Tuesday, November 15th, 2011

HEADLINES

• High court orders CBI probe against Chandra Babu Naidu.
• Kalam plumps again for Kudankulam
• Omar Abdulla plays AFSPA before Delhi Durbar

NATIONAL NEWS

• UAS develops rice variety that has strength of Wheat.
  • The university of Agricultural sciences Bangalore has achieved a major breakthrough by developing a new variety of rice that has as much protein as wheat.
  • Traditionally rice has a protein content of only 8 per cent as against 14 percent of wheat.
  • It will help in the fight against malnourishment

• HAL bags award.
  • Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has won the Raksha Mantri's award for excellence for the year 09- 10
    
    
• Common strategy needed to end the menace of Piracy at sea – SM.Krishna
  • External affairs said that the members of the IOR-ARC should make a common strategy to combat the piracy at sea as it is very difficult for a single country to counter it.
  • India is holding the chair for two years of the IOR-ARC
  • He also said that the group helps the member countries to understand the dynamics of geo political situation and to network among themselves
    
    
• Asbestos leave a trail of destruction
  • International experts and activists highlighted the dangerous consequences of exposure to asbestos at a conference here on Monday, dwelling on occupational and environmental health problems faced by labourers in asbestos mines.
  • The conference to support the Global Ban Asbestos Movement was inaugurated by Japan Occupational Safety and Health Resource Centre secretary-general Furuya Sugio.
  • Asbestos has been classified as a known carcinogen by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and despite being banned in more than 55 countries, said experts, many countries in Asia continue to use it.
  • India has the infamous distinction of being the world's largest importer of asbestos

• Centre allows cash payment of MGNREGS workers
  • The UPA government has decided to allow cash payment of wages to workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
  • The Rs.5-crore jackpot winner at the Kaun Banega Crorepati TV show, Sushil Kumar from Bihar, was appointed as the brand ambassador for MGNREGA for Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh.
  • This has to be done as many banks have closed down in these areas and the ministry had to confront the decreasing labour budget.
    
    
• Optimism as India – Pakistan open trade talks
  • The agenda has been clearly laid out for preparing timlines for complete normalisation of the trade relationships and implementation of the SAFTA obligations said the commerce secretary.
  • Pakistan has added a dozen commodities in the list of imports.

• The union health and family welfare ministry has approved for notification of two new super speciality courses in paediatrics and neo natalogy

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• Pakistan eyeing China's new 1000 MW reactor
  • The Chinese National Nuclear Corporation(CNNC) is in talks with the Pakistan's atomic energy commission to set up two 1000 MW plants in the Karachi Nuclear power plant.
  • Pakistan has so far been CNNC's biggest overseas market, with the company already building two reactors — Chashma-1, which opened in the year 2000, and the 300-MW Chashma-2, which went into operation this year.

• Economist Mario montis has accepted the monumental task of trying to form a government that can rescue Italy from financial ruin.

EDITORIALS, OPINIONS AND COLUMNS

• An opinion by Kevin Rudd on the need for regional organisation in the Indian Ocean.
• An editorial on HIV prevalence
• Syria and the Arab league – An editorial

BUSINESS/ECONOMY NEWS

• Inflation inches up to 9.73 % in october
  
  
• Industry against proposed law on land acquistion
  • If the proposed law on acquisition of land is passed, it will be a setback to industrial, infrastructure and urbanization projects, business leaders said at the World Economic Forum's India Economic Forum

• Draft cabinet note on FDI in multi brand retail circulated.
  • The Industry Ministry has circulated a draft Cabinet note for allowing foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail, a move that will allay industry's concern over policy paralysis