0815 HRS

  24th October, 2013

THE HEADLINES:

• India and China sign nine agreements and MoUs including Border Defence Cooperation; Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to address Central School of Communist Party of China in Beijing this morning.
• Railways rules out any fresh hike in passenger fares till the next rail budget.
• Noted Singer Manna Dey passes away in Bangalore.
• Seven hardcore insurgents surrender in Kokrajhar district of Assam.
• Extradition treaty between India and Bangladesh comes into effect with handing over of the instruments of ratification.
• Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal and P V Sindhu storm into the second round of the French Super Series Badminton tournament.

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The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh will address the Central School of Communist Party of China in Beijing this morning. He will also meet former Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao before leaving for New Delhi on completion of his three-day visit to China. Our correspondent covering the Prime Minister's visit reports that India and China signed nine agreements and MoUs during Dr. Singh's visit. These include Border Defence Cooperation, Management of Trans-Border Rivers and Establishment of Sister City Relationships between three Mega cities of the two countries. According to the border agreement, troops of India and China will not tail each other's patrols and during face-to-face situations both sides will exercise maximum self-restraint. The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh described the Border Defence Cooperation agreement as an instrument of peace and tranquility.

"The agreement on Border Defence Cooperation that we have signed will add to the existing instruments to ensure peace, stability and predictability on our borders."
Talking to media persons in Beijing, Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh said, the Prime Minister also held a detail discussion with Chinese President Xi Jinping and received assurance from him that China will address India's concern on trans border rivers.Underlining defence exchanges and military exercises as important in building greater trust and confidence, both countries decided on the holding of a counter-terrorism exercise next month.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said that his country is ready to work with India to strengthen cooperation on infrastructure, especially railways construction, and to push forward the establishment of a Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar economic corridor. More from our correspondent:

"India and China agreed to promote connectivity with each other, to work together to cooperate on global issues like energy security, climate change and food security. Strategic communication was recognised as very important with respect to immediate neighbourhood, in the region and globally. Agreement to have a vision for future development of India-China strategic and cooperative partnership was another outcome of the talks. The stapled visa issue came up for discussion during the talks and India also raised the issue of supply of nuclear reactors to Pakistan. With Sunil Shukla, Sant Bahadur, AIR News, Beijing."

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The Railways have ruled out any fresh hike in passenger fares till the next rail budget in July next year. Railway Board Chairman, Arunendra Kumar said, the Railways is likely to present a vote-on-account in March next year as the Lok Sabha elections will be round the corner during that period.
He said, the railways is planning to increase the speed of the Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto trains over the next three years.
 

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The Inter-Ministerial Group, IMG on coal blocks has recommended issuing of show-cause notices to some companies for delays in developing coal blocks. The IMG met in New Delhi yesterday and reviewed the progress at 17 mines. Official sources said the panel also suggested that explanations be sought for delays in the production at mines in other cases. It also reviewed coal blocks of companies like the NTPC and Damodar Valley Corporation. 
 

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Legendary playback singer Manna Dey passed away in Bangalore following a prolonged illness. He breathed his last at 3.30 AM today. 94-year old Manna Dey was suffering from a lung infection. He has sung more than 4,000 songs in Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada and Assamese films. He made his debut as playback singer in the film Tamanna in 1942. He was given the Padma Shri in 1971, Padma Bhushan in 2005 and the Dadasaheb Phalke award in 2007. Manna Dey became famous after release of the film "Do Bigha Zamin" in 1953 where two of his songs composed by Salil Choudhury became hits. His prominent films include Awara, Qurbani, Sree 420, Teesri Kasam, Padosan, Mera Nam Joker, Amar Akbar Anthony, Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Sholay, Janzeer, Anand and Upkar. 
         

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Giving a boost to the Assam government’s peace initiatives, 7 hardcore cadres of the banned outfit National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Sangbijit faction) have surrendered in Kokrajhar. Police said, they also deposited 5 pistols and 4 grenades among other things. All of them have been involved in subversive activities for the last 5 years.     Their surrender comes on a day, when the Ranjan Daimary faction of the outfit agreed to the proposal of the Centre and the Assam government to ink Suspension of Operation on the 9th of the next month.
 

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In Andhra Pradesh, one person died and three others as feared drowned in rain related incidents as incessant the downpour continued to lash several parts of the coastal districts. Our correspondent reports that Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy has directed district officials to open control rooms at district headquarters and carry out relief operations.
    
"About four thousand people from low laying areas are taking shelter at relief camps in Visakhapatnam and Prakasam districts. Several streams and rivulets are in spate posing inundation threat to many villages. Roads and colonies in dozens of towns and cities were waterlogged. The state authorities have put the coordination officers of various departments like roads, drinking water, civil supplies, revenue and medical on alert as precautionary measure. The preliminary reports indicate that crops especially paddy and cotton damaged in over 90 thousand hectares. Lakshmi, AIR News, Hyderabad."

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In Hyderabad, three persons including 2 children were killed in a wall collapse. One person is feared trapped under the debris. A rescue operation is underway.
 

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The extradition treaty between India and Bangladesh comes into effect with the handing over of the instruments of ratification. Bangladesh Home Secretary C.Q.K. Mostaq Ahmad and Indian High Commissioner Pankaj Saran signed the documents in Dhaka last evening. The treaty was signed by Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and his Bangladesh counterpart Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir on January 28th. Our correspondent reports that India will now be able to extradite ULFA leader Anup Chetia from Bangladesh.    

"Under the treaty the two countries will be able to exchange convicts and undertrials as required. The treaty provides for extradition of convicts sentenced to more than one year of imprisonment, but is not applicable to political prisoners and asylum seekers. Both countries can cancel the treaty at six month's notice. The treaty will allow India to extradite ULFA leader Anup Chetia, while it will allow Bangladesh to take back fugitive criminals from India like Sazzad Hossain  and put them to trial. Melinda Dias for AIR News Dhaka."

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The UN Chemical weapons watchdog, Organization for Prevention of Chemical weapons, OPCW said that Syria has promised to hand over a detailed plan of the destruction of its chemical weapons by today. However, on the diplomatic front, prospects of Geneva-II peace talks do not appear so bright. More from our West Asia Correspondent:

"Under the plan approved by the UN Security Council, the joint UN and OPCW team has to render the chemical weapons production facilities in Syria unusable by November 1. It has now checked 18 of 23 declared sites in Syria and destroyed production facilities there. Syria has already handed over an inventory of its chemicals, weapons and facilities to the team which arrived in country in the beginning of this month inspecting and destroying them. The Syrian opposition has said it won't join Geneva-II peace talks till President Assad quits. Atul K Tiwary, AIR News."

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The United Nations has said that two of its peacekeepers from Chad have been killed and six others wounded in a suicide attack in Mali. In a statement, it said that civilians also died when a bomber drove an explosives-laden vehicle to the checkpoint in Tessalit before blowing himself up.  UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the attack will not affect the determination of the United Nations to support the restoration of security, stability and lasting peace in Mali.

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Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and US President Barack Obama have discussed the US drone strikes in Pakistan. Mr. Sharif urged Mr. Obama to end the drone strikes that are widely unpopular in Pakistan. Mr Obama however, did not mention drones in his remarks to reporters. Mr Obama cited Pakistan's battle with terrorism, saying that more than 40,000 Pakistanis have died in extremist attacks during the past decade.

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel has telephonically called the US President Barack Obama after receiving information that US intelligence agencies may have spied on her mobile phone. A spokesman said that Mrs. Merkel asked for immediate clarification from the US President and said that the targeting of her calls would be a serious breach of trust. The White House said President Obama had told Chancellor Merkel the US was not snooping on her communications.

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Star Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal and her compatriot P V Sindhu have stormed into the second round of the French Super Series badminton tournament. In Paris yesterday, World number four Saina defeated unseeded Nichaon Jindapon of Thailand 12-21, 21-16, 21-13 in her opening round match. Saina will take on Yeon Ju Bae of Korea in the second round.
World number 10 Sindhu made a sensational start to her campaign as she crushed world number six Ji Hyun Sung of Korea in straight games 21-8, 21-12 in just 29 minutes.
In men's singles, Ajay Jayaram, K Srikanth and Anand Pawar entered the second round. However, Parupalli Kashyap and RMV Gurusaidutt failed to cross the first hurdle. 
  

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NEWSPAPER HEADLINES 

• The successful outcome of extensive talks between the Prime Ministers of India and China - receives prominence in today's Press. The Asian Age writes - Dr. Singh attempted to reset India and China as fellow travellers on the same journey and said - 'China and India's dreams are interconnected and mutually compatible, when China and India speak, the world listens'.
• The Hindu reports that  amidst increasing instances of ceasefire violation along the Indo - Pak border, Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has said that Indian Forces have been asked to give a 'fitting reply' to such unprovoked incidents.
• Hindustan Times writes - as the UPA Govt tries to tame high onion prices, Farm Minister Sharad Pawar has asked all Chief Ministers to invoke the Essential Commodities Act (an anti-hoarding legislation) and stated that onion prices are to stay High. The Statesman writes "Onion hits CENTURY".
• Most papers cover the Union Home Ministry seeking the Maharashtra Govt's opinion on reducing Sanjay Dutt's jail term. The Pioneer reports that Press Council of India Chairman Justice Katju had asked for a Presidential pardon for Dutt and two others on humanitarian grounds.
• Hindustan Times covers the Supreme Court reprimanding former army chief Gen. V K Singh, saying that his contemptuous remarks attributing 'motive' to its verdict in the Age Row, had scandalized the judiciary and lowered the Court authority. 
• The Financial Express reports that Swedish furniture maker IKEA is likely to setup its first Indian Store in Noida or Greater Noida, which are attractive for their infrastructure, comparatively lower rentals and proximity to the National Capital.
• And finally, the Statesman, in covering some of India's lost treasures, writes that Shah Jahan's exquisitely carved milky-white jade 'wine cup', as also Maharaja Ranjit Singh's famous octagonal throne - are now in the possession of and can be seen in - the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.