1400 HRS.    

27 November, 2013

THE HEADLINES: 

• All accused including Kanchi seers Jayendra and Vijayendra Saraswathi acquitted in Sankararaman murder case.

• Rainfall to occur in Andhra Pradesh this evening as severe cyclonic storm Lehar intensifies further.  

• Four CRPF jawans killed in a Maoist attack in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh.

• Anti-nuclear activist S P Uthayakumar and others booked for an explosion near Kudankulam Nuclear Plant.

• Pakistan releases three senior Afghan Taliban leaders to facilitate reconciliation process in Afghanistan. 

• India were 77  for 02 in 13 overs against West Indies in the final ODI match at Kanpur when reports last came in.

{}<><><>{}  

In the sensational Sankararaman murder case, all the accused including the seers of Kanchipuram Sankara Mutt, Jayendra Saraswathi and Vijeyendra Saraswathi were acquitted today . Pronouncing the judgement, Puducherry District and Sessions Judge CS Murugan said the witnesses failed to substantiate the prosecution case. Our correspondent has filed this report.

Puducherry District and Sessions Judge, C.S. Murugan, today acquitted all the accused in the high profile Sankaraman murder case.  Kanchi Sankaracharyas Jayendra Saraswathi and Vijayendra Saraswathi were the prime accused in the case.  Sankaraman, Manager of Varadaraja Perumal temple in Kanchipuram, was murdered in 2004.  The case was transferred to Pondicherry by the Supreme Court in 2005.  Senior Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi was visibly relieved on hearing the verdict.  The family members of the deceased said they are shocked by the verdict. Sabu Kurien John, AIR NEWS,Puducherry.

{}<><><>{}  

The severe cyclonic storm Lehar will intensify further and move West-northwards.  It will cross Andhra Pradesh coast near Machilipatnam in afternoon tomorrow. Under the influence of cyclonic storm moderate rain fall with squally winds with a speed between 55 to 65 kmph  will blow  from this evening.  The winds will intensify resulting in very heavy rain fall for coastal Andhra Pradesh and South Coastal Odisha.  Our correspondent has more details:

Control rooms in all 9 coastal districts at district and divisional levels are opened. Special officers are supervising the rescue and relief operations. People living in low-lying vulnerable areas are being shifted to safer places and relief camps. Total suspension of fishing activity has been notified along and off the coast. A total of 33 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in Visakhapatnam, East and West Godavari and Krishna districts besides four columns of Army and 450 members of the State Disaster Response Force spread across these districts.  Four helicopters have been kept ready to take-off if the situation warrants.  Henry, AIR News, Visakhapatnam.

{}<><><>{}  

In Chhattisgarh, four CRPF jawans were killed in an attack by Maoists in Bijapur district this morning.  One jawan was injured in the attack. Our correspondent has filed this report

A team of CRPF was on search operation in Modakpal area of Bijapur district today morning, when Maoist ambushed them. Maoist first triggered a land mine blast and later opened indiscriminate firing on the CRPF team. Four jawans were killed on spot and one other was injured. These jawans were of 168 battalion of CRPF. Maoist also looted weapons of jawans including one AK 47 and two INSAS rifles. VIKALP SHUKLA, AIR NEWS, RAIPUR.

{}<><><>{}   

The Delhi High Court today deferred till 3.30 PM the hearing on the anticipatory bail plea of Tehelka Editor Tarun Tejpal in a sexual assault case on the ground that his lawyers were busy in the apex court. Earlier, the court had issued notice to the Goa police for today and rejected the plea of Tejpal for grant of interim protection against arrest. The Tehelka Editor, in his bail plea, had denied the allegation and accused Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar of taking undue interest in the case.

{}<><><>{}  

The Group of Ministers, GoM, set up to look into the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh will meet in New Delhi today. The Ministerial panel headed by Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, has already completed its consultations with all stakeholders and is likely to finalise its recommendations. Mr. Shinde yesterday gave the assurance that the panel would address concerns and honour sentiments of all stakeholders. He said the GoM is trying to find ways to not hurt any region while creating Telangana.

  {}<><><>{}  

Election campaign is on in full swing in Rajasthan. National leaders of both Congress and BJP are in the state to address election rallies.  Our correspondent reports that there is triangular contest between Congress BJP and NPP in the eastern part of the state.

In Bharatpur division election contest is crucial as well as interesting. This time situation is changed due to National Peoples Party. Its candidates have created challenge for both Congress and BJP. In Alwar, Bharatpur and Dholpur districts there is triangular contest on 12 seats. At few places independent candidates are also in position to affect the election result.  Keeping in view of high number of sensitive polling stations in this division number of central para military forces companies deployed will be more than double the previous election. Anurag Vajpeyi,AIR News, Jaipur.

{}<><><>{}     

In Tamil Nadu, the death toll in the country bomb blast in a house in Tsunami Colony in Idintakarai near Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tirunelveli district has increased to seven. Two persons injured in the incident have been admitted to Nagercoil government hospital. Police have filed a case against People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy Activists, S P Uthayakumar and others. More from our correspondent:

Security has been beefed up in Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant. Police are continuing their investigation. Tirunelveli Superintendent of Police Vijayendra Bidari told AIR that cases have been registered against People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy Activists S P Uthayakumar, Pushparayan, Mukilan and several others. They have been booked under several sections of IPC and explosive subsatanes act. Initial investigations point that crude country bombs were stored in the house illegally. Two live bombs were recovered by the police from the vicinity and have been defused by the bomb squad . K. DEVI PADMANABHAN, AIR, TIRUCHIRAPALLI. 

{}<><><>{}

Secretary, Petroleum and Natural Gas Mr. Vivek Rae says, reforms in the field of Oil and Natural Gas exploration are on track and there is no policy paralysis. Addressing the Energy Security Conference in New Delhi today, he said that there is a need for collaboration between Petroleum, Renewable energy and Power sectors to fulfill country's growing energy needs. Expressing cautious optimism over the potential of Shale Gas and Coal Bed Methane, Mr.Rae emphasised on Research and Development in renewables and developing links between companies and academic institutions.

 {}<><><>{} 

Documentary film producers have  demanded  a wide platform to screen documentaries in theatres and different television channels. Sanskar Desai, General Secretary of the Indian Documentary Producers’ Association said this while interacting with media at the ongoing  44th International Film Festival of India, IFFI at Panaji in Goa. He said the documentary filmmakers who take up social causes should be given due recognition.  Our Correspondent has filed this report

The Indian Documentary Producers Association is committed to take documentary films to the remotest corners of the country by arranging different open forums, workshops and seminars. The association in tie-up with Mumbai International Film Festival is providing a good platform to promote the genre.The IDPA is working in close collaboration with organisations like Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari (Film City), P.L. Deshpande Kala Academy and Film and Cultural Society of North East to screen documentaries. Balaji Prabhugaonker, AIR NEWS, Panaji.

{}<><><>{} 

Pakistan has quietly released three senior Afghan Taliban leaders, including a close aide of Mullah Omar, as part of efforts to facilitate the reconciliation process in Afghanistan. A top official told PTI on condition of anonymity last night  that this is an ongoing process as part of efforts to facilitate reconciliation.  Mullah Abdul Ahad Jahangirwal, a former adviser of Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Omar, Mullah Abdul Manan, a former Taliban governor in Helmand, and Mullah Younus, a former military commander, were the three who were freed. 

The release comes just few days after the government-backed peace negotiators visited Pakistan and met the senior Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. Pakistan has also freed 10 other low-key Taliban detainees over the past few weeks. The number of freed Afghan Taliban militants since November has now crossed fifty.

{}<><><>{} 

Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India have signed the technical advisory service agreement during the 24th technical meeting of the TAPI Gas Pipeline Project in Ashkhabad last week. A press release issued by the Afghan Foreign Ministry in Kabul last night said the collaborating countries have also agreed to authorize the Asian Development Bank, to continue its work as the secretariat of the project. The Asian Development Bank has promised to prepare all the required documents for the ‘operations agreement’ by the 29th of November to be signed by the member states after their approval.

{}<><><>{} 

India is to provide assistance of three crore and  thirty three lakh Nepali Rupees for the construction of a school in Dailekh  district in Nepal.  A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Embassy of India and the Dailekh district Development  Committee, the Shree Malika Higher Secondary School and the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu  yesterday  for the construction of the three storied school building. The grant assistance will be provided under the Nepal- India Economic Cooperation  programmme.  

 {}<><><>{} 

In Bangladesh, the nation-wide Opposition sponsored rail-road-waterways blockade claimed two more lives on the second day as arson and violence continues across the country.  Police have confirmed the death of 9 people in the violence since Monday  following the announcement of the election schedule. The Election Commission is meeting law enforcement agencies today to decide whether army deployment is necessary before the elections. Meanwhile Jatiya Party Chairman General HM  Ershad has urged the EC to extend time for submitting nomination papers, as the time allowed in the election schedule is too short.

{}<><><>{}

A sailboat passing through the southern Bahamas islands with about 150 Haitian migrants on board capsized, killing up to 30 people and leaving the rest clinging to the vessel for hours.  The exact death toll remained uncertain. The remains of five victims had been recovered and the Bahamas military and police were working with the U.S.  Coast Guard to recover additional bodies as they pulled survivors from the stranded sailboat.

{}<><><>{}

China says it has closely monitored two US bombers that flew across its newly-declared air defence identification zone.  The B-52 planes flew over disputed islands in the East China Sea yesterday without announcing themselves, defying new Chinese air defence rules.  In a statement, China's Defence Ministry today said it had the ability to effectively manage and control the relevant air zone. The US said it had followed normal procedures during the bombers' flight. Japan and the US are strongly opposed to the air zone declared by China.

{}<><><>{}

A UN rights committee has passed a Right to Privacy resolution drafted by Germany and Brazil. The issue led international outrage over reports of US spying on German and Brazilian leaders. The resolution seeks to extend personal privacy rights to all people after reports of massive global eavesdropping by the U.S. National Security Agency. Fifty-five countries, including France, Russia and North Korea, co-sponsored the text.

{}<><><>{} 

Giving up all its initial gains, the Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange stood 65 points, or 0.3 percent in negative territory, at 20,360 in afternoon trade, a short while ago. But earlier in the morning, the Sensex had gained 34 points, or 0.2 per cent, to 20,459, on fresh buying by funds and retail investors.Stock markets in China, Indonesia, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan had climbed between 0.1 percent and 0.6 percent, today. Wall Street's Dow Jones Industrial Average had ended flat in yesterday's trade. 

{}<><><>{} 

The rupee gained 15 paise to 62 rupees 35 paise against the dollar in late morning trade on fresh selling of the Greenback by banks amidst lower dollar overseas. The rupee resumed higher at 62 rupees 45 paise per dollar as against the last closing level of 62 rupees 50 paise to a dollar and firmed up further to 62 rupees 35 paise per dollar at 1040 hrs. It moved in a range of 62.26 and 62.46 per dollar during the late morning deals.

{}<><><>{} 

India were 92 for 02 in 16.4 overs against the West Indies,  in the final one day international cricket match at Kanpur when reports last came in. Earlier, the vistors set a target of 264 runs for victory. The West Indies scored 263 for 5 in their stipulated 50 overs. Kieran Powell, Marlon Samuels and Darren Bravo notched half centuries while Darren Sammy once again played a role to guide the visitors to a daunting total against the hosts. From the Indian side, R. Ashwin took 2 wickets giving 44 runs in 10 overs. India had won the toss and opted to field.