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26th  February, 2013

THE HEADLINES:

• Railway Budget 2013 to be presented in Lok Sabha today.
• CBI names former Air Force Chief in its Preliminary Enquiry into the VVIP chopper deal case.
• Singapore doctor testifies as prosecution witness in the 16th December Delhi gang rape case.
• Six major world powers to hold talks with Iran over its controversial nuclear program in Kazakhstan today.
• India poised for victory in the first cricket test against Australia in Chennai.
• And, India's Somdev Devvarman advances into the Men's Singles pre-quarterfinals of the Dubai Open Tennis tournament.

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The Railway Budget 2013-14 will be presented in the Lok Sabha by the Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal today. This will be the first Rail Budget to be presented by a Congress Minister after 17 years. It is also Mr. Bansal's maiden Railway Budget. The Minister is likely to announce a number of passenger friendly measures such as improvement in catering services, development of stations and launching of several new trains.

All India Radio will broadcast a special programme from 1130 hours onwards, followed by live broadcast of presentation of the Railway Budget in the Lok Sabha by the Railway Minister. A special live discussion will also be broadcast immediately after the presentation of the Railway Budget. It can be heard on FM Gold Channel and additional frequencies.

In view of the above broadcasts, the Language bulletins originally scheduled between 1230 and 1400 hours, have been re-scheduled.

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The Central Bureau of Investigation, CBI has named a former Air Force Chief in its Preliminary Enquiry into allegations of kickbacks in the 3,600 crore-rupee VVIP chopper deal. The investigation agency, in a statement said, besides the then Chief of Air Staff, it has registered a Preliminary Enquiry against five private persons; an Italy-based company; a UK-based Company; three middlemen and two India-based private firms. The Statement added that in the procurement process of the Helicopters, some middlemen influenced the deal in favour of UK based company. It is also alleged that the Italy based company paid commission in terms of several millions of Euros to the middle men.

All the suspects have denied allegations of receiving or giving kickbacks in the deal. Further investigations are on.

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Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has reiterated that the Centre is keen to set up National Counter Terrorism Centre, NCTC to firmly deal with terrorism. After a meeting with the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Frasergunj in South 24 Parganas district of the State, Mr. Shinde said that he had taken up the issue once again with Ms. Banerjee and she is positive about it.

I will pursue NCTC but many State Chief Ministers are opposing that. I will have still talk to them. I have already taken this issue NCTC with this Chief Minister and this Chief Minister Mamtaji is very cooperative on this issue. Wherever the country faces difficulty, this Chief Minister will support us.

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The Special Teams of Central Crime Station of Andhra Police have begun recording statements of the injured in Hyderabad twin blasts. Police official said, the information will help to draw the conclusion of Hyderabad blasts case.

Meanwhile, a Public Interest Litigation has been filed in the state High Court, seeking a direction to the State Government to take strongest possible anti-sabotage measures to prevent bomb blasts to save lives of innocent people.

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The Supreme Court has refused to entertain a contempt petition filed by Tamil Nadu against Karnataka in the Cauvery water dispute case. The apex court noted that Karnataka has complied with its direction to release 2.44 TMC feet of water to the aggrieved state. The bench, headed by Justice R M Lodha, posted the final hearing on the dispute between the warring states for 6th of August.

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The Supreme Court has issued contempt notice to Director General of Civil Aviation, DGCA, seeking his explanation for not complying with its order to bring new set of rules to rationalise the flying hours for pilots. A bench of justices P Sathasivam and JS Khehar issued notice to DGCA on a contempt petition filed by an association of Indian pilots seeking its direction for the aviation regulating body for not bringing new Civil Aviation Regulations to minimise accidents caused by pilot fatigue. The bench asked the DGCA to respond within three weeks.

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Six major world powers Russia, China, US, France, UK and Germany will hold talks with Iran over its controversial nuclear program in Kazakhastan city of Almaty today. Our correspondent reports that the Iranian team of negotiators will be led by its National Security Chief Saeed Jalili while the P5+1 team of negotiators is led by the European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

The P 5 +1 meeting with Iran assumes significance in the wake of stiff sanctions by the western nations and US over Iran and Teheran’s insistence on recognizing its rights to enrich Uranium. Western nations have been demanding that Iran should shut down its Fordow enrichment plant, stop enriching Uranium to higher grade and ship whatever enriched uranium it has to the other countries. Iran says it will not forego its right to uranium enrichment and asked for sanctions to be lifted. Atul Tiwari, AIR News, Dubai.

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The doctor of a Singapore hospital, who had conducted the post mortem examination of the 16th December gangrape victim, testified as a prosecution witness through video conferencing in a Delhi court. Additional Sessions Judge Yogesh Khanna, who is heading the fast track court set up to try cases of sexual offences, recorded the statement of Dr Paul Chui, Senior Consultant (forensic pathology) at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore. Chui's examination concluded yesterday after he was cross examined by the counsel appearing for five accused.

The court, which is hearing in-camera proceedings in the case on day-to-day basis, has fixed today for recording of evidence of another doctor, who had treated the girl at the Singapore hospital.

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In Nagaland, re-poll is being held today in nine polling stations covering eight assembly constituencies of seven districts which went to polls on Saturday last. The re-poll is necessitated following damage of Electronic Voting Machines, electoral malpractices and intervention due to inter-state border dispute, at the polling stations. More from our correspondent:

Amidst tight security re-polling began at seven this morning and will continue up to four in the afternoon. Reports received now here in Kohima say that unmindful of the violence leased last time, voters have come out in comparatively large numbers in most of the polling stations and are waiting for their turn to cast vote. All the polling stations have been provided with foolproof security, with deployment of central paramilitary forces. With Ibomcha Sharma, this is Anenla Jamir, AIR News, Kohima

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An unclaimed laptop bag was found outside the Army Research and Referral Hospital in Delhi Cantonment area yesterday, leading to a security scare. The Delhi Police and bomb disposal squad reached the spot and found that the black laptop bag contained a device with circuits. Police said that Army's 202 Bomb Squad destroyed the bag at 5.20 PM.

Meanwhile, another unclaimed bag on a motorcycle on Greater Kailash-I market of South Delhi also created panic. But the bag was found to belong to a man who had come to the market. Police gave an all-clear sign after checking the bag and questioning its owner.

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State owned company Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, BHEL has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Indian Railways for setting up Main Line Electrical Multiple Units, MEMU coach manufacturing facility for Railways. The proposed facility for production of MEMU coaches will be set up by BHEL at Bhilwara in Rajasthan. Speaking on the occasion, the Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said that MEMU train is a better mode of rapid transit system in catering to the needs of non-suburban passengers residing in small towns and villages.

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The Securities and Exchange Board of India, SEBI has initiated a probe into the panic selling of some mid-cap and small-cap shares that crashed yesterday. Suspecting foul play, SEBI and the Bombay Stock Exchange are looking into possible links of a rogue trader who has been barred from the capital markets but could still be trading through front entities. The Mid Cap index had declined 1.2 per cent while the Small Cap had shed 1.36 per cent to end the day.

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IN SPORTS NEWS:

Team India is inching towards a comprehensive victory against Australia in the first cricket Test at Chennai. With a lead of 40 runs in the second innings and just 1 wicket in hand, Australia will resume their second innings at the overnight score of 232 for 9 on the final day today. Moises Henriques on 75 and Nathan Lyon on 8 were at the crease, when stumps were drawn yesterday.

Yesterday, replying to Australia's 380, Team India were all out for 572. Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who took 7 wickets in the first innings, continued his magic with the ball, bagging 5 wickets.

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India’s Somdev Devvarman has cruised into the Men's Singles pre-quarterfinals of the Dubai Open Tennis Championship. In his opening round match yesterday, Somdev defeated Russia’s Igor Kunitsyn, who was a wild card entry, in straight sets 6-1, 6-4.

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NEWSPAPER HEADLINES 

"Mission Possible" reads the Mail Today headline, as it reports India's PSLV successfully put into orbit Seven Satellites in the space of four minutes, including an Indo-French oceanographic spacecraft that will study changes in the environment.

The front page story on Hindustan Times says, the UPA Government is set to go all out to woo women in the coming budget with a slew of incentives including gender-oriented spending programmes, Special Saving Schemes and greater tax exemptions.

"The Oscar Goes to..." under this headline, The Statesman on its front page has shown the photograph of the winners of the 85th Academy Awards while reporting that Iran's state TV dismissed the Best Film-ARGO, as an advertisement for the CIA.

Patiala Mayor Jaspal Pardhan today resigned from his post two days after a case of murder was registered against him and two others, reports The Tribune.

Over 50 million Provident Fund subscribers will get 8.5 percent interest for their deposits for 2012-13 higher than 8.25 percent disbursed in previous financial years reports The Asian Age.

Six suspicious bags that surfaced in different parts of Delhi within a span of three hours created a scare in some areas and had the bombs squad hopping from one site to the next. By the evening, all six were declared to be hoax. The Pioneer covers it under the headline "Terror dry run or hoax in Delhi".

The Times of India reports that weight loss pills, available as steroids act by altering appetite, metabolism or absorption of nutrients, can actually kill. The paper adds youngsters must be sensitized to its ill effects and false claim made by some fitness experts.

And finally, a large number of singers and musicians got together for "A Musical Journey for World Peace", at Jorhat in eastern Assam. They played 315 musical instruments during the musical journey as accompanying vocalists presented the biggest non-classical symphony of its kind in the world.