YEDDYURAPPA RESIGNED AS KARNATAKA’S CHIEF MINISTER

YEDDYURAPPA RESIGNED

AS KARNATAKA’S CHIEF MINISTER

B.S. Yeddyurappa Sunday, 31ST July, 2011, finally resigned as Karnataka's chief minister.The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) first chief minister in south India submitted his resignation letter to state governor H.R. Bhardwaj at Raj Bhavan. This came three days after the party's parliamentary board Thursday directed him to step down after his indictment by the Lokayukta (ombudsman) N. Santosh Hegde in a multi-crore rupee mining scam.

  Former state BJP President D V Sadananda Gowda on Sunday appeared to emerge as key contender to succeed Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, who is believed to have suggested his name to the central leadership. According to party sources, Yeddyurappa is slated to tender his resignation to the Governor H R Bhardwaj any time after 1 pm today, after which his successor is to be elected at a legislature party meeting. The list of chief ministerial probables included ministers
V S Acharya, Jagadish Shettar and Shobha Karandlaje and party general seceratary H N Ananthkumar, but Gowda seems to be ahead of the other contenders, the sources said. Yeddyurappa met party observers Arun Jaitley and Rajnath Singh and was closetted with them for some time. 'In Karnataka BJP, brighter days would come with 'Shravana' month starting today,' said Gowda, a Lok Sabha member. It was under Gowda as the state unit President that the BJP rode to power in 2008. The 'sympathy factor' after JDS refused to 'transfer' power to the BJP under a coalition government helped the latter in no small measure, as also projecting Yeddyurappa, who built the party from scratch over three decades, as the Chief Ministerial candidate. Meanwhile, the MLAs lobbying for continuation of Yeddyurappa as Chief Minister have admitted that their efforts have not succeeded, but insisted they would stand-by him and push for his nominee as the successor. Yeddyurappa's camp is pushing for making him the state unit president, who would have a key role in distribution of ticket in the next elections, due in May 2013.

                                                          Prof. John Kurakar

RANJAN MATHAI TO TAKE CHARGE AS FOREIGN SECRETARY

RANJAN MATHAI

TO TAKE CHARGE AS FOREIGN SECRETARY

Renjan Mathai

Ranjan Mathai, India's former ambassador to France, will assume charge as India's foreign secretary in his South Block office Monday morning(1^st August,2011).Mathai will hold office for a two-year term.He succeeds Nirupama Rao, who has been named India's ambassador to the US. Rakesh Sood, India's ambassador to Nepal, will succeed Mathai as New Delhi's envoy in Paris.
A 1974 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, Mathai has held a string of high-profile diplomatic positions. He was India's ambassador to Israel February 1998 to June 2001, and to Qatar August 2001 to July 2005.

A veteran diplomat, he was joint secretary dealing with India's relations with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and the Maldives from January 1995 to February 1998.
He has also served in the Indian embassies in Vienna, Colombo, Washington, Tehran and Brussels.Mathai, who completed his post-graduate studies in political science at the University of Poona, was India's deputy high commissioner to Great Britain in London from August 2005 to January 2007.

                                                              Prof. John Kurakar

SARASWATI SAMMAN

         SRASWATI SAMMAN


   The Saraswati Samman is an annual award for outstanding prose or poetry literary works in any Indian language. It is named after an Indian goddess of learning and is considered to be among the highest literary awards in India.It includes a monetary award of Rs 5 lakh. The Saraswati Samman was instituted in 1991 by the K.K Birla Foundation. Harivanrai Bachchan is the first recipient.

                                                                                               Prof. John Kurakar

KALIDAS SAMMAN

                        KALIDAS SAMMAN




   the Kalidas Samman is  a prestigious arts award presented annually in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India. The award is named after Kalidasa, an Indian poet and dranatist who wrote classical Sanskrit literature. The Kalidas Samman was first awarded in 1980, and is conferred in alternate years in the fields  of music and dance.


                                                         Prof. John Kurakar

DADA SAHEB PHALKE AWARD

                                            DADA SAHEB PHALKE AWARD


   It is the highest official recoganisation for film personalities in India.It comprises a Swarna Kamal, a shawl and a cash prize of Rs 10 lakhs. the award was introduced in 1969. the first recipient was actress Devika Rani.
2006.......Tapan Sinha (Director) 2007.........Manna Dey ( Play back Singer) 2008.... V.K Murthy( Cinematographer) 2009....... D Ramanaidu ( Producer






 Prof. John Kurakar

UNESCO LITERACY PRIZE

                                    UNESCO LITERACY PRIZE


    The UNESCO International Literacy Prizes are awarded every year in recognition of excellence and innovation in literacy throughout the world. Complying with the United Nations Literacy Decade (UNLD) thematic calendar, the theme for this year's prizes was " Literacy and Empowerment". The award ceremony will take place at UNESCO in paris on the occasion of the celebration of International Literacy Day, 8 September.
  The King Sejong Literacy Prize was created in 1989 through the generosity of the Government of the Republic of Korea, Each laureate is awarded US $ 20,000. The UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literay was established in 2005 through the generosity of the Government of the People's Republic of China. Each laurete is awarded US $20,000.

                                                                Prof. John Kurakar

SASTRA RAMANUJAN PRIZE

          SASTRA RAMANUJAN PRIZE


    The SASTRA  Ramanujan Prize, founded by Shanmugha Arts,Science, Technology & Research Academy(SASTRA) University in Kumbakonam, India, Srivasa Ramanujan's hometown, is awarded every year to a young mathematician judged to have done outstanding work in Ramanujan's field of interest. The age limit for the prize has been  set at 32 ( the age at which Ramanujan died), and the current award is $10,000.

                                                                        Prof. John Kurakar

INDIRA GANDHI PRIZE

          INDIRA GANDHI PRIZE


   The Indira Gandhi Prize of the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize or the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is the prestigious award accorded annually by India to individuals or organisations in recognition of creative efforts toward promoting international peace, development and anew international economic order, ensuring that scientific discoveries are used for the larger good of humanity, and enlarging the scope of freedom. The prize carries a cash award of 25 lakh Indian Rupees and a citation

                                                                                                 Prof. John Kurakar

ORANGE PRIZE FOR FICTION

                                     ORANGE PRIZE FOR FICTION


   The Orange Prize for Fiction is one of the United Kingdom's most prestigious literary prizes, awarded annually for the best original full-length novel by a female author of any nationality, written in English and published  in the UK in the preceding year.

                                                                                Prof. John Kurakar

COMMONWEALTH WRITER'S PRIZE

                                COMMONWEALTH WRITER'S PRIZE


     The Commonwealth Writer"Prize, organised and funded by the Commonwealth Foundation, is a leading award for fiction that was first awarded in 1987. The Commonwealth Foundation is an intergovernmental organisation working in the 53 counties of the Commonwealth of Nations. The aim of the Prize i to encourage new Commonwealth fiction, and to ensure that works of merit reach a wider audience outside their country of origin.
2009....................Christos Tsiolkas (The Slap)
2010.....................Rana Dasgupta (Solo)


                                                                  Prof. John Kurakar

WORLD FOOD PRIZE

                                                     WORLD FOOD PRIZE


   The World Food Prize is an international award recognizing the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the World. The prize was created in 1986 by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Norman Borlaug, and since 1990 has been sponsored by businessman and philanthropist John Ruan.
1987.....................Prof. M.S Swaminathan
2010.....................David Beckmann an jo Luck (USA)


                   Prof. John Kurakar

PULITZER PRIZE

              PULITZER  PRIZE


   The Pulitzer Prize is an American award regarded as the highest national honour in print journalism, literary achievements,and musical compositions. It is administered by Columbia University in New York City. The prize was established by Joseph Pulitzer, a Hungarian- American journalist and newspaper publisher, who left money to Columbia University upon his death in 1911

                              Prof. John Kurakar

JAWAHARLAL NEHRU AWARD FOR INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING

            JAWAHARLAL NEHRU AWARD
 FOR INTERNATIONALUNDERSTANDING


 It wa instituted in 1965 in the memory of the late Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. It carries a citation, a   trophy and Rs 15 lakh in cash and is administered by the Indian council for Cultural Relation. The first recipent was U.Thant in 1965.
 2005-----------------------Wangari Mathai
 2006..................................Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
 2007..................................Olafur Ragnar Grimsson (Iceland)

                                                                                Prof. John Kurakar

KALINGA PRIZE FOR THE POPULARIZATION OF SCIENCE

                                                  KALINGA PRIZE 
              FOR THE POPULARIZATION OF SCIENCE


    Established in 1951 by UNESCO at the initiative of late Biju Patmaik, founder Chairman of the Kalinga Foundation Trust, Kalinga Prize is presented annually  to a person or persons in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the popularisation of science and technology. The award carries a silver medal and a cash component of 10,000 pounds. The first winner of the award was Louis de Broglie (France)
2009-Prof. Yash Pal (India)
         Prof. Trinh Xuan Thuan( Vietnam)


                                                                                            Prof. John Kurakar













































      

BOOKER PRIZ

                                                  BOOKER PRIZE


    Booker Prize is annually awarded by Britain for fiction. The Booker Mc Connell Prize for fiction, also known as the Booker Prize or Booker is the Britain's most prestigious literary prize. It was established in 1969. It is sponsored by Booker Mc Connell Ltd, and administered by National Book League in U.K. It is awarded to the best full- length English novel written in English and published in the proceeding 12 months by a citizen of U.K, Ireland,India,Pakistan, South Africa or any of the other Commonwealth countries. Its name have been changed to "Man Booker Prize for fiction' and the prize amount is 50000 pounds.Now the prize is sponsored by Man group.


1997-----Arundhati Roy ( the God of Small Things)
2008......Aravind Adiga (The White Tiger)
2009.... Hilary Mantel (Wolf Hall)
2010... .Howard Jacobson... The finkler Question


                                    Prof. John Kurakar

RABIES KILLS 5,000 IN PAKISTAN EVERY YEAR

Rabies kills

5,000 in Pakistan every year

As many as 5,000 people die of rabies in Pakistan every year, experts say.The incidents of rabies are increasing in Pakistan, said speakers at a national seminar on “The awareness and current status of rabies” in Lahore Thursday.(28^th July,2011) Hamid Yaqoob Sheikh, a senior official, said that the health and livestock departments should make efforts to fight against the spread of rabies, Daily Times reported. Muhammad Nawaz, a professor, said rabies was perhaps first described in Chinese history around 556 BC.

                                                                               Prof. John Kurakar

STAY SAFE IN THE RAINS

Stay safe in the rains

                                                                                                                                                 Dr. VIVEK SHARMA

The rain may bring down the heat but a host of diseases follows in its wake. But simple measures can ensure your health.  The monsoon brings with it not just cooler temperature but also a host of illnesses. In fact with the onset of the monsoon, there is a steady rise in incidence of water contamination and various infectious diseases. The level of illness always peaks during monsoon and skin irritation, conjunctivitis, diarrhoea and dysentery, typhoid, polio, jaundice, malaria and even dengue fever are common

Hepatitis A and E are caused by strains of the hepatitis virus and affect your liver. The disease is spread through contaminated food and water. If left untreated, it could lead to jaundice. Typhoid is a bacterial illness. There are many symptoms that signal the onset of typhoid: fever, headache, constipation, mild joint pains, sore throat and abdominal pain. Diarrhoea and Dysentery are viral and bacterial infections that affect your intestines. They is caused by contaminated food and water. An attack of diarrhoea can lead to dehydration, vomiting, weakness and muscle cramps. Jaundice is a water-borne disease. If you feel weakness, have constant headaches, no appetite and nausea, check for jaundice. Another visible sign is yellowing of the eyes, nails and skin. Malaria and dengue are caused by mosquitoes. Malaria is caused by female anopheles mosquito and dengue is caused by aedes (tiger mosquito). The rain water and puddles help mosquitoes to breed.  Most rain diseases are spread through contaminated food and water and mosquitoes. Since the symptoms are common like fever and headache, most people make do with self medication. Contact the doctor at the first sign of trouble to ensure that it is nothing serious.

*Avoid food and water from outside.*Do not eat stale food.*Avoid street food during monsoons.*Drink only boiled water at home.* Filter the water first and then boil. The reason is because your filter may not be sterilised and boiled water may get contaminated.*Refrigerate left over food immediately. *Avoid eating raw foods.*When eating salads and green leafy vegetables, wash them thoroughly. *Do not eat straight out of the refrigerator. Always reheat first.*Be fully vaccinated against communicable diseases. *Maintain hygiene and cleanliness in the house and surrounding areas.

                                                        Prof. John Kurakar

JALANIDHI

                                                            JALANIDHI


   More than 50 lakh people in 240 grama panchayat in the state are expected to benefit from the rural water supply and sanitation schemes under the second phase of the world bank funded Jalanidhi project.
  The respective beneficiary groups and the local Grama panchayat would be joint owners of the schemes. The world Bank had cleared a list of 30 panchayats where phase two would be rolled out first. There would be a major thrust on rainwater harvesting and joint ventures with the Kerala Water Authority in setting up" multi-grama panchat water supply schemes.
  Each project would take a minimum of 24 months to get completed. In the first phase, 3694 minor water supply schemes were implemented in 112 Grama Panchayats. Close to 12 lakh people benefited.

                                                                               Prof. John Kurakar

KURAKARAN WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION FAMILY SEMINAR-2011

Kurakaran Kudumbayogam co-ordinators

Prof. John Kurakar & Other members

Association Representatives

family seminar-a view of audience 

KURAKARAN WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION

FAMILY SEMINAR-2011

Kurakaran Women’s Association conducted its Family Education seminar on 30^th July, 2011 at Padinjaretheruvu Liji Bhavan at 3.30 pm. Mrs Chinnamma John, President, women’s Association presided. Mrs Rajam Ponnachan welcomed the members, Prof. Molly Kurakar, Former secretary presented the report. Mr G.Joy, Former president, Kurakaran Kudumbayogam, Prof. John Kurakar, Co-ordinator, Kudumbayogam, Mr Sanju were spoke on the occasion. The Family seminar started with devotional songs, Bible readings and Prayer. 25 representatives actively participated. The seminar concluded at 5 pm with usual prayer

                                          Kurakaran Women’s Association

KARKADAKA VAVU- THOUSANDS PAY TRIBUTE

KARKADAKA VAVU-

THOUSANDS PAY TRIBUTE

: Thousands of people offered 'bali' for their forefathers on the occasion of `Karkidaka vavu' on Saturday,30^TH July,2011.. The Bali Tharpanam procedures, which began from 3 in the morning, would continue till noon.A heavy rush of devotees was witnessed at all the temples, which are famous for Bali Tharpanam. Thousands thronged to the temples in Thiruvallam, Varkala, Siva temple in Aluva and Thirunelli temple in Kannur. Special arrangements were made for the devotees to offer bali at the temples. Special poojas would be performed in these temples on the auspicious day.

                                                                                              Prof. John Kurakar

GOVERNMENT DOCTORS BASIC SALARY HIKE

GOVERNMENT DOCTORS BASIC SALARY HIKE

(Hike of Rs 4500 in basic salary of doctors in Kerala)

As per the consensus reached between the state government and the government doctors, there would be a hike of Rs 4500 in the basic pay in the entry cadre with the merger of 76 % common special allowance with the basic pay. The revised basic pay of the health director would be Rs 53,040 and after adding two years increment it would add up to Rs 68,498.The basic pay of assistant surgeon and junior consultant will be hiked to Rs 27,140 and at present it is Rs 24,040. As the revision would be with effect from 2009, they would also get Rs 1360 as increment for two years. With that the basic salary would be Rs 28,500.Moreover, the eligible would get rural service allowance and PG allowances. The new basic salary of civil surgeons would be Rs 40,640 and salary would be hiked to Rs 52,874 after adding increments and bata. Salary for senior consultant would be Rs 63, 042 and those of chief

                                                               Prof. John Kurakar

GODAVARI EXPRESS PASSENGERS ROBBED

GODAVARI EXPRESS

PASSENGERS ROBBED

Thieves struck once again on the Vijayawada-Hyderabad railway line and escaped with Rs 1.5 lakh worth property from passengers travelling in Godavari Express on Friday29th July, 2011..
Six passengers who travelled in Visakhapatnam-Secunderabad, Godavari Express, lodged a complaint with Secunderabad railway police stating that thieves stole gold and other valuables from them in the early hours. Six tolas of gold, Rs 25,000 cash, six mobils and debit cards were stolen. "The passengers travelling in A1, B1 and B2 coaches noticed the theft after the train crossed Khammam station," Secunderabad GRP S.I Arulappa said. Ref; Time of India:

                                                                                         Prof. John Kurakar

UKRAINE MINE ACCIDENT

UKRAINE MINE ACCIDENT

(20 killed, 17 missing in two mine accidents in Ukraine)

At least 20 miners were killed and 17 others went missing in two separate accidents at coal mines in Ukraine today, officials said. Sixteen miners were killed instantly after an explosion in a coal mine in the Lugansk region in eastern Ukraine early today(30^th July,2011). The blast took place in the Sukhodolsk-Vostochnaya coal mine at Krasnodon in the Lugansk region. A total of 28
people were working at the pit when the explosion occurred, Interfax reported quoting disaster management authorities of Ukraine. Another three workers received burns and other injuries and were hospitalised. One of the injured died later of his wounds. The two injured were in a grave condition. The authorities said that the fate of 9 miners remains unknown.

Officials did not provide details on the cause of the blast. Most of the country's mine disasters have been caused by build-ups of methane gas. In a separate accident, three miners were killed when an elevator collapse at the state-controlled Bazhanova mine in the town of Makiyivka in the neighbouring Donetsk region. Eight workers were missing and officials said it appeared they were still alive but trapped under the rubble. Today's twin disasters were the country's worst mining accidents since more than 100 miners were killed in a mine explosion in 2007. Deadly accidents are frequent in Ukrainian mines, with many of them are poorly equipped

                                                     Prof. John Kurakar

NEWS PAPER IN EDUCATION PROGRAMMES

                       NEWS PAPER IN EDUCATION PROGRAMMES


   Reading a news paper is important was that they gained knowledge that is outside their text books. The students must participate in the News paper in Education Programmes of the Hindu  News paper   launched in the Schools.
   T^he NIE programme is aimed at imparting language skills at providing in depth knowledge to the students on the world happenings and helping them improve their reading skills." Competitive exams require you to have a balanced perspective on various issues and not just bookish knowledge. Hence it is important to cultivate the habit of reading newspapers and magazines at the School level.
  The Hindu news paper was like small encyclopaedia because it provided wide coverage of news and through its editorial pages, an in-depth analysis of these issues.
 The programme consists of five modulus to improve the language and communication skills of students. Student of classes VII,VIII and IX will be trained by experts to improve their inherent skills. The NIE programme time table prepared after extensive consultation with the school authorities and with resource support by prison books Bangalore

                                                                                Prof. John KUrakar

SOMALIA-THE LAND OF HUNGER

SOMALIA-THE LAND OF HUNGER

Somalia as millions starve Thousands of people died in refugee camps in the capital .Somalis offer funeral prayers for malnourished children who died at a refugee camps in capital Mogadishu. Once an important centre for commerce, Somalia’s misfortunes began in 1991 when the regime of Maj. Gen. Mohamed Siad Barre collapsed with the outbreak of the civil war.

                                                                                    Prof. John Kurakar

17 INDIANS ON DEATH ROW TO WALK FREE

17 Indians on Death Row to Walk Free

Sharjah: Seventeen Indian youth on a death row in the United Arab Emirates for the death of a Pakistani national could walk free October after members of the Indian community in Dubai deposited 'blood money' in a court in Sharjah Wednesday to secure a pardon for them.
Community representatives, led byDubai hotelier S.P. Singh Oberoi, deposited 3.4 million dirhams (Rs.40.8 million/Rs.4 crore) with the Sharjah court in the presence of Mohammed Ramzan, a representative of victim Misri Khan's family. The 17 men, 16 from Punjab and one from Haryana, had been sentenced to death by a Shariat court in Sharjah March 2010. They were convicted of murdering Misri Khan, and injuring three others January 2009, following a fight over illegal liquor business. The murder took place in Al Sajaa area of Sharjah. The victim, who died of stab wounds, had also suffered brain damage, police had said.

Ramzan signed documents waiving the family's right to demand the death penalty for Khan's murder. The court has fixed the next hearing Sep 12 when it is likely to pardon all Indian youth and set the process to free them by October. The news has brought hope and cheer to families of the youth in India. 'I am happy to announce that 17 of our youth who were convicted and sentenced to death have finally been granted pardon by a court today only,' said former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, who had met the youth in prison last year and assured help, said here Wednesday. Oberoi, who ensured that money was collected by the Punjabi community in UAE to save the youth from gallows, had earlier said that Mishri Khan's father, mother, widow, daughter and all four brothers, had agreed to a monetary compensation of (Pakistani) Rs.8 crore (Rs.4 crore approx). This amount included 442,000 dirhams (Rs.5 million/Rs.50 lakh) as 'blood money' and the balance as 'compensation' for the family.

 
The Indian men had all along maintained that they were not involved in the murder of the Pakistani national and that they had been framed in this case. Certain NGOs and the jailed youth had even opposed earlier attempts to payblood money to the victim's family saying that this would mean admission to the guilt of murder which they had not committed. All the convicted men in UAE are between 17 and 30 years of age and all of them belong to lower middle-class families in India. The Indian consulate had hired a law firm in UAE to defend the case.

                                             Prof. John Kurakar

YEDDYURAPPA AND ILLEGAL MINING

YEDDYURAPPA AND ILLEGAL MINING

Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa was Thursday(28^th July,2011) asked to step down immediately by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after the Lokayukta indicted him for illegal mining in the state.The decision to ask Yeddyurappa to quit was taken by the BJP parliamentary panel that met at the residence of party president Nitin Gadkari, spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters."The parliamentary boards unanimously decided that there has to be a change in the Karnataka BJP legislative party. The party has advised Yeddyurappa, the current chief minister, to tender his resignation immediately," Prasad said after the meeting. BJP's Arun Jaitley and Rajnath Singh will fly to Bangalore Friday for the election of the new chief minister in Karnataka. A defiant Yeddyurappa, 68, the BJP's first chief minister in the south, had ruled out his resignation.

"The question of resigning does not arise," Yeddyurappa told reporters Wednesday night as he flew to the capital for an emergency meeting with BJP leaders.Yeddyurappa, who was accompanied by several ministers and state party chief K.S. Eshwarappa, met Gadkari and returned to Bangalore Thursday morning. Karnataka ombudsman N. Santosh Hegde had Wednesday recommended the prosecution of Yeddyurappa for multi-crore illegal mining in the state along with four ministers and others.Before leaving for Delhi, Yeddyurappa said the report "needs detailed study".

"Also most of the cases referred to by the Lokayukta are old. Some of these cases are in Supreme Court and some in high court," he told reporters at Bangalore airport.He also said the state cabinet will meet in Bangalore Thursday to discuss the report.The 25,228-page report seeks trial of Yeddyurappa and his four ministers, among others over illegal mining in the state, estimated to have cost Rs.16,085 crore (Rs.161 billion) due to illegal mining and export of iron ore from 2006 to 2010 in royalty, excise duty, value added tax and other levies.

                                                 Prof. John Kurakar

CONGO BOAT ACCIDENT

CONGO BOAT ACCIDENT

(More than 100 feared dead in Congo boat accident)

Authorities in northwestern Congo say more than 100 people are feared dead after two boats collided on a river.Equateur province spokeswoman Rebecca Ebale Nguma says at least 220 people were aboard the boat on the Tshuapa River when it hit another vessel.About 105 people made it to shore but the others remained missing late today(29^th July,2011).

Congo is a vast country of jungles and huge rivers in Central Africa with few paved roads. Many people prefer totake boats and barges not intended for people even if they do not know how to swim.The boats are often in poor repair and filled beyond capacity, and the industry is not well-regulated. (AP)

                                                       Prof. John Kurakar

LIBYAN REBEL COMMANDER ABDEL FATTAH YOUNES KILLED

Libyan rebel commander

Abdel Fattah Younes killed

Abdel Fattah younes

The military commander of the Libyan rebels fighting to topple Col Muammar Gaddafi has been killed, the rebel National Transitional Council says.NTC head Mustafa Abdul-Jalil said Gen Abdel Fattah Younes was killed by assailants, and the head of the group responsible had been arrested.He said Gen Younes was summoned for questioning about military operations, but never made it to the meeting.Reports said Gen Younes was suspected of ties to pro-Gaddafi forces.
Two aides to Gen Younes, Col Muhammad Khamis and Nasir al-Madhkur, were also killed in the attack, Mr Jalil said, adding that there would be three days of mourning in their honour.
The exact circumstances of the killings were unclear, and Mr Jalil did not say directly that the assailants were allied with Col Gaddafi.

Gen Younes is a former Libyan interior minister who defected to the rebel side in February. He was also part of the group that helped bring Col Gaddafi to power in 1969. Some unconfirmed reports said Gen Younes and two aides had been arrested earlier on Thursday near Libya's eastern front. Shortly after the announcement of Gen Younes' death, gunmen entered the grounds of the hotel in the eastern city of Benghazi where Mr Jalil was speaking, reportedly firing into the air before being convinced to leave.UN division Earlier on Thursday, rebels said they had seized the strategically important town of Ghazaya near the Tunisian border, after heavy fighting with Col Gaddafi's forces.They reportedly took control of several other towns or villages in the area.

The rebels are struggling to break a military deadlock five months into the uprising against Col Gaddafi's rule.Rebels control most of eastern Libya from their base in Benghazi and the western port city of Misrata, while Col Gaddafi retains much of the west, including the capital, Tripoli.
Late on Thursday AFP news agency reported explosions shaking the centre of Tripoli, as state TV reported that planes were flying over the Libyan capital. Nato, acting under a UN mandate authorising military action for the protection of civilians, has carried out regular airstrikes in the Tripoli area.Meanwhile, the South African ambassador to the UN, Baso Sangqu, warned that supporters of the rebels were in danger of violating UN sanctions.

His comments came a day after Britain granted the rebels diplomatic recognition and said it would unblock £91 million ($149m) in frozen Libyan oil assets for the rebels. 'We have noted the calls for Gaddafi must go,' Mr Sangqu said. 'We maintain that such statements do not bring us any closer to a political solution.'The BBC's Barbara Plett reports from the UN that the growing trend to grant diplomatic recognition to the Libyan rebels is facing opposition on the Security Council, and that moves to back the rebels will further polarise Council members.
Portugal has become the latest of about 30 countries to have recognised the NTC.BBC News

                                                                    Prof. John K

ILL-EFFECTS OF SMOKING

ILL-EFFECTS OF SMOKING

The government Thursday launched a nationwide campaign through the mass media to make people aware of the ill-effects of smoking bidis, an official said.Developed with technical support from NGO World Lung Foundation (WLF), the campaign consists of two public service announcements in 14 regional languages which will be aired on television and radio for a month, starting Aug 1.'This is the first government sponsored campaign anywhere in the world that links bidi smoking to heart disease. As bidis are manufactured and consumed majorly in Asia, so we had to take the lead,' B.K. Prasad, joint secretary in the health ministry, said.

To deter youngsters from taking to smoking, he said revised notification on sale of tobacco in the vicinity of schools and colleges has been introduced, fixing accountability on the government as well as society.'State police, teachers and principals, health inspectors and members of panchayats have all been assigned with the job of curbing tobacco sale to students,' said Keshav Desiraju, additional secretary of the health ministry. Quoting the Central Tobacco Research Institute, officials said that by 2030, cultivation of cheaper tobacco used in bidis would be completely curbed while the more expensive one, used in cigarettes would be cut down by 50 percent.

                                                       Prof. John Kurakar

FOUR MALAYALEES KILLED ACCIDENT IN MACCA

Four Malayalees

Killed in accident in Mecca

Jeddah: Four Malayalees were killed in an accident in Mecca, on 29^th, July, 2011. The deceased are Sebastian, Benny from Alappuzha and Sahwan from Othukkungal , Malappuram . One person is not identified.

                          

                                                                 Prof. John Kurakar

FISH WORKERS FORUM TO OBSERVE”BLACK DAY

FISH WORKERS FORUM TO

OBSERVE”BLACK DAY

”

The National Fish Workers Forum will observe Aug 9 as 'black day' across the country to press for various demands including measures to protect sea, harbours and water bodies from encroachers. Fish workers would take out protest marches and sit-ins in different centres including Thiruvananthapuram, the Federation leaders told reporters here. They said the country's territorial sea both on the western and eastern coasts suffered "huge degradation" due to a host of factors including dumping of sewage. It was the fishing community that was directly affected on account of this, they said. The Central government should include the fish industry in the National Action Plan of the Prime Minister and also form a separate ministry for fisheries at the Centre, they said.

                                                                 Prof. John Kurakar