1400 HRS. 

7th May, 2013

THE HEADLINES

• Opposition disrupts Parliament procedures; Lok Sabha adjourned for the day; Rajya Sabha till 2 pm.

• Government expresses confidence that the Food Security Bill will be passed by Parliament.

• No extension of three month grace period for foreigners staying illegally in the country, says Saudi Arabia.

• World Bank to provide 100 million dollar grant to Afghanistan for expanding health and hospital services.

• Sensex gains over 150 points in afternoon trade.

• Sania Mirza and Bethanie Mattek-Sands pair enter the pre-quarterfinals of Madrid Open Tennis.

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The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day today. As the House reassembled at 1 pm after its second adjournment, the Chair called for resuming discussion on the Food Security Bill, which had remained inconclusive yesterday. Mr. Bhakta Charan Das of the Congress was the first to be called. But as soon as he started speaking in support of the Bill, Opposition members rushed to the well, repeating their call for the Prime Minister’s resignation. When the appeal for order went unheeded time and again, the Chair adjourned the House till tomorrow.

In the Rajya Sabha, the BJP and Asom Gana Parishad members rushed into the well, disrupting the proceedings. The BJP members were demanding the Prime Minister’s resignation. The AGP was protesting against the proposed Constitution Amendment to facilitate the exchange of certain territories between India and Bangladesh, as per a mutual agreement. Following uproar over the issue, Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien adjourned the House till 2 pm.

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Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari has expressed confidence that the Food Security Bill will be passed by Parliament. Talking to media persons outside Parliament today, he regretted the continuous logjam in Parliament. Mr Tewari urged the main Opposition party to let Parliament function in the interest of the poor in the country.

"They are making a mockery of our country and Parliament. This is a bill which will provide food security to 67 per cent of the population. Opposition is politicising it, which is opportunistic."

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The BJP Parliamentary Party today said, it will support the government in passing the Food Security Bill 2011 and the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill 2011, if both the Law Minister and the Railway Minister resign. Talking to the media after the meeting, party leader Gopinath Munde said, in case the government remains adamant on the continuance of the two Ministers in the Cabinet, the BJP will not co-operate.

"From starting of the session, we demanded the resignation of Ashwani Kumar. Now, because of Bansal's Nephew, who is involved in corruption, we demanded resignation of Bansal also. If they give the resignation or Congress relieves them from the Cabinet, then we will pass both the bills, Food Security and Land acquisition."

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The Jammu & Kashmir government has decided to set up the J&K Medical Supplies Corporation to do away with the existing purchase committees for procurement of drugs for state run hospitals. The decision was taken at a high level meeting in Srinagar, chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abudullah. Our Srinagar Correspondent reports that the Corporation will function on the pattern of a similar Corporation in Tamil Nadu. The state CM will be the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Corporation.

"After a day long valley wide protest bandh against alleged inaction of government with regard to surfacing on the counterfeit drug game in the state, the state government gave go ahead to constitution of Jammu and Kashmir Medical Supplies Corporation yesterday. The welcome move can go a long way in dealing with the crisis and the trust deficit created by the recent scam. However, it remains to be seen wether the Corporation has given a practical shape expeditiously, and it is able to play the role envisaged for it Mushtaq Ahmed Tantray, AIR News, Srinagar."

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Rajya Sabha too has been adjourned for the day.

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In Karnataka, counting of votes for the Assembly Elections will begin tomorrow at 7:30 am and the results will be known by 11.30 am. Counting will begin with the manual verification of postal ballots.

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The News Services Division of All India Radio will broadcast a special live bilingual programme on Assembly Election Results in Karnataka in Hindi and English tomorrow from 1220 to 1400 hrs. In this programme, experts and commentators in Delhi studios will interact with Correspondents and experts in Karnataka on the trends and the results of Assembly Elections. This broadcast can be heard on Rajdhani and FM Gold Channels.

News Services Division will also broadcast a special live bilingual Radio Bridge programme from 2130 to 2230 hrs on the same day on verdict of the assembly election. This programme can be heard on Rajdhani and FM Gold Channels.

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1993 Delhi blast convict Devinderpal Singh Bhullar's wife today approached the Supreme Court, seeking stay on execution of his death sentence till her review plea against its verdict is decided. She submitted in her plea that she has filed a review petition against the Supreme Court verdict of April 12. The Court had rejected her petition to commute his death sentence to life imprisonment on the ground of delay on the part of the government in deciding his mercy plea. Bhullar was convicted and awarded death penalty for triggering a bomb blast in September 1993, killing nine people and injuring 25 others.

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Pakistani prisoner Sanaullah’s two relatives have crossed over to India from Attari-Wagah Joint Check Post today, to visit him at PGI Hospital, Chandigarh, where he is recuperating after being attacked by a co-inmate in Jammu jail, last week. An official of Pakistan External Affairs Deptt., Iqbal Hussain is accompanying them. Our correspondent reports that Mohd. Asif, brother-in-law of Sanaullah and nephew Mohd. Shahid told media at Attari that assault on Sarabjit and Sanaullah in the jails of both the neighbouring countries, is wrong and unfortunate.

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Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry has said that the three month grace period for the foreigners staying illegally in the country, won’t be extended. It has urged them to take advantage of the grace period to regularize their situation. In a statement, the Saudi Interior Ministry made it clear that there will be no extension of the grace period and there will be a zero-tolerance policy for those who fail to regularize their status. Last month, Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz granted a three month grace period for those staying illegally in the country to correct their residency status in the country or leave it after following due procedures.

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The World Bank will provide 100 million dollar grant to Afghanistan for expanding basic health and essential hospital services in the country. A joint press release issued by the World Bank and the Afghan government in Kabul said that an agreement to this effect has been signed between Afghan Government and the World Bank yesterday. The grant provided by the World Bank’s International Development Association, IDA aims to help the Afghan Public Health Ministry for its System Enhancement Health Action in Transition, SEHAT programme. The grant will be utilized to expand the scope and quality of basic health and essential hospital services of the country.

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India's Sania Mirza and her American partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands have advanced into the pre-quarterfinals of the Madrid Open Tennis tournament in Spain. In the opening round match last night, the Indo-American pair defeated the Slovakian-Spanish combination of Daniela Hantuchova and Anabel Medina Garrigues, 7-6, 4-6, 10-4.

In the Men's Doubles, the Indian duo of Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna and the Indo-Austrian pair of Leander Paes and Jurgen Melzer had found a berth in the pre-quarterfinals, after getting a bye in the opening round.

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In today's IPL matches, Rajasthan Royals will take on Delhi Daredevils, and Mumbai Indians will clash with Kolkata Knight Riders. The Rajasthan-Delhi match will be played in Jaipur at 4 PM, while Kolkata-Mumbai fixture will take place in Mumbai at 8 PM.

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The Sensex at the Bombay Stock gained 89 points, or 0.5 per cent, to 19,763 in early trade today on sustained buying by funds and retail investors, amid positive regional markets. Later, the Sensex gained further ground, to stand 156 points, or 0.8 per cent in the green, at 19,829 in afternoon trade, a short while ago.

Stock markets in Japan, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Indonesia had rallied between 0.1 percent and 3.5 percent, today. The US Dow Jones Industrial Average had ended flat in yesterday's trade.

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World Asthma Day is being observed today. The day is observed to improve asthma awareness and care around the world including India. The theme for this year is, 'You Can Control Your Asthma'. Our correspondent reports that around 300 million people are affected by Asthma worldwide and 2.50 lakh deaths are attributed to the disease annually.

"Asthma, a common and chronic respiratory disease, has been found to be increasing in prevalence throughout the world. Despite the increase in knowledge and understanding, optimum treatment is apparently not reaching the vast majority of people in Asian countries including India. We spoke to Associate Professor with PGI RML, Dr. BB Rewari about the chronic disease.

Though, Asthma can be prevented, it is important for a patient to follow doctor’s instructions regarding schedule, medication and regular checkups. With Manali, Shiela AIR News, Delhi.

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Living conditions of destitute women in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh are set to improve with the Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited, HUDCO and National Commission for Women, NCW, signing an MoU for their welfare in New Delhi today. HUDCO and NCW will co-operate in the areas of reconstruction of existing structures, where women in distress are housed. The MoU was inked in the presence of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister Ajay Maken and Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Maken asked the public and private sector firms to utilize their funds under CSR for social good overlooking commercial and branding benefits.

"This will be the first time, as i said not only by the HUDCO, but by the other Navratana and mini-navratna companies, also by the private sector, which we feel that they will come up and own up such projects along with HUDCO."

HUDCO Chairman and Managing Director V P Baligar said, the Corporation will provide monetary and technical support to NCW in executing works as part of the MoU.

"There are widows who are in a very pathetic condition. They don't even have proper sanitation facilities and even staying facilities. HUDCO will provide the funds as well as design project from our design wing, so that a woman in distress will be taken care of properly."

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Scientists say that foxes in the Arctic region who feed on ocean prey, are being exposed to dangerous levels of mercury. On a Russian island where the population of foxes has crashed, the researchers believe the toxin has played a key role in their decline. They say, the findings could have important implications for conservation. According to the UN, mercury levels in the world's oceans have doubled over the past 100 years, with more mercury deposited in the Arctic than on any other part of the planet. The Arctic Council says, there has been a ten-fold increase in the levels of mercury found in top predators in the region over the past 150 years