the arbitrary and unjustified suspension of these officials.

Regards

AAP Media Cell

Edit : Edit
Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Uncategorized

Friday’s storm exposes all claims

31052014

Friday’s storm exposes all claims

The loss of atleast nine innocent lives and largescale destruction caused by the sudden thunderstorm on Friday raises serious questions about the preparedness of the civic agencies in the national capital in dealing with such emergency situations created by natural disasters of any nature.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) condoles these untimely and sudden deaths and demands adequate steps to compensate their families who have lost their beloved ones for no fault of theirs. The administration must also ensure relief and rehabilitation of the affected families.

It is very surprising that the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) have been found wanting in dealing with such situations, and even storms of such minor intensity can throw life out of gear in the country’s capital.

Parts of the city remained without electricity for nearly 24 hours and it is beyond any reasonable understanding that who will take responsibility for the large-scale inconvenience caused to the people.

The AAP questions the state of affairs in the capital and wants to know from those running the city’s administration that who will be held accountable for the hardships faced by the public for no fault of theirs ?

A single thunderstorm which did not last for a long time has exposed the claims of those running the administration and civic agencies that everything was on track.

All possible steps should be immediately taken to ensure that such a sorry state of affairs is not repeated again. The images of uprooted trees across the city, metro trains being disrupted, ATMs not functioning, no electricity in several parts and massive traffic jams – will keep reminding the people about the nightmare faced by them on Friday evening.

Regards

AAP Media Cell

Edit : Edit
Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Uncategorized

65th National Basketball Championship for Junior Men and Women 2014- Day six

31052014

The knockout stages have begun in the 65th National Basketball Championship for Junior Men and Women 2014 underway at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Kochi.

Morning Results from Day 6 (31/5/14)

Prequarterfinal Matches

Men

1) Kerala (Akhil AR 25, Prem Prakash 20, Sito M 14) bt Andhra Pradesh (Harsha 17, Peter 13, Neeraj 12) 91-65 [8-15; 35-12; 26-19; 22-19]

2) Rajasthan (Mahipal Singh 30, Akhilesh 25) bt Karnataka (Sowkin Shetty 18, Bushan S 12) Anmol B 15, 92-71 [25-18; 28-19; 18-18; 21-16]

Women

1) Karnataka (Bhandavya 17, Lopamudra 15, Bhoomika 12) bt West Bengal (Rashmi 23, Pratyusha 14) 85-59 [25-9; 17-18; 12-17; 31-15]

2) Delhi (Soumya B 29, Varuni B 14, Jothi Rai 13, Nishita 13) bt Madhya Pradesh (Sakshi Pandey 38, Shivangi 11) 78-74 [12-24; 18-21; 21-14; 27-15]

Quarterfinal Matches from Level 1 (Elite level)

Men

1) Maharashtra (Siddique 22, Parab 19, Sandhu Samson 19, Vaishakh Nambiar 15) bt Madhya Pradesh (Shubham 24, Laxman Thapa 17, Lalit 13) 90-77 [24-20; 24-13; 15-20; 27-24]

Women

1) Uttar Pradesh (Barkha 26, Preeti Kumari 17) bt Maharashtra (Sruthi Menon 38, Iswari Pingle 14) 67-65 [15-14; 17-10; 14-15; 21-26]

Level 1 to Level 2 (Matches between bottom placed Level 1 teams who have been relegated to Level 2 for next year)

Men

1) Chhattisgarh (A Kumar 19, R Shrivastav 11) bt Odisha (KS Kumar 6, SS Bemera 6) 57-29 [26-6; 22-7; 3-6; 6-10]

Women

1) Tamil Nadu (Srividhya 19, Sharmila 18, Shinu 17) bt Rajasthan (Nisha 22, Jagruthi 13) 84-63 [29-17; 25-15; 9-18; 21-13]

Late Evening Results from Day 5 (30/5/14)

Level 1 League Matches

Men

1) Kerala (Amal Anto 24, Antony 21) bt Chhattisgarh (Dinesh M 16, Shiv Kumar 14) 81-54 [12-10; 22-16; 15-12; 32-16]

Edit : Edit
Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Uncategorized

GDP grows at 4.7% in FY2014

31052014

(The real GDP growth at factor cost stands at 4.6% in Q4 of 2013-14 as against 4.4% in Q4 of 2012-13)

GDP at factor cost at constant (2004-05) prices in the year 2013-14 is estimated at Rs. 57.42 lakh crore showing a growth rate of 4.7% over the GDP for the year 2012-13 of Rs. 54.82 lakh crore. Whereas, the GDP at factor cost at current prices in the year 2013-14 is estimated at Rs. 104.73 lakh crore, showing a growth rate of 11.5% over the GDP for the year 2012-13 at Rs. 93.89 lakh crore.

Quarterly GDP at factor cost at constant (2004-05) prices for Q4 of 2013-14 is estimated at Rs. 15.38 lakh crore, as against Rs. 14.71 lakh crore in Q4 of 2012-13, showing a growth rate of 4.6%. Whereas, GDP at factor cost at current prices in Q4 of 2013-14 is estimated at Rs. 28.01 lakh crore, as against Rs. 25.42 lakh crore in Q4 of 2012-13, showing a growth of 10.2%. The real GDP growth at factor cost stands at 4.6% in Q3 of 2013-14 as against 5.2% in Q2 of 2013-14 and 4.7% in Q1 of 2013-14.

Trend in growth of India’s real GDP (%)

Source: PHD Research Bureau, compiled from CSO

The estimated growth rates in economic activities in Q4 of 2013-14 over Q4 of 2012-13 are financing, insurance, real estate and business services at 12.4%, construction at 0.7%, community, social & personal services at 3.3%, trade, hotels, transport and communication at 3.9% and electricity, gas & water supply at 7.2%. The growth rate in agriculture, forestry & fishing, is estimated at 6.3% while for mining and quarrying and manufacturing growth is estimated at (-) 0.4% and (-) 1.4%, respectively in this period.

Recent pattern in real GDP growth

Source: PHD Research Bureau, compiled from CSO

Note: 2nd RE: Second Revised Estimate; 1st RE: First Revised Estimate; PE: Provisional Estimate

Gross National Income – The Gross National Income (GNI) at factor cost at 2004-05 prices is now estimated at Rs.56.74 lakh crore during 2013-14, as against the previous year’s First Revised Estimate of Rs. 54.17 lakh crore. In terms of growth rates, the gross national income is estimated to have risen by 4.7% during 2013-14, in comparison to the growth rate of 4.1% in 2012-13.

Per Capita Net National Income – The per capita net national income in real terms (at 2004-05 prices) during 2013-14 is estimated to have attained a level of Rs. 39,904 as compared to the First Revised Estimates for the year 2012-13 of Rs. 38,856. The growth rate in per capita income is estimated at 2.7% during 2013-14 as against 2.1% during 2012-13.

Private Final Consumption Expenditure – Private Final Consumption Expenditure (PFCE) at current prices is estimated at Rs. 64.85 lakh crore in 2013-14 as against Rs. 57.72 lakh crore in 2012-13. At constant (2004-05) prices, the PFCE is estimated at Rs. 37.20 lakh crore in 2013-14 as against Rs. 35.48 lakh crore in 2012-13. In terms of GDP at market prices, the rates of PFCE at current and constant (2004-05) prices during 2013-14 are estimated at 57.1% and 60%, respectively, as against the corresponding rates of 57.1% and 60.1%, respectively in 2012-13.

Government Final Consumption Expenditure – Government Final Consumption Expenditure (GFCE) at current prices is estimated at Rs. 13.41 lakh crore in 2013-14 as against Rs. 11.89 lakh crore in 2012-13. At constant (2004-05) prices, the GFCE is estimated at Rs. 6.87 lakh crore in 2013-14 as against Rs. 6.62 lakh crore in 2012-13. In terms of GDP at market prices, the rates of GFCE at current and constant (2004-05) prices during 2013-14 are estimated at 11.8% and 11.1%, respectively, as against the corresponding rates of 11.8% and 11.2%, respectively in 2012-13.

Gross Fixed Capital Formation – Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) at current prices is estimated at Rs. 32.11 lakh crore in 2013-14 as against Rs. 30.72 lakh crore in 2012-13. At constant (2004-05) prices, the GFCF is estimated at Rs. 20 lakh crore in 2013-14 as against Rs. 20.02 lakh crore in 2012-13. In terms of GDP at market prices, the rates of GFCF at current and constant (2004-05) prices during 2013-14 are estimated at 28.3% and 32.3%, respectively, as against the corresponding rates of 30.4% and 33.9%, respectively in 2012-13. The rates of Change in Stocks and Valuables at current prices during 2013-14 are estimated at 1.6% percent and 1.5%, respectively.

The PFCE and GFCF at constant (2004-05) market prices in Q4 of 2013-14 are estimated at Rs. 9.78 lakh crore and Rs.5.36 lakh crore, respectively. The rates of PFCE and GFCF as percentage of GDP at market prices in Q4 of 2013-14 were 57% and 31.2%, respectively, as against the corresponding rates of 55.9% and 33.4%, respectively in Q4 of 2012-13.

Warm regards,

Dr. S P Sharma

Chief Economist

Edit : Edit
Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Uncategorized

Antibiotic Resistance

31052014

Danielle Nierenberg, Food Tank

To Nksagar_1@yahoo.comSagar

May 30 at 8:39 PM

Nksagar_1@yahoo.com -

A recent World Health Organization (WHO) report highlights how antibiotic resistance—the ability of bacteria to resist the effects of antibiotics they were previously sensitive to—is a threat without borders. And the use of antibiotics in the food industry means that humans and animals alike are exposed to antibiotics on a daily basis, making them less effective when we really need them.

The routine use of antibiotics in the feed and water of otherwise healthy chickens, cattle, and pigs since the 1950s has created a breeding ground for antibiotic resistant bacteria. A shocking eighty percent of all antibiotics used in the United States are fed to farm animals, not people, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

This week, Food Tank is highlighting the impact of antibiotics on both livestock and crop production and raising awareness of the role of antibiotic resistance in our food system.

Antibiotics have played a major role in protecting public health and have saved millions of lives. However, inappropriate use of antibiotics now threatens their effectiveness, the ability of humans and animals alike to fight off infection, and costs lives.

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), in 2010, almost 52 percent of chicken breasts tested were contaminated with antibiotic resistant E. coli. And in three states drug-resistant bacteria have been found in drinking water and detected in the air downwind from factory farms. Drug-resistant infections cost Americans up to US$26 billion a year in additional health costs.

Because of serious public health risks, there is a push to end use of low dose antibiotics in livestock. Organizations like the Center for a Liveable Future (CLF) have been promoting research and developing communication on global health and the environment for a long time.

And CLF is helping eaters better understand the impact of their food choices. “If enough of us on the demand side create influence through our choices, we will transform the food system, and the supply side will follow,” said Dr. Bob Lawrence, Director of CLF.

There are dozens of other organizations working tirelessly to gather evidence, inform policymakers, and promote more sustainable methods of food production.

Food Tank would like to highlight 17 organizations and research institutes working to raise awareness around antibiotic resistance in both livestock and crop production.

Alliance for a Prudent Use of Antibiotics (APUA)— APUA’s motto is “preserving the power of antibiotics.” Gathering experts in a wide range of fields- from medicine to economics- APUA conducts research and educates on antimicrobial treatment and resistance at the grassroots and global levels.

Animal Welfare Approved (AWA)— Founded in 2006, AWA is a food label for meat and dairy products guaranteeing the highest animal welfare and environmental standards. The organization supports independent family farmers who provide their animals with continual access to pasture, as well as the opportunity to perform natural and instinctive behaviors essential to their health and well-being. Following AWAstandards, farmers can avoid routine antibiotics and other chemical inputs on the farm.

Center for Food Safety— The Center promotes organic agriculture and opposes harmful food production methods such as factory farming. Involved in the Meat Without Drugs campaign, they launched a petition calling on U.S. pork producers to stop using Ractopamine, a drug banned or strictly limited in 160 countries. You can also take part in this online action by calling on Congress to tackle antibiotic resistance.

Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)— Founded in 1971, CSPI fights for food safety, nutrition and health. In 2013, CSPI released an “Antibiotic Resistance in Foodborne Pathogens” report that details antibiotic-related outbreaks from 1973 to 2011. CSPI also supports the Meat Without Drugs and Keep Antibiotics Working campaigns.

Compassion in World Farming (CIWF)— CIWF campaigns internationally against animal cruelty in farming practices. Part of the Save Our Antibiotics Alliance along with the Soil Association and Sustain in the United Kingdom, CIWF published the Case Study of a Health Crisis that details the health implications of the overuse of antibiotics in agriculture.

Consumers Union— Working for a food system that assures “food is safe, affordable, healthful and processed in a sustainable manner,” Consumers Union is the co-instigator of the Meat Without Drugs campaign along with Fix Food. The campaign aims at raising awareness about antibiotic resistance and is calling big food retailers, specifically Trader Joe’s, to stop selling meat raised with antibiotics.

Fix Food— This American nonprofit is dedicated to changing the food system by raising awareness and partnering with leading organizations. Fix Food is also part of the Meat Without Drugs campaign.

Food Animal Concern Trust (FACT)— FACT is a research-driven nonprofit organization founded in 1982. It aims to raise awareness about animal welfare in agriculture and consequent public health issues. FACT opposes, among other things, the extra label use of antibiotics, which is a drug approved for humans and used for cattle. FACT provides leadership for the Keep Antibiotics Working campaign.

Food and Water Watch— This consumer organization believes accessibility to safe food produced in a sustainable manner is a human right. In order to change practices in factory farms, Food and Water Watch initiated the Save Antibiotics campaign calling city councils to pass resolutions to end non-therapeutic use of antibiotics.

Healthy Food Action—Healthy Food Action is a national network of health professionals advocating for healthier food systems. Founder, Dr. David Wallinga, is among the leading science and policy experts applying a health lens to our food system and has written extensively on the impact of antibiotics and super bugs on human health.

Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP)—IATP promotes safe food and healthy ecosystems, opposing the overuse of antibiotics in agriculture and aquaculture. The organization produced a bibliography listing 147 studies supporting public health action to reduce antibiotic overuse in food animals, has organized 30,000 comments to the FDA on taking antibiotics out of meat, and published reports on how the FDA fails to regulate antibiotic use.

Keep Antibiotics Working (KAW) - KAW is a coalition of health, consumer, agricultural, environmental, humane and other advocacy groups with more than 11 million members dedicated to eliminating the inappropriate use of antibiotics in health farm animals.

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)— NRDC is involved in a wide range of issues related to environmental protection and supports the Meat Without Drug campaign. NRDC also takes legal actions and runs an online petition to stop the spread of superbugs.

Soil Association— This English charity is comprised of farmers, scientists, and nutritionists who work for “healthy, humane, and sustainable food, farming and land use.” Soil Association joined the Save Our Antibiotics Alliance and also acts as the main certification body for organic products in the United Kingdom.

Sustain—Sustain is an environmental organization advocating for sustainable food and agriculture practices and policies. It is one of the founders of the Save Our Antibiotics Alliance.

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)—HSUS fights for animal rights and protection. Considered the largest of its kind, HSUS work includes; influencing public policies, investigating animal cruelty, and enforcing existing laws. Dedicated to improving lives of farm animals in many ways, HSUS also supports the Meat Without Drugs campaign.

The Pew Charitable Trusts— The Trust organized a campaign on human health and industrial farming and a petition calling on the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB)-a global, multi-stakeholder initiative representing five different constituencies-to ensure criteria which define “sustainable beef” exclude the non-therapeutical use of antibiotics. In 2011, they published a seminal report on reforming industrial animal agriculture and seeking a new model which is less damaging to the environment, communities, animal and human health.

Please share this article online by clicking HERE.

All the best,

Danielle Nierenberg
President, Food Tank
foodtank.com

Join Food Tank

Please connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest

50 Ways To Eat Millet

Millet is rich in protein, vitamin B, iron and calcium, yet free from glutens, so why would you only let birds eat it? Read more…

10 Urban Agriculture Projects from Europe’s Greenest City: Freiburg, Germany

Freiburg is historically one of the most environmentally-conscious cities in all of Europe. Food Tank highlights ten urban agriculture projects in Freiburg. Read more…

Is Sustainable Farm-Raised Salmon Possible?

Verlasso has developed a way to farm-raise salmon with more sustainable methods.Read more…

Food Oasis Vision Places Residents at Heart of a Food Strategy

Residents described a Food Oasis vision that has become the framework for grant making and organizing tools for residents. Read more…

Disaster Relief Series: Emergency Food Aid in The Gulf Region After Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina caused almost 2,000 deaths and inflicted major environmental damage along the coastline; FEMA’s food and water delivery was infamously slow.Read more…

Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest

Edit : Edit
Comments : Leave a comment

Categories : Uncategorized

SIT on black money: If there is political will, it should go for gold and a big haul

31052014

By Prof R. Vaidyanathan First Post—FirstBiz—31-05-2014

More than six years ago, in February 2008, the German authorities had collected information about illegal money stashed away by citizens of various countries in a Liechtenstein bank. The German Finance Minister offered to share the names of these account-holders with any government interested in them. The UPA-1 government, unfortunately, did not act for many months and, after much prodding by the Opposition, asked for the list in late 2008.

A German intelligence agency appears to have paid an unnamed informer more than $6 million for this confidential and secret data about clients of the LGT group, a bank owned by the Liechtenstein Prince’s family. The revelations have already led to the resignation of the head of Deutsche Post, which is currently the world’s largest logistics company. Liechtenstein leaders were furious and have focused all their ire on the theft of the data rather than on the facts of the case.

The German list contained the names of 1,400 clients of the Liechtenstein bank, of whom 600 were Germans. A spokesman for the German finance ministry, Thorstein Albig, had said in March 2008 that information on the other accounts would be shared without charging any fees. Finland, Sweden, and Norway quickly obtained the data, but our government began pussyfooting around this issue. If it had genuinely wanted to act against black money, it should have immediately despatched senior officials/ministers to get the names. Pushed and prodded by the Opposition and the media, when the government finally moved, it got nearly 100 Indian names – but those names have been kept a secret.

This writer, who has been studying tax havens for more than a decade, wrote in April 2009 (in the journal Eternal India, published by India First Foundation) about the need to get back the illegal deposits kept by Indians in various tax havens, including Liechtenstein. A public interest litigation was then filed by Ram Jethmalani and others in the Supreme Court, to which the government responded that it was taking steps to recover such amounts. It had also mentioned that the German government had given a list of people who had kept money in the LGT Bank of Liechtenstein (May 2009). The government’s response also said that steps were being taken in the case of Hasan Ali Khan, a Pune horse-breeder, who was alleged to have indulged in several illegal transactions through the UBS Bank of Switzerland.

In the meanwhile, the then Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, LK Advani, had constituted a committee consisting of S Gurumurthy, well-known Chartered Accountant, Ajit Doval, the current National Security Advisor, lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani, and this writer. The report of the committee was also used by Ram Jethmalani in his PIL filed with the Supreme Court.

The government maintained that it cannot reveal the names received from Germany since it had obtained the same under the double taxation avoidance treaty. The point is: why did the government ask for information under the double-tax treaty with Germany when the issue – stolen data from the Liechtenstein bank by Germany – was unconnected to the treaty? Where is the issue of confidentiality vis-a-vis criminals? Actually, it is wealth kept illegally in the bank in Liechtenstein, and the money does not even concern Germany.

The double-tax treaty generally prevents the use of information supplied under the treaty for any purpose other than the levy and recovery of tax. It is doubtful whether the income tax department can share the details it has secured under the treaty with the Enforcement Directorate or the National Investigation Agency which tracks terror cases, or the NSA. That is why the Supreme Court had refused to regard it purely an issue of tax evasion.

The finance ministry says it has the names but will not reveal them. But is this right? The accounts are those of international crooks who have deprived our land of huge financial resources through capital flight. It is an unpatriotic act which can be equated to financial terrorism. Domestic black money (that is untaxed income) is merely a no-confidence motion against the government’s tax policies, but black money in tax havens abroad amounts to no-confidence against the country – which is akin to treason.

A report in The Economic Times dated 4 June 2009 said that of the 50 Indians who have stashed funds in LGT Bank, 25 belong to Mumbai. The tax authorities have reopened assessments of these 25 tax evaders under section 148 of the Income Tax Act. This implies that the government is treating it as tax evasion and not capital flight and a crime against the country. But on 19 January 2011 – after two years of waiting – the Supreme Court made a historic observation about this shameful phenomenon of Indian funds being kept illegally abroad and the obstructionist attitude of the central government in unravelling the truth.

A report in The Hindu quoted the court as saying that black money stashed abroad by Indians was “pure and simple theft of national money.” The court “questioned the Centre’s approach to tackling this menace and retrieving the huge amounts kept in foreign banks. When Solicitor-General Gopal Subramaniam furnished in a sealed cover a list of 26 names who had accounts with (the) Liechtenstein Bank, a bench of Justices B Sudershan Reddy and SS Nijjar was not convinced of the steps taken by the government for getting back black money. Justice Reddy, after perusing the list, told the SG: ‘This is all the information you have or you have something more? We are talking about huge money. It is a plunder of the nation. It is pure and simple theft of national money. We are talking about mind-boggling crime. We are not on (the) niceties of various treaties.”

The court then insisted on the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) with ex-Supreme Court judge Jeevan Reddy as Chairman, assisted by Justice MB Shah, and asked the government to share details about the Liechtenstein list. The UPA government dilly-dallied and used every ruse in the legal book to buy time. But the Supreme Court was very upset and told the government that it can be hauled up for contempt of court. The court, in its order of 1 May 2014, had given the government three weeks’ time to issue a notification for setting up an SIT to be presided over by Justice MB Shah (since Justice Jeevan Reddy had declined to head it for personal reasons), with retired Justice Arijit Pasayat as vice-chairman, to guide and direct the investigation.

The three weeks ended on 22 May and extended to 27 May due to a change in the government. Hence, the first decision of the new government was about the SIT. It was a decision pushed down the throat of the government of India by the court due to the sustained efforts of Ram Jethmalani, represented by Anil Dhavan, and armed with reports of this writer. The SIT will consist of the Chief of the Financial Intelligence Unit, the Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, a Deputy Governor of the RBI, the IB Director, the Narcotics Bureau chief, and the head of the Enforcement Directorate. The group will also have access to the accounts of HSBC Bank, Geneva, details of which were given by the French government.

The SIT is essentially a group of bureaucrats with varying degrees of expertise about tax havens. This is mainly for illicit money kept abroad and not for domestic black money. Most of the double tax treaties which the UPA-2 entered into are prospective in nature and the task of looking into past illegal funds is complicated.

The group should distinguish between pure tax evasion (let us call it vegetarian black money) and funds connected to terror/arms smuggling/narcotics (say, non-veg black money). The former is easy to focus on and can be dealt with through penalties. A recent Supreme Court judgment, which says that “that Indian resident beneficiaries shall not be taxed on the income of an offshore discretionary trust as long as the trustees do not distribute income to the beneficiaries,” may help many in the first category.

The best way to proceed is to have a joint sitting of Parliament and pass a resolution stating that “any funds abroad held by Indian nationals belong to the Republic of India” unless they have been kept abroad under legal rules and regulations. Armed with such a resolution and recent agreements entered into by Switzerland and Singapore with OECD countries, the SIT can go for gold! Actually, the SIT should be willing to use the concept of sama/dhana/bheda/dhanda in achieving its task – many secretive jurisdictions, including Switzerland, can and should be arm-twisted to part with information. After all they have huge investments in India

It is also necessary to consider the gold/diamonds/precious items kept by Indians in the lockers of banks in tax havens abroad. The road ahead for the recovery of illegal money stashed abroad is full of pot holes and craters, but we Indians have a way of navigating such impediments. What is needed is the political will for the same.

(The author is finance professor, IIM Bangalore. These views are personal)

____________________________________________

R.VAIDYANATHAN

PROFESSOR OF FINANCE

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT

BANNERGHATTA ROAD

BANGALORE

INDIA –560076

TEL: 91-80-2699-3086

FAX:91-80-2658-4050

e mail:vaidya@iimb.ernet.in

Edit : Edit
Comments : Leave a comment

Categories : Uncategorized

Words of Wisdom – GAIL Voice

31052014

GAIL Voice

To Me

Today at 6:49 PM

Words of Wisdom – GAIL Voice

Words of Wisdom

Posted: 31 May 2014 02:33 AM PDT

Recently a UK based energy journal “LNG Magazine” published an article “A passage to India” on the Indian LNG demand and GAIL’s efforts towards meeting the same with inputs from Mr. Prabhat Singh; director, marketing , GAIL (India) Limited.

The article talked about the energy demand and supply shortage in India and around the globe. Involvement of natgas in India’s energy mix is 11% whereas it accounts to 24% in the global scenario. As of now, domestic production contributes 73% of the total supply of the gas. The gap between supply and demand is growing with the intense development and rising conscience to go green in the nation. GAIL has stepped up to the challenge and has assumed a key role in development of natgas market in India in meeting rising demand. It has also been vigilant about securing deals with the foreign nations as well. The long term deals with Qatar, Yemen, Nigeria, Algeria, Trinidad & Tobago, Norway, Oman, UAE etc. shows the efforts of the company in doing so.

The article basically consisted of three important constraints:

Imports

Indian natural gas market has become a global attraction because of its demographical location as well as rising domestic demand. GAIL has secured part of natgas supplies from countries like Russia and Turkey and is constantly examining potential LNG hubs.

Business & Sustainability

GAIL has been consistently trying to reduce the carbon footprint in the production process and with usage of renewable energy in the production process it depicts the strong willingness of the motive. Alongside the busy operations GAIL with its CSR projects has also been ensuring the sustainable development of underprivileged the needy communities.

Future Projects

GAIL has constantly trying to fill the gap between supply and demand in the country. Company is pursuing regional cooperation with fellow Asian nations. GAIL has also been looking to diversify its operations and in the process has also commissioned wind energy projects in Gujarat. Future plans are to concentrate on the renewabels starting with solar & wind energy.

With strong words from the marketing manager we are assured that the future demands will be met and India may soon achieve energy security.

The post Words of Wisdom appeared first on GAIL Voice.

True Story of a CHAMPION

Posted: 30 May 2014 04:43 AM PDT

While the nation seeks a better a better future, its the youth who hold the foundations of the brighter tomorrow being anticipated. Here is a true story of a champion who did not give up when knocked down by life but instead bounced back with a bang

Apar Tiwari – (GAIL Utkarsh Super 30 – 2009 – 2010) – IIT Varanasi – (Mechanical Engineering)

‘A lesson learnt, a career achieved’

As I look back to my school days, I remember that I wasn’t much into studies. I preferred watching TV and being involved in sports activities. I belong to a middle class family. My parents always tried to make me understand the importance of a good career but I couldn’t drive myself to study in those initial days. However, taking the Cyber Olympiad in 6th standard made me realize where I stood when it came to knowledge – nowhere. As such, I couldn’t even secure a satisfactory position in the Olympiad even at the district level. I used to think I was far better than others, but the results said otherwise. I felt as if I was standing at the bottom and others were moving to the top, though my parents and my sisters encouraged me a lot. It was because of their efforts that I was finally able to recognize my potential. When I was in 9th standard, my father expired and the entire burden fell on my mother. I started paying attention to my studies but one thing that persisted in my mind was on improving my knowledge without worrying about my class rank. I got an opportunity to be a part of my school NCC team, where I gave my 100 percent as I felt it is most important to be sincere and dedicated to whatever one takes up. I qualified for mains level in NTSE and scored 92% in 10th standard. It was around that time that I decided to be an engineer and set my sight on IIT. However, it was during my preparations that I realized that the method of study was wrong. Coaching basically meant making students cram the entire study material, ignoring individual capability. This was very upsetting. Then I came to know about the Super 30 coaching sponsored by GAIL India limited in co-operation with CSRL. Here the teaching pattern was totally different. I wouldn’t even call it coaching. In fact, it was more like a home for me where I was provided proper guidance by well experienced and talented teachers. The approach was basic and simple but the result was undoubtedly awesome. The IIT aspirants just need to be conceptual and this is a prominent feature of the Super 30 art of teaching. Today, I am most content. My father is not here to see me, but he would have been proud to see me an IITian.My mother, sisters, maternal uncles and two of my true friends never let me feel his absence. I express my deep gratitude to Abhayanand Sir, Krishnamurti Sir, Chandra Sir and Phurkan Sir and the whole GAIL and CSRL team for their tremendous efforts and the patience they showed for me, enabling me reach this successful station in life.

Apar continuously maintained a CGPA of 8+ and has secured 133 score in GATE examination. Now he has also secured 1st position in SAIL Management Trainee exam. GAIL is proud of him and wishes him all the best for the future.

We hope that with project Utkarsh we keep on helping talents like Apar in the future too.

The post True Story of a CHAMPION appeared first on GAIL Voice.

Edit : Edit
Comments : Leave a comment

Categories : Uncategorized

WaterTech e-News Daily_ Top News from the Week of May 26, 2014

31052014

WaterTech e-News Daily

To Me

Today at 7:32 PM

You must allow images in order to properly view this e-mail.
To view this e-mail as a web page, go here. Forward this e-mail to a friend.

	To ensure that future editions of WaterTech e-News Daily are delivered to your inbox rather than a junk folder, please add info@watertechonlinenews.com to your address book or e-mail whitelist.
	Subscribe \| Unsubscribe

WATER TECH SUBSCRIPTION

Quake of M6.2 – OFF THE COAST OF JALISCO, MEXICO

31052014

Quake of M6.2 – OFF THE COAST OF JALISCO, MEXICO

Preliminary Earthquake Report
Magnitude	6.2
Date-Time	31 May 2014 11:53:48 UTC 31 May 2014 04:53:48 near epicenter 31 May 2014 15:53:48 standard time in your timezone
Location	18.852N 107.445W
Depth	10 km
Distances	259 km (160 mi) WSW of Tomatlan, Mexico 303 km (187 mi) SW of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico 306 km (189 mi) W of Cihuatlan, Mexico 311 km (192 mi) SW of Ixtapa, Mexico 877 km (543 mi) W of Mexico City, Mexico

↧

Article 0

June 1, 2014, 4:29 am

≫ Next: Article 1

≪ Previous: Article 1

Newsline abroad

Posted on June 1, 2014 by sagarmedia

Standard

Siberian flood displaces thousands, submerges entire villages

As a result of the flooding that devastated parts of Siberia, some 10,000 people have had to be evacuated, Russia’s Emergencies Ministry reports. “40 temporary displacement shelters have been set up. More than 10,000 people have been moved out of their homes, of which 1,500 have been settled, including 530 children,” they told Itar-Tass. Large areas of the Altay region, as well as of Khakasiya and Tuva remain submerged, with 4,000 houses in 50 different towns underwater. Their population comes to about 11,500 people. There is substantial damage to roads, and six bridges have been damaged as well. The impact of the flooding is so severe that relief efforts now include over 17,000 rescue workers.

Police arrest suspect in Brussels shooting

Mehdi Nemmouche, 29, was arrested by police in Marseille, in the South of France, investigation sources told AFP. The suspect was carrying an AK-47 gun and a pistol of the same type used in the May- 24 shooting near the Jewish Museum in Brussels which left four people dead, including two Israelis, and one person from France and another from Belgium. The Belgian authorities believe it may have been “an anti-Semitic terrorist act.” Nemmouche is suspected to have ties to radicals in Syria.

Death toll in Massachusetts plane fire 7 – officials

All seven people on board the plane, which earlier ran off a runway and burst into flames at Hanscom Field in Massachusetts, have died, the Hanscom Field officials confirmed. The private aircraft was heading to Atlantic City International Airport in New Jersey.

Crashed Russian helicopter carried 9 people – air traffic regulator

The Mil Mi-8 transport helicopter, which crashed in Russia’s Murmansk region, had nine people on board, the regional department of the Russian air regulator, Rosaviatsia, told Itar-Tass. Earlier police reports suggested as many as 18 people might have suffered in the incident, which resulted in two people being sent to hospital.

Major Colombian drug cartel bust results in 46 arrests from country’s top-four gang

A major drug and extortion ring bust took place in north Columbia, with police arresting 46 members of the Los Rastrojos gang, BBC reports. President Juan Manuel Santos has praised the police operation, calling it the most significant such offensive in a decade. The cartel sits firmly on the country’s top-4 list of criminal organizations. According to US special agencies, it is responsible for over 30 tons of cocaine making its way into Mexico since 2008.

Russia to head UN Security Council starting June 1

The UN Security Council has given Russia the lead role for a period of one month, starting June 1, in accordance with the rules on rotation, RIA Novosti reports. Russian representative to the UN, Vitaliy Churkin laid out the coming agenda, suggesting an increased focus on the Middle Eastern region, namely “the situation in Yemen, Libya, the process of chemical disarmament in Syria [and] the humanitarian situation there,”as well as Afghanistan. Some of the other countries to make it to the UNSC Chair’s agenda are the war-torn Mali, the Ivory Coast and the wider Sahel region. Russia also plans to organize an open debate on current trends within UN peacekeeping operations on June 11.

First MERS cases confirmed in Algeria

Algerian officials have confirmed the country’s first two cases of MERS, the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona-Virus, first reported in neighboring Saudi Arabia. Two Algerian citizens, aged 66 and 59, have been tested positive for MERS, after they returned from pilgrimages to Saudi. The deadly virus, which kills around 30 percent of sufferers, has been reported in more than 500 patients in Saudi Arabia and has already spread into Europe, Asia and the US.

Helicopter with 18 on board crashes in Russia

An Mil Mi-8 transport helicopter has crashed in the Murmansk region in northwestern Russia, emergency services said. Two people have been taken to hospital while the fate of sixteen others was not immediately reported. According to preliminary information, the helicopter crashed near the village of Vostochnoye Munozero near a lake. There were eighteen people on board, including five crewmembers. The aircraft went missing on Saturday evening.

Plane runs off runway, burns in Massachusetts

A private plane with seven people on board ran off of a runway and burst into flames at Hanscom Field, a public airport located in the town of Bedford, Massachusetts, US, said local police. A Gulfstream IV aircraft was departing to Atlantic City International Airport in New Jersey, said a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration. There were no immediate reports of any injuries.

95% turnout in presidential vote for Syrians living abroad

More than 95 percent of registered Syrian voters living abroad cast their ballots in advance for Syria’s presidential election, SANA news agency reported. The election is scheduled for June 3. The advanced voting for those living abroad took place on Wednesday across 43 different Syrian embassies. The final results were received by the Higher Judicial Committee for Elections on Saturday. The turnout “has dashed all that Western propaganda has been propagating against them over three years,’’ SANA quoted Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Minister Fayssal Mikdad as saying. He said the turnout represents Syrians’ “remarkable awareness” and “belief” in their country, adding that “voting proceeded smoothly and democratically, and passed without a hitch.”

Sudan to release woman sentenced to death for converting to Christianity

Sudan is releasing a woman sentenced to death for converting to Christianity, Reuters cited a government official as saying. “The related authorities in the country are working to release Mariam (Yahya Ibrahim), who was sentenced to death for apostasy, through legal measures,” Foreign Ministry Under-Secretary Abdelah Al-Azrak said. “I expect her to be released soon,” he added.

Scottish car rally collision kills three, injures one

Three people died and another was injured in a collision at the Jim Clark Rally in the Scottish Borders, BBC cited police as saying. The accident happened when a car swerved off the road during the rally and collided with spectators at around 4 p.m. local time. The injured person was taken to hospital and is in critical condition. Earlier on Saturday, a separate collision injured five people, one of them seriously. The rally was canceled following the second accident.

Palestinian unity govt to be announced June 2 – President Abbas

The Palestinian unity government backed by the Fatah Party and Hamas Islamists will be announced June 2, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the Fatah Party, said while meeting with French peace activists in the West Bank city of Ramallah. This will end a seven-year Palestinian political split. Abbas added that Israel has warned that it will boycott the Palestinian Authority (PA) “immediately after we form the government.” He stressed that the PA is taking Israel’s threats seriously and would respond if Israel cut ties with it.

Bahrain’s opposition threatens to boycott parliamentary election

Bahrain’s opposition parties will boycott the parliamentary elections unless the government guarantees the vote will reflect the will of the people, Reuters reports. Following the failure of talks with authorities, the Al-Wefaq movement issued a statement saying that it will not participate in the vote later this year “unless a clear political agreement is reached.” The group also urged the international community to help it pursue a peaceful democratic transition for the Gulf monarchy. Bahrain has been in turmoil since protests led by Shi’ite Muslims erupted in 2011 after similar uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.

Abhazia parliament votes for early presidential election, appoints acting president

Abhazia’s parliament appointed speaker Valery Bganba as acting president of the republic and voted to hold early presidential elections on August 24, according to the results of a special session on Saturday. 24 of the 25 MPs present at the session voted in favor of early elections – one abstained. In turn, President Aleksandr Ankvab said he disagrees with the regulation, the vote of non-confidence and the MP’s proposal for his resignation. On May 29, the Abkhazian parliament expressed lack of confidence in Prime Minister Leonid Lakerbaya and urged Ankvab to resign voluntarily as head of the republic. Earlier this week, the Abkhaz opposition, dissatisfied with the president’s internal policies, seized government buildings and created the Interim National Council.

UK volunteer missing in Malaysian jungle

Gareth Huntley, 34, was last seen on May 27 on Tioman Island, a popular Malaysian resort. He was a volunteer at the Juara Turtle Sanctuary on the island and had gone to see a waterfall in the jungle, a trek that was expected to take only a couple of hours. The volunteer’s friends raised the alarm when he failed to return, and blamed the local police for their lack of response. So far search efforts have proved fruitless. Huntley’s family are on their way to Malaysia, and are calling on the authorities to do more to find him. A Facebook page “Find Gareth Huntley” has also been started, warning people of fake fundraising accounts.

Turkish police cordon off central Istanbul to stop demonstrations 1yr after Gezi Park unrest

Turkish police have blocked access to Istanbul’s Gezi Park and the nearby area to prevent demonstrations to mark the one-year anniversary of the biggest anti-government protests. Metro station Taksim has also been closed. According to local media, 25,000 officers were deployed on Saturday. The measure comes as Taksim Solidarity, the group that organized last year’s protest movement, called for a demonstration on Taksim at 7 pm (1600 GMT). On May 31, 2013, police evicted a peaceful sit-in protest against the government’s plans to destroy the park, when six people, including a police officer, were killed.

US State Department confirms Syria suicide bomber was American

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki confirmed on Friday the identity of Moner Mohammad Abusalha, an American who had traveled to Syria last year and carried out a suicide bombing there, Reuters reported. Psaki said US agencies had been aware of Abusalha’s travel to Syria with the intent of joining a militant group embroiled in the country’s civil war, though she declined to offer any further details. The American, also known as Abu Hurayra al-Amriki, took part in one of four suicide bombings on May 25 in Syria’s Idlib province as part of Jabhat-al-Nusra, an Al-Qaeda affiliate group intent on the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad.

Nigerian emir, policemen killed in suspected Boko Haram attack

A Muslim emir and two policemen have been killed in northeastern Nigeria in a suspected attack by Boko Haram militants. All of the dead were heading to a funeral when armed men opened fire on their car. All died from gunshot wounds. “The Emir of Gwoza was killed around 9 am today following a bloody attack by some gunmen believed to be members of the Boko Haram,” the Borno state government said in a statement, Reuters reported. Boko Haram kidnapped more than 200 girls from a secondary school in Chibok in remote northeastern Nigeria in mid-April and had threatened to sell them into slavery. Since they were taken, at least 500 civilians have been killed by the sect. On Thursday, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said that a full-scale operation had been launched and attempted to reassure parents that the children would be freed.

Norway rejects Greenpeace appeal over Statoil Arctic drilling

Norwegian authorities have rejected an appeal by Greenpeace to stop Statoil from drilling the world’s most northerly well on the Apollo prospect in the Barents Sea, Reuters reported, citing a statement from the oil company. Friday’s announcement comes a day after Norwegian police removed seven Greenpeace protesters who had boarded the rig in an attempt to prevent it from reaching the Barents Sea and Bear Island. It is an uninhabited wildlife sanctuary that is home to rare species, including polar bears.

Ethnic clashes leave 11 killed in Northern Kenya

At least 11 people have been killed in fighting between rival clans in Wajir in Kenya’s remote northeast, police said on Friday. Several others were wounded as the fighting broke out on Thursday when the attackers raided a settlement of the local Degodia clan, AFP reported. The attack, believed to have been carried out by a militia from the rival Garre clan, could be revenge for the deaths of three men killed by bandits believed to be from the rival Degodia clan, local media reports say. They also put the death toll as high as 18.

2 Ebola deaths, 12 сases reported in Sierra Leone

Health officials in Sierra Leone say there have been two deaths from Ebola and a dozen other cases of the deadly disease, AP reported. Another official, Dr. Amara Jambai, said on Friday that other suspected cases in the capital turned out to be negative. Teams from the World Health Organization and Doctors Without Borders are expected in Sierra Leone in the coming days. The Ebola deaths in Sierra Leone follow an outbreak in neighboring Guinea. It also led to cases in Liberia earlier this year.

Israel prevents Palestinian suicide bomb attack – police

Israeli security forces in the West Bank caught a Palestinian wearing an explosive belt on Friday, officials said. Border police near the Palestinian city of Nablus had been suspicious of the man who was wearing a coat on a hot spring day, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. “The forces stopped him and asked the suspect to remove his clothes. He was wearing a bomb-belt,” Reuters quoted Rosenfeld as saying. The man, believed to be in his 20s, was in a sensitive area in the West Bank, which has a number of Jewish settlements and a large security presence.

Indonesia testing Cadbury products after Malaysia protests

Indonesia is testing products made by British confectioner Cadbury to check they comply with Islamic standards, officials said on Friday. The move follows a scandal in neighboring Malaysia, after two chocolate varieties were found to be contaminated with pork DNA, Reuters said. “It is prudent to do a test on the other variants to see if they also have traces of the pig DNA,” said Roy Alexander Sparingga, head of Indonesia’s Food and Drug Monitoring Agency. Some Muslim groups in Malaysia have called for a boycott on all products made by Cadbury over the ingredient banned under Islamic dietary laws.

Military to set up ‘reconciliation centers’ in Thailand

Thailand’s military said on Friday it will set up “reconciliation centers” across the country. They are aimed at healing a decade of political division that has often spilled over into violence, Reuters said. Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha, who took power in a coup on May 22, said he had to end the struggle between the royalist establishment and an upstart power network headed by billionaire former premier Thaksin Shinawatra. Some loyalists of the self-exiled Thaksin expect the army to bring in electoral and other reforms over the coming months aimed at ending Thaksin’s political influence.

Bulgarian center-left govt survives no-confidence vote

The center-left government of Bulgarian Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski survived a no-confidence vote in parliament on Friday, AFP said. The motion failed in a vote of 116 to 93 with the backing of the Socialist BSP party, their liberal partner Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) and independent lawmakers. This was the fourth such motion submitted by the conservative opposition. It accused Oresharski’s cabinet of lacking a clear strategy for the country’s troubled energy sector and taking closed-door decisions on major projects.

Court frees 25 Cambodians charged with garment strike offences

A Cambodian court found 25 people guilty on Friday of acts of violence during strikes by garment workers. However, all were given suspended sentences and freed, Reuters said. The ruling is likely to be welcomed by global manufacturers operating in the country. The Phnom Penh Municipal Court judges convicted the workers, trade unionists and protesters of intentional violence including damage to public property during strikes in November last year and January 2014.

Police fire warning shots to stop protesters in C. Africa capital

Security forces fired warning shots as protesters in Bangui demanded the resignation of the interim government and the removal of foreign troops from the Central African Republic on Friday, AFP said. Troops and police stopped the protesters gathering in the capital, who numbered in the thousands, and the demonstrators dispersed around an hour later. Bursts of automatic weapons fire were also heard in the central Bangui neighborhood that is home to the presidential palace, and in the area of the airport. The capital has experienced an upsurge in violence in recent days.

6.1 quake hits southwestern China

A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck China’s southwestern Yunnan province on Friday morning, the USGS reports. The epicenter of the tremor was located at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers, just 27 kilometers from the town of Pingyuan in Yingjiang County. Local authorities sent a team of over 50 people for surveying, investigation, and disaster evaluation, Xinhua reported. There have been no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The county borders Myanmar and has a population of 300,000.

Media agencies

↧

Article 1

June 2, 2014, 3:59 am

≫ Next: Article 0

≪ Previous: Article 0

Crown Prince Felipe to be Spain’s King

2062014

Spain’s King Juan Carlos to abdicate, Crown Prince Felipe to succeed

Spain's King Juan Carlos (AFP Photo / Gerard Julien)

Spain’s King Juan Carlos; contact-field label=’Website’ type=’url’/][contact-field label='Comment' type='textarea' required='1'/][/contact-form]

Juan Carlos, the king of Spain, plans to abdicate, according to the country’s prime minister. A new constitutional amendment will reportedly be proposed to allow for the abdication. Crown Prince Felipe is to become the new monarch.

Spain’s King Juan Carlos is abdicating after almost 40 years on the throne and his son Prince Felipe will succeed him, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Monday in a surprise announcement.

“His majesty, King Juan Carlos, has just communicated to me his will to give up the throne,” Rajoy said.“I’m convinced this is the best moment for change.” Rajoy went on to say “his majesty would like to explain personally to the Spanish people later this morning” the reasons for his abdication.King has been troubled by chronic health problems over the past couple of years and his popularity has also taken a hit for the worse amid the financial crisis that has crippled Spain’s economy. The monarch was greeted with public fury after photos emerged of his elephant-shooting safari trip to Botswana in 2012, at the height of the financial downturn in Spain.

Juan Carlos’ daughter, Princess Cristina, and her husband Inaki Urdangarin, are currently being investigated on charges of corruption.

Describing Juan Carlos as a “tireless defender” of Spain’s interests, Rajoy said a special meeting of the Council of Ministries has been scheduled for Tuesday to deal with the Monarch’s abdication.

“He has been the best spokesman and has put forward the best image of the Kingdom of Spain throughout the world,” said Rajoy.

↧

Article 0

June 3, 2014, 4:48 am

≫ Next: Article 0

≪ Previous: Article 1

Curfew lifted in Thailand’s tourist areas, not Bangkok

Thailand’s ruling military council on Tuesday lifted a curfew in some tourist areas, including the popular beach resorts of Pattaya and Phuket. The military imposed a nationwide curfew, currently running from midnight to 4am, after it seized power in a coup on May 22, Reuters reported. It will be lifted in Pattaya, Chonburi, Samui, Surat Thani and Phuket “to counter any impact it may have on the tourism industry,” the council said in a televised statement. It failed to mention the capital, Bangkok, in the measure.