0815 HRS

30.03.2013

THE HEADLINES

• Government rejects Tamil Nadu Assembly resolution calling for firm steps against Colombo on Sri Lankan Tamils' issue.
• 840 new private FM radio stations in 294 cities to be auctioned says Information and Broadcasting Minister.
• 83 miners buried in a landslide near Tibetan capital Lhasa.
• A court in Pakistan extends bail for former President Pervez Musharraf for 15 days but bars him from leaving the country.
• Andy Murray of Britain and David Ferrer of Spain advance into the finals of Miami Open.

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The Centre has rejected the resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly that had asked the Centre to stop treating Sri Lanka as a friendly nation and slap sanctions on it while demanding a referendum for a separate Tamil Eelam. In an interview to a news channel, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said there is no question of accepting the Tamil Nadu Assembly resolution. He said that it is not the only state that has a stake in this. There are many other states and Assemblies.

The Tamil Nadu Assembly had adopted a resolution, moved by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, urging the Centre to take firm steps against Colombo till the suppression of Tamils was stopped. Mr Khurshid hoped Tamil sentiments will not spiral out of control. More from our correspondent:

No one would disagree that the allegations of serious human rights violations by Sri Lankan security forces against Tamils in Sri Lanka needs a credible probe. But as the External Affairs Minister pointed out, while we are sensitive to the concerns, the centre could not agree with the resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly on the issue, more so when the rest of India does not support this stand. With DMK first raising the heat on the issue by withdrawing support to the UPA Government, the AIADMK obviously does not want to lag behind. But the crucial question is whether local politics should be allowed to override national interests. Ashok Handoo, AIR News, New Delhi.

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The Rameswaram fishermen who have been on a continuous strike for more than a fortnight have demanded the immediate release of 19 Tamil fishermen lodged in Lankan jail. More from our correspondent:

Indian Coast guard had handed over five Lankan fishermen to the Sri Lankan Navy yesterday. Rameswaram fishermen are urging that as a reciprocal goodwill gesture Sri Lanka should immediately release 19 Tamil fishermen who were apprehended by Sri Lankan Navy on 13th of this month and are still lodged in Lankan jail. The Rameswaram fishermen who are on continuous strike for more than 15 days are planning to protest in front of the Chennai express train today. The fishermen have to venture out into the sea soon to sustain their livelihood as the monsoon fishing ban for 45 days will start from 15th of April. K Devi Padmanabhan AIR News Tiruchirapalli

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Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari has said that his ministry has decided to auction 840 new private FM radio station in 294 cities of the country. He inaugurated an All India Radio station in Ujjain last evening.

The empowered committee of Cabinet has sanctioned to hold an auction for 840 new private FM Radio Stations in 294 cities of the country. Its main purpose is to make the listeners experienced and benefitted with cultural programmes.

Speaking at the Linguistic Journalism Summit of SAARC countries in Indore, Mr Tiwari, made it clear that the Centre has no intention of any governmental regulation of the media and maintained that self regulation is the best regulation. Interacting with the media on the sidelines of the summit, he said that the UPA government had launched various social welfare schemes like MNREGA, NRHM and Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification scheme for the well being of the people. He alleged that some state governments are misusing the funds and diverting them to other areas for cheap publicity.

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Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has said that he has no plans to withdraw support to the UPA, a day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh acknowledged such a possibility. Talking to newsmen in New Delhi, he said, right now withdrawing support has not been discussed in the party. Mr.Yadav said, that there was no point in withdrawing support and making the government fall, when it was a matter of just eight-nine months. Asked if he wanted to become Prime Minister, he said, he had never thought of it nor was he thinking about it now.

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Assam police have detained four persons in connection with the killing of tea tribe leader Ganga Ram Kol. He was the General Secretary of the Asom Sangrami Chah Shramik Sangh and a CPI-ML leader and was found dead on Tuesday near Panitola in Tinsukia district. The Superintendent of Police of Tinsukia said they are interrogating all the detainees.

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A day after 83 workers were buried following a massive landslide in a gold mining area in Tibet's regional capital Lhasa, over 1,000 rescue workers are braving difficult terrain to search for the survivors. A State News agency reported that about 200 large vehicles and equipment, 15 sniffer dogs and 15 life-detector machines are being used in the rescue.

The victims were workers of the Tibet Huatailong Mining Development Company Limited, a subsidiary of the China National Gold Group Corporation located about 68 km from the provincial capital of Lhasa.

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A court in Pakistan has extended bail for former President Pervez Musharraf. However, the court, also ordered the former President not to leave the country without taking its permission. It is for the first time the former military ruler has sat before a court to defend himself against charges of conspiracy to murder and the sacking of judges. He is accused of failing to provide adequate security for former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto ahead of her assassination in 2007.

Reports say that angry scenes were witnessed outside the courtroom in Karachi as groups of lawyers, shouted slogans against him after judges extended bail for another 15 days. A lawyer hurled a shoe at Musharraf as he headed into a Karachi court to seek a bail extension.

Last week Musharraf returned from self-imposed exile to contest the forthcoming polls.

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The United States has blamed North Korea for an increase in tension between the two countries after Pyongyang threatened military action in response to US bomber flights over the Korean peninsula. The US President Obama said, nations around the world were committed to peace but North Korea seemed to be headed in a different direction. He said, the US has to be ready to meet any eventuality.

After another day of inflamed rhetoric from Pyongyang, Russia has warned that the North Korean situation could spiral out of control. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said yesterday, all sides should avoid unilateral action.

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North Korea has said it had formally entered a "state of war" with South Korea and warned that any provocation would swiftly escalate into a nuclear conflict. The North said in a statement attributed to all government bodies and institutions that as of now, inter-Korea relations enter a state of war and all matters between the two Koreas will be handled according to wartime protocol. It is the latest in a string of dire threats from Pyongyang that have been matched by tough warnings from South Korea and the United States.

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In Himachal Pradesh the cold wave has again tightened its grip after a change in the weather in the past two days. Our correspondent reports that hailstorm has caused damage to the blooming apple crop in Shimla and some other apple belts of the state.

Himachal is reeling under cold wave in the last days of March due to fresh snowfall at higher reaches of tribal districts and rain in other parts during past two days. In Shimla and Kullu districts hailstorm caused damage to blooming apple crop. These days flowering process is underway on apple crop. Besides, the unseasonal vegetable and wheat crop have also been damaged by this hailstorm on Friday evening. Shishu sharma Shantal, AIR News, Shimla.

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Rajasthan is celebrating its 63rd foundation day today . Our correspondent reports that various programmes are being organized in Rajasthan on this occasion.

On 30th March 1949 Rajasthan was formed after merger of 22 princly states. The process of merger was continued till 1956. Today Rajasthan is the biggest state of the country and entrepreneurship of Rajasthani's is well accepted all around the globe. This year week long Rajasthan Day celebrations are being organized in the state. Anurag Vajpeyi AIR News Jaipur

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Britain's Andy Murray has set up a title clash against Spaniard David Ferrer in the Miami Open Tennis tournament. In the Men's Singles second semi-final this morning, second seed Murray defeated Richard Gasquet of France, 6-7, 6-1, 6-2. In the first semi-final played late last night, third seed Ferrer beat Tommy Haas of Germany, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. Haas had stunned World Number One Serb Novak Djokovic in the pre-quarterfinals with a straight set victory. India's campaign in the tournament has already ended.

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NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES

The question of the stability of the present political configuration at the Centre dominates the papers today. The Hindustan Times quotes Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav as saying "Congress corrupt, but we wont quit". The Pioneer reports the Trinamool Congress as saying "Minority UPA must go now". Highlighting the BJP's response to talk of a likely third front, the Hindu writes "Third Front has no relevance ,says BJP".

A new Saudi labour policy that mandates that 5 to 25 percent staff of a private company with a minimum of 49 employees must be Saudis gets wide attention in the press. "Kerala worried as expats may lose jobs to Saudi labour law" reports the Indian Express. The Pioneer writes "UPA's inaction on Saudi law leaves Keralites fuming".

The killing of 10 Maoists by a Maoist splinter group Tritiya Prastuti Committee or TPC in Chattra district of Jharkhand early Thursday is keenly tracked by the papers. Highlighting the fact that the largely tribal TPC has been resisting the he gemony of the Yadavs in the Maoist ranks, the Hindustan Times labels the killings as "More of a caste war than class difference".

The Tribune, in a front page story, reports that the Supreme Court has upheld the Punjab and Haryana High Court ruling that any Will not signed by two witnesses and unregistered is 'only a piece of paper in the eyes of law, having no legal effect".

In a special front page story, the Times of India writes "43% of teaching slots in IIT's lying unfilled". And on the subject of education, the Pioneer reports that the HRD Ministry is proposing to introduce a student friendly national online test system for entrance tests to professional and academic courses.

A report in the Times of India cautions smokers. The paper writes that new research in the UK has shown that smoking may be a sign of psychiatric illness as one in three smokers has been found to have mental disorders.

And finally, the Hindu has an interesting story on how a huge 100 kilogram rock used by a Spanish farmer for pressing ham has turned out to be an asteroid worth a whopping 5.3 million dollars.