India President Pratibha Patil bats for empowerment of women

Kolkata, 22 September : Indian President Pratibha Patil today said empowerment of women and equitable distribution of wealth are vital for the country's progress.
"If women are empowered, the nation will become stronger," Patil said while inaugurating the platinum jubilee celebrations of Akhil Bharatiya Marwari Sammelan here.
"Economic inequality is the biggest challenge for economic growth. The benefits of economic growth should reach to all people to ensure equality in the society," Patil added.
According to the President, India is a great source of manpower, but lacks in putting efforts for training and skill development of people.
Patil also emphasised the need for incorporating "ethics" in business while acknowledging that the Indian industries have to compete with organisations of other nations to face challenges posed by globalisation. န Photo : AFP

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Ayodhya : SMS, MMS banned

PTI, New Delhi, 22 September : India government on Wednesday banned bulk SMS and MMS for three days with immediate effect in view of the Ayodhya title suits verdict.
The Ministry of Communications issued the order in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs. The order has been issued to all mobile telecom service providers in the country for “banning all bulk SMS and MMS in all service areas with immediate effect for next 72 hours”.
The step comes two days before the verdict by the Allahabad High Court on the title suit of the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute on Friday. The government is apprehensive that some extreme elements may foment trouble by inciting communal passions after the delivery of the judgement. န Photo : PTI

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5 elephants die as train hits them at Binnaguri in Jalpaiguri
PTI, Jalpaiguri, 22 September : At least five elephants were killed and three others injured today when a speeding goods train hit the animals when they were crossing railway tracks near Binnaguri in Jalpaiguri district.
"Five elephants were run over and killed on the spot. Three others were injured as the train hit the group of animals at about 11.15 pm," Subhas Chandra Ghosh, ranger of Binnaguri Wildlife range, told PTI. The elephants were going from Maraghat range forest to Diana forest, he said.

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Hasina urges world leaders to formulate effective strategy, more investment to conserve biodiversity
UNB, New York, 22 September : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday painted a bleak picture of biodiversity on the planet and urged the world leaders to formulate an effective strategy with genuine commitment and more investment to conserve it.
“Biodiversity is worsening with increasing world population, poor people, poverty and adverse impacts of climate change and mindless exploitation of natural resources…,” she told the High Level Plenary Convention on Biological Diversity at the UN Headquarters here. In her stark realism, Hasina blamed the mankind’s activities that results in massive extinction of species and destabilizing nature’s balance on the planet. “We have ruthlessly exploited nature’s bounty, upsetting the ecological balance, thereby placing our survival at risk,” she said.
Making a passionate appeal to the Convention, she said: “Let us not forget that every species has a specific role to play in our world ecological system, and that they are all connected in a mysterious, miraculous chain with the sole purpose of preserving our planet. န Photo : UNB

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Two persons shot dead in political clash in East Midnapore
Tamluk, 22 September : Two persons were shot dead and five others injured today in a clash between supporters of CPI(M) and Trinamool Congress at Kanthi in East Midnapore district.
"Madhusudan Hazra, a CPI(M) supporter, and Trinamool Congress worker Niladri Maity were shot dead in the clash at Sunia village this morning," Superintendent of Police Ashok Biswas said.

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Second CPI(M) activist killed by Maoists in 3days in schools

Jhargram, Kolkata, 22 September : Again CPI(M) activist was shot dead in West Midnapore district by suspected Maoists Wednesday afternoon, police said.
The victim - Srikanto Mondal, an employee of Sebayatan Girls' High School - was shot in front of the school gate. Mandol's parents, who were with him at the time of the incident, also sustained bullet injuries and were admitted to a hospital. "The modus operandi suggests that Maoists were behind the crime," said Superintendent of Police Praveen Tripathi. Maoists had Tuesday threatened Mondal that he will be killed if he did not stop participating in the night patrolling and anti-Maoists movement launched by the local CPI(M) supporters.
Earlier also, several school teachers have been killed by the Maoists within the school premises - the latest being the murder of Ananta Mukherjee, CPI(M) zonal committee member and clerical staff of Silda High School. န File Photo

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Railway Minister Mamata appeals for peace and harmony
Kolkata, 22 September : Indian Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee today appealed for peace and harmony prior to the Ayodhya title suit verdict on 24 September.
"All Indians should keep faith in the court's verdict. We appeal to all citizens to have respect for the court's order whichever way it goes," the Trinamool Congress chief told newspersons here today.

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Assam government constitutes 'flood management team'
Guwahati, 22 September : The Assam government today set up a commission for holistic strategy for flood control and erosion management.
The 13-member flood and erosion management team was approved by the cabinet here, officials said here. The commission was formed in the wake of the flood in Barak and Brahmaputra rivers and their tributaries, causing substantive damages to crops and habitations in the state almost on a regular basis. The commission will be headed by N K Choudhury, former vice-chancellor of Gauhati University.

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BGMEA, BKMEA & BTMA express concern over yarn price

Dhaka, 22 September : Expressing grave concern over the recent price hike of yarn, the leaders of the BGMEA and BKMEA on Wednesday urged the leaders of Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) and the spinning mill owners to rein in the price hike.
At a joint emergency meeting of BGMEA and BKMEA at the BKMEA office, the woven and knit garment owners also stressed the need for a coordinated initiative for fixing the yarn price at a rational and tolerant level through a tripartite meeting among BGMEA, BKMEA and BTMA. BKMEA president AKM Selim Osman and BGMEA president Abdus Salam Murshedy, among others, attended the meeting.
The leaders of BGMEA and BKMEA apprehended that the abnormal price-hike of yarn might again make the RMG sector volatile again before the Eid-ul-Azha as then the government-announced new wage structure is scheduled to be implemented.

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Six ULFA militants nabbed in Assam's Goalpara district
PTI, Guwahati, 22 September : An ULFA camp was busted and six militants were apprehended in a joint operation by police and Army in Assam's Goalpara district today.
Acting on a tip-off, a joint team of the Army and police raided an ULFA camp atop Tarangthop Hill at Dairangsalapara area of the district, police said. The militants had, however, abandoned the camp and the security forces found some training equipment and a temporary kitchen with ration supplies.

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Bengal's Bipasha Basu to be face of Delhi Half Marathon

PTI, New Delhi, 22 September : The third edition of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon, 2010, has been launched here in the capital and Bollywood's Bengali actress Bipasha Basu was introduced as the 'face of the event'.
The event, which is expected to attract the sports loving people of Delhi as well as the health and fitness freaks, will be held on 21 November. Ethiopia's long distance runner Deriba Merga, a two-time champion in 2008 and 2009, is also expected to return for an attempt at a hat-trick of titles and a shot at his own course record of 59.15, set in 2008.
While online registrations for the event has started some time back, the physical registrations opened only yesterday and will continue till 4 November, unless the running space gets full before that. About 10,000 running spaces have been reserved for the Half Marathon category. န File Photo : Filmy Friday

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Kolkata's Md. Sporting cricket team leave for Bangladesh
Kolkata, 22 September : Kolkata's Mohammedan Sporting's cricket team today left for Bangladesh on an exposure trip to play four limited overs games and one Twenty20 match.
The 13-member side, led by Safi Ahmed, will play its first one-day match against a division one Dhaka side on 24 September, Mohammedan Sporting cricket secretary Moin-bin-Moksud said. The team will then take on Bangladesh Krida Shiksha Protisthan (BKSP) on 25 September, followed by matches against Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and Dhaka XI on 26 and 27 September respectively.

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Heavy security blanket ahead of President's Agartala visit
PTI, Agartala, 22 September : A thick security blanket has been thrown through out in the capital town here in view of president Pratibha Patil's two-day visit from Friday, police said today.

The entire town has been divided into 11 security sectors and senior officers will supervise and monitor the security of each sectors, DIG (police control) Nepal Das said. Security at the airport is being looked after by paramilitary Tripura State Rifles (TSR) and CISF while police personnel have been deployed in the entire town. Some Quick Reaction Teams (QRT) have been kept ready and the Border Security Force (BSF) has been asked to completely seal the 856km long Indo-Bangla border so that no unwanted elements can sneak into the Indian territory from across the border.
President would arrive at the Agartala airport by a special flight from Mizoram on Friday morning after which she would be given a civic reception by the Agartala Municipal Council in the evening. The function would be presided over by governor Dr DY Patil while chief minister Anik Sarkar would grace the function as the chief guest.
On Friday, she will deliver a lecture in the fourth convocation of the Tripura University and would return to Delhi later in day. န File Photo

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