PTI, Guangzhou, 23 November : Tripura boy Somdev Devvarman added a historic singles gold to his men's doubles triumph with an upset win over world number 40 Denis Istomin as India rounded off its tennis campaign at the Asian Games with five medals here today.Second seed Somdev entered history books with his superb 6-1 6-2 win in the final over the top seed Uzbek as no Indian had won a gold medal in the event at the Asian Games before. Somdev, ranked 106, won his second gold in as many days at the Games as he had combined with Sanam Singh to win men's doubles event yesterday.
Just last month only Somdev had won men's singles gold at the Commonwealth Games and has been the face of India on the ATP Tour in singles for quite some time. န Photos : AFP, PTI (For More Photos, CLICK)
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PM urge world community to assist Bangladesh in protecting Royal Bengal Tigers, SundarbansUNB, St. Petersburg (Russia), 23 November : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday urged the world community to assist Bangladesh in protecting the Sundarbans and the Royal Bengal Tigers.
“The international community can join in our efforts to save this natural green wonder, the Sundarbans,” she said. The Prime Minister was addressing the plenary session of International Forum on “Preservation of Tigers” held at the Marble Hall of Konstantinovsky Palace here in the afternoon.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, among others, also addressed the session. Heads of governments, ministers and experts from 13 countries having tigers’ habitat are attending the two-day conference that began on Monday.
Sheikh Hasina requested the international community to extend its support to the Sundarbans by clicking in the website. “This click of yours could help the world’s largest mangrove forest becoming one of the `New Natural Seven Wonders’, thereby preserving along with it, the Royal Bengal Tigers and millions of other species,” she said. န Photo : AP
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I want free expression of all points of view : CM Buddhadeb
Kolkata, 23 November : West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today said his government was not in favour of influencing art and culture and wanted free expression of all points of view.
"The government must not issue diktats to the world of theatre and divide it. We want all colours of the rainbow. This is our endeavour," he said at the inauguration of the 10th drama festival here.
Kolkata, 23 November : West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today said his government was not in favour of influencing art and culture and wanted free expression of all points of view.
"The government must not issue diktats to the world of theatre and divide it. We want all colours of the rainbow. This is our endeavour," he said at the inauguration of the 10th drama festival here.
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India to deploy 36,000 extra troops on NE's Chinese border
Subir Bhaumik, BBC News, Kolkata, 23 November : India has formed two new army divisions - comprising more than 36,000 men - to defend the north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.
The remote north-eastern state adjoins China which claims large parts of it. The 56th Division will be based in the nearby state of Nagaland to guard the eastern flank of Arunachal Pradesh from Chinese attack through Burma... READ FULL STORY
Subir Bhaumik, BBC News, Kolkata, 23 November : India has formed two new army divisions - comprising more than 36,000 men - to defend the north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.
The remote north-eastern state adjoins China which claims large parts of it. The 56th Division will be based in the nearby state of Nagaland to guard the eastern flank of Arunachal Pradesh from Chinese attack through Burma... READ FULL STORY
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Container ship sinking in Hooghly river after collision
Kolkata, 23 November : A container ship has started sinking into the Hooghly river after it collided with another container vessel Tuesday in East Midnapore district, police said."The container ship - Tiger Spring - after unloading its containers at Kolkata Dock System (KDS) of Kolkata Port Trust was going back through Rangaphala channel, when another container vessel - Green Valley - which was coming to the KDS hit it in the middle at Nurpur," said Arun Kumar Bagchi, director, marine department of the port trust.
"Tiger Spring was severely damaged and has started sinking," Bagchi said. န Photo : Arunangsu Roy Chowdhury
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BADC cancels dealerships for bungling in boro seeds sales
Dhaka, 23 November : Bangladesh Agriculture Corporation (BADC) has cancelled 37 dealerships in different districts for bungling in sales of boro seeds.
It said the action was taken on the basis of investigation into allegations of charging higher price from farmers, hoarding and selling of seeds in black market. A press release said BADC supply of improved variety of seeds is closely monitored so that farmers get the required amount of seeds. It has advised the farmers to refrain from paying dealers the price higher than it was fixed.
Dhaka, 23 November : Bangladesh Agriculture Corporation (BADC) has cancelled 37 dealerships in different districts for bungling in sales of boro seeds.
It said the action was taken on the basis of investigation into allegations of charging higher price from farmers, hoarding and selling of seeds in black market. A press release said BADC supply of improved variety of seeds is closely monitored so that farmers get the required amount of seeds. It has advised the farmers to refrain from paying dealers the price higher than it was fixed.
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Several wildlife activists protest Elephant killings in Siliguri
Tarak Sarkar, Siliguri, 23 November : Several voluntary environmental and wildlife organistaions staged a protest here on Tuesday, expressing their anguish over elephants killed by speeding trains in the forest areas. Interacting with mediapersons, actor and member of the West Bengal Wildlife Board Sabyasachi Chakraborty warned that until an order is passed on speed limits near forest areas and adequate action is not taken by the railway and forest authorities, the protests would continue. "This protest shall continue until an action is taken by the railway authorities or forest department," said Chakraborty.
Tarak Sarkar, Siliguri, 23 November : Several voluntary environmental and wildlife organistaions staged a protest here on Tuesday, expressing their anguish over elephants killed by speeding trains in the forest areas. Interacting with mediapersons, actor and member of the West Bengal Wildlife Board Sabyasachi Chakraborty warned that until an order is passed on speed limits near forest areas and adequate action is not taken by the railway and forest authorities, the protests would continue. "This protest shall continue until an action is taken by the railway authorities or forest department," said Chakraborty.
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Japanese businesses eyeing Bangladesh: Jap Ambassador
Dhaka, 23 November : Expansion of bilateral trade and investment, and financing of the Padma multipurpose bridge would figure prominently at the summit talks between Prime Minister Sheik Hasina and Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan in Tokyo on 29 November.This was stated by Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Tamotsu Shinotsuka at a Meet the Reporters program at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) Tuesday. Sheikh Hasina pays a four-day state visit to Japan from 28 November. It is Hasina’s first visit to Japan for Hasina in 13 years, her last visit coming during the early part of her previous tenure as premier.
“This is going to be a very important, timely and significant visit by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” the Ambassador said. န Photo : UNB
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Five, including 2 students killed, 16 hurt in 'road mishaps'
UNB, Dhaka, 23 November : Five people, including two college students, were killed and 16 others injured in separate road mishaps in Gazipur, Gaibandha and Chapainawabganj districts on Tuesday.
In Gazipur, three people, two of them college students were killed in separate mishaps in Sripur and Sadar upazilas this (Tuesday) afternoon.Students of two colleges and locals blocked Dhaka-Kishoreganj road for over 3 hours in protest against the accident.
In separate incident, a speeding bus hit and instantly killed an unidentified juvenile, aged about 13, on Dhaka-Mymensingh road near rail over-bridge at Salna in Sadar upazla in the morning.
In Gaibandha, a truck driver was killed and 16 bus passengers were injured in an accident on Rangpur-Bogra road at Telabu in Palashbari upazla early Tuesday.
In Chapainawabganj, a minor boy was knocked down and killed by a speeding microbus at Baroghoria in Sadar upazla in the afternoon.
UNB, Dhaka, 23 November : Five people, including two college students, were killed and 16 others injured in separate road mishaps in Gazipur, Gaibandha and Chapainawabganj districts on Tuesday.
In Gazipur, three people, two of them college students were killed in separate mishaps in Sripur and Sadar upazilas this (Tuesday) afternoon.Students of two colleges and locals blocked Dhaka-Kishoreganj road for over 3 hours in protest against the accident.
In separate incident, a speeding bus hit and instantly killed an unidentified juvenile, aged about 13, on Dhaka-Mymensingh road near rail over-bridge at Salna in Sadar upazla in the morning.
In Gaibandha, a truck driver was killed and 16 bus passengers were injured in an accident on Rangpur-Bogra road at Telabu in Palashbari upazla early Tuesday.
In Chapainawabganj, a minor boy was knocked down and killed by a speeding microbus at Baroghoria in Sadar upazla in the afternoon.
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650,000 to get Hepatitis-B vaccine in Tripura by March 2011
Agartala, 23 November : As many as 650,000 people in Tripura will be vaccinated against Hepatitis B by March next year, says an NGO that has undertaken a mass immunisation programme in association with the state government."Tripura is the only state in India where the Hepatitis Foundation of Tripura (HFT), an NGO of northeast India, in association with the state health department has undertaken mass immunisation of Hepatitis B vaccine since 2003," Pradip Bhowmik, physician and HFT president, told reporters Monday on the sidelines of a mass state-wide vaccination programme. "Since 2003, our organisation in collaboration with the Tripura government has vaccinated 550,000 men, women and children," he said. By March next year, 650,000 people in the northeastern state would be covered under the mass immunisation against Hepatitis B, he said.
In Tripura, Hepatitis B positivity is four to five percent, while 11 percent of the doctors' fraternity is vulnerable to this infectious disease. HFT general secretary Dibakar Debnath told reporters that through 31 permanent centres across Tripura, the NGO has been vaccinating on an average 125,000 people every year and a special mass hepatitis B eradication programme through 200 transitory centres was initiated in Tripura last year.
Calling it a "dreaded" disease, Bhowmik pointed out that two to seven percent people in India have bundertake any mass countrywide vaccination programme. "It (Hepatitis) is one of the dreaded een infected with the Hepatitis B virus but the central government has yet to diseases that can cause serious liver ailments and other organ damage," Bhowmik said.
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