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CSE spurns Pepsi offer
Natwar’s view on US finds takers in Cong
Amar to back Natwar on Pathak report leak
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3,000 stranded in Gujarat; toll 56 in Marathwada
India, Pak still in touch
SC flays
UP over relief to ’84 riot victims
N-E varsities for filling OBC seats with STs
Net scamsters at it again
Bomb fears dampen shopping
Congress activist burnt to death
India free from bird flu
Daughter sold for Rs 21 in Bihar
States can impose cess on farm items: SC
Rs 450 cr for water in Mewat
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CSE spurns Pepsi offer
New Delhi, August 12 “The standards for food products have already been finalised by the Bureau of Indian Standards... they just need to be implemented by the government,” CSE chief Sunita Narain told PTI. She said Pepsi was trying to create a confusion on the entire issue by raising the demand for “science-based” standards for finished products. “The standards have been finalised after several rounds of meetings at the BIS, where the CSE and the cola company representatives were also present,” Narain said. Earlier, Pepsi Co said it was open to work with CSE. “We are open to working with the CSE and any other interested party to establish stricter science-based standards on finished products. “We will welcome the opportunity to meet with the CSE and any other interested party to discuss details of our methods and to gain a clearer understanding of theirs, to decide on a clear way forward in the interest of developing finished product standards for consumer safety,” Pepsi said in a statement here. Meanwhile a report from Lucknow said Coca-Cola today questioned the credibility of the testing carried out by the CSE which claimed that soft drink products in India contained high levels of
pesticides." The CSE is not an accredited laboratory,” Coca-Cola India vice-president (Technical) Asim Parekh told reporters here. He said so far no “fixed standards” had been set up for such kind of tests. However, Parekh said his company would welcome and support any move to set up standards.
— PTI
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Natwar’s view on US finds takers in Cong
New Delhi, August 12 Several Congress leaders would like Parliament to adopt a resolution condemning the continuing Israeli attacks on the Hizbollah in Lebanon. There is growing pressure in the party that a special meeting of the Congress Working Committee be convened for the same purpose. The Congress, it was pointed out, had always supported Palestine and this needed to be emphasised. They recalled that Parliament had passed a resolution deploring US intervention in Iraq during the NDA regime and it was the Congress which had initiated this move. Congress leaders admitted that Mr Natwar Singh has picked on an ideological and political issue to deflect attention from the Pathak Authority’s report. Nevertheless, they said, it had become imperative to counter the issue politically. They admitted that the minorities were getting disenchanted with the Congress because of its pro-US policies which, in the present circumstances, were read as anti-Islam. The Indo-US nuclear deal and India’s vote against Iran had fuelled suspicion among Muslims, they felt. “We need to explain our position more clearly...in fact, we should run a political campaign on this,” remarked a Congress leader. The party and the government must clarify why India voted against Iran and how China and Russia had also done the same. Similarly, he said, the government should not shy away from a debate on the nuclear deal and place the facts before the people. “The Centre should tell the country how it stands to benefit from the nuclear deal,” said another Congress leader, adding that any delay in debating the issue would only create more suspicion among the people. Mr Natwar Singh has, however, been further alienated by dragging Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s name into the oil-for-food controversy. The party has come out with a denial and is getting ready to take on the former minister in the Rajya Sabha on Monday when it discusses the Pathak report.
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Amar to back Natwar on Pathak report leak
New Delhi, August 12 The Samajwadi Party leader, who has met the former Union Minister several times during last week, said the Natwar Singh issue was an internal matter of the Congress. Mr Amar Singh said ever since he met Mr Natwar Singh after the Justice Pathak Authority report indicted the former Union Minister, a malicious campaign had been launched branding him “as a tutor and coach”. “I am neither his tutor nor coach...I was born in 1956 when Mr Natwar Singh was a seasoned diplomat,” he said. Mr Amar Singh said the meetings he and other non-Congress leaders had with Mr Natwar Singh were in connection with the Indo-US nuclear deal as it was a key issue concerning the country’s security. Answering queries, Mr Amar Singh said his party would support him in Parliament when he would speak on the Pathak Committee report.
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3,000 stranded in Gujarat; toll 56 in Marathwada
New Delhi, August 12 Some 3,000 persons were stranded in various parts of central Gujarat as gushing dam waters released by the authorities flooded large tracks of land since this morning. A high alert has been sounded in districts of Anand,
Kheda, Vadodara, Panchmahals (Godhra) and Ahmedabad as the administration ordered release of 17 lakh cusecs of water into Mahi river from three separate dams —
Panam, Wanakbori and Kadana. More than 2,000 persons were trapped in scattered villages of Lunavada and Shehra talukas of
Panchmahals. Rescue operations were on and about 24,000 food packets and 11,000 water pouches were being distributed, officials said. Slum dwellers on the side of Sabarmati river were evacuated in Ahmedabad. The District Collector had asked people living in low-lying areas from Vautha to Ingoli villages to move to safer places. Army men were seen at work in Juna Bilitha and Juna Rabaria villages. At least 5,000 persons had been shifted to safer places. The flooding was caused by release of about 8 lakh cusecs water from Kadana dam. The office of District Collector in Ahmedabad issued SMS as a precautionary measure to alert people. The entire night mobile phones continued to buzz with SMS, warning people living in the low-lying areas on the banks of Sabarmati to move to safer areas. Meanwhile, the death toll in the flood-ravaged north Karnataka rose to five, even as ravaging Bhima river, flowing well above danger mark, submerged more areas in Bijapur and Gulbarga
district, following increased discharge of water from Ujjini and Veerbhatkal dams in Maharashtra. Six villages, five in Indi taluka and one in Sindgi
taluka, were completely surrounded by water, while 13 villages in Indi taluka were partially covered with water. n all 3,930 persons were shifted to safer places and eight country boats were pressed into service to rescue people. Overall 28 relief centres had been opened.
— UNI
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India, Pak still in touch
New Delhi August 12 Here are a few pointers to this. Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz have sent their messages of felicitations to their respective Indian counterparts on the occasion of Independence Day. The letters were delivered by Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner Mian Afrasiab Mehdi Hashmi Qureshi to Mr Dilip Sinha, Joint Secretary (PAI Division) in the Ministry of External Affairs yesterday which happened to be the last working day for Pakistani diplomats here before August 15. India has also sent similar letters of felicitation to Pakistan for their Independence Day on August 14. An eight-member Indian delegation of jurists is already in Pakistan on invitation of Pakistan’s Supreme Court which is celebrating its golden jubilee. The delegation has former Chief Justice of India A M Ahmadi, sitting Supreme Court judge Mr Justice Ashok Bhan, Acting Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court Mr Justice H.S. Bedi and Delhi High Court judge Mr Justice Madan Lokur. Pakistan’s Minister of Food, Agriculture and Livestock Sikander Hayat Bosan is coming here in October this year on an official visit. Mr Bosan has confirmed his participation for a multi-lateral conference on rice. This will be the first Ministerial visit from Pakistan to India since the bilateral relations nosedived a month ago. Pakistan’s Petroleum Secretary, Mr Ahmad Waqar, was here last week for talks on Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project. Pakistan’s Deputy High Commissioner Mian Afrasiab said today that “It is in vital national interest of both Pakistan and India to ensure that the talks continue to take place between the two countries”.
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SC flays
UP over relief to ’84 riot victims New Delhi, August 12 “As a last opportunity, we grant time to the state of Uttar Pradesh till August 17 to comply with our order of May 17. In case the order is not complied with by that date, the state shall pay by way of costs Rs 25,000,” a Bench of Mr Justice B.P. Singh and Mr Justice Altamas Kabir in a stern order said. The court recorded that despite repeated assurances the state had not placed on record a report regarding the steps taken by it in providing relief to the riot victims’ families pursuant to a letter of Union Home Ministry issued on January 16.
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Cured Bangladeshi
boy set to return home
New Delhi, August 12 Dr T.S. Mahant, cardio-thoracic surgeon, who operated on Toqi Tahmid on July 31, told TNS that the boy's parents could now be assured of his normal life span and growth. He said Toqi's chest X-ray and blood tests are normal and he is fit to be discharged tomorrow morning. The boy's mother Razia Begum said, "I'm the happiest mother in the world. For the last one and a half months, I've seen him suffer. We consulted the best cardiologists in Dhaka and they advised immediate surgery,'' she said. Dr Mahant said in this case, the child was three-months old but weighed only three kg.'' The most common symptom in such a condition is failure to thrive. Such children are born blue and don't have a normal growth. The risk involved in a surgery of this nature is about 10 per cent. He said a majority of congenital heart defects are treated with less than 5 per cent risk. He said Toqi would have to come back for a review but could rely on local follow up. ``We are arranging for a follow up with a Dhaka based Indian paediatric cardiologist.'' The boy's condition is being monitored round-the-clock in the surgical Intensive Care Unit. Elated yet apprehensive that the boy may catch some infection. When Razia, a lecturer, arrived in Delhi with her husband, Shahjahan Choudhary, a businessman, in the second week of July, they moved from one ICU to another in the hope that somebody would take their case till a doctor referred them to Fortis hospital in Vasant Kunj. After the operation, the boy had been on a ventilator for three days. The operation has cost the family Rs 1.5 lakh but they make no mention of it. It is too insignificant an amount for the life of their firstborn, their bundle of joy.
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N-E varsities for filling OBC seats with STs
New Delhi, August 12 Seeking a "special dispensation", for these universities, the report cites that some universities like the Nagaland University, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow and Mizoram University already have a policy that provides 50 per cent reservation for SC/STs. Taking note of the socio-political condition in the state, the report says, "Nagaland being mainly a tribal state does not welcome an influx of OBCs from outside into its university. This is a politically sensitive issue. Considering this situation and in view of the protests already lodged, the question of including locally non-existent OBCs in the Nagaland University does not arise". It further says, "It may, however, be considered as a corollary of the OBC quota scheme that this university may be authorised and assisted to effect a parallel expansion for intake from among the tribals". The Nagaland University has said that it may not be possible to get 27 per cent students from OBCs in Nagaland. The university has asked the Oversight Committee to consider the possibility of filling in the teaching posts reserved for SC with suitable candidates from the ST or other categories while enforcing the 27 per cent reservation policy for OBCs. The North East Hill University (NEHU) too has expressed similar concerns. In a letter to the UGC Chairman, the Civil Society Women's Organisation has written.
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Net scamsters at it again
Bangalore, August 12 However, the goal is the same, tricking you into disclosing your confidential information. The latest e-mail goes like this. Its author is a former agent of the KGB, who is on his death bed and wants to “enlighten” the world through you about facets of US President John F Kennedy’s assassination, which are still unknown to the world. The author of the e-mail says he has access to declassified CIA documents which came into his possession from the files of the KGB. These include revealing interviews with key people that could make people see the Kennedy assassination in an entirely new light. The recipient is also told how he could make use of the facts being disclosed to him. He could share the information on radio shows or make them public in the form of a sensational book or simply through lectures and such like activities. It is also promised that the “disclosures” are sure to make the recipient famous. SophosLabs consultant Graham Clule, while talking about this latest spam that has been received by many internet users, says, “There is a conspiracy at work here, but it’s not about whether someone was lurking on a grassy knoll in Dallas on 22 November, 1963. Internet criminals are conspiring to steal sensitive information and raid bank accounts of unsuspecting Internet users. If everyone showed the same skepticism to unsolicited emails, as some do to official investigations into the Kennedy assassination, then may be less people would end-up as victims of the scam.” The e-mail is consistent with other internet tricks mostly originating from Nigeria. Only there is a shift from promising money to promising vital information. SophosLab believes that even this spam originated from Nigeria with Nigerian scamsters realising that the money banking trick won’t work any longer due to the publicity the con has achieved.
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Bomb fears dampen shopping
Mumbai, August 12 "We are keeping a tight watch on shoppers who come inside as well as those who park their cars in our premises," an employee of Big Bazaar's store at Kandivli in suburban Mumbai said. Every shopper entering the premise was thoroughly frisked with separate counters for women. At the start of a four-day long discount shopping scheme today, people queued up in front of Big Bazaar outlets. Major traffic jam was reported outside its flagship store at Lower Parel in Central Mumbai. According to employees at the Globus shopping centre in suburban Bandra and the Shoppers Stop in Andheri, the crowds thronging the place was more than normal for any holiday weekend.
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Congress activist burnt to death
Hyderabad, August 12 The body was identified on the basis of the car as the vehicle belonged to the deceased, the police said. Tension prevailed in Chukkalur village as the supporters of Reddy gathered at his residence, according to reports reaching the police headquarters here. Reddy was actively involved in the recent gram panchayat elections in support of his mother Vardamma, who had bagged the sarpanch’s post by defeating her nearest rival belonging to the CPI. — PTI
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India free from bird flu
New Delhi, August 12 It said the final report in this regard had been sent by the Department of Animal Husbandry to Office International des Epizooties (OIE) (World Organisation of Animal Health) yesterday. It said though India had declared itself free from highly pathogenic Avian Influenza, it will continue to undertake surveillance. “Considering the global spread of Avian Influenza and the situation in the neighbouring country where it is almost endemic, surveillance will continue in the country as a whole, especially in the outbreak areas, areas of major poultry concentration and those visited by migratory birds,” it said.
— PTI
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Daughter sold for Rs 21 in Bihar
Patna, August 12 While the District Magistrate, Muzaffarpur, Mr Vinay Kumar has ordered an inquiry into the incident, the more shocking revelation is that the girl child was sold allegedly after a hard bargaining by Rajkumari Devi who finally had agreed to pay “Rs 21” against “ Rs 100” claimed by the mother of the girl,Rita Devi. Officials in the district administration said Rita’s husband had died a few days ago in an accident and it was difficult for her to look after her child under the prevailing situation.
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States can impose cess on farm items: SC
New Delhi, August 12 “The cess in substance is a fee as it is being levied for rendering to the rural public the service of rural development…clearly roads, bridges and storage facilities have to be built in the rural areas for progress and naturally this will require generating funds,” a Bench of Mr Justice Ashok Bhan and Mr Justice Markandey Katju held. While defining states powers to legislate on levying tax on the purchase and sale of goods under the Entry List 54 of List II of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, the court said cess ordinarily also meant to be a tax which raised revenue used for a specific purpose.
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Rs 450 cr for water in Mewat
New Delhi, August 12 Interacting with sarpanches and members of panchayat samitis and zila parishads of the district here today, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said steps would be taken to refill the Kotla lake in Mewat with water. He said rooms would be constructed in 561 schools of the district. Under a special campaign, 20,000 children in the district had been given admission during the past 15 days. According to an official spokesman, the Chief Minister said the MoU signed between Reliance Industries and the government was a historic achievement.
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In video: Rescuers pull out
100 people from collapsed building in Surat. (
