1400 HRS.
7th  August, 2013

THE HEADLINES:

• Both Houses of Parliament adjourned till 2 PM due to uproar over various issues including statement by Defence Minister on the killing of five Indian soldiers by Pakistani forces.
• India announces 150 thousand dollars assistance to the victims of recent suicide attack on Indian consulate in Afghanistan.
• In Assam, state government holding talks with representatives of various organisations asking for separate states.
• Sensex looses 60 points; Rupee tumbles by 63 paise to 61.40 against the dollar.
• Saina Nehwal and 5 other Indian shuttlers to play in the second round of the World Championships in China today.

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Defence Minister A K Antony told the Rajya Sabha today that Army Chief General Bikram Singh is on a visit to Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir, where five Indian soldiers were martyred by Pakistanis. Responding to the repeated demands by the BJP and other members, Mr Antony said, he will share more information with the House once General Singh returns.

As a Defence Minister, when I make a statement in the Parliament on such a matter, I have to verify all the facts in detail. That is why yesterday, I made a statement like that. Today, Army Chief has gone to the area. Let him come back and when we get some other details, I will convey to you.

Even after the Defence Minister's clarification, the BJP members were insistent on his apology for the statement. This led to strong protests by the BJP, forcing the adjournment of the Rajya Sabha.

Earlier, raising the issue in the Lok Sabha, Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj alleged that Mr Antony's statement gave a clean chit to the perpetrators of the crime. She also demanded a response from the Prime Minister.

The Defense Ministry had blamed the Pakistani Army for killing of 5 Indian soldiers across the LoC. But Defense Minister gave a clean chit to the Pakistani Army. I request the Speaker to ask Defence Minister to accept his mistake and apologise to the nation. I also request Speaker to ask the Prime Minister to respond to the issue.

In the Rajya Sabha, the issue was raised by Venkaiah Naidu of the BJP. The House was adjourned four times in the pre-lunch session on the same issue.

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Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari has said that the opposition should respond to serious issues involving the security of the country in a responsible manner. Talking to reporters outside Parliament he said, the Opposition should not take political mileage out of it.

I am extremely anguished that on a day when the nation is still mourning the death of its five brave soldiers, who were killed on the LoC, there should be 'Parties in Politics' which should played on this issue. It would serve all of us we discuss issues, which are sensitive, which have bearing on the morale of the forces, on the morale of the nation, in a manner which is sober and try and rise above parties in politics on such question.

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The Left Front members today staged a dharna in front of the main gate of Parliament House this morning. They were protesting against violence in West Bengal.

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In Assam, the high level talks between the state government and representatives of the All Koch-Rajbonshi Students Union(AKRSU) have concluded in Guwahati. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and top government officials took part in the talk. AKRSU is demanding Kamatapur state merging parts of Assam and of West Bengal. More from our correspondent:

The Assam government has begun talks with the agitating organizations in a positive gesture. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi urged the leaders of the All Koch Rajbonshi Students Union not to undertake undemocratic means of agitation. The Chief Minister also assured them to consider their demands including setting up of an engineering college at Bongaigaon .The President of the All Bodo Students Union, Promod Boro said that they will urge the Assam government to arrange tripartite talks including the Centre in a specific timeframe. The Chief Minister will also hold discussion with the representatives of the Bodo National Conference this evening to discuss the demand of separate Bodoland state. Manas Pratim Sarma, AIR News, Guwahati

Meanwhile, curfew has been relaxed for 6 hours from 10 am at Dongkamokam. Train services have resumed on all routes of the state. On the other hand, the 48 hours bandh called by the All Bodo Students Union to press for their demand for a separate Bodoland state passed off peacefully this morning.

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In West Bengal, indefinite shutdown continued to affect normal life in the hills of Darjeeling district on the fifth day of the bandh called by the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha GJM, demanding for a separate state. Shops, educational institutions and business establishments remained closed. Roads and streets are completely deserted in Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong tehsils. GJM supporters are staging dharna at various places in the hills. Home Secretary of West Bengal, Basudeb Banerjee, has reviewed the situation of law and order regarding the indefinite bandh called by the GJM in Darjeeling yesterday at a high-level meeting.

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NEWS JUST IN

The Lok Sabha has been adjourned till 3 p.m. The Rajya Sabha has since resumed.

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In Manipur, a top Naga militant leader was killed in a factional fight with a rival group in interior Senapati district. Police said, the self-styled Lt Colonel James of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Kohole faction was killed in a fight with NSCN-IM activists at Viewland village yesterday. The body has been sent to a nearby hospital for post mortem.

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The flood situation continued to remain grim in Uttar Pradesh as more than five lakh population of over 550 villages remain inundated. Despite being on a slight decline, river Ganga is still 2.28 meters above the danger mark in Ballia and 1.37 meters above the red mark in Ghazipur. The Met department has predicted heavy rainfall and thundershowers at several places in the next 24 hours in the state. 

"Around three hundred villages of Ghazipur and Ballia are submerged in the flood water of Ganga and Ghaghra. Hundreds of houses have been washed away and dozens of villages are on the verge of extinction because of the raging floods in these areas. Lakhs of flood victims were enraged due to non supply of adequate relief and help by the administration. Same is the condition of Varanasi and Chandauli where life has become quite miserable because of the floods. Merajuddin, AIR News, Lucknow."

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India has announced 150 thousand dollar assistance to the victims of last Saturday's unsuccessful suicide bomb attack on the Indian consulate in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Indian Ambassador Amar Sinha visited Jalalabad and met Governor Gul Agha Sherzai. He thanked the governor, the security forces and the people of Jalalabad for thwarting the terrorist suicide attack on the Indian consulate. Mr Amar Sinha also met the families of the victims and visited the hospital to inquire about the injured. The Indian Ambassador announced 10,000 dollar for the repair of the mosque damaged during the blast near the Indian consulate in Jalalabad. The Governor appreciated India'a assistance to Afghanistan and said that the people of Jalalabad are always ready to protect the Indian consulate.

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India’s national Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon and newly appointed Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh are to embark on a three visit to Bhutan tomorrow to hold to hold talks with the new leadership. According to the Bhutan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs they will call on King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and meet newly elected Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay.

They are also scheduled to meet Foreign Minister Rinzin Dorje and the Opposition leader Dr.Pema Gyamtsho. According to the press release it stated this is a part of the traditional exchange of high-level visits between the two countries.

This is the Foreign Secretary first visit abroad after assuming office on the 1st of this month .

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In Pakistan, seven teenagers were killed and 26 people injured when a bomb planted in a motor bike exploded in Karachi last night. Police said that the blast took place outside a football ground in Layari area which has a tradition of holding soccer matches in Ramadan. The bomb was detonated near the vehicle of Javed Naghori, a provincial minister who was leaving after witnessing a match between two local teams. Naghori escaped unharmed.

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In Egypt, the reconciliation talks led by the European Union and US seem to have hit a roadblock with the visiting US senator John McCain calling the ouster of Mursi as a military coup. The interim President Adly Mansour slammed the statement as an unacceptable interference in internal policies of Egypt. 

Whether to call ouster of the former President Mohamed Mursi a military coup or not has been a hotly debated topic. US administration has so far carefully avoided the word coup since it would mean cutting off as per the US law 1.5 billion US dollars worth military aid to Egypt. However at a press conference in Cairo after meeting top Egyptian leaders including Army Chief General Sissi, the visiting US senator John McCain called the ouster of Mursi a coup de’tat. Lindsy Graham said that the people who are in charge were not elected while the people who were elected are in jail and status quo is not acceptable. Their statements have generated lot of heat in the local Egyptian media with many terming it as a big insult to Egypt and its people. Atul Tiwary, AIR News.

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Tens of thousands of people poured onto the streets of the Tunisian capital Tunis to demand the resignation of the government as the political crisis in the north African nation deepened. The country has been wracked by political unrest since the murder of opposition lawmaker Mohamed Brahmi on July 25th. Yesterday's protests marked the biggest anti-government demonstration since the assassination.

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The US will go ahead with high-level talks with Russia on Friday despite Moscow's decision to grant asylum to ex-US intelligence analyst Edward Snowden. The US state department said Secretary of State John Kerry and US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel will hold talks on pressing bilateral and global issues with their Russian counterparts in Washington, including Syria and on Iran's nuclear programme. The two sides will also to discuss about Mr. Snowden.

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China has imposed large fines on six international milk powder companies accused of price fixing. Officials said the baby formula producers had used a variety of methods to restrict competition. The fines total more than a hundred million dollars. The milk suppliers, include Mead Johnson and New Zealand's Fonterra, It is the latest use of anti-monopoly laws against the foreign companies in China.

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Yemen has introduced unprecedented security measures to protect government buildings and key targets against the threat of an Al-Qaeda attack. Hundreds of armed vehicles have been deployed in the capital Sanaa. The United States and other western nations have withdrawn their embassy staff. The Yemeni authorities said they have foiled plans to blow up oil pipelines and sea's ports.

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Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajeev Shukla today said that government will not tolerate violation of ceasefire on the Line of Control at any cost. Talking to reporters outside Parliament, Mr. Shukla said, Defence Minister A.K Antony has already made a statement in Parliament over the issue. He said, Army Chief General Bikram Singh is on a visit to Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir where where five Indian soldiers were killed by Pakistanis. He said, Mr Antony will share more information with the House once General Singh returns.

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Recovering partially from initial losses, the Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange stood 64 points, or 0.3 percent in negative territory, at 18,669, in afternoon trade, a short while ago. Earlier in the morning, the Sensex had opened with a loss of 120 points, or 0.6 percent, at 18,613, on continued selling by funds, amid a weakening rupee, and declining regional bourses.

Stock indices in Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea had lost between 0.1 percent and 3 percent, today. The US Dow Jones Industrial Average had ended 0.6 per cent lower in yesterday's trade.

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The rupee tumbled by 63 paise to 61.40 against the dollar in late morning trade on fresh buying of US currency by banks and importers in view of fall in the equity market. The rupee resumed lower at 61.15 per dollar as against the last closing level of 60.77 per dollar yesterday at the Interbank Foreign Exchange (Forex) Market and dropped further to 61.44 per dollar before quoting at 61.40 per dollar at 1045 hrs.

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Saina Nehwal and 5 other Indian shuttlers will play their second round matches of the World Badminton Championships in Guangzhou, China today. In the Women's Singles, world number three Saina will take on the unseeded Russian Olga Golovanova, while PV Sindhu, who is making a debut at the World Championships, will meet lower seed Kaori Imabeppu of Japan. Both Saina and Sindhu had a bye in the first round.

In the Men's Singles, P. Kashyap will clash with Petr Koukal of the Czech Republic, while Ajay Jayaram will play Spaniard Pablo Abian