SAMBA CONTEST BEGINS AT RIO CARNIVAL February 12, 2013 A samba contest has begun at Brazil’s biggest festival, the Rio Carnival.Twelve top-class samba teams are taking part in the annual event, which started on Sunday evening.Each team consists of up to 4,000 members that march through the street with lavishly decorated floats. The participants are scored on their dancing, costumes and unity in the parade within the allotted time of 80 minutes.Some teams danced to the music and image of cities in Brazil. Others performed on the theme of culture in foreign countries, such as Germany and South Korea.

North Korea confirms nuclear test. 

The seismic event detected in North Korea was the result of a third nuclear test, Pyongyang has confirmed. Seoul estimated the yield of the suspected nuclear device at 6 to 7 kilotons. Pyongyang claimed the nuclear test was carried out in a “safe and perfect manner,using a margin“miniaturized nuclear device with greater explosive force.South Korean President-elect Park Geun-hye strongly condemned the move.North Korea confirms nuclear test. An earthquake measured in North Korea on Tuesday morning was a "suspected explosion", China's Earthquake Administration said. A webpage run by the China Earthquake Network Center, affiliated with China's Earthquake Administration, said a quake "at 10:57 on February 12 in North Korea was a "suspected explosion", and occurred at a "focal depth of 0 km".

Jet deal, trade dominate Hollande's India trip 

French President Francois Hollande's visit to India starting Thursday will chart out trade issues, including a USD 12-billion deal for Rafale fighter jets, nuclear energy and potential tie-ups for new metro lines. The President will be accompanied by five ministers including Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. The chiefs of more than 60 top French companies will also join him. India's ambassador to Paris, Rakesh Sood, stressed that the French President had chosen the emerging Asian superpower for his first visit outside Europe and French-speaking Africa since taking office. A French official said the trip was aimed at buttressing the "strategic Indo-French partnership launched 15 years ago." Top of the agenda is a giant deal that France's Dassault Aviation hopes to close to sell 126 Rafale jets to India this year, although it will not be inked during the trip. Dassault chief executive Eric Trappier has confirmed that Indian negotiators had detailed their needs for an additional 63 planes over the initial order for 126 aircraft. Hollande will be followed days later in Delhi by British Prime Minister David Cameron, who has lobbied on behalf of the Eurofighter, a rival jet made by a partly British consortium which is ready to step in if Dassault fails. Under the proposed Rafale deal, the first 18 aircraft are to be made in France with the remainder to be produced under licence by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the state-run Indian aerospace behemoth. Another important project that will dominate the trip is a contract for Areva to construct a nuclear power station in the western coastal state of Maharashtra. It has run into stiff opposition from environmentalists. The project, signed in December 2010, is for two European pressurised reactors (EPR) at Jaitapur 400 kilometres south of Mumbai, with an option for four more reactors.

Pope to resign on Feb 28

Pope to resign on Feb 28

Pope Benedict XVI announced Monday he will resign on February 28 because his age prevented him from carrying out his duties, an unprecedented move in the modern history of the Catholic Church.

"After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry," the 85-year-old pope told a meeting of cardinals.

"In order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognise my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me," he said.

"For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is," he said.

BCIM Car Rally 2013

The first edition of the BCIM Car Rally from Kolkata to Kunming is being organized from 22 February to 5 March 2013 through the active participation of the BCIM partner countries of Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar to promote the interests of trade, commerce, investment and people to people contact in the BCIM region. It is hoped that the Car Rally will play a catalytic role in stimulating interest of the concerned stakeholders in deepening BCIM cooperation.

The Car Rally which is to be flagged off from Helipad Ground, Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata, India at 1300 hrs on 22 February 2013 will traverse a distance of more than 3000 km through Bangladesh, India and Myanmar to culminate at Kunming, China. Around 80 participants representing the four countries of Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar along with 20 vehicles are participating in the rally.

Kum. Mamata Banerjee, Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal, India has given her consent to be the Chief Guest at the Flag-off Ceremony.