0815 HRS 

26th August, 2013

THE HEADLINES:

• Uttar Pradesh government foils VHPs Chaurasi Kosi Parikrama Yatra; Arrests top leaders of Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
• All five accused in Mumbai Photojournalist gang rape case arrested; to be tried in fast track court.
•  United Nations experts to start probe today at the site of an alleged Syrian chemical weapons attack.
•  In Iraq, 46 people killed in a wave of bomb attacks across the country.
• India bags Gold in Archery World Cup Stage 4 competition in Wroclaw, Poland.
• India to take on South Korea in 9th Men's Asia Cup hockey tournament at Malaysia, today.

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In Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party government foiled the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's 'Chaurasi Kosi Parikrama Yatra' and arrested top VHP leaders including Ashok Singhal and Praveen Togadia, apart from scores of VHP-backed saints, yesterday. A state government spokesman announced that all those arrested, except Singhal, will remain in jail for the next 14 days. Official sources said, the step was taken by the state government to deter other supporters of the banned 'Yatra' from joining the programme, which is to continue till September 13.

Our correspondent reports that about 2 thousand VHP workers have been arrested across UP in the past three days.

 BJP leaders protested the state governments action banning the yatra. The Congress targeted both the Samajwadi Party and the BJP over VHP's yatra in Ayodhya.

Meanwhile, Acharya Satendra Das, the chief priest of the makeshift temple at Ayodhya, told newsmen that VHP's yatra was politically motivated. He alleged that saints were being used for vested interests.State Police Inspector General, Law & Order R K Vishwakarma said strict vigil action has been ordered in six districts where the minority community resides in sizeable proportions. 

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The Mumbai police have apprehended all five accused involved in the henious gang rape of a photojournalist within three days of the incident.

Maharashtra government ensures justice to the survivor by announcing lawyer Ujjwal Nikam as the special public prosecutor and running the case in a fast track court. More from our correspondent;

All the five accused involved in the gang rape incident have been arrested and the case will be run in a fast track court to ensure speedy justice to the woman. The fifth and final accused Mohammed Salim Ansari was arrested in North West Delhi yesterday and will be produced in Mumbai court today. Taking a major step in the case, Maharashtra government has appointed noted lawyer Ujjwal Nikam as the special public prosecutor. The case has now been transferred to Mumbai crime branch which will hunt for the missing mobile phone used to shoot pictures of the brutal attack and will carry out further interrogations with the accused. Sudha Ramasubramanian, AIR News, Mumbai.

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The Government has said that an estimated 614.3 lakh tonnes foodgrains will be required to ensure successful implementation of the proposed Food Security Act.As per an official release the procurement will also ensure that farmers get more for their produce. The government has set the current minimum support price for wheat at 12 rupees 85 paisa per kilogram and for paddy it is  12 rupees 50 paisa per kilogram.About 75 per cent village population will get foodgrain at a highly subsidized price after implementation of the proposed Act. They will be provided wheat at the rate of 2 rupees per kilogram and rice at the rate of 3 rupees per kilogram.

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Union Rural Development Minister, Jairam Ramesh said that Women Self Help Groups will be motivated to promote use of bio-toilets in rural areas of the country. Talking to media, after inspecting  the Biotech Public Convenience Centre and other equipment at the Defence Research and Development Establishment in Gwalior, he said that in the first phase Women Self Help Groups of four states Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar will be motivated in this direction. Mr. Ramesh said that each village Panchayat in the country will be made a Nirmal Panchayat in ten years.

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The full bench of the Election Commission of India is visiting Bhopal today on a two day tour to review preparations for the upcoming Legislative Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh. Chief Election Commissioner V.S. Sampat. Election Commissioners H.S. Brahma and Dr. Syed Naseem Ahmad and other senior officers will also hold discussions with representatives of political parties. The State Legislative Assembly elections are due in the state this year.

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United Nations experts are to start a probe today on the site of an alleged Syrian chemical weapons attack after Damascus struck an accord with visiting UN disarmament envoy Angela Kane yesterday.Syria's opposition says more than one thousand three hundred people died when President Bashar al-Assad's regime forces unleashed chemical weapons against rebel-held towns east and southwest of  the capital Damascus on August the 21st. The United States pointed the finger of blame at the Syrian government.

 Damascus has strongly denied that it carried out such an attack, and instead blamed the rebels.Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameroon have jointly warned Syria that it would face a serious response if it is found that Syrian forces indeed used chemical weapons on civilians.

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 In Iraq, a wave of bomb attacks across the country has killed at least 46 people. Police sources said the worst affected were Baghdad, northern city of Mosul and the central city of Baquba which were hit by numerous blasts.

Violence during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which ended in early August, left more than 670 people dead. The rising level of casualties comes amid heightened tensions between Sunni and Shia Muslims. Sunnis say they are being marginalised by the Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki's Shia-led government.

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Various aspects of bilateral relations between Afghanistan and India were discussed during Indian Foreign Secretary's visit to Afghanistan. Addressing a press conference in Kabul yesterday, Afghan Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Janan Mossazai told reporters that the visiting Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh met with Deputy Foreign Minister Irshad Ahmadi and other leaders and discussed various issues including investment and cooperation between the two countries. More from our correspondent;

Recent high level visits between Afghanistan and India have reaffirmed the bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two neighbours. Afghan Vice President's visit to India was followed by Indian Foreign Secretary's tour to Afghanistan last week. Afghanistan is standing at the crossroads of its history when the country is awaiting security, economic and political transition. While the international forces are preparing to leave the country, war battered Afghanistan needs assistance in rebuilding the nation. Rajendra Upadhyay, AIR News, Kabul.

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In Uttar Pradesh, the flood situation has been aggravated as many districts of Bundelkhand have also come in the grip of floods along with the entire Terai region and eastern parts of the state. Our correspondent reports that around seven lakh population are affected by flood in 32 Tehsils of 22 districts. Nearly 600 villages of the state are reeling under the floods, many of them since the last two months.

The dangerously rising Ganga has washed away a twenty feet wide portion of embankment near Buxi Bund, which separates a major portion of the city from the river in Allahabad. This has flooded around a dozen localities having over one lakh of population. Yamuna is also wrecking havoc in southern parts of Allahabad city where it has inundated more than a dozen localities. The administration in Allahabad,Varanasi, Banda, Hamirpur, Kaushambi and Fatehpur has sounded an alert. Merajuddin, AIR News, Lucknow.

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The Post Matric and Pre-matric scholarship scheme of the Central Government is being implemented effectively in Belguam district of Karnataka. More from our Correspondent:

Financial assistance has been given to facilitate education of 83 Thousand 183 students belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe groups and improvement of basic infrastructure during the year 2012-13. A total of  15 thousand 709 students are receiving the scholarship under the Pre-matric and Post Matric scholarship scheme. In the year 2013-14  a total of 87 thousand 378  students belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe group have obtained admissions in schools and colleges.  The process of  submission of  online applications for student scholarship under the Minority welfare scheme will be commenced shortly as informed by  Social Welfare Officer of Belguam district. Panduranga, AIR News, Dharwad.

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The Sports Ministry has welcomed the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) decision to accept age and tenure guidelines as the national Olympic body agreed to amend its constitution to bring it in line with the Sports Code. The IOA has  agreed to all the other amendments proposed by the International Olympic Committee, except the chargesheet clause on tainted officials in a Special General Body Meeting held in New Delhi, yesterday.

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India bagged a Gold medal in the Archery World Cup Stage 4 competition in Wroclaw, Poland yesterday. In the Women's Recurve Team final, the sixth seeded Indian team of Deepika Kumari, Laishram Bombayla Devi and Rimil Buriuly defeated the top seeded Korean team of Yun Ok-Hee, Ki Bo Bae, and Joo Hyun Jung, 219-215 to clinch the coveted yellow metal. Before setting up a final with heavy weights Korea, India had defeated Indonesia (217-216), Mexico (211-202) and Denmark (214-206).

This is the Indian trio's second successive Gold. They had brought laurels to the country in July this year, after winning the Stage 3 meet at Medellin, Colombia.

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South Korea will take on India while Bangladesh will meet Oman in the two Pool B matches of the 9th Men's Asia Cup hockey tournament at Ipoh in Malaysia today.

Yesterday, Holders South Korea started their title defence with a resounding 8-0 win against Bangladesh in their first Pool B match.

In the second Pool A match yesterday, Three-time champions Pakistan became the first team to qualify for the semifinals after defeating Malaysia 4-1.Meanwhile, in an earlier Pool A match, Japan defeated Chinese Taipei 5-1 to register their first win in the tournament.

In the opening match played on Saturday, India hammered Oman 8-NIL.

NEWSPAPER HEADLINES

The Uttar Pradesh administration arresting leaders of the Vishva Hindu Parishad on Sunday is covered extensively by the press.  The Hindu writes that key sadhus and temple seers in Ayodhya lashed out at the VHP for using the Ram Mandir issue for political gains. "Ayodhya Seers flay VHP for playing politics with Ram", reads the  headline the paper of the story in the paper.

With decks looking clear for smooth functioning of the rest of parliament's monsoon session, UPA floor managers have prioritized the government's legislative agenda, with the Food Bill at the top, says theHindustan Times.

The Indian Express writes that with infrastructure growth on the decline, the Centre is fixing a month's deadline, for key departments to conclude government clearances that have stalled nine major infrastructure projects.

The Joint Admission Board for IIT's which met on Sunday in Delhi to review the IIT entrance test format, has decided that they should not be any change in the IIT exam next year, reports Hindustan Times.

Business Line of The Hindu writes that the Prime Minister's office is in favour of opening up the fast growing e-retail sector to foreign direct investment - a move that will allow global majors such as Amazon and e Bay to invest in the country.

The Navy should have a deep submergence rescue vessel for each coastal flank" writes the Hindu quoting a Naval official, who says the first 72 hours after a submarine accident are 'vital' as trapped sailors stand a good chance of survival. Ironically, the government had taken the first step towards purchase of a such vessel a week before the INS Sindurakshak went down, says the paper.

And finally, inspired by the flying spy camera in the movie 3 Idiots, Kolkata's 21 year old Subhanjan Saha claims to have built a drone, writes the Times of India. Built with scrap metal and pieces of plastic, the drone packs enough power to fly ten kilometers at a stretch - at a height between 5,000 to 10,000 feet and take clear ground photographs and instantly relay them to the operator, says the paper.