Monday, July 9, 2012

Air India dispatched an Airbus A320 to Nawabshah Monday afternoon to ferry the passengers back to India and all the passengers of New Delhi-bound Air India airbus A-319 flying from Abu Dhabi have arrived at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport in a special Air India flight in Airbus A320.

 Air India airbus A-319 had to make an emergency landing at Pakistan's Nawabshah airport today following a reported problem in its hydraulic system.All 122 passengers and eight crew members on board the Airbus 319 aircraft are safe, officials said."The aircraft was flying over Pakistani air space when the pilot saw a warning light in the cockpit and sought permission to land at the nearest airport which was Nawabshah," an Air India spokesperson said in New Delhi.

Thereafter Air India dispatched an Airbus A320 to Nawabshah Monday afternoon to ferry the passengers back to India.The relief flight also carried engineers who would repair the other aircraft.
Earlier, the Air India flight airbus A-319 with 130 people on board, coming from Abu Dhabi, had made an emergency landing at Nawabshah airport in southern Sindh province after its hydraulic system failed.The plane landed at Nawabshah airport in southern Sindh province at 3. 37 am local time.
All 122 passengers and eight crew members on board the Airbus 319 aircraft are safe, officials said.Air India spokesperson Praveen told our correspondent that it was due to a technical fault in the indicator of cockpit which has given false alarm. Spokesperson said that Air India air bus 319 has is also arriving shortly.
Earlier, in the wee hour today, the captain of Air India airbus-319 contacted Pakistani authorities and sought permission for landing after detecting some problem with the hydraulic system. The plane landed at Nawabshah airport in southern Sindh province at 3.37 am.

New Delhi, July 9, 2012 : The Ladies European Tour (LET) gave the fledgling Women’s Golf Association of India a big boost by appointing Mrs. Kavita Singh, the current President of the WGAI, to the LET Board as one of its non-executive directors for a period of three years.
Mrs. Singh, under whose direction and guidance, the Hero Women’s Indian Open has become a big success on the LET and Ladies Asian Golf Tour (LAGT) is the first woman Non-executive Director and the first Indian Woman to receive an appointment to the renowned International golf board.
“It is indeed my proud privilege to announce that our President Mrs Kavita Singh has been appointed to the Ladies European Tour Board  as a non-executive Director for a period of three years,” said Champika Sayal, Secretary-General of WGAI.
She added, “The  appointment of Mrs Kavita Singh reiterates India’s standing in Women's Golf on a global scenario and is a big recognition of the growth of the sport in India.”
The usual composition of the LET Board is Chairman, Executive Director, four players directors and three non-executive directors.
This is a big step forward for Women's Golf in India particularly since it is to be included for the 2016 Olympics. Also India now has a full-fledged women’s tour, which from this year has also opened its doors to limited international participation in domestic events. The prize money has jumped from Rs. 42 lakhs to Rs. 70 lakhs for the 12 events on the schedule.
In addition, more and more Indian women like Sharmila Nicollet, who qualified for the LET through the Q-School, Smriti Mehra and upcoming Nalini Singh Siwach are looking at regular participations in Asia and Europe.
The LET first arrived in India in 2007 but only since 2010 has it become regular on the LET calendar. The Women’s Indian Open event carried a purse of $ 300,000 and over the years has since stars like Yani Tseng, now World No. 1, Laura Davies multiple major winner, LPGA player Pornanong Phatlum have won the Indian Open. The 2011 winner was Caroline Hedwall.
The WGAI, which runs women’s professional golf in India, was formed in 2005-06. It has a regular season with 12 tournaments, totaling Rs. 70 lakhs as prize money. The WGAI Board has Mr. Pawan Munjal as the Patron-in-chief besides women’s golf doyens, Sita Rawlley and Anjani Desai as Patrons. There are 13 other members on the Board, including Mrs. Kavita Singh, Champika Sayal, Mr. VS Singh, Treasurer and Mr. Devin Narang, Vice President, the current office bearers of the WGAI.
At the LET, the Board of Directors are the guardians of the Tour and are responsible for Financial management, long range planning, Direction of policy and the Management of the Tour. They are also have responsibility tournament scheduling, tournament purses, tournament operations, sponsor relationships, member benefits, the promulgation of disciplinary regulations and material, legal and fiscal matters.
The LET is Europe’s leading women’s professional golf tour and formed as the WPGA in 1978. Over the last 33 years, the tour has developed into a truly international organisation and in 2011 will operate 28 golf tournaments in 19 different countries, including India, which is the only destination in South Asia. The LET professional players represent 34 countries and their game is broadcast in 240 million homes in 80 countries around the globe.

Hollande, Merkel reaffirm unity at the city of Reims

Leaders of France and Germany have celebrated half a century of postwar reconciliation. The attempt to stress the unity of the Eurozone’s two biggest economies comes amid the region’s worst-ever debt crisis.Merkel visit  northern French city of Reims, on Sunday, during a day of ceremonies to commemorate the 50th anniversary of renewed Franco-German relations after World War II.
French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel attended a ceremony at a church in Reims, northeastern France.Both leaders event marked the 50th anniversary of a key moment in European history. In 1962, then French President Charles de Gaulle and German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer attended a mass to enshrine ties between the two former World War two enemies.
Leaders of France and Germany joined in a symbolic celebration of unity Sunday, hailing a relationship that has brought peace to Europe for 50 years but must now prove it can survive its most serious crisis to date.
Taking a pause from more than two years of constant crisis management that has strained Franco-German ties, President Francois Hollande welcomed his German counterpart, Chancellor Angela Merkel, to the city of Reims in eastern France.The event replicated an encounter in 1962 between former French president Charles de Gaulle and German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, when the two leaders enshrined Franco-German ties in a city that once bore the brunt of shelling in World War One
After the ceremony, Hollande said the five-decade friendship has been a major influence on Europe.
He said he will work with Germany to set an example for the region.Merkel said she will boost bilateral cooperation to further consolidate Europe.Political observers say the two leaders aimed to dispel concerns over often clashing views on how to tackle Europe’s credit problems.

India Mobile Handset Revenues drop 5% for Top 10 players



Bangalore New Delhi, July 9, 2012: The Indian mobile handset market saw a drop of 5% in revenues in the just concluded FY 2011-12. The revenues dropped to Rs 31,215 crore from Rs 33,031 crore a year back. The annual survey by Indian Telecom industry by CyberMedia group’s flagship journal for the telecom industry Voice&Data attributes this drop two de-growth in the feature phones sales as well as lower average selling values (ASVs).

The 17th annual study ‘V&D 100′ surveyed over 30 mobile handset firms–both multi-national and Indian–selling feature phones, multimedia phones, enterprise phones and smartphones inIndia.
The disappearing act done by the homegrown handset makers was a big surprise of the year Barring Karbonn and Lava, none of the Indian handset players could face intense competition. Their main stay—feature phones—saw a negative growth while the entry level smartphones of various companies saw a marginal rise.

“Indian mobile phone brands that had hoped to make a mark by sourcing Chinese handsets and selling them only on the price plank were in for a big surprise. These players will have to quickly rethink their product, marketing and service strategy afresh to put their house in order,” said Ibrahim Ahmad, Group Editor, Voice&Data.

India Mobile Handset Revenues drop 5% to Rs 31,215 Cr in 2011-12
Mixed bag : for Top 10 players
•              Samsung, Karbonn, HTC and Huawei record growth
•              Nokia, Micromax, Blackberry, Spice, LG and G’Five drop revenues details as under


Top 10 India Mobile Handset Vendors: Voice&Data 100 survey 2012

Revenue in Rs Crore




Rank

2011-12
2010-11
Change
Mkt Share in %age
1
Nokia
11925
12929
-8
38.2
2
Samsung
7891
5720
38
25.3
3
Micromax
1978.0
2289
-14
6.3
4
Blackberry
1460.0
1950
-25
4.7
5
Karbonn
1327.0
1004
32
4.3
6
HTC
923.0
450
105
3.0
7
Spice
790.0
920
-14
2.5
8
LG
780.0
1834
-57
2.5
9
Huawei
750.0
626
20
2.4
10
G’Five
670.0
1326
-49
2.1

Total
31,215.0
33,031.0
-5
100.0






Source: Cybermedia’s Voice&Data Annual survey of the industry 2012
Nokia remained the No.1 player in the handset business in FY 2011-12 with revenue of Rs 11,925 crore, despite 8% drop over Rs 12,929 crore revenues posted in FY11. The Finnish company lost market share in smartphones and multi-media segment to Samsung, HTC and Apple, among others.
Nokia that caters to all mobile segments saw its absence in the Android ecosystem dent its performance. Nokia however, made a head way in the dual SIM phones category but lost out in the smartphone market. Nokia ended FY12, with a market share of 38.2%
The Korean giant Samsung, grew its revenues 38% to Rs 7,891 crore at the No. 2 spot with a market share of 25.3%. Voice&Data analysts attribute Samsung’s success to its rich product portfolio based on Windows, Android and Bada operating systems.
Samsung’s Galaxy Note, a hybrid between smartphone and tablet was a trail blazer selling 40,000 units each month since launch in late 2011.
“As consumers look for applications beyond voice and SMS the market will see fight for high end feature phones and smart phones intensify further. Consumers can also look forward to steeper price drops and more features in the same price.” according to Ahmad.
Homegrown handset company Micromax with revenues of Rs 1,978 crore ranked No 3 among Voice&Data100 Top10 mobile handset brands recorded a 13% negative growth. Micromax had a market share of 6.3%.
Other Indian player to post revenues of over Rs 1000 crore was Karbonn. The company grew its revenues 32% to emerge as the No 5 player with a market share of 4.3%.
Among the global companies in the V&D100 Top 10 players, Canadian BlackBerry maker Research In Motion dropped the most–25%–to post revenues of Rs 1,460 crore At No 4 Blackberry had a market share of 4.7% on the back of entry level smart phones last year..
Taiwanese handset maker HTC saw maximum growth–105%–among all the brands surveyed by Voice&Data. HTC’s revenue more than doubled to Rs 923 crore, from Rs 450 crore, to inch a 3% market share.
The other key players in the Top 10 list include spice Telecom (Rs 790 crore), LG (Rs 780 crore), Huawei (Rs 760 crore) and G’Five (Rs 670 crore),
About V&D100
V&D100 is the most comprehensive annual survey of the Indian equipment industries and telecom services. 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 in July 2012.
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 Cyber Media Research (CMR India), content management and multimedia.
For more details please visit:  www.VoicenData.com
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Australian International Movie Convention 2012

Delhi Metro - Substandard Quality, Worst Planned & Costliest


 
July08, 2012
 
Honorable PM+FM
Dr. Manmoham Singh
South Block
New Delhi – 110011
 
Copy to The Secretary, Urban Development
 
Respected Sir,
You have lived in London many years, I studied London Underground for about 50 hours on business visit in 1986, when I also studied 6000 EU Patents, Delhi Metro had not learnt anything from London Underground. I opposed the very first line Shahdra to Kashmiri Gate line that runs parallel to existing 4 Line Railway Track & 8 lane highway. METROS Lines shouldn’t compete with Surface Transport but connect high population density Colonies cum Business Centers like Vasant Vihar to Shahdara via RK Puram-Sarojini Nagar-Lodhi Road-Pragati Maidan. Similarly Rohini to Sangam Vihar via Ashok Vihar, Central Secretariat, Lodhi Road , Greater Kailash.
 
DMRC Airport Express Line is too dangerous to operate in view of Structural Faults & Substandard Quality. DMRC be directed to Serve Airports via Dwarka Line.
 
75% of 2m DMRC traffic is on Inter-State two lines – Dwarka-Noida and Jahangir Puri to HUDA Center when Metro System is meant for serving High Density City Blocks. Interstate Routes are better served by Surface Railways – like Suburban Trains in Mumbai that charge a third fare and travel at twice speed and each train carry 4000 passengers – 4 times than DMRC. Fast Suburban average 60kmph twice DEMRC trains for 30% fare. 
 
‘The 44 Kms section between Jahangirpuri and HUDA City Centre (Gurgaon) is covered in about 1 Hrs. 30 minutes. The train frequency varies from 3 minutes at peak time upto 12 minutes in non peak hours.’ This is less than 30kmph.
 
Ring Railways, Delhi-Meerut, Delhi-Bhaghpat, Delhi-Panipat, Delhi-Palwal, Delhi-Aligarh, Delhi-Rohtak, Delhi –Alwar EXISTING sections or may add 1-2 more lines are ideal for Fast Suburban Trains and be ready in 6-24 months.
 
Since UP, Haryana and Rajasthan have friendly governments – Delhi can speedily Implement Ring Railways + Intercity Suburban Services on existing tracks and Central Funded Project at nominal cost.
 
All Metro Routes Underground or Over-ground run along existing 6 lane-8 lane highways offer little advantage compared to Bus Service for 1-8 kilometers.
 
Single Meter Gauge Spur Lines
 
25KV Power Supply and BG lines made DMRC twice more Costly that We CAN RUN DOUBLE DECKER TRAINS ON DMRC LINES – 2-6KM single line Meter Gauge 1500V Short Spur Lines could reduce Cost 80%, minimize Dislocations - Daryaganj-Mandi House Spur Line for example.
 
Foreign Consultants Expulsion
 
Troubles for Delhi Metro started when Foreign Consultant who were associated with Phase 1 were expelled and replaced by ‘Incompetent & Inexperienced & Corrupt.’
 
Substandard Airport Line & Badarpur Line Accident
 
I was horrified to see there was no ‘Steel in Pier Caps Where Maximum Required’ and Gammon India engaged ‘Locally Fabricated Substandard Launcher Girder.’ Gammon India had no Crane Operator Expert to even manage Post Accident Clean Up – it was world’s first Big Accident followed by Another Big Accident in history such was the Gross Incompetence of DMRC.
 
GOI and GoD ought to have Dismissed Sreedharan to let thorough investigation and clean up.
 
Urgent
 
From the pictures I have seen – Airport Line Elevated sections are ‘Poor Design and Substandard Construction’ – Viaducts are assembly of several prefabricated blocks, several thousands in Airport Line – fault in any one of then could bring down the train.
 
In civil engineering we Over Design structures to take 5-10 times load but when Piers Crumbles like many in Case of Airport Line – it points to worst imaginable quality of construction.
 
WORST
 
I had reported on July2009 accident (Attached) – DMRC preferred cover up instead. DMRC had not disclosed ‘Accident Reports’ in Detail that is essential to prevent accidents, substandard construction when DMRC ought to have explained everything to the Infrastructure Industry.
 
REMEDY: -
 
1. Operate Ring Railway & Interstate Suburban Services and DMRC could serve Airports via Dwarka Like.
 
2. Dismantle Airport Line, Order CBI investigation, Disclose All Reports.
 
3. Connect single line short meter gauge SPUR lines. Like RK Puram-Jor Bagh, Bhikaji Cama Place to Jor Bagh. Lajpat Nagar to INA Colony etc.
 
4. Allow 10 Storey Buildings along DMRC Lines 1000 meters either side.
 
Thank you,
Faithfully,
 
Ravinder Singh*
Inventor & Consultant
Y-77, Hauz Khas,
New Delhi – 110016
 
*Ravinder Singh is a WIPO awarded inventor specializing in Power, Transportation, Water, Energy Saving, Agriculture, Manufacturing, Technologies and Projects.
 
Airport line to nowhere triggers blame game
 
THE first hint of trouble aboard Delhi Metro’s Airport Express line came almost a month ago when the Delhi Airport Metro Express Pvt. Ltd.
 
(DAMEPL), the Reliance Infrastructure- led consortium that operates the line, reduced the speed of trains, which run at 105kmph, to as low as 15kmph in some stretches.
 
The speed of the trains on the 23km- long line connecting New Delhi with the Indira Gandhi International Airport was curbed after the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), which built the Airport Express line, asked DAMEPL to start monitoring the line as it feared a deterioration of the infrastructure.
 
Simultaneously, DMRC had asked consultants Shirish Patel & Associates (SPA) to carry out an inspection of the line.
 
In the second half of last month, SPA filed its report pointing out serious defects in piers, piers caps, bearings and girders (see graphic) on the elevated stretch of the corridor. The elevated stretch of the line, spanning nearly six km, starts after the Shivaji Stadium station and continues up to Delhi Aerocity.
 
At one place, a slab under a girder appeared to have been dislodged, SPA’s report said.
 
The Airport Express line was built by DMRC. DAMEPL only operates the trains. As the fault is in construction work, the DMRC is, therefore, primarily to blame.
But the shutdown will hit Reliance the hardest as DAMEPL is bound by agreement to operate the line for 30 years.
 
DAMEPL had been slowing trains down to prevent more damage to the civil structure.
 
But on Friday, it announced that it was shutting down the line for an indefinite period from July 8 (Sunday) as SPA’s report warned that derailment was a possibility considering the nature of defects.
 
According to SPA’s report, there are cracks in most piers, concrete portions are missing in pier caps, at least 250 bearings out of a total of 2,100 on the line have serious flaws and several girders are twisted, damaged or bent.
 
“This is cause for serious concern and should be examined without further loss of time,” the report said. “The main concern will be that of possible derailment… We can only infer that the margin in factor of safety has been encroached upon.” On July 2, urban development secretary Sudhir Krishna called a meeting attended by DMRC, DAMEPL, Reliance Infrastructure, Delhi government and Railway Board officials. But with DMRC refusing to take the blame, the ministry decided to set up a joint inspection team to go into the defects.
 
“A committee comprising officials from the Indian Railways, Delhi Metro and Reliance Infrastructure is going into the nature of defects and will submit a report within the next 10 days after which repairs will be carried out,” Krishna told a press conference on Saturday.
 
At the July 2 meeting, DMRC managing director Mangu Singh claimed they had already repaired the ‘ worst’ of the faulty bearings and would fix the rest in 10 days.
 
He insisted that the responsibility for keeping the infrastructure in ship- shape condition was the operator’s, DAMEPL, and it was its job to undertake the repairs.
 
“It is the responsibility of the operator to keep the entire assets safe and in good working condition.
 
The defects were not indicated at the time DAMEPL took charge of the line,” Singh said in the meeting.
 
Reliance Infrastructure CEO Sumit Banerjee hit back, arguing that they had a “different risk perception” compared to DMRC and did not want to put passengers in danger. “There was a probability of derailment, and we would not like to run the line without rectification,” Banerjee said, according to the meeting’s minutes. He also hit out at DMRC’s repair work, which he called “cosmetic”.
 
Ultimately, Krishna intervened and a joint inspection team was set up. “As soon as the report of the joint inspection team comes out, DAMEPL should undertake repair works immediately,” the meeting’s minutes states.
 
Banerjee, announcing the line’s shutdown on Friday, admitted the service was running in losses but made it clear the line was being closed on safety concerns and not because of business considerations.
 
Terming Reliance Infrastructure’s decision to close the line as good, Krishna insisted on Saturday that the service, which is being shut from Sunday for repairs, will resume in two months. “By the end of August, we expect the line to be functional again,” he said.
 
But sources in the urban development ministry said the deadline was unlikely to be met because of the sniping between DMRC and Reliance Infrastructure, and the costs involved.
 
Reliance is likely to bear the costs at the moment but will likely seek compensation from DMRC, a source said.
 
Krishna said contractors IJM, the Indian subsidiary of a Malaysian company which was selected by DMRC for the construction of the line after a selection and bidding process, is likely to bear the liability costs. “I agree that the construction should last for at least 100 years and it will last. There are problems with bearings in certain locations.
 
Trains cannot operate with this and this is not the happiest of the happy situation,” Krishna said.
 
Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit said it was always better to err on the side of caution when it came to public safety.
 
Inaugurated on February 23, 2011, the Airport Express line runs on a private- public partnership model.
 
‘The main concern will be that of possible derailment,’ says the inspection report
 
6 killed in Metro site accident, CM rejects Sreedharan offer to quit
Express News Service Posted online: Sun Jul 12 2009,
 
New Delhi: Five Metro workers and an engineer were killed and 15 injured after a launching girder gave way at a construction site near Zamrudpur in south Delhi this morning. DMRC Managing Director E Sreedharan resigned within hours taking moral responsibility, but Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit rejected the offer.
 
The septuagenarian Metro chief flew back from outside Delhi following the accident and, after a brief inspection of the site, made a dramatic announcement of his resignation at a news conference.
 
“I am facing you with a great deal of pain and remorse,” Sreedharan said. “I take full moral responsibility of today’s incident and thereby resign. I have sent my resignation letter to the Chief Minister and the Lieutenant Governor.”
 
“Before I entered this chamber, I took the decision to resign and all my senior colleagues advised me not to take this decision. I normally don’t go against their advice, but this time I have asked them not to interfere.”
 
Late in the evening, Dikshit announced, “We have decided not to accept the resignation of E Sreedharan .”
 
PTI quoted an unnamed top official as saying, “At this time, we cannot let him go. That is why it was decided not to accept his resignation. He is a person of integrity.”
 
The chief minister’s principal secretary PK Tripathy had earlier said that Sreedharan was a “very emotional person”, and that the government would not take a “hasty decision” on the issue. A spokesman for the L-G had said the decision on accepting his resignation would have to be taken “at a political level”.
Sreedharan was not immediately available for a comment.
 
The resignation of India’s celebrated ‘Metro Man’ was triggered by the worst-ever mishap in the history of the Delhi Metro, on the upcoming Central Secretariat-Badarpur line of Phase II of the project, at around 5 am. Two people had died in a similar accident on October 19, 2008 at Vikas Marg in east Delhi .
 
Sreedharan described today’s accident as a “bigger blot”. “For ten years we have maintained a high standard of work atmosphere at the construction sites. What happened last year was a blot on DMRC but we feel this is a bigger blot and a more serious incident,” he said.
 
The 77-year-old Kerala-born engineer-administrator who has been at the helm of the Metro project since 1997, said that the “dimension and complexity” of the project notwithstanding, the loss of lives was unacceptable.
 
“Projects of this dimension and complexity have never been attempted before. There were accidents even in Phase I but not of this gravity. But people have had high expectations and image of DMRC. Whether it is a small incident or not, an accident is an accident. I can take a challenge that no other organisation has such high standards of safety. We are still high on our standards but one casualty is still too many for DMRC,” Sreedharan said.
 
Asked if the Metro’s remarkable record of finishing projects on time — universally admired across India and in many countries abroad — would be affected by his resignation, he said: “Perhaps if a new man comes that may have a setback to the project but my personal conviction about this cannot be compromised. No one is indispensable in any organisation and there are more competent people in the industry.”
 
“My successor will be decided by the Delhi government. This may not be my mistake but as the head of the organisation I have to take responsibility and I think it is right to resign.”
 
Through the hours between Sreedharan’s press conference and Dikshit’s statement, DMRC officials speculated on the fate of Metro projects should their boss leave, with a consensus emerging that they would almost certainly suffer. The Indraprastha-Noida line is slated to open in August, the Inderlok- Mundka line in November and the Yamuna Bank-Anand Vihar line in December.
 
Sreedharan, who put DMRC on the world map — Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Ireland, Syria and Vietnam have sought the corporation’s expertise — is associated with several other Metro projects in the country, including the Mumbai Metro, the high-speed railway link from Bangalore’s city centre to the airport, and Kolkata’s new Metro project.
 
He is also a member of the working group on urban transport including mass rapid transport systems for the 11th Five Year Plan under the urban development ministry. He was earlier on a high-profile panel that helped a Committee of Secretaries look into the privatization of Delhi and Mumbai airports.

 Field Marshal Mohamed Tantawi (C), head of Egypt's ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), and Egyptian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Sami Anan (2nd L) attend a speech by Egypt's new President Mohamed Morsy (not pictured) at Cairo University June 30, 2012. Morsy said on Saturday the military that took charge when Hosni Mubarak was overthrown last year had kept its promise to hand over power, speaking at a ceremony to mark the formal transfer of authority.
Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi has ordered the nation's parliament to reconvene. This is in defiance of the Supreme Constitutional Court's decision to dissolve the legislature. Military generals who had ruled the country following last year's ouster of President Hosni Mubarak dissolved the Islamist-dominated parliament in June based on the court's decision.The Supreme Constitutional Court ruled that parliamentary elections in which political parties associated with the Muslim Brotherhood won a majority were unconstitutional. Supreme Council for the Armed Forces held an emergency meeting on Sunday evening to discuss the implications of President Mohamed Morsy's decision to reconvene People's Assembly until parliamentary elections are held, sources from within the council told Al-Masry Al-Youm
The sources said that the decision "was a surprise to everyone, including the military council.”
Major General Sayed Hashem, a former military prosecutor, was not so quick to condemn the decision. "We must know the reasons for this decision, and the circumstances that led to its release," Hashem told al-Masry al-Youm."The return of the legislative body is temporary until the re-instatement of a permanent constitution. Holding these modified elections would mean recognition of the invalidity of Parliament’s original formation," he added.

Islamist group backed Morsi who won last month's presidential run-off.At his inauguration late last month, Morsi declared a transfer of power from the military rulers to the presidency. But the military still retains the power to enact laws.At his inauguration late last month, Morsi declared a transfer of power from the military rulers to the presidency. But the military still retains the power to enact laws.Morsi's decision to annul the parliament's dissolution could lead to a confrontation with the military and a fresh round of political turmoil as some political experts believe.

Parliament Speaker Saad al-Katatny announced on Sunday that he welcomes President Mohamed Morsy's decision to repeal the decision by the Supreme Council for the Armed Force to dissolve the People's Assembly.Katatny called on Parliament to reconvene and begin work immediately. He said Morsy's decision is "respectful to the supremacy of the law and public institutions."
In a press release, Katatny added that "the People's Assembly will resume its legislative oversight powers immediately once it is in session within hours, in respect of the legitimacy of the Constitution and the law."
Morsy had issued a decree on Sunday to nullify the Supreme Constitutional Court's decision to dissolve the assembly, so it could resume its work.
Presidential representatives provided brief statements on political decisions, but its internal mechanisms were always shielded from the public eye.The presidency comprises nine departments: general and private secretariats, a communications office, the presidential police, and departments dealing with security, supplies, transportation, palaces and fire hazards in presidential buildings.The Central Auditing Organization, which should oversee all of these departments, only had access to 10 percent of it, said Ibrahim Yosry, an official from the organization and a founding member of Auditors Against Corruption. “The last real report accounting for the institution of the presidency was in 1987,” Yosry said.


External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna is participating in the 10th ASEAN-India ministerial meeting, the 2nd East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers meeting and the 19th ASEAN Regional Forum ministerial meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, from July 11 to 12. ASEAN-India ministerial meeting is an annual meet and takes stock of the ASEAN-India partnership and deliberates on its future direction. India became a sectoral partner of ASEAN in 1992.Later a Dialogue Partner in 1996  relationship  upgraded in 2002 to the level of an Annual Summit Level Partnership. Nine ASEAN-India Summits have been held since then.
10th ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers Meeting acquires greater significance, as India would be hosting a Special ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit in December 20-21, 2012 to mark twenty years of the Relationship and 10 years of the Summit level Partnership.

 Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen addressed inaugural 45th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM) and said Cambodia is honored to host this important meeting as, in one hand, it coincides with the celebration of the 45th Anniversary of ASEAN, on the other hand, it is convened amidst ASEAN’s ongoing efforts toward building the ASEAN Community by 2015.
After 45 years, ASEAN today has become a closely-integrated political and economic entity, an influential player in Asia and an indispensable strategic partner of major countries and organizations in the world.
45th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting that ckicked off in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Monday, focusing on politics, security, food and energy security, economics and culture in order to further advance the bloc's cooperation toward a community by 2015. Addressing  at the opening session of the meeting at the Peace Palace, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen said that the meeting coincided with the celebration of the 45th anniversary of ASEAN and it was convened amid ASEAN's ongoing efforts toward building the ASEAN Community by 2015.He said that after 45 years, ASEAN has become a closely- integrated political and economic entity, "an influential player in Asia and an indispensable strategic partner of major countries and organizations in the world."
"The ASEAN achievements recorded to date are enormous and of great importance," he said. "Those achievements underline the strong commitment and political will of ASEAN to continue working closely together in the ASEAN spirit of unity and solidarity, friendship and cooperation."

 ASEAN still continues to face challenges both globally and regionally such as the fragility of the economic recovery of developed countries, coupled with prolonged severe debt crisis in Europe, the ongoing social and political turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa, high oil prices, food and energy security, disasters, and terrorism and trans-national crimes.
"These still pose a great threat to the sustainability of socio-economic development of ASEAN achieved over the last four decades and the success of our effort towards realizing a full ASEAN Community in 2015," said Hun Sen.
Cambodian deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said at the opening remarks that ASEAN has been making steady progress in consolidating solidarity and unity within ASEAN and in deepening cooperation with all dialogue partners in order to build an economically sound and socially vibrant ASEAN Community, as well as contributing to peace and prosperity in the region.
Apart from the 45th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting, the Post- Ministerial Conferences, the 19th ASEAN Regional Forum and the 2nd East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers Meeting will also be held until July 13.
At the end of the 45th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting, there will be a signing ceremony on the ASEAN Statement on the Protocol to the Treaty of Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) and a Joint Communiqu will be adopted.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)group Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

A territorial dispute over islands in the South China Sea will be high on the agenda when the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meets in Cambodia this week.The talks open on Monday in the capital Phnom Penh among ASEAN foreign ministers. On Thursday, a meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum will be held, including delegates from the US and North Korea.

Participants will discuss the territorial dispute between China and southeastern countries, such as the Philippines and Viet Nam.ASEAN members aim to create a legally binding rule in order to settle the dispute with China in a peaceful manner. On Wednesday they hope to reach an agreement with China to start negotiations. But China intends to solve the problem by negotiating directly with the other two countries. Indonesia's foreign minister saying he expected to see movement on efforts to draft guidelines to resolve disputes in the sea."If not now, when? I mean, this is what we are here for," Marty Natalegawa told reporters in Phnom Penh on Sunday.Manila is leading a push for ASEAN to unite to persuade China to accept a "code of conduct" (COC) in the sea, where tensions have flared recently with both Vietnam and the Philippines accusing Beijing of aggressive behaviour. China has preferred an approach that would deal with the claimants individually."We will be discussing where we are and how to proceed, as to when for example to engage China in the process of formulating this code of conduct," Natalegawa said, adding that "recent developments" in the sea would also be on the agenda.

China, Taiwan and ASEAN members the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia have overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea, home to vital shipping lanes and believed to be rich in oil and gas deposits.China recently angered Vietnam by inviting bids for exploration of oil blocks in contested waters, sparking protests in Hanoi, while Beijing and Manila are locked in a tense standoff over a disputed shoal.Media agecnies

Ring behind the DNS Changer virus

ImageInternet Identity said last week that at least 58 of all Fortune 500 companies and two out of 55 major government entities had at least one computer or router that was infected with DNS Changer.
That’s an improvement over January, when half of Fortune 500 companies and US federal agencies were infected.
IID said that the malware also compromises computers by preventing antivirus software updates.
Users who think they are infected may perform a test at the DNS Changer Working Group’s website http://www.dcwg.org/ or others operated by various security firms.
For computers affected, the blackout will be total, experts say.
“Connectivity will be lost to the Internet PERIOD,” said a blog posting from the security firm Symantec.
Six Estonians and a Russian were charged last November with infecting computers, including NASA machines, with the malware as part of an online advertising scam that reaped at least $14 million.
 
The ring behind the DNS Changer virus, discovered in 2007, was shut down last year by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Estonian police and other law enforcement agencies.
Because the virus controlled so much Internet traffic, authorities obtained a court order to allow the FBI to operate replacement servers which allow traffic to flow normally, even from infected computers.
But those replacement servers will be shut down at 0401 GMT Monday, when some experts say infected computers will face an “Internet doomsday.”
“DNS Changer is an insidious form of malware affecting everyone from the everyday consumer to a large chunk of the Fortune 500,” said Lars Harvey, the chief executive of security firm Internet Identity.
The FBI, Facebook, Google, Internet service providers and security firms have been scrambling to warn users about the problem and direct them to fixes.
According to a working group set up by experts, more than 300,000 computers remained infected as of June 11.
The largest number were in the United States (69,000), but more than a dozen countries — including Italy, Germany, India, Britain, Canada, France and Australia — are also believed to have infected computers.

Jubilant Libyans chose a new parliament on Saturday in their first nationwide vote in decades, but violence and protests in the restive east underscored the challenges ahead as the oil-rich North African nation struggles to restore stability after the ouster of longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
One person was killed and two wounded in a gunbattle between security forces and anti-election protesters in the eastern city of Ajdabiya, according to the head of the election commission.
Nouri al-Abari said the polling center targeted by the protesters was later reopened and voting commenced normally.
The shooting followed a spate of attacks on polling centers in the eastern half of the country, which was the cradle of the revolution against Gaddafi but has become increasingly angry over the perceived domination of power by rivals in Tripoli.
The vote capped a chaotic transition that has exposed major fault lines ranging from the east-west divide to efforts by Islamists to assert power.
Lines formed outside polling centers more than an hour before they opened in the capital Tripoli, with policemen and soldiers standing guard and searching voters and election workers before they entered.
“I have a strange but beautiful feeling today,” dentist Adam Thabet said as he waited his turn to cast a ballot.
“We are free at last after years of fear. We knew this day would come, but we were afraid it would take a lot longer.”
The election for a 200-seat parliament, which will be tasked with forming a new government, was a key milestone after a bitter civil war that ended Gaddafi’s four-decade rule.
It was the first time Libyans have voted for a parliament since 1964, five years before Gaddafi’s military coup that toppled the monarchy.

Roger Federer win Wimbledon title

 
 Roger Federer outgunned Andy Murray 4-6 7-5 6-3 6-4 on Sunday to win a record-equaling seventh Wimbledon title and 17th grand slam crown. The Swiss third seed recovered from a sluggish start to dominate the match and return to the top of the world rankings, ending Murray’s hopes of becoming the first British man to win the title on home soil for 76 years. After sharing the first two sets, rain halted the contest for 40 minutes early in the third and when the players returned under the closed roof on Centre Court Federer took control. He made the decisive break in a marathon sixth game and broke again for 3-2 in the fourth set before sealing victory on his second match point in three hours 24 minutes. “I played some of my best tennis in my last couple of matches,” Federer told the crowd after lifting the trophy. “I couldn’t be more happy. It feels great being back here as the winner and it’s a great moment. It feels nice to have this trophy back after three years.” An emotional Murray struggled to hold himself together when he took the microphone after his first Wimbledon final. “I am getting closer,” Murray, who had twice lost to Federer in straight sets in grand slam finals, tearfully told the crowd. “I’d like to congratulate Roger. He played a great tournament and he’s not bad for a 30-year-old.” Murray broke Federer’s serve in the opening game of the match but the Swiss immediately broke back to level at 2-2. Federer mixed up his game to increase the pressure on Murray but the fourth seed dug in and conjured up his second service break in the ninth game before serving out to seal the first set in just under an hour. The second set went with serve and Murray generally held the upper hand but Federer suddenly found some magic in the 12th game and broke his opponent with a sublime drop volley to level the match. Rain halted play at 1-1 in the third set and it resumed under the closed roof. Playing aggressively Federer began to dominate the rallies and the set hinged on the sixth game in which Murray slipped over three times and Federer converted his sixth break point to open up a 4-2 lead. The Swiss, peppering the lines with his groundstrokes, clinched the set with an ace to move within touching distance of the title. Murray tried desperately to cling on at the start of the fourth set but Federer sensed his chance, breaking serve with a brilliant dipping crosscourt backhand winner to lead 3-2. Federer, in ruthless mood, was not going to miss his opportunity and after netting his first match point he secured victory when Murray sent a forehand narrowly wide

The IAF Swimming Team Becomes the First in the World to Swim the English Channel Twice in the Same Year in Relay Category

Within eight days of having crossed the English Channel successfully and becoming the fastest Asian Relay Team ever, the IAF’s Swimming Team ‘Delphinus’ on 05 Jul 2012, crossed the English Channel once again, not just successfully but also beating its previous record set on 26 Jun 2012.

Having successfully crossed the English Channel on 26 Jun 2012, in 12 hours 14 minutes breaking the previous Asian record in this category (Relay), the IAF’s Swimming Team successfully crossed the English Channel once again on 05 Jul 2012 clocking 11 hours 25 minutes beating its own record.

On the 05 Jul 12, the team entered waters at 0200h GMT from Shakespeare Beach, Dover, England and finished at 1325h at Cap Gris Nez, France clocking 11 hours and 25 minutes. This makes ‘Delphinus’, the first team in the world, in this category (Relay), to have swum twice in the same year and that too in the first tide (which is considered the toughest). The team also retains the title for the fastest Asian Relay Team by breaking its own record set on 26 Jun 12.

Led by Wing Commander Paramvir Singh and three other members – Flight Lieutenant Narayanpethkar, Corporal AK Patel and Corporal S Srihari, the team is the first ever Armed Forces Team from India to swim the English Channel. The team is also competing for the ‘Endurance Trophy’ which would be announced by November 2012 as the Channel Crossing is open till September 2012.

The Channel Crossing in a Relay Team Work has higher timings than the Solo Crossings. This is because the team member on a change-over has to acclimatise to the tough (cold and rough sea) conditions before getting the correct body rhythm to continue with the swim. Most teams are unable to complete the crossing in a relay format because, either one or more members are unable to continue the swim till the minimum time permitted before the next member can replace them. The difficulties a swimmer encounters range from the strong tide winds, particularly near the French coast (at this time) with a sea temperatures of about 10-13 degrees celcius and an undercurrent of 10 mph, besides English Channel also being the world’s busiest Shipping Lane.

The team arrived in India on 08 Jul 2012 and were welcomed by the IAF and their family members. The team will be Flagged-In at a later date after completing the arrival formalities.

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