Modi,Nitish Shiela to address rallies in Delhi

30 11 2013

The chief of various political parties  BSP, BJP, Congress,JDU,are in Delhi to lure voters to cast their votes on Dec 04 ,2013 for the seventy legislature assembly election,Delhi with cosmopolitan population with migrant population rising in large proportion,social media and mobile in action brings the poll to interesting end.
Urban poor to rich and super rich Delhi find its   politicians making various models to convince their suitability.Money,muscle,community, rumors,self style leaders with self praise walk the streets of Delhi to build their political base.
Congress which has been ruling this tiny state from last fifteen years has completely evaded and overlooked the interest of the common man. With rising cost of electricity,water,LPG,and public transport the common man loaded with government high cost amenities and open market of essential eatable rising cost every day,week has made the 1.30 Cr people express unhappiness thus making the Delhi assembly election an interesting feature of this year.
Election is other four states is considered a semifinal for ensuing General election next year.
Bjp the second biggest party of the nation is making its valiant effort to garner votes in their favors but mood of the people and the pulse is too vibrant, systematic the scams and scams would bring change or coalition government. Most of the political parties have become family entity and even one man show party is emerging fast, even the media picking from the nursery of activist seedling it to politician leveling is poor example of building a political party in this multicultural nation.
Activist with aggression in their blood has no space in political space which depends on debate  of ultimate order with ideas of all sorts and the best to be produced . Role of criticizing,harping on one point, self praise  without professional thinkers, absence of man of integrity,absence of experts and visionary people by handful activist may not bring desired political change.
Role of media hasbeen put to test as new media celebrities are born who are reading from the ideas shunted to them and pose to be the builders of new breed of leaders. Media intervention with enforcing ideas is dreaded disease and their clamor of being the hottest breed is actually bringing more desperation and stops the rightful leaders to emerge. A way the words are uttered by the leaders speaks volume about the personality and his class. Let’s us wait for righteous to take its shape.
Titbits of election continue;

 Bjp prime ministerial candidate, star campaigner Narendra Modi on Saturday mocked at PM Manmohan Singh and F M P Chidambaram over rising prices at an election rally in Delhi on Saturday. In  Delhi, Modi said that this time the elections are being fought by the people. and called elections as festivals of democracy, leader said that what can be better than the people themselves fighting the elections.

Raising the poll pitch in the national capital, BJPs PM nominee said that political parties must give answers to the people and tell the public what they did during their regime.

Coming down hard at the Congress, Modi said, Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh and Madhya Pradesh CM ShivrajSingh Chouhan went between the people and informed them about the work they did in their respective states. But Congress leaders of Delhi and Rajasthan are arrogant as they are not willing to answer the people.

Modi asked the gathering, Delhi has such big leaders of the Centre. Should they not meet you, address you and talk to you.

His attack continued on the Congress, Modi said that it has become a fashion for the grand old party to demand answers from Gujarat even if elections are in any other state.

Addressing a rally in Sardarpura, Jodhpur, Moid had said that the Finance Minister has attributed inflation to buying gold.

Strongly rebutting Modi’s remarks, Chidambaram has sent a letter to the Gujarat Chief Minister, details of which are:

After his lessons in history, Shri Narendra Modi has delivered his first lesson in economics. This is  reported by the Indian Express, he said at Jodhpur: The Finance Minister attributes inflation to buying gold. I am not as educated as him.but I know inflation is not because of buying gold but due to corruption. 

 

I recall having said on many occasions that buying gold which is almost entirely imported worsens the Current Account Deficit (CAD). I don’t recall saying that buying gold causes inflation. Anyway, all economists may take note of the new lesson. Media agencies

China to launch its first moon rover mission next week

China will launch its first ever mission to land an unmanned spacecraft on the lunar surface next week, as it moves forward in its ambitious plan to become the world's pre-eminent space power.

The Chang'e-3 moon rover will be launched at 1:30 a.m. on Monday from Xichang Satellite Launch Center, the mission's launching headquarters said on Saturday. China has already sent two moon missions which hovered around the lunar orbit. This will be the first time for China to send an unmanned spacecraft to soft land on the surface of an extraterrestrial body and conduct surveys on the moon. Facilities at the launching site are in good conditions and preparations for the launch are going well, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the space officials as saying. Chang'e-3 comprises a lander and a moon rover called "Yutu" (Jade Rabbit). The rover was named "Yutu" following an online poll seeking name proposals from the Chinese worldwide. In Chinese folklore, Yutu is the white pet rabbit of Chang'e, worshiped as the moon goddess in China for thousands of years. Tasks for Yutu include surveying the moon's geological structure and surface substances, while looking for natural resources. The Chang'e-3 mission is the second phase of China's lunar programme, which includes orbiting, landing and returning to Earth. China had launched its Chang'e-1orbiter in 2007 and Chang'e-2 in 2010. The first probe retrieved a great deal of scientific data and a complete map of the moon, while the second created a full high-resolution map of the moon and a high-definition image of Sinus Iridium, a lunar landmark. Chang'e-2 which was launched in 2010 orbited the moon to finish a more extensive probe than its predecessor Chang'e-1. After finishing its objectives in June, 2011, Chang'e-2 left its lunar orbit for an extended mission to the Earth-Sun L2 Lagrangian point, according to Chinese space officials. Besides continuing its lunar programme, China's space programme is focussing on building a permanent space station like Mir, the Russian space station being used by US. China has flown to manned missions to link up with an orbiting module to master the manual and automatic space docking technologies. China's deep-space exploration should go beyond the moon, and the country's scientists are actively preparing to implement plans to explore Mars, Venus and asteroids, said Ye Peijian, chief scientist of the Chang'e-3 programme. "Scientists are always prepared to conduct deep-space exploration and will do it after conditions permit," said Ye. India's Mars mission Mangalyan, which was launched this month, has evoked considerable interest in China as it enabled New Delhi to steal march over Beijing specially with a modest budget of USD 73 million.

Thai protesters capture army HQ

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Nearly 1,500 anti-government protesters in Bangkok have broken into the compound of the Royal Thai Army headquarters in their bid to topple the current government. The largely non-violent action could escalate, police say.
“We want to know which side the army stands on,” shouted one protester, according to Reuters.
The protesters gathered at the compound’s front gates, forcing them open and flooding the premises, as they  demanded for the head of the country’s armed forces  generals to choose whether they stand with the people or with the government of PM Yingluck Shinawatra. This took place while 100 soldiers stood guard.
Furthermore, the Bangkok police now fears that the situation could indeed escalate into a violent confrontation.
“We have received intelligence reports that there could be violence tonight and tomorrow… we are increasing security around key government and royal buildings.” They said in a statement.
Although Thailand’s military has been publicly supported by the ruling party, it has remained largely on the sidelines of the current conflict.
Army deputy spokesman and Colonel Winthai Suvaree has expressed the wish that “all sides… solve the problem with the country’s best interests in mind.”
Elsewhere in the capital, about a 1,000 people seeking to oust Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra gathered outside the headquarters of her ruling part, shouting for them step down. 

Kosovcevic: Violence does not solve any problem 

Serbian Film Director Kosovcevic: Violence does not solve any problem

Director of Serbian film ‘The Whirlpool’, Bojan Vuk Kosovcevic said that his film gives the message that through violence you will never get anything good. During a media interaction, ‘Meet the Director’ at the 44th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Panjim, Goa today, he said, Indian films are liked by Serbian people for their artistic appeal. He said that ‘The Whirlpool’, is set in the second half of the 1990s in Belgrade against the backdrop of disintegration of Yugoslavia and its socio-economic impact on Serbia. He said that social extremes were apparent everywhere in Serbia especially among the youth during the collapse of Serbia. He said that due to war, inflation, physical isolation and sanctions, Serbia was becoming a kind of closed society, which was most visible in Serbia’s capital, Belgrade. He said, his film ‘The Whirlpool’ is about this isolated environment, where the young begun to create their own worlds. It is seen from the perspectives of those youth who were becoming adults, and about their efforts to find themselves getting sucked into a chaotic whirlpool of violence. The debut feature film director said that though his country is rich in terms of infrastructure and marketing of films, still people are not going to theatres because of

Abdullah announces New Initiatives to bring Clean Cooking Technologies to Rural India during the India Clean Cookstove Forum 2013

With the vision of enhancing the use of improved cookstove technologies, envisaged under the National Biomass Cookstove Programme (NBCP), Dr Farooq Abdullah, Minister of New and Renewable Energy inaugurated the India Clean Cookstove Forum 2013 organised jointly by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH operating on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Speaking on the occasion, Dr Farooq Abdullah said “increased use of clean and efficient cookstoves is crucial to reduce the burden of disease from indoor air pollution as well to avoid the overuse of biomass resources. Efficient cooking technologies have a direct tangible impact on the livelihoods of the poor, as they save time and money that previously had to be spent on procuring cooking fuels.” During the Forum, the Minister launched a new initiative on biomass cookstoves developed under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the United Nations Frameworks Convention on Climate Change to reduce the cost of improved stove technologies to rural customers through the sale of carbon credits. He added that this is just one of several joint efforts to provide clean and reliable energy to rural areas and these initiatives have further endorsed the close relations and cooperation between India and Germany. Mr. Heiko Warnken, Head of the Development Cooperation, German Embassy highlighted the importance of cooperation between India and Germany on renewable energy attributing it to the relevance for both poverty alleviation and environmental sustainability, as well as the energy needs of the vast rural population for cooking and income-generating activities. He added that this is just one of several joint efforts to provide clean and reliable energy to rural areas and these initiatives have further endorsed the close relations and cooperation between India and Germany.

Thai protesters besiege govt buildings, call on PM to quit

Updated on : 26-11-2013 03:50 PM

A Thai court on Tuesday approved an arrest warrant for a top anti-government leader as thousands of demonstrators besieged government buildings demanding beleaguered Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's resignation.

"We sought an arrest warrant for Suthep (Thaugsuban) and the Criminal Court just approved it," said Colonel Sunthorn Kongklam of Bang Sue police station in the capital. "I ask him to surrender, otherwise police can arrest him on sight." Thousands of protesters continued their siege of government buildings which began yesterday as the Parliament discussed a no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister. Demonstrators surrounded the interior, agriculture, transport, and sports and tourism ministries, ordering officials inside to leave, a day after they broke into the finance and foreign ministries and cut off electric and water supply. Suthep, a former deputy Prime Minister and senior leader from the opposition Democrat party, vowed to "seize all ministries" after storming the finance ministry yesterday. The protests raised fears of fresh street violence since 2010 as thousands of demonstrators rallied against Prime Minister Yingluck and her brother Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup. The demonstrations, sparked by an amnesty bill that could have allowed the return of Thaksin from self-imposed exile, escalated troubles for Yingluck since she took office in 2011 with Thaksin support from the "Red Shirts", whose 2010 protests were crushed by the then Democrat-led government. Opposition Democrat Party leader and former premier Abhisit Vejjajiva attacked Prime Minister Yingluck denouncing her as the "centre of comprehensive corruption practises". During the first day of the censure debate against Yingluckand Interior Minister Charupong Ruangsuwan, Abhisit alleged corrupt practices centred on Yingluckat every step and added that she tolerated corruption from "mountaintop to overlapping sea territories with ulterior motives". Abhisit said the Yingluckgovernment may have won the majority in the House but it also had caused hardship. "The government has held the country and its people hostage on several occasions. The prime minister let individuals in the government commit corruption." The People's Army to Overthrow Thaksin's Regime announced that its protesters would stay overnight in front of the Interior Ministry. They could not enter the ministry's compound because riot-control policemen were deployed to guard the ministry.

India, Malaysia sign MoU to boost co-operation

Updated on : 25-11-2013 08:25 PM

India and Malaysia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday to strengthen co-operation in public administration and governance as part of the efforts to enhance their strategic partnership.

The MoU covers eight areas of co-operation including human resource management, e-governance, public delivery system, accountability and transparency, skills and capacity building and quality results. The MoU was signed by Malaysia's Public Service Department Director-General Mohamad Zabidi Zainal and the Secretary of India's Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances of Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Sanjay Kothari. Zabidi said the MoU was a strategic cooperation and collaboration to strengthen ties between the two countries. He added that apart from that it could also assist in socio-economic development through an efficient, accessible, transparent and accountable civil service. The MoU envisages cooperation via tours, workshops and conferences, sharing of public administration and governance information and expertise, common project implementation mechanisms and exchange of publications, state-run news agency Bernama said.

                                                                  

Corporate Games

Press Release: 22nd  November 2013

  Third Corporate Games 2013

Third  Edition of Corporate Games started  with a bang  today 22nd November at 9.00 am .

55 Corporates  are participating in third Edition of Corporate Games . Competions  in 12 sports disciplines, namely, Badminton, Billiards,  Squash, Tennis, Table Tennis, Chess, Cricket 8s, Golf(Men-Women), Soccer 6s,and Soccer.
Number of Navratnas like ONGC , ONGC VIDESH  & Mini Ratna PSUs like Hudco ,PDIL ,Railtel , Major Ports Sports Control Board -  Kandla port, Mumbai port , Chennai port ,Vishakhapatnam Port ,Kolkata Port ,  and many others .  Cairn India Limited ,HDFC Bank Ltd, HSBC Bank ,Times Group , Schneider Electric, Sap Labs, ITC Limited, Price Water House Coopers , L& T ,Punj LLyod and many others  are participating among private sectors.
30  eminent Golfers   including the likes of Mrs. Mangalam Punj ,Pooja Chopra ,and many more  teed off at 8:30 A.M ,on 22nd November . Manju Jakhar scored gold  ,Silver medal  was  won by Kiran Vaid and Shagun Agarwal won bronze medal.

Men golf started at 2.30 pm on 22nd November . Mr.Oscar Dung Dung from MPSCB  secured 1^st position seconded  by Capt Krishan Sharma from India Post and third position  scored by Sandeep Sharma . Rest of the games are started from  9.3o am.

Cricket Matches started  in 4 different Cricket Grounds. ONGC won two league matches and lost 1 to Major Port Sports Control Board. In the same group MPSCB won 2 matches securing the lead position for the day. At Saket Sports Complex Schneider Electrics  leading the group as they won all the 3 matches they played. Cairn Energy India Limited is at Second Position. At National Stadium IRCTC   is leading the group by winning 2 matches.

Soccer 11 Major Port Sports Control Board won BY 5 goals defeating Cairn India Limited.

Participants  look forward to fierce competition on the second day too .

 

Kind regards,

OP Bhatia | CEO India

E     opbhatia@corporate-games.net
M   +91 98 1053 0041
T     +91 11 2680 1253
W   www.corporate-games.net

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Leading political parties in Delhi “Switch on the Sun” for the first time in their election manifesto

New Delhi, November 26, 2013: Leading political parties Bharatiya Janta Party, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party have included the Greenpeace demands to implement a solar rooftop policy for Delhi in their manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections. Greenpeace had, earlier this year, released a roadmap to implement solar rooftop in Delhi. The report “Rooftop Revolution: Unleashing Delhi’s Solar Potential” showcasing the potential of solar energy in Delhi was submitted to the present government and other political parties (1). 

“It is reassuring to see all the leading political parties to have taken cognizance of the Greenpeace “Switch on the Sun” campaign and the importance of this untapped potential sitting on our rooftops. This is a major step towards decentralising our energy infrastructure. For the first time all the parties have given due importance to solar and have included our demands in their electoral manifesto. But we will be looking forward for implementable policies and on ground work next year to ensure that these visions and promises just don’t stay on papers. We hope the new government will ensure Delhi becomes the solar capital of India and a world class sustainable city and will help Delhi turn over a new leaf,”   said Anand Prabu, Campaigner, Greenpeace India

Greenpeace has also done the analysis of the manifestos released by these political parties on renewable energy and release a report card (2). Though it is noteworthy that all the leading political parties have emphasised on solar in their election manifesto for the first time, there is a clear lack of vision and mission and more of a vague promise in the Congress manifesto. Aam Aadmi Party has made good provisions for solar energy, but falters by providing a 2024 timeline for 20% solar energy showing a lack of long term vision. BJP on the other hand has shown ambition and a clear vision while announcing their intention to make Delhi the Solar Capital of India through generation of solar power on the roof tops of government and other buildings.

Press Conference Invitation

Criminal background, Financial, Gender and other details of candidates contesting for the Delhi Assembly Elections 2013

Delhi Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms cordially invites you for a Press Conference to release the analysis of Criminal background, Financial, Gender and other details of candidates contesting for Delhi Assembly elections 2013. We will also be releasing analysis of asset increase of re-contesting candidates. 

Date: 26th November, 2013

Time: 3 PM

Venue: Press Club of India

1, Raisina Road, New Delhi-110 001
 ​

​Regards,

Media & Journalist Helpline +91 80103 94248 adr@adrindia.org

Mr. Anurag Mittal National Coordinator National Election Watch, Association for Democratic Reforms +91 9811108914 anurag@adrIndia.org

Prof Trilochan Sastry IIM Bangalore Founder Member, National Election Watch, Association for Democratic Reforms +91 9448353285, trilochans@iimb.ernet.in

Prof Jagdeep Chhokar IIM Ahmedabad (Retd.) Founder Member National Election Watch, Association for Democratic Reforms +91 9999620944 jchhokar@gmail.com

--

Association for Democratic Reforms

“Kiwanis Centre”, 4th Floor,

B-35, Qutub Institutional Area

(Near Rockland Hospital)

New Delhi-110 016

INFLATION, CORRUPTION AND MISMANAGEMENT ARE CONGRESS’ ONLY GIFTS TO DELHI-MANJIT SINGH GK

·        Delhi people are encouraging us to ensure complete decimation of Congress party-Prof. Chandumajra, Brar

New Delhi, November 26

Manjit Singh GK, President Delhi State Shiromani Akali Dal today said that inflation, corruption and mismanagement were Congress party’s only gifts to the people of Delhi. He said that Delhi government in collusion with Congress led UPA government tried to mislead Delhi by draping these gifts in a wrap of fake development.

          Campaigning for Harmeet Singh Kalka SAD-BJP candidate from Kalakaji, Manjeet Singh GK said that even after 15 years of Congress rule on one hand Delhi was still facing lack of basic amenities like drinking water, power shortage, transportation and sanitation, and on other hand, people of Delhi were forced to pay very high prices for power and water supply. He said that Congress betrayed people after gaining their confidence repeatedly for three times but now people were eagerly waiting for December 4 to completely root out this anti people party. “Now the real face of Congress party is exposed to all. There is a strong wave against Congress not only in Delhi but in the entire nation. SAD-BJP alliance is all set to win Delhi polls with clear majority and once elected to power alliance will put full stop on all the anti people policies of Delhi government”, added GK.

          Earlier addressing a meeting for campaign planning, Prof. Prem Singh Chandumajra, party General Secretary and Spokesman and Charanjit Singh Brar, advisor to President Shiromani Akali Dal claimed that one could easily sense the victory of Harmeet Singh Kalka while wandering in the constituency. Prof. Chandumajra said that people of Delhi were well aware of misdeeds of Congress and they were encouraging us for complete decimation of Congress party. Adding to this, Charanjit Singh Brar said that Congress has already smelled its defeat and in frustration it has opted anti democratic tactics like creating bogus votes. He forewarned Congress party to give up its age old tactics as these gimmicks would fail to counter the wave blowing against the party.

          On this occasion, Harmeet Singh Kalka said that SAD-BJP alliance has strengthened the social ties. He said that it was love and affection of the people from the constituency that encouraged him to contest this election. He said that he was always committed for the well being of the area and on being elected as MLA would further provide him opportunities to increase the pace of development in the area.

HE Princes Belgian Economic Mission with FICCI delegates

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Dy PM and Foreign Minister of Belgium

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Belgium Economic Mission and PHD

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Volcanic alert for Mount Sinabung, on Sumatra,

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Indonesia has ordered the evacuation of 15,000 people from their homes near an active volcano as it pushed up the alert for emergency to the highest levels.

Officials on Sunday raised the volcanic alert for Mount Sinabung, on Sumatra, after it began throwing clouds of ash, gravel and gas as high as 5,000m, according to government volcanologists but no casualties have been reported so far.

“We have raised the status to ‘caution’, which is the highest of levels for volcanic activity because we anticipate
there will be more eruptions and because the intensity of eruptions has been increasing,” the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said in a written statement.

About 6,000 people have already been moved from the area, 88km from Medan, the capital of North Sumatra province, and were placed in 16 safe locations. Authorities narrowed the evacuation radius to 5km from 3km and the military geared up to move residents out.

Media agencies

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Honduras presidential vote

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The conservative ruling party Prez candidate has claimed victory in Honduras’ presidential election as an early vote count put him ahead, but his leftist rival also said she was the winner, setting the stage for a conflict.

Electoral authority late on Sunday said a partial count of votes gave National Party candidate, Juan Hernandez, 34 percent support while Xiomara Castro, wife of deposed former leader Manuel Zelaya, had 28.5 percent.

The preliminary tally was based on a count from 43 percent of polling booths. Final results are expected on Monday.

A Hernandez victory would deal a blow to Zelaya, who was ousted in a 2009 coup that plunged Honduras into a political crisis. He had hoped to stage a political comeback behind Castro.  Honduran Election Tribunal has consistently been called into question by Castro’s Libre Party.  The party has also warned of fraud and voter intimidation.

“All of these parties have been conducting their own polling for months and they are convinced that their polling is correct,” Al Jazeera’s Adam Raney, reporting from the capital Tegucigalpa, said. ”So, whatever this tribunal says, it’s going to be hard to convince the loser that this is an accurate count.”

Castro was campaigning to become the first female president of Honduras, the poorest country in the Americas after Haiti with an estimated 71 percent of the population living in poverty.”The people have decided, and the people want change,” she said after voting in Catacamas. “A new era has started for all Hondurans.

Media agencies

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EU to lift partly Iran sanctions in December

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Lots of  cheering supporters welcomed Iranian negotiators arrival home. 

Iran has agreed to curb some of its nuclear activities in return for about $7bn in sanctions relief.

Israel called the deal a “historic mistake”.

Carrying flowers and Iranian flags at Tehran’s Mehrabad airport, crowds hailed Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammed Javad Zarif, as an “ambassador of peace” and chanted, “No to war, sanctions, surrender and insult”.

Are you in Iran? What are your thoughts on the deal? What difference will the sanctions relief make to your life. Let us know.

US Secretary of State Kerry assured Israel will be safer over the next six months due to the agreement reached in Geneva concerning Iran’s nuclear program and uranium enrichment plan.

Though “Israel is threatened by what has been going on in Iran”,the deal brokered on Saturday will keep the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program under supervision and control, said John Kerry.

“But I believe that from this day – for the next six months – Israel is in fact safer than it was yesterday because we now have a mechanism by which we are going to expand the amount of time in which they (the Iranians) can break out (toward making a nuclear bomb),” he told CNN.

The remark comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had slammed the international deal over Iran’s nuclear program as a “historic mistake.” He said that after this agreement was reached, the world has become “a more dangerous place.”

In an attempt to reduce tension Kerry assured that from this day there will be “insights” into the program “that we didn’t have before.”

The much-anticipated agreement reached in Geneva gives Iran initial relief from sanctions in exchange for halting its enrichment of uranium to above 5 per cent for six months.

However Kerry stressed that “there’s very little sanctions relief here – that the basic architecture of the sanctions stays in place.”

The Obama administration pointed out that it has no illusions about the risks that the Islamic state might not follow through but the US entered the deal with eyes “absolutely wide open.”

The US and Iran secretly engaged in a series of high-level talks over the past year, according to an AP report. The negotiations were allegedly hidden even from America’s key ally in the region, Israel.

The talks were held in the Middle Eastern nation of Oman and were personally authorized by President Barack Obama, the report claims. It says that since March top US officials – Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and Jake Sullivan, Vice-President Joe Biden’s foreign policy adviser – have met at least five times with Iranian diplomats. The last four meetings were held after Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani was inaugurated in August and were very productive, three senior administration officials told AP on condition of anonymity.

EU will likely ease sanctions in place against Iran in December, said French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius. The announcement comes hot on the heels of a landmark deal over Tehran’s nuclear program that ended a decade of diplomatic deadlock.

The European Union will ease sanctions imposed on Tehran “in December,” the French foreign minister told radio Europe 1 on Monday. Fabius added that a meeting between EU foreign ministers had been scheduled for the coming weeks to discuss the lightening of the sanctions. 

Although Fabius did not specify which sanctions would be lifted, he said that the move would be“reversible.”

“We are doing the same as the American side,” said Fabius. The P5+1 reached a deal with Iran in the early hours of Sunday morning that will allow Tehran access to $4.2 billion in funds frozen as part of the financial penalties imposed on the country. 

The agreement will allow Tehran to continue enriching uranium, but only to 5 per cent, a far cry from the 90 per cent needed for the construction of an atomic bomb. Minister Fabius said that although the international community had agreed to let Iran continue enrichment, the deal does not acknowledge Tehran’s “right to enrichment.”

“Iran cannot do whatever it wants, there are specific limitations,” he said. After the deal was clinched the international community has diverged somewhat in its interpretation of what it means for Iran’s nuclear program. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi wrote on Twitter that the right to enrichment had been recognized in negotiations.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov intimated that Iran’s right to enrichment has been acknowledged. 

“This deal means that we agree with the need to recognize Iran’s right for peaceful nuclear energy, including the right for enrichment, Lavrov told Russian press following negotiations.

In contrast Washington said that while it accepted Tehran’s right to a “peaceful nuclear program,” its right to enrichment had not been acknowledged.

“The first step, let me be clear, does not say that Iran has a right to enrich uranium,” said Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday. 

The Geneva has, for the most part, been hailed as a success by the international community and a step towards the normalization of relations with Iran. However, Israel has opposed the deal and condemned it as a “historic mistake.”

At a cabinet meeting on Sunday Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel was not bound by the new agreement

“The regime in Iran is committed to destroying Israel. [But] Israel has the right and obligation to defend itself from any threat, [and] will not allow Iran to develop a military nuclear capability.”

When asked if he feared the possibility of a preventative, Israeli strike, Fabius said he did not because“no one would understand” such a move “at this stage.”

Media agencies

 

 

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International Newshot

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Conference on Palestine needed similar to one on Syria – envoy

It would be possible to convene a conference to settle the Palestinian problem that will be similar to an international conference on Syria in Geneva, Palestinian Ambassador to Russia Fayed Mustafa said Monday.“We believe that after the Geneva conference on Syria and future Geneva-2 and probably Geneva-3 may be held,”Itar-Tass quoted the envoy as saying. “Perhaps, one more Geneva conference – the third one or the fourth one may be convened… to resolve the Palestinian problem.”

About 600 people rallying in Kiev – Ukrainian police

Some 500 pro-EU protesters were rallying in the Ukrainian capital’s Europe Square on Monday morning, RIA-Novosti reported, citing police in Kiev. Another 50 people gathered on Independence Square. Nobody was detained during the morning’s peaceful protests or during the night, police said. Demonstrators are demanding the authorities sign an agreement on association and free trade with the EU. The government last week suspended preparations for the signing.

3 killed in clashes of Libyan army, Islamist militants

Clashes between Libyan troops and militants in the eastern city of Benghazi on Monday killed at least three people and wounded a dozen more, officials said. Gunfire and explosions were heard in Benghazi and smoke rose from the Ras Obeida area, Reuters reported. Fighting broke out when an army special forces unit pursued a suspect into an area where Islamist militant group Ansar Al-Sharia operates its own checkpoints. A year ago, the group was blamed for the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi when the US ambassador and three other Americans were killed.

Protesters break into Thailand Finance Ministry

About 40 anti-government protesters forced their way into Thailand’s Finance Ministry on Monday, Reuters reported. The move followed a march of more than 30,000 of demonstrators to 12 buildings in Bangkok seeking to overthrow Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. The building’s power was cut shortly after protesters burst into the ministry, according to a witness. Demonstrators spread across the city on Monday to government offices, military and naval bases and state TV channels to stop the alleged influence of the deposed former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

IAEA starts review of work to scrap Fukushima reactors

A team of experts formed by the International Atomic Energy Agency began Monday reviewing the efforts to scrap the crippled reactors at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The IAEA team will focus on the management of the radioactive water buildup at the site and fuel removal work that has just started at a pool inside the damaged No. 4 reactor building, Kyodo quoted team leader Juan Carlos Lentijo as saying in Tokyo.“The removal of the spent fuel is an essential activity toward decommissioning,” Lentijo said. The full process that TEPCO has developed will be reviewed, as well as all the precautions adopted to develop these activities in a safe way.

Saudi court sentences Jeddah US consulate attacker to death

A Saudi court has sentenced one man to death and another 19 to jail terms ranging from 18 months to 25 years for storming the US consulate in Jeddah in 2004, Reuters reported. Another 35 defendants in the case will be sentenced on Monday and Tuesday. In the December 6 attack, five militants stormed the US consulate with bombs and guns, killing four Saudi security personnel and five local staff. Three of the attackers were killed and two were captured. The attack was seen as part of an Al-Qaeda campaign aimed at ousting the ruling Al Saud family. The campaign was crushed in 2006, with more than 11,000 people being detained.

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China sends letter of protest to Japan and US

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China has send formal letters of protest to Japanese and US embassies in Beijing, after both countries criticized China’s move to create the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone over islands disputed with Japan, China’s Defense Ministry said on Monday. The accusations toward China are “absolutely groundless and unacceptable,” ministry’s spokesman Yang Yujun said. On Saturday PRC said that any Japanese planes in the vicinity of Senkaku/ Diaoyu Islands need to submit their flight patterns to China’s Foreign Ministry or civil aviation administration and they must maintain radio contact with Chinese authorities, as the country introduced the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone.

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Azarov: ​Russia may review gas contract with Ukraine

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Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov says Moscow is considering reviewing a 2009 gas contract that Kiev believes to be unfavorable. “We have been persistently trying to persuade the Russian Federation to review the contract,” Azarov told Ukrainian TV channel ICTV. “Now, generally speaking, there is such a pledge, and we hope we will implement it during the talks.” Ukraine considers the gas contract signed in 2009 by then-Russian and Ukrainian prime ministers Vladimir Putin and Yulia Tymoshenko as financially unfavorable. Ukraine repeatedly warned that if Gazprom refuses to revise the contract, it would stop importing gas from Russia.

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Tehelka Case Wake Up Call for Media: Indian Media Centre (IMC)

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New Delhi, November 25, 2013: The Indian Media Centre strongly condemns the prima facie serious case of sexual harassment of a young woman journalist by Tehelka Editor Tarun Tejpal and demands that the matter be probed thoroughly by the authorities concerned in the interests of probity in the media.

No corporate or editorial head can set the terms of his own punishment. The magazine’s management should have taken prompt action on the basis of the Vishakha guidelines laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India. The malafide and serious dereliction of duty on the part of the management and its opting for an ‘internal inquiry’ in such a serious matter cannot be condoned and is not acceptable.  It is a clear cut case of institutional failure and the law of the land must take its course.

The unfortunate incident should also serve as a wakeup call for the entire media to institutionalize mechanisms where even the minutest instance of the violation of the Vishakha guidelines is taken congnizance of and it is ensured that the law takes it course.

The Government on its part must notify the relevant laws with immediate effect and provide for a mechanism to ensure compliance. It is suggested that this work be entrusted to the National Commission for women.

The IMC shall also be organizing a National Consultation on the issue with all stakeholders and like minded organizations in the near future.

Indian Media Centre is an independent, non-profit institution dedicated to the highest standards in journalism – print, electronic and Internet. It has 16 chapters across the country.

Dr Chandan Mitra,                                                                                       K G Suresh

Chairman, IMC                                                                                            Director, IMC      

(Editor-in-Chief, The Pioneer)                     (Editor, Vivekananda International Foundation)

Prof B K Kuthiala                                                                                         Prof Shivaji Sarkar

V ice-Chairman, IMC                                                                       National Secretary, IMC

Vice-Chancellor, Makhanlal Chaturvedi

National University of Journalism, Bhopal