Integrated news

12102013

 

6.4 magnitude earthquake hits off Crete

 

An earthquake measured at 6.4 magnitude was detected in the Mediterranean Sea 80 km west of the Greek island of Crete, according to the US Geological Survey. The center of the quake, which stroke at 1311 GMT on Saturday, was 15 km below the seabed. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

 

 

12:59

13 killed, over 2 million without electricity as typhoon hits Philippines

 

At least 13 people, including some children, have been killed as Typhoon Nari hit the northern Philippines on Saturday. Four people were listed as missing. Over 2 million people have been left without power as the typhoon blacked out 37 towns and cities across the region. The typhoon ripped the roofs off of buildings, and caused landslides and falling trees. The typhoon season in the Philippines occurs mainly between June and October, with up to 20 major storms each year hitting the country. Typhoon Nari is the 19th big storm this year.

 

 

 

Bomb scare closes motorway between Dublin and Belfast

 

Police have dispatched explosive disposal teams to southern Belfast in Northern Ireland, following a bomb alert. The M1 motorway connecting Ireland with Northern Ireland has also been shut off. An undetonated explosive that British authorities said was going to be fired at a police station was found in the Northern Irish city of Derry on Friday.

 

 

North Korea threatens war following military drills by Japan, South Korea and the US

 

North Korea has again threatened ”all-out war” against the US, calling on Washington to stop military drills and what it calls ”nuclear blackmail.” It comes after a two-day joint naval drill between Japan, South Korea and the US. Pyongyang called the drill a “serious military provocation,” and vowed to “bury in the sea” the American carrier taking part in the exercise. “The United States must withdraw various measures aimed at isolating and strangulating us,” North Korea’s National Defense Commission said, adding a call for the lifting of sanctions.

 

 

 

Attacker of Russian diplomat in Panama identified as Ukrainian

 

The man who stabbed a Russian vice-consul in Panama on Friday was a Ukrainian citizen, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed. The attacker, who wounded Yevgeny Manilov in the parking lot of a business center where the Russian embassy is located, was arrested by police. The man, who was not identified, arrived in Panama about two months ago as a tourist, Ukraine said. Russian Ambassador Aleksey Ermakov said the attacker had previously visited the embassy and “did not look mentally stable.”

 

 

Taiwan records biggest heroin bust in 20 years

 

Taiwanese officials seized more than 22 pounds of heroin with a street value of $100 million on Saturday in the country’s largest drug bust in some 20 years. A total of 270 bricks of heroin and 530 pounds of ketamine were confiscated after an attempt to smuggle them in a cargo container in the southern city of Kaohsiung was intercepted, officials said. The heroin was thought to have been manufactured in Myanmar and transported to Taiwan via Vietnam. Drug busts are increasingly common in Taiwan. In 2012, some 176 pounds of heroin were seized, and seven people arrested. Under Taiwanese laws, those suspected of manufacturing, transporting or dealing heroin could face the death penalty.

 

 

 

Syria mortar attack kills child, injures 11 near weapon inspectors’ hotel

 

Two mortar rounds killed an eight-year-old child and wounded 11 others near Damascus, according to Syria’s SANA state news agency. The shells narrowly missed a school in the upscale Abu Roumaneh area on Saturday, a few hundred meters from the hotel where the team of international weapons inspectors are based. The mortar shells also damaged several shops and cars, SANA reported. Shell fire is a frequent occurrence on the outskirts of Damascus as the rebels attempt to topple President Bashar Assad’s government.

 

 

 

Suicide car bomb kills 3 in Afghanistan

 

A suicide bomber driving a car rigged with explosives killed three people outside a police station in Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan. Two policemen were among the dead, and more people are injured, according to local officials. US Secretary of State John Kerry is currently in the country for security talks with President Hamid Karzai.

 

 

 

​At least 21 dead in Vietnam firework factory blast

 

An explosion at a Vietnamese firework factory has killed at least 21 people and injured 98 others, AFP reported, citing a military rescue official. Most of the survivors sustained burns. The blast, which happened at a military owned-factory in the Thanh Ba district in northern Vietnam, could be heard from several kilometers away, local media reported. The number of victims would have been greater had the blast not occurred on Saturday morning, when fewer than usual people were working. The factory is the only one in Vietnam that produces fireworks, which are mainly used for New Year’s holidays and other festivities.

 

 

​Venezuela detains US oil survey ship in disputed waters

 

Venezuela is at loggerheads with its neighbor, Guyana, after a Venezuelan navy frigate detained an oil survey ship in waters contested by the two Latin American countries. Guyana protested after the RV Teknik Perdana was evicted from what Venezuela’ claimed were its territorial waters. The ship, used by Texas-based Anadarko Petroleum Corp on approval by Guyuna, was in disputed Atlantic waters west of Essequibo River. A century-long territorial conflict between the two countries worsened after the 2011 discovery of hydrocarbon reserves off nearby French Guyana.

 

 

US tourist train collided with truck, killing one and injuring 66

One person was killed and 66 were injured following Friday’s collision between a logging truck and a tourist train in West Virginia, officials have said. 18 people received serious injuries – three of them critical ones, emergency services director Jim Wise told the Los Angeles Times. The victims are currently in hospitals receiving treatment. Pocahontas County emergency services director, Shawn Dunbrack, said the accident happened around 1:30PM local time on Route 250, near Cheat Bridge between Pocahontas and Randolph counties. “We still have people on the scene trying to find out what’s going on,” Dunbrack told the Times, as state police investigates.

 

Typhoon Nari kills 5 in Philippines, moves onto Vietnam

Five people were killed and millions have been left without power by Philippine typhoon Nari, which struck the northern tip of the country early Saturday after hitting the east coast around midnight local time on Friday, the AFP reports. “One of the dead was a police officer awaiting deployment for rescue duties. He was buried in a mudslide,” said Rey Balido, a National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council spokesman. Three others were crushed by falling trees, while another person was electrocuted by a loose power line, the spokesman added. A total of 37 towns experienced power outages, according to a regional civil defense office. This left 2.1 million people without electricity. The storm is now reportedly proceeding towards Vietnam. The Philippines is hit by approximately 20 natural disasters of such magnitude every year, mainly between June and October.

 

Afghanistan claims US botched intel operation after recent capture of Taliban leader

The Afghan government claims the recent interception by US forces of a convoy carrying a top Pakistani Taliban commander has botched a delicate recruitment operation of theirs. According to the Washington Post, Latif Mehsud of the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) was to act as mediator between the government of President Hamid Karzai and the Pakistani Taliban. But the US wanted him all to itself, as according to a US State Department’s statement, the group “vowed to attack the US homeland” and was behind the failed Times Square bombing of 2010. “The Americans forcibly removed him and took him to Bagram,” a spokesman for President Hamid Karzai told the Post, in reference to a US base in the country. The US did not offer any further comment on the operation. This is the second attempt by the Karzai government to communicate with the Pakistani Taliban after another failed one in June.

 

​Spanish F1 reserve driver Maria De Villota dies at 33

 

Thirty-three year old Formula 1 reserve racing driver Maria de Villota died in a Spanish hotel Friday from what a post-mortem examination said were “natural causes.” The daughter of Formula 1 driver Emilio de Villota, she had a 12-year career in motor racing, and last year lost her right eye in a crash while testing for the Marussia team.

In a separate car accident, she suffered severe head injuries after colliding with a truck in the UK, but had been cleared to resume driving. Before joining Renault two years ago, De Villota competed in Spanish Formula-3 and the US Daytona 24-hour race.

At the time of her death, she was reportedly visiting Seville in southern Spain to promote her autobiography. Many Formula-1 team members and drivers expressed their shock and condolences to her family.

 

 

US forces capture senior Pakistan Taliban commander in Afghanistan

 

US forces captured a senior Pakistani Taliban commander, Latif Mehsud, during a military operation which intercepted a convoy in Logar province, Afghanistan, according to a US State Department announcement on Friday. Mehsud is identified as a senior commander in the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a group which claimed responsibility for an attempted bombing in Times Square, New York, in 2010. According to reports the capture, which took place several weeks ago, is said to have enraged Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai, as Afghan intelligence operatives had spent months attempting to recruit Mehsud as an interlocutor for peace talks between his government and the Taliban, reports the Washington Post. Mehsud was thought to be an influential commander, coordinating Taliban cells along the border on behalf of the group’s leader, Hakimullah Mehsud, who has become reclusive since a US drone strike killed his deputy in May.

 

 

 

​Russian diplomat stabbed in Panama, undergoes successful surgery

 

Russian Vice-Consul in Panama Eugene Manilov has undergone successful surgery after being stabbed in Panama, Itar Tass reports. Doctors said Manilov’s condition was not a cause for concern, Russia’s ambassador to Panama Alexei Ermakov told the agency. According to the ambassador the incident, occurred on Friday morning in a building in the center of the capital of Panama, where the Russian diplomatic mission leases space. Manilov was allegedly attacked by a Ukrainian citizen, “who was drug intoxicated.” The suspect was immediately apprehended and handed over to the police. Ermakov said that Panamanian authorities offered“all possible assistance and support” to the Russian Embassy and its staff after the incident.

 

 

 

FDA has suspended all routine safety inspections due to govt. shutdown

 

The US Food and Drug Administration suspended all routine food safety inspections starting on Oct. 1, the beginning of the government shutdown, an agency spokesman told The Huffington Post. Without full funding, the FDA only inspects facilities it believes “present an immediate threat to public health.” Normally, the FDA strikes deals with states to use their employees for a certain percentage of inspections, yet those contracts were also eliminated upon the shutdown. The absent inspections by state workers and those skipped due to furloughed federal employees combine to make about 73 missed routine inspections nationwide per business day, The Huffington Post reported. The FDA has oversight over 80 percent of the US food system.Media agencies

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12102013

Indonesia agrees to resolve bottlenecks to Indian investments 

Indonesia on Friday agreed to address the concerns of Indian companies investing here and is willing to set up a joint high-level task force in this regard.

Indian companies have made some big investments in Indonesia in sectors like coal, mining and infrastructure. However, some of them have been facing some problems.  During their extensive meetings with Indonesian counterparts, visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other senior leaders and officials today raised these issues and these matters were received positively by their Indonesian counterparts.  A number of Indian power companies have been looking at Indonesia for coal imports due to problems in the sector back home.  Briefing the media after these meetings, top officials said that Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told the Indian Prime Minister that these issues would be addressed suitably.  “There are some issues regarding the investments by Indian companies in Indonesia and the President agreed that a joint high level task force will be set up to look into these issues,” a top official said.  This will help in boosting two-way investments between the two countries, he added.  Explaining this further, officials said that some Indian companies have made big investments into Indonesia in sectors like coal mining and these are very critical to power projects in India.  They said that the experiences of Indian investors have been mixed, as progress of investments in some areas has been very good and slow for some others.  There are some regulatory issues here in the coal mining sector, while there are also problems related to international pricing, an official said, adding that what Indian companies want are a stable and predictable business regime on issues like regulations and pricing.  They expressed the hope that the new task force would resolve these concerns and help further expand Indian investments into Indonesia.

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12102013

​​

Unveiling the enigmatic Buddha …

Actor Himanshu to play the coveted title role in Zee TV & Spice Studio’s biopic of the great spiritual leader

Over the last few weeks, Zee TV and Spice Studio’s historical magnum opus ‘Buddha’ has beautifully captured the early life of Prince Siddharth and attempted to answer some of the questions people may have about the young man who went on to become one of the world’s greatest spiritual leaders. However, information about the young actor playing the role of the grown up Prince Siddharth was kept strictly under wraps!

Now, as the show gets ready to delve into the life of Prince Siddharth as he matured into a fine, young man, the time has come to reveal the actor who has been chosen to play this coveted role. After much contemplation and a global search that has spanned several countries, Zee TV and Spice Studios has found their perfect Prince Siddharth in budding actor Himanshu. With such microscopic attention to detail that went into the casting process, it was not an easy task to zero in on an actor who met most of the characteristics and qualities that the producers were looking for in Buddha. After going through almost a thousand actor profiles, a young budding actor from Jaipur was finally selected for the role.

The elaborate casting process was but the tip of the iceberg when it came to getting into the character of Buddha. After being cast, Himanshu underwent extensive creative sessions with both the producer and director to understand every nuance of the character and demeanor of Prince Siddharth. To understand the mindscape and tranquility of Buddha’s temperament, the actor was even given a quiet apartment to help him meditate and remain peaceful while preparing for the role. While a serene temperament played a huge part in the preparation process, rigorous physical training was also required and included intensive fitness training, yoga sessions, martial arts & horse riding. Post all of his preparation for the role, Himanshu continues to work out on the sets to maintain his chiseled physique. The actor has lost around 15 kgs to get the contoured physique that is seen onscreen.

 When asked about the decision of choosing Himanshu as the lead, Dr. B.K Modi, Chairman, Spice Studios said, “We auditioned scores of actors, both seasoned and newcomers, but Himanshu fit the character’s description like a glove. Out of the 32 characteristics of Buddha, Himanshu met 28 of those. His down to earth and likeable persona was key for the character’s successful portrayal. We put him through rigorous training for martial arts, tai chi, dialogue delivery, acting amongst several others to mold him into Prince Siddhrarth’s role and he’s come out polished, shinning like a prince.”

It is known that the show was initially supposed to be made into a film with filmmakers Shekhar Kapur and Ashutosh Gowariker heading the research and script development. However, the project had to be shelved as the makers weren’t able to find the right actor to play the role of Buddha. While Hollywood heartthrob Orlando Bloom was Shekhar Kapur’s initial choice, the search for the perfect Buddha was expanded globally with countless actors aspiring to bag the role of Buddha.

Newcomer Himanshu said, “It is an honour to play a character as significant and important as Buddha. I have undergone rigorous fitness training, yoga and martial arts sessions, each of which made it easier for me to understand the body language and the depth of the character and persona of Prince Siddharth as well as his journey to becoming Buddha.  The faith that the producers and the channel have shown in me is monumental and I hope I have done justice to the part.”

Watch Himanshu essay the title role as the legacy of Prince Siddharth unfolds with him journeying towards enlightenment, every Sunday at 11 am on Buddha, only on Zee TV from October 13^th 2013.

For additional information please visit: www.lifeofbuddha.in  

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12102013

Dear All,

Aug 2013 IIP grows at 0.6%

Growth in industry output, as measured in terms of IIP, for the month of Aug 2013 is estimated at 0.6% as compared with 2.7% during July 2013. The cumulative growth for the period April-Aug 2013-14 stands at 0.1% as compared to 0.2% in the corresponding period of the previous year.

The growth in the three sectors mining, manufacturing and electricity in Aug 2013 stands at (-) 0.2%, (-) 0.1% and 7.2% as compared to (-) 2.5%, 3.2% and 5.2% during July 2013 respectively. The cumulative growth for the period April-Aug 2013- 2014 in the three sectors mining, manufacturing and electricity over the corresponding year stands at (-) 3.4%, (-) 0.1% and 4.5% respectively.

   Recent growth pattern in IIP                                                                               (% growth)

Industry Group	Weight in IIP	Apr- Aug	Apr-Aug	July	Aug
		2012-13	2013-14	2013	2013
Mining	14.2	(-) 1.8	(-) 3.4	(-) 2.5	(-) 0.2
Manufacturing	75.5	0.0	(-) 0.1	3.2	(-) 0.1
Electricity	10.3	4.8	4.5	5.2	7.2
Use based classification
Basic goods	45.7	2.7	0.5	1.5	1.5
Capital goods	8.8	(-) 14.4	0.8	15.5	(-) 2.0
Intermediate goods	15.7	1.0	2.3	3.1	3.6
Consumer Goods
Consumer goods	29.8	3.2	(-) 1.6	(-) 0.5	(-) 0.8
a) Consumer durables	8.5	5.1	(-) 11.0	(-) 8.9	(-) 7.6
b) Consumer non-durables	21.3	1.6	6.6	6.9	5.0
Overall IIP	100	0.2	0.1	2.7	0.6

                                                                                                                        

    

     Source: PHD Research Bureau, compiled from CSO

Basic goods stands at 1.5% during Aug 2013 and July 2013. The cumulative growth during April – Aug 2013-14 stands at 0.5% as compared to 2.7% during the corresponding period of last year. Consumer goods have grown at (-) 0.8% during Aug 2013 as compared to (-) 0.5% during Jul 2013. Consumer durables have grown at (-) 7.6% during Aug 2013 as compared to (-) 8.9% during July 2013, while consumer non durables have grown at 5% during Aug 2013 as compared to 6.9% during July 2013.

The cumulative growth of consumer goods during Apr-Aug 2013-14 stands at (-) 1.6% as against 3.2% during the corresponding period last year. Consumer durables have shown a cumulative growth of (-) 11% during Apr-Aug 2013-14 as against 5.1% during the corresponding period last year, while consumer non durables have shown a cumulative growth of 6.6% during Apr-Aug 2013-14 as compared to 1.6% during the corresponding period last year.

Some of the important items showing high positive growth during the current month over the same month in previous year include Woollen Carpets (67.7%), Apparels (25.1%), Leather Garments (26.6%), Aviation Turbine Fuel (46.2%), Vitamins (75.0%), Ayurvedic Medicaments (80.6%), Steel Structures (25.4%), Tractors (32.2%), Cable, Rubber Insulated (284.5%) and Passenger Cars (31.5%).

Some of the other important items showing high negative growth are: Rice (-) 38.0%, Stainless/alloy steel (-) 25.8%, Boilers (-) 35.7%, ‘Sealed Compressors (-) 50.4%, Air Conditioner (Room) (-) 52.3%, Heat Exchangers (-) 51.7%, Earth Moving Machinery (-) 45.8%, Sugar Machinery (-) 36.7%, Plastic Machinery Incl. Moulding Machinery (-) 33.7%, Cement Machinery (-) 48.0%, Aluminium Conductor (-) 31.7%, Generator/ Alternator (-) 72.7%, Telephone Instruments (incl. Mobile Phones & Accessories) [(-) 23.9%] and Gems and Jewellery (-) 36.1%.

     Trend in IIP growth                                                                                                      (%)

 

  Source: PHD Research Bureau, compiled from CSO

Capital goods have grown at (-) 2% during Aug 2013 as compared to 15.5% during July 2013. The cumulative growth of capital goods stands at 0.8% during April-Aug 2013-14 as compared to (-) 14.4% during April- Aug 2012-13.

Trend in the growth of capital goods                                                                              (%)

  Source: PHD Research Bureau, compiled from CSO

Warm regards,

Dr. S P Sharma

Chief Economist

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12102013

RELIANCE FOUNDATION AND NBA ANNOUNCE MULTIYEAR PARTNERSHIP IN INDIA

- Jr. NBA Program to Promote Health and Fitness to Youth Through Comprehensive School-Based Program

MUMBAI, INDIA, October 11, 2013 – Reliance Foundation and the National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced a multiyear partnership to launch a comprehensive school-based youth basketball program in India.
The Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA program will promote health, fitness and an active lifestyle through basketball, and teach the values of the game such as teamwork, sacrifice, discipline, dedication and sportsmanship. The program will feature a combination of in-school and after-school activities along with basketball competitions.
In the first year, the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA program will teach basketball to more than 100,000 youth and train 300 coaches and physical education instructors to implement a turnkey NBA curriculum. Over the course of the long-term partnership, the goal is to reach one million youth and train 2,000 coaches and physical education instructors across India.
“We are excited to partner with NBA, the world’s premier basketball league, in transforming India’s basketball landscape. India has a rich reservoir of sporting talents and schools are the fountainhead where those talents can be identified and nurtured,” said Reliance Foundation Chairperson Nita M. Ambani. “Through this historic association, Reliance Foundation looks forward to bringing the NBA’s world-class expertise and curriculum and taking Indian basketball to greater standards of excellence.”
The first year of the program will operate in more than 150 schools across Mumbai and Kochi from Oct. 14 to Feb. 8.
“This is an important step in our commitment to grow basketball at the grassroots level and encourage a healthy and active lifestyle in India,” said NBA Commissioner David Stern. “Reliance Foundation is recognized for its tireless efforts to give back to communities, and we could not ask for a better partner to work with us to positively impact the lives of Indian youth.”
Reliance Foundation and the NBA will bring international coaches to India for three months in each city to lead three-day ‘Train the Trainer’ seminars that will teach the curriculum to local coaches and physical education teachers.
All local coaches will receive a ‘Jr. NBA Basketball in a Bag,’ which contains resources for them to grow the game in their communities. The bag includes an India-specific coaching guide with curriculum for in-school and after-school programs, nets, whistles, cones, air pumps and a Jr. NBA poster.
The international coaches will also support program implementation at each school where, ultimately, the local coaches and physical education instructors will conduct weekly basketball-led physical education classes for grades 4-10 in their schools.
In addition to the in-school portion, select schools will make their courts available four days per week for after-school basketball programs comprised of more advanced training and individual skills and team-based competitions. These will include 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 competitions, and the top players and teams from each school will be selected to compete in a citywide competition.
A Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA Hot Shot Competition will identify the best shooters in each school to compete in a citywide championship at the end of the program. An NBA or WNBA legend will travel to each city at the end of the program to work with players and coaches.
In addition to working with schools, Reliance Foundation and the NBA will partner with community organizations in each city who are already conducting youth basketball programs. These organizations will also make their courts available for Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA after-school programs for youth from local communities. The Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA program will supplement youth basketball initiatives at these organizations by providing curriculum, equipment and invitations to send teams and players to citywide Jr. NBA competitions.

About Reliance Foundation
Reliance Foundation (RF), the philanthropic arm of Reliance Industries Limited, aims to play a catalytic role in addressing the nation’s development challenges through innovative and sustainable solutions with its focus on five core pillars: Rural Transformation, Education, Health, Urban Renewal, and Promotion and protection of India’s Arts, Culture and Heritage. Smt. Nita M. Ambani is the Chairperson of Reliance Foundation and the guiding spirit behind the Foundation’s ambitious vision of becoming the leading vehicle for social development, empowering the underprivileged and infusing social transformation in India. Reliance Foundation has touched the lives of over a million underprivileged across the country, reaching out to over 2,500 villages and various urban locations.

About the NBA
The NBA is a global sports and media business built around three professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, and the NBA Development League. The league has established a major international presence with games and programming in 215 countries and territories in 47 languages and NBA merchandise for sale in more than 125,000 stores in 100 countries on 6 continents. NBA rosters currently feature 85 international players from 36 countries and territories. NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, which is available in more than 61 million U.S. homes, and NBA.com, which averages more than 42 million page views per day, more than half of which originate from outside of North America. The NBA is the No. 1 professional sports league on social media, with more than 445 million likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms. Through NBA Cares, the league and its teams and players have donated more than $225 million to charity, completed more than 2.6 million hours of hands-on community service, and created more than 830 places where kids and families can live, learn, or play.