12.8.

12

INTERNATIONAL Tanzania confirms reflagging Iran oil tankers

Tanzania has said a shipping agent based in Dubai had reflagged 36 Iranian oil tankers with the Tanzanian flag without the country's knowledge and approval. Tanzania said it was now in the process of de-registering the vessels after an investigation into the origin of the ships concluded they were originally from Iran. Tanzania launched an investigation last month over accusations that it had reflagged oil tankers from Iran and asked the United States and European Union to help it verify the origin of the tankers flying the east African country's flag. A report with the investigation's findings was discussed in the House of Representatives of Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania late on Friday, and the minutes of that debate were seen by Reuters late on Saturday. Reflagging ships masks their ownership, which could make it easier for Iran to obtain insurance and financing for the cargoes, as well as find buyers for the shipments without attracting attention from the United States and European Union. The National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) changed the names and flags of many of its oil tankers ahead of the EU ban, part of sweeping economic measures aimed at pressuring Tehran to end its nuclear programme. That included swapping Maltese and Cypriot flags for Tuvalu and Tanzanian ones. The ships flying Tanzania's flag were re-flagged by Zanzibar, which has claimed it was misled by its Dubai-based agent, Philtex, and would end its contract with that firm. "The government has thoroughly investigated this issue and established that the Zanzibar

Bytes

Maritime Authority [ZMA] through our Dubai-based agent, Philtex, registered 36 Iranian crude oil tankers and containership vessels to fly the Tanzanian flag," Zanzibar Vice-President Seif Ali Iddi told the assembly. "The Zanzibar government is in the process of de-registering the ships and also terminating its agency contract with Philtex after establishing the truth that these [Iranian] ships are flying the Tanzanian flag." Howard Berman, the ranking member of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs, had accused Tanzania of reflagging at least six and possibly as many at 10 tankers, saying it was helping Iran evade US and European Union sanctions aimed at pressuring Tehran to curb its nuclear programme. He said Tanzania could face US sanctions for the practice. Berman has also asked the small South Pacific island nation Tuvalu to stop reflagging Iranian oil tankers and warned its government of the risks of running afoul of US sanctions. Keeping Iran ties The US sanctions have kept Iran's major trading partners from buying Iranian crude. The European Union banned Iranian oil imports as well as the provision of insurance for vessels carrying Iranian oil from July 1. On July 4, Tanzania's neighbour Kenya cancelled an agreement to import 4 million tonnes of Iranian crude oil per year because of sanctions against Iran. Zanzibar's Iddi said Tanzania would act to de-register the ships in light of the threat of economic sanctions. He promised further investigations into how the registration of the ships was conducted. However, he said Tanzania's ties with Iran on other issues would remain intact. Tanzania has previously stated that it supports Iran's pursuit of a peaceful nuclear programme. The United States has mounted an international campaign aimed at depriving Iran of oil revenue

Bytes

to pressure it to rein in its nuclear programme, which Tehran maintains is solely for peaceful purposes but the West suspects is aimed at developing nuclear weapons. "The Zanzibar government will also conduct further investigations to establish how the registration of the ships was done in the first place," Iddi said. "Regardless of this incident, our relations with Iran will continue in other areas."

Anti-government protesters rally in Morocco

Hundreds of activists have rallied in Morocco's main cities to protest against corruption, the high cost of living and other causes of discontent. Rights groups, trade unionists and the February 20 protest movement had called the demonstrations, amid frustration at the perceived failure of the Islamist-led government to make good on its electoral promises. In Casablanca, Morocco's largest city, nearly 1,000 people gathered, chanting anti-corruption slogans, denouncing the sharp rise in prices, and calling for the release of jailed activists, a witness said. The protest ended without incident at midnight, an activist reported on social media. Around 300 people gathered near the main boulevard in Rabat, the capital, chanting slogans criticising Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane, and waving anti-government banners. According to a recent report published by the World Bank, around 30 per cent of young Moroccans between 15 and 29 - who account for 44 per cent of the working age population are unemployed.

Exiles hold fireworks display off Cuban coast

Democracy Movement, a US-based group, holds display in boats anchored off Cuba in bid to

Bytes

inspire anti-government action. Fireworks have lit up the horizon just off the coast of Havana in an event organised by Cuban exiles hoping to inspire pro-democracy protests on the island nation. In 1996, the Cuban military shot down two small planes carrying exile activists, killing four people. Cuba maintains the aircraft violated the country's airspace, though the exiles deny that A second message behind the display was to demand greater internet access on the island, which lags the rest of the world despite the completion of an undersea fibre-optic cable last year. "The Cuban government has just installed the cable from Venezuela that allows 3,000 times more technical capability of connection, and yet it has not translated into benefits for the Cuban people in terms of access," he said. Cuba blames its creaky internet on Washington's 50-year-old economic embargo against the island.

Fears of disease as Philippines floods recede

Emergency relief officials and doctors have been deployed to flood-devastated communities in the Philippines to prevent outbreaks of disease as the death toll jumped to 85. "As the waters receded they left behind clogged pipelines and trash everywhere. Sanitation has emerged as a key problem," Red Cross secretary general Gwendolyn Pang. Of particular concern is a possible outbreak of leptospirosis, a bacterial disease caused by exposure to water contaminated by rat urine. More than 3,300 people were infected and 249 died of the disease in the aftermath of similar flooding in 2009, the biggest casualty figure for leptospirosis in the world, health authorities said. Leptospirosis is a rare and severe bacterial infection that occurs when people are exposed to certain environments.

Bytes

Leptospirosis is caused by exposure to several types of the Leptospira bacteria, which can be found in fresh water that has been contaminated by animal urine. It occurs in warmer climates. It is not spread from person to person, except in vary rare cases when it is transmitted through breast milk or from a mother to her unborn child

Symptoms
Symptoms can take 2 - 26 days (average 10 days) to develop, and may include: Dry cough Fever Headache Muscle pain Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea Shaking chills

Canary Islands fire forces mass evacuation

Some 4,700 people evacuated over two days, in fires that follow Spain's driest winter in seven decades. Wildfires raging on the Spanish Canary Islands of La Gomera and Tenerife have forced the evacuation of more than 4,700 people in two days, the regional government said. The Canary Islands, also known as the Canaries, is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara.

Bytes

Egypt's Morsi fires defence minister Tantawi

The Egyptian president has ordered the powerful head of the army and defence minister, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, into retirement and cancelled constitutional amendments issued by the military restricting presidential powers. Abdul-Fatah al-Sessi would replace Tantawi as defence minister and the general commander of the army. Morsi also sent into retirement the chief of army staff, Sami Anan, and appointed him as a presidential adviser. Lieutenant-General Sidki Sayed Ahmed was named as Anan's replacement. Morsi further appointed a senior judge, Mahmoud Mekki, as vice-president. All decisions are effective immediately. Tantawi was the head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), which ruled the country after Hosni Mubarak was toppled as president in February 2011. He was defence minister for nearly two decades under Mubarak. Morsi, from the Muslim Brotherhood, and his Islamist allies did not hide their displeasure with the amendments issued by the military in mid-June curtailing the president's role and granting the army massive powers, including legislative control. Earlier this week, Morsi sacked the head of the intelligence service. Besides Tantawi and Anan, Morsi also ordered the retirement of the commanders of the navy, air

Bytes

defence and air force. The retired navy commander, Lieutenant-General Mohan Mameesh, was named as chairman of the Suez Canal, the strategic waterway linking the Red Sea and the Mediterranean and a major source of revenues for the country.

Aid efforts under way after Iran quakes

At least 227 dead and more than 2,000 wounded after twin earthquakes strike near northwestern city of Tabriz.

Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt about 60,000 km
2

in area. It is

situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa, effectively serving as a land bridge between two continents.

Bytes

Qatar pledges $2bn for Egypt's central bank

Qatar is to deposit $2bn at the Egyptian Central Bank in an effort to help support an economy battered by a year and a half of political turmoil, an Egyptian presidency statement has said. The announcement came after meeting in Cairo on Saturday between President Mohamed Morsi and Qatar's emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. The central bank's reserves have fallen sharply since the fall of Mubarak, the former president, in February 2011. Reserves are at $14.4bn, against $36bn a year and a half ago. The cash shortfall raises fears about Egypt's ability to maintain imports of basic commodities such as wheat and refined fuel, and to honour its international financial commitments. A mission from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will arrive in Cairo this month to resume talks with the government over a $3.2bn loan. Political tensions have been delaying the unlocking of aid as the IMF demanded that any loan gets broad political support. The Egyptian government expects a growth rate of 3.5 to 4 per cent in the 2012 to 2013 fiscal year. Gulf governments have offered some aid to Cairo, including a $1bn deposit from Saudi Arabia at the central bank earlier this year.

US politicians urge Bahrain to free activist

Nineteen members of the US Congress have written to Bahrain's king to call for the release of prominent human rights activist Nabeel Rajab, who is currently serving a three-month jail sentence for comments made on Twitter. Rajab, the president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), appeared in court on

Bytes

Sunday in a separate case that relates to him calling for, and participating in, an "illegal gathering The Gulf island's ruling monarchy is a close ally of Washington and home to the US navy's Fifth Fleet.

Saudi Arabia planning to build city exclusively for women

Arabia is planning to build a city exclusively for women in a bid to encourage career oriented females within its strict Sharia law. According to a Saudi media report, the Saudi Industrial Property Authority (Modon) has been Masked to bring the country at par with the rest of the modern world by building the all women city, with construction to begin next year. The new city will allow women's desire to work without defying the country's strict Islamic laws. Although Saudi Sharia law does not prohibit women to work, figures show that only 15 per cent of women are represented in the workforce. The plan coincides with the government's ambitions to get women to play a more active part in the development of the country. Among the stated objectives are to create jobs, particularly for younger women. Last September, King Abdullah announced that women will be able to vote and run in the 2015 local elections.

2009 army mutiny: 329 soldiers awarded jail terms in Bdesh

In Bangladesh, a special court of the Border Guard Bangladesh today sentenced 329 soldiers to different jail terms ranging from four months to seven years in a case related to the February 2009 mutiny of the force which was then called as Bangladesh Rifles. A three-member Special Court-11, led by Brigadier General Mohammed Nasir Uddin Ahmad sentenced 37 of the 329 found guilty to the maximum punishment of seven years jail term.

Bytes

Following the mutiny, the Bangladesh government has revamped and renamed the border protection force as Border Guards Bangladesh by passing a new act in the parliament.

US Navy guided-missile destroyer collides with Japanese merchant vessel

A U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer collided with a Japanese-owned merchant vessel near the Strait of Hormuz this morning, with no injuries reported on either vessel. The USS Porter collided with the Panamanian-flagged bulk oil tanker M/V Otowasan at about 1 a.m. local time Sunday The Strait of Hormuz, at the entrance to the Gulf, is the export route for one-third of global seaborne traded oil.

Now virus Gauss infects computers in West Asia

After the Stuxnet and Flame Computer viruses, yet another virus, the Gauss has been discovered infecting the computers in West Asia. The Kaspersky Labs working on behalf of the International Telecommunications Union said Gauss is the latest cyber-threat targeting users in West Asia. It stated that Gauss is a complex, cyber-espionage virus which can steal sensitive data, with a specific focus on browser passwords, online banking account credentials, cookies, and specific configurations of infected machines. It was first discovered in June this year based on the knowledge gained by the in-depth analysis and research on the Flame computer virus. However at present it has been contained. The virus is also capable of stealing access credentials for various online banking systems and payment methods. The Kaspersky Labs informed that the analysis of Gauss showed that it had infected around 2500 machines in Lebanon. It is capable of stealing data from the clients of several Lebanese banks while it also targets users of Citibank and PayPal. Gauss can infect USB drives on the same pattern as in case of Stuxnet and Flame computer

Bytes

viruses however the process of infecting USB sticks is more intelligent .

Arab League foreign ministers meeting postponed

Arab League foreign ministers have postponed a meeting in Saudi Arabia to debate the crisis in Syria. The ministers had been due to discuss a new envoy to Syria to replace Kofi Annan, who resigned earlier this month after his proposed six-point peace plan failed to come into effect and violence escalated. His replacement had been due to top the agenda for foreign ministers who had been due to gather today in the Saudi city of Jeddah. But the Arab League's deputy secretary general, Ahmed Ben Helli, told reporters the meeting has been postponed, and no new date had yet been set. He did not say why the meeting had been delayed. The mandate of the United Nations observer mission in Syria - which now comprises some 150 observers - is due to run out in a week's time. But UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says there still need to be people on the ground to make impartial assessments of the military situation. The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said the US and Turkey are working together on detailed plans to support the Syrian opposition. Speaking on a visit to Istanbul, Mrs Clinton said both the US and Turkey were making preparations to respond to the possible collapse of President Bashar al-Assad's government, the use of chemical weapons and increases in the number of crossborder refugees. Meanwhile, fighting has continued in the Syrian capital, Damascus and the second city of Aleppo.

Somali Olympians deny seeking asylum over threats

One of two Somali athletes competing at the Olympic Games in London has denied that they are seeking asylum in the UK. Mohamed Hassan Mohamed, a 1,500m runner, told they both intended to return home. Earlier his compatriot Zamzam Mohamed Farah, who ran in the first heat of the women's 400m,

Bytes

spoke of the threats she has faced since competing. Somalia has been devastated by two decades of conflict and an al-Qaeda group controls many areas. Its last functioning national government was ousted in 1991 and the resulting vacuum has enabled both pirates and lawlessness to flourish. 'Worried' Mr Mohammed, 20, told that he and Ms Farah were going back to the capital, Mogadishu, this coming Tuesday. He admitted that they were worried about the threats they had received but they did not intend to stay in the UK and apply for asylum as some reports had suggested. The Islamist al-Shabab, which joined al-Qaeda in February and controls much of rural southern and central Somalia, oppose activities they deem to be "Western", including certain sports. Ms Farah told London-based Universal TV that she had been singled out for carrying the national flag at the opening ceremony and "exposing herself" during her race. An observant Muslim, the 21-year-old took to the track in a headscarf and with her arms and legs covered. She also ran while fasting, in accordance with the holy month of Ramadan, the television reported. "There are a lot of threats coming through both Facebook and on the telephone. My parents have also been called and were informed that what I did was not a good thing and that once I return, I will be dealt with." She added that Mohamed had been told that "there is a cross on his head and that if he returns to Mogadishu, his head will be no more". In April, the president of Somalia's Olympic Committee, Aden Yabarow Wiish, and the Somali Football Federation chief, Said Mohamed Nur, were killed in a suicide attack in Mogadishu. In 2010, al-Shabab said it carried out twin bombings in Uganda which killed more than 70

Bytes

people who had gathered to watch the World Cup final on TV. But for several months, the group has come under pressure on several military fronts and the capital is now mainly under the control of African Union peacekeepers. Correspondents say despite continued insecurity and assassinations in the city this has led to a construction boom and hopes that the UN-backed process under way to elect a new government and president this month will bring more stability to the country. Speaking before the Games, Ms Farah, who shares the name of the two-time Olympic gold winner Mo Farah - a Somali-born British athlete, said medals were not a priority for her: "I am not going there to win, but for pride... I will be representing my flag, my soil and its people."

Britain lays down conditions for resuming aid to Rwanda

The British government has outlined the conditions for resuming aid to Rwanda. Britain's development minister, Andrew Mitchell, said he expected the Rwandan government to co-operate in crisis talks over the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rwanda is alleged to be supporting rebels fighting the Congolese government. The government in Kigale has repeatedly denied having any links with the rebels. Speaking to the BBC, Mr Mitchell spelt out what he was looking for. "We expect the Rwandan government to play a most important role in the discussions which are taking place under the chairmanship of President Museveni of the Great Lakes Group within the African Union and we look also, of course, to the Rwandan government to make clear where they stand on the issue of the mutiny, the rebellion which is taking place by the M23 group in the DRC," Mr Mitchell said. Last month the UK and the Netherlands joined the US in withholding aid to Rwanda over its support for the M23 rebels, as outlined in a UN report. The UK government said in July it was delaying 16m ($25m) in budget support while it

Bytes

considered whether aid conditions had been met. Rwanda is one of the British government's closest African development partners. Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo described the UN report as "one sided". The mutiny started within the Congolese army in April and some 200,000 people have fled their homes as a result of fighting.

IOC withholds football medal from S Korea's Park Jong-woo

The International Olympic Committee is temporarily withholding a bronze medal from a South Korean football player who displayed a political sign after a win against Japan. Midfielder Park Jong-woo brandished a banner referring to islands claimed by both South Korea and Japan. The IOC barred him from taking part in Saturday's medal ceremony. It has asked football's governing body Fifa to discipline Park, and says it may decide on further sanctions later. The committee said it would withhold the bronze medal until the case is reviewed by Fifa. IOC president Jacques Rogge told reporters: "We will take a possible decision of what will happen with the medal later." After South Korea beat Japan 2-0 on Friday, Park held up a sign with the national flag and a slogan supporting his country's claim over the islands - known as Dokdo in South Korea and as Takeshima in Japan. The South Korea Olympic Committee later said that Park had seized the sign from a fan, stressing that the incident had not been pre-planned. The statutes of both the IOC and Fifa prohibit political statements by athletes and players. Friday's match came hours after South Korean President Lee Myung-bak visited the islands.

Bytes

The move prompted Japan to recall its ambassador in Seoul. The uninhabited islands, which are roughly equidistant from the two countries, are small but lie in fishing grounds which could also contain large gas deposits.

Vast volcanic 'raft' found in Pacific, near New Zealand

A vast "raft" of volcanic rocks covering 10,000 sq miles (26,000 sq km) of ocean has been spotted by a New Zealand military aircraft. A naval ship was forced to change course in order to avoid the cluster of buoyant rocks, located 1,000 miles off the New Zealand coast. The unusual phenomenon was probably the result of pumice being released from an underwater volcano, experts said. Lieutenant Tim Oscar told "As far ahead as I could observe was a raft of pumice moving up and down with the swell. "The [top of the] rock looked to be sitting two feet above the surface of the waves and lit up a brilliant white colour. It looked exactly like the edge of an ice shelf," the officer said. Researchers aboard the ship, HMNZS Canterbury, suggest that the source of the pumice was an underwater volcano (seamount) known as Monowai, located to the north of New Zealand. The pumice is likely to have been formed when lava from the seamount came into contact with seawater, and as it is less dense than water it quickly rises to the surface of the ocean. Pumice is a textural term for a volcanic rock which is a solidified frothy lava. Pumice is typically created when super-heated, highly pressurized rock is violently ejected from a volcano. Alternatively it can be formed when lava and water are mixed. Most pumice is light enough to float on water. The unusual foamy configuration of pumice happens because of simultaneous rapid cooling and rapid depressurization. The depressurization creates bubbles by lowering the solubility of gases

Bytes

(including water and CO ) that are dissolved in the lava, causing the gases to rapidly exsolve (like
2

the bubbles of CO that appear when a carbonated drink is opened). The simultaneous cooling and
2

depressurization freezes the bubbles in the matrix.

Nepal women banned from Middle East over exploitation

Nepal has banned women under the age of 30 from going to work in Middle Eastern countries amid growing concerns that they are being exploited. Common complaints include physical and sexual abuse, poor conditions and non-payment of salaries. The move comes 18 months after the government ended a 12-year ban on women working in Gulf countries. It was imposed after a young woman, who had been abused in Kuwait, committed suicide, sparking outrage in Nepal. Every day, an estimated 1,000 people leave Nepal for the Middle East for jobs as housemaids. It is estimated that there are as many as 200,000 Nepalese women working there unofficially. But they can be vulnerable and Nepal's embassies in the region say they deal with numerous cases of women seeking shelter after alleged physical and sexual abuse. "Young female workers are reported to have been sexually and psychologically exploited in Gulf countries," Information Minister Raj Kishor Yadav was quoted as saying in the Himalayan Times English-language daily newspaper. "So the cabinet decided to set the age bar for women migrant workers in the Gulf. Women above 30 years of age are at low risk of such exploitation." Women from Nepal have been allowed to go to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar since 2010, when the ban imposed after the suicide of the Nepalese domestic worker was lifted.

Bytes

Correspondents say that while most Nepalese migrant workers are based in India, the government and local charities estimate that between 20,000 and 70,000 are registered as working wealthy Gulf countries, lured by the prospect of better wages which are sent to their families back home. Nepal's move follows a ban imposed last year by Indonesia on women working in domestic service in the Middle East. In June Kenya also announced a ban on men and women working in domestic service in Middle Eastern countries.

US nuns won't 'compromise mission'

US nuns who have come under fire from the Vatican say they will hold further talks with church leaders, but will not "compromise their mission". The Vatican has said the Leadership Conference of Women Religious violated church teaching on birth control and homosexuality, among other issues. The group made the announcement at the end of a national meeting. Church officials have appointed three US bishops to oversee an overhaul of their organisation. LCWR is the largest organisation of nuns in the US, representing 80% of the 57,000 nuns in the United States. 'Starting point' Sister Pat Farrell, the group's leader, said they would continue discussions with the bishops "as long as possible, but will reconsider if LCWR is forced to compromise the integrity of its mission".

Bytes

NATIONAL Indian carriers told to submit intl flight plans by Aug end
Civil Aviation Ministry has asked Indian carriers to submit their international flight plans till 2014 by this month end. The data have been sought to assess the capability of Indian carriers to operate international flights, in terms of their fleet, crew and bilateral rights used. The global operation plans of the Indian carriers will be discussed at a meeting early next month. The ministry's move comes in the wake of aggressive expansion carried out so far by foreign carriers, especially those from West asia. . At present, foreign airlines weekly operate 1,356 flights to India as against just over 800 by Indian carriers. Indian carriers permitted to operate international flights are Air India, Jet, IndiGo, SpiceJet and Kingfisher. Indian carriers have been complaining that the lack of bilateral air traffic rights was resulting in their foreign counterparts flying more passengers out of and in to India. A consultation paper of the Civil Aviation Ministry has also recommended that the foreign carriers' request for further opening up access has to be limited until a point has reached where the Indian carriers have fully utilised the under-served bilateral agreements.

BCCC asks TV channels to be cautious while showing violence against women

Broadcasting Content Complaints Council BCCC has asked TV channels to be extra-cautious while showing violence against women. The non-news television industry's self-regulatory body, BCCC

Bytes

has received almost half of the complaints related to obscene scenes during its first year of functioning. In its report sent to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, the council has said that during the period from 20th of June 2011 till 2 nd of last month, out of the 717 specific complaints received, 47 per cent were on obscenity and nudity while 16 per cent were regarding depiction of violence. The BCCC directed some channels that since these programmes were not suitable for telecast during generalviewing hours, they should suitably modify the content and air such programmes during restricted viewing hours. It added that in some cases, channels completely took programmes off air.The BCCC report said that it had also received complaints about reality shows that involved youth. The main concern was use of vulgar language by participants and the alleged obscene acts performed by them during the shows.

Delhi Govt to install CCTV cameras over liquor shops

Delhi government will install CCTV cameras over liquor shops in the national capital to prevent people from drinking in and around such vends and check rowdiness. Over 530 liquor shops in the city will come under CCTV camera surveillance by the end of this year. The government Officials said in the first phase, the cameras will be installed in 225 shops and the work is likely to be completed by next month. The cameras will have to cover at least 50-meter area on all sides of the liquor shop and the cameras inside the vends will have to capture daily activities. Delhi CM announces rupees 1 crore award for Sushil

Bytes

MP to construct over 40,000 houses for urban slum dwellers

In Madhya Pradesh, more than 40 thousand are proposed to be constructed for urban slum dwellers under the central Government's Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renovation Mission scheme. construction work of 26 thousand houses has started in Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur and Ujjain.

FIIs pump in Rs. 4,800 cr into Indian stock markets this month so far
Foreign Institutional Investors, FIIs have invested nearly 4,800 crore rupees into stock markets in August so far, despite country's slow economic growth and weak monsoon. According to SEBI, during August 1-10 . Market experts said foreign investors have sidelined concerns over weak monsoon, slowing economic growth and a high interest rate regime, mainly on hopes that government would initiate fresh reforms initiatives.

Sushil Kumar wins silver in Freestyle wrestling

At the London Olympics today, wrestler Sushil Kumar won India a silver medal in the 66 kg category of Freestyle wrestling. Sushil lost 1-3 to Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu of Japan in the finals of the wrestling event. 29 year old Sushil, a bronze medalist from the 2008 Beijing games has created history by becoming the first Indian to win back-to-back Individual Olympic medals. This is India's second medal from Wrestling in the London Olympics after Grappler Yogeshwar Dutt claimed a bronze in the 60 kilogram class of Freestyle wrestling yesterday. With Sushil's medal, India's medal tally in the 30th edition of the Games has increased to two silver and four

Bytes

bronze, surpassing the one gold and two bronze medals they won in Beijing four years ago. With two silver and four bronze , India are at the 55th position.

Science Climate change may boost frog disease chytridiomycosis

More changeable temperatures, a consequence of global warming, may be helping to abet the threat that a lethal fungal disease poses to frogs. Scientists found that when temperatures vary unpredictably, frogs succumb faster to chytridiomycosis, which is killing amphibians around the world. The animals' immune systems appear to lose potency during unpredictable temperature shifts. The research is published in Nature Climate Change journal. It affects frogs and their amphibian relatives salamanders, and the worm-like caecilians - and has caused a number of species extinctions .

Bytes