2100 HRS.

 5^th November, 2013

THE HEADLINES:

• India launches Mars Mission `Mangalyaan' successfully and places it into Earth's orbit.

• A Special Trial Court sentences 152 Bangladesh Rifles jawans to death for 2009 mutiny.

• Country's current account deficit to be below 60 billion dollars for this fiscal, says Finance Minister.

• In Meghalaya, five policemen killed by suspected Garo militants in South Garo Hills district.

• India defeat Oman 3-0 in third Asian Champions Trophy Hockey at Kakamigahara, Japan.

• India to take on West Indies in first Cricket test at Kolkata tomorrow.

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India’s maiden voyage to the red planet began at the scheduled time as per the planned procedure. PSLV C 25 carrying `Mangalyaan' blasted off successfully today at 2 38 pm from the Sathish Dhawan Space Centre Sriharikota 100 kms away from Chennai. The Chairman of ISRO Dr.Radhakrishnan announced that the mission had been achieved.

The PSLV, C25 vehicle has placed into Mars orbit space craft very precisely into an elliptical orbit around earth.

All the four stages of ignition and separation took place in a text book fashion.

The historic Mission to Mars - mangalyaan began precisely at 02 38 hrs from the first launch pad of ISRO Sriharikota amidst roars and applause. Media personnel from all over the country and also from foreign countries were witnesses as the rocket PSLV C 25 rose majestically to the gloomy skies with a glaring fire ball thrusting it forward. In the mission control centre, scientists who experienced anxious moments were relieved for a while after the vehicle blasted off. Then came the silent phase for ten minutes when the data was to be received from the sea borne terminals. Since the target was achieved on the dot, cheerful smiles could be seen in the control room. Then came the final applause when after forty five minutes the launch vehicle reached the fourth phase of separation. Joy AIR News, Sriharikota.

For the next ten days the apogee level would be raised to 2 lakh kilometres and in the early hours of December 1, the great, long and difficult voyage would start in September 2014, this journey would be around Mars and precisely get into the Martian orbit.

The President, Prime Minister, Information and Broadcasting Minister and UPA Chairperson have congratulated Indian Space scientists for the successful launch.

Former President and renowned scientist A P J Abdul Kalam has also complimented ISRO for the successful launch of the Mars orbiter.

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Finance Minister P. Chidambaram today exuded confidence that country's current account deficit will be contained below 60 billion dollar this financial year as against an earlier estimate of 70 billion dollars. Talking to a Pivate TV channel , Mr. Chidambarm said inflation is a problem and food items like grains, fruit and vegetables are driving it. He said, the Government will contain the fiscal deficit below the budgeted figure of 4.8 percent of GDP.

On impact of the US Federal Reserve's gradual stimulus withdrawal, Mr. Chidambaram said the tapering will happen, but both the markets as well as the government are prepared to deal with it.

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In Meghalaya, five policemen were today gunned down by suspected Garo militants in heavily forested area of South Garo Hills district. A top police official said that heavily armed militants attacked a police vehicle carrying an under-trial prisoner killing all the five police personnel on board on the spot at Bangjakona village in Gasuapara block, about 450 km away from Shillong.

The Inspector General of Police(Western Range), H. Nongpluh, said three AK series rifles and a carbine were taken away by the militants.

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The Central Bureau of Investigation,CBI today arrested the BJP MP from Junagarh, Dinu Bogha Solanki in connection with murder of RTI activist Amit Jethwa. Earlier, Mr. Solanki was questioned by a special team of CBI in New Delhi and later he was booked by the agency. He was earlier given a clean chit by Gujarat Police. CBI had registered a case on the directions of the Gujarat High Court which in its order had criticized the state police for their shoddy investigations in the murder case.

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Delhi Police has arrested Bahujan Samaj Party MP, Dhananjay Singh and his wife in connection with murder of a domestic help. The MP was arrested on the charges of destruction of evidence in the case. The domestic help was found dead early this morning under mysterious circumstances bearing injury marks on her body at MP residence at South Avenue in the national capital.

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The Supreme Court has ruled that while awarding death penalty Courts should record "special"reasons and "must" take into account the crime and the character of the criminal which should reflect extreme depravity to deserve such a punishment.

A bench of justices A K Patnaik and Gyan Sudha Misra, which set aside a Rajasthan High Court verdict acquitting two persons in a decade-old gangrape and murder case, found fault with the trial court order sending convicts to the gallows, saying the "special reasons" noted by it do not make it a rarest of rare case.

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President Pranab Mukherjee has called for strengthening district and local administration to contain communal violence. Addressing Probationary IPS officers at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad , the President said the ability of the district administration should be improved to notice possibility of such communal tension at the initial stage and take measures to contain such tensions.

These are challenging time of our Police forces. There has been communal violence in some parts of our country accompanied by the deterioration in inter community relations. There is need to strengthen the ability of our districts and local administration to notice such stampede identify the tension spots in the initial state and take necessary corrective measures to contain them.

Mr. Mukherjee reiterated that the government is committed to dealing with left-wing extremism in a comprehensive manner by implementing the two pronged strategy of carrying out sustained operations against extremists and focusing on development in the affected regions.

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In Mizoram, with the names of candidates having been released, returning officers are now busy with the filing of nominations from today. So far, three nominations have been filed. 

A team of Election Commission of India headed by Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath along with two Election Commissioner who arrived here today had talks with representatives of all political party including Election Officials and Superintendent of Police of all the 8 districts of Mizoram. The ECI team discussed thoroughly the preparedness of the coming state assembly election including security situation. Jonathan L Hnamte, AIR News, Aizawl.

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Madhya Pradesh Assembly Speaker Iswardas Rohani today died of cardiac arrest in Jabalpur. He was 67. Mr. Rohani was speaker of the state assembly since 2003. The ruling BJP had announced his candidature from Jabalpur’s Cantt segment for the upcoming assembly elections.

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A Special Trial Court today sentenced 152 Bangladesh Rifles jawans to death for the massacre of 73 people, including 57 army officers, in Bangladesh Rifles Headquarters at Pheelkhana in Dhaka in Feb. 2009. The court also sentenced 158 convicts to life terms, while another 251 have been sentenced to jail terms ranging from 3 to 10 years as per a report by Bangladesh National News Agency. 271 of the accused have been acquitted. Delivering the verdict amid tight security, Dhaka Metropolitan Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Akhtaruzzaman said financial motives were behind the mutiny of the jawans, elaborating that involving the Bangladesh Rifles in programmes like Dal-Bhaat was not a wise decision by the then caretaker government.

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In a string of incidents of violence and arson in capital Dhaka and other part of Bangladesh, over 70 people were injured on the second day of the 60-hour nation-wide shutdown called by the opposition BNP.

In Dhaka, at least 10 crude bombs exploded in front of office of the Water and Sanitation Baban and in the vicinity of two newspaper offices . Clashes between supporters of ruling Awami League and the opposition BNP in Chandpur has left 50 injured. In Chittagaon, country made bomb hurled by strikers injured two TV journalists. In Bogra strikers hurled crude bombs and bricks at a passenger train injuring atleast ten passengers. Police fought pitched battles with strikers in Rajshahi damaged several vehicles including that of Deputy Commissioner of Police . Several policemen injured during violence both in the capital and across the country.MELINDA DIAS, AIR NEWS, DHAKA

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India and China today began a joint anti-terrorism military exercise in southwestern Sichuan province less than a fortnight after the two countries inked a comprehensive pact to avert recurring border stand-offs. Both sides have deployed about 150 soldiers each in the 10-day exercise, code-named "Hand-in-Hand 2013", aimed at enhancing counter terrorism skills which began at Miaoergang, south of the Chinese city of Chengdu.

Personnel from the Indian Army's 16 Sikh Light Infantry and similar strength of PLA's 1st Battalion Infantry Division of 13 Group are taking part in the drills, the third such exercise between the two armies since 2007.

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India has welcomed UK Government's decision to scrap the controversial 3,000-pound security bond for some high-risk foreign visitors to the UK, including those from India. Responding to a media query External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said that British Government took on board New Delhi's concerns as well as concerns expressed by other quarters on the issue.

He said India's views on the subject were conveyed to the UK Government at different levels.

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The External Affairs Ministry is in touch with the Goa Government over the death of a Nigerian person in Panaji. The MEA spokesperson, Syed Akbaruddin said in New Delhi that the investigation is on track in the case and the Ministry is expecting a report in a couple of days. He also said, the Indian Mission in Abuja has been asked to convey India's perspective on the issue to the Nigerian government.

A Nigerian was found dead with stab wounds in Mapusa town Panaji, triggering protests from Nigerians who blocked a road on the city outskirts last week.

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BUSINESS WORLD

Snapping five days of gains, the Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange declined 265 points, or 1.3 percent, to close at 20,975, on profit-booking by investors, today. The Sensex had climbed almost 670 points in the previous five trading sessions. The Nifty fell 64 points, to 6,253.

Stock markets in Japan, China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore ended mixed.

The rupee closed 12 paise stronger, at 61.62 against the dollar.

Gold dropped 200 rupees, to 31,100 rupees per ten grams in Delhi. Silver fell 500 rupees, to 48,500 rupees per kilo.

And Brent crude oil futures stood above 106 dollars a barrel, while US crude slipped 3 cents, at 94.59 dollars a barrel. Pradeep Kumar, AIR News.

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Indian men's hockey team defeated Oman 3-0 to register their first win in the third Asian Champions Trophy Hockey at Kakamigahara, Japan today. India will now play Pakistan in their next league match on Thursday. India had earlier lost 0-2 and 1-2 to China and hosts Japan in their opening two matches in the tournament.

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IN SPORTS ;

India and the West Indies will play a two test Cricket match series starting fromtomorrow. The first test match will be played at Kolkata's Eden Garden. All India Radio will broadcast running commentary alternately in Hindi and English of tomorrow's match. It can be heard from 08:30 AM on FM Gold and Rajdhani channels.

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The second round of tripartite talks between the Centre and the Assam Government with the organizations demanding separate states will begin fromtomorrow to 12 November in New Delhi. Sources said that the first meeting will be held with the Joint Action Committee for Autonomous State. The organization is demanding an autonomous state merging Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao district under Article 244 (A).