2100 HRS.
23-06-2013

THE HEADLINES

• 12,000 evacuated today in tragedy struck Uttarakhand, Unmanned Aerial vehicles to be deployed tomorrow to scan affected areas.
• India and US to set the pace and direction for stronger bilateral relations as US Secretary of State arrives in New Delhi for 4th strategic dialogue.
• In Pakistan occupied Kashmir, militants kill nine foreign climbers at the base of Nanga Parbat in Gilgit Baltistan.
• Six Kuki militants killed in an encounter with Assam Rifles, in Manipur.
• Former US intelligence operative Edward Snowden leaves Hong Kong  for an unknown destination, causing embarrassment to Obama administration.
• Rain delays the start of Champions Trophy title clash between India and England at Edgbaston, match reduce to 20 overs each side.

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Despite bad weather, government agencies involved in relief and rescue operation in Uttarakhand  evacuated 12 thousand people today. Addressing a joint Press Conference along with representatives of the concerned agencies,  Principal Director General of Press Information Bureau Neelam Kapur said in New Delhi that Jungal Chetti area which was a matter of concern yesterday has been fully cleared by the joint efforts of Army Air Force and ITBP. She said that the main focus of tomorrow's operation will be on Harsil where 2 thousand people are still there. Mrs Kapur said that a total 83 Air craft were deployed today for relief operation. She said that BSNL has opened toll free help line numbers to trace the last location of BSNL mobile phones carried by a tourist or pilgrim stuck in the hills. 
 
The work is going on in full speed to restore the tower both by the BSNL as well as by the private operators. 75 satellites phones which were imported by the government are being used by the various agencies for the rescue and relief operations. Mrs. Kapur said that in Badrinath there are 5 thousand people waiting for evacuation and they are being look after. However they will be evacuated only after all those stuck in difficult places have been evacuated. National Disaster response force spokesperson said for the first time the unmanned aerial vehicles, UAV, will be deployed tomorrow to scan effected areas in the state which will help to locate stranded people at ease and  gear up rescue operation.  
  
The state government today claimed that in most of the disaster affected districts stranded pilgrims and tourists have been evacuated. Talking to media persons this evening at Dehradun state Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar said that about 90 thousand persons have been evacuated till now from badly affected nine districts. He said that now about 5,000 pilgrims are stranded at Badrinath and 2,000 at Harsil area in Gangotri region. Mr. Kumar said with the evacuation of 390 pilgrims from Jangalchatti today badly affected Kedar Valley has been completely cleared as per reports available from army and other agencies. However, to insure  evacuation of each and every pilgrim and tourist from the valley, a two day combing operation will begin from tomorrow from Gaurikund to Kedarnath temple complex, he added. Mr. Kumar said it will be conducted by the Army, ITBP and NDRF. Our correspondent reports from Dehradun that about 400 pilgrims have been evacuated from Badrinath and 1135 pilgrims from Govind Ghat. 
 
As per reports available from army and other agencies badly affected Kedar valley region have been evacuated completely. Two day combing operation will be beginning from tomorrow from Gaurikund to Kedarnath temple complex by the Army, ITBP and NDRF to insure evacuation of each and every pilgrim from the valley. Government has said mainly 5000 pilgrims are stranded at Badrinath and 2000 at Harsil area in Gangotri region. All stranded pilgrims from Yamunotri have also been evacuated. District Magistrate Uttarkashi has said that 600 stranded pilgrims were rescued today and remaining 1500 will be evacuated by tomorrow. In Kumaon region rescue and relief operation was badly affected due to bad weather in Pithoragarh district. With Sunil Shukla this is Sanjeev Sundriyal AIR News Dehradun. The  Director of Met Department Bikram Singh says that moderate to heavy rain is likely at some isolated place in next 72 hours over Uttrakhand. 
 
Rainfall will be there at many places and this will be light to moderate rainfall activity. But at one or two places we are expecting heavy rain also over Uttarakhand during next 72 hours. Heavy rain,  specially you are talking, so interior districts and hilly districts, then you will have Dehradun and Pant Nagar, they are most likely area and then interior districts like Uttarkashi and Chamoli and Rudraprayag.

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In Himachal Pradesh, the relief and rescue works continued in calamity hit tribal district of Kinnaur for the sixth day today. Indian Air Force choppers continued evacuation operation having evacuated more than 1,000 people so far. Our correspondent reports that the Hindustan-Tibbet National Highway was restored for vehicular traffic this  evening. 
 
It would help local as well as several other tourists stranded at Reckong Peo to come by road and supply of essential commodities would  also be normal. Indian Air Force chopper airlifted about 60 people from Pooh, Nako and Reckong Peo through three sorties today. Nearly 500 peoples including 250 tourists are still in Sangla and are waiting for their evacuation. The ITBP men rescued about 24 shepherds stuck in heavy snow in Ropa Kanda area of worst hit Pooh Sub-Division. Shishu Sharma Shantal, AIR News, Shimla.

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U S Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in New Delhi this evening on a three-day visit to India. He is leading a high level delegation which includes US Energy Secretary, NASA Director, US Military Chief for the Pacific Region and top officials from the State Department and Home Land Security. This is Mr Kerry's first visit to India after his appointment as the US Secretary of State. 
    
This is the first high level political interaction with New Delhi in the second term of Obama Presidency and expected to push forward the India-US relationship. Mr. Kerry will co-chair the 4th India-US Strategic Dialogue with External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid tomorrow. The visiting dignitary will also meet Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Mr Kerry will also co-chair India and US Higher Education Dialogue on Tuesdaywith Human Resource Development Minister Dr  M M Pallam Raju. 

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India and US will set the pace and directions for their stronger bilateral relations in the 4th strategic dialogue beginning in New Delhi tomorrow. In an exclusive interview to All India Radio, India's Ambassador to the US, Mrs. Nirupama Rao, said that besides security and defence, the strategic dialogue will also deliberate upon enhancing cooperation in counter-terrorism . She said, India-US relations are people-centric and New Delhi is  looking forward for cooperation in sectors like Health, Education, Science and Technology and peaceful use of outer space. 
         
We are able not only to take stock of the extent of cooperation, the numbers of project that we have been engaged in but also to set the pace in direction for the future. So, the strategic dialogue certainly has a very significant utility. The areas of focus are multidimensional today and that is what set the strategic partnership apart in many way from any other relationship anywhere in the world.
    
The full interview can be heard on Rajdhani channel, DTH and additional frequencies of All India Radio in its Spotlight/News Analysis Programmes tonight at 9.15. It can also be heard tomorrow at 0730 am in the programme Aaj Savere on FM GOLD Channel and additional frequencies. 

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In Manipur, six cadres of the proscribed Kuki National Front, KNF,  were killed in an encounter with Assam Rifles at Singda under Saparmeina Police Station in Senapati District early this morning. AIR Imphal correspondent quoting police sources reports that the encounter took place around 3.00 AM and lasted for about 10 minutes. No casualty has been reported on the side of the Assam Rifles. A large number of arms and ammunition including four AK-47 Rifles and One M-16 Rifle have been recovered from the deceased militants.

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In Himachal Pradesh, about 52 pre cent voters cast their franchise in 16 assembly segments of Mandi Parliamentary Constituency Bye-Election for which polling ended at 5.00 PM today. The polling, which started at eight this morning, was totally peaceful. Over 10 lakh voters were eligible to vote in the constituency except Kinnaur. The polling in one assembly segment of Kinnaur will be held on June 27th and the counting would take place on June 30th.

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The government has constituted a committee to review the rate revision of the newspaper advertisements. Addressing the Urdu Editors Conference in New Delhi today, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said the committee will also look into different parameters on the basis of which advertisements are issued.
 
"The government has formed a committee. The Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, J.S Mathur has been appointed  as the Chairman of the Committee. Besides rate revision, I have also asked him to review all the parameters on which government's  decision to distribute its advertisements is based."

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Gujarat Chief Minister and Chairman of the Bhartiya Janata’s Party’s election campaign panel, Narendra Modi today addressed a 'Sankalp' rally to mark the 60th death anniversary of Jana Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mookherjee at Madhopur in Pathankot district of Punjab.

Formally inaugurating the party’s campaign for the 2014 general elections, Modi criticised the Centre for its failure on many fronts including employment opportunities to the unemployed in the country. 
    
Our Correspondent reports that while the entire top national leadership of the BJP gave a miss to the rally, Punjab Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar and state BJP leaders were present on the occasion.

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Senior BJP leader L K Advani has pushed for repealing Article 370 of the Constitution. He said this will help Jammu and Kashmir's full integration with India. Mr Advani's comment in his blog came in the context of commemoration of the 60th death anniversary of the founder of Jan Sangh Shyama Prasad Mookerjee who was opposed to Article 370 of the Constitution, which accords special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

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In Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, gunmen dressed as paramilitary Gilgit Scouts killed nine foreign tourists and a Pakistani last night. The gunmen stormed into the climbers base camp, killing Chinese and Ukrainian climbers. Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar told parliament that one Chinese survivor has been rescued. The climbers were staying at a first camp, around 4,200 feet from Nanga Parbat, one of the highest mountains in the world, in the Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan. A spokesman for Pakistan’s main umbrella Taliban faction  has claimed responsibility for killings.

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Meanwhile, at least seven people, including a soldier and five militants, were killed in separate terrorism-related incidents in Pakistan's restive northwest. 

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Former US intelligence operative Edward Snowden flew out of Hong Kong today by an Aeroflot flight reportedly bound for Moscow and onward journey to a third destination. His departure comes despite a US arrest warrant and extradition request to authorities in Hong Kong. A Hong Kong government spokesman said in a press statement that Snowden voluntarily left Hong Kong for a third country through legal and normal means. Snowden's departure from Hong Kong is considered a major setback for Obama administration, which had unveiled charges including theft and espionage against Snowden in a bid to force his return from Hong Kong.  Reacting to the revelations made by Snowden, China today termed the US as the world's "biggest villain" for IT espionage.

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The title clash between India and England in the Champions Trophy is now going on in Edgbaston, Birmingham. India were 24 for 1 in  4.5 overs when reports last came in. The match had a delayed start because of the rain. After the rain stopped, the two teams agreed to cut short the game to 20 overs per side. Earlier, England skipper, Alastair Cook won the toss and opted to field first. There is no change in the Indian side while England have replaced Steven Finn with Tim Bresnan. 

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Supermoon - the largest and brightest full Moon of 2013 - lit up the world skies today as the Earth's natural satellite passed the closest point to our planet.  NASA said this year the Supermoon is up to 14 per cent larger and 30 per cent brighter than a typical Full Moon. Scientists have said its most significant impact is likely to be on the tide but dismissed notions that the phenomenon could cause bizarre behaviour or natural disasters. Experts say the next 'supermoon' is expected to appear in August 2014