Bashar al-Assad rejects foreign mediation

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has rejected international intervention in his country, saying Syria's problems will be resolved by Syrians.Assad made the remark during a one-hour interview broadcast on Iran's state-run television on Thursday. The interview was reportedly recorded one week ago.

Syrian president condemned the United States and European countries for supporting anti-government forces behind the scenes. He added that Arab countries were also involved and that Syrians will not accept any solution proposed by other countries.

Assad said opposition extremists in Syria are colluding with international terrorists to attack civilians.

He said his government will continue using force to crack down on opposition forces. He said eliminating just one terrorist can save many lives.

Fighting between government troops and opposition forces has been escalating across Syria.

The opposition says 104 people, including 20 children, were killed in government attacks on Wednesday alone.

The United States, Russia and other key players in the crisis will meet in Geneva on Saturday.

EDINBURGH NAPIER UNIVERSITY

Indian orphanage students win Scottish scholarships

29 June 2012: Two students from one of India ’s most deprived areas have been awarded scholarships to study at a Scottish University .

 

Cain Gomes (21), who was brought up by his great uncle after the deaths of both his parents and Asif Ahmed (21), who helps on his father’s street stall, will leave their homes in Kolkata in January to start BA Hospitality Management courses at Edinburgh Napier University thanks to generous sponsorship schemes.

 

Businesswoman and honorary Edinburgh Napier graduate Vin Murria, whose family left India when she was three to start a new life in Britain, has pledged £10,000 to pay for one of the student’s education.

 

A second paid place is being donated by Professor George Stonehouse, Dean of the University’s Business School .

 

The young men were both supported through school by St. Mary’s Day School and Orphanage, a centre which has helped hundreds of impoverished youngsters access education since its beginnings in 1848.

 

Cain, who now works on behalf of the charity with abandoned children in Kolkata’s red light district, hopes to find work as a chef after the course.

 

He said: “For a student like me brought up by an economically challenged family, when I found out I was getting a scholarship I couldn’t sleep for one week. I’m feeling very happy and looking forward to it.”

 

Asif, who currently spends a full day at college before coming home to help on his father’s street stall selling toys, added: “I’m from a very difficult background so I’m very grateful to be given this opportunity.”

 

Inspired by the work of St. Mary’s, Edinburgh Napier hospitality students – many of whom previously studied at the International Institute of Hotel Management and the Institute of Advanced Management in Kolkata - have raised £1000 for St. Mary’s through a sponsored walk and a special Indian lunch event.

 

Edinburgh Napier lecturer Pauline Gordon, who is the programme leader for the course, said: “St. Mary’s were completely speechless when I broke the news about the scholarships to them. They were overwhelmed that so many kind and generous people had wanted to help.

 

“I met Asif and Cain, who’re living in quite desperate conditions compared to those young people in Scotland are used to. Both of them are really looking forward to starting their courses with us in January and are also excited about joining in with further fundraising ventures to help others like themselves.”

 

The University already has strong links with the charity – last year former pupil Badar Azim graduated with a BA in Hospitality Management thanks to St. Mary’s funding.

 

Vin, who is the CEO of Advanced Computer Software, said: "I am delighted to support the progression of young individuals as they step forward in their careers and new lives, particularly where I know that the education of one individual is such a huge eco-system of support for their family and wider community. It is a true privilege to be part of the process”.

 

Prof. George Stonehouse said: “The work of St Mary’s is inspirational.  We are delighted to support the education of these young people and have seen at first hand the difference it makes to their lives”.

 

Edinburgh Napier has the second largest Indian student population of any Scottish university and in 2009 opened a regional office in Hyderabad .

 

ENDS

 

Notes to Editors

 

About Vin Murria

Vin Murria received an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration from Edinburgh Napier in 2010. One of her greatest achievements to date is growing Advanced Computer Software’s market value to £170m in just over two years. She also founded the charity, The PS Foundation, which supports the education of children in India .

 

About Edinburgh Napier University

Edinburgh Napier offers over 200 undergraduate and post graduate courses and has around 15,000 students from over 100 countries. The University has been actively recruiting in India

since 2003 and opened a regional office in Hyderabad in 2009. In 2010/11 314 students graduated with Edinburgh Napier qualifications in India .

Paes agrees to Olympic participation

Paes agrees to Olympic participation

Veteran Leander Paes has finally agreed to take part in the London Olympics, ending days of suspense over his participation after he threatened to pull out due to a selection row that engulfed Indian tennis ahead of the mega-event.

After days of maintaining a stoic silence on his Olympic participation, Paes confirmed his participation at the post-match press conference of the ongoing Wimbledon Championships in London, a statement which is likely to put a lid on the selection controversy.

"I am looking forward to representing my country with the teams that the All India Tennis Association have selected," Paes said after winning his first-round men's doubles match with regular Czech partner Radek Stepanek.

"I am here to play sport and not politics," he asserted.

The 39-year-old had threatened to withdraw from the Olympics despite being India's number one doubles player after being paired with a lower-ranked Vishnu Vardhan for the big event against his wishes.

Paes' partners of choice -- Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna -- refused to combine with him and insisted on being sent as a team themselves.

The All India Tennis Association ultimately bowed to their insistence in a compromise formula of sending two teams, leaving Paes furious.

Paes was given the mixed doubles slot with Sania Mirza, breaking her Grand Slam winning combination with Bhupathi.

In an extraordinary attack shortly after getting her Olympic wildcard, Sania hit out at AITA, Paes as well as Bhupathi, claiming that she was used as a "bait" to pacify the disgruntled veteran.

Paes, however, chose to stay mum on Sania's outburst.

"Unfortunately, I see the games being played within games, and as much as that is very disheartening, I am looking forward to playing my sixth Olympics for my country as I have played for 22 years for the people and the flag.

"Every Olympics has some nonsense coming in with it. I know how much hard work goes into what I do. (Either) people choose to respect it, which I'm very lucky that India does, (or) people choose to disrespect. That's their problem, not mine," Paes added.

The world number seven doubles player said he had no complaints about being paired with Vardhan, who is ranked 206 in the ATP list.

The seven-time Grand Slam winner in men's doubles is a singles bronze medal winner from the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Paes, set to make a record sixth Olympic appearance, said he would look to help Vardhan, who would be making his Games debut in London.

"I don't even know if he has grass-court shoes. So it's a bit of a tough one. But he's a really good kid, I'm happy to play with him.

"Whatever the obstacles are, which I see are going to be many -- he's never been to Wimbledon before -- whatever I can do as an experienced professional athlete to help my partners out, I do," he said.

The controversy broke out when AITA initially paired Paes and Bhupathi as the only men's doubles entry for the Olympics. Bhupathi refused to play with Paes, citing his commitment to Bopanna.

When approached by AITA, Bopanna also rejected the idea, leaving Paes cornered.

It was then that AITA came out with a compromise formula which was lambasted by Sania who said it reeked of male chauvinism and was humiliating to Indian womanhood.

Despite Paes' confirmation, Bhupathi might still trigger a controversy as he has expressed his desire to partner Sania in mixed doubles given their recent success -- most significant being the French Open title just a few weeks back.

Govt reconstitutes NAC

The government has reconstituted the National Advisory Council (NAC) chaired by Sonia Gandhi by dropping three members and inducting two new faces.

Mihir Shah, Member, Planning Commission, and Ashis Mondal, founder of the Bhopal-based NGO, Action for Social Advancement, have been inducted in the advisory panel for a period of one year.

Noted agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan, bureaucrat- turned-activist Harsh Mander and academician Madhav Gadgil have been denied renomination.

The tenure of the NAC had expired on 31^st May. The government reconstituted the advisory panel on Thursday making it a 12-member body, including Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Other members of the panel who have been renominated are N C Saxena, Narendra Jadhav, Pramod Tandon, Aruna Roy, A K Shiva Kumar, Deep Joshi, Anu Aga, Farah Naqvi and Mirai Chatterjee.

The tenure of the members of the reconstituted panel is till 31^st May 2013.

Jean Dreze, who was appointed member of the NAC in 2009, had quit after the panel had sent its recommendations to the government on the Food Security Bill.

Ram Dayal Munda, a prominent tribal leader and NAC member since 2009, passed away in September last year.

A meeting of the NAC which was scheduled on 29^th June has been postponed to 6^th July.

Currently, the NAC is deliberating on issues like watershed development, climate-smart agriculture and improving sex ratio at birth.

Nadal suffers shock Wimbledon defeat

Nadal suffers shock Wimbledon defeat

Rafael Nadal crashed to his worst Grand Slam defeat in seven years on Thursday when Czech journeyman Lukas Rosol, the world number 100, pulled off one of the greatest upsets in Wimbledon history.

Rosol, whose previous five visits to Wimbledon had ended in first round losses in qualifying, stunned the 2008 and 2010 champion, and 11-time Grand Slam title winner Nadal, 6-7 (9/11), 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in the second round.

It was a stunning upset as Nadal slumped to his earliest exit at a major since the same stage of the 2005 Wimbledon championship when he was beaten by Luxembourg's Gilles Muller.

It was also eerily similar to Nadal's stunning 2009 French Open fourth round loss to Robin Soderling when the Swede unleashed a barrage of destructive free-swinging tennis to destroy the Spanish star.

A dramatic evening of Centre Court action, which saw a 45-minute delay as the roof was closed to allow the fifth set and the match to be completed, will go down in history as one of the sport's biggest shocks.

Nadal had played in the last five Grand Slam finals and was fresh from a record-breaking seventh French Open triumph which had confirmed his status as one of the sport's greatest players.

But Rosol put on an awesome display of sustained, big-hitting that left Nadal stunned and bewildered.

Nadal, the champion in 2008 and 2010, and arriving at Wimbledon having captured a record seventh French Open title, had taken the first set on a tie-breaker before his campaign unravelled.

After Rosol had levelled the tie and taken a 2-1 lead on a break in the third, it was clear that the Czech was getting under the Spaniard's skin.

Nadal complained to the umpire over his 26-year-old opponent's constant skipping around on the baseline and his distracting habit of swishing his racquet from side to side as he was preparing to serve.

He was broken to trail 2-1 and the players were involved in a shoulder-charge at the changeover.

When Nadal went long to drop the third set, the historic upset was on the cards, especially with Rosol regularly hitting returns at 85 mph.

But Nadal dominated the fourth set, stretching to a 4-2 lead with a break and securing it 6-2 with a combination of stirring defence and thrilling counter-attacks.

All England Club officials insisted the match should be finished so the Centre Court roof was closed which meant a 45-minute delay before the conditions were right for a fifth set.

On the resumption, Rosol, playing a five-set match for just the third time in his career, broke in the first game and then held his nerve.

He sent down his 21st ace to go to match point and then claimed his historic win with a 22nd to take his place in the record books.

Rosol will face German 27th seed Philipp Kohlschreiber for a place in the last 16.

KERALA QUESTIONED STATEMENT OF ANAND SHARMA ON FDI IN RETAIL

KERALA QUESTIONED STATEMENT OF ANAND SHARMA ON FDI IN RETAIL

CAIT SENT MEMORANDUMS TO CHIEF MINISTERS
In the matter of allowing FDI in Retail, repeated statements have been issued by the
Government recently.One such statement of Union Commerce Minister Shri Anand
Sharma wherein he claimed the support of Kearala Government for allowing FDI has
been contradicted by Kerala Chief Minister Shri Oomen Chandy who has said that State
Government had not written to the Centre supporting the FDI as claimed by Mr. Sharma.
Such a misleading statement of Shri Sharma has questioned the creditability of the
Government.
Why the Union Government is in great haste to allow FDI in Retail by overlooking the
ground realties of Indian Retail Trade is a matter needs a probe-said the Confederation
of All India Traders (CAIT) which is spearheading a national movement against FDI in
Retail Trade. The Government must clarify the pressures which are forcing for making
such statements. The CAIT has strongly said that any move to allow FDI in Retail will
be protested tooth and nail nationwide by the traders and other Stake Holders of Retail
Trade.
The CAIT has written a communication to Chief Ministers of all States and has sent
them its publication " FDI in Retail - Assumptions V/s Facts" in order to apprise them
with the ground realties and detrimental affects of FDI in Retail Trade. The CAIT has
also sought an audience with the Chief Ministers.
The CAIT regretted that on such an important issue, the Central Government did not
think it propoer to talk to Traders who are one of the important constituent of Retail
Trade in a situtation where not only the traders but farmers,labourers,hawkers,consu
mers and other sections of the retail trade are bitterly opposing FDI in Retail Trade.
The CAIT has demanded that the unanimous report of the Parliamentary Standing
Committee submitted on 8th June,2009 to Parliament should be made subject matter
of the discussion on this matter.
For more information please contact CAIT, Secretary General, Mr. Praveen Khandelwal@9891015165,

17th Voice&Data 100 annual survey FY12 reveals

Telecom equipment industry posts revenues of Rs 1,13,188 crore 

Nokia, Samsung, Cisco Top 3 players

                    

New Delhi, June 29, 2012: The Indian telecom equipment industry posted marginally lower revenues of Rs 1,13,188 crore in 2011-12 compared to Rs 1,14,133 crore in FY2010-11, according to the 2012 annual survey of the Indian Telecom industry by CyberMedia group’s flagship journal for the telecom industry, Voice&Data.

The17th annual survey, Voice&Data 100, covered over 500 telecom companies in India spanning carrier equipment, enterprise communication equipment, and user device manufacturers.

According to the Voice&Data 100 survey, nearly half of the telecom equipment revenue came from carrier equipment manufacturers, which saw a dip of 5.06% to touch Rs 55,333 crore during the year. In the previous year, FY10-11, the segment had registered Rs 58,285 crore revenue.

Enterprise equipment grew at 8.89% to report revenues of Rs 23,183 crore in the year, up from Rs 21,291 crore in FY10-11. The user device segment that includes mobile handsets, fixed phones, data cards and tablet computers, contributed more than one-third to the total telecom equipment industry, at Rs 34,672 crore, recording a flat growth of 0.33% from Rs 34,557 crore a year ago.

“The survey bears out market apprehensions that the operators have slowed down investments in building, expanding and upgrading their networks. This could have a serious impact on Indian’s tele-density and broadband targets,” says Ibrahim Ahmad, Group Editor, Voice&Data.

The Top 10 Club

Mobile handset maker Nokia had the highest revenue during the year followed by Korean electronics major Samsung. They were followed by telecom equipment manufacturers like Cisco, Huawei, Nokia Siemens Networks, Ericsson, and Alcatel-Lucent. The Top10 club also saw inclusion of software companies like TCS, Wipro and Tech Mahindra.

Source:Voice&Data 100 Annual Survey June 2012

Voice&Data attributes the sharp decline in the carrier equipment revenues to policy uncertainty which restrained many telecom operators from releasing large scale network expansion orders. The Top 10 club also saw Samsung registering highest growth of 57.34% to capture the second position with revenues of Rs 9,000 crore, riding high on its smartphone and tablet portfolio.

Within the carrier equipment business, segments like transmission, telecom turnkey and wireless infrastructure were the biggest losers. Transmission segment dropped 21.88% to report revenues of Rs 3,825 crore (from Rs 4,896 crore last year). The telecom turnkey segment revenue dropped 65.27% to Rs 1,862 crore (from Rs 5,362 crore). The wireless infrastructure segment dipped 40.51% to record revenue of Rs 10,930 crore from Rs 18,374 crore a year ago.

The enterprise equipment business grew by 8.89% to reach Rs 23,183 crore in FY11-12 from Rs 21,291 crore in FY10-11. Enterprise cost saving equipment segments like audio-video conferencing and voice solutions showed significant growth of 16% and 15% respectively. Modem and router industry saw a negative growth as enterprises demanded futuristic and multi-tasking devices like single device working as modem, router and switch.

“Higher spend on enterprise and consumer communications in the last fiscal re-iterates increasing importance of user communications. Operators will have to enhance their services to match user expectations,” added Ahmad.

About Voice&Data100

Voice&Data100 (V&D100) is the most comprehensive annual survey of the Indian telecom equipment and services industry. It is the most trusted and widely used survey for those seeking authentic information on Indian communications. It is also the most comprehensive, as it covers a wide range of segments and is the only 'single source' of such diverse information.

The V&D100 (volume II) for 2011-12 survey will focus on telecom services and service providers, and is slated for release next month.

About CyberMedia

CyberMedia is South Asia's first and largest specialty media house, with fifteen publications (including BioSpectrum, Dare, Dataquest, PCQuest, Voice&Data, and Global Services) in the information technology, telecom, consumer electronics, and biotech areas, and is a media value chain including Internet (www.ciol.com), events, and television. The group's media services include market research (CMR), content management and multimedia.

Parasaran and Mrinal Miri Appointed as Members of Rajya Sabha

By sagarmedia on June 29, 2012 | 

The President of India has approved the nomination of Shri. K Parasaran and Prof. Mrinal Miri as Members of Rajya Sabha. The eminent personalities have been nominated under Article 80 of the Constitution of India.
Shri. K Parasaran has been appointed for a term of six years from the date of notification to be issued by the Government. Shri Parasaran was Advocate General of Tamil Nadu and subsequently the Solicitor General of India. He was also the Attorney General of India between 1983-1989. Shri Parasaran was awarded Padma Vibhushan in the year 2011.
Prof. Mrinal Miri has been appointed to the vacancy caused due to the premature demise of Dr. Ram Dayal Munda and his tenure will be upto March 21, 2016. Prof. Miri is a noted philosopher and educationist and has been the Director of the Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla and later Vice Chancellor of North Eastern Hill University. He has been awarded with Padma Bhushan for his contribution in the field of education