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Bengaluru
High 27°
Low 20°weather
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10gm Gold -
28,098
10gm 24 kt -28,098
1kg Sliver - 57,386
Bullion Rate
MONSOON MAYHEM: FLOODS IN UTTARAKHAND, YAMUNA OVERFLOWS IN HARYANA
NEW DELHI, JUNE 17- The monsoon fury has taken its toll across North India. While thirteen people have died in Uttarakhand floods, in Haryana's Yamunanagar, dozens have been stranded after a sudden rise in water levels.
Yamunanagar has been taken by surprise by heavy rains. More than 50 people are stranded after a sudden rise in the water level of the Yamuna river near the Lapara village. Army and NDRF teams have reached the spot and are standing by with a helicopter to rescue the marooned villagers as soon as weather permits. The force of the rising water is so strong that a rescue by boat is not possible.
2 km of roads in the area have been washed away by rising waters. So far 4 lakh cusecs of water has been released from Hathnikund barrage by the Haryana government.
The rain has taken Delhi too by surprise as heavy rainfall was recorded on Sunday with some rain continuing through the night. The much needed rain did bring down the temperature though, with 36.6 mm rainfall recorded on Sunday.
Incessant heavy rains even led to waterlogging at the IGI airport in New Delhi, causing inconvenience to passengers who waded through knee deep water while the baggage handling system was left crippled.
The monsoon arrived in Delhi on Sunday a fortnight ahead of schedule. The airport witnessed an "unprecedented" rainfall of 117.8 mm in four and half hours, between 1 PM and 5.30 PM on Sunday. The airport experienced 62.8 mm of rains between 1 PM and 2.30 PM and 55 mm between 2.30 PM and 5.30 PM. The amount of rain water, combined with poor drainage in the surrounding area and topography of airport led to back flow of water towards the Terminal 3 of the airport.
Heavy floods have been recorded in Uttarkashi and other parts of Uttarakhand too. The Hemkund pilgrimage has also been put on hold. More than 20,000 people are stranded due to landslides. In Dehradun, three people have reportedly died in the heavy rainfall that hasn't stopped in the past 36 hours.
MONSOON ARRIVES EARLY RAIN PLAYS HAVOC IN NORTH INDIA
NEW DELHI, JUNE 17- The monsoon has struck India early and it's already creating mayhem across the country. The southwest monsoon has so far covered entire Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, with rains lashing many parts in the region, leading to a dip in temperature.
The most devastating impact of the torrential rains has been felt in Uttarakhand where there have been landslides and scores of houses have collapsed. The rains, which began Saturday night, have continued for the past two days and the Met department has predicted more thunder showers. Due to the poor weather conditions, the Char Dham Yatra has been suspended.The worst affected districts in Uttarakhand are Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi, Gaurikund and Kedarnath. In Kedarnath, one of the four Hindu pilgrim spots (Char Dham) in Uttarakhand, reports say 11 people have been killed and more than 50 others are missing. Reports also say that nearly 30,000 pilgrims are stranded in the valley because of landslides. (Read) Authorities have ordered 10 helicopters to rescue those stranded, but due to unfavourable weather condition, those choppers won't be able to land at the affected site.The annual Kailash Mansarovar Yatra has been suspended today in view of heavy rains and landslides in Uttarakhand. The National Disaster Management Authority has said that the situation appears serious as communication links are broken.
KARNATAKA LOST RS 1 LAKH CRORE FROM 2006-2010
BANGALORE, JUNE 17- The epic proportions of the illegal mining scam that was uncovered by the Karnataka Lokayukta in its 2011 report may actually have been just one act of a much larger, more complex and multi-layered drama.
There is now new evidence to suggest that the Lokayukta s final report on illegal mining a political game-changer that sent the powerful to jail and catalysed a regime change in the state is just one part of the mining story. A six-month-long investigation by The Hindu, with help from whistleblowers in the Railways, the Karnataka Commercial Taxes Department and the CBI, points to losses to the State exchequer between January 2006 and December 2010 that are, at the very least, Rs. 1 lakh crore or eight times the estimated figure given in the Lokayukta report. The investigation also shows that the State lost Rs. 2,000 crore in commercial taxes.
The new information suggests that the dominant narrative on illegal mining, namely, that illegal ore was mainly exported to China to feed an infrastructure boom triggered by the Beijing Olympics, is actually a very partial telling of the mining scam story. The new data with The Hindu furthers the depth and reach of the mining scam, a part of which was so exhaustively covered in the Lokayukta report.
FORMER MPS SAILENDRA MAHATO AND HIS WIFE RETURN TO BJP
NEW DELHI, JUNE 17- Former MPs Sailendra Mahato and his wife Abha Mahato on Sunday rejoined BJP, pledging unconditional support to the saffron party. BJP state secretary Sailendra Singh, party spokesman Amarpreet Singh Kale and other office bearers of the Jamshedpur unit welcomed the couple at the party office here.
Asked why other senior leaders of the state party were not present unlike last time when Mahato joined, Kale said Mahato decided to return long back and his joining has the party leadership's direction. "For us every person joining the party is a step forward in strengthening BJP, and we believe both of them will work for the party keeping its principles and values," Kale said, downplaying when asked how he felt to welcome Mahato who had once quit the BJP.
Mahato, who was an accused in the JMM MPs' bribery case that hit the PV Narasimha Rao government in the 1990s, began his career with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and won LS election on that party ticket. After quitting JMM, he joined BJP, the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantric), Janata Dal (United) and AJSU before returning to the saffron party.
BREATHTAKING PHOTOS OF HONG KONG AIRPORT GLORY DAYS
NEW DELHI, JUNE 17- Fifteen years after Richard Siegel, Hong Kong's then-director of civil aviation, bid farewell and turned off the lights at Hong Kong Kai Tak International Airport, the old airport has been given a new life.
With official ceremonies set for this week, it will be rechristened Kai Tak Cruise Terminal. The new facility will accommodate cruise ships and other large vessels.
Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas will be the first ship to arrive at the cruise ship berth -- formerly runway 13 -- today at 8 p.m.
Before its closure in 1998, Kai Tak (the first recorded flight from the site took place in 1925) was regarded as one of the most difficult airports in the world for pilots to fly into and out of.
As it sat in the middle of Kowloon City, with a runway protruding into the sea, landing in Kai Tak was a hair-raising event even for experienced pilots.
Cathay Pacific Airways' general manager of operations and pilot Russell Davie has 36 years of flying experience.
He remembers Kai Tak fondly.
"As a pilot, it was totally unique. It was the only major airport in the world that required a 45-degree turn below 500 feet to line up with the runway, literally flying between the high-rise buildings, passing close to the famous orange and white checkerboard as you made that final turn toward the runway," he said.
Daryl Chapman, a teacher and aviation photographer from Britain who has lived in Hong Kong since 1987, spent countless hours photographing the amazing scenes of large aircraft swooping in over the Hong Kong skyline. (See a gallery of his work above.)
"Kai Tak was very different to most international airports because it was right in the city," recalled Chapman. "Lion Rock (a prominent hill in Hong Kong) blocks the standard straight-in approach; thus planes had to make that special turn over Kowloon City while landing on runway 13."
"This was quite a challenge, especially in strong wind conditions," Davie said. "As Cathay pilots, we had plenty of practice and became very adept at flying the approach.
"The approach was quite a challenge for pilots from other airlines, especially in more demanding flying conditions, as they might only come to Kai Tak once a year.
PRIME MINISTER TO TAKE OATH AS RAJYA SABHA MEMBER TODAY
NEW DELHI, JUNE 17- Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday took oath as member of Rajya Sabha after being re-elected from Assam.
80-year-old Singh, who is the Leader of the Upper House, was recently elected a member of Rajya Sabha from Assam for the fifth consecutive term. Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party leaders Ahmed Patel, Motilal Vohra and Rajv Shukla were among those present on the occasion.
Singh, who took oath in the name of God, told reporters that "It is a great opportunity for me to re-dedicate myself to the service of the people of Assam".
Lok Janshakti Party President Ram Vilas Paswan, SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav and a number of Rajya Sabha members were present at the function. Another Congress member from Assam Santius Kujur also took oath today.
The election to the two Rajya Sabha seats from Assam had taken place on May 30 and Congress had won both the seats.
INDIANS OVERSTAYING VISA IN SAUDI TO FACE ACTION UNDER NITAQAT LAW, ALERTS EMBASSY
NEW DELHI, JUNE 17- The Indian embassy in Riyadh has warned its citizens not to overstay their visa in Saudi Arabia and leave the country immediately once they have obtained Emergency Certificates to avoid penal action over Nitaqat law.
"Anyone who overstays their visa in Saudi Arabia beyond the grace period will face penal action including jail sentence, penalty and deportation with a ban on re-entry," the embassy said in a statement.
"The embassy again urges all overstaying Indian nationals to avoid such a situation by availing the 'concessions' announced by the Saudi authorities during the grace period which ends on July 3, 2013," it added.
According to the embassy, all those who have obtained ECs from the embassy will have their original passports cancelled. They will not be able to travel out of India using their old passports, even if the date of expiry on their passports shows validity.
"Anyone wanting to change their jobs (Tanazul) in Saudi Arabia could obtain new passports after following the necessary procedures," said the statement.
The embassy urged all Indian nationals who have applied for ECs to collect the same from the embassy on the dates allotted to them, on or before June 20, 2013.
BJP BETRAYED BIHAR AND JD(U) IT DOESN'T RESPECT ITS ELDERS: NITISH
PATNA, JUNE 17- A day after breaking the 17-year-old alliance between the Janata Dal United and the Bharatiya Janata Party, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday hit out at the BJP saying the party never made efforts to address its ally's concerns. He said the BJP betrayed the JD(U).
"We have had good relations with Sushil Kumar Modi, problems came up only when external influences started affecting the BJP's state unit. I was expecting Sushil Modi and other state BJP colleagues to attend the state cabinet meeting and
when they didn't attend it, we had to think about separation. There is no betrayal. If there is, it is from their side," Nitish said on Monday.
Nitish also took on the BJP over the recent LK Advani issue. "I praised the Advani-Atal era, they forgot that, they forgot their elders. What can we I say about those who forget their elders," said Nitish.
Nitish said the BJP never made an effort to address the JD(U)'s concerns. "If Atal ji not well, at least Advani could have addressed the concerns raised in the alliance. If they are moving forward without addressing the concerns raised by the alliance, then what could we have done. The central BJP leaders kept calling, asking us not to take a decision. But they were never ready to give us an assurance on what they will do about our concerns," Nitish said.
RBI KEEPS INTEREST RATE UNCHANGED ON CONCERN OVER RE INFLATION
MUMBAI, JUNE 17- Reserve Bank today kept the key interest rates unchanged citing elevated food inflation, rupee depreciation and uncertainty over foreign fund inflows.
The repo rate at which the RBI lends to the system has been retained at 7.25 per cent, while the cash reserve ratio will continue to be 4 per cent.
"The monetary policy stance has been informed by the evolving growth-inflation dynamics, the balance of risks as well as recent developments in the external sector," RBI Governor D Subbarao said in the mid-quarter policy review.
He specifically cited the decision of the US Fed to trim the growth stimuli in a phased manner and articulated concern over risks coming "on account of uncertainty over policies of systemic central banks."
The May 22 announcement has led to fund outflows from emerging markets, including India, and hence, depreciation in the rupee, which is already facing trouble over the high current account deficit, touching an alarming 6.7 per cent in the December quarter.
To reduce the CAD to a sustainable level; the near term challenge is to finance it through stable flows," the statement said.
Rupee has declined by 5.8 per cent since January 1 and touched a record low of 58.96 to a dollar last week. It was trading at 57.84 during the morning trade.
In its guidance, the RBI, particularly, flagged risks on inflation, saying "it is only a durable receding of inflation that will open up the space for monetary policy to continue to address risks to growth.
MOHAN BHAGWAT VISITS DELHI TO MEET LK ADVANI TOMORROW
NEW DELHI, JUNE 17- Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, who will be in the national capital on Monday evening, is expected to meet senior BJP leader LK Advani on Tuesday. The meeting is likely to take place even as Advani continues to voice his grievance over Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's elevation as poll panel chief.
RSS chief had played peacemaker earlier and averted the Bharatiya Janata Party's crisis by convincing LK Advani to come back into the party fold. Advani withdrew his resignation and had returned to all party posts.
On Sunday, Janata Dal United had broken its 17-year-old alliance with BJP over Modi's elevation. In Bihar, JD(U)-BJP ruled state, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had sacked 11 BJP ministers and will seek confidence vote on June 19.