Thursday 14 March 2013


0815 HRS
14th March, 2013
THE HEADLINES
  • Argentina's Jorge Mario Bergoglio elected as the new Pope.
  • Group of Ministers clears Criminal Law Amendment Bill; Age of consent reduced to 16 years.
  • President says there is convergence of views between India and Mauritius on all issues.
  • Nepal's four major political parties reach an agreement  to form an interim government led by Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi.
  • India to take on Australia in the third cricket test of the four match series in Mohali today.
{}<><>{}
Argentina's Jorge Mario Bergoglio has been elected as the new pope to lead the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics. He has chosen the name Pope Francis. He was elected after five rounds of voting.
   
The 76-year-old from Buenos Aires is the first Latin American and the first Jesuit to become pope. He will be installed officially in an inauguration Mass on Tuesday. Pope Francis replaces Benedict XVI, who resigned last month at the age of 85.
Pope Francis emerged as a surprise choice as he was not among the small group of front runners identified before the election. Pope Francis greeted the crowds in St Peter's Square in Rome after his election last night.
Appearing on a balcony over the square, he asked the faithful to pray for him. Cheers erupted as he gave a blessing. An hour earlier, white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney announced the new Pope's election.
US President Barack Obama sent warm wishes on behalf of the American people to the newly elected pontiff.  Argentina's President Christina Fernandez de Kirchner wished him a fruitful pastoral mission. Other world leaders are also sending their wishes.
{}<><>{}
A Group of Ministers, GoM has cleared the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill aiming at stringent punishment for sexual offences against women. It has recommended lowering the age of consent for sex from 18 years to 16 years where as stalking and voyeurism have been recommended to be made non-bailable offences.
The GoM yesterday held a second round of meeting to evolve a consensus on certain provisions of the bill. Union Cabinet had referred the Bill on Tuesday to the GoM headed by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram.  Talking to  reporters in New Delhi  after the  GoM meeting, the Communication and IT Minister Kapil Sibal said that the Group of Ministers  have reached  a consensus over the  bill.

We have gone through word for word every provision of the proposed bill and all issues have been resolved and now the matter will go to the cabinet and hopefully it will be passed.
{}<><>{}
Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has said that the government is still ascertaining the involvement of Pakistan in the Srinagar terror attack. Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Mr Shinde said that action will be taken after an inquiry into the incident. He said the suicide attack in Srinagar is an indicator that the government has to remain very alert in the Kashmir Valley.
Two terrorists, disguised as cricketers, yesterday stormed a CRPF camp near a school at Bemina in Srinagar, killing five of its personnel in a major suicide attack in the city after a gap of nearly three years the militants are suspected to be from Pakistan.
{}<><>{}
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has reviewed the security situation in the Kashmir Valley in the light of yesterday's terror attack in Bemina area of Srinagar. Five CRPF personnel and the two terrorists were killed in the incident.
Our correspondent reports that authorities imposed curfew in Srinagar city last night as a precautionary measure.


The Chief Minister who airdashed to Srinagar following fidayeen attack in valley in last three years was apprised off the situation and measures to prevent any such incident in future. After perceptible improvement in the situation in Kashmir valley, the recent incident of violence have come up as a big challenge for the government and its various security agencies. Mushtaq Ahmed Tantray, Srinagar
{}<><>{}
For news updates, follow us on Twitter @ airnewsalerts.  You can also visit our facebook page All India Radio News for more news and events. For news updates on mobiles, SMS AIRNEWS and send it to 56060.
{}<><>{}
The President Mr Pranab Mukherjee returned to New Delhi last night after a three-day state visit to Mauritius where he was the chief guest for the 45th Independence Day celebrations. Speaking to media persons on board Air India One on his way back, Mr Mukherjee said he had a rich, wide-ranging and useful exchange of views with the leadership of Mauritius on issues of bilateral, regional and global interests in a very friendly atmosphere. He said there is convergence of views between India and Mauritius on all issues.

We have narrowed the areas of divergence. Next meeting has been decided in first week of  April and I do hope it is possible to resolve the issue, which will be beneficial and acceptable to both sides through dialogue.

Replying to questions by the media on the double tax avoidance agreement, the President said this is an old issue and that the differences have been narrowed down. More from our correspondent:

President Pranab Mukherjee's three-day state visit to Mauritius has been fruitful not only in terms of MOUs signed in the new areas of senior citizens and disabled, health and medicine and tourism, but also in the dialogue covering the vast canvas of the bilateral relationship and strengthening the institutional framework for the relationship to grow. President Mukherjee returned to India convinced that India and Mauritius can further build on the existing multifaceted mutually beneficial relationship. ALPANA PANT SHARMA, AIR NEWS, DELHI.
{}<><>{}
Nepal's four major political parties have reached an agreement to form an interim government led by Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi. Ending more than nine months of deadlock, the UCPN Maoist, the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha struck an 11-point deal to hold fresh Constituent Assembly elections by the 21st of June this year. A report:
 
For the first time in the history of Nepal, an incumbent Chief Justice, Khil Raj Regmi will take over as the head of the interim Election government today aimed at ending the months of political stalemate since the dissolving of the constituent Assembly in May last year. While the main political parties , hammered out eleven point political deal and twenty-five point deal to remove the constitutional hurdles which was endorsed by the Baburam Bhattarai cabinet late last night , the road ahead will not be easy for Mr Regmi as there has been protests from smaller political parties and even the Nepal Bar Association on the decision taken by the four main political forces. JANE NAMCHU, AIR NEWS KATHMANDU
{}<><>{}
The  Information and Broadcasting Minister Mr Manish Tewari has said that the ongoing digitization process would help in building transparency in the system. Delivering the key note address at the Seema Nazareth Award function for excellence in print media in New Delhi yesterday, Mr. Tewari said,  as a mechanism it would also enable the growth of revenue models in the Broadcasting industry leading to the overall growth of the media and entertainment industry in the country.
Referring to challenges that had emerged due to the social media, Mr. Tewari  said these tools had created an unprecedented potential to connect with target audience for the dissemination of news and information.
{}<><>{}
A Delhi court has restrained 6 office bearers of the Delhi and District Cricket Association, DDCA from discharging their function in view of alleged illegalities in their election. Additional District & Sessions Judge Ramesh Kumar restrained DDCA Joint Secretaries Ravi Jain, Ravinder Manchanda, Subhash Sharma, Vivek Gupta and also Members of the Executive Committee Ashok Sharma and SK Chaudhary from discharging any function as office bearers of the DDCA. The court passed the order on a suit initiated by Rajneesh Aggarwal and Vinod Garg who approached the court after losing the elections for the post of Joint Secretary.
{}<><>{}
The third cricket test of the 4-match series between India and Australia will be played at the Punjab Cricket Stadium in Mohali from today. All India Radio will broadcast a live commentary on the match on the Rajdhani and FM Gold channels. The commentary on the first day will be available from 9 AM, while on the rest of the days, can be heard from 9:20 AM till the end of play.
The final test between the two teams will be played at Delhi from the 22nd of March.
{}<><>{}
The Income Tax Department has urged taxpayers to clear their self-assessment dues by the 31st of this month. The Revenue Department said about 73,388 people have defaulted on payments of self-assessment tax aggregating to  3,859 crore rupees.
{}<><>{}
NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES
Yesterday's Fidayeen attack on CRPF personnel in the Kashmir Valley, is highlighted by the Press. "3-year-calm shattered in Srinagar as fidayeen kill 5 CRPF Jawans", headlines the Times of India. The paper adds that this killing may put withdrawl of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act on the back burner.
The top headline in the Indian Express reads, "After food, UPA proposes homes for rural poor". The "Right to Homestead Bill", another flagship programme of the UPA government promising homes, has been readied and will be circulated among ministries and states on March 18th.
"Bergoglio of Argentina is the New Pope", writes the Hindu. He was elected in a surprise choice to be the new leader of a troubled Roman Catholic Church. Calling for brotherhood, he said he came "from the other end of the world".
"Italy's action not acceptable, says Prime Minister", reports Hindustan Times. Dr. Manmohan Singh warned Italy of 'consequences', if it did not stand by its commitment to send back two marines accused of shooting two Indian fisherman.
"RBI may cut rates", headlines HT Business. The paper adds, "Growth is key - RBI governor D Subbarao is poised to side step inflation to reduce ratio by 0.25%.
The Financial Express writes that India, the world's second largest rice, wheat and cotton producer, may get normal monsoon rainfall this year boosting planting and exports.
Tribal farmers in Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh have adopted an innovative, effective and cheap irrigation technique to grow vegetables, using discarded plastic saline bottles. The base of the bottle is removed, filled with water and the nozzle made to touch the ground near the plant root, thereby, supplying continuous moisture to the plant.
And Finally, Times of India tells us that the humble Karela has emerged as a giant slayer of pancreatic cancer cells, according to a University of Colorado study. Bitter gourd or Karela juice has the ability to cut off energy sources to pancreatic cancer cells, eventually killing them off.

No comments:

Post a Comment