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Archives for September 2015

Dujuan brings flooding to eastern China

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The former typhoon which brought death and destruction to Taiwan has now hit the mainland.

Dujuan weakened as it moved across the cooler waters of the Taiwan Strait [AFP]

Dujuan weakened as it moved across the cooler waters of the Taiwan Strait [AFP]

by Al Jazeera

Typhoon Dujuan has begun to disintegrate over eastern China after unleashing its full force on the neighbouring island of Taiwan.

At least two people were killed and more than 300 injured as the typhoon tore across central Taiwan on Monday night.

Dujuan struck Taiwan as the equivalent of a Category 4 storm (on the five point Saffir-Simpson scale).The highest gust recorded on the island was 246km/h, 30km south of Yilan City.

Torrential rain, with as much as 750mm in some areas, resulted in flash flooding and mudslides.

At least 1.8 million homes were without power, although 1.3 million of those have since been reconnected.

Around 12,000 people were evacuated from their homes in advance of Dujuan’s arrival and this may have contributed to the very low death toll.

The track of Dujuan was slightly further to the south than predicted, meaning that Taipei missed the very worst of the weather, although the city’s famous Taipei 101 skyscraper suffered some damage.

Dujuan weakened as it moved across the cooler waters of the Taiwan Strait before making landfall between Putian and Xiamen, China, at 00:00 GMT on Tuesday.

Dujuan’s track and strength is very similar to that of August’s Typhoon Soudelor, which caused at least 26 deaths in China and estimated damage and financial losses of $3bn.

Although Dujuan’s winds are weakening rapidly, it is likely that flooding rain will cause disruption and a threat to life for the next few days.

Bangladesh investigates Italian aid worker’s killing

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Tavella Cesare shot while jogging in Dhaka in what government authorities say was an apparent “planned murder”.

Nothing was taken from the victim and police ruled out robbery as a motive [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]

Nothing was taken from the victim and police ruled out robbery as a motive [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]

by Al Jazeera

An Italian aid worker living in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka has died after he was shot in an apparent “planned murder”.

Tavella Cesare, 50, was shot three times while jogging at the Gulshan diplomatic zone on Monday night.

A witness told Al Jazeera that he took Cesare to a local hospital, where the victim was pronounced dead.

“It appears to be a planned murder,” Asaduzzaman Khan, Bangladeshi home minister, told the Samakal newspaper.

“Police will also look into whether it was a part of any conspiracy to destabilise Bangladesh.”

Nothing was taken from the victim and police ruled out robbery as a motive.

Mokhlesur Rahman, Dhaka police inspector general (IG), told Al Jazeera that investigators are searching to see if any closed-circuit television cameras captured the incident.

Paolo Gentiloni, the Italian foreign minister, told national news agency Ansa that his office was checking an online claim by a group affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Muntasirul Islam, a police spokesperson, said authorities were also trying to substantiate the purported claim.

Britain’s foreign ministry warned of an increased terrorism risk in the country.

Police in Dhaka said they had no leads in tracing the three unidentified assailants who, riding on a single motorcycle, drove up alongside the victim.

“We have no idea, we can’t say anything definitively for now,” Rahman said, declining to comment on the ISIL claim of responsibility.

“Let the investigation happen.”

Witnesses said the attackers fled the scene after Cesare fell to the ground, according to police.

Cesare was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.

His colleague Alo Rani Dhali said Cesare had come to Bangladesh in May to work in the food security sector for a Netherlands-based church cooperative called ICCO.

In a statement dated Monday, ISIL reportedly said a “security detachment” had tracked and killed Cesare with “silenced weapons”, according to the SITE intelligence group’s website.

It warned that “citizens of the crusader coalition” would not be safe in Muslim nations. Almost 90 percent of Bangladesh’s 160 million population practises Islam.

Dhaka police were questioning witnesses including street beggars who allegedly heard the shots and saw the attackers flee, local broadcaster Somoy Television said on Tuesday.

Modi leaves for home after concluding US, Ireland visit

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modi

New York: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday left for home after concluding his seven-day visit that took him to Ireland and the US.

“An extraordinary visit ends, with a relentless focus on the future. PM @narendramodi emplanes for New Delhi,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

Modi had visited Ireland on September 23 and then left for the US, during which he was in New York and also visited San Jose on the West Coast.

(IANS)

Big boost to economy : Reserve bank cuts rate by 50 basis points

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RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan

RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan

Mumbai: In a big boost to the economy and borrowers, the Reserve Bank today cut interest rate by 0.50 per cent and relaxed norms for home loan seekers.

In its monetary policy review, RBI reduced the key rate (repo) by 50 basis points from 7.25 per cent to 6.75 per cent with immediate effect.

The central bank cut the GDP forecast to 7.4 per cent for the current fiscal from (rpt) from 7.6 per cent, while projecting retail inflation at 5.8 per cent for January. RBI kept the cash reserve ratio (CRR), portion of deposits mandatorily kept by banks with the central bank, unchanged at 4 per cent.

Consequently, the reverse repo rate adjusted to 5.75 per cent, and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate to 7.75 per cent.

RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan said: “Further monetary policy accommodation will be conditioned by the abating of recent inflationary pressures, the full monsoon outturn, possible Federal Reserve actions and greater transmission of its front-loaded past actions.”

Looking forward, he said inflation is likely to go up from September for a few months as favourable base effects reverse.

“The outlook for food inflation could improve if the increase in sown area translates into higher production. Moderate increases in minimum support prices should keep cereal inflation muted, while subdued international food price inflation should continue to put downward pressure on the prices of sugar and edible oil, and food inflation more generally,” he said.

Taking all this into consideration, he said, inflation is expected to reach 5.8 per cent in January 2016, a shade lower than the August projection.

In a bid to give boost to housing sector, the RBI proposed to reduce the risk weights on affordable housing applicable to lower value but well collateralised individual housing loans.

At present, the minimum risk weight applicable on individual housing loans is 50 per cent, it said. Rajan also affirmed RBI’s commitment to be “accommodative” in the future even after today’s “front loaded” action.

“The bulk of our conditions for further accommodation have been met,” Rajan said in the fourth bi-monthly review of the monetary policy in the current fiscal.

The repo rate, at which RBI lends to the system, has now come down 6.75 per cent, the reverse repo rate at which it accepts banks’ excess liquidity will be 5.75 per cent, while the cash reserve ratio has been kept unchanged at 4 per cent.

This is the fourth policy rate cut by Rajan this year, and takes up the cumulative rate cuts to 1.25 per cent. The RBI has been under pressure from various quarters to give a fillip to the sagging growth by a rate cut, and itself acknowledged the need to do so when it cut its growth projection by 0.2 per cent to 7.4 per cent for the fiscal.

“Continuing policy implementation, structural reforms and corporate actions leading to higher productivity will be the primary impetus for sustainable growth,” Rajan said.

He made it clear that the RBI has “front-loaded policy action by a reduction in the policy rate by 0.50 per cent”, and this action shall ensure that the real interest rates will continue to be in the 1.5-2 per cent band.

Rajan reiterated the need for banks to pass the benefits of the RBI actions to their lending rates and added that with this cut, the focus of the monetary policy will now shift to working with the government to remove impediments to pass a bulk of the cumulative 1.25 per cent cuts to borrowers.

Banks have so far passed only an average of 0.30 per cent to the borrowers as against RBI’s 0.75 per cent cut and blame the delays in repricing of deposits for the lag. He added that deposit rates have “reduced significantly” and further transmission “is possible”.

The central bank is targeting to get headline inflation at 6 per cent by January 2016 and Rajan said it will reach 5.8 per cent by then. In the way forward, the focus will now shift to getting the number down to 5 per cent by FY17. Largely due to the base effects, the number had come at 3.66 per cent in August.

Apart from the rate action, Rajan introduced a slew of actions on the financial markets front, starting with setting the foreign portfolio investment limits in rupee terms, rather than in dollars.

FPI investments in government bonds will be increased in phases to 5 per cent of the outstanding stock by March 2018, which can bring in an additional of Rs 1,20,000 crore, over and above the existing limit of Rs 1,53,500 crore, Rajan said.

A majority of analysts were expecting Rajan to cut rates at the policy review, largely because of inflation being under control, and possibilities of it staying low in the immediate future on compressed commodity prices. However, more than the rate action, it was the guidance in the future stance, which the market was watching the most.

The Finance Ministry had also been building pressure on the RBI to cut rates, which will serve as a booster for the economy, where the GDP expansion has slipped to 7 per cent for the June quarter.

Citing wholesale price-based inflation continuing to be in the negative zone, Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramaniam had said the economy run the risk of deflation as well.

However, in its Monetary Policy Report, RBI said concerns around deflation are “overstated” and an “array of facts” like the sequential pick-up in growth can be presented to counter the argument.

“The prescription is that monetary policy should act aggressively to pre-empt deflation,” it said, adding that the government will also have to work hard to push growth. At 3.66 per cent in August, the consumer price inflation is within RBI’s comfort zone, given its stated target of keeping it at 6 per cent by January 2016.

A week ahead of the review, Rajan had given mixed signals of the stance he will be taking at the review, saying the inflation is low due to base effects — it was very high same time last year — and also flagged worries on inflation expectations in the economy, which continue to be very high.

The comments had come a day after US Federal Reserve decided to delay it’s rate hike, further fuelling expectations of a rate cut in India.

Apart from the US Fed’s actions, the 13 per cent shortfall in monsoon till now, which can impact inflation going forward, is another key factor.

The RBI shifted its stance in January this year with the first rate cut, after picking up signals of ebbing in the inflation trajectory.

(PTI)

 

Shiv Sena praises Manmohan Singh, says can’t forget his contribution

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manmohan singh

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena today sought to play down the “praise” lavished on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over attracting foreign investments, saying the contributions of P V Narsimha Rao and Manmohan Singh towards bolstering India’s economy can’t be forgotten.

“Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi is immensely popular in foreign countries, people like Narsimha Rao and Manmohan Singh laid the foundation of India’s economic progress and opened the country’s gates for other nations. How can we forget their contribution?” the Sena said in its mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.

The comment from the party, which is an ally of the BJP-led government at the Centre and in Maharashtra, comes in the backdrop of Modi’s address to the Indian diaspora yesterday where the PM deprecated the culture of graft in the country in a veiled attack on corruption in the UPA regime.

“In our country it doesn’t take much for allegations to come up against politicians… Someone made 50 crores, someone’s son made 250 crores, (someone’s) daughter made 500 crores, (someone’s) damaad (son-in-law) made 1000 crores…” Modi had said.

The Sena said that both the formers Prime Ministers gave a direction to the country’s economy when it was in a bad shape.

“Though Manmohan Singh believed in an ideology not similar to ours, we have to accept he wanted the best for our nation,” the Sena said.

The party further said that a revolution in Doordarshan and the telecommunication sector first happened during the regime of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, which was carried forward by her successor and son Rajiv Gandhi.

“Doordarshan started telecasting its programmes pan-India since 1982. It was on August 15, 1982 that Indira Gandhi’s Independence Day address to the nation was first telecasted on DD in colour,” Sena said.

“Later, it was Rajiv Gandhi who brought an era of computers and ensured that every village had phone and STD booths. He and his advisor Sam Pitroda are known as the architects of Indian telecommunication sector,” the Sena added.

(Agencies)

St. Germain’s 66th OBA Day celebrated with great gaiety

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St. Germain

Bengaluru: The 66th OBA Day of St. Germain High School started with a mass celebration for present and past students.

It is in all the Germanite blood that the last Sunday of September is an OBA Day. This is one day where the Germanite family meets and enjoys with his old school friends and teachers.

St. Germain School

This year the Annual General Meeting was a short affair. The AGM unanimously elected the present managing committee for one more year.

After the customary photograph of the entire Germanite family, everyone was served a sumptuous food, and beverages till 4.30 PM.

The OBA ended with hot tea and everyone wished each other and promised to be back the next year.

Long live Germanite family.

Israeli troops clash with Palestinians at al-Aqsa

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Soldiers storm the mosque compound and fight with Muslim worshippers who have barricaded themselves inside.

al-aqsa

by Al Jazeera

Clashes have erupted for a second day in a row in occupied Jerusalem  after Israeli security forces stormed al-Aqsa Mosque compound and fought with Palestinian worshippers.

Witnesses on the ground told Al Jazeera that the Israeli police entered the mosque shortly before 7am local time (04:00 GMT) on Monday.

Sources told Al Jazeera the officers used al-Maghareba gate to enter the compound.

They reportedly fought with the worshippers, who have barricaded themselves at the mosque.

Sources said at least 15 Palestinians were injured.

Al Jazeera’s Imtiaz Tyab, reporting from occupied East Jerusalem, said clashes continued and tensions “are high” as far-right Jewish groups prepare to enter the mosque compound.

He said several police officers were spotted at the roof of the mosque.

He quoted witnesses as saying that the police fired the stun grenades through windows at a small number of worshippers, and used metal barricades to shield themselves as they approached the mosque’s main gate.

For their part, the worshippers threw stones and hurled fire crackers at the police, the witnesses said.

“The confrontations are relatively minor but they are ongoing,” Al Jazeera’s Tyab said.

The fresh violence occurred on the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, which began on Sunday evening. During the week-long holiday, many Jews visit Jerusalem.

According to a 50-year long agreement, Jews and people of other religions are allowed to enter the compound between 7:30am and 11:30am local time, but are not allowed to pray.

Palestinian worshippers, however, said that far-right Jews have been provoking them by praying, thus violating the agreement.

CAR’s Bangui tense as communal strife kills scores

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Sporadic gunfire and looting reported in the capital as government says clashes are aimed at derailing elections.

Voters are due to elect a new president and parliament in October to replace an interim government [EPA]

Voters are due to elect a new president and parliament in October to replace an interim government [EPA]

by Al Jazeera

Renewed violence between Muslim and Christian communities in the Central African Republic has killed at least 36 people and wounded at least 80 more, according to hospital workers.

Sporadic gunfire could be heard in the capital, Bangui, on Monday, with journalists also citing multiple reports of widespread looting in the city, suggesting that tensions that began on Saturday had yet to subside.

On Sunday, Doctors without Borders (MSF) said in a statement that their teams working in the city’s Mpoko camp, Castor hospital and Hopital General had been pressed to activate mass-casualty plans to cope with an influx of the injured.

“In total MSF received 75 wounded patients, and the teams stabilised patients and performed 15 surgeries,” MSF said.

Emmanuel Lampaert, MSF head of mission in Central African Republic, said: “It’s very sad to see violence of such a scale occur once again, as we haven’t experienced anything like this since October last year.

“All our teams in Bangui were mobilised and have worked intensively to provide care to those who were wounded. We continue to monitor the situation closely in case violence would erupt again.”

Ousmane Abakar, a Muslim community leader, said fighting began early on Saturday as Muslims attacked a Christian neighbourhood in Bangui after the body of a Muslim man was left near a mosque.

The government on Sunday announced a 6pm to 6am curfew to curtail the violence.

Earlier on Sunday, Christian anti-Balaka militia members were on the streets, retaliating for the previous day’s violence.

Tear gas used

Sunday’s clashes were aimed at derailing elections scheduled to take place next month, the government said.

Angry young men used tree trunks to block Bangui’s main arteries early on Sunday.

Soldiers from the UN peacekeeping mission, MINUSCA, fired tear gas at crowds in an unsuccessful attempt to clear the roads.

Thousands of Central Africans have died and hundreds of thousands remain displaced after two years of violence that erupted after mainly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power in the majority Christian country in 2013.

Seleka abuses prompted reprisals by anti-Balaka fighters that drove most Muslims from the south in a de-facto partition of the country.

Protesters alleged that UN and French forces did little to intervene in Saturday’s violence and called for the sidelined Central African army, the FACA, to assume responsibility for security.

“We are calling for a civil disobedience movement starting now and we demand the immediate redeployment, without conditions, of the FACA,” Gervais Lakossa, a civil society leader, said.

Anti-Balaka fighters armed with assault rifles and machetes were seen on Bangui’s streets on Sunday as many city residents fled their homes for protected displacement camps.

“The government asks the population not to cede to the manipulation of extremists who are seeking to set the country on fire to satisfy their selfish political ambitions,” Dominique Said Paguindji, CAR’s security minister, said on state radio.

Voters are due to elect a new president and parliament on October 18 to replace an interim government led by acting President Catherine Samba-Panza.

Despite lagging preparations and the renewed violence in the capital, Paguindji said the polls would go ahead as scheduled.

Makkah stampede: 10 more Indians die, toll 45

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The stampede occurred in a street between pilgrim camps in Mina [Saudi civil defence handout]

The stampede occurred in a street between pilgrim camps in Mina [Saudi civil defence handout]

New Delhi: The toll of Indian Haj pilgrims killed in the stampede near Makkah in Saudi Arabia has risen to 45, with 10 more injured dying, the government announced on Monday.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted: “The death toll of Indians killed in Haj stampede is now 45. We have 50 Indian pilgrims in various hospitals in Saudi Arabia.”

Among the 10 who have died now, three are from West Bengal, two each from Kerala and Jharkhand, one each from Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, and an Indian who is a local resident.

Over 1,000 people were killed on Thursday in a stampede near Makkah during the Haj.

(IANS)

Now Amma mobile phone scheme in Tamil Nadu

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Amma Mobile Phone

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on Monday announced the distribution of Amma mobile phones to trainers of women’s self-help groups.

Making this announcement in the state assembly, Jayalalithaa said in the first phase, 20,000 mobile phones at an outlay of Rs.15 crore would be distributed.

She said the women’s self-help group trainers have to keep records of membership subscription, savings, loans and recoveries.

Jayalalithaa said a software in Tamil will be developed enabling to record the above data and a computerised mobile phone will be distributed to the women’s self-help group trainers.

The Amma mobile phone scheme is the latest of the several Amma branded schemes implemented in the state like Amma cement, Amma mineral water, Amma canteen and others.

(Agencies)

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