0815 HRS
3rd March, 2013

THE HEADLINES:

• Non-subsidised cooking gas price slashed by 37 rupees 50 paise per cylinder; Bulk consumers of diesel to pay 1 rupee more per litre.
• President Pranab Mukherjee leaves this morning on a three-day state visit to Bangladesh.
• United Nations offers to facilitate peace dialogue between Syrian Government and Opposition.
• World Number one Novak Djokovic wins the ATP Dubai Open Tennis title.
• India to resume their first innings score at five without loss on the second day of the Hyderabad Cricket Test.

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Non-subsidised cooking gas has become cheaper but diesel price for bulk consumers is to cost more by over one rupee a litre. There is no change in the retail prices of diesel sold through petrol pumps or for 9 subsidized LPG cylinders sold to consumers. Oil companies have announced a cut in the price of non subsidized LPG cylinders by 37 rupees 50 paise per cylinder. It will now cost 904 rupees 50 paise per cylinder of 14.2 Kilogram as against 942 rupees. The subsidized cylinder costs 410 rupees 10 paise per cylinder in Delhi. Industry sources said the oil firms have hiked the price of diesel for bulk consumers like Railways, defense and State Transport Corporations by 94 paisa, excluding local sales tax or VAT. Oil companies were selling diesel to bulk consumers at 58 rupees 58 paise per litre as compared to the retail price of 48 rupees and 16 paise per litre sold at petrol pumps in places like Delhi. The hike in bulk diesel price was necessitated by the firming up of international oil rates.

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BJP has demanded roll back of hike in rail fares and fuel prices and removing cap on cooking gas cylinders. The economic resolution adopted at the BJP National Council meeting in New Delhi also urges loan waiver for drought hit farmers, cut in fertilizer prices and hike in Minimum Support Prices of various crops as per the report of the Swaminathan Committee. Raising concerns over inflation, the party also called for policy revamp to check prices of essential commodities.

The National Council authorised newly elected President Rajnath Singh to constitute a Parliamentary Board, the highest decision making body of the party. Rajnath Singh later said that he will consult senior leader L K Advani and others before constituting his team. The new president will also reconstitute the National Executive which has around 200 members.

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President Pranab Mukherjee leaves New Delhi today on a three-day state visit to Bangladesh. This will be his first visit abroad since his assumption of office seven months ago.

Briefing media in New Delhi, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai said that during his visit, Mukherjee will convey to the top Bangladesh leadership India's commitment to take bilateral relations to a higher level.

India attaches the highest importance to its relations with Bangladesh and seeks a deeper and stronger partnership with that country.

The Foreign Secretary also said, the President will receive the Bangladesh Liberation War Honour Award for his contribution to the independence struggle of that country in 1971.

In an interview to state run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha published on the eve of his visit to Bangladesh, President Pranab Mukherjee said that India is willing to be a catalyst for development in the South Asian region based on the principles of equality, partnership and mutual benefit. Our Dhaka correspondent reports that this is the first visit by an Indian President to Bangladesh in nearly four decades.

Dhaka is all set to provide a warm welcome to President Pranab Mukherjee on his three day state visit to Bangladesh. Bangladesh President Mohammed Zillur Rehman has remarked that President Pranab Mukherjee's visit would usher in a new horizon in bilateral ties between the two countries. Recalling the contributions of Pranab Mukherjee during Bangladesh's Liberation War, the President said the people of Bangladesh were waiting to give him a hearty reception during his visit. Senthil Rajan for AIR News from Dhaka.

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Kazakhstan Foreign Affairs Minister, Yerlan Idrissov pays a three day official visit to India from today. During his stay in New Delhi, he will hold talks with External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid. Both sides will discuss bilateral, regional and International issues of mutual interest. Our Correspondent reports that bilateral relationship between both the countries covers a number of strategic sectors including defence, counter terrorism, civil nuclear cooperation, hydrocarbons, Information Technology and education.

Portugal's Foreign Affairs Minister, Paulo de Sacadura Cabral Portas is also visiting India for five days from today. He will be accompanied by Minister of State for Culture of Portugal, Jorge Barreto Xavier and a business delegation. They will visit Mumbai and Goa also besides having talks in New Delhi.

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The election to Karnataka Legislative Assembly will be announced soon after considering Security and other aspects. Chief Election Commissioner V. S. Sampath informed this to media persons after holding wide range of consultations with political parties, district officials, the Chief Secretary and DGP in Bangalore yesterday. He said the tenure of the present Assembly comes to an end in May and a new Government has to be formed before June 3rd. He said, a single window clearance will also be introduced for political parties to get various permissions for election campaign. For the first time a police observer will also be deputed in the state along with other observers.

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North Delhi Municipal Corporation has suspended five staff members, including the Principal and the school inspector of outer Delhi’s Mangolpuri area over the rape of a seven-year-old student. A five-member inquiry committee has also been set up which will submit its report within three days.

Delhi Police has questioned about 200 people in connection with the rape. The victim, a class 2 student, was sexually assaulted after being taken from her classroom during lunch hour by an unidentified man on Thursday.

Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde yesterday said that the Government takes incidents of rape very seriously and has instructed the police to act firmly.

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UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and his Syria envoy Lakhdar Brahimi have said that the UN is prepared to broker peace talks between the Syrian Government and the opposition. Our West Asia Correspondent reports, the joint statement to this effect comes in the wake of a flurry of diplomatic activities to end the conflict in Syria.

Ban ki Moon and Lakhdar Brahimi said that UN is ready to facilitate a dialogue between a strong and representative delegation from the opposition and a credible and empowered delegation from the Syrian government. They also warned that both the regime and opposition have become increasingly reckless with human life and said perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity must be brought to justice. Meanwhile US President Obama and Russian President Putin spoke to each other on phone and called for fresh initiatives to end the crisis in Syria. Atul K Tiwary, AIR News.

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US President Barack Obama is reaching out to, what he calls, the caucus of common sense to stop the 85 billion Dollar in government spending cuts that took effect from yesterday. President Obama signed the spending cuts into law on Friday. Millions of Americans could face tough choices as the effects of the government cuts are felt gradually. US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says, budget uncertainty puts at risk the Pentagon's ability to carry out its missions.

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Afghan government has prohibited its security forces from taking any air support from the International Forces during security operations in residential areas of the country. The Afghan President’s order comes after the death of at least ten civilians, including women and children in an air strike by the International Forces in north-eastern Kunar province of Afghanistan last Wednesday. The issue of civilian casualties during security operations is a highly sensitive matter in Afghanistan.

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NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has been temporarily put into safe mode, as scientists monitoring from Earth are trying to fix a computer glitch. The US space agency said scientists switched to a backup computer on Thursday so that they could fix the problem.

A NASA statement said scientists expect to shift the powered-down computer on Curiosity back to full operation in the coming days.

The 2.5 billion dollar Curiosity mission, which is set to last at least two years, aims to study the environment on Mars and will hunt for evidence of water in preparation for a possible manned mission in the future.

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World Number one Novak Djokovic has won the ATP Dubai Open Tennis title. The 25-year old Serbian defeated third seed Czech Republic’s Tomas Berdych 7-5, 6-3 in the finals in Dubai last night to claim a fourth Championship title in five years. India’s Mahesh Bhupathi and his French partner Michael Lloldra bagged the doubles crown defeating the Serbian-Swedish duo of Nenad Zimonjyic and Robert Lindstedt 7-6, 7-6 in straight sets.

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India will resume their first innings score at five without loss on the second day of the second cricket Test in Hyderabad today. Virender Sehwag on 4 and Murli Vijay yet to score were at the crease when stumps were drawn yesterday. Earlier, Australia declared their first innings at 237 for nine on the opening day. India is leading the 4 match series by 1-0 by winning the opening Test by eight wickets in Chennai.

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NEWSPAPER HEADLINES
BJP national council meet figures on the front pages of most dailies today. Mail Today shows BJP leaders giving the Gujarat CM a standing ovation. 'CM for PM clamour grows at party conclave' writes the Hindustan Times. 'Modi first among equal at BJP meet' says The Pioneer.

Two policemen shot dead in Kashmir makes headline in many papers. 'Militants target unarmed constables on beat duty in Handwara' reads The Tribune headline.

The murder of two siblings in Delhi aged 5 and 7 years figures in many dailies. 'Siblings killed in crime capital' writes Mail Today. This follows on the heels of the rape of a seven year old a couple of days ago. 'Family alleges police laxity' writes the Hindustan Times.