Nirmal Om newsline

August 4, 2012 The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a Saudi-drafted resolution on Syria that expressed “grave concern” at the escalating violence in the country but India was among the 31 nations that abstained. The 193-member General Assembly passed the resolution that denounced Syria’s crackdown on its people and demanded that the country lockdown it’s chemical and biological weapons. The resolution also deplored “the failure of the Security Council to agree on measures to ensure the compliance of Syrian authorities with its decisions”. The resolution got 133 votes in favour, while 12 countries voted against and 31 countries, including India abstained.An earlier draft of the resolution had provisions that demanded regime change, called on President Bashar Al-Assad to resign and asked countries to place sanctions against the country for the violence and killing. India was not in favour of these provisions and a senior member of Indian deleg...

Launch of AACCI project on "Prevention of Violence and Aggression in children and Youth”  National consultative meeting and Launch of AACCI project on "Prevention of Violence and Aggression in children and Youth” Saturday, 4th August 2012 IIC, New Delhi:  In view of the escalating violence in many cities of India which involves children and youth in schools, out of school and at home in various aspects AACCI- Association of Adolescent and child care in India felt a need to plan some interventions and decide to spearhead a project that will get together a variety of stake holders to plan practical interventions which are doable at various levels.  We at AACCI felt that there is a need for a group of experts, NGO’s and stake holders to come together and brain storm to come out with recommendations for prevention of this escalating violence and aggression and plan intervention strategies at various levels- school. College, community, ...

ULAN BATOR: A court in Mongolia has jailed former president Nambar Enkhbayar for four years after finding him guilty of corruption charges that he has called politically motivated. Enkhbayar, 54, served as prime minister and then president for almost a decade until losing office in 2009. He was arrested in April in a dawn raid broadcast live on national television. On Thursday, a Mongolian court found him guilty of misappropriating gifts intended for a monastery and illegally privatising a hotel along with other corruption charges, in a hearing broadcast to the nation. The court originally sentenced him to seven years, but reduced it by three years, citing an amnesty law. Enkhbayar, who was barred from running in Mongolia's June parliamentary elections, called the charges "groundless". "I served the posts of president, prime minister and speaker of parliament. I never thought I would be accused groundlessly," Enkhbayar said in his testimony. Hi...

Iran agrees to resume dialogue with world powers Iran’s main nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili agreed in phone talks today to resume dialogue with world powers in August on Tehran’s contested programme, the EU’s top diplomat said. She did not say if these would be face-to-face talks or more phone contact. Working on behalf of Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States, European Union High Representative Ashton is trying to elevate dialogue with Tehran into a stable exchange after tortuous stop-start diplomacy. The so-called P5+1 group she represents has told Iran to immediately stop enriching uranium to the 20 percent level, to ship out its existing 20 percent stock and to shut down a fortified underground enrichment facility. Iran insists it has a right to uranium enrichment under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and wants Western sanctions on its economy to be eased.

IAC:Anna Hazare ends fast at Jantar Mantar Anna Hazare ends fast at Jantar Mantar - To start work on creating political alternative Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai today ended their fast after Team Anna resolved to come up with a political alternative for the country. They broke the fast at the hands of Retd Gen V K Singh in the evening at 6.30 pm along with 350 anshankaris who were sitting on fast for the past 10 days. It was declared that the andolan would take place simultaneously on  the roads and the Parliament. Gen Singh told the crowds that what was happening today in the name of policies was undemocratic and to prevent that there has to be a political alternative. “In 1975 Jay Prakash Narayan said that corruption is at the base of all problems. The statement is as relevant today as it was back then. Whenever you oppose bad governance, you are alleged to be wrong. You will also face the same. You, the ...

"भारत में उदारीकरण" 11 अगस्त को शाम 5 .30 बजे समाजवादी जन परिषद दिल्ली प्रदेश इकाई निमंत्रण पत्र                                                                                        दिनांक 03 . 08 . 12   साथियो, उदारीकरण के 20   साल पूरे हो चुके हैं. इस अवसर पर इसे लागू करनेवाले इसकी उपलब्धियों का बखान करते नहीं थक रहे. लेकिन अनेक विश्लेषकों का मानना है क़ि इसके नकारात्मक पहलू ही अधिक रहे हैं. . इस मुद्दे पर विचार के लिए हमने गाँधी शांति प्रतिष्ठान के साथ मिलकर एक श्रंखला क़ि शुरुआत की है. ताकि इसके सभी पहलुओं पर गौर किया जा सके. इस कड़ी में दूसरी विचार गोष्ठी में आप सदर आमंत्रित हैं.   11  अ...

India pakistan electricity trade Second meeting of group of experts on trade of electricity between Pakistan and India on Thursday discussed the proposals for electricity trade and HVDC link establishment to transfer 500 MW from India to Pakistan in detail.reports Geotv. The six-member Indian expert group was headed by Joint Secretary (Transmission), Ministry of Power, India while the Pakistan Expert group was led by Joint Secretary (Power), Ministry of Water and Power, Government of Pakistan. An official handout stated that the meeting was held in cordial atmosphere. The (transmission) lines will emanate from grid station in India to grid station in Pakistan. Further discussion with NTDCL will be held in Lahore tomorrow. The delegation also called on Secretary Ministry of Water and Power. To further discuss the possibilities/matters of proposed trade, both sides decided to hold the next round of discussions in New Delhi in October 2012.

India and Belgium Sign MOU for Development & Modernization of Railway Sector Aug 3 Posted by sagarmedia India and Belgium Sign MOU for Development & Modernization of Railway Sector.MOU to Focus Especially on Development of Railway Stations to International Standards. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by the visiting Deputy Prime Minister & Minister for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and European Affairs of Belgium, Mr. Didier Reynders and the Union Minister of Railways of India Shri Mukul Roy on bilateral co-operation for the effective development and modernization of railway sector of both the countries, here today. In pursuance of the Vision 2020 document promulgated by the then Minister for Railways, Mamata Banerjee, for modernization and development of major Railway Stations as vibrant centres of the life of cities for commerce, entertainment and social space, Indian Railways has identified stations for development to the int...

Team anna indefinite anshan at Jantar Mantar ends 2nd August 2012: On the 5th day of fast of Annaji and 9th day of the fast by Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai, Anna made the historic decision of giving the people of this country a political alternative. He said, "I do not think that the Government has the intention of taking strong steps against corruption. Many people are asking me to give an alternative. Now I think that they are right and it is time to give the country an alternative." However he clarified that he would personally not participate in the elections. Anna announced that since a lot of things need to be done now in that direction they will end the fast at 5 pm tomorrow. He said the kind of political alternative he would suggest would aim at decentralization of power. He said that Gram Panchayat is the supreme body and it is they who solely have the right to take decisions over land, water, mines etc...

World governments are reacting to the resignation of UN special envoy on Syria Kofi Annan. Russia has expressed regret, while the United States and Syria’s opposition forces say his departure highlights a failure at the top level of the United Nations. The United States reiterated its call on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down. White House spokesman Jay Carney said President Assad continues to brutally murder his own people despite his promise to abide by Annan’s plan. Carney said Annan’s resignation underscores the failure at the UN Security Council of Russia and China to support resolutions against Assad. US officials say they will not provide weapons to Syria’s opposition, limiting assistance to non-lethal tools such as communication equipment. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed regret over Annan’s resignation, calling him a brilliant diplomat. Putin did not refer directly to Annan’s criticism of the split at the UN Secu...

Greece agrees on fresh austerity measures August 3, 2012 Greece’s coalition government have agreed to take the fresh austerity measures needed to secure funding from the country’s international creditors.Greece is required to accept new spending cuts of 11.5 billion euros, or over 14 billion dollars, for 2013 and 2014 in return for bailouts from the European Union and other international bodies. The leaders of the trio coalition parties discussed the matter on Wednesday. The leaders of the second and third coalition parties, both leftists, demanded that the deadline for the cutbacks be extended by 2 years. They cited the country’s contracting economy and falling employment due to austerity measures already in place. But conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras succeeded in persuading them to accept the additional measures. He insisted that fresh spending cuts are essential for the country to remain in the eurozone.The measures to ...

Egyptian Cabinet Takes Oath August 3, 2012 Egyptian government led by Prime Minister Hesham Qandil was sworn in before President Mohamed Morsi on Thursday. The 35-member cabinet consists mainly of new members although it includes several key ministers who served under President Hosni Mubarak. Hussein Tantawi, the chief of Egypt’s military council who was the de facto head of state since Mubarak’s ouster in February 2011 until Morsi’s inauguration as president in June, retained his post as defense minister which he has held since 1991. Mohamed Amr was also reappointed as foreign minister, Mumtaz al-Said as finance minister, Ali Sabri as minister of military production, Mohamed Ibrahim as minister of antiques, Nagva Halil as social security minister and Nadiye Zahari as minister of scientific research. A U.S.-educated engineer and former minister of water resources, Qandil has been dubbed “the first bearded Egyptian minister,” ...

CPCB submits error ridden misleading affidavit, fails to file report on groundwater contamination around site of Bhopal's industrial disaster in Supreme Court CPCB Chairperson urged to recall, revise the misleading report and file a fresh affidavit Direction of groundwater flow and contamination around Bhopal plant is along Northeast axis New Delhi July 31, 2012: In a letter to Mira Mehrishi, Chairperson, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Additional Secretary Union Ministry of Environment & Forests, ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA) has revealed the glaring loopholes and errors in the 13 page attached misleading affidavit of CPCB in the matter of drinking water in Dow Chemicals Company's Union Carbide Corporation (UCC)ⳠBhopal plant area filed in Hon'ble Supreme Court on July 17, 2012. The letter is attached. The affidavit was filed as a follow up of TWA's letter dated July 14, 2012, assurance of Vijay Panjwani, CPCB lawyer and court's order dated M...

Former Massachusetts governor outlined an aggressive world view in his public statements in Jerusalem  on Sunday, as it is little shade between his policy approach to Iran and the policies President Obama has pursued in office, although Romney used  rhetoric to describe the Iranian threat.“It is sometimes said that those who are the most committed to stopping the Iranian regime from securing nuclear weapons are reckless and provocative and inviting war. The opposite is true. We are the true peacemakers,” he said. “Make no mistake, the ayatollahs in Iran are testing our moral defenses,” Romney said. “They want to know who will object and who will look the other way. We will not look away nor will our country ever look away from our passion and commitment to Israel.” Romney added, “We have a solemn duty and a moral imperative to deny Iran’s leaders the means to follow through on their malevolent intentions.” The security of Israel, he said, “...

ISI chief Zaheer ul-Islam held talks in the United States   WASHINGTON: The new Inter-Services Intelligence Chief Lieutenant General Zaheer ul-Islam held talks in the United States on Wednesday after a prolonged gap as the countries look to renew their uneasy cooperation in battling extremists. The ISI Chief comes just after Pakistan agreed to give NATO convoys access to its border with Afghanistan. Islam held meetings Wednesday at the Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, Virginia, a person familiar with his trip said. Spokespeople for the CIA and Pakistani embassy declined comment. Islam was appointed in March after the retirement of ISI chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha, who led the agen...

In a major decision, India has allowed investment from Pakistan paving way for Islamabad to normalise bilateral economic ties by implementing much-delayed Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status for New Delhi. "The Government of India has reviewed the policy...and decided to permit a citizen of Pakistan or an entity incorporated in Pakistan to make investments in India," the Commerce and Industry Ministry said in a press note in New Delhi on Wednesday. However, strategic sectors of defence, space and atomic energy have been kept out of foreign direct investment (FDI) from Pakistan, it said. Also, the FDI proposals from the neighbouring country would need clearance from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB). Hailing the decision, the Indian industry said that Pakistani businessmen can explore sectors like cement, textiles and sports for investments in the country. "It is a great decision...Now Pak...

Just Foreign Policy News, August 1, 2012 Former U.S. officials call for Bachmann's removal from intelligence committee Help your friends sign up to receive the Just Foreign Policy News Do you know someone who might want to receive the Just Foreign Policy News? You can send them this link: http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/daily-news-signup Support the Work of Just Foreign Policy Your support helps us to educate Americans about U.S. foreign policy and create opportunities for Americans to advocate for a foreign policy that is more just. http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/donate Read This Edition of the Just Foreign Policy News on the Web http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/node/1279 [use this link if you are having formatting issues with the email] Go Straight to the News Summary in this Email Switch to the "Short Email" Version of the News I) Actions and Featured Articles Former U.S. officials call for Bachmann to be replaced on Intelligence Committee B...