2100 HRS.

24-10-2013

NEWS AT NINE.

THE HEADLINES:

• Prime Minister says, he is ready to face CBI probe in coal scam; Expresses disappointment with Nawaz Sharif on ceasefire violations.
• SC agrees to relook at its judgement scrapping NEET, the single common entrance test for admissions to medical courses.
• Foreign Investment Promotion Board approves a new joint venture by Singapore Airlines and Tata Sons.
• Mortal remains of Legendary playback singer Manna Dey consigned to flames.
• Barrack Obama asks Nawaz Sharif why the trial of 26/11 Mumbai attack accused has not started yet.

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The Prime Minister has expressed disappointment over the happening at Indo Pakistan border. Dr Manmohan Singh was talking to media persons on board special Air India Flight while coming back home.

This something which really is a matter of disappointment. I sincerely hope that at this late hour Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will recognise that this is a development which is not good for either of the two countries.

Dr Manmohan Singh said that during the recently held New York meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, there was a general agreement by both sides that peace and tranquillity should be maintained on the border including on the line of control but unfortunately this has not happened. Dr Singh said it has come to him as a big disappointment.

Replying on CBI`s probe into coal allocations the Prime Minister said that he is not above the law of the land and If CBI or anyone wants to ask him he has nothing to hide. He said he is doing his duty and will continue to do so. He said it is for historians to judge the legacy of his 10 years at the helm.

Replying to a question on 2014 Lok Sabha elections the Prime Minister said when the results of 2014 come out, the country will once again be surprised.

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The Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has expressed great satisfaction over his Russia and China visits and said that it has served the purpose. He said that his visits have been able to secure significant results both in Russia as well as in China.

Talking to media persons on Board on Air India special flight while coming back home after completing his five day successful official tour to Moscow and Beijing he said that all three countries of India, Russia and China have recognised that terrorism and extremism are a threat to all the countries and are enemies of progress. He said, all of them mustwork together, pool their intelligence and information systems to deal with this menace.

Replying to a question Dr Singh said that there is a commitment on the part of both China and India that peace and tranquillity on the border is a pre-requisite for progress in our relationship. He said Chinese leadership is as serious as we are in ensuring peace and tranquillity on the India-China border.

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Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar says, Centre will release 921.98 crore rupees to Maharashtra for damages to the onion crop due to excess rain. Addressing a function in New Delhi today, Mr. Sharad Pawar said that onion shortage is only temporary.

I think it will take another 2-3 weeks where rich quantity will arrive in market.

Meanwhile Prime Minister's Economic Advisor C Rangarajan has attributed the spiraling onion prices to supply constraints saying it will have only a temporary impact on inflation. He was talking to reporters in New Delhi today.

Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit  today held a meeting with Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Food Minister K V  Thomas on onion price issue. Talking to reporters after the meeting, Ms. Dikshit said eight thousand  quintals of onions have arrived in the national capital  and her government will  approach the Election Commission to  sell onions through mobile vans in the national capital.  The permission is mandatory  as the model code of conduct is in force in the city. Ms. Dikshit said that the central government and the state government are seized of the problem being faced by the people and taking prompt action.

Both the government of India, the Ministers here the officers and we are trying our best to see that prices come down as quickly as they can.

Former BJP President Nitin Gadkari has held both the Centre and Delhi governments responsible for the unprecedented rise in the prices of onion. Addressing a news conference in New Delhi today Gadkari charged the Centre with the failure to contain inflation.

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The Election Commission today asked Delhi government to stall the process for identifying beneficiaries under the Food Security scheme till 5th December. Official sources said the decision has been taken in the  wake of the model code of conduct which is in force in the national capital. The poll for  the 70 member Delhi Assembly will  be held on 4th December.  

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The Supreme Court has agreed to have a relook at its judgement scrapping the single common entrance test for admissions to MBBS, BDS and post-graduate courses in all medical colleges which was delivered three months back.

The apex court decided to grant oral hearing to the Centre and various other petitioners who had sought review of its July 18 majority 2-1 verdict that had quashed the notification for National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) on the ground that it violated the rights of private institutions to administer such institutions.

A bench headed by Justice H L Dattu issued notice to all private and minority medical colleges on whose plea the apex court had scrapped NEET.

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The Apex Court today awarded 5.96 crore rupees as compensation to be paid by Kolkata-based AMRI Hospital and three doctors to a US-based Indian-origin doctor for medical negligence. The negligence led to the death of his wife in 1998. A two judge bench asked the hospital and the three doctors to pay the amount within eight weeks to Kunal Saha, an Ohio-based AIDS researcher.

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Nine Maoists were arrested today with arms and ammunition from Maoist hit East Champaran district of Bihar. East Champaran Superintendent of Police Mr. Vinay Kumar said that acting upon specific information, a joint team of police nabbed the cadres from Gorgama village of Kurwachaunpur police station in East Champaran district. Police recovered huge arms and ammunition from them.

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The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) today gave a green signal to Singapore Airlines' proposal to start an aviation venture with Tata Sons. This  entails an initial foreign investment of  49 million dollar. Economic Affairs Secretary Arvind Mayaram told reporters after the  meeting of FIPB in New Delhi, the proposal has been cleared and  no riders have been set for the joint venture.

In the new venture Tata SIA Airlines Ltd, the Tata Sons would hold 51 per cent stake and Singapore Airlines 49 per cent.   With this, decks are cleared for Tata SIA to launch operations as a full-service air carrier in the country.

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NEWS FROM THE BUSINESS WORLD

The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange crossed the 21,000-mark after a gap of nearly three years, in intra-day trade, today. But it later gave up all those gains, to close with a loss of 42 points, or 0.2 percent, at 20,725, on profit-booking by investors. The Nifty fell 14 points, to 6,164.  Stock markets in Japan, China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore ended mixed. The rupee ended 13 paise stronger, at 61.46 against the dollar. Gold spurted 480 rupees, to regain the 32,000-rupee level after seven weeks, at 32,410 rupees per ten grams in Delhi. Silver held steady at 50,200 rupees per kilo. And Brent crude oil futures rose above 108 dollars a barrel, while US crude climbed 83 cents, to 97.69 dollars a barrel. Pradeep Kumar, AIR News.

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In Andhra Pradesh, death toll due to heavy rains rose to 12 while one more person is missing. Normal life has been badly hit due to incessant rains across the state for the past three days under the under the influence of the low pressure area formed in the Bay of Bengal and the vigorous North East monsoon. Dozens of towns and cities were waterlogged and thousands of villages marooned. Several rivers and rivulets are in spate

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Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who is currently on a US tour, has had a two-hour long meeting with President Barrack Obama. Agency reports from Washington say,  Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif faced uncomfortable questions from the US President  who did some plain speaking by asking him as to why the trial of those involved in the 2008 Mumbai attack had not yet begun.  Besides, President Obama also raised the issue of cross-border terrorism, particularly the activities of terror outfit JuD led by Hafiz Saeed. The Pakistan Prime Minister also  appears to have made no headway on his  objective of stopping US drone attacks and American intervention on Kashmir.   A joint statement issued after the meeting said,    President Obama welcomed recent engagements between Sharif and Singh and expressed hope that this would mark the beginning of a sustained dialogue process between the two neighbours. 

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A Pakistani anti-terrorism  court conducting the  26/11 Mumbai  terror attacks trial,  today issued summons to four witnesses including the seller of a boat that was used by 10 LeT terrorists to reach India. The four Pakistanis from Karachi  are facing trial after being charged with  planning, financing and executing the attacks that killed 166  people.   The hearing has   been postponed for two weeks. 

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Pakistan Prime Minister, Mr Sharif has said that his government has initiated a dialogue process with the Taliban.  He was talking to Pak media before his departure from Washington.  Mr Sharif said he has apprised President Obama about the ongoing talks, which he claimed will help establish peace in the country and the region.

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Mortal remains of Legendary playback singer Manna Dey were consigned to flames this evening. 94-year old Manna Dey passed away  today at a private hospital in Bangalore, following a prolonged illness.

President, Vice President and Prime Minister have  condoled the death of singer Manna Dey. In his message, President Pranab Mukherjee said in the  passing away of Manna Dey, the nation has lost a veteran singer, a versatile artist and a creative genius, who mesmerized listeners with his enchanting voice. Vice-President Mohammed Hamid Ansari  described Manna Dey as outstanding and versatile singer

In his message, the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh said with the passing away of Manna Dey, the music world has lost one of its most talented artists.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi and BJP President Rajnath Singh have also condoled the death of Manna Dey. Now a tribute to the legend:

A career spanning over five decades and singing over 4000 songs in Hindi, Bengali and several other regional languages, Prabodh Chandra Dey or Manna Dey called himself a student of music. Known for his versatile voice, he was credited with infusing Indian classic music in Pop framework.            

Born on 1st May, 1919 and honoured with Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, he was awarded Dadasaheb Phalke award in 2007.

Manna may not be with us today, but will live in the hearts of music lovers for ever.

Manoj Tuli for AIR News, Delhi.

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In Thailand, at least 22 people were killed and 16 others injured  when the bus in which they were travelling plunged into a ravine in the Lampang region,  north of the country.  Police sources said  most of the victims were pilgrims coming back home from  a temple at the end of a Buddhist function.

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Indian shuttlers K.Srikanth and P.V.Sindhu have crashed out of the French Open Badminton Tournament being held in Paris after they lost in their singles pre-quarter matches. Thailand's  Boonsak Ponsana beat Srikanth in men's singles  match 15-21, 21-18, 21-15. In women's singles , Scotland's Kirsty Glamour  defeated Sindhu 10-21, 21-19, 21-16.  India's shuttle queen and World Number 4 Saina ,will clash with Korea's Yeon Ju Bae in the Women's Singles pre-quarter match later today while in the Men's Singles pre-quarter, Ajay Jayaram will face Malaysia's World Number One Chong Wei Lee and Anand Pawar will take on Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk of Thailand.