1400 HRS

10th January , 2013

THE HEADLINE:

• Delhi Police apologises unconditionally to Delhi High Court for submitting inadequate report on status of investigations into December 16th gang-rape incident.

• Government approves 12,200 crore rupees recapitalization programme for Public Sector Banks.

• 25 people including 11 children, killed in a road accident in Aurangabad district of Bihar.

• Second Jawan killed by the Pakistani Army in Poonch sector in Jammu and Kashmir cremated with full state and military honours.

• 39th Under-20 National Women Hockey Championship gets underway in Hyderabad today.

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The Delhi Police today apologised unconditionally to the Delhi High Court for submitting an inadequate report on the status of its investigations into the brutal gang-rape of a student on a moving bus on the 16th December. Yesterday, the court asked why the police appears determined to protect officers responsible for the many lapses that facilitated the attack on the student on a bus that had tinted windows, which is illegal. The court also asked how the bus managed to clear several police check points. The judges wanted to know why the most senior officer, the Police Commissioner should not be held accountable for the failure of the police in protecting the student.

Once again, the judges said today that they wanted to know the name of the officers because no one should escape accountability. The court also said that the city needs more than the 600 police vans that patrol the city. It said vehicles on the road must be checked carefully for tinted windows, which is not permissible in Delhi. The court also said that the functions to be performed by police vans must be carefully reviewed.

The government has set up a committee headed by retired High Court judge Usha Mehra to fix accountability for the attack. Separately, the Home Ministry has ordered an inquiry into allegations by the victim's friend that when the couple was lying injured on the road, the police officers who showed up wasted time arguing about jurisdiction and which hospital the couple should be moved to.

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A Delhi court today fixed February 4th for framing charges against sacked CWG Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi in corruption cases. He is alleged to have conspired and caused a loss of over 90 crore rupees to the public exchequer in a Games-related graft case.

Special CBI Judge Ravinder Kaur deferred the framing of charges, saying she needs more time to go through the entire records of the case before passing any order. The special judge took charge of this court on January 2 after the earlier judge, who had ordered framing of charges, was transferred. The case was fixed for today for formally framing of charges against all the accused.

The court had on December 21st passed the order on framing of charges under various provisions of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act against Kalmadi and nine others, including former Organising Committee Secretary General Lalit Bhanot.

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The Government today approved 12,200 crore rupee recapitalisation programme for public sector banks. The decision was taken in a Cabinet meeting held in New Delhi today. The recapitalisation programme has been undertaken with a view to redress the financial health of public sector banks. The proposed capital infusion will enhance the lending capacity of the public sector banks to meet the credit requirement of the economy and also to maintain and accelerate the economic growth momentum.

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Efforts for formation of a new government in Jharkhand picked up momentum this morning in Ranchi as the State's Congress President Pradeep Balmuchu met the State Governor Syyed Ahmed. Speaking to the media after the meeting,Balmuchu said that there will be a new government in the state very soon.

However, many important groups like the BJP, JVM, AJSU, JD(U) and CPI(ML) are opposing either formation of any new government or imposition of Presidents Rule. JVM Chief and former Chief Minister of the State Babulal Marandi met the Governor yesterday and demanded fresh polls after the dissolution of the Assembly.

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The BJP today urged the Jharkhand Governor Syed Ahmed to dissolve the house to pave, the way for a mid-term poll in the state. Handing over a memorandum to the governor at Raj Bhavan in Ranchi, the BJP delegation led by its state unit chief Dinesh Anand Goswami told Ahmed that any delay in dissolving the House could lead to horse trading, which Jharkhand was infamous for.

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In Madhya Pradesh, the situation in curfew bound Raisen town is peaceful and under control. The relaxation in curfew has been further extended till 4 pm today. Earlier, relaxation in curfew was given for five hours from 7 AM to 12 noon. Shops of essential commodities are open in the town market but the main markets are closed. Indefinite curfew was imposed in Raisen last night as a precautionary measure after a dispute between two groups.

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In Bihar, twenty-five people, including 11 children, were killed and 10 others injured when a speeding truck overturned and fell into a roadside ditch near Titai Bigha in Aurangabad district in the wee hours today. About 35 people were on board and 25 of them were killed when the truck turned turtle. Ten others were injured and have been admitted to Sadar hospital.

Sub Divisional Police Officer Praveen Kumar Parai told the news agency from the accident spot that the injured had told him the truck driver was drunk and that he along with his assistant had fled from the spot. The truck, carrying 35 labourers, were returning to their native Lesiganj village in Daltonganj district bordering Jharkhand.

State Cooperative Minister Ramadhar Singh condoled the deaths and said the state government would provide 50,000 rupees each as compensation to the families of the deceased.

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Lance Nayak Sudhakar Singh, who was killed by the Pakistani Army in Poonch sector in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, was cremated with full state and military honours this afternoon in his village Dhadiya in Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced an ex-gratia of 15 lakh rupees and a residential plot to the martyr's family. He also offered a job to the wife of late Lance Nayak, if she desires. A memorial will also be built in his native village.

Outraged by the brutal killing of two of its soldiers by intruding Pakistani troops, India yesterday strongly protested to Pakistan, warning that the unacceptable incident will have an adverse impact on ties. Pakistan High Commissioner Salman Bashir was summoned by Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai, who conveyed India's deepest concern and protest over which two Indian soldiers were killed and their bodies subjected to mutilation. Pakistan was also asked to immediately investigate actions that are in contravention of all norms of international conduct and ensure that these do not recur. External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid called the incident completely unacceptable. 

Referring to last month's Indo-Pak discussions on conventional CBMs, wherein maintaining the sanctity of the LoC, was emphasised, Khurshid said violation of the cease-fire itself is something which is a matter of great concern. He said if it is not immediately, contained, it will have an adverse impact on bilateral relations. India's Director General of Military Operations Lt Gen Vinod Bhatia spoke to his Pakistani counterpart Maj Gen Ashfaq Nadeem to protest the attack.

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India today called for adopting a concerted and sustainable strategy for child survival for the progressive reduction in maternal mortality, infant mortality, neo-natal mortality and under-5 mortality rates. Addressing a two-day meeting of health secretaries and senior advisors of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) which began in New Delhi, Health Secretary P K Pradhan said these countries can together play a major role in influencing global health of women and children.

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In a major prisoner swap, the Syrian rebels have freed 48 Iranians in exchange for 2130 prisoners, including women and children. The prisoners were held by Syrian authorities. Our West Asia correspondent has filed this report:-

"The 48 Iranian hostages were kidnapped by the Islamist rebel outfits off Damascus in August last year when they were reportedly going in a bus towards a Shiite shrine. The rebel groups claimed that they were the members of Iranian Republicans Guard on a reconnaissance mission to help gather intelligence and support the Syrian regime. Iran denied these allegations and said they were Shiite pilgrims who had gone to visit a holy shrine near Damascus. The Iranian authorities then requested Turkey and Qatar Governments to secure the release of hostages. The Syrian rebels said the released Syrian prisoners were either rebel sympathizers or supporters including women and children held in Syrian jails. ATUL TIWARY/ AIR NEWS."

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Fire crews in south-east Australia are racing to bring hundreds of bushfires under control before temperatures rise and winds pick up again. More than 120 blazes are still burning in New South Wales, razing at least three lakh hectares of land and killing thousands of livestock. Cooler weather has brought some reprieve but forecasters predict another hot spell during the weekend. The fires have destroyed buildings in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.

Forecasters say the temperatures will stay above 30 degree Celsius across the state and are expected to reach the high 40s in some parts today.

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Back Home;

Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Kumari Selja has urged the private sector to focus on skill development and promotion of entrepreneurship qualities among the weaker sections of society. She was addressing a meeting in New Delhi to review the progress made by the private sector, especially for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The Minister called for wider publication of the success stories of the weaker sections of society. Selja advised the industrial houses to organise more and more events for creating awareness among these people.

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Punjab has lost more than 31,000 people to the deadly Cancer in the last five years. The fact has come to light during the month long door to door campaign started by the state health department in December last year, for early detection of cancer and its subsequent treatment. We bring you a report:

"The health department has also found more than eighty thousand suspected Cancer patients during this exercise. The suspects would be re-examined. Out of 54 lakh houses in the state having 2.73 crore population, more than 47.69 lakh houses involving over 2.48 crore population had been checked for Cancer in the first phase of the exercise. Rest would be examined in the second phase. Rajesh Bali/ AIR NEWS. Jalandhar".

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The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange opened with a good gain of 103 points, or 0.5 per cent, at 19,769, this morning. But later, the Sensex gave up its initial gains, and stood 6 points in the negative territory, at 19,660, in volatile afternoon trade, a short while ago.

But other Asian markets in Japan, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan had gained between 0.4 percent and 1 percent, today, on better-than-expected Chinese economic data. Over on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average had added 0.5 percent, yesterday.

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The 39th Under-20 National Women Hockey Championship will be held in Hyderabad from today. President of the Indian Hockey Federation Dinesh Reddy said the National Women’s Hockey team will be picked up from the week long tournament. 21 teams from various states will play 18 league matches and seven knockout matches before the final match on the 16^{th of this month.}

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NEWS JUST IN

The Delhi High Court today accepted a fresh status report disclosing the names of police officials patrolling the area in which a 23-year-old girl was gang raped in a moving bus in Delhi , after the city police tendered apology for not disclosing the names earlier.

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Delhiites today experienced a pleasant morning with the minimum temperature rising more than a degree to settle at 5.8 degrees Celsius. Yesterday, the maximum was registered at 20.9 degree Celsius. For the past one week, the national capital has been witnessing cold wave conditions with both minimum and maximum temperatures remaining five degree Celsius below normal. The Weatherman had forecast mostly clear skies for today with the maximum temperature hovering around 21 degree Celsius.

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Operations at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi is normal today as the airport remains fog-free. However, two flights were cancelled and 14 delayed due to operational reasons of the airlines. An airport official said, the runway visibility remained above 2,000 metres during the night and in the morning.