January 2011 Current Events: World News

U.S. News | Business News | Disasters & Science News Here are the key events in world news for the month of January 2011.
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Governor of Punjab Province, Pakistan, Assassinated (Jan. 4): The Governor of the Punjab Province, and a close ally of the President of Pakistan, is assassinated. Gov. Salman Taseer is shot getting into his car by Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, an elite-force security guard, who is apprehended immediately after the shooting. At Least 24 Die in Tunisian Protests (Jan. 11): At least two dozen people, mainly young civilian men, are killed in government protests in Tunisia. The protesters are unhappy with the chronic unemployment they are facing in the country, as well as perceived police brutality. President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali ordered a night curfew, and schools and universities have been temporarily closed. (Jan. 14): After 23 years of authoritarian rule, President Ben Ali flees Tunisia for Saudi Arabia amid protests. Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi announces he will take over as interim protests. It is the first time a President of an Arab country has been overthrown because of widespread protesting. 11 Cabinet Members Resign, Toppling Lebanese Government (Jan. 12): Hezbollah and its allies withdraw from the Lebanese government, breaking a unity government that has been in place since 2009. Eleven of the 30 cabinet members resign. The government has been in turmoil since 2005, when former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated. Egyptian President Asks Army to Intervene After Days of Violent Protest (Jan. 28): After days of violent protest in Cairo, Egypt, President Hosni Mubarak calls the army into the streets to stop the demonstrators, protesting over government corruption, the economy, and lack of personal freedom. Those involved called the event a "day of wrath"; the protests have stretched on for four days.

Here are the key events in business and science news for the month of January 2011.
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Economy Adds 103,000 Jobs in December; Unemployment Dips to 9.4% (Jan. 7): The U.S. economy added 103,000 jobs in the month of December 2010, while the unemployment dipped just slightly, to 9.4% from 9.8% in November. Steve Jobs Takes Leave of Absence (Jan. 17): Apple chief executive and co-founder Steve Jobs announces he will take a medical leave of absence. Jobs suffered from pancreatic cancer in the past, receiving surgery for the disease in 2004. He returned from his first leave of absence a year and a half ago after a liver transplant. Google Co-Founder Larry Page Takes Over Chief Executive Post (Jan. 20): Larry Page, the co-founder of Google and the president of products, takes over the chief executive position at the company, a surprise move. Eric Schmidt has been the chief executive since 2001; he will remain at the company as executive chairman and Page's advisor.

Here are the key events in Science and Disasters news for the month of January 2011.
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Rep. Gabrielle Giffords Among 17 Shot in Assassination Attempt, Six Killed (Jan. 8): Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords is shot in an assassination attempt in Arizona. She is among at least 17 shot by a gunman who opened fire on the congresswoman's constituent meeting outside a local grocery store. Six people are fatally wounded, including United States District Court Judge John Roll, and a young girl. The gunman, who police identify as Jared Lee Loughner, is apprehended and remains in police custody. Rep. Giffords, who was shot in the head, is hospitalized and in critical condition. (Jan. 9): Loughner is charged with five federal counts for the Arizona shooting spree, including attempted assasination of a member of Congress. Rep. Giffords is still in critical condition, though her doctors are optimistic about her recovery. Authorities believe Loughner acted alone. At Least 8 Die in Australian Flooding (Jan. 10): At least 8 people are dead and over 70 missing after massive flooding ravages Brisbane, Australia. The area has seen weeks of heavy rain and flooding, killing at least 18 people over the past two months. The region had been suffering from drought for 10 years. Bombing in Moscow Airport Kills At Least 35, Wounds 168 (Jan. 24): A suicide bomber kills at least 35 and wounds at least 168 in an attack on a Moscow aiport. The blast occured in the international arrivals section of the airport. Authorities are as yet unsure who masterminded the bombing.

February 2011 Current Events: World News

U.S. News | Business News | Disasters & Science News Here are the key events in world news for the month of February 2011.
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Unrest in Middle East Spreads to Bahrain (Feb. 14): Violence erupts in Bahrain as protestors, inspired by recent events in Egypt and Tunisia, select Feb. 14th as a day of protest to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the National Action Charter. Bahrain is the most recent country facing unpheaval among its citizens, mirroring the instability in Yemen, Iran, and Libya. Libya on Brink of Civil War (Feb. 24): Civilians and defected soldiers seeking the removal of Col. Muammar al-Qaddafi hold off his forces in cities close to Tripoli, Libya's capital. Unlike the Facebook-enabled youth rebellions in neighboring Egypt and Tunisia, the insurrection in Libya is being led by people who have been actively opposing the regime for some time. In a series of determined stands these rebel forces are proving to be a well-armed revolutionary movement. Security Council Approves Sanctions on Libya (Feb. 26): The UN Security Council votes unanimously to impose strong sanctions on Libya's leader, Col. Muammar alQaddafi, and his inner circle of advisers. The council also calls for an international war crimes investigation into "widespread and systemic attacks" against Libyan citizens.

Here are the key events in United States news for the month of February 2011.
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Packers Beat Steelers in Super Bowl XLV (Feb. 6): The Green Bay Packers take the championship back to Titletown after beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 3125 in the mostwatched television broadcast ever. An estimated 111 million people tune in to see quarterback Aaron Rogers lead the Packers to their 13th league championship, more than any other team in the NFL. President Obama Proposes 2012 Federal Budget (Feb. 14): The $3.8 trillion budget proposal by President Obama runs into immediate trouble in Congress among lawmakers who say it tries to do too much while cutting the deficit too little. Republicans and liberal budget experts agree that the plan doesn't go far enough to reduce the deficit, despite a $1.6 trillion savings over 10 years. Teachers and State Employees Protest in Wisconsin (Feb. 15): New Wis. governor Scott Walker puts forward a plan to cut the bargaining rights and benefits of public workers. State employees and teachers stage protests in Madison, camping out with sleeping bags near the Capitol's rotunda. Democratic senators flee Wisconsin in order to halt action in the state Senate. Obama Administration Determines Defense of Marriage Act Unconstitutional (Feb. 23): In a legal and political shift, President Obama determines that the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional. The Justice Department will stop defending the law in court. The Defense of Marriage Act is the 1996 law that bars federal recognition of samesex marriages. The administration previously supported the constitutional right of Congress to enact the measure. Two current lawsuits challenging the 1996 law as unconstitutional forced President Obama and his legal team to revise their position, concluding that gay people qualify for the greater protection afforded to a handful of categories, like gender or race.

Here are the key events in business news for the month of February 2011.
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Verizon Offers iPhone 4 (Feb. 10): Verizon begins offering the iPhone 4, giving consumers an option other than AT&T, and fueling the rivalry between the two wireless carriers. Recent reviews of the Verizon iPhone have found that it drops fewer calls than the AT&T version. Customers in N.D., S.D., Mont., and Wyo., which are not currently serviced by AT&T, will now be able to purchase an iPhone from Verizon. The End of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (Feb. 11): The U.S. Treasury Dept submits a report to Congress proposing the eventual elimination of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, part of the Obama administration's plan to reform the U.S. housing finance market. The report concludes that Fannie and Freddie strayed from their primary business goal of promoting sustainable home ownership when they extended credit to riskier borrowers. The report also lays out reforms to fix flaws in the mortgage market through stronger consumer protection, improved underwriting standards, and increased transparency for investors. Borders Files for Bankruptcy (Feb. 16): The 40-year-old retail chain that helped usher in the age of the book superstore files for bankruptcy protection. Borders, which began as

a used bookstore in Ann Arbor, Mich. and expanded wildly in the 1990s, now operates over 650 stores and employs 19,500 people. Due to over-expansion, executive turnover, and a failure to capitalize on the digital revolution, Borders is set to close 200 stores and greatly reduce its staff in the coming weeks.

Here are the key events in Science and Disasters news for the month of February 2011.
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Sun Erupts With Most Powerful Solar Flare in Four Years (Feb. 14): An X-class solar flare, the most powerful form of solar flare, erupts and jams radio communications in China. Such a solar blast has the potential to disrupt electrical power grids and satellites used on Earth. Northern Lights Enhanced by Solar Flare (Feb. 17): The Aurora Borealis, commonly known as the northern lights, are more prominent due to the recent solar flare eruption. Thanks to the solar flare, the Aurora Borealis are visible farther south, even into the northern tier of the United States. Earthquake Strikes New Zealand's Second Largest City (Feb. 22): A 6.3-magnitude earthquake hits Christchurch, New Zealand, killing at least 75 people. The U.S. Geological Survey reports the earthquake is part of an aftershock sequence from a 7.1 earthquake that hit the same area last Sept.

Here are the key events in world news for the month of March 2011.
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Egyptian Protestors Demand Faster Change and Accountability (March 6): Newly appointed Prime Minister Essam Sharaf addresses tens of thousands of protestors in Tahrir Square, where demonstrators press for faster and more substantive changes. The former interior minister, Habib el-Adly, pleads not guilty to corruption charges. A series of fires break out in government security and financial investigation offices angering protestors who suspect that senior officials are trying to destroy evidence that will implicate more of them in corruption and human rights abuses. Upheaval Continues in Libya (March 7): Government warplanes repeatedly bomb rebel positions near an oil refinery in the coastal city of Ras Lanuf, seeking to drive them back to the east, as the country's slide into civil war continues. In Tripoli, government supporters celebrate after state television falsely reports that Col. Qaddafi's forces had regained the entire country. Yemen President Rejects Proposal to Step Down (March 7): President Ali Abdullah Saleh rejects the political opposition's proposal that he step down by the end of the year, calling it undemocratic and unconstitutional, the official Saba news agency reports. Saleh calls for a national conference to be held, which is rejected by the opposition. Thousands Protest in Bahrain (March 8): Thousands of Shiite protestors form a human chain around the Manama, the capital of Bahrain while hundreds demonstrate outside the U.S. Embassy in an appeal for support. Opposition leaders vow that they will not be mollified by offers of money and jobs. Interim Government Dissolves State Security Dept. in Tunisia (March 8): The State Security Dept., which had been accused of human rights abuses under the ousted

president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, is disbanded by the interim government in Tunisia. The prime minister also names a new cabinet, selecting new leaders for six ministries while retaining ministers in significant agencies like defense, interior, and justice. Bahrain Cracks Down on Demonstrators (March 18): Bahrain brings in troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to crack down against peaceful protestors clamoring for reform. The government also tears down the monument in Pearl Square, the site of many protests. The 300-foot sculpture, a stone pearl held by six sweeping arches, is seen by protestors as the defining monument of the protest movement. The official Bahrain News Agency reports the change as a "face-lift" to "boost the flow of traffic." No-Fly Zone is Imposed in Libya (March 19): American and European forces unleash warplanes and missiles, striking against the government of Col. Muammar al-Qaddafi in a mission to impose a UN-sanctioned no-fly zone. The goals of the no-fly zone are to keep Col. Qaddafi from using air power against rebel forces and to prevent a massacre in Libya. French warplanes begin the campaign. U.S. forces knock out air defense systems as well as missile, radar, and communication centers around Tripoli, Misurata, and Surt. NATO plans to take over the operation and enforce the no-fly zone. Military Kill Protestors in Syria (March 25): Troops open fire in the southern part of Syria after tens of thousands take to the streets in peaceful protests around the nation. At least twenty demonstrators are killed. Cabinet Resigns in Syria (March 29): President Bashar al-Assad accepts the resignation of his cabinet. The cabinet resignation reflects a rare responsiveness to public pressure by the Syrian government. Meanwhile, in the capital, government supporters take to the streets in an effort to counter the ongoing pro-democracy protests in several cities.

Here are the key events in business news for the month of March 2011.
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Oil Drilling to Resume in the Gulf (March 1): The Interior Dept approves the first new deepwater drilling permit in the Gulf of Mexico since the BP explosion and spill last spring. The approval is a milestone after a period of industry uncertainty and a U.S. reassessment of offshore oil and gas regulation. Apple Unveils iPad 2 (March 2): Apple releases the iPad 2, offering several improvements over its predecessor, while not increasing the price. The iPad 2, like the original, starts at $499. Apple's competitors in tablets cannot beat or even match that price. Apple has sold 15 million of the original since the iPad's release last April, generating $9.5 billion in revenue. AT&T Buys T-Mobile (March 20): AT&T has agreed to buy T-Mobile for $39 billion. The deal will make AT&T the largest carrier in the nation and leaves just three major cellular companies in the field: AT&T, Verizon, and the much smaller Sprint Nextel.

Here are the key events in United States news for the month of March 2011.

President Obama Signs Two-Week Budget Extension (March 2): Congress approves a two-week extension that keeps federal agencies open through March 18 while work continues to reach a budget agreement. President Obama signs the extension and calls for high-level negotiations to bridge budgetary differences between Congressional Democrats and Republicans. National Football League Shuts Down (March 12): NFL owners and players can not agree to terms of a new collective bargaining agreement before the current one expires, even after an extension and 16 sessions with a federal mediator. The two sides remain far apart on the percentage of revenue each will receive. Players want full financial disclosure from owners to verify claims that profit margins are shrinking. Owners announce that they are locking out the players. Players file an injunction to prevent the lockout from happening. Players also file an antitrust suit against the NFL, with quarterbacks Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees among the plaintiffs. Senate Approves Stopgap Budget (March 17): The Senate passes a measure to keep the government open through April 8th while budget talks continue. This is the second budget extension enacted to avoid a government shutdown.

Here are the key events in Science and Disasters news for the month of March 2011.
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Hawaiian Volcano Erupts (March 7): The Kilauea Volcano, thought to be one of the most active in the world, erupts, spewing lava through new cracks. The eruption causes more than 150 detectable earthquakes in the area, but no damage is reported. Massive 9.0 Magnitude Earthquake and Tsunami Devastate Japan (March 11): Japan is hit by an enormous earthquake that triggers a deadly 23-foot tsunami in the country's north. The earthquake, Japan's largest ever, hit about 230 miles northeast of Tokyo. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issues warnings for Russia, Taiwan, Hawaii, Indonesia, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and the west coasts the U.S., Mexico, Central America, and South America. Cooling systems in one of the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station fail shortly after the earthquake, causing a nuclear crisis. Earthquake of 6.8 Magnitude Hits Myanmar (March 24): A powerful earthquake strikes northeastern Myanmar, toppling homes and killing more than 70 people. Tremors from the earthquake are felt hundreds of miles away, in cities as far away as Bangkok and Hanoi.

Here are the key events in world news for the month of April 2011.
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Former Ivory Coast President Captured (April 11): French Military storm the residence of former president Laurent Gbagbo and capture him. The West African nation has been in the middle of a civil war because Gbagbo refuses to accept the results of the presidential election last year, which he lost. Gbagbo's arrest ends a four-month standoff that has left hundreds dead. French Legislation Bans Full-Face Coverings (April 11): France bans the wearing of full veils in public, becoming the first European nation to impose the restriction. The ban causes protests in Paris and several other cities. The new restriction also has many

Muslims worrying about their rights as French citizens. Covering the face is considered by some Muslims as a religious obligation. Supporters of the ban view it as necessary to preserve French culture and to combat what they claim are separatist actions in Muslims. Libyan Rebels Reject Truce Plan (April 12): The African Union presents a plan in Libya, which they call a road map for political settlement. The plan includes a suspension of NATO airstrikes and a cease-fire. Col. al-Qaddafi accepts the plan, but the rebels reject it, saying it does not meet their basic demand that Qaddafi leave power immediately. (April 30): Col. al-Qaddafi survives an NATO airstrike that kills one of his sons and three grandchildren. It is the second airstrike within a week to hit a location close to the Libyan leader. Three Billion Watch Prince William Marry Kate Middleton (April 29): A million people line the streets, half a million gather in front of Buckingham Palace, and two billion tune in via television or computer to see Kate Middleton marry Prince William. Middleton receives rave reviews for wearing a modern, but restrained wedding dress designed by Sarah Burton, the creative director for the late Alexander McQueen.

Here are the key events in business news for the month of April 2011.
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Hole in Jet Sidelines Several Southwest Planes (April 1): A five-foot hole rips open in the roof of a Southwest Airlines jet traveling to Sacramento from Phoenix. The plane, a 15-year-old Boeing 737-300 carrying 118 passengers makes an emergency landing at Yuma Marine Corps Air Station in Arizona. No one is seriously injured. Southwest Airlines reports that the hole is from cracks in the aluminum due to fatigue. Boeing, the maker of the jetliner, says that the metal fatigue is happening earlier than expected. Southwest Airlines cancels several flights to run inspections. Inspections find similar cracks in 2 Boeing 737 jetliners, but 19 other planes are tested and cleared. Southwest plans to test 58 more planes. BP Wants to Resume Drilling in Gulf (April 4): BP is asking U.S. regulators for permission to resume drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. The request puts the Obama administration in the hot seat as it seeks to balance the need to increase domestic oil production with safety concerns. The petition comes less than a year after a rig leased by BP exploded, killing 11 workers and causing a huge oil spill. Pringles Sell for 2.35 Billion (April 5): Diamond Foods buys Pringles from Proctor & Gamble for $2.35 billion. Pringles, considered a flop until the company tweaked its flavor in 1980, is Proctor & Gamble's last food brand.

Here are the key events in United States news for the month of April 2011.
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Possible Shutdown of Federal Government Goes Down-to-the-Wire (April 1): The partisan debate over spending cuts pushes the federal budget agreement to its deadline. Republicans demand a provision to restrict financing to Planned Parenthood and other groups that provide abortions. Obama and the Democrats refuse to budge on the abortion provision, but they do agree to tens of billions in spending cuts. With less than two hours

to spare, an agreement on the federal budget is made, narrowly avoiding a government shutdown. U.S. Finds More Threats at Japan's Nuclear Plant (April 6): U.S. government engineers helping with the crisis in Japan warn that the troubled Daiichi nuclear power plant is still facing many threats. Major concerns are the stresses placed on the containment structures that are now filled with radioactive cooling water and the possibility of further explosions inside those structures due to the release of hydrogen and oxygen from the water. Despite assurances by health officials that radiation from the stricken plant is unlikely to show up in food supplies; worry among consumers and businesses in the U.S. continues to grow. Leading Chefs, such as Eric Ripert whose restaurant Le Bernardin is known for its seafood, are now scanning fish with a radiation detector as a precaution. Players and the NFL Return to Mediation (April 11): After hearing arguments in the players' request for an injunction to stop the NFL lockout, Judge Susan Richard Nelson of U. S. District Court imposes forced mediation on the two sides. Nelson appoints Arthur J. Boylan, the chief federal magistrate judge in Minneapolis as the mediator. This is a loss for the league because now a potential deal can be overseen by the court, something owners wanted to avoid. (April 25): Players win an injunction to stop the lockout, but are not allowed to work out at team facilities until Friday. (April 29): The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit temporarily delays the injunction to stop the lockout, preventing players from returning to their team facilities for meetings and workouts. President Obama Releases Birth Certificate (April 27): In an effort to end an escalating controversy, President Obama releases a long-form birth certificate. The birth certificate from 1961 proves that he was born at Kapiolani Maternity & Gynecological Hospital in Honolulu.

Here are the key events in Science and Disasters news for the month of April 2011.
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Gunman Opens Fire at Former School in Brazil (April 7): A 23-year-old former student returns to his public elementary school and begins firing, killing at least 12 children before shooting himself in the head. It is the worst school shooting Brazil has ever seen. Aftershocks Continue to Rattle Japan (April 11): A second earthquake in five days hits Japan, this one a magnitude of 6.6. A tsunami warning is issued, but later canceled. The earthquakes are seen as aftershocks, coming just a month after the area was hit by the earthquake and tsunami that has killed over 13,000 people and led to a disaster at the Daiichi nuclear power plant. Japan Equates Nuclear Incident with Chernobyl (April 12): Japan raises its assessment of the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to Level 7, the worst rating on the international scale, putting the disaster on par with the 1986 Chernobyl explosion. Developed by the International Atomic Energy Agency along with countries who use nuclear energy, the scale defines level 7 as a nuclear accident that involves "widespread health and environmental effects" and the "external release of a significant fraction of the reactor core inventory."

Series of Tornadoes Devastate Southern States (April 27): In one of the worst U.S. tornado disasters, 137 reported tornadoes sweep through the south, killing nearly 300 people in six states. Most of the fatalities occur in Alabama.

Here are the key events in world news for the month of May 2011.
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Osama bin Laden is Killed in Pakistan (May 1): U.S. troops and CIA operatives shoot and kill Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan, a city of 500,000 people that houses a military base and a military academy. Following a fire fight, the troops descend upon the compound and shoot Osama bin Laden after he reportedly refuses to surrender. News of bin Laden's death brings cheers and a sense of relief worldwide. (May 13): Two suicide bombers attack recruits leaving a paramilitary training center in Shabqadar, Pakistan. Eighty people are killed and 120 are wounded in the first retaliation for the killing of bin Laden. The Taliban immediately claims responsibility and blames the Pakistani military for failing to stop the U.S. raid. Syria Forces Go Door-to-Door to Make Arrests (May 5): Syrian security forces raid a Damascus suburb, going house to house and arresting men, in an effort to increase their crackdown of the country's uprising against four decades of authoritarian rule. Human rights organizations say that at least 286 men, most between the ages of 18 and 50, have been arrested. IMF Head Arrested For Sexual Assault (May 14): Dominique Strauss-Kahn, head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and a leading political figure in France, is arrested for sexually assaulting a maid at a Manhattan hotel. Strauss-Kahn is removed from an Air France Plane at Kennedy International Airport and taken into custody. Reaction in France to the arrest is a mixture of anger, disbelief, and embarrassment, with polls showing that most people thought he was set up. (May 18:) Strauss-Kahn, considered by many as a favorite to oust President Nicolas Sarkozy in the next election, resigns as managing director of the IMF. (May 19:) A grand jury indicts Strauss-Kahn on multiple charges, including committing a criminal sex act, attempted rape, and sexual abuse.

Here are the key events in United States news for the month of May 2011.
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Data Shows Bin Laden Plotted Attacks (May 5): Documents and Computer files found at the compound where Osama bin Laden was killed show that he played a direct role in plotting terror attacks for years. The evidence prompts the Obama administration to issue a warning that last year Al Qaeda considered attacks on American railroads. Late Minute Jockey Substitute Wins Kentucky Derby (May 7):Two days after his horse, Uncle Mo, is scratched from the race, Jockey John Velazquez wins the Kentucky Derby riding Animal Kingdom. Velazquez agrees to be a last minute substitute for

Animal Kingdom's regular rider, Robby Albarado, who broke his nose four days before the race.

Here are the key events in business news for the month of May 2011.
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MTV Chief Resigns After Thirty Years (May 5): Judy McGrath, the chief executive of MTV Networks resigns, ending the tenure of one of the most powerful women in television. McGrath leaves MTV Networks, which includes MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and VH1, while both ratings and profits are surging. An offer by MTV Networks is made to McGrath that would greatly change her role. Instead of taking the offer, she walks away from the Network. OWN Ousts Chief (May 6): After just 4 months, Christina Norman is dismissed as the chief executive of the Oprah Winfrey Network. Despite the star power of Oprah Winfrey and several million dollars invested, the channel is receiving low ratings, barely outperforming Discovery Health, the channel it replaced. Peter Ligouri, chief operating officer for Discovery Communications, will take over at least until the end of 2011.

Here are the key events in Science and Disasters news for the month of May 2011.
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Floods Force Evacuations Along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers (May 5): Heavy rains cause flooding in the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys. People in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Arkansas are forced to leave their homes. The Corps of Engineers intentionally breach a levee south of where the Ohio River meets the Mississippi in order to lower river levels and prevent widespread flooding in communities like Cairo, Illinois. (May 14): The Army Corps of Engineers opens a portion of the Morganaza Spillway to relieve pressure on levees along the Mississippi River and to protect New Orleans and other areas downriver from floods. The decision to open the Morganaza Spillway does have consequences. Water will pour into the Atchafalaya River basin, flooding marshes, bayous, farmland, and thousands of homes. (May 15): According to the Army Corps of Engineers, the Mississippi River breaks the elevation record in Vicksburg, Miss., which was set by the 1927 flood. The river rises to 56.3 feet, 13 feet above the flood stage. The river is flowing by a rate of nearly 17 million gallons a second.

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Carmelo Anthony, Basketball player Michele Bachmann, U.S. Representative (Rep., Min.) Rebecca Black, Singer, internet personality Osama bin Laden, Most-wanted terrorist is killed in Pakistan John Boehner, Current Speaker of the U. S. House of Representatives Ann Curry, TV personality, journalist

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Tom DeLay, Former U.S. Representative (Rep., Tex.) convicted and imprisoned on money laundering charges Rahm Emanuel, Former Chief of Staff in the Obama Administration, newly elected Mayor of Chicago Mohamed EdBaradei, Political figure, activist in Egyptian protests

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Colin Firth, Oscar winning actor Muammar Gaddafi, Political leader Lady Gaga, Grammy winning singer, songwriter Gabrielle Giffords, U.S. Representative (Dem., Ariz.) shot and wounded during assassination attempt Newt Gingrich, Political figure Tim Hetherington, photographer, filmmaker Mike Huckabee, Political figure, former Governor of Arkansas Steve Jobs, Co-Founder of Apple computers Lara Logan, TV newscaster Susan Lucci, Actor Sidney Lumet, Director

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Kate Middleton, Wife of Prince William of the UK Pippa Middleton, celebrity relative Hosni Mubarak, President of Egypt Navy SEALs Team Six, military operatives responsible for bringing down Osama bin Laden Michelle Obama, First Lady, childhood nutrition advocate Larry Page, Co-Founder of Google Tim Pawlenty, Former Governor of Minnesota, the first Republican to announce his run for the job of U.S. president in 2012 Natalie Portman, Oscar winning actor

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Mitt Romney, Political figure, business personality Paul Ryan, U.S. Representative (Rep., Wis.) Teresa Scanlan, Miss America 2011 Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bodybuilder, actor, former Governor of California Charlie Sheen, Actor Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Political figure, economist Julie Taymor, Filmmaker, theater director, puppeteer

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Elizabeth Taylor, Oscar winning actor, activist Donald Trump, Business personality, TV personality Steven Tyler, singer, TV personality Scott Walker, Governor of Wisconsin Betty White, Actor, comedian Kristen Wiig, Actor, comedian, co-writer of the film, Bridesmaids Prince William, British Royalty Oprah Winfrey, Media personality Wonder Woman, Cartoon character

IPL Awards 2011 (Golden Player 2011, IPL rising star) Indian Premier League Awards 2011

Golden Player of the Tournament has been won by Chris Gayle from Royal Challengers Bangalore for his consistent performance with Bat. He has scored 608 runs in 12 Matches and had taken six wickets.

Best Individual Player Award was been given to Paul Valthaty from Kings XI Punjab for his wonderful knock in the 2011 season. Rising Star award was clinched by Iqbal Abdulla from Kolkata Knight Riders for his performance with the ball. He has taken 16 wickets in 15 matches.
Current affairs, is the mainstay of the civil service examination, what with one portion of the exam dedicated to general studies. The current affairs of india and international current event affairs, are an important part of the general studies paper, both in the mains and the prelims. At the interview current affairs news rules and decides the rank of the candidate and even whether s/he will get through or not. In such a scenario the coverage of current affairs in india as well as current world affairs, becomes an important part of your preprations. Article People in the News Places in the News Discuss Current Affairs Current Affairs Quiz - new For the very purpose of getting you ready for the challenge that is Current Affairs In India, we are covering the 2011 current affairs including politics current affair, current affair news, science current affairs, general knowledge current affair, current government affair and international current affairs. Only studying India's current affairs or political current affairs is not sufficient as you have to cover international

events and current affairs along with the Indian current affairs, as well as those in the field of science and sports.

Current Affairs For February 2011

National
2G scam: Former Telecom Minister A.Raja sent to Tihar Jail y Former Telecom Minister A Raja was sent to Tihar Jail in Jail in Delhi on Feb 17th in relation to the 2G scam. He will be in judicial custody for fourteen days until March 3rd. He was also earlier arrested by the CBI on 2nd Feb and was held in their custody in view of the evidence they had collected against him regarding his involvement in the 2G scam. A. Raja has been accused of issuing 2G licenses at throw away prices creating massive losses for the exchequer. According to the national auditor CAG, the 2G spectrum phone licenses were sold in 2008 for a fraction of their value and this has resulted in a notional loss of Rs. 1.76 lakh crores. The 2 G scam has created major uproar in Parliament and has sent shock waves across the country. ULFA, government begin Assam peace talks y Leaders of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) met Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Feb 10 to signify the start of the much long-awaited peace talks aimed at ending 30 long years of insurgency in Assam. History was created when the eight member ULFA team headed by Arabinda Rajkhowa met Chidambaram at his North Block office for a first round of peace talks. This is a highly significant development considering ULFA has been trying since 1979 to carve out an independent homeland of Assam. While ULFA has not put up any demands or finalised any agenda for talks, the beginning of talks itself is being seen as a very positive step to restoring peace in the state. PM announces JPC on 2G spectrum scam y Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced that his government would set up the Joint Pariamentry Committee (JPC) to investigate the 2G spectrum scam. The government finally agreeing to introduce the JPC does not come about as unexpected. With the opposition being absolutely unrelenting in their demands for the introduction of the probe, the Congress had to finally give in. The previous years winter session in parliament ended with only ten working hours on record. In order to ensure that the budget session does not get similarly affected, several meetings with the different political parties were set up and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee tried to bring about a compromise, which in the end proved to be futile. In the Lok Sabha, on the first day of the budget session the PM said On account of the controversy relating to allocation of 2G spectrum, the winter session of Parliament was lost. Our country can ill-afford this...in paralyzing Parliament, we all do disservice to those who have elected us. Later on he also announced the introduction of the probe when he went on to add It is in these special circumstances that our government agrees to a JPC...we are a functioning democracy and must try to resolve our difference is the spirit of collaboration not competition. Govt to release Rs. 150 coin soon y With the Income Tax Department celebrating 150 years of taxation in the country the government will issue coins of Rs. 150 in denomination. The special coins which also includes Rs 5 denomination would be released by the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee ahead of his budget

speech. The Rs 150 coin is prepared from an alloy of copper, nickel, silver and zinc. Sathyameva Jayathe and India would be engraved on the front side of the coin while the back side will feature a portrait of portrait of 'Chanakya and lotus with honeybee'. The Rs 5 coins will also be minted in a similar fashion. This is a special occasion with the IT department having completed 150 years of taxation from 1860 to 2010. HC upholds Death Penalty for Kasab y The Bombay High Court on Feb 21 confirmed the death penalty to 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab and termed the case being the rarest of rare and held that there was "no scope of reform" of the convict. This comes nine months after the lone 26/11 terrorist who was captured alive was ordered to be sent to the gallows by the trial court on May 6, 2010. Kasab, an LeT operative was captured alive at Girgaum Chowpatty in Mumbai on November 26, 2008 while none other operatives who has come with him were gunned down by the security forces at the terror sites. Justice Ranjana Desai told Kasab through video conferencing "Aapko saza-e-maut yeh adalat barkarar karti hai. Aap Supreme Court mein appeal zari kar sakte hain (Your death sentence is upheld. You can appeal before the Supreme Court," Godhra verdict: Ahmedabad court convicts 31, acquits 63 y A special court in Ahmedabad on February 22nd convicted 31 people and acquitted 63 including main accused Maulvi Umarji, in the 2002 Godhra train burning incident that left 59 people dead mostly Kar Sevaks who were returning from Ayodhya on the Sabarmati Express. This triggered the 2002 Gujarat communal riots which left over 1200 people dead mostly Muslims. The court was the first one to pronounce a judgment, among the nine trying the 2002 Gujarat riots cases. The court accepted the prosecutions contention that there was a conspiracy behind the incident. Apart from the charges of murder, attempt to murder and criminal conspiracy, the accused were convicted under IPC sections 147, 148 (rioting with deadly weapons), 323, 324, 325, 326 (causing hurt), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on religious grounds), various sections of the Indian Railways Act, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and Bombay Police Act. Kidnapped Malkangiri Collector, junior engineer released y Malkangiri District Collector RV Krishna and Junior Engineer Pabitra Majhi were finally released by the Maoists after being kept for a week in captivity. The two were abducted by the Maoists on Feb 16th and the Maoists in a letter to the government, listed 14 demands for the safe release of the two hostages. These included halting anti-Maoist operations by security forces, release of all political prisoners, scrapping of accords with MNCs for land transfer and projects, and compensation for the families of Maoist sympathizers killed in police custody. Dandapani Mohanty and academicians G. Haragopal and R. Someswar Rao were chosen as mediators and had discussions with the Maoists. The negotiators had made the government agree to 14 key demands including the release of Ganti Prsadam, Padma (wife of top Maoist Ram Krishna), and Sriramulu Srinivas, another top Maoist. After intense round of negotiations the government finally relented and made arrangements to secure bails for the jailed Maoists. A further twist in the tale occurred when the Maoists released only Majhi and held back the Collector making a fresh list of demands. However after another round of discussion, common sense prevailed and the Maoists released the collector a day later.

Sports News

Cricket World Cup 2011 Officially Opened y The 10th edition of the ICC cricket World Cup, was officially launched on 17th Feb with a grand opening ceremony being held in Dhaka, Bangaldesh. The stadium was filled with spectators and evening proved to be visual spectacle with colourful fireworks, songs and dance routines to mark the start of the eagerly awaited event. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina declared the event open amid thundering cheers while the fourteen participating Captains were revealed to the public being carried in tricycles. Shankar Ehsaan Loy and other popular artists performed at the venue with the show stopper being Bryan Adams. National Games Held in Jharkand y The 34th National Games, was finally held in Jharkand and the event turned to be very successful. The games were held from 12th February 2011 to 26th February 2011.Many athletes all over the country took part in various disciplines and quite a few records were broken in the process. The long-postponed 34th National Games was originally scheduled for 2007. The Games have been deferred six times four times due to delay in developing infrastructure and then postponed again due to the coming of Assemble Elections. India start their Word cup campaign on a bright note y India played Bangladesh at Mirpur in the first WC match of the tournament on Feb 19. India started with a bang scoring 375 with both Virender Sehwag and Virat Kohli hitting sensational hundreds to take the match away from the hosts. Sehwag particularly looked murderous. The Indian team was expected to be under pressure to perform well against Bangladesh as their previous campaign in 2007 resulted in an early exit and left many disappointed fans back at home. Viswanathan Anand regains No.1 Ranking Again y World Champion Viswanathan Anand played against Magnus Carlsen of Norway to end the match in hard fought draw and finished second in the Bilbao Final Masters chess tournament. But the icing on the cake was when the Indian ace dethroned Carlsen from the number one ranking in Live rating list for the first time since January this year and ended up as the top player in ratings too. Brazilian striker Ronaldo announces retirement y Former Brazil striker Ronaldo announced his retirement from soccer on Feb 14. The 34-year-old three-time world player had a year end contract with Corinthians. But a shock loss led to an early elimination from the Libertadores Cup and violent protests from fans. Ronaldo further added that frequent injury problems were one of the main reasons in him deciding to announce his retirement. Thus ends a brilliant career in which he scored more than 400 goals including a record 15 at World Cups.

International News
Mubarak resigns, Egypt celebrates

The people of Egypt went wild with celebrations after President Hosni Mubarak resigned and handed power to the military on 11th February. For eighteen days thousands of people had taken to the streets all over Egypt demanding the ouster of their autocratic President who had been in power for the past thirty years. One of the key reasons for such public outrage has been widespread poverty, inflation and rampant corruption in the government for many years. Tahrir Square, the epicentre of the anti-government protests burst with joy when the announcement was made. This has been a hard fought struggle for the people of Egypt after many episodes of violence having been reported between the public and Mubaraks forces. China overtakes Japan as world's second-biggest economy

China has now overtaken Japan as the world's second-biggest economy. Japan's economy was worth $5.474 trillion (3.414 trillion) at the end of 2010, figures from Tokyo have shown while that of China's economy is closer to $5.8 trillion for the same period. China has been enjoying a manufacturing boom for quite a few years now and it is expected that at its current rate of growth, analysts see China replacing the US as the world's top economy in about a decade. The US economy is currently almost three times the size of the Chinese economy in dollar terms. New Zealand earthquake strikes Christchurch, killing at least 148 people

A massive earthquake on 22nd Feb has caused massive destruction in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. The 6.3-magnitude earthquake was the second in five months for the city and the death toll continues to increase with the police having confirmed 148 deaths with 200 still missing. The damage caused has been said to be much worse than the 7.1-magnitude quake on 4 September, which left two people seriously injured but no fatalities. The city's historic cathedral was one of the many buildings that got significantly damaged, while cars lay in a mangled heap under a pile of rubble and roads cracked open with fissures as a result of the tremors. Dazed, bleeding residents could be seen wandering through streets strewn with debris and piles of concrete. Libyan people take to the streets in their demand for freedom

Inspired by the outcomes of Tunisia and Egypt over the past few weeks the people of Libya have also taken out to the streets in their cries for freedom against their autocratic leader Muammar Gaddafi. Thousands of people have joined the struggle and there have been continuous reports of frequent clashes with the Muammars loyalists and the protesting public. Scores of people have been reported killed in continuing violence in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, amid escalating protests against Muammar Gaddafi's 40-year rule across the North African nation. With each passing day the leader seems to be losing support from people working in his own government and is also under increasing pressure from International powers to step down. The Kings Speech Wins Best Picture at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards

The Kings Speech had a great outing at this years Oscars winning four awards. The film won in the best picture category and its director Tom Hooper received Best Director. Colin Firth received the award for best actor for his central role in Kings Speech while best female actor went to Natalie Portman for Black Swan. The Best Supporting Actor and The Best Supporting Actress awards were bagged by Christian Bale and Melissa Leo for their performances in film, The Fighter. Indian musician AR Rahman missed out on his two nominations for his score in 127 hours.

BCCI Cricket Awards 2010-11

Sachin Tendulkar Salim Durani Manish Pandey

India's Cricketer of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award Highest run scorer in Ranji Trophy

Abhimanyu Mithun Highest Wicket-taker in Ranji Trophy M D Thirushkamini Best Woman Cricketer K Hariharan Maharashtra Best Umpire Best Overall Performance

Current affairs, is the mainstay of the civil service examination, what with one portion of the exam dedicated to general studies. The current affairs of india and international current event affairs, are an important part of the general studies paper, both in the mains and the prelims. At the interview current affairs news rules and decides the rank of the candidate and even whether s/he will get through or not. In such a scenario the coverage of current affairs in india as well as current world affairs, becomes an important part of your preprations. Article People in the News Places in the News Discuss Current Affairs Current Affairs Quiz - new For the very purpose of getting you ready for the challenge that is Current Affairs In India, we are covering the 2011 current affairs including politics current affair, current affair news, science current affairs, general knowledge current affair, current government affair and international current affairs. Only studying India's current affairs or political current affairs is not sufficient as you have to cover international events and current affairs along with the Indian current affairs, as well as those in the field of science and sports.

Current Affairs For April 2011

National

Anna Hazares fast against corruption y Social Activist Anna Hazare started a fast unto death on 5/4/2011 demanding enactment of a comprehensive law like the Jan Lokpal Bill to tackle corruption. Just a couple of days since the nation was recovering from the euphoria of winning the world cup the 72 year old Anna Hazare began his fast at Jantar Mantar after taking out a march from Rajghat where he paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi. Other eminent activists like Swami Agnivesh, Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and Sandeep Pandey were also present to lend support. The fast soon gathered a lot of momentum through continuous coverage and brought the government under a lot of pressure. The movement soon spread to all parts of India where hundreds and thousands of students, housewives, working executives and senior citizens joined the campaign to make the government to enact the important new law to fight corruption. Facing intense pressure, the Government, finally agreed to forming a joint committee to draft a stronger Lokpal Bill. The panel will have five members and five representatives of the civil society. It includes Anna Hazare himself, but not as a chairman, lawyers Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan, anti-corruption activist Arvind Kejriwal and former Supreme Court judge Santosh Hegde. While Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will be the Chairman of the committee that will also include Law Minister Veerappa Moily, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal, Home Minister P Chidambaram and Water Resources Minister Salman Khurshid as members. Gopal Das returns from Pak after 27 yrs y Indian National Gopal Das set foot on Indian soil on 7/4/2011 after spending 27 years in a Pakistan prison when he was convicted for charges of espionage. The 52 year old Das was set free from Lahore Jail after Pakistani President remitted his sentence following an appeal by the Supreme Court on humanitarian grounds. As soon as he set foot in India an emotional Das bowed down and kissed the soil. He was greeted by his family members including his brother Anand Vir, two sisters and niece Navjot besides, a dozen people from Bhaini Mian Khan village of Gurdaspur district of Punjab were there to receive him. When speaking to the media Das lamented that the golden period of his youth were spent behind bars in Pakistan. He said I have a grudge against the Indian leadership who has never bothered about Indian prisoners rotting in prisons in Pakistan for so many years. Thirty-two Indian nationals, who have completed their jail term, are still languishing due to lack of initiative on the part of the Indian government, Good voter turnout in Assembly Elections For Assam, TN, Kerala and Puducherry y The Election Commission had announced the election dates for four states on 1/2/2011 - Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Union Territory of Puducherry. The assembly elections so far have witnessed a good voter turn out in 2011. Assam witnessed a good voter turn out in both phases which were held on the 4th and 11th of April 2011 respectively. In the first phase the state witnessed a 73.03 per cent voter turnout and in the second phase the turnout was 70.35 per cent. An average of nearly 78 per cent voters exercised their franchise to elect new assemblies in the key southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala and the Union territory of Puducherry on 13/4/2011. While Tamil Nadu and Kerala registered a turnout of 75.21 per cent and 74.4 per cent respectively, in Puducherry it was the highest at 85.21 per cent, Deputy Election Commissioner J. P. Prakash told reporters in Delhi. Meanwhile the election process is currently underway in West Bengal where it is being held in 6 phases, the last date being May 10th. Counting will be on 13/5/2011 for all states. Supreme Court grants bail to Dr Binayak Sen y The Supreme Court on 15/4/2011 granted bail to Dr Binayak Sen who was earlier sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of sedition and having links with the Maoists by the Chhattisgarh sessions court on 24/12/2011. A bench comprising Justices HS Bedi and CK Prasad passed the

order after Dr Sen filed a petition challenging the Chhattisgarh court order. The Apex court had declared that the evidence on record proved no sedition charge against Sen and at worst termed him a Naxal sympathizer. The court further observed that mere possession of Naxal Literature doe not make the person a Naxalite or guilty of sedition. Dr Sen was arrested in May 2007 when the government charged him with aiding the insurgents by passing notes between Piyush Guha, a businessman and jailed Maoist ideologue Narayan Sanyal. Dr Sen has maintained his innocence and denies any wrong doing rather said that he was being victimized for his criticism of Salwa Judum which was a group started by the state government to counter Maoist insurgents. He was released on bail in May 2009. Later a trial court convicted him of sedition and sentenced him to life imprisonment in 24/12/2010. Following that the High Court in Chhattisgarh rejected Dr. Sens bail application in 10/2/ 2011 which he appealed against and was finally granted bail by the Supreme Court. Rajdhani Express catches fire, passengers safe y A fire broke out in the pantry car of the Mumbai Delhi Rajdhani express on 18/4/2011 at early morning 2:20 AM. The fire spread to the near by coaches B5, B6 and B7 but an alert pantry staff ensured all the passengers were woken up on time and made to evacuate the train ensuring none of them were killed or injured in the process. They also delinked the affected coaches from the rest of the train thereby averting a major disaster. Railways gave Rs 10.6 lakh to 212 passengers (Rs 5,000 per passenger) as ex-gratia for the inconvenience and loss of baggage due to the fire in the 12951 Mumbai-Delhi Rajdhani. The railways has rewarded the nine staffers of the IRCTC with Rs 3,000 as a "token gesture", Sanjay Jain, Group General Manager of IRCTC said. There were a total of 30 pantry staffers in the train at that time. Shiney Ahuja appeals against rape sentence y Bollywood actor Shiney Ahuja who was earlier sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment for raping his maid has appealed to the Bombay High Court against his sentence on 19/4/2011. Earlier a fast track court on 30/3/2011 had convicted the actor even as the victim had turned hostile during the trial. The court had considered circumstantial evidence which includes a DNA report which tested positive, torn hymen, blood marks on victim's clothes, semen found on quilt and curtains and Shineys hand which bore scratch marks of the victim. Shiney on his part has stated in his appeal that he had been falsely implicated and that the lower court has erred in law while convicting him. Kidnapped Mumbai boy Karnit Shah returns home y Five year old Karnit Shah who was kidnapped from outside his home in suburban Kandivali, Mumbai was rescued by the Police from Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh on 20/4/2011. Karnit had gone missing since 6/4/2011 when he was last seen playing at the premises of his building Pranik Gardens. Karnit's family pulled out all stops to trace their little boy. His father Anand a stock broker and his mother Alpa turned to facebook and uploaded photos of their son along with mobile numbers hoping people may be able to help by offering some sort of information about their missing son. Various online communities sprang up as the appeal went viral. Thousands of people forwarded the boys photos while the Shahs on their behalf also offered Rs Two lakh in compensation for any information that would assist in tracing their son. The incident became a nation wide flutter after it generated considerable press coverage as well. The police have arrested the main accused of the case, Sohan Singh, along with his alleged associates Sameer Khan, Sandeep Warige and Shankar Salve, where Singh ran a confectionery shop in Kandivali which is close to Karnits residence. The police said children in the neighbourhood had spoken of a Sunny Uncle, possibly in his 20s, who was spotted lately offering sweets to the children and his disappearance too had coincided with that of Karnit. After two weeks of relentless chase, the

Mumbai police with the help of UP Special Task Force traced the boy to a hut in Handia, UP from where he was rescued. Kalmadi arrested in CWG scam y Congress MP Suresh Kalamadi was arrested on 25/4/2011 by the Central Buearau of Investigation (CBI) for irregularities in the CW games. The former Chairman of the CWG was arrested under the charges for 120 B and 420 (criminal conspiracy and cheating) of the Indian Penal Code. The CBI has charged him with criminal conspiracy to buy timing, scoring and result (TSR) system from a Swiss company at an inflated cost of Rs 141 crore which the agency has alleged had cost the government Rs 95 Crore extra. Two other senior officials of the Organizing Committee - Surjeet Lal and ASV Prasad - have also been arrested in the Time Scoring scam. The 66 year old Kalmadi a Lok Sabha MP for the Congress from Pune has been facing a lot of flak even before the start of the games for construction delays and gross misuse of funds. Some of Kalmadis aides already arrested include Sanjay Mohindroo, M Jayachandran, TS Darbai, Kalmadi's personal assistant Shekhar Deorukhkar, Verma and Lalit Bhanot. Following his arrest he was suspended from the Congress party and soon enough it also brought a halt to his 15 year old reign as President of the Indian Olympic Committee (IOC). Veteran Sports Administrator VK Malhotra was unanimously named the acting President in his absence. CBI names Kanimozhi coconspirator in 2G scam y The CBI on 25/4/2011 has filed a second charge sheet in the 2G spectrum case naming Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK Chief M Karunanidhis daughter M Kanimozhi as a co conspirator. She has been charged with section 7 and 11 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The sections deal with acceptance of alleged gratification. The four other who have been charge sheeted with her include Kalaignar TV Managing Director Sharad Kumar, Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Usman Balwa's cousin Asif Balwa, Rajeev Agarwal -- Directors of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd and Karim Murani of Cineyug Films. However Dayalu Ammal wife of the Dr Karunanidhi has not been named in the chargesheet. Kanimozhi, Dayalu Ammal and Sharad Kumar of Kalaignar TV, have 20, 60 and 20% shares in the channel respectively. The CBI had already told the court earlier that Rs 200 Crores connected with the spectrum case allegedly was routed from Balwas Swan telecom to Kalaignar TV. Kanimozhi has been named co conspirator in the scam along with former telecom minister A. Raja who was arrested in February and still remains in prison. She has been asked to appear at a court in Delhi on 6/5/2011, which is dealing with the scam. Dada Saheb Phalke award for K. Balachander y K. Balachander, one of Indias most acclaimed and influential filmmakers will receive the Daba Saheb Phalke award for 2010 in an announcement by the Information & Broadcasting ministry on 29/4/2011. The award consists of a Swarn Kamal, a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh and a shawl, given for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema. The prolific director who worked as a government servant in his early days was drawn to theatre where he began to write plays. Following this success a career in films soon beckoned him where he has made many classics that are well received and appreciated to this day. He was a bold director who always tried to explore new themes and many of his movies had strong female characters. Some of the directors famous works in Tamil include Apoorva Raganagal, Thaneer Thanerr, Varumayin Niram Sigappu, Server Sundaram, Sinthu Bairavi etc while the hindi film Ek Duuje Ke Liye won him applause in the northern parts of the country as well. K. Balachander has spotted and groomed several artists in the industry the likes of which include Rajnikanth and Kamal Hassan. Spiritual Leader Sathya Sai Baba passes away

Spiritual leader Sathya Baba passed away on 24/4/2011 at the Sathya Sai Hospital in Puttapathi, Andhra Pradesh due to cardio-respiratory failure. The 84 year old Godman was admitted in hospital for the past one month after complaining of breathing and heart problems. The doctors had described his condition as very critical over the last three to four days when most of his major organs stopped responding to treatment. Upon hearing his death a pale of gloom had descended Puttaparthi and thousands of his followers could be seen mourning his demise. Spiritual guru Sri Sathya Sai Baba was buried on 27/4/2011 as hundreds of thousands of devotees flocked to pay their last respects at his temple in Puttaparthi. Queues stretched for kilometres through the town, which has shuttered its shops and businesses since last three days. He was buried with full state honours in the Sai Kulwanth hall from where he used to address all his devotees over the years. Sai Baba was born as Sathyanarayana Raju in a humble backward caste family on November 23, 1926. He emerged as one of the most popular godmen in India in modern times leaving behind an empire estimated from a conservative figure of Rs. 40,000 crore to a staggering Rs. 1.5 lakh crores raising questions over who will manage the Trust. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu dies in chopper crash

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu was found dead in the remote and inaccessible Luguthang village, about 30 km from Tawang on 4/5/2011. The CM had gone missing on 30/4/2011 when on a flight from Tawang was found dead along with four others after their helicopter crashed in bad weather in the mountains regions. The helicopter's wreckage was found at Lobotang which is situated near Jang water falls in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh. The rescue operations were hampered due to bad weather. The other four members, who accompanied Khandu in the chopper, were - crew members Captain JS Babbar and Captain KS Malick, Khandu's security officer Yeshi Choddak and Yeshi Lamu, sister of Tawang legislator Tsewang Dhondup. This is the second death of a chief minister in two years after CM of Andhra Pradesh Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was killed in a helicopter crash in the Nallamalla ranges in the state in September 2009. Air India pilots call off 10-day-long strike

Air India pilots called off their 10-day-long strike and returned to work on 5/5/2011 night after the government agreed to reinstate the sacked and suspended pilots and look into their demands within a time-frame. The ten day strike has resulted in an estimated loss of over 150 crores inconveniencing thousands of passengers across the country. Civil Aviation ministry officials, the association president Captain A S Bhinder along with ICPA general secretary Rishabh Kapur said that the government has agreed to look into all the alleged irregularities. Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi the 3 member committee would give its report in the next few months. The strike by over 800 pilots on 27/4/2011 owing allegiance to the ICPA had resulted in the grounding of up to 90 per cent of the airline operations. The Delhi High Court had also slapped contempt notices on nine office bearers of the de-recognized ICPA for disobeying its order to call off the strike. Arunima Sinha story, whose telling the truth ?

National-level volleyball player Arunima Sinha alias Sonu, who lost her leg after being pushed out of a moving train on 11/4/2011 when she tried to fight an alleged robbery attempt. She lost her left leg after being pushed out of the Padmavat Express when three robbers tried to snatch her gold chain. Following her fall, one of Sinha's legs had to be amputated below the knee. The other leg suffered multiple fractures as she was hit by a train passing on the adjacent track. She was later admitted in AIIMS when her leg developed an infection. Since then the 23 year old sportswoman has been out of danger and recuperating well. She was offered a paltry compensation of Rs 25,000 which she snubbed following which the railways offered a job to Arunima. The incident generated lot of press interest and many people including cricketers Yuvraj Harbhajan came forward with monetary help for the athlete. However over the Government

Railway Police (GRP) probe the officials have found many loopholes in Sonus story. Some of which they allege that it might have been a suicide attempt and the passengers of train do not corroborate with her story. They also allege that location where Arunima was found does not corroborate with her version of the events. The sportswoman on her part has accused the officials of mentally harassing her and has refuted their charges.

Sports News
India Wins World Cup 2011 y The Indian cricket team came up with an inspired performance against Sri Lanka in the final to lift the World Cup in Mumbai on 2/4/2011 bringing to an end the 28 year wait when Kapils Devils had last lifted the cup in 1983. The World Champions were ecstatic with their victory while batting icon Sachin Tendulkar and Coach Gary Kirsten were given a lap of honour by their team mates. Sri Lanka had won the toss and opted to bat first notching up a formidable 274 runs on board thanks to an impressive century by Mahela Jayawardhene. Indian run chase started on jittery note when both openers Sachin and Sehwag were back in pavilion with the score at 31 for 2. However Gambhir and Dhoni who promoted himself up the order came up with a crucial partnership that helped to take India home. Dhoni finished of the match with a huge six over long on bringing the stadium to its feet and joy across millions of homes in India. McLaren's Hamilton wins Chinese Grand Prix y Mclarens Lewis Hamitlon won the Chinese Grand Prix in thrilling fashon on 17/4/2011 by passing Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel for the lead with just five laps remaining. Sebastian Vettel who had earlier made a strong bid for three straight wins to the start of the Formula 1 season how ever could not hold off Hamilton who looked in sublime touch throughout the race. Red Bulls Mark Webber came in third on drove beautifully to finish on the podium considering he started eighteenth on the grid. Hamilton on his part was close to being out of contention when he fuel leak was detected in his car. The Mclaren mechanics worked frantically to rectify it. McLaren's Jenson Button was fourth, ahead of Mercedes' Nico Rosberg and Ferrari's Felipe Massa, who all led at various stages at Shanghai International Circuit. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was seventh, ahead of Mercedes' Michael Schumacher, and Renault's Vitaly Petrov, with Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi taking the final point in 10th place. With three races completed this season Vettel leads the drivers standing with 68 points followed by Hamilton at 47, Button on 38 and Webber on 37. Duncan Fletcher has been appointed as coach of India y Duncan Fletcher on 27/4/2011 has been named coach of the Indian cricket team finally ending weeks of speculation as to who would take over the high profile job. Fletcher (62) a former Zimbabwean all-rounder came to prominence when he coached England and helped them regain the Ashes in 2005. Under his guidance England won its first series in West Indies in 36 years and the team rose to the third spot in the Test rankings during his tenure. He captained Zimbabwe in the 83 World cup and has played in just 6 ODIs during his time when the country hadnt yet achieved Test status. He may not be a part of the team for the West Indies tour, as he has some prior commitments, said BCCI secretary N Srinivasan. He also added that Eric Simmons who was the bowling coach during previous coach Gary Kirstens tenure is to continue his stint with the Indian team.

IPL Season 4 Starts y Just days after the Indian team won the cricket world cup the IPL season has started in full swing. IPL 4 is now a ten team event with the two new teams being the Kochi Tuskers and the Pune Warriors. Many players have gone for record prices and it is expected that this years IPL will be a very hard fought contest between the teams with fluctuating fortunes after every match. Two teams that are being considered hot favourites are the Mumbai Indians and defending Champions Chennai Super Kings. This is the first IPL event that is happening in the absence of Lalith Modi who created a lot of controversy last year. Now with Indian team riding a good wave of form it is expected the people will tune into the matches in large numbers.

International News
Oscar Nominated Director killed in Libya y Two veteran journalists including Oscar nominated Director Tim Hetherington were killed in the town of Mistrata on 13/4/2011 while covering the battles between the rebels and the Libyan government forces. Tim (40) was nominated this year for codirecting the Afghanistan war story Restrepo in Best Documentary category. Chris Hondros, a New York-based photographer for Getty Images, was also killed. His work has appeared in many famous magazines and newspapers all around the World and has been awarded the Robert Capa Gold Medal, which is one of the most prestigious awards for War Photography. Two other journalists Guy Martin and Michael Christopher Brown, who were freelancing for several large publications were also wounded. Japan Atomic Crisis Reaches Chernobyl Level as Radiation Climbs y Japan's nuclear safety agency has raised the severity level of the crisis at the Fukushima nuclear plant from level 5 to level 7 which ranks it on par with the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. It doesn't mean it's as bad as Chernobyl but it's still a negative development nonetheless. There have been only two level-seven incidents in nuclear history: the Chernobyl catastrophe 25 years ago in the Ukraine and now Fukushima, on the east coast of Japan. The disaster in Ukraine spewed debris as high as 9 kilometers into the air and released radiation 200 times the volume of the combined bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, according to a 2006 report commissioned by Europes Green Party. The March 11 earthquake, the nations strongest on record, and tsunami left about 27,500 dead or missing, according to Japans National Police Agency. Japan was struck by two earthquakes stronger than magnitude 6 again on April that hindered recovering efforts as workers were temporarily evacuated. Kate marries Prince William y Prince William second in line to the throne married his long time girlfriend Kate Middleton at a service in Londons West Minister Abbey on 29/4/2011. The pair exchanged in the presence of close to two thousand guests while the rest of the World watched it live on television. It was the most eagerly awaited and anticipated wedding since the Charles and Diana wedding. Middleton looked beautiful in her ivory and white satin dress with lace sleeves and shoulders, designed by Sarah Burton of the Alexander McQueen fashion house. The crowds cheered when the newly weds travelled in an open carriage on their way back to the Buckingham Palace from the abbey. Hundreds of thousands of people appeared in front of the palace to witness the kiss between the newly weds from the balcony while street parties where held across the United Kingdom to cheer

the royal couple. The wedding was watched by close to two billion people across the globe. The couple will be known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge following their marriage. Osama Bin Laden killed in Pakistan y The worlds most dreaded terrorist Osama Bin Laden has been shot dead by American Navy Seals on 2/5/2011 after he was found to be staying in relative luxury in a house just few hundred meters away from a Pakistani military academy in Abbotabad. Bin Laden was shot in the face and chest when the American forces sprung a surprise attack and the whole mission was performed without the consent or the knowledge of Pakistan. Obama, in his address to the nation shortly before midnight, thanked the Americans who have toiled in pursuit of bin Laden and applauded those who carried out the successful mission in Pakistan. For over two decades, bin Laden has been Al Qaedas leader and symbol, Obama said. The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nations effort to defeat Al Qaeda. This comes as a real embarrassment to the Pakistani government which has been maintaining for many years now that Osama was not there in Pakistan. And to find him holed up in a facility just yards away from a prestigious military academy which is also just a couple of hours away from Islamabad poses many tough questions regarding Pakistanis commitment to fighting terror. The US government had further declared that they would carry out such operations again in the future if the need arises. The US is already mulling over whether they should sanction further aid to Pakistan unless they come up with satisfactory answers regarding how Osama was found where he was. This is a serious intelligence lapse and does not auger well for the country that is already reeling under various problems that threaten the very fabric of the nation. It remains to be seen how the nation will cope with the allegations. Syria lifts emergency rule y Syria's government approved lifting the country's nearly 50-year-old state of emergency on 19/4/2011 in an effort to satisfy the one of the key demands of the anti government protestors. But the government also issued a stern warning to call of the protests against President Bashar Assads hard line rule. Assad the previous week had told his cabinet to remove the state of emergency in place since his Baath Party took power in March 1963 but added that such a move would give protesters no more reason to take to the streets. This could give Assad further pretext to move against any further marches or rallies. The Syrian population how ever shows no signs of letting down after being inspired by the successful revolutions of Tunisia and Egypt. Most of Syrias 23 million people were born or grew up under the strict control of the state of emergency. Assad hard line rule means strict control over the media, allowing eavesdropping on telecommunications and permitting arrests without warrants from judicial authorities.

Current Affairs For March 2011

National
Godhra verdict: 11 get death, 20 get life term y A Sessions Court in Ahmedabad awarded death sentence to 11 people and life term to twenty others on 1/3/2011. The sentence was pronounced by Additional Sessions Judge PR Patel who had earlier convicted them of criminal conspiracy in the Sabarmati Express train burning case on Feb 22nd.

The court had accepted the prosecution's contention that there was a conspiracy behind the incident and convicted 31 under various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) like 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 120B(criminal conspiracy). They were convicted under IPC section 147, 148 (rioting with deadly weapons), 323, 324,325,326 (causing hurt), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on religious grounds), various sections of the Indian Railways Act, Prevention of Damages to Public Property Act and Bombay Police Act. The court had acquitted 63 others out the total 94 for lack of evidence including the alleged mastermind Maulavi Hussain Umarji. Fifty nine Kar Sevaks traveling in the S6 coach of Sabarmati Express were burnt alive near the Godhra railway station on February 2002. This incident caused wide spread communal riots in the State of Gujarat that resulted in the deaths of over 100 people, most of them Muslims. Justice Patel termed the case as rarest of rare and the court has given the accused 90 days to appeal in the High court. SC strikes down CVC PJ Thomas' appointment y The Supreme Court on 3/3/2011 struck down on the appointment of Chief Vigilance Commisioner PJ Thomas after a three-judge bench headed by the Chief Justice of India SH Kapadia delivered its verdict on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought his removal. The apex court has observed Thomas is a person who is tainted as he was an accused in the palmoline export scam. CVC PJ Thomas soon thereafter submitted his resignation. This has come about as big blow to the UPA government which is already facing several allegations of corruption. Furthermore Thomas is the country's 14th CVC and was selected by a three member panel that included the PM and the Home Minister. The opposition BJP had been highly critical all along and following his resignation demanded even the PM to step down. The PM took responsibility for the incident and cited the reason as error in judgement. An IAS officer of 1973 batch of Kerala cadre, PJ Thomas is the eighth accused in the palmolien case. He served as food secretary in Kerala in the early 90s during which time he had aggressively campaigned for the import of 1500 tonnes of palm oil from Malaysia. Reports later emerged that price paid for the oil- palmolein was unjustifiable high. He has since been fighting allegations of corruption, while the case is still pending in court. Delhi court accepts CBI's closure report against Quattrocchi y A Delhi court on 4/3/2011 accepted CBIs closure report seeking to drop all charges against Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi in the two decade old Bofors case. The CBI was looking at closing all criminal cases against Italian businessman Quattrocchi, who is allegedly one of the recipients of kickbacks in the controversial Bofors gun deal of 1986 which ended up resulting in the fall of the Rajiv Gandhi government in 1989. Many influential figures were accused of receiving payoffs in the deal which involved the purchase of Bofors guns for the Indian army. The agency has been seeking withdrawal of the case against him as he has never appeared before any Indian court to face trial due to lack of evidence, even though a tax tribunal had ruled in Dec 2010 that illegal commissions were indeed paid in the deal. The agency had said that its plea to withdraw the case has been filed with bonafide intention as it has spent a huge amount of money on the investigation but has not been able to arrest the Italian businessman. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vinod Yadav observed: "At this moment we have to end the case therefore I allow the CBI plea to close the case. I think the CBI has moved this application to close this case after applying their minds, therefore there is no need of wasting public money in continuing the investigation." Advocate Ajay Aggarwal, who objected to CBIs application in the court, said he would challenge the order in the Delhi High Court. Delhi University student Radhika Tanwar shot outside college

Radhika Tanwar (21) a student of Ram Lal Anand College (Delhi University) was shot dead by an unidentified man on the Dhaula Kuan foot-over bridge near South Campus at around 10.30 AM on 8/3/2011. Radhika a second year BA student who lives with her family in Naraina locality of West Delhi was shot point blank by the assailant who fled the scene after shooting her in the stomach. Passersby took the girl in an autorickshaw to Safdurjung Hospital where she was declared brought dead. The incident has caused outrage in the Capital which has been witnessing increasing episodes of crimes against women, while the world was celebrating International Womens Day. The assailant has been identified as 25 yr old Ram Singh alias Vijay who hails from Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh. He was caught a few days later and Delhi Police Commissioner B K Gupta said Vijay suffers from psychopathic obsession. He used to follow women. He followed Radhika regularly. The immediate trigger was the snubbing of Radhika when he tried to speak to her. The police also went on to add Vijay nurtured deep grudge against the victim after he got beaten up for harassing her and often told his friends that he would avenge the humiliation whenever he got the opportunity. On 11/3/2011 another student Monica Kirnapure was stabbed by four people in Nagpur while she was on her way to class from her hostel. The twenty two year old girl lay in her pool of blood for ten minutes, a knife sticking out of her back, asking for water. No help came about from the bystanders until Sumedh Wanjaari hired a rickshaw to take her to the hospital where she died en route. SC dismisses Aruna Shanbaug's euthanasia plea

Aruna Shanbaug a former nurse at Mumbais KEM hospital has been in a vegetative state for the last 38 years after she was assaulted by a ward boy. A Bench of Justices Markandey Katju and Gyan Sudha Misra rejected on 7/3/2011 the euthanasia plea filed by Arunas friend Pinky Virani declaring the petition stands cancelled. They also added Pinky was not allowed to appeal for the mercy killing of Aruna as she was not the staff of KEM hospital. The bench in its 110-page judgement saw the nursing staff of KEM hospital who have been looking after Aruna for the past 38 years as the real next friend of Aruna and declared the patient didnt have a single bed sore during the period. The apex court however allows passive euthanasia in appropriate cases which have been permitted by the concerned high courts. They also added there is no law in the country presently in the country on euthanasia and clarified unless the Parliament drafts a law, its stand on active and passive euthanasia will stay enforced. Aruna Shanabug was sexually assaulted on November 27 1973 by Sohanlal Walmiki who used a dog chain to subdue her which ended up cutting the oxygen supply to her brain damaging vital functions like sight, memory and normal movement. Congress, DMK seat-sharing deadlock ends

After lot of political drama the DMK and the Congress have come to a mutual seat sharing agreement ahead of the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly elections. The DMK party announced on 8/3/20011 that it will contest for 121 seats while the Congress will contest for 63 under the seat sharing deal for the April 13 Assembly polls. The Congress demand of 63 seats marks an increase of 15 seats in allocation of what they got during the 2006 Assembly elections. DMK chief Karunanidhi was initially ready to give 60 seats to the Congress but the Congress unrelenting demand on having 63 made him unhappy and he threatened to pull out his ministers from the government. The Congress refused to blink this time and after quite a few rounds of discussions the DMK finally relented to the Congress demands. The DMK has agreed to allocate 61 seats, up 1 seat from what they previously agreed and another two seats would be allocated to the Congress from the other allied parties of the DMK. Under the seat sharing formula, DMK will contest 121 seats, Congress 63, PMK 30, VCK 10, KMK 7, IUML 2 and MMK 1 for the 234member assembly. A.Rajas close aide Sadiq Batcha found dead

Sadiq Batcha, a close aide of former telecom minister A.Raja committed suicide and was found hanging at his residence in Chennai on 16/3/2011. Sadiq Batcha (37) who is the Managing Director of Greenhouse Promoters has been under the CBI scanner for his suspected involvement in the 2G spectrum case and was questioned by the agency on February 22nd. Green House Promoters, initially a nondescript company with an equity base of Rs.100,000 in 2004, is said to have grown to over Rs.600 crore revenue company within a very short time frame. Rajas wife Parameshwari is said to have served as a director in the firm but quit during 2008. Batcha hails from Rajas constituency Perambalur in Tamil Nadu and initially worked as a sari seller until his friendship with the former telecom minister happened in the early 1990s.According to the post mortem reports the cause of death has been ascertained as asphyxia while the forensic reports are still awaited. This may come as blow to the CBI in their investigations into the 2G scam. TN Polls: Parties promise freebies to woo voters

Ahead of upcoming assembly polls, the political parties of Tamil Nadu have promised a host of freebies to woo the voting public. Top warring parties DMK and ADMK have taken the war of freebies to a new high. While DMK in their manifesto have announced 35 kg of free rice every month for below-poverty line families, AIADMK has promised 20 kg of free rice for all ration-card holders. The ruling DMK party has promised laptops to students in their first year of college while Jayalalithas ADMK party promises them one as early as eleventh standard. While the DMK plans to give women free mixes, grinders its rivals have promised additional fans along with mixies and grinders. Furthermore Jayalalitha in her bid to woo female voters has promised 4gms of gold for 'Thali' (mangalsutra) free of cost to poor, besides offering cable TV connections at subsidised rates. Some of the other freebies include four sets of uniform and footwear for students, a hike in scholarship upto Rs 5000 from class 10 onwards, women self help groups get Rs10Lakh with 25 % waiver, 20 litres of mineral water a day to Below Poverty Line families, six months' maternity leave for women and Rs 12,000 as pregnancy allowance and a host of other promises were made. This does came as surprise since Jayalalitha was a staunch critic of populist measures when the DMK party which came in power in 2006, promised to offer free colour TVs to the public and also kept up on its electoral promise. The parties efforts in trying to gain an upper hand over each other by making such steep electoral promises does raise a lot of concerns. It does make one wonder if the State Treasury would be left with any money if such populist measures are left unchecked. WB polls: Cong, TMC reach seat-sharing deal

The Congress and the Trinamool Congress reached a seat sharing agreement ahead of the West Bengal Assembly Polls. Mamta Banerjee of Trinamool has agreed to offer 65 seats after her rounds of discussion with the Congress party. She had earlier agreed to give 64 seats against Congress demand of 98. The alliance will fight against CPM led Left Front which has been in power for almost 35 years now.Congress spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed said In West Bengal, Congress will contest 65 seats and TMC will contest 229. We will work in close cooperation to win the election to defeat the Left from the state.West Bengal will be voting in 6 phases. The first phase voting is on April 18, second phase on April 23, third phase on April 27, fourth phase on May 3, fifth phase on May 7 and sixth phase is on May 10th. Cash for votes scam creates uproar in Parliament

With the revelations by Wikileaks about the Congress buying MPs to win the vote-of-confidence over the crucial Indo-US nuclear deal in 2008 came back to haunt party when a united opposition created an uproar in Parliament. On 17/3/2011 they were demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in view of the fresh charges that bribe was paid during the trust vote. The government on its part was dismissive questioning the credibility of the leaks. Also FM

Pranab Mukherjee said Each Lok Sabha is sovereign in its time. What happened in the 14th Lok Sabha cannot be decided in the 15th Lok Sabha...Government of the day is accountable to the 15th Lok Sabha and not to the 14th Lok Sabha. Whatever happened in the 14th Lok Sabha has come to an end with the end of the tenure. On 23/3/2011 Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj made a stinging attack on the Prime Minister and said It is the habit of the Prime Minister to blame others. If it is price rise then (Agriculture Minister) Sharad Pawar is responsible, if it is 2G then (former Telecom Minister) A Raja is responsible and if it is Commonwealth Games then Suresh Kalmadi is to blame. The Wikileaks cable suggests that the Congress bought the support of MPs during a vote of confidence during the controversial nuclear deal in 2008. Three BJP MPs walked into the Lok Sabha with Rs 3 crores in cash and claimed that they had been offered that money to vote for the nuclear deal and that they had planned a sting operation to prove it. Following that a Lok Sabha committee, headed by Congress MP KCS Deo, was set up to examine their allegations in which was found there was no evidence of the allegations made by the BJP MPs. Aarushi murder case: Talwars surrender passports y Rajesh and Nupur Talwar, parents of murdered teen Aarushi Talwar have surrendered their passports to a local court following a direction by the Supreme Court which also stayed their trial in the Noida double murder case. On 19/3/2011 the SC had stayed the CBI court order summoning the Talwars to appear before it on 22/3/2011. The Allahabad High Court on 18/3/2011 dismissed the couples plea seeking quashing of criminal proceedings initiated by the lower court which not only refused the closure report filed by the CBI but also summoned the couple as accused in the case. The HC declared that it could not prohibit the magistrate from taking cognizance of a case if prima facie it appears that there is sufficient evidence against a person. Earlier the CBI had file a closure report pleading closure citing lack of incriminating evidence, however the CBI has pointed a needle of suspicion to the parents and as a result left the option of proceeding against the Talwars with the Trial Court. The couple had challenged the order of the Allahabad High Court which the Supreme Court stayed on 19/3/2011 but asked the Talwars to surrender their passports. Satish Tamta, the counsel for Rajesh and Nupur Talwar, submitted the passports in the court of additional chief judicial magistrate Puspendra Kumar Singh. Fourteen-year-old Aarushi was found murdered at her home in Noida on May 16, 2008. A day after, Hemraj's body was found in the same building. India revokes licenses of 14 'fake pilots' y Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on 23/3/2011 revoked a total of 14 commercial pilot licenses (CPL) which means it brings an end to the flying careers of the those accused of having submitted fake training records from Rajasthan State Flying School to procure their licenses. The discovery of frauds in the issuing of licenses is a worrying development to the safety of air travel for the passengers and the industry. The fake pilot scam began unraveling when female Captain Parminder Gulati landed her airliner on the nose instead of the rear wheels which set the alarms ringing across many quarters. DGCA, the airline regulator stepped in and discovered she had submitted forged mark sheets to procure her license. Since then more pilots have been caught guilty of the same crime. The DGCA admits there was a lapse, and now says as much as 4000 pilot licences are now under fresh scrutiny. On 26/3/2011 a DGCA official Pradeep Kumar(48), pilot Pradeep Tyagi(35) and two of his touts Lalit Jain (34) and Pankaj Jain (23) were arrested by the Delhi Police. Tyagi along with his touts used to forge mark sheets for the fake pilots for huge a fee and also bribed Pradeep Kumar of the DGCA for expediting those files. A person is eligible to fly a commercial aircraft only when he or she secures a CPL, which is given out after a person completes 200 hours of flying during the training. Hasan Ali Remanded In Judicial Custody

Hasan Ali is a Pune bases stud farm owner who has been accused of allegedly stashing away 8 billion dollars in Swiss banks. It is speculated that the major portion of the money in offshore accounts belong to some politicians and industrialists and that Ali acts as a conduit for them and allegedly facilitates transfer of black money from India on a commission basis. He has been under the radar of the Income Tax (IT) department and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for a few years now while his premises were raided in 2007. According to Hasan Alis statements he is scrap dealer with an annual income of Rs 30 Lakh which does not tally with kind of lifestyle Ali is known for. He is known to throw lavish parties, has a penchant for race horses and own quite a few of them and also own an expensive fleet of cars. A little ironic for a man with humble beginnings, whose father worked as an excise officer. Hassan Ali has been declared the highest tax defaulter in the country with dues allegedly over Rs 70,000 crores. Ali was arrested by the ED on 7/3/2011 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. But a Mumbai Court on 11/3/2011 rejected EDs plea for custodial interrogation of Hasan Ali on the grounds that the agency had not gathered sufficient evidence and Ali was released on bail. The Supreme Court on 17/3/2011 stayed the trial courts order, directed custodial interrogation of Hasan Ali to ED and was also critical of Mumbai Court Judge M L Tahaliyani's order of granting bail to Ali, saying it was "deeply disturbed" as to the manner in which the trial court judge rejected the ED's contention and had given a lengthy order for it. On 21/3/2011 the apex court extended his custody with the ED for an additional three days and when that duration came to a close a sessions court remanded Hasan Ali in judicial custody till April 8, 2011. Wikileaks: 'Hindutva an opportunistic issue for BJP'

After the Congress it was the BJPs turn to be hit by the Wikileaks phenomenon when a US diplomat reported in the cable that senior leader of BJP declared to him that Hindu Nationalism was an opportunistic issue for the party. "Pressed on the question of Hindutva, Jaitley argued that Hindu nationalism 'will always be a talking point' for the BJP. However, he characterized this as an opportunistic issue," a cable by Robert Blake, the Charge at the US Embassy, to his government, had said after a meeting with Jaitley on May 6, 2005. "Pressed on the question of Hindutva, Jaitley argued that Hindu nationalism 'will always be a talking point' for the BJP. However, he characterized this as an opportunistic issue," a cable by Robert Blake, the Charge at the US Embassy, to his government, had said after a meeting with Jaitley on May 6, 2005. Jaitley a senior leader of the BJP and also leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha , whom the cable described as "one of several aspirants to direct the next generation of BJP leadership", said in a statement that the word opportunistic in reference to Hindutva could be the "diplomat's own usage". He said the cable by the diplomat in 2005 makes a reference to his conversation with him. "The cable reflects my views on cross-border terrorism, illegal infiltration from Bangladesh and the unfair denial of US Visa to the Gujarat Chief Minister (Narendra Modi). However, the use of the word "opportunistic in reference to nationalism or Hindu nationalism is neither my view nor my language. It could be the diplomat's own usage, he said. Congress on its part was quick to give it back to the BJP. Chickens are coming to roost, what goes out wrongly hits back like a boomerang. People living in glass houses are taught in this manner that they were to throw stones at others, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said. PM Manmohan Singh and PM Gilani of Pakistan engage in cricket diplomacy

The relations between India and Pakistan had soured post Mumbai 26/11 blasts. With the ongoing world cup when India defeated Australia in the quarters it became apparent that it was to face off against Pakistan in the semifinal. The clash between the two countries generated tremendous hype in the media of both countries. The match even took on political turns when PM Manmohan Singh invited his counterpart Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and President Asif Ali Zardari to the cricket match. The invite was accepted by the PM of Pakistan who then along with Dr Manmohan Singh reached the cricket venue on 30/3/2011 where they shook hands with players and also engaged in diplomatic talks which has now leased a fresh breath of air to the relations between the two countries. As per the joint statement released in the capital on 29/3/2011 the

Pakistani delegation updated India on the ongoing trial and investigation and agreed to allow an Indian Commission to come to Pakistan to investigate 26/11 attacks. The Pak delegation assured that India's National Investigative Agency (NIA) and Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) will cooperate in the 26/11 investigation. India on its part provided Pakistan information with regards to the Samjauta blast case and agreed that they would update them once the charge sheet was filed. According to the joint statement released in New Delhi on Tuesday, the Pakistani delegation updated India on the ongoing trial and investigation and agrees in principle to allow an Indian commission to investigate 26/11 attacks in Pakistan. The two countries have also agreed to hold home secretary-level talks bi-annually. Census 2011: Indian population increased by 181 million y Indias population has risen to 1.21 billion in the last ten years, which is an increase of 181 million according to the new census released on 31/3/2011. Indias population is now bigger than population of USA, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan and Bangladesh, says the Census report. On the positive side the overall population growth rate is 17.6 in 2011, significantly lower than 2001 when it was 21.15 per cent. Coming to the sex ration India has 623.7 million males and 586.5 million women. A matter of concern is that child sex ratio has slipped to its lowest since India's independence. For every 1000 male infants, there are 914 girls. The most populous state of Indian continues to be Uttar Pradesh with 16.49 per cent share in the total population, followed by Maharashtra with 9.29 per cent, while, the least populous state is Sikkim with 0.05 per cent share in the total population. This is the 15th Census conducted since 1872. It was carried out in two phases, covering 640 districts and 5924 sub-districts.

Sports News
ICC WC 2011 off to spectacular start y The ICC cricket world cup is on in full swing. The fourteen teams have all played their group stages and 8 teams qualified to the knockout stages. The teams that played in quarterfinals were West Indies, India, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Among these only four teams made it to the Semis where Pakistan and India played each other at Mohali and Srilanka and New Zealand played against each other in Colombo. The semi final match between India and Pakistan created unprecedented hype as the two teams have not faced off against each other since Mumbai 26/11 attacks. There was a never before seen rush to get the tickets for the match and people were selling their tickets in black market at astronomical amounts. India and Sri Lanka went on to win their semi finals respectively and face each other in the final on April 02 , 2011. Levon Aronian wins Amber Blindfold and Rapid Chess Championship y Levon Aronian has won the 20th and final edition of the Amber Blindfold and Rapid Chess Championship held at Monaco. He had earlier also won in 2008 and 2009 respectively. The Armenian grandmaster tied his last round game against Sergey Karjakin and still maintained a one point lead over runner up Magnus Carlsen of Norway. Indian chess grandmaster and World Champion Vishwanath Anand came in at third position. With the 2011 edition the 20 year run of one the Worlds favourite chess events comes to an end and Aronian having won three of the last four editions does come across as a significant achievement. Saina clinches Swiss Open Grand Prix

Indias badminton ace Saina Nehwal won her first title of 2011 with a 21-13, 21-14 victory over South Korean Sung Ji Hyun in the Wilson Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold badminton at Basil on 20/3/2011. It was her second win against the Korean in as many meetings whom she earlier defeated in the Indonesia Open Super Series as well. She reached the quarters of the All England Championship also held earlier this month where she lost to Eriko Hirose of Japan. Riding on her Swiss Open triumph Saina has regained her number three ranking with 69721.2637 points. At first place and second place are Shixian Wang (83506.4) and Yihan Wang (73988.9106) of China respectively. Djokovic beats Nadal to win Indian Wells title

Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 to win the BNP Paribas Open title at Calirfonia on 20/3/2011. The Serbian remains undefeated this year whose victories include Australian and Dubai open, has struck a purple patch notching up an impressive 18-0 record in 2011. He now jumps to number two in the ATP rankings pushing Roger Federer to the third place while Rafael Nadal is still at number one with a 14-3 record. Djokovic said "It definitely says good things. I am playing with a lot of confidence. I'm feeling the ball well on the court. I'm very dedicated. I have a big will to win each match. I want to keep on going and keep on playing good tennis." Sebastian Vettel wins Australian GP

Red Bulls Sebastian Vettel drove a flawless race to win the season opening Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne on 27/3/2011. Starting from pole position Sebastian drove superbly to open more than a two second gap over runner up Lewis Hamilton of Mclaren following the first lap. At third place was Renaults Vitaly Petrov who made his first ever podium finish. Fernando Alonso came in fourth with Australian Mark Webber finishing fifth at the race. They used three stops strategies which was one more than the podium finishers. It was not a good start to the year for Mercedes with both their drivers Michael Shumacher and Nicco Roseberg being forced to retire. India crowned World Champions

The Indian team defeated Sri Lanka win the final of the ICC World Cup becoming the first team to lift the cup after 28 years on April 02,2011. Srilanka won the toss and elected to bat and posted a daunting 274 on board following a superb century by Mahela Jayawardhene. The Indian team had begun their bowling on a bright note with ace spear head Zaheer Khan bowling a superb initial spell but the end power over proved to be a costly affair and helped the Lankans post a very challenging total. Indian batting started on patchy note when both the dangerous openers lost their wickets early to Lasith Malinga who came up with an inspired spell of fast bowling. The stadium had gone quiet but the Indian innings was resurrected when Virat Kholi and Gautam Gambhir formed a respectable partnership but the star of the innings was Indian Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. He promoted himself up the order ahead of the inform Yuvraj Singh took India home with an unbeaten 91. The Captain criticized throughout the tournament for his lack of form stepped up at the most crucial moment with a crucial innings and hit the last ball straight down the ground for a huge six. The nation erupted with joy and there wild celebrations all over India. Sachin Tendulkar was given a lap of honour when his team mates took him on their shoulders and a happy Sachin could be seen waving at the crowds. This is the highest successful run chase made in a World cup final and what makes the victory sweeter is India is the first team to win a World Cup on home soil.

International News

Earthquake and Tsunami strike Japan y A powerful earthquake of 8.9 magnitude struck Japan on its north eastern coast on 11/3/2011. The earthquake resulted in a massive tsunami that caused wide scale destruction and loss of thousands of lives. Cars, ships and buildings were all swept away by the rampaging waters of the Tsunami which struck about 400km (250 miles) north-east of Tokyo. The port city of Sendai in Miyagi prefecture was one of the worst affected. Ten metre waves struck the city deluging everything that was part of it-farmlands, cars, buildings, houses etc. Fires broke out in the city following the deluge. A cluster of two to three hundred bodies were found in one part of this city alone. This is the most powerful natural disaster to have struck Japan in its recorded history and is considered 8000 times more powerful than what struck Christchurch in New Zealand earlier this year. As of March 30th 2011 according to official estimates the death toll now stands at 11,257 while another 16,344 people are still missing. Many of the survivors who have been displaced have lost all their property to the Tsunami. More than 173,200 people are living in the 2000 evacuation centres in the 17 prefectures mostly in the northern side of the country. Among the worst affected prefectures which are Miyagi, Fukushima and Iwate 146,628 displaced people have been housed in close to 1,245 evacuation centres. Nuclear Crisis y The massive earthquake that struck the north east coast of Japan has resulted in a catastrophic situation at the Fukushima Nuclear power plant. When the earthquake struck they switched off the reactor and where about to use the onsite diesel back up power. The tsunami then struck and the back up power also failed. Hence after losing electric power, that system could not be used. Instead the operators are dumping seawater into the vessel and letting it cool the fuel by boiling. But as it boils, pressure rises too high to pump in more water, so they have to vent the vessel to the atmosphere, and feed in more water, a procedure known as "feed and bleed." Thousands of people residing in areas close to the plant were evacuated. Over the following days there have been many instance of radiation exposure traced in the vicinity. Radioactive water found in and outside reactor buildings is delaying work to restore cooling functions of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Libyan Uprising y Having received inspiration from the revolutions of Egypt and Tunisia the next country to vehemently protest against government autocracy is the North African country of Libya. The public are fighting to bring down Muammar Gaddafi's 41-year rule and are demanding new leadership and democratic elections. What actually began as a series of peaceful demonstrations took ugly turns when Gaddafis army tried to crush protests by using force eventually turning into an all out civil war in the days to come. In a matter of days the uprising had spread to other parts of Libya and Gaddafi was having trouble retaining control over many parts of the country. Gaddafi a harder nut to crack than Mubarak has continued to be on the offensive and refuses to give up power in spite of all the diplomatic pressure, much to the chagrin of his own country men. On 19/3/2011 a multi-state coalition began a military intervention in Libya to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, which was taken in response to the uprising in Libya. The military operations began, with US and British forces firing over 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles, the French Air Force and British Royal Air Force[ undertaking sorties across Libya and a naval blockade by the Royal Navy. Air strikes against Libyan Army tanks and vehicles by French jets have since been confirmed. The situation is far from peaceful and remains to be seen what would be the outcome of the situation in the days to come. Elizabeth Taylor passes away

One of Hollywoods greatest icons Dame Elizabeth Taylor breathed her last on 23/3/2011 due to congestive heart failure. The 79 year old actress has been in the public eye for six decades having won three academy awards and has acted in over 50 films. The Cleopatra star's stunning looks, including her famed violet eyes, earned her fans around the globe and her stormy personal life that included eight marriages received as much press interest as some of her best works. She won two Oscars for her performances in Butterfield 8(1960) and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (1966) and a third Oscar for her humanitarian work in 1993. The actress has also battled many health ailments undergoing as much as 20 surgeries during the course of her life. In her later years she was a spokeswoman for several causes, most notably AIDS research.