1400 HRS
01st April, 2013
THE HEADLINES:
- Supreme Court dismisses Swiss company Novartis AG's plea for patenting anti-cancer drug Glivec.
- West Bengal Election Commission moves Calcutta High Court challenging Panchayat poll schedule announced by State government.
- Assam government orders a judicial inquiry into the recent violence at Sualkuchi town in Kamrup district.
- Oil companies reduce Jet fuel prices by 5.5 per cent.
- Syrian rebels set on fire three oil wells in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour.
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The Supreme Court has dismissed Swiss pharmaceutical chain Novartis AG's petition seeking patent protection for its anti-cancer drug, Glivec or Imatinib mesylate. The court also dismissed the plea of the multinational pharma company to restrain Indian drug firms from manufacturing generic drugs.
The apex court bench of Justices Aftab Alam and Ranjana Prakash Desai dismissed with cost Novartis' plea challenging the Intellectual Property Appellate Board's decision declining the plea for patent of the drug that is used in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia and malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumours. The patent right for the drug was denied to Novartis in 2006 by the Chennai-based Intellectual Property Appellate Board. Winning such a patent would have barred Indian firms from manufacturing generic drugs. More from our correspondent:
The Swiss company Novartis had challenged the legal interpretation of a critical public health safeguard in the nation's patent law - Section 3(d) - that limits the patenting of new forms of old medicines. Since the original molecule of the anti-blood cancer drug imatinib mesylate is out of patent in India, generic drug companies produce and sell Glivec to chronic blood cancer patients for about 8,000 rupees per month, while Novartis sells the drug for about 1 lakh 20 thousand rupees per month. About 80 per cent of anti-AIDS drugs and 92 per cent of drugs to treat children with AIDS across the developing world comes from the Indian generic manufacturers. India is literally the lifeline of patients in the developing world, especially in the poorest parts of Africa. This is Manikant Thakur for AIR News, Delhi.
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The West Bengal State Election Commission today moved the Calcutta High Court saying that the Panchayat election date notified by the state government be rejected. The Commission's counsel LC Bihani brought the matter before the court of Justice Biswanatah Somadder and prayed for the rejection. The judge, however, directed the counsel to get the matter listed before he could take it up.
It is likely to be considered by the court, following listing, either tomorrow or any day after that. The Trinamool-led government and the Commission have been at loggerheads over the schedule of the upcoming Panchayat polls, with the government announcing that these will be held in two phases and that too under the supervision of the state police. The Commission had earlier proposed that the Panchayat polls be held in three phases and central forces be deployed for the sake of free and fair elections.
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The Assam government has ordered a judicial inquiry into the violence at Sualkuchi town in Kamrup district. State Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain announced this in the Assembly today.
Meanwhile, normalcy returned to Sualkuchi town as curfew has been relaxed for 12 hours from 7 am to 7 pm today. Curfew was imposed on Saturday after local traders clashed with security forces protesting against the sale of imported fabric under the garb of local fabric. Handloom and Textile Minister Pranati Phookan told State Assembly that steps are being taken to protect the interest of the weavers. More from our correspondent:
More than 25 thousand people of Sualkuchi are engaged in weaving industry which has an annual turnover of 150 crore rupees. The Handloom Minister said that Assam government will set up Enforcement Squads across the state to ensure that no traders can sell selected power looms production. Eleven handloom products including Gamosa and Mekhela Chodors, have been reserved under National Handloom Reservation Act. Ms. Phookan said that 5 yarn banks have already been set up at Sualkuchi and more banks are being be set up in other parts of the state. Assam government has already imposed ban on the selling of imported fabrics in Kamrup district in the name of local clothes. MANAS PRATIM SARMA, AIR NEWS, GUWAHATI.
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The Rameswaram fishermen today called off their strike and resumed fishing activities. They were on strike for over a fortnight demanding the release of 19 Tamil fishermen lodged in Lankan jails. Ramnathapuram district administration has assured them that necessary steps will be taken to ensure release of the fishermen. More from our correspondent:
Rameswaram fishermen have ventured out into the sea today morning after 17 days of continuous strike. Rameshwaram fishing harbour again became the centre of hectic activity with hundreds of fishing boats entering the sea. Ramnathapuram district administration had given them assurance that necessary steps would be taken to ensure release of 19 Tamil fishermen lodged in Lankan jail. The people in mainland are eagerly waiting for the fishermen to return with a good catch of fish. The fishermen want to catch enough fish for their livelihood before the fishing ban to be imposed from 15th of this month for 45 days. K Devi Padmanabhan, AIR News, Tiruchirapalli.
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In Madhya Pradesh, the power tariff has been increased by a nominal average 0.77 percent from today. The domestic power consumers, using more than 500 units per month, will have to pay five paisa more on each unit. The State Power Regulatory Commission had announced the new tariff on the 23rd of last month, which came into effect from today.
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Madhya Pradesh government has launched the Mukhyamantri Yuva Swarozgar Yojana. Our correspondent reports that the scheme aims to provide loans through banks to youths to set up their own industries or business.
The state government will give bank guarantee for setting up of industries or business worth up to 25 lakh rupees and 5 per cent loan subsidy for five years. Tenth class passed youths up to the age of 35 years could avail the benefit of the scheme. Exemption of five years in the age will be given to certain categories. An important feature of the scheme is that there is no income bar. The scheme will be implemented by Panchayat and Rural Development Department in rural areas and Commerce, Industries and Employment Department in urban areas. Shariq Noor, AIR News, Bhopal.
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Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Assembly P.Dhanapal today ordered eviction of all DMK members from the Assembly. Two DMK members. Sivasankaran and J. Anbazhagan were suspended for two days from the Assembly.
Trouble came during the discussion on the special mention in the Assembly. The mention was on the media report on an issue with regard to awarding a contract to a company involved in supplying GPS linked e- tickets.
When State Transport Minister Senthil Balaji was replying to the discussion on the special mention he made certain remarks about DMK legislative party leader M.K. Stalin to which DMK members raised objections and demanded an opportunity to explain. As the opportunity was denied they marched towards the Speakers Chair raising slogans. The speaker Dhanapal ordered them to return to their seats as they continued shouting the Speaker ordered for the eviction of all the DMK members.
Later, Floor leader O. Pannerselvam brought a resolution to suspend the two MLAs Sivasankaran and Anabalagan who tried to move closer to the chair of the Speaker. The Speaker then announced that they were suspended for two days.
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Delhi Police today arrested a man suspected to be one of the shooters who murdered a local BSP leader Deepak Bhardwaj in capital last week. Purushottam Rana, against whom a lookout notice had been issued, was apprehended from outside Patiala Court complex when he allegedly came to surrender. The BSP leader was shot dead allegedly by Rana and two other men at his farmhouse in south Delhi's Rajokri on the 26th of last month.
Investigators had yesterday detained a person suspected to have driven the car in which the killers fled from the farmhouse. Bhardwaj's wife, his sons and his staff have been questioned by the police in the past few days, with investigators saying that property or money were plausible reasons for the murder.
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In Punjab, Assistant Sub Inspector, Gurdev Singh was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Phagwara district on the Jalandhar-Phagwara highway last night. Police said, three car borne assailants shot dead Gurdev Singh while he was chasing a suspicious looking man along with Head Constable Balkar Singh. The assailants also took away the ASI’s wallet. This is the third such incident in the state in recent past.
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Jet fuel prices were today cut by a steep 5.5 per cent, reversing the rising trend of the past two months. According to Indian Oil Corp, Aviation Turbine Fuel or ATF, price in Delhi was cut by about 3,885 Rupees per kilolitre to 66,196 rupees per kilolitre from today.
The reduction comes on back of a 2 per cent 1,324.84 rupees per kilolitre increase in price from 1st of February and a 3.8 per cent ,2,519.83 per kilolitre hike in rates from 1st of March. In Mumbai, jet fuel will cost 68,332 rupees per kilolitre as against 72,451.79 rupees per kilolitre previously. Rates at different airports vary because of differential,in local sales tax or VAT. Kolkata would see price cut of 3,066 rupees to 76,172 rupees per kilolitre, while it will cost 71,986 rupees in Chennai as against 76,239.44 rupees per kilolitre previously.
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Oil prices eased in Asia today. New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate light sweet crude for delivery in May, shed 39 cents to 96.84 US Dollars a barrel and Brent North Sea crude for May dropped 22 cents to 109.80 US Dollars in mid-morning trade. Prices had pushed up for the fifth straight session on Thursday before markets closed Friday for the Easter weekend.
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Giving up most of its initial gains, the Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange stood just 8 points in positive territory, at 18,843 in afternoon trade, amid volatility, a short while ago. Earlier in the morning, however, the Sensex had opened with a gain of 84 points or 0.4 per cent, at 18,920. The Sensex had climbed 154 points in the previous two trading sessions. Stock markets in Japan, China, Indonesia, South Korea and Taiwan had lost between 0.1 percent and 1.3 percent.
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The Syria government has alleged that the rebel groups have set on fire three oil wells in the east of the country under siege by the rebels. More from our West Asia Correspondent:
Syrian State News agency SANA reported that three oil wells have been set on fire by terrorists in Deir al-Zour after fighting broke out among the rebels on the share of the oil. It alleged that so far 10 oil wells have been set ablaze leading to loss of huge quantities of oil and natural gas. Rebels have seized large areas of territory in Syria's oil-rich east, including a number of oil fields. Meanwhile, in Aleppo, heavy shelling has been reported in rebel held areas while in Homs the rebels alleged that 11 people were killed by the Syrian troops in the town of Talkalakh. The Syrian regime blamed rebels for the massacre, saying they stormed the area, killed 10 people and looted homes and shops. Atul Tiwary, AIR NEWS.
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Afghanistan has launched a programme to destroy opium poppy crop in 15,000 hectares of land this year. Addressing a press conference in Kabul yesterday, the Spokesman of the Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics, Abdul Qayum Samer said that the target set for this year is 50 per cent higher than the crops destroyed in 2012. He said 10,000 hectares of land was freed of poppy cultivation under the counter narcotics campaign last year.
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New Zealand cricketer Jesse Ryder is recovering rapidly from an assault that left him with life-threatening injuries. He is now back on feet" but is disappointed to miss out on his IPL stint this year. The 28-year-old, cricketer had a fractured skull and a punctured lung after being brutally beaten outside a bar in Christchurch on Thursday last week. According to Ryder's manager he was brought out of induced coma on Saturday and shifted out of the ICU yesterday.
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The News Services Division of All India Radio, in its weekly programme PUBLIC SPEAK, will bring you a discussion tonight on Fraud with investors in real estate sector. This can be heard on FM Gold Channel and additional frequencies at 9.30 PM. Listeners can pose questions to the experts sitting in our studio on telephone number 011-2331-4444. This programme is also available on Doordarshan DTH.
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