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6th January , 2013

THE HEADLINES:

• Prime Minister to lay the foundation stone of the 20,000 crore rupee BPCL Kochi Refinery expansion project in Kerela tomorrow.

• Six people killed in a residential building fire in West Midnapore district of West Bengal.

• Delhi records lowest minimum temperature of 1.9 degrees Celsius severe cold wave continues to sweep North India.

• And in the third and final One Day International cricket match, Indialose four early wickets.

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The Prime Minister will lay the foundation for the 20,000 crore rupees BPCL Kochi Refinery expansion project at Ambalamugal tomorrow. He will arrive in Kochitomorrow on a two day visit to Kerala.

The Project envisages increasing the refining capacity of the Refinery from the current level of 9.5 million metric tonnes to 16.5 million metric tonnes per annum, at a cost of 14,000 crore rupees. It also involves a 6,000 crore rupee diversification project of the Refinery into the petrochemical field.

On Tuesday, Dr. Manmohan Singh will formally inaugurate the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Kochi. Over 2,000 delegates from different parts of the world, are participating in the three day meet. A seminar on NRls in the Gulf region, will be held as part of the event, which will be inaugurated by Union Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs, Vayalar Ravi.

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The five accused in the December's gang rape case of a 23-year old girl in Delhi will be produced before the court tomorrow. The newly set up fast-track court in Delhi yesterday took cognizance of the charge sheet filed by police in the case and asked them to be produced tomorrow.

The Metropolitan Magistrate said, prima facie offence have been made out under sections for murder, attempt to murder, gang rape, unnatural offences, dacoity, destruction of evidence, conspiracy and other offences. These carry the death penalty as the maximum punishment.

The paramedic student was gang raped by 6 people in Delhi on December the 16th. The girl later died in a hospital in Singapore. The five accused are Ram Singh, his brother Mukesh and their accomplices Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur. The sixth accused is a juvenile and proceedings against him will be conducted by the Juvenile Justice Board.

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Former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma has launched his own National People's Party (NPP) and joined hands with the BJP-led NDA. Launching the NPP at the national level, Sangma told reporters in New Delhi yesterday that it has been active as a recognised party from Manipur for long.

The former Speaker, who is president of the party, said his daughter Agatha, MP from Tura, Meghalaya, will remain in the NCP for the time-being on technical grounds, but sounded confident that she will fight the next elections as an NPP candidate.

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In West Bengal, six persons, including a 7-month old baby, were burnt to death at Jhargram in West Midnapur District this morning. The Superintendent of Police of Jhargram told AIR that the incident occurred when a fire broke out in a double-storied building. Preliminary investigation has revealed that the electric short-circuit could be the cause of the fire. Police has started an inquiry into the incident.

Meanwhile, in Gujarat, the major fire that broke out in a diesel storage tank at Hazira terminal of Indian Oil Corporation near Surat, has been brought under control. Fire had broken out after an explosion at tank number four of the diesel storage yesterday. Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moily has reached the spot to take stock of the situation. Surat District Collector has confirmed that two dead bodies have been recovered from the incident site. Quoting IOC sources, Our Correspondent reports that a leakage had developed at tank number 4 three days ago and welding work was going on there.

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In Chhattisgarh, three police personnel, including an Additional Superintendent, were injured after an explosive device planted by the Maoists, blew up near Dabnahi nala in Gariaband district, about 130 kilometers away from the state capital. Our correspondent reports that the incident took place at around 4 this morning, when the additional SP and constables rushed to the spot following information that Maoists had blocked the Raipur-Mainpur road. The policemen found a bag on the spot, which they tried to open leading to an explosion. All the three injured were rushed to the Raipur hospital. CRPF searched the area and found another bomb. The Bomb disposal Squad was pressed into service to defuse it.

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In Assam, eight ULFA cadres and linkmen were arrested from different places yesterday. Official sources said, three anti-talk ULFA cadres were apprehended in Nalbari district. Acting on a tip off, the security forces arrested them. In another incident, police arrested five ULFA linkmen from different places in Tinsukia district. Further investigations are on.

Meanwhile, all the police stations have been asked to remain alert to avert any disturbance. State Additional DGP, A P Rout said that alert has already been sounded in the run-up to the Republic day celebrations. Security forces had recovered two powerful IEDs on Friday and gunned down one ULFA militant in Tinsukia district.

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In Assam, security forces gunned down one Garo National Liberation Army, GNLA militant at Nabang Bazar area in Goalpara district this morning. The Additional SP of Goalpara said, acting on a tip off that six to seven militants were hiding in the area, the police and army launched a joint operation. After a gun battle, one militant was killed while another fled. A massive manhunt is on to nab the hiding militants. One Carbine was also seized from the spot.

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Cold wave continues unabated in the northern part of the country.

In Uttar Pradesh, cold wave continues across the state, forcing people to remain indoors. According to official estimates, 143 people have lost their lives in the current cold wave. Our correspondent reports that school vacations have been extended till the 9th of this month.

The minimum temperature fell to one degree at many places in western and eastern regions. The temperature ranged between 5 to 7 degrees Celsius at12 noon. Chilly winds are forcing people to remain indoors. Poor and shelterless people are largely depending upon bonfire and tin sheds of shops, railway platforms and government night shelters. The met office has predicted no respite in ongoing cold wave for next 24 hours. Salman Haider/AIR news/Gorakhpur."

In the national capital, people continued to shiver, as mercury fell to the season's lowest of 1.9 degrees Celsius, five notches below normal and down from yesterday's 2.9 degree Celsius. Yesterday, the maximum temperature also witnessed a significant dip. It plummeted to 12.6 degree Celsius, eight degree below the average. According to the MeT department, the city will have a clear day ahead, with the maximum temperature expected to hover around 12 degree Celsius.

Meanwhile, foggy weather continues to hamper road and rail traffic in the city. More than 13 Delhi-bound trains have been cancelled, while 40 have been delayed by several hours.

However, flight operations at the Indira Gandhi International Airport remained normal for the second consecutive day today even as the airport witnessed shallow to moderate fog.

Intense cold wave conditions are prevailing in the Jammu region. The day temperature broke a two decade old record. The temperature was recorded 8.4 degree Celsius, which is nearly seven degrees below normal. Our correspondent has filed this report,

Dense fog coupled with severe cold has paralyzed normal life in plain areas of Jammu causing lot of inconvenience to the general public. Poor visibility continued to effect badly air, train and vehicular- traffic. The MeT official said that weather will be mainly dry and cold over the State adding that foggy conditions are likely to continue for a few days over the plains in Jammuregion. CHANDER KANT SHARMA/AIR news from JAMMU

In Rajasthan, most of the places are reeling under severe cold, with mercury dropping to 1 to 3 degrees Celsius in the last 12 hours. Churu was the coldest place in the state today where minimum temperature was recorded at minus 2.2 degree Celsius. At Mount Abu, the only hill station of the state, the temperature is being recorded at zero degree Celsius since the last three days. More from our correspondent,

Capital Jaipur is witnessing this seasons coldest day with 3.2 degree Celsius minimum temperature. At Sriganganagar,Karoli and Fatehpur temperature was recorded below 1 degree Celsius while at Alwar today's temperature is 1 and at Pali 2.5 degree Celsius. Bharatpur, Bundi, Ajmer ,Chittorgarh and Sawai Madhopur are also shivering due to harsh winds, at all these places temperatures are ranging between 3 to 5 degree Celsius. ANURAG VAJPEYI/AIR news/JAIPUR

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In Punjab and Haryana temperature was recorded 5 degrees below normal. Both minimum and maximum temperatures are decreasing daily. The entire region is engulfed under a thick layer of fog. Early in the morning, visibility remained very poor and traffic moved at a snail’s pace.

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Maharashtra Chief Minister, Prithviraj Chavan has said that stringent steps would be taken to curb wastage of drinking water and its usage for non-drinking purposes as the state is on the verge of facing one of its worst droughts in the recent years. Speaking at Manjari near Pune yesterday, Mr. Chavan said, major parts in the state including Pune region, Marathwada and parts of Vidarbha, have been facing a severe water crisis and the situation is likely to worsen. This is the first time, there is not enough water even for drinking. Hence, unprecedented and stringent decisions which no government has taken earlier, have became inevitable, he added.

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Iran has reported that the total volume of its foreign trade in the first three quarters of financial year 2012-13 during March till December 2012 was around 72 billion US dollars despite the sanctions and restrictions imposed on the country's economy. An Iranian news agency said that Iran exported 31.7 billion dollars worth of non-oil goods, including gas condensate, and imported around 40.47 billion dollars worth of products in this period. The report specifically mentioned India along withIraq, China, the UAE and Afghanistan were the main importers of Iranian non-oil goods.

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In Pakistan's Balochistan province, armed militants last night attacked a passenger train and killed four people, including a Frontier Corps personnel. Dozen others were also injured. An official said, armed militants opened fire on the Quetta bound passenger train in Mach area of Bolan district. The attack was followed by an exchange of fire between the militants and security personnel in the nearby mountains. The train was stopped for almost three hours and then it was allowed to proceed towards Quetta where it arrived under strict security.

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A small aircraft carrying the Chief Executive of Italy's Missoni fashion house, Vittorio Missoni and five others, has disappeared off Venezuela. The missing people include Missoni, his wife, and a few of their friends. Missoni and his wife were on their way to the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, from the resort island of Los Roques in theCaribbean Sea after his vacation there. The aircraft, a BN-2 Islander, lost contact just after take off on Friday morning.

Rescue workers are using boats and aircraft in the search for the plane but authorities said, no sign of it had been found.

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In cricket, hosts India were 111 for 6 in 29 overs against Pakistan in the final One day International of the 3-match series at the Feroz Shah Kolta Stadium in Delhi, when reports last came in.

Earlier, Indian Skipper MS Dhoni won the toss and opted to bat first. Opener Ajinkya Rahane and Pacer Shami Ahmed found a place in India's playing eleven today, in place of Virender Sehwag and Ashok Dinda. Azhar Ali made way for Umar Akmal, which was Pakistan's only change.

Visitors, Pakistan have already bagged the series by winning the first two ODI matches at Chennai and Kolkata.

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The number of Heads of States using the social media network, Twitter to engage with the citizens has gone up by 78 percent in 2012 as compared to 2011. Three out of four Heads of States are now using Twitter accounts. US President Barack Obama is the most watched world leader on Twitter, with 25 million followers. He is followed by Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, with 3.5 million followers. Turkish President Gul Mohammad is placed third in this list. From the West Asia region, UAE President and the Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Mkhtoum is placed ninth in the list of Heads of states followed by Twitter users. These findings have been revealed in the latest report by the US based think tank the Digital Policy Council, DPC.

According to the report, the most-followed woman on the list is the Jordan Queen Rania Al Abdullah ,who used her account as a political channel to represent the viewpoints of the King Abdullah II of Jordan in the past. It says that the Middle East region also saw a rise in the heads of state that joined Twitter. In 2012, five out of the top 15 heads of state using Twitter came from Middle Eastern countries. Arab Spring players such as Libya, Tunisia, and Iraq also had their heads of state adopted Twitter along with Qatar and Afghanistan.