Ukraine and EU sign free trade zone deal

27 06 2014
 
 Ukraine signed the economic part of the Association agreement with the EU,  Georgia and Moldova too joining the pact, even though big economic risks lie ahead.
The signing of the economic part of the agreement comes after 8 months of violent unrest in Ukraine, which broke out in Kiev and spread across the country in November after then-President Viktor Yanukovich decided to reject the trade agreement in favor of trilateral talks.
The document contains 31 signatures – Ukraine, all 28 EU member states, as well as that of the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. The agreement will only come into force when it is ratified by every national parliament in the EU. It is expected that the ratification process will be complete by this fall.
Georgia and Moldova also signed both political and economic parts of the Association Agreement. Ukraine signed a political part of the agreement in March, shortly after Crimea rejoined Russia.
“By signing the association agreement, Ukraine, like European nation, which shares the same rules of law, stresses its sovereign choice to become a member of the EU Association Agreement in the future,” said Ukraine’s President Poroshenko before the signing ceremony. The Ukrainian President sees the trade document as a stepping stone to eventual EU statehood.
Friday signing the Free Trade Agreement will open up trade barriers between the former Soviet states, but doesn’t guarantee them EU membership, a main goal of the three governments.
“It is their sovereign right, but the Russian Federation will have to take measures in case it negatively effects the local market,” Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesperson said, commenting on the agreements signed between the EU and Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova.
Russia has warned these “measures” could include $500 billion in lost trade and possible bans on Ukrainian imports.
In order to fully implement the free trade zone, it could cost Ukraine’s already fragile economy an additional $104 billion, according to a previous estimate by Yanukovich. This will include adopting hundreds of new trade laws and thousands of new laws to comply with EU standards.
In 2013, EU exports to Ukraine were worth $33 billion (23.9 billion euro), dominated by industrial equipment, chemicals, and manufactured goods.
Ukraine exported 13.8 billion euro worth of goods to the EU, mostly materials like iron, steel, and minerals. Agricultural and food products are also substantial exports.
The Association Agreement and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) will replace the current Partnership and Cooperation Agreement Ukraine signed with the EU in 1998.
Eastern Ukraine, which rejects the new Ukrainian government’s authority, is skeptical of Kiev’s European ambition, as is the EU itself.
“EU is not ready to integrate at this stage a country like Ukraine,”Jose Barroso, President of the European Commission said before the talks.
Brussels started the Eastern Partnership initiative to incorporate six former Soviet Republics into the EU free trade zone. Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia have followed Poland’s example, whereas Armenia, Belarus, and Azerbaijan are likely to opt for closer trade links with Russia.
Trilateral trade talks between the EU, Russia, and Ukraine will take place on July 11. Russia has made it very clear that by signing the trade agreement Ukraine can no longer enter the Eurasian Customs Union, which already includes Belarus and Kazakhstan.
Media agencies




Obama seeks USD 500 mn to train, equip Syrian rebels

27 06 2014
Obama seeks USD 500 mn to train, equip Syrian rebels
The White House has asked lawmakers for USD 500 million to train and equip vetted Syrian rebels, in what would be a significant escalation of US involvement in a conflict that has spilled into Iraq.
Following several signals in recent weeks by President Barack Obama’s administration — and months of pressure from lawmakers like Senator John McCain — the White House said.
Thursday it intends to “ramp up US support to the moderate Syrian opposition.”
The request is part of a USD 1.5 billion Regional Stabilization Initiative to bolster stability in Syrian neighbors Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, and to support communities hosting refugees.
In a clear acknowledgement that Syria and Iraq face a common threat, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki earlier “welcomed” strikes by Syria’s air force on the Syrian side of the Al-Qaim border crossing, controlled by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) fighters.
The proposed US funding would serve “vetted elements of the Syrian armed opposition to help defend the Syrian people, stabilize areas under opposition control, facilitate the provision of essential services, counter terrorist threats and promote conditions for a negotiated settlement,” the White House said in a statement.
But Damascus ally Moscow lashed out at the move, saying “there are better uses for these 500 million dollars.”
The Americans “are moving things in their own direction, they keep the fire burning instead of doing something political,” Russian ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin told reporters during a reception at the Russian mission.
The proposal was part of the USD 65.8 billion overseas contingency operations request to Congress for fiscal year 2015, which begins 1st October.
The bulk of that amount, USD 58.6 billion, was allocated to the Defense Department.
In a separate statement, National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said the funding “would build on the administration’s longstanding efforts to empower the moderate Syrian opposition” and allow the Pentagon to increase its support to vetted armed rebels.
Washington has been studying options for providing additional assistance to rebel forces beyond the existing aid, which includes mainly “non-lethal” support.
While US officials normally publicly refuse to comment on details of training for opposition groups, Obama’s National Security Advisor Susan Rice acknowledged early this month that the Pentagon was providing “lethal and non-lethal support” to Syrian rebels.
About USD 287 million in mainly non-lethal support has been cleared for the rebels since March 2011, and the CIA has participated in a secret military training program in neighboring Jordan for the moderate opposition.
Included in the latest request was a USD 5 billion Counterterrorism Partnerships Fund helping build counterterrorism capacity in allies from South Asia to Africa’s Sahel region.




UN: Hundred tenthousand people fled Ukraine

27 06 2014
A line of refugees at a checkpoint in Donetsk, Rostov Region (Reuters / Sergey Pivovarov)
A line of refugees at a checkpoint in Donetsk, Rostov Region
The number of Ukrainian refugees in Russia has reached 110,000 people, while the 54,400 others have been internally displaced, the UN’s refugee department stated.
Some 16,400 people fled their homes in eastern Ukraine in the past week, many citing a deteriorating situation and fears of abduction, bringing the number of displaced within the country to 54,000.
“We are seeing a sharp rise in (internal) displacement in Ukraine,” Melissa Fleming, chief spokeswoman of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told a news briefing.
9,500 people have officially applied for the asylum in Russia Melissa Fleming said, while 700 others have gone to Poland, Belarus, the Czech Republic and Romania.
Refugees from southeastern Ukraine unpack bags with aid prepared for them at the transit refugee camp at Artek Center in Simferopol (Reuters / Andrey Iglov)
Refugees from southeastern Ukraine unpack bags with aid prepared for them at the transit refugee camp at Artek Center in Simferopol.
Russia is taking “very good care” of refugees from Ukraine by helping them to cross the border and providing proper accommodation, the representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Baisa Vak-Voya, told RT, after visiting a refugee camp in the Rostov region on the Russian side of the border.
“Russia is very favorable. The government is taking care of them very well. They cross the border in a very organized way. Those who have relatives there go to their relatives. Those who don’t go to the government organized tent camp, which is run by the Ministry of Emergency. To be honest, this is one of the most equipped and well-run and professionally managed camp I have seen,” he said.
Russia’s emergency ministry says over 16 thousand refugees have been housed in camps in Russia.
The Russian Emergency Ministry is ready to open over 1,000 shelters to host refugees from Ukraine in case it’s necessary, the deputy head of Russia’s Emergency Ministry, Vladimir Stepanov, told RIA-Novosti.
Refugees from southeastern Ukraine at a tent camp in Donetsk, Rostov Region (RIA Novosti / Sergey Pivovarov)
Refugees from southeastern Ukraine at a tent camp in Donetsk, Rostov Region (RIA Novosti / Sergey Pivovarov)
More than 240 temporary shelters are currently open.
Stepanov stressed that the work to host the Ukrainian citizens is carried out constantly and the refugees are hosted in 26 of the 85 Russian regions.
President Vladimir Putin ordered the government to draft measures to help Ukrainian citizens in the conflict zone and who come to Russia.
“I would ask you to think how we can help people, who found themselves in the conflict zone and who come to our territory. It is clear that the volume of refugees is such already that regions have difficulty coping on their own,” Putin said at a meeting with government members.RT News




Myanmar and Thailand burn USD 400 million of seized drugs

27 06 2014
Myanmar and Thailand burn USD 400 million of seized drugs
Myanmar and Thailand incinerated some USD 400 million-worth of narcotics on Thursday to mark World Drugs Day, but the UN warned opium production was on the rise in the region.
In Myanmar, which has long struggled to control illegal drug production, some 1.3 tons of opium, 225 kilogrammes of heroin and 1.2 tons of methamphetamine tablets were destroyed in controlled blazes.The haul was worth around USD 130 million, according to Major Khin Maung Than of Myanmar’s anti-narcotics committee, who added that the country’s anti-drug campaign was running into problems in some regions that are home to ethic groups where drug production is highest.
“As the government can’t reach agreement with some ethnic groups on anti-narcotics work, we can’t do the work effectively,” he told reporters.
The bulk of the destroyed narcotics were seized in Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State, a province bordering Thailand, which has long been a hotbed of drug production, the proceeds of which may have fuelled conflict between ethnic rebels and Myanmar’s army.
Shan State accounts for an estimated 98 per cent of Myanmar’s illegal poppy cultivation.
The “Golden Triangle” region, covering parts of Laos, Thailand and Myanmar, was formerly one of the world’s top producers of opium and heroin, until the emergence of Afghanistan as a drugs production hub.
Myanmar remains the world’s second largest producer of opium – the raw ingredient for heroin – after Afghanistan, accounting for 10 per cent of global production, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
In neighbouring Thailand, some 2.5 tons of methamphetamine – known as crystal meth or “ice” – 21 kilos of heroin and 74 kilos of opium worth around USD 272 million in total were destroyed in the city of Ayutthaya, according to the kingdom’s Public Health Ministry.




US says Russia has ‘hours’ to ease Ukraine crisis

27 06 2014
US says Russia has
The United States warned Russia on Thursday it had only “hours” to prove it was helping disarm Ukrainian insurgents whose separatist drive has reopened a Cold War-style chasm in East-West ties.
US Secretary of State John Kerry’s warning came a day before Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko signs the final chapters of an historic EU accord that nudges his country toward eventual membership and pulls it firmly out of Russia’s reach.Poroshenko also intends to get German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande to join him for a second round of telephone diplomacy with Russian President Vladimir Putin in two days.
Putin came under intense pressure from both European leaders and US President Barack Obama on Wednesday to rein in separatist fighters over whom he denies exerting control.
Obama said sweeping economic sanctions were imminent unless the Kremlin stopped “the flow of weapons and militants across the border”.
US Secretary of State John Kerry was even more explicit in Paris on Thursday following talks with French counterpart Laurent Fabius.
“We are in full agreement that it is critical for Russia to show in the next hours, literally, that they’re moving to help disarm the separatists, to encourage them to disarm, to call on them to lay down their weapons and to begin to become part of a legitimate process,” Kerry said.
The State Department added that sanctions would be also discussed by EU leaders on Friday when they sign the full Association Agreement with Ukraine that was ditched by the ousted pro-Russian president in November and now lies at the heart of the raging crisis.
The punitive steps under deliberation would target Russia’s financial and defence sectors at a time when its export-dependent economy is on the verge of slipping into another recession.
US media reports said one particularly painful step under consideration would prohibit the export of technology that could help Russia explore for oil and gas in the Arctic – a major ambition of powerful state-held energy firms.
But 11 weeks of fighting that has already claimed more than 435 lives and brought factories in Ukraine’s economically vital eastern rustbelt to a virtual standstill continued today despite the ceasefire agreement.




Delhi Metro Mandi House to Central Secretariat open to public

27 06 2014
 
 
New metro line from Mandi House to Central Secretariat open to public
Delhi Metro’s first section of phase III from Central Secretariat-Mandi House was opened to public from Thursday noon.
Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu flagged off the metro from Mandi House station to Central secretariat station on Thursday morning. Speaking on the occasion, Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said urban transportation is a major challenge before the country and metro connectivity between Central Secretariat and Mandi House will greatly ease lives of people in Delhi.
Central Secretariat-Mandi House section has received the mandatory safety clearance from the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety.




इंडिया टुडे (अंग्रेजी) की एडिटर कावेरी बामजेई ने दिया इस्तीफा

27 06 2014

 

 
 
 
समाचार4मीडिया
To Me
 
Today at 3:35 PM
Friday 27 June 2014
 
 
इंडिया टुडे (अंग्रेजी) की एडिटर कावेरी बामजेई ने दिया इस्तीफा
इंडिया टुडे समूह से आ रही एक बड़ी खबर के अनुसार समूह की अंग्रेजी मैगजीन इंडिया टुडे की एडिटर कावेरी बामजेई ने इस्तीफा दे दिया है…


एक ही चैनल पर अब क्षेत्रीय आधार पर दिखेंगे अलग-अलग विज्ञापन
लक्ष्य पर ध्यान केंद्रित करने को ही आज का मूल मंत्र मानते हुए स्टार इंडिया अपनी एक नई पहचान स्टार एडशार्प, जो ‘क्रांतिकारी तकनीक’ प्रसारक के रूप में झंडा गाड़ रहा है…


पूरा बचपन जुबां पर रख दिया…वाला ये इमोशनल ऐड जरूर देखिए
विज्ञापन दिग्गज पीयूष पांडे ने जब खुद एक कैंपेन में जादूई मंत्र डाले तो इसमें ऐसा कोई आश्चर्य नहीं था कि इससे पूरा देश जुड़ जाएगा…


जापान में रोबोट बने न्यूजरीडर्स
टोक्यो में रोबोट्स न्यूज रीडर्स बन गए हैं। हाल ही में टोक्यो के नेशनल म्यूजियम ऑफ इमरजिंग साइंस एंड इनोवेशन में कोडोमोरॉयड और ऑटोनेरॉयड नाम के दो ड्रॉयड्रंस को पेश किया गया…


भारतीय संपादकों के नाम एक टीवी पत्रकार का खुला पत्र
कहा जाता है कि राजनीति एक खूनरहित जंग है…और जंग खून से रंगी राजनीति लेकिन न्यूजरूम इन दोनों के बीच कहीं है…


अब चैट करने के लिए न इंटरनेट की जरूरत और न वाई-फाई की
आधुनिकीकरण की इस दुनिया में इंटरनेट एक महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभा रहा है, लेकिन यह दुनिया अब एक कदम और आगे निकल गई है…


 
शंकराचार्य स्वामी स्वरूपानंद सरस्वती साईं मंदिरों के खिलाफ अपने बयान पर कायम ही नहीं है बल्कि अब तो वे इस मुद्दे को सोशल मीडिया पर ले जाने की तैयारी कर रहे हैं…
अगर आप सोचते हैं कि सोशल मीडिया सर्किट में आपकी पहचान सुरक्षित है तो एक बार फिर सोच लीजिए…
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Sonia, Rahul summoned in National Herald case

27 06 2014
Sonia, Rahul summoned as accused in National Herald case
Congress President Sonia Gandhi, and son Rahul Gandhi were on Thursday summoned as accused by a local court for alleged cheating and misappropriation of funds in acquiring ownership of the now-defunct daily National Herald.
Holding that complainant BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has established a prima facie case of cheating, misappropriation of funds and criminal breach of trust against the accused, Metropolitan Magistrate Gomati Manocha also issued summons to AICC Treasurer Moti Lal Vohra, General Secretary Oscar Fernandes, and Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda, besides the Gandhis, to appear before the court on August 7.All of them are directors of Young Indian Ltd (YI), a company that was incorporated in 2010 and which took over the “debt” of Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the publisher of National Herald.
Swamy had accused Sonia and Rahul Gandhi and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds by just paying Rs.50 lakh by which YI obtained the right to recover Rs. 90.25 crore which the AJL had owed to the Congress party.
He alleged that in the present scenario over Rs. 2,000 crore worth of assets also got transferred to YI, whose 76 per cent of shareholding vests with Sonia and Rahul Gandhi and the remaining shareholding of 24 per cent vests with the other accused.
“Complainant has established a prima facie case against the accused under section 403 (dishonest misappropriation of property, 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) read with section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC.”
“Hence, let the accused Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Moti Lal Vohra, Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda be summoned for August 7, 2014. Let the Young Indian be summoned through it’s authorised representative for the same date,” said Manocha.
Reacting to the development, Congress spokesman and a senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the party will respond “vigorously” to the allegations made by Swamy.
“Dr Swamy is known for his personal, motivated campaign against the Congress and you can take it that as and when we receive the papers and take the full legal advice a very vigorous response will be filed in respect of this completely false and motivated complaint.”




Holland win seventh title in women’s World Cup hockey

27 06 2014
Netherlands win seventh title in women
Olympic gold medalists The Netherlands defeated Australia 2-0 in the title showdown to clinch the women’s hockey World Cup at the Kyocera Stadium in The Hague on Saturday.
This was the fourth time these two nations met in the women’s World Cup title encounter, and The Netherlands have won three of them.
Out of 13 women’s World Cups since its inception in 1974, the Dutch have won it seven times.
The Netherlands won both the men and women’s hockey World Cups in 1990, when they were held in different countries.
On the only occasion that the men and women’s World Cups were held together in the Dutch city of Utrecht in 1998 The Netherlands men won the title, but the women were beaten by Australia.
Captain Maartje Paumen, one of the four Dutch players winning her second World Cup gold, put her team ahead in the 12th minute with a penalty stroke conversion.
The penalty stroke was awarded when Ross Dross was brought down by the goalkeeper and a defender inside the circle.
Livewire striker Kim Lammers increased the lead by beating goalkeeper Rachael Lynch with her second try in the 29th minute, after her initial shot was blocked by the custodian.
Argentina’s star striker Luciana Aymer, playing in her fifth World Cup, scored twice in the bronze medal playoff that the South American nation won 2-1 against the USA.
Aymer scored field goals in the eighth and 21st minutes, while Lauran Crandall got the lone goal for USA in the 11th through a penalty corner.
This was Argentina’s fourth successive medal in the World Cup. They were champions in 2002 and 2010, and bagged a bronze in 2006.




UK firm honours Sachin Tendulkar with rare coin

27 06 2014
UK firm honours Sachin Tendulkar with rare coin
Britain’s premium luxury goods brand East India Company has issued an exclusive legal tender gold coin worth 12,000 pound sterling in honour of Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.
The rare coin has been issued in honour of Tendulkar’s remarkable career spanning 24 years.”Only 210 gold coins, each weighing precisely 200g, are being issued to pay tribute to Tendulkar at a global level. Only very few will ever see this coin in the flesh, making them exceptionally rare and precious amongst thousands of fans who yearn to own a piece of the superstar’s legacy,” the London-based firm said in a statement.
“Every single 200g coin issued is a masterpiece in its own right. Exclusively presented in a custom made presentation box the coin is accompanied by an individually numbered and personally signed certificate of authenticity along with an autographed cricket bat by Sachin Tendulkar,” it added.
Tendulkar said he was honoured by the recognition.
“All my life, I have had a dream of playing cricket for India. I am very fortunate to have lived this dream for the last 24 years. I am honoured to be recognised with the issue of these special coins, which have beenimpressively designed with a lot of thought,” Tendulkar said.
The issue of a ‘legal tender’ coin is an official mark of distinction given to individuals who have accomplished great achievements in human history.
The design of the coin has been handcrafted in great detail by one of the world’s most renowned coin designers Joaquin Jimenez, currently the Chief Engraver at Monnaie de Paris.
The canvas of the coin shows the latitude lines of the globe modelled in cricket stitching to represent the international stage of cricket.
The Gateway of India features to denote Tendulkar’s home city of Mumbai, where he started and completed his illustrious career.
The cricket icon himself and his 200th Test milestone are symbolically represented by Tendulkar’s autographed bat, helmet and the number 187 which he wore during his 200th and final Test at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in November 2013, where he announced his retirement cheered on by thousands of his devoted fans during an emotional farewell.
Sanjiv Mehta, CEO of the East India Company, said, “Historically precious metal formed an important part of The Company’s trading activities. We have been issuing our own gold and silver coins for centuries and began to do so again in 2010.
“EIC originally introduced cricket to the Commonwealth, then the British Empire, and it made immense sense for us to issue a coin for this special occasion. We feel honoured to have been given the opportunity to pay tribute to one of the Greatest Cricket Players of all time.
The Mumbai-born entrepreneur had acquired East India Company from 33 different shareholders and has spent five years to reposition the company associated with the British Raj as a modern day luxury brand.
Its first flagship ‘Fine Food’ store in Mayfair in the heart of London was launched in August 2010 and the company is now poised for expansion across theluxury real estate and restaurant sector in India.
The EIC is a multi-channel business dealing with fine food, precious metals, hospitality, publishing, fashion, art and jewelery.
The Sachin Tendulkar ‘Limited Edition’ coins are available to purchase from the East India Company’s official website.




15 killed, 18 injured in AP blaze after gas pipeline bursts

27 06 2014
15 killed, 18 injured in AP blaze after gas pipeline bursts
15 people were killed and 18 injured when a massive blaze raged through a village in Andhra Pradesh’s East Godavari district following a blast in an apparently leaking gas pipeline on Friday morning.
“Bodies of 13 people charred in the incident were recovered from the gutted houses.
Two others succumbed to their burn injuries while undergoing treatment at different hospitals,” Amalapuram DSP M Veera Reddy told the news agency.
18 injured people were shifted to different hospitals in the district, another police officer said, adding the deceased include five women, three girls and a boy.
The leaping flames from the state-run Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) pipeline at Nagram village in Mamidikuduru Mandal of the district quickly swept through nearby houses and coconut plantations, leaving behind a trail of destruction.
“The blast and subsequent blaze which started around 5 AM spread swiftly engulfing houses, coconut farms and vehicles parked in the vicinity. In 15 minutes everything was gutted,” the police officer said.
The fire got apparently triggered when a tea shop vendor lit up a stove, setting off a blast, IGP North Coastal Zone Atul Singh said.
A GAIL official, however, quoted its Chairman B C Tripathi as saying, “The exact cause of the blast is not immediately known. After an inquiry only we will get the details and cause of the blast.”
An 18-inch pipeline feeds gas to Lanco’s Kondapalli power plant near Vijaywada. Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has ordered a high-level inquiry headed by a Joint Secretary in his ministry.
The probe panel will have officials of Oil Industry Safety Directorate, NDMA and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) as members but GAIL and ONGC, from whose fields gas was being supplied, have been kept out of it.
The blaze occurred barely a few hundred metres from ONGC’s Tatipaka Refinery located at the village.
“The gas pipeline has been shut. Fire has been controlled. This is a very serious situation and I have ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident,” Pradhan, who is scheduled to visit the scene, told reporters in Delhi.
Petroleum Secretary Saurabh Chandra, GAIL Chairman B C Tripathi and ONGC Chairman D K Sarraf are scheduled to accompany him. President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi have condoled the loss of lives in the tragedy.
Modi has announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs two lakh from the PM’s Relief Fund for the next of the kin of those killed. “My thoughts (are) with the families of those who lost their lives in the GAIL pipeline fire in AP. (My) prayers (are) with the injured,” Modi said.
AP govt orders probe into GAIL pipeline mishap
The Andhra Pradesh government on Friday ordered an inquiry into the GAIL gas pipeline blast at Nagaram village in East Godavari district, in which 14 persons were killed.
“(I’ve) Ordered an inquiry and action plan to avoid these in future,” Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who is in Delhi, posted on Twitter.
“We need a preventive plan to ensure safety,” he added.
He expressed shock and grief over the deaths and extended condolences to the bereaved families. The Chief Minister is cutting short his New Delhi trip and rushing to East Godavari to reach the accident spot on Friday afternoon.
Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is also expected to accompany Chandrababu to the accident site.
Naidu spoke to AP Deputy Chief Minister N Chinarajappa and East Godavari district Collector Neetu Prasad over phone and directed them to provide best medical facilities to the injured.
Chinarajappa, who has reached the spot, said that a comprehensive inquiry will be conducted in the incident.
“The state government will conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the GAIL gas pipeline blast in the district. All help will be provided to the blast-affected persons,” said Chinarajappa, who is also the state Home Minister.
He directed the hospitals where the injured were admitted to provide better medical facilities for their speedy recovery.
Meanwhile, GAIL Chairman B C Tripathi said rescue and relief operations are in progress at the mishap site in Nagaram village, according to a senior GAIL official in Rajahmundry.
“The exact cause of the blast was not immediately known. After an inquiry only we will get the details and cause of the blast,” Tripathi said, as quoted by the GAIL official.




FIFA bans Suarez for 4 months for biting opponent

27 06 2014
 FIFA bans Suarez for 4 months for biting opponent
FIFA banned Uruguay striker Luis Suarez from all football activities for four months on Thursday for biting an opponent at the World Cup, a punishment that rules him out of the rest of the tournament and the start of the upcoming English Premier League season.
The ban also covers Uruguay’s next nine international games, which goes beyond the next four months and rules him out of next year’s Copa America. FIFA also fined the Liverpool striker 100,000 Swiss francs ($112,000).Suarez bit the shoulder of Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during Uruguay’s 1-0 win in the group stage, but escaped unpunished as the referee did not see the incident.
“Such behavior cannot be tolerated on any football pitch and in particular not at a FIFA World Cup, when the eyes of millions of people are on the stars on the field,” Claudio Sulser, chairman of the FIFA disciplinary committee, said in a statement.
This is the third time Suarez has been banned for biting an opponent after similar incidents with Ajax in the Dutch league and Liverpool. He was given a 10-match ban by the Premier League for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic toward the end of the 2012-13 season.
The FIFA ban is effective immediately, meaning Suarez will miss Uruguay’s round-of-16 game against Colombia on Saturday.
By banning Suarez from all football activities, FIFA also prohibited Suarez from even entering a stadium at the World Cup. It also stops him from even training with Liverpool until the ban ends in late October.
“He cannot be actively involved” with a club, FIFA spokeswoman Delia Fischer said.
Suarez and the Uruguay football federation can appeal the sanctions, though Liverpool could not be formally involved in any legal challenge, Fischer said.
The four-month ban includes Liverpool’s first three Champions League group-stage games in the five-time European champion’s return after a five-year absence. Suarez will also miss the first nine matches of the Premier League.




FIFA WORLD CUP @The Italian Cultural Institue! ROUND OF 16 Matches, 28 June- 2July 2014

27 06 2014

 

Cultural Program
To Undisclosed Recipients
Today at 11:47 AM
FIFA WORLD CUP 2014@ The Italian Cultural Institute!
MATCHES of ROUND 16, 28 June – 2 July 2014
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
MATCH
DATE [IST]
TIME [IST]
 
Brazil vs Chile
SATURDAY, 28-06-2014
21:30



Colombia vs Uruguay
SUNDAY,  29-06-2014
01:30
Netherlands vs Mexico
SUNDAY,  29-06-2014
21:30



Costa Rica vs Greece
MONDAY, 30-06-2014
01:30
France vs Nigeria
MONDAY, 30-06-2014
21:30



Germany vs Algeria
TUSEDAY, 01-07-2014
01:30
Argentina vs Switzerland
TUSEDAY, 01-07-2014
21:30



Belgium vs United States
WEDNESDAY, 02-07- 2014
01:30





For more information, please visit our website www.iicnewdelhi.esteri.it/IIC_Newdelhi
Follow us on www.facebook.com/Istituto-Italiano-di-Cultura-New-Delhi

Regards,

Italian Embassy Cultural Centre
50-E, Chandragupta Marg
(Entry From Nyaya Marg)
Chanakyapuri, New Delhi – 110 021
Phone: 0091-11-26871901/03/04
Fax: 0091-11-26871902





IB report on NGOs in contempt of Supreme Court: Justice Sachar

27 06 2014


Report “misleading”, defamatory and factually incorrect   
New Delhi: Commemorating the 39th anniversary of imposition of Emergency at Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC), Jantar Mantar and Gandhi Peace Foundation, Justice Rajinder Sachar, former Chief Justice, Delhi High Court repeatedly expressed his outrage at the manner which the so –called Intelligence Bureau (IB) report has committed contempt court of the Supreme Court, the Delhi High Court and the Parliament. He asked, “will IB decide or law will decide?” whether or not organizations named in the report are complying with the report. He said, this agency has transgressed its jurisdiction.  

He raised the issue of Delhi High Court’s verdict on the funding of Congress and BJP by the London based Vedanta company and how protest against such a company can be deemed anti-development and anti-national.  He said, “like a sensible businessman”, Vedanta funded both the ruling party and the opposition party. It is not surprising that IB is speaking on their behalf.  

Kavitha Krishnan, noted social and women rights activist underlined how there is no conflict between development and environment but in a strange application of logic IB report will have us believe that they who defend environment are anti-national and they who speak for development are patriotic.

Sanjay Parikh, Advocate, Supreme Court who has fought most the cases named in the IB report on behalf of social organizations wondered that so far he has been pursuing these cases in national interest and for the future generations. But now IB report in its wisdom contends that they who work for environmental protection are anti-national and anti-development.

On the issue of IB report’s section on GMOs (genetically modified/engineered organisms), he said that the IB report by making specific mention of the Supreme Court cases and influencing  Court-appointed Technical Expert Committee Report (TEC) has committed contempt of court.

The IB report attributes motives to the Parliamentary Standing Committee Report which is akin to interfering with the parliamentary process.

He wondered as to IB report will justify its reliance on the opinion of Dr Ronald Herring of Cornell University who promotes GMOs and the monopoly of Monsanto. How can Government of India be blind to the design of the global GMO seed industry which wants to tame India’s regulators to approve GMOs, by-passing scientific, transparent and independent safety testing.
If India’s intelligence agencies become instruments of global corporations working against the public interest and national interest of India, our national security is under threat.

This IB report is deeply anti-national and subversive of constitutional rights of citizens in our country.  It does India no credit.

Justice Sachar noted as to how the Prime Minister has been misled by the IB’s report because it does not disclose the verdict of the Delhi High Court dated 10.09.2013 in the matter of Indian Social Action Forum and the compliance order of Ministry of Home Affairs dated October 9, 2013. Someone in IB must be held accountable for this grave act misleading the government.  

Gopal Krishna of Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL) argued as to how does IB infer that allowing our country to become a dustbin for the hazardous wastes of the developed countries is in national interest. India generates so much hazardous wastes of its own. It has not been able to manage it till date and has no blue print to do so in future. How is allowing of hazardous wastes in the country in national interest and for national development. How can colonization of Alang beach for dumping of end-of-life ships in Indian waters by ship owning countries of the developed world be deemed an act of patriotism? IB’s report fails to recognize that Government of India has a legal obligation to ban hazardous waste trade in compliance with the Supreme Court order, UN’s Basel Convention to which India is a signatory and Ban Amendment.  If the report in question is indeed from the IB then its acceptance of Lawrence Summers’ Principle is indefensible and anti-national because it originated from a 1991 memo by Lawrence Summers, former Chief Economist of the World Bank. In this memo, he promoted dumping toxic waste in the Third World for economic reasons: “Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging more migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs [Least Developed Countries]? […] A given amount of health impairing pollution should be done in the country with the lowest cost, which will be the country with the lowest wages. I think the economic logic behind dumping a load of toxic waste in the lowest wage country is impeccable and we should face up to that.” This principle advanced the argument of transfer of harm to the developing countries and externalization of human and environmental costs. This is the principle essentially from the colonial era which cannot be accepted in national interest.

On the issue of Par-Tapi-Narmada link project which part of Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) project, Gopal Krishna argued as to how can diversion of rivers be allowed in the name of development without learning lessons from Ara sea disaster which dried because of diversion of two Siberian rivers. How can the resolution of Kerala Assembly rejecting ILR project be ignored? How can Prof. S R Hashim Commission report of September 1999 that rejected linking of Himalayan and Peninsular rivers be forgotten? Is it in national interest to ignore the fact that Brahmaputra, Ganga and Kosi are transboundary rivers? Rivers are “veins and arteries” of nature, is it in national interest to allow their mutilation in the name of ILR? Aren’t such initiatives climate insensitive and outdated as they were conceived where climate crisis was not yet an admitted reality? IB report fails to appreciate these issues of far reaching implications.        

A Statement of Concern signed by many eminent personalities, academicians, human right activists, concerned citizens etc. from all over India against this so-called IB report was shared with the media. The statement titled “Uphold Sustainable Development! Condemn `Foreign Funded’ Destructive Development Promoted by IB expressed deep shock “at the dubious methods used by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) of the Home Ministry of India, to discredit many important social activists in the country who have committed their lives in social action for years.  For a long time, these activists have consistently questioned the destructive path of development India is following and have demanded a model of sustainable and equitable development which does not harm the environment, local communities, culture and the future generations.” The statement is enclosed.

For Details: Mb: 9818111562, 09818089660, Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL)




GSMA recommendations to new telecom minister in India

27 06 2014
GSMA recommendations to new telecom minister in India
From: Telecomlead <editor@telecomlead.com> Fri, 27 Jun ’14 8:08a
To: You
Show full Headers    |    View blocked images
 
 
 




Popular Pakistani Actor Imran Abbas visits Delhi to promote Zindagi

27 06 2014

~ The actor visits India to talk about his association with new Hindi GEC Zindagi ~

New Delhi, June 26, 2014: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL’s) new premium mass Hindi Entertainment Channel – Zindagi, launched on June 23, 2014, aims to unite people in India and across the world with shows produces overseas. Zindagi kicks off with the collection of best shows picked from across the border that embrace universal emotions. With the launch of the channel, popular Pakistan Actor Imran Abbas, who will soon be seen on Indian Television for the first time through Zindagi, visits the capital city to meet and greet the Indian viewers.
Imran Abbas is the first actor from the talented powerhouse of actors from across the border whose shows will be aired on Zindagi, to come down to Indian to represent the Pakistan Actor Fraternity while also talking about his association with Zindagi. Imran will be seen in Zindagi’s upcoming show ‘Mera Naseeb’ opposite British Pakistani actress Sanam Saeed. The actor’s visit to Delhi strengthens the channel proposition ‘Jodey Dilon Ko’ based on the fact that even if people across the globe are culturally different, the stories of their lives are universal.
Talking about his association with Zindagi, Imran said, “It is a feeling of great honor to be present here today amongst you all as a representative of the Actor fraternity of Pakistan. We are very proud to have been associated with a channel like Zindagi. In Pakistan, we have grown up watching Bollywood films and Indian television shows. I am extremely delighted to be one of the few actors from Pakistan whose shows will be aired officially on Indian Television.”
Zindagi has lined up classic masterpieces of Pakistan for Indian audiences who will be able to tune into some beautiful shows that suit their palates. In its launch phase, the channel will woo the audiences with the best shows from Pakistan handpicked selectively to give audiences on this side of the border the sense of true cultural affinity that the both countries share. Zindagi will touch your hearts and television screens on June 23, 2014 with popular Pakistani shows like ‘Zindagi Gulzar Hai’, ‘Aunn Zara’ and ‘Kaash Main Teri Beti Na Hoti’.
Tune into ‘Zindagi Gulzar Hai’ at 8:00 pm, ‘Aunn Zara’ at 8:55 pm, ‘Kaash Main Teri Beti Na Hoti’ at 9:45 pm and ‘Kitni Girhain Baaki Hain’ at 10:15 pm, Monday to Sunday only on Zindagi!!!

About Zindagi
Zindagi is the latest channel to be launched by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL), one of India’s leading television, media and entertainment companies. ZEEL is amongst the largest producers and aggregators of Hindi programming in the world, with an extensive library housing over 1.2 lakh + hours of television content and with rights to more than 3,500 movie titles from foremost studios and of iconic film star. Through its strong presence worldwide, ZEEL entertains over 700+ million viewers across 170 countries. Zindagi is a reflection of ZEEL’s corporate philosophy of ‘VasudhaivaKutumbakam’ meaning “The World Is My Family’. The channel will bring international content to India with an underlying theme  that people may be culturally different, celebrating different festivals, living across borders, however, the stories of our lives which are universal bind us together and bring us closer:  ‘Zindagi….JodeyDilonKo’. Zindagi aims to showcase Real, Friendly, Vibrant and Premium stories and will engage and interact with its audience through diverse shows written by award-winning novelists, literary stalwarts and many of these shows are adapted from famous novels and books. Zindagi will be available 24 hours on both Analog and Digital (DTH and digital cable) platforms in India.

For further information
Usha Rachael Thomas
Usha.thomas@zee.esselgroup.com




INSTITUTO CERVANTES DE NUEVA DELHI – CULTURA – JUNIO 2014

27 06 2014


INSTITUTO CERVANTES DE NUEVA DELHI  -  CULTURA  -  JUNIO 2014  -  Web

Cine: “Argentina Fútbol Club”

Cinema: “Argentina Soccer Club”
29/06/2014  Auditorio, Instituto Cervantes. 4:30 p.m.  
Ciclo de cine “Días de Fútbol”: “Argentina Fútbol Club”Sinopsis: ¿Cuál es el origen de la identidad del fútbol en Argentina y qué elementos socioculturales la definen? El documental intentará descifrar esta incógnita a través del evento futbolístico a nivel de clubes más importante y apasionante del país, el clásico entre Boca y River. Pero, ¿representan estos clubes la verdadera identidad del fútbol argentino?
 Ver el trailer
 
“Soccer Days” Film Series: “Argentina Soccer Club”
Synopsis: The feature film, Juan Pablo Rubio’s Argentina Futbol Club, dances to a different rhythm — the tango — as it talks to fans, players, and coaches about the greatest club rivalry of them all: Boca Juniors vs. River Plate.
In Spanish with English subtitles. Free entry.



AGENDA
6/07/2014Auditorio, Instituto Cervantes. 4:30 p.m.  
Ciclo de cine de animación: “El bosque animado”Sinopsis: Todos los días el ocioso Sr. D’Abondo y su fiel criado Rosendo atraviesan la Fraga Cecebre exclamando: ‘Así dios me salve si no me parece que estuviera animado el bosque entero’. Un día unos hombres plantan un nuevo inquilino, un engreido poste de teléfono. Aquí comienzan los problemas, y si hay un experto en problemas, ese es Furi, un pequeño y simpático topo enamorado de Linda, y que un día desaparece junto con toda la colonia de topos de la fraga. Los habitantes del bosque se aliarán para solucionar los problemas de la fraga y llevar de nuevo la armonía y la felicidad al bosque.
Animation Film Series: “The Living Forest”Synopsis: Except when there’s people around, the mysterious woods of Cecebre resound with the conversation of the various animals and even the oaks, chestnuts, birches and weeping willows. But man plant who seems a leafless tree, actually a telephone pole, which also sprouts from mouth but speaks like his human makers. A scientist decides to catch one mole, Linda, for his dissertation, but his bossy wife, a ‘fashionable’ ugly bitch, takes it and wants them all to make fur-coats ‘now mink is out’; Linda’s lover Furi escapes, learns the truth which the trees heard from the telephone wires and sets out to the rescue in the human world, where everything natural is abused. Spanish.
In Spanish with English subtitles. Free entry.
 
13/07/2014Auditorio, Instituto Cervantes. 4:30 p.m.  
Ciclo de cine de animación: “Arrugas”Sinopsis: La historia está ambientada en una casa de retiro y gira en torno a la amistad entre dos hombres de edad avanzada, uno de ellos en las primeras etapas de la enfermedad de Alzheimer.
Animation Film Series: “Wrinkles”Synopsis:An astonishing cocktail of friendship, resistance and life set among the unexpected landscape of an elderly care facility
In Spanish with English subtitles. Free entry.


 
COMING SOON
PRÓXIMAMENTE 
Instituto Cervantes
Centenario de Julio CortázarOne hundred years of Julio Cortázar

Instituto Cervantes
Centenario de Octavio PazOne hundred years of Octavio Paz
Instituto Cervantes
Homenaje a Gabriel García MárquezTribute to Gabriel García Márquez
  EL INSTITUTO CERVANTES
EN EL MUNDO
Madrid: Encuentro con Enrique Vila-Matas (+)

Madrid: Meeting with Enrique Vila-Matas (+)
 
Chicago: Exposición “Latino/Us Cotidiano” (+)

Chicago: Exhibition “Latino/Us Cotidiano” (+)
Agenda




Mitaali Nayyar to represent India at 7th World Karate

27 06 2014
Gurgaon’s Mitaali Nayyar to represent India at 7th World Karate Federation Youth Cup in Umag, Croatia to be held from 30th June to 6th July.

At a young age of 13, Mitaali Nayyar who studies at Pathways Aravali and is a Karate student at Sanshinkan Gurgaon has been selected by the World Karate Federation to represent India at the 7th World Karate Federation Youth Cup in Umag, Croatia to be held from 30th June to 6th July.

Please find the following attached:
  1. Detailed Press Release
  2. Selection Letter from Karate Association of India for Mitaali Nayyar
  3. Selection Letter from Karate Association of India for Sensei Yashpal Singh Kalsi as Head Coach of India
  4. Photograph of Mitaali and her Coach Sensei Yashpal Singh Kalsi 
For Further Information Please Contact:
Sensei Yashpal Singh Kalsi
Chief Instructor
Mobile: +91 9312877677
Email: yashpali@hotmail.com
www.sanshinkan.org

Thanks and Regards,
Shikher Gupta




CTC Group strengthens its services by opening a laboratory in India

27 06 2014
Friday 26th of June, 2014,
The French group CTC, worldwide leader in quality assurance for leather, leather goods, footwear, textile and fashion industries, continues to serve manufacturers and brands globally with its international expansion and development of its Asian Hub, strengthening its services with the opening of a laboratory in India.
CTC India offers services and expertise in physical & chemical analysis, PPE testing & certification, inspections, social, technical and factory audits.
Following CTC’s arrival in India in 2011 and the subsequent development of its inspection teams in Delhi, Calcutta and Chennai, CTC is enlarging its scope of services with the opening of a new laboratory in Delhi. This new laboratory, operational since the beginning 2014, will allow CTC greater efficiency and reactivity to its client’s global needs. The laboratory will cover all tests carried out on consumer goods and personal protective equipment.
CTC India laboratory, specialized in leather testing, is located in a strategic region that has seen a rapid growth in leather goods along with a strong demand of quality control from the importers and exporters in this sector. The 7,600 square feet’s laboratory is entirely dedicated to certifying the quality of footwear, PPE goods, leather materials and goods. CTC ensures its commitment to high quality services with an accredited laboratory and international standards.
“The opening of the laboratory emphasizes a new trend in the leather sector in India. We are willing to make a significant contribution in the footwear, PPE goods, leather and leather goods domains in the Indian market by guaranteeing to our clients the quality of the goods.” says Puneet SINGH, India Operational & Sales Manager.
A cocktail dinner will be organised on Friday the 4th of July at the Taj Palace, New Delhi, to celebrate the opening of their new laboratory in India. The event will gather the Council of Leather Exports, buyers, exporters and manufacturers of leather footwear and goods. On this occasion, Jean-Luc CHAVEROT, Development & International Director and Pierre BEAUPOIL, Vice Director for Development from CTC group would be visiting India to attend the event.

About CTC group
For over 100 years, CTC has been assisting manufacturers, distributors and brands from footwear, PPE  goods, leather material, leather goods, textile and fashion industries thanks to its unique expertise and research campus based in Lyon, France.
With a wide range of services including quality assurance and CSR programs, audits, inspections, testing, certification and accreditation, consultancy and training, CTC covers the global needs of its clients from the product development to manufacturing, sourcing and launch on the market. Most of our clients are from fashion, luxury, sport, leisure and personal protective equipment sectors.
For further information about the company please contact: Mr. Puneet SINGH Operational and Sales Manager – India Email: psingh@ctcgroupe.com Mobile: +91 98 10 94 91 70




Madhuri Dixit, UNICEF Celebrity Advocate launches Mamta Abhiyan in Madhya Pradesh

27 06 2014
Madhuri Dixit, UNICEF Celebrity Advocate launches Mamta Abhiyan in Madhya Pradesh
From: Sonia Sarkar <ssarkar@unicef.org> Thu, 26 Jun ’14 9:21p
To: <recipients undisclosed>

 
 
Greetings Please find enclosed video of UNICEF celebrity advocate, Madhuri Dixit launching Govt. of Madhya Padesh programme to curb maternal mortality .
Also please find the speech and press release enclosed.
———————————————————————————————————–
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and UNICEF celebrity advocate, Madhuri Dixit launch communication campaign
Bhopal, India, 26 June 2014 – Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and Popular Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit, today launched a communication campaign ‘Mamta Abhiyan’ which is aimed at saving the lives of newborns and their mothers, in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
The campaign will  not only focus on promoting behaviors that can save the lives of mothers and children, but will also mobilize the frontline workers and advocate with elected representatives to create an enabling environment which prioritizes maternal and child health issues in Madhya Pradesh. The essence of this campaign is to highlight 12 cost effective and simple behaviors which can have a positive impact on maternal and child deaths.
At the launch, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh shared “The government is committed to reducing maternal deaths and infant deaths in Madhya Pradesh and State will do whatever is needed for the same. Shri Chauhan along with Madhuri Dixit launched the new campaign logo, campaign theme song, campaign videos to facilitate discussions around health issues in villages and the communication strategic guidance note for the elected representatives.
Madhuri Dixit in her new role, praised the efforts of the Government of Madhya Pradesh and shared that it was inspiring for her to learn about MP State Government’s partnership with UNICEF and the many initiatives which have been collectively undertaken for saving the lives of newborns and their mothers.
“I wholeheartedly support ‘Mamta Abhiyan’ which will help save lives of children and women. I understand that this campaign is about communicating simple lifesaving messages to all caregivers, and parents with love respect and protection (Sneh, Samman and Suraksha). “
Everyone needs to understand that most maternal and neonatal deaths can be prevented through proven and simple interventions which are part of this campaign, Madhuri added.
Madhuri Dixit was also awarded ‘Mamta Ratan’ award by Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chauhan.
Trevor Clark, Chief of UNICEF, Madhya Pradesh shared ” The State has seen progress in the decline of MMR and IMR, but there is a need to increase the pace of the change and we are glad and thankful to Madhuri Dixit, for joining hands with us  and supporting this process which I am sure which will yield positive results.”
Narottam Mishra, Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Sharad Jain, State Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Anthony JC DeSa, Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh, Pravir Krishn, Principal Secretary Health & Family Welfare also spoke at the event.
Madhya Pradesh has infant mortality rate of 56 per thousand which means 296 infants die every day in the State.  Madhya Pradesh has maternal mortality ratio of 296 per one lakh live birth of children which means that 12 women die each day in the State of Madhya Pradesh due to pregnancy related complications.
For more information, please contact
UNICEF India:
Ms Geetanjali Master #9818105861, gmaster@uncief.org
Ms Sonia Sarkar #9810170289, ssarkar@uncief.org
UNICEF Madhya Pradesh
Mr. Anil Gulati, #91650010849, agulati@uncief.org
Kind regards,
Sonia Sarkar
Communication Officer (Media) , UNICEF India
Tel (+91) 9810170289,9891861445;
Email: ssarkar@unicef.org

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