PRINCE WILLIAM MARRIED KATE MIDDLETON

PRINCE WILLIAM MARRIED

KATE MIDDLETON

          Prince William, second in line to the British throne, Friday,29^th April,2011, married long-time girlfriend Kate Middleton at the historic Westminster Abbey, an event that was watched by nearly two billion TV viewers. Prince William looked dashing in a red tunic with a blue sash, the uniform of an Irish Guards colonel - his most senior honorary appointment. The bride looked enchanting in a long Chantilly lace-sleeved gown with a train and a tiara borrowed from her grandmother-in-law Queen Elizabeth.The lofty Westminster Abbey, which has seen history unfold over the centuries, reverberated to the sound of hymns. This was also the place of the funeral service of William's mother Diana, Princess of Wales, on Sep 6, 1997. It has been the coronation church since 1066 and is the final resting place of 17 monarchs.

            The Archbishop of Canterbury conducted the solemn wedding ceremony, a grand affair with 1,900 guests, including some 50 foreign heads of state. Crowds had begun to gather in central London from early morning and thousands camped overnight to grab the best location to see the royal couple - an event that took many back 30 years to when William's parents, Prince Charles and the late Diana, got married. The marriage was the culmination of eight long and sometimes lonely years of waiting for Kate. Unlike the Queen, who promised to obey Prince Philip when they married in 1947, Kate pledged only to 'love, comfort, honour and keep'Prince William and Kate Middleton have now become the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. As soon as the ceremony got over, celebrations broke out all over Britain with over 5,000 street parties, including one hosted by Prime Minister David Cameron at Downing Street.( Ref: Manorama)

                                                                                                  Prof. John Kurakar

SARAH JOSEPH WON MUTTATHU VARKEY AWARD

Sarah Joseph

 Won Muttathu Varkey Award,2011

       Famous Malayalam writer Sarah Joseph won this year's(2011) Muttathu Varkey Award for her collection of short stories titled 'Papathara'. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 33,333, a memento and a citation. Her novel 'Aalahayude Penmakkal' had won the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award as well as the Vayalar Award .Sarah Joseph has also been at the forefront of the feminist movement in Kerala and is the founder of Manushi – organisation of thinking women.
Muttathu Varkey Foundation has instituted The Muttathu Varkey literary award which is being presented yearly to Malayalam writers. The winner is selected by popular vote with final decisions made by prominent judges.

                                                                                                           Prof. John Kurakar

ENDOSULFAN--- INDIA SECURED SEVERAL EXEMPTIONS

India secured several exemptions on endosulfan ban

         Amid demands for a total ban on endosulfan at home, India and a few developing nations Friday,29^th April,2011, managed to secure several exemptions, including a phase out period of 11 years to implement the ban on production and use of the toxic pesticide at an international conference here. "All the exemptions demanded by India and other developing countries, particularly a long phase-out period as well as access to safe and cost-effective alternatives, have been agreed," a senior official of the Environment Ministry said.

        At the concluding session of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) here a final decision will be adopted based on two draft decisions that take on board India's concerns, the official said.Endosulfan is widely used in cultivation of several agricultural crops. After intense negotiations over the last five days as to how the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants must deal with endosulfans, India and other developing countries such as Indonesia have agreed to join the "consensus" because the two draft decisions fully address all their concerns, said another developing country official.

         Under draft A, the parties to the Stockholm convention on POPs have agreed to include endosulfan in Annex A of banned organic chemicals. Once the parties adopt the decision to include endosulfan in the Annex A, they will have a period eleven years- in two instalments- to phase out the use and ban of endosulfan which is currently used in the cultivation of about 15-20 crops such as cotton, coffee and maize. The second draft deals with a work programme in which countries heavily dependent on the production and use of endosulfan until now will be provided "safe and cost-effective alternatives that would include technical assistance as well as access to latest scientific know-how", the official said. These two draft decisions are expected to be merged during the final session in the evening.

Even as Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achutahananandan raised the political heat by calling for the immediate ban of endosulfan, the central government adopted a cautious position that all aspects relating to this deadly pesticide must be properly examined and decided through consensus. In addition to endosulfan, there will be eight other new other PoPs that will be included in the Annex A due to several harmful effects on the environment, and bioaccumulation in organisms (increases in concentration up the food chain). India adopted a tough negotiating position on endosulfan in the face of intense domestic political agitations as well as attempts by European countries to steamroll a decision with few exemptions. Several developing countries also called for "exceptions" and unimpeded access to alternatives in the event endosulfan is included in Annex A list of chemicals by the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC).

Initially, India raise opposition to the inclusion of the recommendation to include endosulfan in Annex A by the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC). Chemicals listed in Annex A are banned for production and use due to the threat they pose to living beings, particularly environment. In its review meeting last year, POPRC included endosulfan in Annex A. India said a decision on endosulfan must be based on "consensus" as per the practice in all multilateral meetings. Given the differences between the industrialised countries on one side who want the ban of production and use of endosulfan, and developing countries who are demanding technical and financial assistance as well as transfer of technology during the phase-out period, the COP5 has constituted a contact group to examine all the issues and suggest its recommendations. ( Ref: Manorama)

                                                                                                   Prof. John Kurakar

AIR INDIA CANCELS FIVE FLIGHTS FROM KERALA

Air India cancels five flights from Kerala

       Five flights from Kerala were Thursday cancelled following the strike by Air India pilots. According to airport sources here, AI flights Kochi–Bangalore (AI 609) from Kochi at 6.40 AM and Kochi–Mumbai (AI 682) scheduled to leave Kochi at 8.15 AM have been cancelled due to the strike. The Thiruvananthapuram-Chennai flight at 9.40 AM and Thiruvananthapuram-Male flight at 1130 AM have also been cancelled. In Kozhikode, the Kozhikode-Dubai flight, which was to take off at 10 a.m, was cancelled, the sources said. On the Gulf sector, efforts are on to take the passengers by the Air India express which is operating on schedule. About 800 pilots belonging to the erstwhile Indian Airlines went on a strike yesterday demanding pay parity with Air India pilots and better working conditions.

                                                                                                                Prof. John Kurakar

ENDOSULFAN: - STUDY WOULD TAKE 3 YEARS FOR COMPLETION

Endosulfan: Study would take

3 years for completion

    With the protest against endosulfan getting strength day by day, the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) director Dr Vishwamohan Kadoch said that it would take at least 3 years to complete the study on endosulfan, which indicates that a ban on the pesticide won't be a reality soon. It would take at least 2 months to decide the plan on how the study should be conducted. Meanwhile it is being reported that even if the Stockholm convention bans the pesticide, there is no responsibility to implement the ban as India produces 70% of the total endosulfan in the world. Among the total companies producing endosulfan in India, 2/3 are private players. The parallel pesticides being prescribed for endosulfan is of high price. So endosulfan is supported by North Indian farmer lobbies and prime minister also won't be able to neglect the same. ( Ref:Mathrubhumi)

                                                                                                     Prof. John Kurakar

ENDOSULFAN:- V.S ACHUTHANANDAN WROTE TO ALL CHIEF MINISTERS TO PRESS FOR BAN

Endosulfan: V.S Achuthanandan wrote to all CMs to press for ban

       Seeking to widen his government's campaign against endosulfan, Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has written to his counterparts in other states requesting them to bring combined pressure on the Centre to impose a nationwide ban on the pesticide. Ahead of a Kerala 'hartal' tomorrow called by ruling CPM-led LDF on the Endosulfan issue, Achuthanandan, in his letter, highlighted the ill-effects due to use of the pesticide over the years in Kerala's Kasargode district where over 400 people died and hundreds were suffering from serious health problems. He also attached copies of reports of studies on the death and environmental devastation caused by Endosulfan spraying over the years in a state-run cashew estate in Kasargode.

     The 87-year-old CPI-M leader, who recently observed a day-long fast on the issue, wanted his counterparts to prevail upon the Centre to ask for global ban on Endosulfan at the ongoing Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. Realising the grim danger posed by the pesticide to living beings and nature, it had been banned by 80 countries but the UPA Government at the Centre was still reluctant to take action, Achuthanandan said. He said there was no need for further studies to establish the grievous consequences of Endosulfan as the experience of Kerala had sufficiently brought out that aspect. An all-party delegation from Kerala had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently to press the demand for ban of Endosulfan   (Ref:manorama)

Prof. John Kurakar