News brief shot

UK PM David announces £52 million additional Syrian aid

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British Prime Minister David Cameron has stated that the UK is set to give an extra 52 million pounds (US$81.2 million) in aid to Syria. The PM was speaking at a G20 meeting. Cameron added that world leaders should “send a strong signal that we can act, and act specifically to relieve this appalling suffering caused by the war crime of chemical weapons use.”

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Iranian president said foreign ministry ro lead nuclear negotiations with P5+1

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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the country’s foreign ministry would lead nuclear talks with the five permanent members of the Security Council and Germany, state news agency IRNA reported. Negotiations over the country’s disputed uranium enrichment program had previously been conducted by the country’s Supreme National Security Council. Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad J

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ICC cases against Kenya’s leadership set to go ahead

The cases against Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto are set to go ahead, the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor confirmed, only hours before the Kenyan parliament was set to vote on whether to withdraw from the court. The leaders are accused of organizing violence following 2007 elections when 1,200 were killed.

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Egypt interior minister warns of wave of terrorism

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Egypt interior minister warns of wave of terrorism after assassination attempt

Egypt’s Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim has warned that today’s bomb attack on his convoy in Cairo was the beginning of a new wave of terrorism. ”What happened today is not the end but the beginning,”Ibrahim said, stressing that the authorities would triumph in the battle with insurgence. An explosion rocked the minister’s convoy as it drove through central Cairo on Thursday, injuring 20 people.

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Raghuram Rajan takes over as new RBI Governor

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Updated on : 06-09-2013 11:57 AM

New RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan on Wednesday came out with a slew of measures, including more trade settlement in rupees to rescue the battered financial markets and hinted at a shift in focus from inflation control, doggedly pursued by his predecessor, to boosting growth.

Shortly after he took over as the 23rd Governor of the central bank, Rajan, 50, addressed the media with a prepared statement in which he laid out a detailed road map for his innings in the short term, which he called a “big initial package.” He also rescheduled by a few days the date for his much- anticipated first monetary policy statement to September 20. The new Governor set up a number of committees for revising and strengthening monetary policy framework, financial stability, financial inclusion, NPAs and an outside panel of experts headed by former Governor Bimal Jalan to screen applications for new bank licenses. Rajan said the new bank licences will be issued around January next year. Apparently reflecting a shift in the approach from his predecessor D Subbarao, who had serious differences with the government of late, Rajan said the primary role of the bank is monetary stability to sustain confidence in the value of the rupee. “Ultimately, this means low and stable expectations of inflation, whether that inflation stems from domestic sources or from changes in the value of the currency, from supply constraints or demand pressures.”

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Rahul Gandhi to hand over ownership rights in Delhi resettlement colonies

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Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi will hand over ownership rights of houses to people in resettlement colonies in Delhi on September 10.  This was informed by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Wednesday. 

“We have so many resettlement colonies and people have been living in them since the time of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. But they have not been given ownership rights. Rahul Gandhi will give out certificates of ownership to lakhs of people on September 10,” Dikshit said.

There are 45 resettlement colonies in the city, which are home to lakhs of people. Congress feels that the move could be a game-changer in the Assembly polls. Dikshit made the announcement at a function where the party released a brochure listing the Congress government’s achievements in the last 15 years.

Last year, Dikshit had Congress president Sonia Gandhi issue provisional certificates of regularisation to unauthorised colonies. The CM also promised to regularise another 600 unauthorised colonies and said residents in Lal Dora areas would be allowed to expand their properties. “People have been living there for years and their families must have grown, so they need more space. That is why we are allowing the extension… We are the first one to implement the Food Security Bill and it is Delhi that is governed by Aadhaar cards,” she said.

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Paes-Stepanek into the US Open men’s doubles final.

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Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek stunned top seeded and hot favourite pair of Mike and Bob Bryan, who were chasing a rare Calendar Grand Slam, in a gripping contest to storm into the US Open men’s doubles final.The fourth seeded Indo-Czech pair denied the Bryans a piece of history with their 3-6 6-3 6-4 win as the American twins were trying to become first doubles team since 1951 to collect all four Grand Slam titles in the same year.Ken McGregor and Frank Sedgman had achieved the rare feat of winning Calendar Slam in 1951. The Bryans ran away with the first set but faced stiff challenge in the second, which Paes and Stepanek dominated to take the match to full length.Paes stood out with his backhand slice and chips while Stepanek was solid with his blistering double-handed backhand.Paes and Stepanek will have a chance to win their first Slam title of the season, having finished semifinalists at the Wimbledon.The two teams began well but Paes and Stepanek handed the advantage to the Bryans in the sixth game of the opening set.Facing a breakpoint, Stepanek double faulted which handed the Bryans a 4-2 lead, which soon became a comfortable 5-2 when the Americans held the next.Paes served to stay in the set and he held the game, which featured an entertaining 21-shot rally.Bob served at love to quickly wrap up the first set in just 29 minutes.The fourth seeds were put under pressure straight away as they were facing a break point in the first game of the second set but Paes saved that with a volley winner at the net. Bob slightly lost concentration and was soon facing two break points.Paes hit a terrific backhand slice winner to convert the first chance and go up 2-0. However the advantage was lost when the Indian dropped his serve in the next, double faulting at 30-40.Nevertheless, they kept fighting and succeeded in breaking Bob in the sixth game. As Paes held his own, they soon had a 5-2 cushion and kept that lead to force a third set.The Indo-Czech combo had chance to get an early break in the decider on Mike’s serve and after an engrossing tussle they succeeded in converting the fourth chance of the third game to open up a mini 2-1 lead and consolidated that to 3-1 with a hold.Stepanek saved three breakpoints in the sixth game to take a 5-1 lead but Paes failed to serve out the match in the eighth, allowing Bryans to comeback.Bryans closed the gap to 4-5 however, Stepanek served out the match after some anxious moment.

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DID Super Moms – Know Your Finalists

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Shraddha Shah, Surat

Her proudest moment is having done her arengetram at the age of 8. Vaijanti Mala did it at the age of 7 n half and because of the 6 mnths difference she couldn’t make it in the Guiness Book of Records.

·         How has your journey been on DID Super Moms?

Amazing. All the dreams that I had, I could finally see them coming true.

·         Who do you think is your biggest competition?

Phulwa. Our dance style is quite similar and she is a very strong dancer.

·         Who is your biggest supporter?
My husband and my mother. I wouldn’t be anything without them.

·         What has been your most memorable moment on the show?
When Mahir (her 6month son) came dressed as Krishna in the mytho spl episode on the show. Also when Mithun da said that Arun (her husband) is the best husband in the world.

·         What will you miss the most once the show is over?

I will miss the DID Super Mom stage!

Mithu Chakraborty, Kolkata

Her mom has been her constant source of inspiration, encouraging her to do her best always. After seeing the huge line at Swabhumi, Kolkata for the auditions, she initially did not want to participate as she did not have the patience to wait in the line for two days, but it was her husband who encouraged her.

·         How has your journey been on DID Super Moms?
I am a complete housewife and I never expected that I would ever be a part of such a big show like DID Super Moms. I feel very lucky to have learned so many dance forms on India’s biggest platform. I am thankful to Zee TV from the bottom of my heart.

·         Who do you think is your biggest competition?
Phulwa, because she is an amazing dancer. I don’t think any other Super Mom has the kind of strength that she has.

·         Who is your biggest supporter?
My husband and my mom

·         What has been your most memorable moment on the show?
Those workshop days when the Top 16 were selected

·         What will you miss the most once the show is over?

The DID Super Mom stage and the entire team of DID Super Moms.

Cecille Rodrigues, Goa

Teaches Zumba with her husband in Goa. Thinks that dancing is in her blood as her parents too are waltz dancers.

·         How has your journey been on DID Super Moms?
Amazing and mind blowing because I have worked very hard in these 4 months and today I am in the Top 5.

·         Who do you think is your biggest competition?
No-one because I always compete with myself.

·         Who is your biggest supporter?
My family. They are always behind me 100%

·         What has been your most memorable moment on the show?
My first performance on the DID Super Mom stage. I had performed with Jay Kumar Nair (her skipper). It was my dream come true, being on that stage. The second time was when my husband and son came to surprise me on the show and third was dancing with Sushant Singh Rajput!

·         What will you miss the most once the show is over?

I will miss the DID Super Mom stage, the lights, the energy of all the shoots. Also the judges, skippers and the rest of the team.

Zoya Khan, Dehradun

Her husband was initially married to her sister, but when she ran away, Zoya married him in order to take care of the three children and her younger sisters.

·         How has your journey been on DID Super Moms?
The whole journey has been awesome! I am not a trained dancer so I never expected to be on this stage, but here I am in the Top 5. It is a dream come true!

·         Who do you think is your biggest competition?
All of the Super Moms because everyone is specialized in one dance form.

·         Who is your biggest supporter?
My husband. Without him, I wouldn’t be here.

·         What has been your most memorable moment on the show?
The time when I tied a Rakhi to Mithunda on the show.

·         What will you miss the most once the show is over?
All of the training and the fun that we have in rehearsals. All these moments have been very special.

Phulwa Khamkar, Mumbai
Was named Phulwa by her father. He was a marathi literature writer and named her Phulawa as it was the first magazine he wrote for. She never thought she would be a dancer as she was an athlete in college and even won the Chharatrapati Puraskar for gymnastics.

·         How has your journey been on DID Super Moms?
In one word – Fabulous

·         Who do you think is your biggest competition?
I have competed with my own performances through my career, so I would say that my biggest competition is with myself.

·         Who is your biggest supporter?
My family and my friend Urmila Kanetkar

·         What has been your most memorable moment on the show?
I had performed a lavni on a mujra songin one of the episodes. After my performance, Mithunda got up and came on stage wanting to touch my feet. It was a very surreal and greatly humbling moment.

·         What will you miss the most once the show is over?

I’ll miss Mithu the most ‘cos she has always made me smile.

Catch the grand finale from Surat, this Sunday, September 8, from 8 PM to 11 PM only on Zee TV.

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President Honors 336 Teachers with the National Award

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The President Shri Pranab Mukherjee gave away the National Awards to 336 teachers of outstanding merit. Speaking on the Teachers Day function in the capital, Mr. Mukherjee asked the teachers to stay firm on taking India to its next golden age. Acknowledging the role of teachers in nation building, he called for a holistic education where the children will imbibe a strong sense of enquiry, tolerance and the capacity to enter into a healthy debate. He said a sound education system is the bedrock of development. Reminding the glorious past of the country in the knowledge sector, the President said it was only possible because of the respect given to the teachers in the society. Calling for vigorous promotion of education to the girl child, he said that nothing is more saddening than the sight of a girl child being denied education. He further went on to say that the goal should be ‘All for Knowledge and Knowledge for All’.Speaking on the occasion, the Human Resource Development Minister Dr. M.M. Pallam Raju said that a National Mission on Teachers and Teaching is proposed to be initiated soon to address, current and urgent issues such as supply of qualified teachers, attracting talent into teaching profession and raising the quality of teaching in schools and colleges. It is also envisaged that the National Mission would pursue the long term goal of building a strong professional cadre of teachers by setting performance standards and creating top class institutional facilities for innovative training and professional development of teachers. Noticing the emerging changes in the tasks and roles of teachers, he said it necessitates new orientations and new learning on the part of teachers. A key factor that directly influences the education sector and consequently the roles and tasks of the teachers is the generation and application of new knowledge. The Minister of State of HRD Dr. Jitin Prasada said that the success of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan has created a demand for secondary education. Describing education as the most precious of natural resources, he said that the government is committed to provide education to all children. His colleague, Dr. Shashi Tharoor recalled the support the President had given to the education sector as a minister in various key departments. 177 primary teachers and 140 secondary teachers are among the awardees. 6 Sanskrit teachers and 4 Madarsa teachers were also honored on the occasion. Teachers Day is celebrated on the birthday of the second President of India, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan who was an eminent scholar. The scheme of the National Awards to teachers was introduced in 1958 with the objective of enhancing the prestige of teachers and giving public recognition to teachers of outstanding merit. Each award constitutes a certificate of merit, a silver medal and a cash prize of Rs. 25000/-.

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BRICS Leaders ahead of the G20 Summit in St. Petersburg

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BRICS Leaders ahead of the G20 Summit in St. Petersburg

BRICS Leaders met on 5 September 2013, ahead of the formal opening of the G20 Summit in St Petersburg.  The Leaders noted the continued slow pace of the recovery, high unemployment in some countries, and on-going challenges and vulnerabilities in the global economy, particularly in advanced economies. They believe that major economies, including G20, could do more to boost global demand and market confidence.  In light of the increase in financial market and capital flow volatility during recent months, the BRICS Leaders reiterated their concerns they had expressed in the Durban Summit in March, regarding the unintended negative spillovers of unconventional monetary policies of certain developed economies. They emphasized that the eventual normalization of monetary policies needs to be effectively and carefully calibrated and clearly communicated.  BRICS Leaders also expressed their concern with the stalling of the International Monetary Fund reform process. They recalled the urgent need to implement the 2010 IMF Quota and Governance Reform, as well as to complete the next general quota review by January 2014 as agreed at the G20 Seoul Summit in order ensure the Fund’s credibility, legitimacy and effectiveness.  The Leaders look forward to the 9th World Trade Organisation’s Ministerial conference to be held in December 2013, and expect that it will be a stepping stone to the successful and balanced conclusion of the Doha Development Round.  The Leaders of Brazil, India, China and South Africa congratulated Russia for the successful Presidency of the G20 in 2013 and appreciated the emphasis by the Russian Presidency on the development agenda.  The Leaders welcomed the good progress made towards the establishment of the BRICS-led New Development Bank (NDB) and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA).  On the NDB, progress has been made in negotiating its capital structure, membership, shareholding and governance. The Bank will have an initial subscribed capital of US$ 50 billion from the BRICS countries.  On the CRA, consensus has been achieved on many key aspects and operational details regarding its establishment. As agreed in Durban, the CRA will have an initial size of US$100 billion. Country’s individual commitments to the CRA will be as follows: China – US$ 41 billion; Brazil, India, and Russia – US$ 18 billion each; and South Africa – US$ 5 billion.  In light of the progress achieved both in the negotiations of the NDB and CRA the BRICS leaders expect tangible results by the time of the next Summit.  The Leaders welcomed the first meeting of the BRICS Business Council held recently in Johannesburg, South Africa, and encouraged the business community to increase contacts and cooperation.  The Leaders noted that the recent developments in the world economy and emphasised the necessity for intra-BRICS economic cooperation.

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Prime Minister’s address at the St. Petersburg G-20 Summit

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Following is the text of Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh’s address at the St. Petersburg G-20 Summit:  “It is a pleasure to be here in this beautiful and historic city. I join other speakers in thanking President Putin for the excellent arrangements made and the warm welcome we have received.  We have a long agenda but I will restrict myself to commenting only on some major issues.  The world economy is not in good shape. There is some good news of a strengthening of growth in some industrialised countries, but it is not broad based. The prospects for the Eurozone as a whole remain uncertain. Unemployment in all industrialised countries is too high, with no early prospect of relief. Growth in emerging markets, which was strong until recently, and was a major force for global recovery, has slowed down significantly.  The G 20 is the premier international forum for discussing international economic issues. I think we need to reflect on why we are having less success in restoring global growth than we had hoped.  Fiscal consolidation was necessary but the initial targets were perhaps too ambitious. Combined with private sector de-leveraging, this produced a deficiency of demand which led to slow growth and high unemployment. The possibility of these negative effects was known, but they were supposed to be offset by strong structural reforms in industrialised countries that would enhance productivity and therefore private investment. This did not happen, or at least not as widely, or at the pace that was expected.  Faced with persistent demand deficiency, industrialised countries relied heavily on unconventional monetary expansion on an unprecedented scale. This did not emerge from the agreed policy coordination process. It emerged from internal decision making processes in the individual countries, reacting to their respective economic outcomes.  The policy of unconventional monetary expansion in advanced countries had some success but it also had spillover effects. When policy was being loosened, there was a surge in capital flows to emerging markets, which helped some countries finance their current account deficits while generating upward pressure on the currencies of other countries. With markets now anticipating a reversal, we are seeing a large outward flow from emerging markets. Since most emerging markets now operate with flexible exchange rates, they have experienced varying degrees of currency depreciation, posing problems in many cases.  The conventional view that capital volatility should not be a source of concern as long as exchange rates were flexible is now being questioned. Sudden increases in cross border flows not only affect the exchange rate, they also affect credit volumes and asset prices. Such flows led to excess leverage in the industrial countries before the global financial crisis. They are leading to stock market and exchange rate volatility in emerging markets today.  These problems suggest that the G20 policy co-ordination process needs to pay more attention to monetary policy than it has. I recognise this poses special challenges. Central Banks typically guard their independence, and some also have narrow legal mandates focussed on domestic objectives. The impact of monetary policy on capital flows is also difficult to predict since it depends on how markets react, which cannot always be anticipated. However, if we accept the need for coordination of fiscal policy among the systemically important countries, there is an equally compelling case to cover monetary policy in the reserve country currencies. There is certainly room for more extensive consultation and more effective communication on this issue. Our Finance Ministers should find ways of strengthening the Mutual Assessment Process to achieve these objectives.  India has been affected by currency volatility in the past few weeks. One reason for this is that we had a high current account deficit of 4.8 percent of our GDP in 2012-13. This was easily financed when flows were ample. It became a problem when flows suddenly dried up. We have taken steps to reduce our current account deficit to 3.7 percent of GDP in 2013-14, and we intend to reduce it further to about 2.5 percent. Meanwhile, we are taking steps to finance this deficit by establishing a macro economic environment that is seen to be friendly to stable foreign flows.  We will continue to work within the framework of an open economy to restore growth to earlier levels. We have undertaken a number of reforms, and intend to do more in future. The reforms that lie ahead are the more difficult reforms, relating to control of subsidies, reform of the tax system and reform of the financial sector. We are working on all these areas. The new Governor of the Reserve Bank of India has indicated important changes in banking regulations that will accelerate the reform process.  Our efforts at restoring growth will be greatly helped if we have a stable external environment that is supportive of growth. The G 20 has a major role to play in this context. This Summit must send a clear signal of our collective commitment to work together for the revival of growth, which is the only way of ensuring a sustainable growth in quality jobs. We must focus especially on the need to restore robust growth in the emerging market countries, which will also contribute to global recovery.  Fiscal consolidation is important for many countries and must remain a key medium term objective. However, it must be pursued with realistic time paths, keeping in mind the current weaknesses in demand in many countries. On our part, we are determined to ensure that the fiscal deficit will not exceed the target indicated.  A strategy for job creation in developing countries must include stronger efforts to impart employable skills to the labour force. We can learn from international experience in this area, including the experience of industrialised countries. We also need better functioning labour markets in both industrialised and developing countries.  International labour mobility in high end skills has become an important lubricant of global integration across countries. Pending the evolution of an international agreement on these issues, we must do whatever we can to avoid new restrictive measures in this area.  Let me now turn to the issue of reform of the financial system, which has been an important part of our agenda. I congratulate the Financial Stability Board for the very considerable progress that has been made in spelling out the details of improved capital requirements under Basel III, and getting commitments from countries to meet the new capital adequacy standards.  There are other areas that are more complex and on which work is ongoing. This includes development of guidelines for leverage ratios to supplement capital adequacy, regulation of the shadow banking system, and regulation of over the counter derivatives. We also need to develop a framework which can overcome the “too big to fail” problem. This involves identification and regulation of systemically important financial institutions, designing better systems of supervision of such institutions that operate across borders, and developing a cross border resolution mechanism. Good work has been done in all these areas, but it remains a work in progress. We must persevere towards its successful conclusion.  There is a note of caution I would like to insert from the perspective of developing countries. Regulations aimed at increasing the stability of the financial system should not operate to the disadvantage of developing countries. If we cannot moderate the volatility of total capital flows, let us at least avoid amplifying this volatility through the banking system.  As we work towards a better regulated financial system, we must also ensure financial inclusion. We in India, are currently engaged in a massive exercise to enable the large population in rural areas to have access to banks. This is being achieved through the use of a bio-metric unique identification system which establishes identity and enables the individual to access her bank account through a network of banking correspondents using information technology and mobile connectivity. Thanks to modern technology and institutional innovation, we expect to add hundreds of millions of individuals as customers of banks in the short space of a few years.  The flow of credit to small and medium enterprises is an important aspect of financial inclusion. I note that several industrialised countries are taking government initiatives to encourage such credit flows. Many developing countries used to be criticised for such directed credit policies in the past on the grounds that they amounted to an interference in prudent banking. Now that there is greater appreciation of the need for such intervention, we need to share experience in this area. We have a common aim of ensuring financial inclusion consistent with prudential banking.  The reform of the international financial institutions has been a key part of our agenda. The Fourteenth Quota Review produced an agreement which would improve the voting share of the developing countries and achieve a better representation on the IMF Board. We had hoped to be able to welcome ratification of the quota increase in the St. Petersburg Summit, but that has not been possible. We must call for the earliest possible completion of the ratification process, so that the Fifteenth Quota Review can be completed in January 2014 as originally envisaged.  Let me now turn to the subject of development, which was added to our agenda in the Seoul Summit. Much useful work has been done under the various pillars, but most of it involves actions that countries have to take themselves. However, the G-20 can add the most value by pushing in areas where active international cooperation is needed.  The most important initiative in this context is the promotion of investment in infrastructure in developing countries. Larger investments in infrastructure in emerging markets will increase the potential of these countries to grow more rapidly in the medium run and will also contribute to much needed global demand in the short run.  At the Los Cabos summit we directed our Finance Ministers to explore how the G-20 can help, including through more active involvement of the multilateral development banks. We have not yet seen the results of their efforts, but there are several things we can do. The industrialised countries have shown that unconventional monetary policy can be used to great effect. We need to bring the same innovativeness in devising “unconventional development financing” also.  The World Bank and ADB could create a special window for ensuring finance in support of infrastructure development, including provision of finance for ongoing projects which face a sudden scarcity of funds owing to volatile capital flows. Access to this window should be beyond the normal country limits, which otherwise introduce inflexibility. The aim should be to create mechanisms which can increase the flow of infrastructure financing at times when other investments are slowing down.  The active involvement of international financial institutions in critical areas in developing countries can often leverage greater private investment flows to these areas. The IFC has done sterling work in many sectors, and a greater involvement of the IFC in infrastructure financing would help catalyse private sector flows into this sector.  Any significant involvement by the multilateral development banks, notably the World Bank, IFC and the ADB, to promote investment in infrastructure in emerging markets will involve additional capital. I hope the G 20 can give a signal that we are willing to provide the capital.  Another area where international action is vitally needed is in reinvigorating the Doha round. This was the first Round of Trade Negotiations that was explicitly called a Development Round. It has become a victim of the slowdown following the international financial crisis, and the preoccupation of industrialised countries with short term economic revival and reduction in unemployment. We need to get back to the negotiating table with the will to reach a conclusion.  India firmly believes that strengthening the WTO is critical for anchoring expectations about the continued commitment to an open world economy. We are willing to extend the standstill on protectionist measures, but I would urge that this must be part of a commitment to take credible steps to show progress on the Doha Round. We look forward to a positive outcome in the Ministerial Meeting in Bali in the hope that it will encourage all countries to move ahead quickly on the main agenda.  I have not commented on many items in the agenda because of lack of time and because I feel that the text of the draft declaration that has emerged from our Sherpas’ discussions adequately reflects our point of view.  I conclude by congratulating you and the Russian Presidency for the work that has been done to ensure that the St Petersburg Summit makes a substantive contribution to evolving a consensus on many difficult issues facing the world economy.”

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OBC Opening of 21 Branches in Unbanked Rural Centres

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Opening of 21 Branches in Unbanked Rural Centres

by Shri S. L. Bansal, CMD of the Bank on 04^th September,2013

Shri S.L. Bansal, Chairman & Managing Director of Oriental Bank of Commerce, a leading Public Sector Bank today announced opening of 21 branches in Unbanked Rural Centres spread across 7 different states in the presence of Shri V. Kannan & Shri  Bhupinder Nayyar, Executive Directors of the Bank.  

After opening of these branches, Bank’s total branch network stands at 2044 as on 04.09.2013. Out of these, 498 branches are in rural centres and another 575 branches are in semi-urban centres, thereby having 52.5% of its total branches in rural and semi-urban centres.

During the current financial year, i.e., FY 2013-14, as on 04^th September 2013, the Bank has opened 21 branches in Unbanked Rural Centres and plans to open more than 20 branches in such centres shortly.

Oriental Bank of Commerce is committed to provide basic banking facilities to unbanked rural centres.

Place : Corporate Office, Gurgaon

Date   : 04^th September, 2013

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National Teacher Award for Delhi School Teacher Ashok Pandey

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National Teacher Award for Delhi School Teacher Ashok Pandey, Principal, Ahlcon International School

Confers with National Award for Teachers 2013

September 5^th : When the nation celebrates Teachers⠄ay on September 5, Mr Ashok Pandey, Principal in Ahlcon International School Mayur Vihar has conferred with this yearⳠNational Awards for Teacher, ࠷hich is presented annually by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, from the President of India.

Ashok Pandey , Mr. Ashok Pandey, Principal, Ahlcon International School is working in the School sector for the past 30 years. He chose to work with young kids immediately after his Masters in Physics from Allahabad University. Later he did his Masters in Education and in Management.

During his long career he worked with many prestigious organisations such as Mayo College, Ajmer, Delhi Public School, Jammu and Indian Embassy School, Saudi Arabia. He is a respected opinion maker and his views on education are widely respected. He appears regularly in media both print and electronic.

Recipient of several awards including ჂSE Award⠦or his contribution in Education and Community Development, Mr. Pandey is currently involved in issues such as School transformation, quality interventions, professional development and innovations in teaching-learning.

– 

Regards,

༯div>

Meenakshi Sandiliya
Sr. Manager 

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Countries to adopt 10 targets to combat noncommunicable diseases

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Countries to adopt 10 targets to combat noncommunicable diseases

New Delhi, 5 September 2013: Eleven South-East Asian countries are expected to adopt 10 targets to prevent and control noncommunicable diseases by 2025. An estimated 7.9 million lives, 55% of all deaths in the Region, are lost every year due to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) making it the biggest killer in WHO’s South-East Asia Region. Four major NCDs – cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, cancers and diabetes together kill the largest number of people in the Region. These NCDs share four behavioral risk factors: tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol. The Health Ministers will meet at the Sixty-sixth Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia in New Delhi.

The increase in NCDs is attributed to factors such as population ageing, rapid and unplanned urbanization, negative effects of globalization (such as trade and irresponsible marketing of unhealthy products), low literacy, and poverty.

“Noncommunicable diseases exact a huge toll on national economies. NCDs disproportionately affect poor, impoverished families and are a growing burden on health systems,” said Dr Samlee Plianbangchang, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia. “These 10 targets are ambitious goals and they demonstrate that governments are serious about reducing the disease burden from NCDs” he added.

The macroeconomic impact of NCDs is profound, resulting in loss of productivity and gross domestic product. Due to long-term treatment costs and high out-of-pocket costs, NCDs can result in catastrophic health expenditures and impoverishment. In India, for example, the share of out-of-pocket expenditure due to NCDs increased from 32% in 1995 to 47% in 2004; of this NCD-related expenditure, 40% was financed by household borrowing and sale of assets. In Thailand, the economic burden of the harmful use of alcohol was estimated to be equivalent to 2% of the gross domestic product in 2006. According to a recent analysis by Harvard School of Public Health, the cumulative economic loss due to the four major NCDs in India for 2012 – 2030 is estimated as 3.9 trillion dollars.
The United Nations General Assembly galvanized global momentum and commitment to address NCDs at a high-level meeting in 2011. In May 2013 the World Health Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution endorsing the Global Action Plan for Prevention and Control of NCDs. The global action plan covers the period 2013–2020. The Assembly also adopted the global monitoring framework and a set of nine voluntary global targets. At the WHO Regional Committee Meeting, countries of the South-East Asian Region are expected to endorse all nine global targets. The Region is also endorsing a tenth target to address household air pollution which remains a neglected issue especially affecting poor rural women. The target calls for a 50% reduction in households using solid fuels like wood, crop residue, dried dung, coal and charcoal, as the primary cooking source.

Household air pollution (HAP), also known as indoor air pollution is a major contributor to death due to lower respiratory tract infections in children and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adults. Other adverse effects of HAP include tuberculosis, cataracts, cerebrovascular diseases and poor maternal outcomes including stillbirth. An estimated 3.5 million deaths in 2010 were attributed to household air pollution globally. According to WHO estimates, while 50% of the global population uses solid fuels for their energy needs, 61% of households in the Region use solid fuels, which is second only to Africa at 77%. Household air pollution is largely a problem of poverty and lack of access to clean fuels. Therefore it requires committed actions by multiple sectors including the governments, industry, NGOs and the private sector.

The Regional Committee is expected to adopt a Regional Action Plan for Prevention and Control of NCDs. The action plan is intended to provide a roadmap of actions for developing and implementing policies and programmes to reduce the burden of NCDs. It also provides a roadmap to achieve a 25% reduction in deaths from cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes, or chronic respiratory diseases by 2025. Implementation of the plan will be monitored through a set of indicators which are consistent with the global monitoring framework. Reports on progress in implementing the action plan will be submitted to the WHO Regional Committee sessions in 2016, 2018 and 2021.

10 Targets to be achieved by 2025

1. 25% relative reduction in overall mortality from cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes, or chronic respiratory diseases.
2. 10% relative reduction in the harmful use of alcohol.
3. 30% relative reduction in prevalence of current tobacco use in persons aged over 15 years.
4. 10% relative reduction in prevalence of insufficient physical activity.
5. 30% relative reduction in mean population intake of salt/sodium.
6. 25% reduction in prevalence of raised blood pressure.
7. Halting the rise in obesity and diabetes.
8. 50% of eligible people receive drug therapy and counselling (including glycaemic control) to prevent heart attacks and strokes.
9. 80% availability of affordable basic technologies and essential medicines, including generics, required to treat major NCDs in both public and private facilities.
10. 50% relative reduction in the proportion of households using solid fuels as the primary cooking source.

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