No need to panic on price rise; states should take action: Finance minister

Finance minister Arun Jaitley

The author has posted comments on this articlePTI | Jul 4, 2014, 12.41PM IST

NEW DELHI: Blaming hoarders for the rise in food inflation, finance minister Arun Jaitley on Friday said there is "no panic situation" and asked the states to take measures to crack down on hoarding and black-marketeering to rein in prices.

"When production of food items is higher than last year and still prices rise, then it means that intermediaries are keeping the stock somewhere," Jaitley said at a conference on food inflation.

He said the test of the good governance is how to de-hoard the stock kept by intermediaries into the market to rein in prices. "This is the biggest challenge."

READ ALSO: Arun Jaitley vows action on inflation, warns hoarders

Stating that prices of some food items increase every year during the July-December period due to hoarding, Jaitley said: "There are reports of below normal monsoon this year. Hoarders are taking advantage of the situation."

"Prices of some items had touched Rs 70-100 per kg last year. Prices are still lower this year. There is no panic situation," he said.

The minister asked the state governments to assess the problem as action taken after price rise creates panic in the market.

Noting that prices of crude oil have increased due to tension in Iraq, Jaitley said there are, however, indications of softening of prices.

He was addressing the conference of state food and consumer affairs ministers to discuss measures to check food inflation. The meeting was also attended by food minister Ram Vilas Paswan and agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh.

Jaitley also mentioned that prices of onion, potato, rice, pulses and milk have increased because of different reasons.

READ ALSO: Food inflation worries far from over

Inflation rose to five-month high to 6.01 per cent in May due to rise in prices of essential items like vegetables, fruits and cereals.

In order to check prices during the coming festival season, Jaitley urged the states to assess the supply-demand situation and take effective measures in advance to boost supply.

He also asked the state governments to set an example of good governance as there is no reason for price rise when production is at a record level and supplies are adequate.

READ ALSO: Food inflation: Of onion tears and potato fears

Emphasising on the need for coordinated efforts to control prices, Jaitley said both the Centre and states should prepare a joint-action plan in this regard.

The finance minister highlighted measures taken by the Centre in the last few weeks including additional allocation of 5 million tonnes of rice for poor and imposition of minimum export price on onion and potato.

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PM hints at increased private sector role in railways

KATRA: Ahead of the rail budget, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday hinted at an increased role of the private sector in development of railways.

"We want the railway stations to have better facilities than airports. This is our dream and it is not a difficult thing to do and this is economically viable too. I have discussed it in detail with my Railway friends. You will see a change in near future.

"In that, private parties would also be ready to invest because this is a good project economically and will benefit everyone. This would be a win-win situation project and we want to move ahead in this direction in the coming days," he said.

READ ALSO: Modi flags off Katra-Udhampur train, calls it 'gift for the nation'

The Prime Minister was addressing a gathering at the inauguration of the Katra rail line project in Jammu.

Modi said the railway stations in metros and important cities such as Jammu would be priority for the government with regard to development of railway stations.

He said the railway ministry has been given a detailed outline of the project.

Railways minister Sadananda Gowda will present his maiden Rail Budget on July 8 in Parliament. The Government has already hiked the fares for passenger travel and freight transportation.

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Ashok Chavan put in charge of election strategy for Marathwada region in Maharashtra

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Congress on Friday gave the former chief minister Ashok Chavan the responsibility of drawing up assembly elections strategy for Marathwada region.

Chavan, now the Lok Sabha MP from Nanded, will be assisted by ministers Madhukar Chavan, Rajendra Darda, Amit Deshmukh, Abdul Sattar and D P Sawant, all of whom hail from Marathwada, party sources said. Chavan had to quit as the chief minister after getting embroiled in Adarsh Society scam in 2010. Hingoli MP Rajiv Satav and Rajya Sabha member Rajni Patil will also be part of the group headed by Chavan.

The region has 46 assembly constituencies out of which Congress had won 18 in 2009.The region sends eight MPs to the Lok Sabha. In this year's elections, Congress was washed out in the entire state, barring Nanded and Hingoli constituencies in Marathwada.Party sources said Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, state Congress chief Manikrao Thakare and Congress general secretary Mohan Prakash held discussions with leaders from the region about pending local issues such as demand for inclusion of some castes in the reservation category, funds for upgradation of places of worship, road repairs, farmers' issues, etc.

On Thursday, the state Congress started region-wise preparations for assembly elections by identifying the senior leaders who would oversee the campaign in western Maharashtra."

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CRPF jawan commits suicide in Shopian district of J&K

SRINAGAR: A CRPF jawan allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself inside his camp in Shopian district of Kashmir, police said on Friday.

Constable Surender Kumar of 14 Battalion of CRPF shot himself with his service rifle on Thursday night inside the camp at Imam Sahib in Shopian town, the police said.

Police are trying to ascertain why the CRPF jawan took such an extreme step.

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Court defers hearing in Muzaffarnagar riots case till July 16

MUZAFFARNAGAR: A local court has recorded the statement of a witness and deferred till July 16 the hearing in the Kawal killing case here.

The complainant Arvind Kumar, deposed in court last evening and said that his son Gaurav and nephew Sachin were beaten to death allegedly by the accused.

Additional district and sessions judge Jitendra Kumar has deferred the hearing and fixed July 16 for cross examination of Arvind in the case.

According to the prosecution, the two youths were beaten to death by the five accused Mujassim, Muzammi, Nadeem, Furkan and Jajangir in Kawal village in the district on August 27, 2013.

The family of Gaurav had lodged an FIR against seven persons following which the Special Investigation Team (SIT) had filed a charge sheet against the five accused on November 27.

Tension had prevailed in Kawal village after three persons were killed over an eve-teasing incident, making it the epicentre of the riots in Muzaffarnagar and adjoining areas that claimed over 60 lives and left more than 40,000 homeless.

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Senator McCain meets PM, conveys desire to expand India-US strategic partnership

NEW DELHI: India and the US on Thursday expressed a desire to revitalize their relationship and expand their strategic partnership.

US Senator John McCain met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and conveyed the keen desire in the US to work with him to revitalize the India-US strategic partnership, an official release said here.

He also conveyed the expectations in the US about a new momentum in India's economic growth and all-round progress under the new government and wished the prime minister success in this endeavour.

Modi said he desired to further deepen and expand the strategic partnership, based on shared values of India and the US and interests, sensitivity to each other's concerns and tangible progress across the full spectrum of bilateral relations.

He observed that success of democratic countries and their cooperation will advance peace, stability and prosperity in the world and hoped for a forward looking, result-oriented visit to the US in September 2014 to take the relationship to a new level.

The two sides also discussed the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Prime Minister expressed concern over the increased threat of terrorism across the world and reiterated that the fight against terror should be a global priority for humanitarian forces.

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Somali lawmaker assassinated, al-Qaida-linked group claims responsibility

MOGADISHU: Somalia's al-Qaida-linked Shebab claimed responsibility for shooting dead a lawmaker and wounding another on Thursday, the latest in a surge of attacks in Mogadishu during Islam's holy month of Ramzan.

"This was a targeted assassination. We also wounded another MP and two body guards," Shebab spokesman Abdulaziz Abu Musab said.

Witness said MP Ahmed Mohamud Hayd, a former minister and a senior army commander, was killed in the capital's port district, one of the most heavily policed areas in the heart of the city.

Gunmen in a car opened fire on the lawmakers as they left a hotel, spraying bullets at the small group of people.

"We will continue to hunt other MPs if they do not leave the apostate organisation," Abu Musab added.

The Shebab have vowed to intensify attacks during Ramadan. "They were going to attend a parliament session when they have come under attack, one of the lawmakers was confirmed dead," fellow MP Abdi Bare Yusuf told reporters after the attack.

Shebab fighters fled fixed positions in Mogadishu three years ago and have since lost most large towns to a 22,000-strong UN-backed African Union force, fighting alongside government soldiers.

But they still hold sway in vast swathes of the rural hinterland from which they regularly launch guerrilla raids.

Recent Shebab attacks in Somalia have targeted key areas of government, or the security forces, in an apparent bid to discredit claims by the authorities and AU troops that they are winning the war.

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Japan to issue multiple entry short-term stay visa to Indians

NEW DELHI: Starting today, Japan will issue multiple entry visas for short-term stay to Indians.

This was announced by the Japanese embassy here today. The decision was taken following the announcement by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe when he visited here this January that his ''government would introduce multiple entry visas based on the recognition that enhancement of people to people exchanges is important to further broaden relations between Japan and India," the embassy said.

The multiple entry visa will be issued not only at the Japanese diplomatic missions in India but also at all the Japanese embassies and consulate generals overseas in light of a large number of Indian nationals living outside India, it said in a release.

It is expected that this will help increase the number of Indian tourists to Japan and improve convenience in business activities, thus further developing bilateral exchanges between the two countries.

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West Bengal BJP submits memorandum to women's panel on Tapas Pal

KOLKATA: The BJP on Thursday submitted a memorandum to the West Bengal Women's Commission seeking its intervention for the arrest of actor-turned-MP Tapas Pal who was in the centre of a controversy for his discourteous and offensive statements on women.

Party spokesman Ritesh Tiwari told PTI that a delegation had met the Commission chairperson Sunanda Mukherjee and submitted the memorandum.

He alleged that a number of FIRs had been filed against Pal, but the state government was not taking steps for his arrest.

Tiwari said that commission had been urged to intervene and ask the state government to order his arrest.

Earlier, state BJP president Rahul Sinha had said that the party would approach Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and apprise her about the MP's conduct in the coming Parliament session.

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Delhi Metro to install three more solar power plants

NEW DELHI: Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is going to install three more roof-top solar power plants in its premises, as a continuation of its policy to encourage eco-friendly work practices and technologies.

These three plants, with a joint power generation capacity of 250 KWP (kilowatts peak), will come up at the Anand Vihar ISBT and Pragati Maidan Metro stations along with DMRC's residential complex at Pushp Vihar.

The individual production capacity of these plants will be 115 kwp at Anand Vihar ISBT, Pragati Maidan 85 KWP and Metro Enclave, Saket with 50 KWP.

The Power Purchase Agreement for installation of these plants was signed today between DMRC and Noida-based private developer Jakson Engineers Ltd and approved by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) in the presence of DMRC's Managing Director Mangu Singh and other senior officials.

The plants are expected to start production within next six months.

Like DMRC's first solar power plant at Dwarka Sector 21, these plants will also come up as per the RESCO model.

Under this model, DMRC will pay for the units generated by the plants and the capital investment shall be provided by the developer, Anuj Dayal, DMRC executive director (Corporate Communications), said.

The power generated by these plants will be used for DMRC's operational requirements, which include station lighting and other loads.

"DMRC will continue to explore the possibility of installing more such plants at its stations, depots, parking lots as well as residential complexes. Efforts are also being made to integrate such solar plants with the station structures of Phase 3," Dayal said.

Delhi Metro has already taken up a slew of measures oriented towards the conservation of environment and the use of renewable means of energy.

All the stations to be constructed as part of Delhi Metro's Phase 3 are being designed as 'green buildings'.

In 2011, DMRC was certified by the United Nations (UN) as the first Metro Rail and Rail based system in the world to get Carbon Credits for reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions as it has helped to reduce pollution levels in the city by 6.3 lakh tons every year, thus, helping in reducing global warming.

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Afghanistan hails India for easing visa policy

NEW DELHI: Afghanistan has welcomed the easing of visa regime by India for Afghan travellers and thanked the NarendraModi government for acting upon its repeated requests to further facilitate people-to-people contacts between the two countries under the key provisions of the Strategic Partnership Agreement signed in 2011.

"We are delighted by the announcement of a liberal visa policy for Afghans as a direct result of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's firm commitment to further deepening the ancient and strategic ties between Afghanistan and India," Afghan ambassador here Shaida M Abdali said.

In a relief to hundreds of visiting Afghans, India has announced a new liberal visa policy on Monday for the citizens of the war-ravaged country that include allowing up to two years stay and exemption from reporting to police by the senior citizens and children.

The new visa policy for Afghanistan nationals was being introduced on humanitarian grounds for two years.

In addition to thousands of Afghans residing in India, there are more than 10,000 Afghan students studying across India, while hundreds of Afghans daily visit India for business and medical tourism and the new visa policy will facilitate their travel to and stay in India, a release from the Afghanistan embassy said here.

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Malaysia to return envoy wanted in sex case to New Zealand

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will send a diplomat back to New Zealand to face an attempted rape charge, the foreign ministry said Wednesday, as a diplomatic storm erupted over the case.

Muhammad Rizalman Ismail, a former defence staff assistant at Malaysia's high commission (embassy) in Wellington, escaped prosecution on attempted rape and burglary charges and returned to Malaysia in May after his country invoked diplomatic immunity.

But in an about-turn the foreign ministry said Muhammad Rizalman would be sent back "to assist in the investigation for the charges of burglary and assault with intent to commit rape".

"The Malaysian Government is of the view that this decision will provide an opportunity for Mr. Muhammad Rizalman to cooperate fully and assist the New Zealand authorities in the on-going investigations on the allegations made against him," it said in a statement.

It said Malaysia would provide legal assistance to Muhammad Rizalman, who "is considered innocent until proven guilty".

The ministry said foreign minister Anifah Aman had conveyed the decision to his New Zealand counterpart Murray McCully, saying the decision was a "clear testament of the excellent bilateral relations".

The case has caused uproar in New Zealand, with the government facing criticism for failing to ensure the diplomat stood trial. The Malaysian government has also been accused of wrongly protecting Muhammad Rizalman.

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Police fire shots to stop Buddhist mob in Myanmar

YANGON (Myanmar): Police fired warning shots to stop a Buddhist mob that damaged a mosque and tried to set fire to several Muslim-owned shops in Myanmar's second-largest city, authorities said on Wednesday.

At least four people were injured Tuesday evening in Mandalay, mostly from stones thrown by the mob or from rubber bullets fired by police, said Khin Maung Oo, secretary of the city's Myanmar Muslim Youth Religious Convention Center.

Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist nation, has been grappling with sectarian violence since 2012 that has left up to 280 people dead and another 140,000 left homeless, most of them Muslims attacked by extremist Buddhists.

The violence in Mandalay, in central Myanmar, followed rumors that the Muslim owner of a teashop had raped a Buddhist woman, said Khin Maung Oo. Police did not immediately confirm or deny the alleged rape but said they were tipped off that the teashop might be attacked and told the owner to close early.

Authorities deployed hundreds of police after a crowd of more than 300 Buddhists marched to the teashop, singing the national anthem, according to Khin Maung Oo and several residents. Police fired rubber bullets to try to disperse the crowd, which scattered into groups that held cat-and-mouse chases with police for several hours.

Rioters threw stones at a mosque, causing minor damage to its exterior and front doors, and others ransacked a few Muslim-owned shops, said Khin Maung Oo. Several cars were set on fire or had windows shattered by stones and bricks.

Myanmar emerged from a half-century of military rule in 2011, but its transition to democracy has been marred by the sectarian violence.

Muslims account for about 4 percent of Myanmar's roughly 60 million people.

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P.K. Chandranandan, veteran communist leader dies in Kerala

ALAPPUZHA(KERALA): Veteran Communist Party of India (Marxist)leader P.K. Chandranandan died here Wednesday, his party said. He was 88.

He was suffering from age related illness. His last rites would be performed here Thursday.

Chandranandan had represented the Ambalpuzha assembly constituency during 1980-82. Besides, he was a member of the party's state committee.

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Goa SIT questions miner about bribe-accused Congressmen

PANAJI: (IANS) A mine lease operator who last week accused a former Congress chief minister, his son and an ex-health minister of accepting crores of rupees from him for lobbying and sanctioning permissions for his lease, on Wednesday deposed before a Goa Police Special Investigation Team.

Bhalchandra Naik was issued summons late on Tuesday by deputy inspector general K K Vyas, who heads the state police's SIT which is probing the Rs.35,000-crore illegal mining scam.

"I received the summons, so I have come to report here (Crime Branch office near Panaji). I have said the same thing which I said during my press conference last week. I stand by my charges," Naik said.

June 28, Naik stunned journalists when during a press conference at the Congress state headquarters he claimed he paid Rs 6 crore to then health minister Vishwajit Rane and some more money to then chief minister Pratapsingh Rane some years back to lobby with the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government to clear a mining lease for operation.

Current state Congress president John Fernandes was present when the accusations were levelled.

"I have myself paid Rs.6 crore to Vishwajeet Rane to get the mining lease permissions cleared by the central government," Naik said.

The Ranes rubbished the allegations.

"I do not know who he is. There is absolutely no truth in these allegations. These charges are baseless. I am filing a defamation case against him," said Vishwajeet.

Senior Rane told IANS he barely knew Naik. "I will not react to just about anything which is said by a mad person," Rane said.

Once Naik's revelations hit the public domain last week, chief minister Manohar Parrikar promised to probe the allegations provided the mining lease operator was willing to give a statement to the SIT, appointed to probe the scam.

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Not surprised by petrol/diesel prices hike: Nitish Kumar

PATNA: Senior JD(U) leader and former Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar today said he was not surprised at rise in prices of petrol and diesel besides, soaring rates of food items under Narendra Modi government which could not deliver on tall promises made so far.

"I am not surprised. The rise in petrol and diesel prices along with soaring food prices have come as surprise to those who harboured expectations from the new government which had made tall promises of 'Achhe din' (good days) on election eve," Kumar told reporters emerging from the legislative council.

Asked if the pet slogan of Narendra Modi "Achhe din" (good days) have come true or was it like "India Shinning" of previous NDA government, Kumar with a caustic smile said opposition was giving some more time to the new government before taking the government to task for its failures.

Kumar's terse remarks came as reaction to hike of petrol price by a steep Rs 1.69 per litre and diesel by 50 paise a litre.

Kumar, who had served as Railway minister in the NDA rule of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had earlier taken on the new government over rise of railway passenger fare by 14.2 per cent as well that in freight by 6.7 per cent and said the results did not correspond with Modi government's promise of "Achhe din" (good days).

Senior RJD leader and former chief minister Rabri Devi was also critical of the government for raising prices of petrol and diesel and said now 'Achhe din' (good days) are coming under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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Two elephants crushed to death by speeding train in Jalpaiguri

JALPAIGURI: Two male elephants were crushed to death by a speeding train at a level crossing in Alipurduar in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district on Tuesday.

The incident happened when the two wild elephants from nearby forest were crossing the track near the Madha tea garden between Hashimara and Hemiltongonj, deputy field director of Baksa (West) forest range Apurba Sen said.

The seriously injured animals succumbed to their injuries, he said.

The pachyderms were hit by a Guwahati-bound train from New Delhi carrying army personnel.

The Siliguri-Alipurduar section was blocked following the incident and long distance trains were diverted through another route, railway officials said.

The driver, assistant driver and gateman of the level crossing were being questioned, they said.

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Two teenage brothers fall from moving train in Maharashtra, one dead

NAVI MUMBAI: In a fatal mishap on the harbour line, two teenage brothers travelling in a Panvel-CST bound train while standing at the footboard lost balance and fell off the moving train between Kharghar and CBD.

While one youth died on the spot, his sibling sustained grievous head injury and is been treated at MGM hospital in CBD-Belapur. The incident took place on Monday at around 11.30am.

The deceased youth has been identified as Matin Abdul Kadir Kazi (18), who was declared dead before admission to the hospital, while his injured brother is Mutalik Abdul Kadir Kazi (21), who has sustained multiple blood lacerated wound to the head.

He has been admitted to the ICU and has been sent for a CT scan, informed the staff at the MGM hospital's casualty department. They are residents of Kharghar.

Panvel GRP constable Rajaram said, "The elder brother was pursuing training at a Shipping company in CBD-Belapur and his younger brother had accompanied him. They had boarded the local train at Kharghar to reach CBD station. However, when the train reached near Belpada, one of the brothers lost balance and fell off the train but the other brother in order to save him went to catch hold of his hand but he too lost balance and both brothers fell on the tracks. One was killed and the other sustained grievous head injuries. The injured brother is conscious and out if danger. He has been taken for a CT scan to diagnose whether he had sustained internal bleeding."

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Rangarajan panel submits report on poverty to Planning Commission

NEW DELHI: Former PMEAC chief C Rangarajan has submitted the report on Tendulkar Committee methodology for estimating poverty to planning minister Rao Inderjit Singh.

"I met minister of state for planning rao Inderjit Singh yesterday in Delhi and submitted the report on poverty," Rangarajan told PTI.

The Planning Commission in May 2012 had constituted the expert group under the then Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council chairman C Rangarajan to review the Tendulkar Committee methodology for estimating poverty, following an uproar over the number of poor in the country.

The report of the expert group is expected to clear the ambiguity over the number of poor in the country.

Asked about the suggestions or recommendations of panel, he replied, "It is not proper for me to tell you. Now government has to take a view on the report."

The expert group was to submit its report in 7-9 months of its creation. But it got several extensions with the last one extended to June 30.

The Planning Commission's estimates had drawn flak in September, 2011 when in an affidavit to the Supreme Court it was stated that households with per capita consumption of more than Rs 32 in urban areas and Rs 26 in rural will not be treated as poor.

Announcing the setting up of Rangarajan panel, the then Planning Minister Ashwani Kumar had stressed on the need for revisiting the methodology.

According to the Commission's estimates based on Tendulkar methodology, released in July last year, the poverty ratio in the country declined to 21.9 per cent in 2011-12 from 37.2 per cent in 2004-05 on account of increase in per capita consumption.

In 2011-12, the national poverty line by using the said methodology was estimated at Rs 816 per capita per month in villages and Rs 1,000 per capita per month in cities.

This meant that those persons whose consumption of goods and services exceed Rs 33.33 in cities and Rs 27.20 per capita per day in villages were not classified as poor.

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Bomb hidden in truck kills at least 15 in embattled Nigerian city

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria: A truck exploded in a huge fireball killing at least 15 people on Tuesday in the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri, the latest attack in the area repeatedly hit by Boko Haram Islamists.

The bomb rocked Maiduguri's busiest roundabout near the popular Monday Market during morning rush hour and its force scattered body parts on the rooftops of surrounding shops, according to witnesses.

Elderly women who line the road selling peanuts and kola nuts to commuters were among the victims, as were children who beg at the roundabout each day.

The defence ministry said in a tweet that an "improvised explosive device" went off in "a van loaded with charcoal" and that the area had been cordoned off.

"It was a gory sight when we got there," said Karuna Kolo, who lives near the market and arrived at the scene shortly after the blast. "Many people were in flames."

Unruly crowds tried to attack firefighters deployed to the scene, accusing them of arriving too slowly and hindering their efforts to put out the raging blaze, according to multiple witness accounts.

Victims were taken to the State Specialist Hospital, where an AFP photographer saw the bodies of 15 people killed in the blast, while witnesses said the toll could be much higher.

According to Aliyu Aliyu, who identified himself as a member of a vigilante force working with the military to help fight Boko Haram, the explosion was so powerful it sent body parts flying onto the roofs of adjacent market stalls.

Some victims were discovered "without heads and limbs". While there was no immediate claim of responsibility, blame was likely to fall on Boko Haram, which was founded in Maiduguri more than a decade ago and has killed thousands during a five-year uprising.

Attacks in the city were once a daily occurence but a huge military offensive launched last year and backed by the vigilantes had some success in flushing the insurgents out of the city into the remote corners of Borno state, of which Maiduguri is the capital.

But those gains appear to have been lost following a series of attacks in the city this year targeting civilians and the security services.

A bomb ripped through a crowded market in January. In March, hundreds of Islamists stormed the military's Giwa Barracks in Maiduguri, a notorious army prison, and set free scores of their brothers in arms.

The insurgents' kidnap of more than 200 schoolgirls in April from the remote town of Chibok in Borno provoked international outrage and drew unprecedented global attention to the Islamist uprising.

Tuesday's attack came less than 24 hours after Nigeria's military said it had broken up a Boko Haram intelligence cell and arrested its leader, alleged to have taken part in the abduction of the schoolgirls.

A defence headquarters statement said that troops had found the cell headed by a businessman "who participated actively in the abduction".

Of the 276 girls seized, 57 have escaped while 219 are still missing. The businessman, identified as Babuji Ya'ari, who was also a member of a civilian youth group that worked along with the military, popularly known as Civilian JTF (Joint Task Force), allegedly used his position as a cover to work for the militants, it said.

There was no independent confirmation of the claim. Boko Haram Islamists are blamed for killing thousands since 2009, but the first half of this year has been the bloodiest stretch of the insurgency, with more than 2,000 people killed.

An attack on churches on Sunday near Chibok blamed on Boko Haram gunmen killed 54 people, an official has said.

They hurled explosives into churches, torched buildings and fired on worshippers as they tried to flee, residents said.

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Singapore foreign minister arrives today to engage with Modi govt

NEW DELHI: Singapore foreign minister K Shanmugam, who arrives here on Monday, will be the first leader from the Asian power to establish contact with the Modi government. He joins a power-packed group, including French foreign minister Laurent Fabius and US Republican leader John McCain, to establish contact with the new Indian government.

Singapore emerged as the top source for FDI into India in 2013, investing $5.98 billion here, which totals about 25 per cent of India's total FDI. But there is much more to the Singapore relationship. Among other things, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had built a special personal relationship with former PM Goh Chok Tong. Officials said Singapore was interested in sharing "niche expertise" with India, such as "public sector governance, urban planning, infrastructure development, education and skills development, etc." A Singapore official said, "We expect to reaffirm our longstanding and warm relations with India as well as explore how both countries can elevate our relations to a higher level."

Shanmugam is expected to meet the PM in New Delhi, but plans to meet a broad spectrum of Indian leadership in Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai. He will hold talks with his counterpart Sushma Swaraj, telecom minister Ravishankar Prasad, finance and defence minister Arun Jaitley and national security adviser Ajit Doval. In Hyderabad, Shanmugam is scheduled to meet Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Telangana Chief Minister KC Rao. Andhra Pradesh is probably the only Indian state to have had an outreach office in Singapore. In Chennai, he will meet Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, along with top business leaders.

As close partners in Asean, India and Singapore enjoy a particularly high level of mutual confidence. The bilateral relationship has expanded from an economic one to strategic. Singapore went through a bit of a wrinkle with India in the last few years, particularly after an Indian government report described it as a "tax haven", which elicited a high-level protest from the Singapore PM himself.

India will be looking for greater economic interaction and one of the conversations on the table would be on the fate of the RCEP. India is scheduled to become the Asean-FTA partner facilitator by holding the next round of negotiations in India in December. Singapore held the fifth round of talks past week and the broad hope is to have it signed and sealed by 2015. "Through RCEP, India will join a dynamic economic community that comprises nearly 45% of the world's population with a combined GDP of $21.4 trillion," said an official.

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08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man shot dead in Thailand mosque attack: Police

BANGKOK: Gunmen opened fire at a mosque in insurgency-hit southern Thailand Monday, killing one man and injuring another a day after Muslims began observing the holy month of Ramzan, police said.

The pre-dawn attack by suspected militants in Pattani province appeared to target a Muslim deputy village chief but instead fatally wounded a 66-year-old man after morning prayers, said Police Lieutenant Colonel Somchai Janyoung.

"The man died at hospital after suffering two gunshot wounds at the mosque, he was the father of the imam (mosque's leader). The deputy village chief escaped with minor injuries to his leg," Somchai said.

He could not clarify exactly how many gunmen were at the scene. Thailand's three Muslim-majority southernmost provinces are in the grip of a decade-long insurgency which has seen more than 6,000 people killed — the majority of them civilians.

The rebels are fighting for a level of autonomy, accusing Thai authorities of riding roughshod over their distinct culture and carrying out human rights abuses.

These grievances are frequently seized upon by militants as a reason for targeted killings of Buddhist and Muslim representatives of the Thai state, including teachers, government officials and security forces.

The fasting month of Ramzan is sacred for the world's estimated 1.6 billion Muslims because it is during that month that tradition says the Koran was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed.

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India, China release first encyclopedia of cultural contacts

BEIJING: India and China on Monday released the first encyclopedia on their age-old cultural contacts, tracing back their history to over 2,000 years, starting from the visit of Chinese scholar Huen Tsang to India in the 7th century to bring Buddhist scriptures to China.

The two volumes of the encyclopedia jointly compiled by scholars of India and China was released by Vice President M H Ansari and his Chinese counterpart Li Yuanchao during their bilateral meeting.

Ansari is on a five-day visit to China which ends today. The idea of encyclopedia of India-China Cultural Contacts, which also covers the trade and diplomatic ties, was mooted during the visit of former Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao to India in December 2010.

The book traces back the centuries old civilisation links that started with the visit of Huen Tsang to India in the 7th century to bring Buddhist scriptures to China.

India-China relations have expanded significantly in both scope and intensity over the past decade, according to an official statement.

Both sides have attached great importance to cooperation on a wide range of issues with people-to-people exchanges forming an important aspect of our bilateral relations.

The two sides recognize the importance of expanding such contacts, thereby contributing towards enhanced mutual understanding.

With this shared understanding, during the visit of Wen to India in 2010, the leaders of India and China agreed on a project involving compilation of an encyclopedia of India-China cultural contacts, it said.

The work of compilation of the encyclopedia was undertaken by a joint compilation committee comprising of officials and scholars from both India and China.

The encyclopedia was released in both English and Chinese versions. It features over 700 entries, encapsulating the rich history of contacts and exchanges between the two countries in the trade, economic, literary, cultural and philosophical spheres.

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08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

China to reopen embassy in Somalia closed in 1991

BEIJING: China is reopening its embassy in Somalia some 23 years after evacuating its diplomats as the East African nation plunged into civil war.

Foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on Monday the decision came after Somalia established its first government and parliament in 21 years. He said Beijing would send a delegation to Somalia on Tuesday.

Hong told reporters: "Somalia has entered a new stage of its peace process," which "brings a new opportunity for the development of China-Somalia relations."

Chinese diplomats left Somalia in January 1991 after a longtime dictator was overthrown and warlords turned on each other, plunging the country into chaos.

The United States announced in June it would appoint an ambassador to Somalia but said it had no immediate plans to reopen its embassy.

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BJP workers protest against SP govt in Lucknow, clash with police

LUCKNOW: Activists of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, youth wing of BJP, clashed with police on Monday during their protest over law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh.

The protesters gathered in front of state assembly while it was in session and tried to march towards the assembly building, forcing cops to lathicharge and use tear gas shells.

The BJYM workers attempted to gherao the state assembly this afternoon, BJP spokesman Manish Shukla said.

Shukla said nearly 50 BJYM activists were injured in the police lathicharge.

Another BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak alleged that police acted in a "barbaric" manner against BJYM activists protesting as a part of series of agitations by BJP.

He said BJP had been continuously protesting peacefully inside and outside the Vidhan Sabha to attract the attention of the government.

If the government will not act on resolving the problems of the people, opposition would protest, he said.

BJP MLAs, meanwhile, raised the issue in the assembly and condemned police action.

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Error in piloting led to C-130J Hercules crash: IAF sources

NEW DELHI:Error in piloting is understood to have been found as the reason behind the crash of Air Force's C-130J Super Hercules aircraft in March in which five service personnel, including four officers, were killed near Gwalior.

The court of inquiry is almost complete and error in piloting is believed to have been the reason behind the crash, highly placed IAF sources said.

The aircraft, worth over Rs 900 crore, had crashed while practicing a tactical operation along with another C-130J Super Hercules aircraft after taking off from Agra on March 28.

All the crew on board - four officers and one Warrant Officer - lost their lives in the mishap.

The IAF court of inquiry under an officer of the rank of Air commodore (equivalent to a Brigadier in Army) is in the final stages and the report will be soon submitted to the defence ministry, IAF spokesperson Group Captain Gerard Galway said.

India recently inducted six C-130J Super Hercules aircraft which were bought from the US at a cost of around Rs 6,000 crore ($1 billion) four years ago.

The inquiry was held back for some time in the early stages as the black box of the aircraft had suffered damage and had to be sent to the original equipment manufacturer Lockheed Martin Corporation's facility in the US.

The home base of the 77 squadron 'Veiled Vipers' operating the ill-fated aircraft is Hindan in Ghaziabad near here.

The aircraft were recently landed at Ladakh's Daulat Beg Oldie air field near the Sino-India border and have helped in boosting IAF's capability to airlift troops closer to the border in times of emergency.

IAF has also placed orders for another six such aircraft, which are planned to be deployed in Panagarh, West Bengal, near the headquarters of Indian Army's 17 Strike Corp being raised to counter the threat along the border with China.

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08.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Prime Minister Modi lands in Chennai en route to Sriharikota

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08.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

35 injured as roof of factory collapses in UP's Barabanki

BARABANKI: At least 35 workers were trapped and injured when shuttering of a roof under construction of a factory collapsed in Kursi road area here.

The incident occurred last night when the shuttering of the roof of Shri Sai Food Production Company collapsed, trapping 35 workers under the debris, police said today.

33 workers were rescued from the debris with the help of heavy machines an were taken to a nearby hospital, where condition of 20 workers was stated to be serious.

Rescue operation was on to pull out two more workers feared trapped underneath the debris.

District Magistrate Yogeshwar Ram said that it was still to be ascertained what led to the incident.

He said that sub-divisional magistrate, Fatehpur, has been sent to the spot.

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India must firewall all strategic establishments: Arun Shourie

KOLKATA: Stressing that India is lagging behind in defending itself in cyber warfare, senior BJP leader and former union minister Arun Shourie on Sunday said India must firewall all its strategic establishments.

"The sad part is that the government's initiative to firewall important establishments is still lingering where it was ten years ago," Shourie said at a programme here.

He said Chinese hackers had intruded upon the personal computer of the Dalai Lama and there have been cyberattacks targeted upon the US and European countries besides India.

"Their confidence was shaken. But in India it didn't even create a ripple," Shourie said.

He said that with the click of a button our enemies can paralyze our important and strategic establishments or even the country.

"Besides foreign countries, we also need to be on our guard against terrorist organizations who are known to be highly proficient in technology," Shourie said, adding that China has been very explicit and has listed out 15-20 points where they want to strike and paralyze and disorient another country.

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Modi lands in Chennai en route to Sriharikota, Jayalalithaa meets him

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu governor K Rosaiah, chief minister J Jayalalithaa and others met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Chennai airport on Sunday.

Modi landed in Chennai while he was going to Sriharikota to witness the launch of Isro's PSLV C-23 rocket on Monday.

This is Modi's first trip to south India after he assumed charge as Prime Minister. Modi's special aircraft had been delayed for 40 minutes due to bad weather.

Official sources said the brief meeting between Modi and Jayalalithaa at the airport lounge was very cordial.

Leaders of BJP's alliance partners in Tamil Nadu Vaiko (MDMK) and Anbumani Ramadoss (PMK) also met Modi at the airport. Vaiko met Modi for the first time after he boycotted Modi's swearing-in ceremony to express his protest against the participation of Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Later, Modi left for Sriharikota, about 100km from here, where he is set to witness the launch of Isro's PSLV C23 carrying five foreign satellites.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to reach the Chennai airport again on Monday morning when he returns to Delhi. Jayalalithaa is expected to see him off at the airport. She would leave for her constituency -- Sri Rangam - after seeing off the Prime Minister, sources said.

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08.21 | 0 komentar | Read More