Friday, 17th February, 2012

HEADLINES

• India brokers deal in Maldives; National unity government to be formed now and elections by the year end
• Diplomatic row brewing over killing of fishermen of kerala by Italian naval personnel.
• Switzerland rubbished Indian black money estimates
• India – pakistan exchange prisoners

NATIONAL NEWS

• IAF to induct Mi17-V5 Russian made helicopter to its fleet
  
  
• Ketamine smugglers switch over to Ephedrine; While ketamine is smuggled in powder form Ephedrine is smuggled as tablets.
  
  
• Pakistan team coming next month to discuss petro pipelines
  • A high level pakistani delegation is visiting India to discuss the possibility of having a pipeline after India promised to give Oil and oil based products from IOC, which has offered to lay the pipelines as well.
    
    
• Political development in Nepal delayed pancheshwar dam
  • India and Nepal have agreed to speed up the setting up of a Pancheshwar Development Authority that will oversee the implementation of the 6,000 MW Pancheshwar multi-purpose project on the border.
  • India had agreed to carry maintenance of the 15 km stretch of eastern Kosi embankment within the Nepalese territory. So far this was being done by Nepal.
  • India will also “study” the demand for compensation sought of crops and damage to land for water resources projects
  • India also responded positively to Nepal's request for power from India. It was agreed to expedite the process for implementation of medium-term strengthening works for additional power supply to Nepal.
  • The two sides agreed to fast track the completion of the Detailed Project Report of Sapta Kosi High dam and the Sun Kosi Storage-cum-Diversion scheme.

INTERNATIONAL

• UN urged to get India to close Andaman trunk road
  • British rights activists urged the United Nations to press India to close the Andaman Trunk Road that runs through the Jarawa tribal reserve in order to end “human safaris” in the Andaman Islands.
  • “India ignored the U.N.'s call in 2007 to implement the 2002 order of the Indian Supreme Court to close sections of the Andaman Trunk Road, thereby allowing the exploitation of the Jarawa tribe to continue,” it said, calling for the U.N. to “speak up for a second time”.

• Assagne protests UNESCO ban
  • WikiLeaks has lodged a strong protest with the UNESCO for “banning'' it from an international conference it is hosting at its headquarters in Paris on the impact of the whistleblower website's activities.

EDITORIALS, OPINIONS AND COLUMNS

• An editorial on the encounter which happened at mid sea.
• An editorial on the use of paper
• What happens next in Maldives