Women activists reject rape law ordinance, urge President not to sign it

NEW DELHI: Some women's organisations on Saturday urged the President not to sign the ordinance on criminal law amendments passed by the Union Cabinet to deal with sexual crimes.

"The ordinance is a complete betrayal of the people's faith. We are alarmed at the complete lack of transparency displayed by the government in proposing an ordinance as an emergency measure. We call upon the President not to sign such an ordinance," was the general opinion of woman activists at a press conference here. They also wondered why such a measure was necessary when parliament would convene for the budget session in about 20 days.

The Cabinet on Friday approved an ordinance for enhanced punishment in cases of crimes against women, including sexual assault, acid attacks, voyeurism and trafficking.

The women also complained that the Cabinet had not paid adequate attention to the recommendations of the Justice JS Verma committee, set up to examine laws that relate with sexual crimes and any changes necessary. The committee had submitted its report last week.

"It is an absolute mockery of Justice Verma's panel's recommendations. We were alarmed to see the ordinance as it ignored many recommendations of the that committee. The government has stealthily passed this ordinance without sharing it with the public and without actually debating and discussing it. All the recommendations than can actually strike at the heart of impunity have been dropped," Kavita Krishnan, secretary, All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA) said.

Some women said they would take to the streets in protest, once again, just as they had protested after the brutal gang-rape of the physiotherapy student gang-raped in the national capital on December 16.

"We will be holding protest, likely from Monday at 2pm, but we are yet to finalise it. We would definitely continue to agitate. How can the Union Cabinet, in just a few hours, sit and cheery-pick what JS Verma and his team strenuously worked on for a whole month?" asked Krishnan, adding that the government acted stealthily, passing the ordinance without sharing it with the public and without debating and discussing it," Krishnan said.

The Justice JS Verma panel, set up by the government last month to review laws to provide speedier justice and enhanced punishment in cases of aggravated sexual assault, submitted its report to the government last week.

The panel was set up in the wake of outrage over the gruesome gang-rape of a 23-year-old trainee physiotherapist on December 16.

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French parliament backs main clause in gay marriage law

PARIS: The French parliament on Saturday adopted the main clause of a reform bill that would allow same-sex marriage and grant gay couples the right to adopt children.

Deputies voted 249-97 to back the clause eliminating opposite gender as a condition of the right to marriage.

The draft law, the first major social reform of Francois Hollande's presidency, has sparked major protests in France.

Several hundred thousand people massed at the Eiffel Tower in Paris last month to protest against the plan.

More than 5,000 amendments have been presented for the reform bill, which deputies began debating on Tuesday.

The debate is expected to last two weeks. Socialist deputies had originally planned to amend the marriage bill to include access to assisted reproduction techniques for lesbians, but pulled back when this idea appeared especially controversial and threatened to hinder the wider marriage reform.

However, opinion polls have shown the number of people supporting the legalisation of same-sex marriage in France has risen despite the protests.

The proportion of those supporting the change in the law rose to 63 per cent in late January from 60 percent in early January and December, according to a poll.

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Lalu Prasad escapes unhurt as makeshift platform collapses

CHHAPRA: RJD president Lalu Prasad on Saturday escaped unhurt when a makeshift wooden platform raised at a yagna site in Saran district collapsed.

As soon as Prasad and RJD secretary general Ramkripal Yadav climbed the platform constructed on the occasion of a Maha Rudra Yagna at Madhurup in Saran district it collapsed due to overload, party sources said.

The security personnel intervened and removed Prasad and Yadav from the site.

"I am fine and did not receive any injury in the incident," Prasad said.

The two leaders later addressed the gathering from the same broken platform.

Prasad is a Lok Sabha member from Chhapra constituency which is part of Saran distri

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400 cases of crime against women disposed of last month: CJI

PATIALA: Over 400 cases of crime against women, including rape cases, have been disposed of in trial courts across the country last month, Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir said today.

There is need to pay more attention to crimes against women, elderly and children, the Chief Justice told the first convocation of the Rajiv Gandhi National Law University here.

Fast-track courts are being set up in consultations with Central and state governments for expeditious disposal of cases, he said.

Voicing concern over increasing cases of crime against women, Justice Kabir said high courts have been asked to coordinate with state governments for infrastructure needed for setting up these special courts.

Expressing concern over pendency of cases in the apex court, Justice Kabir said that two more courts will be set up in the Supreme Court.

He stressed the need for separate hearing of civil and criminal cases in the Supreme Court.

Justice Kabir asked women to adopt law as a profession. He said there has been an increase in recent times in the number of women opting for a career in law.

The convocation took place at the new campus of the university in Sidhuwal village.

Some 173 students of the university were given degrees of BA, LLB, LLM and PhD.

Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana high court A K Sikri was also present on the occasion.

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Magnitude 6.9 quake strikes Japan's Hokkaido island: USGS

TOKYO: A strong magnitude 6.9 quake struck Japan's northern island of Hokkaido near the town of Obihiro on Saturday, the US Geological Survey said.

The quake, initially reported as being offshore and a magnitude 6.8, was 64 miles (103 km) deep and centered just 9 miles (15 km) southwest of Obihiro.

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Hillary Clinton could announce presidential bid by 2014: Report

WASHINGTON: Stepping down as the top American diplomat at the height of popularity, Hillary Clinton could announce her 2016 presidency bid by 2014, a media report said today.

Ed Rendell, a friend of the Clinton family and a former Democratic Party chairman, has predicted that she might decide to run as soon as early 2014, lured by the prospect of becoming the first female president and an abiding interest in government service, The Wall Street Journal reported.

"If she announces fairly soon after that, she essentially pre-empts the field," Rendell was quoted as saying by the financial daily.

Clinton, 65, is scheduled to leave the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the state department this afternoon in the presence of hundreds of state department employees.

In her media interviews and public appearances in the last few days, she has refused to entertain any question on her 2016 presidential bid.

However, her followers have already established a political action committee "Ready for Hillary" in preparation of the 2016 run.

Clinton leaves the post of Secretary of State today with a high approval rating, a strengthened resume and a loose-knit network of donors and grass-root supporters eager to make her the first woman president if she decides to re-enter politics, the report said.

Should Clinton run, "That's going to be a sharp contrast," said Amy Siskind, co-founder of The New Agenda, a woman's advocacy group that was created by 30 Clinton supporters.

"It's shameful that a man who got elected by women and people of colour and people of different sexual orientation goes and chooses a bunch of white men for top government roles," she said.

In another interview to the daily, a top adviser to US President Barack Obama said that Clinton would be a strong candidate in the 2016 presidential elections.

Should Clinton jump in the 2016 presidential contest, she would be in "a very, very strong position", Obama adviser David Axelrod said.

"She has a unique status. There are formidable people who might run for the Democratic Party nomination," Axelrod said, adding that "the vice-president chief among them".

"But she has undeniable assets that would put her in a strong position relative to the rest of the field, and relative to the Republicans. The big question for her is simply whether at this point she wants to do this," he said.

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249 candidates in the fray for Tripura assembly polls

AGARTALA: Altogether 249 candidates are in the fray for the the February 14 assembly elections in Tripura, a top election official said here today.

"The number of contestants is the lowest this time in the last 15 years", chief electoral officer (CEO) Asutosh Jindal told a 'Meet the Press' programme organized by the Agartala Press Club.

After the last date of withdrawal of candidates yesterday, it was found that 249 candidates, including 14 women, were in the fray, he said.

The candidates include reprsentatives of 16 politocal aprties and independents, he said.

In 2008 elections, the number of candidates was 313 including 18 women.

The CEO said the number of new voters in the age group of 18-19 years is 53580.

Three constituencies, Karbuck in South Tripura district and Surma and Karamcherra in Dhalai district have a maximum number of seven contestants.

Of the 60 constituencies in the state, only two constituencies, Sonamura and Jolaibari, will witness direct contest and there will be multi-cornered contest in the rest 58 seats, he said.

Jindal said while Nirajoy Tripura (85) is the oldest candidate who is contesting from Chhamani constituency in Dhalai district on a CPI(M) ticket, 26-year-old Chourendra Reang is the youngest candidate contesting from Karbuck seat as an independent.

Over 20,000 employees and 250 companies of security force personnel would be deployed for the smooth conduct of the elections in the state, the CEO said.

"There will be no dearth of security forces and the central paramilitary forces have started arriving in the state. We have also asked the Border Security Force (BSF) to seal the 856 K.M long border with Bangladesh", the CEO said.

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China's naval fleet enters South China sea for patrolling

BEIJING: A fleet of Chinese naval ships has entered the disputed South China Sea for patrol and training missions to assert Chinese sovereignty over the waters.

"A Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy fleet has entered the country's territorial waters in the South China Sea for patrol and training missions," state-run Xinhua news agency quoted a military official as saying.

Comprising the missile destroyer Qingdao and the missile frigates Yantai and Yancheng, the fleet entered the South China Sea after passing through Bashi channel.

Located between Taiwan and the Philippines' Luzon Island, the Bashi Channel is an international sea route linking the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean, the report said.

The three ships, all from the North China Sea Fleet of the PLA Navy, are scheduled to carry out patrol missions and multi-type training exercises in the South China Sea over the next few days, the report said.

The PLA Navy fleet departed Qingdao in east China on Tuesday for high-sea training exercises and patrol missions.

China claims entire South China Sea as its territorial waters.

Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan questioned Chinese claims and have been protesting Chinese aggressive posturing.

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Pakistani publishers yet to get visa for International Book Fair

NEW DELHI: With only a couple of days left for the 40th international book fair, publishers from Pakistan are yet to get visas to participate in the week-long event here, even as organisers said they have provided all necessary clearance.

Beginning on February 4, the World Book Fair 2013, being held for the past 40 years and now a major calender event in the publishing world, is set to showcase 1,100 Indian and foreign publishers from countries like Pakistan, Iran, Nepal, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the US, the UK, South Korea, Singapore and Sri Lanka.

"A team of around 15 people from six publishing houses in Pakistan had been finalised to participate in the Fair and had booked a total of six stalls out of the total 201 stalls at the Fair," National Book Trust, Director, M A Sikandar said.

"We are now looking at the Indian High Commission in Pakistan for issue of visas," he said.

The development comes in the wake of recent chill between the two neighbours following tension along the Line of Control.

"I would request both the countries that initiatives like this should be taken seriously and every time there are participants from Pakistan...And it is fruitful for both the countries," Sikandar said.

Co-organised by India Trade Promotion Organisation, the Fair had last year attracted about 1,300 Indian exhibitors and 30 foreign exhibitors.

"They (publishers from Pakistan) take a lot of Indian books along with them. This literature link between the two countries should be encouraged. When other countries are participating, Pakistan is our neighbour and they should also participate. This platform is not a commercial platform," Sikandar said.

However, another NBT official sought to play down the issue saying that the visa clearance to Pakistan publishers participating in the Fair, may be issued late.

This year the theme of the New Delhi World Book Fair, is "Indigenous Voices - Mapping India's Folk and Tribal Literature" is offering new initiatives to not only promote reading but also offer a business platform to authors and publishers.

The Fair is also providing other host of opportunities to look out for.

"Starting this year we have decided to make the Fair an annual event to promote reading and interaction with authors and also provide a business platform to publishers and authors," NBT Chairman A Sethumadhavan.

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Thousands of Egyptians march in fresh protests nationwide

CAIRO: Thousands of Egyptians marched across the country, chanting against the rule of the Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, in a fresh wave of protests Friday, even as cracks appeared in the ranks of the opposition after its political leaders met for the first time with the rival Muslim Brotherhood.

The protests continue a week of political rioting that engulfed the country and left up to 60 people dead. The violence prompted Morsi to declare a state of emergency in three restive Suez Canal cities, impose a curfew that thousands of the cities' angry residents defied in night rallies, and left him with eroding popularity in the street.

On Friday, thousands of protesters in the Mediterranean city of Port Said at the northern tip of Suez Canal, which witnessed the worst clashes and biggest number of causalities the past days, pumped their fists in the air while chanting, "Leave, leave, Morsi." They threatened to escalate pressure with civil disobedience and a work stoppage at the vital Suez Canal authority if their demand for punishment of those responsible for protester death is not met.

"The people want the Republic of Port Said," protesters chanted, voicing a wide sentiment among residents that they are fed up of negligence and mistreatment by central government and that they want to virtual independence.

"Your policy is: I don't hear, I don't talk and I don't see," read a flyer distributed by protesters.

Buses carrying protesters from two other Suez Canal cities of Suez and Ismailia carried more protesters to the Port Said rallies.

Last week's violence first erupted on the eve of the second anniversary of 2011 uprising that toppled down longtime authoritarian ruler Hosni Mubarak's regime. It accelerated a day later when security forces fired at protesters killing at least 11 dead, most of them in the city of Suez.

The next day, riots exploded in Port Said after a court convicted and sentenced to death 21 defendants, mostly locals, for a mass soccer riot in the city's main stadium a year ago. Residents saw the verdict as politicized. Over the next few days, around 40 people were killed in the city in unrest that saw security forces firing on a funeral.

Feb. 1 marks the first anniversary of the mass soccer riot in Port Said that left 74 people dead mostly fans of Al-Ahly, Egypt's most popular soccer team.

Egypt's main opposition political grouping, the National Salvation Front, called for Friday's protests in Cairo, demanding Morsi form a national unity government and amend the constitution, moves they say would prevent the Islamist from governing solely in the interest of his Muslim Brotherhood group.

"The policies of the president and the Muslim Brotherhood are pushing the country to the brink, but they are adopting the same language of the old regime and accusing their opposition of betrayl," the opposition said in a statement. "Instead of responding to the street demands, and working with the rest of the national forces that contributed in the revolution to rescue the nation, they are pointing their arrows to media to stifle freedoms," it added

However, the call came a day after the Front held a meeting with Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood under the aegis of Egypt's premier Islamic institution, Al-Azhar, in their first ever meeting. They and other politicians signed a joint statement denouncing violence.

The meeting appeared to have caused rifts within the opposition, with some saying the Front had handed the Brotherhood the high ground by signing a statement that seemed to focus on protester violence and made no mention of police use of excessive force or explicitly talk of political demands.

"Al-Azhar's initiative talks too broadly about violence as if it's the same to kill a person or break a window and makes no difference between defensive violence and aggressive violence, offering a political cover to expand the repression, detention, killing and torture by the hands of police for the authority's benefit," read a joint statement by 70 activists, liberal politicians, actors and writers.

"The initiative didn't represent the core of the problem and didn't offer solutions but came to give more legitimacy to the existing authority," it added.

Those who attended the Thursday's rare meeting between Egypt's rival political camps defended the anti-violence initiative.

Ahmed Maher, co-founder of April 6 group which led the anti-Mubarak uprising, said in a tweet: "I am against violence as a solution." An opposition party leader Ahmed Said said in a statement, "no one can say no to an initiative to stop violence."

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Pilot locked out of cockpit mid-flight after co-pilot falls asleep

LONDON: A pilot of a low-cost Dutch airline was locked out of the cockpit mid-flight after his co-pilot fell asleep, an aviation report has said, prompting authorities to launch a probe into the bizarre incident.

Dutch authorities said the incident occurred on a Boeing 737 flight to Crete in September, but it was only made public yesterday after the release of the Dutch aviation safety board's (OVV) quarterly report.

An investigation has been launched by the low-cost Dutch airline Transavia, a subsidiary of Air France-KLM, after one of its pilots was locked out of the cockpit mid-flight after his co-pilot fell asleep, The Telegraph reported.

"After two and a half hours in the air the captain of the Dutch-registered plane left the cockpit to go to the toilet," the report said.

"A little later he wanted to return to the cockpit. When he used the intercom to call the first officer to open the door he got no reaction. When he managed to get into the cockpit, he found the first officer asleep," it said.

The Dutch aviation safety board described the episode as "serious" and said that Transavia had launched an investigation. It added that it would decide what action to take after receiving the airline's report.

The incident comes ahead of controversial new EU legislations that could see pilots forced to work longer shifts.

According to the British Airline Pilots Association, the proposals would increase the maximum number of hours flying crew spend at work from 16 hours and 15 minutes a day to 20 hours.

Last year a survey by the European Cockpit Association suggested that four in 10 pilots have fallen asleep at the controls of an aircraft.

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If you give Telangana, give us Gorkhaland: GJM to Centre

NEW DELHI: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) on Thursday asked the government to consider its demand for a Gorkhaland state if it takes into consideration creation of a separate Telangana.

GJM general secretary Roshan Giri conveyed to Union home secretary R K Singh that the demand for Gorkhaland was one of the oldest in the country and the Centre cannot ignore it if it decides to create a separate Telangana.

Giri said the home secretary told the GJM delegation that he would convey their demand to home minister Sushilkumar Shinde.

"We will also meet the home minister within a day or two and after that we will go back to Darjeeling to take stock of the situation. And if the central government decides to create Telangana, it will have to give Gorkhaland to us too," he told reporters here.

After rejecting the GJM's demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland, carved out of West Bengal, the government has constituted the Gorkha Territorial Administration with additional administrative and financial powers.

The GJM's fresh demand came after Congress on Wednesday said that it was not against formation of Telangana, but the government was in the process of taking a decision.

Making a strong pitch for separate Telangana, NCP chief and agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on Thursday told Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that a delay in the matter would not be helpful.

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PETA for non-leather footwear as Odisha school uniform

BHUBANESWAR: Following proposals in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to require schools to use only animal and eco-friendly canvas or other non-leather footwear for uniforms, the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has urged Odisha and other states to follow suit.

PETA India has written in this regard to Odisha's School and Mass Education Minister Rabi Narayan Nanda and officials of all other states urging them to follow the path shown by Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.

"This measure would protect animals and the environment and also empower children with the opportunity to be animal- and eco-friendly consumers," says PETA India Corporate and Government Affairs Liaison Sarfaraz Syed.

"Most children naturally care for animals and the environment and prefer wearing more comfortable canvas shoes over leather or other materials, so transitioning to canvas-only shoes for all school uniforms would be a win-win-win situation for all - children, animals and the environment," said a PETA India statement.

Cows and other animals are often found so crowded in trucks that they sustain injuries by the horns of others, and, at slaughterhouses, many are skinned and dismembered while they are still conscious, the statement said.

Turning the skins into leather requires massive amounts of toxic chemicals, leading workers and local people to suffer nervous disorders, skin and respiratory infections and even cancer, it said.

Canvas, on the other hand, requires relatively little maintenance compared to other popular shoe materials, including leather, the PETA said.

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Provision for women, SC/ ST, local bodies in Bihar budget

PATNA: Apart from provision of gender budget like previous years, some new dimensions have been added to the state budget 2013 which will be presented in the legislature on February 23. The allocation for the gender budget in different departments will be made. Also allocation will be made for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and all the departments linked to the agriculture roadmap.

Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, who also holds finance portfolio, said the economic survey will be presented on February 19. This year budgetary demands of 17 departments will be presented.

"The new dimensions of the budget will be separate allocation for SC and ST in the plan budget. While the 16% of the total budget will go for SC welfare 1% will be earmarked for the ST," said Modi. He added that separate allocation will also be made for the local bodies including panchayati raj institutions and municipal bodies.

Since the government has given high attention on the agriculture and allied sectors, Modi said separate budgetary allocation will be made to all the departments linked under agriculture roadmap and it will be separately monitored.

Modi said for the first time since Independence, Bihar has spent 60% of the plan size by December end and hopefully the rest of the amount will be spent by the end of the fiscal 2012-13. He was reacting to the reports that many departments have failed to utilize the allocation. "As is practice a good amount is spent by the closure of the financial year as in many case allocations is made available by the end of the fiscal," he said.

Modi has already started pre-budget exercise to seek views of different sections of the society including farmers, professional and economists.

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Narendra Modi capable of taking charge as PM: Venkaiah Naidu

BHOPAL: Senior BJP leader VenkaiahNaidu on Thursday said that Gujarat chief minister NarendraModi was a national figure with capabilities to take charge as Prime Minister. He argued that veteran leader LKAdvani, leader of Opposition in the LokSabhaSushmaSwaraj and leader of Opposition in the RajyaSabhaArunJaitley have all agreed in recent times that NarendraModi had the qualities to become PM.

Speaking to media persons here, Naidu also clarified that he was not the PM race. I was addressing a press conference in Panjim on Wednesday where I explained that there are many leaders within the BJP who are capable of assuming charge of PM and the final decision will be taken ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections,'' he said.

Addressing a congregation of state BJP office-bearers, leaders and organisational heads Naidu instructed party workers to be prepared for mid-term'' general elections. Lok Sabha elections could take place anytime. There is no guarantee it will happen in 2014,'' Naidu said addressing the gathering at the state BJP office here in the presence of chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

The Congress has deceived the people of this country and all eyes are fixed on the BJP. The Congress is trying to hide its own incompetence and instability by making baseless allegations against rival parties. But the whole country is waiting to bring about a political change,'' Naidu said. The BJP leader argued that farmers are not getting the rightful price for their crops while the UPA-Centre has opened the doors of the country to foreign direct investment ( FDI) in retail. This has disappointed and dismayed the agricultural sector while hanging a sword'' on the livelihoods of 25 crore small businessmen in the country.

Naidu claimed that the middle-class and common man are crushed under the burden of inflation and rampant corruption. The Congress came to power promising one crore new jobs but the youth has been disappointed. The way our soldiers were brutally killed near the LoC by the Pakistan army is an insult to the nation and the people are irate about the incident. The countdown for the Congress has started and change is not very far away,'' Naidu said.

Speaking on home minister Sushil Shinde's recent controversial statement linking BJP-RSS to Hindu terrorism, Naidu argued that the Congress party was only exposing its own ignorance and illiteracy by the accusation. The fact is that the North-East, a Congressman was found involved in terror activities and was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment by the law courts,'' he added.

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Govt will be prompt in pursuing Verma panel recommendations on rape laws: PM

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said that the government will be prompt in pursuing the recommendations of J S Verma Committee to amend the law to deal effectively with cases of sexual assault against women.

In a letter to Justice Verma, former Chief Justice of India, Manmohan Singh thanked him and other two members of the committee--Justice (retd) Leila Seth and former Solicitor General Gopal Subramanian--for completing within a short period of 30 days the work of the panel, set up in the wake of the brutal gang rape and assault of a 23-year-old here on December 16 2012.

"That the committee submitted its report within a short period of 30 days is testimony to your commitment and concern for the public good...

"On behalf of our government, I assure you that we will be prompt in pursuing the recommendations of the committee," the Prime Minister said in the letter.

Singh also thanked the committee members for their "labour of love" in pursuing their job to recommend amendments to the law to deal effectively with cases of sexual assault of extreme nature against women.

The Verma Committee has recommended enhancing punishment to up to 20 years imprisonment for rape and murder and life term for gang rape but refrained from suggesting death penalty for the guilty.

In its 630-page report submitted to the government on January 23, the Committee suggested various amendments to the criminal laws to provide for higher punishment to rapists, including those belonging to police and public servants.

New offences have been created and stiffer punishment has been suggested for those committing such offence that left the victim in a vegetative state. The new offences include disrobing a woman, voyeurism, stalking and trafficking.

The present statute provides for punishment of imprisonment ranging from seven years to life for rapists. The panel was constituted in the wake of national outrage over the gang rape in a moving bus in south Delhi. The victim died in a Singapore hospital on December 29.

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Toyota to recall 1.1 million cars globally for defects

The author has posted comments on this articleReuters | Jan 30, 2013, 05.46PM IST

TOKYO: Toyota Motor Corp will recall 1.1 million cars globally for defects, including 752,000 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles in the United States to fix airbags that could be deployed inadvertently, the automaker said on Wednesday.

The airbag problems have caused minor injuries such as abrasions in 18 cases that have been reported, Toyota spokesman Naoto Fuse said. Two accidents have been reported by customers outside Japan, although Toyota has not been able to confirm them, he said.

An IC chip in the airbag control unit can malfunction when it receives electrical interference from other parts in the car, causing the airbags to deploy when it is not necessary, Fuse said.

Toyota will add an electrical signal filter to the airbag control module to the recalled vehicles -- repairs expected to take an hour to hour-and-a-half, he said.

The spokesman declined to disclose the costs involved.

Separately, Toyota will also recall 385,000 Lexus IS and its series, including 270,000 Lexus IS vehicles in the United States over wiper problems, Fuse said.

The wiper arm nut of the front wiper in these vehicles may not be tight enough and the wiper may not work under certain weather occasions, including in snow.

Toyota will exchange the nut in repairs that will take about 30 minutes, Fuse said.

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Madhu Koda aide Bastawade sent to 14 days' judicial custody

RANCHI: A Jharkhand court on Wednesday sent Anil Bastawade, an aide of former chief minister Madhu Koda, to 14 days judicial custody after he was brought here following his arrest in Indonesia.

A Ranchi court sent Bastawade, arrested in Jakarta Jan 21 on an Interpol notice, to 14 days judicial custody in a money-laundering case.

He was brought to New Delhi from Jakarta Tuesday and taken to Ranchi on Wednesday.

Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials said they will soon seek Bastawade's remand for interrogation.

The multi-million rupee money-laundering scandal involving Koda surfaced in 2009. Koda is in jail for more than three years in graft cases.

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India drops to 140th rank in press freedom, lowest since 2002

WASHINGTON: India has dropped nine places to 140th rank in the list of 179 countries in the latest World Press Freedom Index, which its authors said is the lowest for the "world's biggest democracy" since 2002.

"In Asia, India (140th, -9) is at its lowest since 2002 because of increasing impunity for violence against journalists and because internet censorship continues to grow," Reporters Without Borders said in its World Press Freedom Index for the year 2013.

"China (173rd, +1) shows no sign of improving. Its prisons still hold many journalists and netizens, while increasingly unpopular internet censorship continues to be a major obstacle to access to information."

As last year, the list is topped by three European countries - Finland, Netherlands and Norway.

Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea continue to be at the bottom of the list as has been in the last three years.

"The Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders does not take direct account of the kind of political system but it is clear that democracies provide better protection for the freedom to produce and circulate accurate news and information than countries where human rights are flouted," Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Christophe Deloire said.

"In dictatorships, news providers and their families are exposed to ruthless reprisals, while in democracies news providers have to cope with the media's economic crises and conflicts of interest. While their situation is not always comparable, we should pay tribute to all those who resist pressure whether it is aggressively focused or diffuse," he said.

According to the report, in almost all parts of the world, influential countries including India that are regarded as "regional models" have fallen in the index.

Observing that there has been general decline in freedom of information in South Asia, the report said the Indian subcontinent was the Asian region that saw the sharpest deterioration in the climate for those involved in news and information in 2012.

"In the Maldives, which crashed to 103rd place (-30), the events that led to the resignation of President Mohammed Nasheed in February led to violence and threats against journalists in state television and private media outlets regarded as pro-Nasheed by the coup leaders," it said.

In India, the "world's biggest democracy", the authorities insist on censoring the Web and imposing more and more taboos, while violence against journalists goes unpunished and the regions of Kashmir and Chhattisgarh become increasingly isolated," it said.

"Bangladesh is not far behind. Its journalists are frequently targets of police violence. When they are not acting as aggressors, the security forces stand by passively while enemies of the media enjoy impunity and are rarely brought to justice.

"The ability of journalists to work freely in Pakistan (159th, -8) and Nepal (118th, -12) continued to worsen in the absence of any government policy to protect media workers. Despite having a diverse and lively media, Pakistan remains one of the world's most dangerous countries for reporters," the report said.

Coinciding with the release of its 2013 Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders published an annual global "indicator" of worldwide media freedom.

This new analytic tool measures the overall level of freedom of information in the world and the performance of the world's governments in their entirety as regards this key freedom, it said.

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EC reprimands Navjot Sidhu for violating model code of conduct during Gujarat polls

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission has reprimanded BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu for violating the model code of conduct by making personal remarks against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the Gujarat poll campaign.

The commission, in its order, issued on Wednesday directed Sidhu to be more careful in future so that the provisions of model code are strictly adhered to and not violated.

Sidhu, while campaigning for BJP in Gujarat's Junagadh district, had on November 29 last year made a speech where he made certain personal remarks against the Prime Minister and Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) president Keshubhai Patel.

"The commission is satisfied that Navjot Singh Sidhu has violated the provisions of the model code of Conduct by making speech inciting communal/religious feeling and objectionable remarks on the private life of leaders of rival political parties."

"Now, therefore, the Election Commission hereby reprimands Navjot Singh Sidhu and directs that he should be careful in future so that provisions of model code of conduct are strictly adhered to and not violated," the EC order reads.

The EC order also cites Sidhu's remarks made against former Gujarat chief minister Keshubhai Patel.

The commission's reprimand came after Sidhu sought a copy of the CD of his speech and asked for more time, but did not reply to the commission despite making requests. On his request, the poll body had directed the BJP MP time to reply by January 5.

"After considering all aspects of the case, the commission has observed that Navjot Singh Sidhu is simply evading to give the reply and prolonging the matter by seeking extentions again and again and has nothing substantial to reply," the EC said.

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Dead rat in dinner makes nine students ill in UP

BANDA, UP: A dead rat allegedly found in the dinner served to students of a government residential school in Hardauli village in the district made nine children severely ill, a government official said.

The students in the age group of five to 12 years, started vomiting as one of them found a dead rat in the food served to them last night, Government medical officer, Dr R S Verma said.

On being informed about the incident, a team of doctors rushed to the school, Verma said, adding, all the children are better now.

Meanwhile, official sources said an enquiry has been ordered into the incident.

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Jaipur lit fest organisers asked to stay in city till Ashis Nandy probe ends

JAIPUR: Police on Monday asked the organisers of Jaipur Literature Festival not to leave the city till investigation into the case against author Ashis Nandy is over.

Additional commissioner of police Biju George Joseph said the organisers were asked to remain in the city as a probe is going on against Nandy and festival producer Sanjoy Roy.

"We asked the organisers to not leave the city in order to complete the probe," Joseph said.

Confirming the development, Roy said, "I have signed the papers on behalf of the JLF team to comply with the orders."

An FIR was lodged against Nandy and Roy last Saturday by Rajpal Meena, chairperson of the SC/ST Rajasthan Manch, after Nandy stoked a controversy with comments that people from OBC, SC and ST were the "most corrupt".

Nandy left Jaipur yesterday skipping the rest of the literature festival, which ends today.

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Teachers of Jamia Millia and Delhi University rally behind Ashis Nandy

NEW DELHI: Teachers of Jamia Millia University and Delhi University have rallied to the support of social scientist Ashis Nandy whose remark linking Dalits, tribals and backward classes to "corruption" was pilloried at the Jaipur Literary Festival.

The Jamia Teachers' Solidarity Association, in a statement Monday, said the accusation against the scholar was just not true.

Nandy had said at the Jaipur Literary Festival Saturday: "It will be an undignified and vulgar statement. But the fact is that most of the corrupt come from the OBC, the Scheduled Castes and now, increasingly, STs. As long as that is the case, the Indian Republic will survive."

Nandy was commenting about the manner in which sections of society that had long been powerless were wresting power from an established elite.

He was booked the following day under Section 3(1) of the SC/ST Act, which is non-bailable and invites a 10-year jail term. This section pertains to the actions of a non-SC/ST person, performed with the intention of humiliating a member of the group.

Teachers of the two universities in Delhi said: "Not only has he been grossly misunderstood, but the accusation is an affront to his decades-long deeply sensitive scholarship, including that on the backward communities."

Calling the media "hypocritical", the statement said sensationalism in reporting such incidents had eroded the culture of freedom of speech and thought in India.

"It is interesting to note that those in the political class and media who now claim to stand for the rights of the backward communities vis-a-vis Nandy have been active participants in the violent anti-Mandal agitation that rocked Delhi and other parts of India two decades ago," the statement said.

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Supreme Court directs Karnataka to file report on water sharing with TN

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today directed Karnataka to furnish all the information on amount of Cauvery river water shared by it to Tamil Nadu since 1992 and said that out of box thinking is required on the part of warring states to sort out the dispute.

A bench of justices R M Lodha and J Chelameswar asked Karnataka to submit its report tomorrow when it will hear the plea on passing intermin direction on sharing of water by the two states.

The bench also observed that requirement of drinking water for Karnataka should be given priority over water needed by Tamil Nadu for irrigation purpose and some out of box thinking is required to balance the demand of two states.

"Some equitable sharing has to be done. Some out of box thinking is required. There has to be some interim solution," the bench said while pulling Karnataka for not adhering to the formula of water sharing.

Earlier on December 5, the Supreme Court had directed Karnataka to release 10,000 cusecs of Cauvery water daily to its neighbouring state and asked Cauvery Monitoring Committee (CMC) to hold a meeting to decide the amount of water required by each state.

Cusec is a measure of flow rate of water and is abbreviation for cubic feet per second (which is equivalent to a flow of 28.317 litres per second) and 11,000 cusecs flow for a day amounts to 1 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) water.

The committee had then directed Karnataka to provide Tamil Nadu with 12 TMC of Cauvery water during December and did not pass any order for the month of January as the Centre had assured the apex court that it would notify the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award by December 31.

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No public access to 2G documents till JPC completes probe: CIC

NEW DELHI: Documents related to 2G spectrum allocation cannot be accessed by public till the joint parliamentary committee completes its probe and submits its report, the Central Information Commission has held.

The JPC which is probing the high profile scam, in which the then telecom minister A Raja is the main accused, has directed the finance ministry not to reveal any information till it completes the probe.

The case relates to an RTI application filed by Vikas Saluja who sought from the department of economic affairs, finance ministry the details of meetings between Raja and then finance minister with respect to 2G spectrum allocation.

Saluja had asked from the ministry the dates of meeting between the two and agenda and minutes of these meetings but the department did not provide them to him.

The department told Saluja that documents have been provided to JPC and cannot be disclosed as doing it would be violation of parliamentary privileges.

Section 8(1)(c) of the RTI Act exempts disclosure of information which would cause a breach of privilege of parliament or the state legislature.

When the matter reached the CIC, chief information commissioner Satyananda Mishra concurred with the view of the central public information officer of the department.

"We have considered the case on merits. We do not find anything wrong in the response of the CPIO.

"The desired information has been specifically prohibited by the joint parliamentary committee from disclosure.

"Therefore, disclosure of such information would lead to the breach of privilege the Parliament, a sufficient ground for not disclosing the information under the provisions of subsection 1(c) of section 8 of the Right to Information (RTI) Act," Mishra said.

He asked Saluja to wait till the JPC submits its report to Parliament and apply for the same information again.

The 2G spectrum scam involves charges of last moment tweaking of date of allocation of spectrum and other irregularities allegedly committed by Raja in collusion with Telecom Ministry officials and executives of beneficiaries telecom companies in 2008.

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VHP demands Shinde's apology for 'Hindu terror' remark

BHOPAL: Vishwa Hindu Parishad's international president Dr Pravin Togadia demanded on Sunday that Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde take back his remarks on "Hindu terrorism" and apologise to the nation for it.

"VHP has strong objections to the Union home minister's statement on saffron terrorism. He should take back his words and extend an apology to the nation on the issue," Togadia demanded while talking to reporters here.

"A person may be bad, but not the entire population of over 100 crore," Togadia said referring to Shinde's remarks.

Shinde's remark has only strengthened Pakistan's hand and weakened India's fight against terror at the international fora, he said.

Asking Congress whether it would be able to come to power by disrespecting the majority, the VHP leader said the statement was given with an eye on Muslim vote bank, but asked the people to use their voting right by keeping in mind such statements that had "humiliated majority of the people."

On what action VHP would take if the home minister did not take back his statement, he said the issue will be deliberated during the ongoing 'Kumbh Mela' at Prayag (Allahabad) when heads of various sects will hold a meeting on the issue of Ram temple, Kashmir and other burning issues on February 6-7.

Referring to the controversial Bhojshala issue, Togadia said, "Bhojshala belongs to Hindus."

Asked whether VHP supports the BJP's policy for putting on backburner its core issues like Ram temple and abrogation of Article 370 for coming to power under the banner of NDA, Togadia said it was a fact, but his organisation never supported any person or party and was only working towards enlightenment of Hindus for a larger goal of Hindus coming to power with full majority.

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Ready to face no-confidence motion if opposition moves it, Karnataka CM Shettar says

BANGALORE/DAVANAGERE: Asserting that his government still enjoyed a majority even after 13 BJP MLAs announced their resignation, Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shettar said on Sunday he is ready to face a no-confidence motion, if the opposition moves it.

"I have majority. There is no threat to the government. I am ready to face a no-confidence motion if the opposition moves it," he told reporters at Honnali, 60 km away from Davanagere in the presence of excise minister MP Renukacharya, a staunch Yedyurappa loyalist.

Shettar said he would be leaving for Delhi on Sunday to meet newly-elected BJP president Rajnat Singh.

The Shettar government's very survival is at stake after 13 MLAs loyal to Karnataka Janata Party chief and former BJP strongman BS Yeddyurappa announced their decision to quit assembly membership.

Their bid to submit their resignations to speaker KG Bopaiah on January 23 was in vain as he was not in station, an issue over which they cried foul and petitioned governor HR Bhardwaj to whom they submitted copies of resignation letters.

Bhardwaj had stated on Saturday that the Shettar government still enjoyed a majority and as leader of the BJP legislature party, it was left left to him to take action on the issue of resignation by 13 MLAs.

Bopaiah, who is in Madikeri, will return to the city on Monday.

Sources in the KJP said that apart from the 13 MLAs who are ready to quit their assembly membership, eight more are likely to join them.

But BJP leaders are engaged in hectic parleys to prevent them from resigning.

The BJP wants to ensure that the budget session starting from February 4 passess off without any trouble.

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Prince Harry made tea for comrades in Afghanistan

LONDON: Prince Harry, deployed as an Apache helicopter pilot in Afghanistan, served tea to his army comrades after losing a Ludo-style game, a media report said.

28-year-old Harry served as a tea-making "Brew Bitch", The Sun reported.

He said crew members had to win a Ludo-style game or act as a "flunky for pals".

Harry, currently in Britain after a five-month deployment, said: "Whoever loses that becomes the Brew Bitch."

His flight commander Captain Simon Beattie said of the game, called Uckers: "It's always the thing we do first in the morning."

Beattie said he even cheated, just to be waited on by the third in line to the England throne.

The helicopter crews also watched films like "Black Hawk Down", about two US helicopters shot down in Somalia, just to unwind.

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Top Chinese Communist Party leader faces graft probe: Report

BEIJING: A top Chinese leader, elected to the powerful 25 member Politburo of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) in November last, is under investigation for corruption, a media report said today.

Li Jianguo, 67, who is also the vice chairman of China's legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC) besides being the member of the Politburo, is being investigated for corruption, Hong Kong-based Ming Pao newspaper reported.

If confirmed, Li would be the highest ranking member of the CPC to be facing anti-corruption probe.

Following the probe, he was admitted to a Beijing military hospital due to "psychological stress", the daily reported. He has not yet been formally charged, it said.

There is no official confirmation yet in this case. Ever since the 18th Congress of the CPC which elected new leadership, the party leaders have been openly admitting that corruption has become menace threatening Party's 64-year-old hold over power.

New Leader of the CPC, Xi Jinping 59, has said that rot had set in party's echelons, and reminded the Party men of "cyclical rise and fall of rulers" in Chinese history.

He said anti-corruption efforts should target low ranking "flies" and high ranking "tigers".

In the recent weeks Chinese official media was full of reports of crackdown on corrupt officials at various levels and some reports said that large number of officials was disposing of their assets to avoid investigations.

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