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Lankan envoy regrets remarks on Indian MPs
Four held in Jarawa case
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Aircel-Maxis deal
Soft drinks hard on heart: Study
Economic Survey has separate chapter on climate change
BJP, Left to corner govt on NCTC
Baby Falak dies at AIIMS
Bahuguna claims Rawat proposed his name for CM
1 killed in Manipur blast
Working with Kingfisher to revoke suspension: IATA
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Lankan envoy regrets remarks on Indian MPs
New Delhi, March 15 “I would like to apologise to MPs from Tamil Nadu if I have caused any discontent or concern or distress in their minds. I feel sorry about that,” he told reporters as he emerged from the South Block after meeting officials of the External Affairs Ministry. The Lankan envoy was summoned to the foreign office this morning after he was quoted as saying in an interview that India should investigate Indian MPs sympathetic to the Tamil cause. Harshvardhan Shringla, Joint Secretary in the MEA, conveyed to Kariyawasam New Delhi’s strong objections to the remarks attributed to him. “The MEA has expressed concern about the tone and content. I am very sorry about that because that is not what I meant. I have a lot of respect for Tamil Nadu Parliamentarians. Some of them are good friends,” Kariyawasam said. He clarified that what he meant was that the LTTE lobby groups abroad and in this region were carrying out a campaign of disinformation against his country. When he referred to ‘investigation’, what he meant was Tamil lobby groups abroad and not Indian MPs. Asked what stand he expected India to take at the UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva on a US-sponsored resolution on human rights in Sri Lanka, the envoy said India was a responsible country and it would take the right decision. The issue also rocked the Rajya Sabha this morning where members raised objections to the reported remarks of the Sri Lankan envoy and demanded a categorical response from the government on the matter. Raising the issue during Zero Hour, D Raja (CPI) waved a copy of the media report. Other Left members and those belonging to the DMK and the AIADMK were on their feet demanding immediate response of the government over the envoy's remarks, saying he had committed gross impropriety. Raja is also understood to have met Krishna on the issue.
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Four held in Jarawa case
New Delhi, March 15 "Four persons have been arrested in this connection who include two policemen. The policemen have been placed under suspension for dereliction in discharge of their duties and a departmental inquiry has been initiated against them," he told the House. An inquiry was ordered after some objectionable video footage of the Jarawa tribes appeared in the media earlier this year. — PTI
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ED summons Maran brothers
New Delhi, March 15 The agency has summoned both the brothers, former Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran and his brother and Sun TV MD Kalanidhi Maran, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).While Dayanidhi or his authorised representative has been asked to depose before the agency on March 20, Kalanidhi or his authorised agent has been asked to meet the investigators a day later, with documents of their personal transactions and those dealing with their businesses. The agency has registered a case in this regard under anti-money laundering laws last month.
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Soft drinks hard on heart: Study
New Delhi, March 15 The study, which surveyed over 40,000 men in the US for over a period of 22 years, found that taking just one sugar-sweetened drink a day increase the chances of having a heart attack by 20 per cent. But such risk was not found among those who drink sugary drinks less often - say, twice a week. The beverages that use artificial sweeteners were also not linked to increased risk of the illness, according to the study appeared in the journal 'Circulation'. According to the researchers, regular consumption of soft drinks and other sugary beverages makes the body to compensate for the sugar rush by making its own supply of fats, and some of these are bad for the heart. Tests on blood samples showed those who drank sugary drinks had higher levels of dangerous blood fats and proteins that are linked to heart disease. Levels of "good" cholesterol were also found in lower levels, the researchers claimed. Importantly, the findings stood even after other factors such as smoking, alcohol, weight and exercise were taken into account, they added. However, Indian health experts said the findings seem to be a bit exaggerated although drinking excess amount of soft drinks is never good for one's health. "I do not agree with the study completely but it strongly justifies the need for reducing sugary beverage consumption among people," said Dr Atul Peters, a Bariatics surgeon at Primus Hospital in New Delhi. "Taking excess amount of such beverages means consuming more calories that would lead to obesity, which is the mother of all diseases," he said. Clinical nutritionist and author Dr Ishi Khosla said, "Sugar sweetened beverages contribute to empty calories, providing high content of refined carbohydrates, increasing the risk towards obesity and metabolic syndrome significantly, particularly when taken in excess." — PTI
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Economic Survey has separate chapter on climate change
New Delhi, March 15 The economic report card for 2011-12 lauded India for doing more than its fair share in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and urged developed countries to reciprocate the flexibility shown by G-77 countries and India at the Durban Conference. Notably, the survey also had a take on diesel prices — a contentious issue involving environmentalists and users. Diesel prices were already 20 per cent below predicted levels for India in 2010, the pre-Budget document said, adding that divergence had since doubled as global oil prices had surged 45 per cent while domestic price adjustments had not taken place. Misuse of subsidised diesel was adding to pollution and public health costs, it added. “Diesel prices need a large adjustment now (as China, for example, has recently undertaken), given subsidies, pollution and public health costs. Charging high road and vehicle taxes is another option (that Singapore uses),” the survey suggested. The document says low prices of diesel were providing incentives for misuse apart from resulting in “shifts to diesel use such as luxury sports utility vehicles”.
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BJP, Left to corner govt on NCTC
New Delhi, March 15 All the amendments moved by Opposition members seeking a reference in the address that National Counter Terrorism Centre had been constituted without consultation with the states have been admitted by the Lok Sabha Speaker and will be moved and voted upon once Prime Minister Manmohan Singh replies to the address on Monday. The admitted notices for amending the Presidential address to highlight the anti-federal nature of National Counter Terrorism Centre include those moved by Sushma Swaraj and Sharad Yadav of the BJP and JDU respectively, those moved by Shiv Sena’s Anant Geete, and Akali Dal’s Ratan Singh
Ajnala.
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Baby Falak dies at AIIMS New Delhi, March 15 ''Sad news for all of us here as well as the nation. We lost Falak at 9:40 pm. She had been doing well till evening and then her heart rate started dipping. Despite all our efforts to pull her through she succumbed to cardiac arrest,'' said AIIMS Trauma Centre chief Dr MC Misra. At AIIMS Trauma Centre where she had been recuperating since January 18, when she was admitted to the hospital's emergency with broken skull, fractured limbs and bite marks all over her body by a teenager, currently under rehabitation in a childcare home. Since then, she underwent five life-saving procedures and had been under the observation of a team of ten doctors at AIIMS.
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Akhilesh’s gift to UP youth on Day 1:
Rs 4,400 cr
Lucknow, March 15 The Cabinet meeting presided over by him in the evening approved the party manifesto’s guarantee to provide Rs 1,000 per month unemployment dole to all unemployed youth who have passed class X, are above the age of 35 and registered in the state’s various employment exchanges. Briefing the media, Chief Secretary Anoop Mishra said that approximately nine lakh such candidates are registered in the state. Providing them the allowance from the financial year beginning April 1 will cost the state exchequer a recurring expenditure of approximately Rs 1,100 crore. Similarly, the Cabinet also approved to provide a tablet to all the boys and girls passing class X in the state and a laptop to children clearing class XII examination as soon as they reach the next class. The beneficiaries would include children appearing through the madarsa and madhyamik (Sanskrit boards), UP Board, ICSE and even CBSE, clarified Mishra. According to him, around 50 lakh such students were eligible for these gadgets and providing it would cost the state government Rs 3,000 crore from the next financial year. Two more Cabinet decisions taken this evening were addressed to the overwhelming Muslim support base. All Muslim girls, irrespective of their economic status, will be eligible for a one-time grant of Rs 30,000 to continue their education or for their marriage after passing class X. Mishra said that around one lakh girls would benefit from this scheme which would cost the government approximately Rs 300 crore. Similarly, from the next budget onwards, there would be a provision to remove encroachments and for building boundary walls for the Muslim graveyards across the state.
The largesse
Unemployment allowance: Rs 1,100 cr Giving laptop, tablets to students: Rs 3,000 cr Grant to Muslim girls: Rs 300 cr Total: Rs 4,400 cr
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Bahuguna claims Rawat proposed his name for CM Dehradun, March 15 The Chief Minister accused Rawat of going back on his word and said that the commitment given by Rawat could be confirmed with the Union Health Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, in whose presence it was apparently given. “Every politician has ambitions but these should not be at the cost of the party,” Bahuguna added. Rawat has been sulking ever since Bahuguna was sworn in as the CM on Monday evening. And as many as 17 Congress MLAs, said to be with him in the national capital, failed to turn up here today to take oath as members of the newly constituted Assembly, fuelling speculation about their intention. Bahuguna pointed out that the Congress Legislature Party had passed a resolution authorising party President Sonia Gandhi to nominate the Chief Minister. He wondered whether Rawat would have opposed the decision if the party had appointed any other leader in his place. “It was the collective leadership of the party led by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi that brought back Congress to power and personal ambition should not harm the party,” said Vijay Bahuguna, adding for good measure, “I am not a novice and I have been in politics for the past 19 years”. He hoped that the crisis would be resolved soon and claimed that several legislators, who were reportedly in the Rawat camp were in touch with him. “We will have a Cabinet before March 26,” he asserted. Meanwhile, another strong Congress group headed by Pauri Garhwal MP Satpal Maharaj lashed out at Rawat. “ Why should it be only Harish Rawat who has to be placated every time ? He has been given the position of PCC chief, a Rajya Sabha berth and a place in the Union council of ministers by the party. What else does he want,” wondered aloud Amrita Rawat, wife of Satpal Maharaj and a Congress legislator from Ramnagar assembly segment.
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1 killed in Manipur blast
Guwahati, March 15 According to information gathered from Manipur Police (CID) control room in Imphal, an eight-year-old girl was killed and five others of the same family injured when unidentified militants exploded a grenade inside the house of Pebam Jilla Singh of Pangei area under Heingang police station today. The five injured, including wife of Jilla, were admitted in Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital in Imphal. Police said investigation was on and no one had been arrested so far in connection with the blast.
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Working with Kingfisher to revoke suspension: IATA
Hyderabad, March 15 “We had to suspend Kingfisher from the travel agency clearing house. It is necessary to protect the whole system. It is the system we operate on behalf of hundreds of airlines. We are now discussing with Kingfisher the terms on which we can reinstate them,” Director-General of the International Air Transport Association
(IATA) Tony Tyler said here today. He was interacting with the media on the sidelines of the India Aviation-2012, the third edition of the civil aviation conference and exhibition. The Geneva-based IATA had last week suspended the private airline from the global carrier-to-carrier account clearing system following non-payment of dues. “The suspension is automatic and happens regularly with different airlines. Kingfisher is a member of the
IATA. We want to help them as much as we can. I hope they will overcome,” Tyler said. Asked whether the Indian Government should intervene and bail out the crisis-ridden airline, he said that it was a decision for the government to take.
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The Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna today told The Tribune that his name as the CLP leader was proposed by none other than the Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing, Harish
Rawat. The Chief Minister accused Rawat of going back on his word and said that the commitment given by Rawat could be confirmed with the Union Health Minister, Ghulam Nabi
Azad, in whose presence it was apparently given.
A day after Okram Ibobi Singh took oath as the Chief Minister of Manipur for the third consecutive term, a blast today rocked Imphal East district, killing one girl, a minor, and injuring five others of a family including three minors.
