RS passes bill for reservation in promotion for SCs and STs in govt. jobs.

Dec 17, 9:15 PM The Rajya Sabha has passed the Constitution (117th Amendment) Bill, 2012 providi ng for reservation in promotions to SCs and STs in government jobs. 206 members voted in favour while 10 against it. The Bill required majority of the total members of the House and two-third major ity of the members present and voting. Replying to the debate, Minister of State for Personnel, V. Narayanasamy said th at reservation will be to the extent of 22.5 per cent which is available to SCs and STs under the Constitution. The Minister said that UPA government is committ ed to give promotions to SCs and STs as the Congress party and its government is for the weaker sections of the society. He said all the political parties are c ommitted to social justice. The Minister said in the all party meeting all parti es had agreed to support the bill barring Samajwadi Party and Shiv Sena. Giving details of representation of SCs and STs in government jobs, the Minister said that they are not adequately represented in the government service. Mr. Na rayanasamy asked the Samajwadi Party why it is against reservation in promotions when it has no opposition against reservation at the entry level. Referring to apprehensions of Leader of Opposition about reverse discrimination the Minister said that he will ask the State governments to see that the seniori ty of those already promoted is not affected adversely. // Record 70 % voting in the II phase of Gujarat elections. Dec 17, 9:37 PM In Gujarat an estimated 70 cent votes have been cast today in the second and fin al phase of Assembly elections. A total of 820 candidates including 49 women are in contest in this phase of elections. AIR correspondent reports that 10 per cent more polling has been recorded in the comparison of previous assembly elections. Maximum 72 per cent voting has been recorded at Banaskantha, Sabarkantha and Gandhinagar districts. Followed by 71 p ercent polling is recorded at Mahesana and Anand districts while 70 percent poll ing has taken place at Ahmedabad, Patan, and Vadodara districts. Voting was marred by a firing incident involving BJP candidate and sitting MLA f rom Sahera constituency in Panchmahal district in which four people were injured . Both Congress and BJP have made counter allegations about this incident. Several political stalwarts including Chief Minister Narendra Modi, farmer Chief Minister Shankar Singh Vaghela, Controversial BJP leader Amit Shah and Congress leaders Mohan Singh Rathawa and Siddharth Patel are in contest in this phase of elections. About 15 Modi Government ministers are also seeking their re -electi on in this phase. With the today`s voting of political fate of candidates are no w sealed in electronic voting machines. Congress has lodged a complaint against Mr. Modi to the Commission for reaching at polling booth with a mob of supporters and government machinery. // SIT to probe corruption allegations in Maha Irrigation department.

Dec 17, 9:39 PM The Maharashtra Government today announced that a special investigation team (SI T) will be setup under water expert Madhav Chitaley to probe the allegations of corruption in the state irrigation department. Maharashtra water resources Minis ter Sunil Tatkare made this announcement in the ongoing winter session of Mahara shtra assembly at Nagpur. Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Tatkare said that all aspects of the situation have been considered and the details about the time-frame for the probe and othe r issues will be announced before the end of this year. Responding to the announcement opposition parties in the Maharashtra legislature have expressed satisfaction over the state government's decision. Opposition party BJP leader Vinod Tawde has demanded that the SIT should be head ed by a respected technocrat so that all aspects of the alleged irrigation scam could be exposed. Opposition parties have been stalling the proceedings of the w inter session of the Maharashtra legislature since last week demanding an SIT pr obe into the alleged irrigation department scam in Maharashtra. It is alleged that there is massive corruption in the irrigation projects in the state. // Sibal inaugurates National Data Centre at Delhi IT park Dec 17 The Communication and Inforamtion Technology Minister Mr Kapil Sibal has asked h is ministry officials to lay a road map by 2014 for creation of a "Google" type of comprehensive website to enable citizens to access service of all government departments with a click of a mouse. Mr Sibal said this while inaugurating Natio nal Data Centre at Delhi IT park of the national capital.The Minister said that there should be one common platform for providing all kind of services that can be provided through Internet. Mr Sibal said that departments should create campa ign to make people aware of the kind of information and data government is hosti ng on its data centres. // Delhi Court grants bail to Zee group editors in extortion case Dec 17 After spending 20 days in jail, two Zee group editors were today granted bail by a Delhi court in the case of alleged Rs 100 crore extortion bid from Congress M P Naveen Jindal's firm. Zee News Editor Sudhir Chaudhary and Zee Business Editor Samir Ahluwalia were ar rested by Delhi Police on November 27. The court said both of them will be released on furnishing a bail bond and suret y of Rs 50,000 each. They were directed to surrender their passports and not leave the country withou t the permission of the court which also asked them to cooperate with the invest igation. // Rangarajan optimistic on meeting fiscal deficit target

Dec 17 Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council Chairman C Rangarajan today expressed optimism that the government would be able to meet the fiscal deficit target of 5.3 per cent for the current fiscal. Mr. Rangarajan said this on the sidelines of Delhi Economics Conclave at New Delhi . Although the Government had pegged fiscal deficit for the current financial year at 5.1 per cent of the GDP in the budget, but it has revised the target to 5.3 per cent in view of subdued revenue collection and rising fuel and food subsidy bills. The former RBI Governor also expressed hope that there would be further improvem ent in growth during the next fiscal. // Ansari calls for speeding up the pace of poll reforms Dec 17 Vice President Mohammed Hamid Ansari has stressed accelerating the pace of poll reforms. Delivering Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Memorial Lecture in New Delhi today, he sa id the country is yet to succeed in eradicating electoral malpractices. Mr Ansar i said the political process depicts ideological decadence and a declining obser vance of constitutional morality. The Vice President said there is a need to rej uvenate commitment to the values, objectives and the judicious balance of the Co nstitution. // Indian delegation to visit Pakistan

Dec 17 The government today said that terrorism is affecting all aspects of the relatio nship between India and Pakistan. Making a statement in both the Houses of Parliament on the Pakistan Interior min ister Rehman Malik's visit to India from 14th to 16th of this month, Home minist er Sushil Kumar Shinde said the need for bringing guilty of the Mumbai terror at tack to justice was emphasised. Mr Shinde said both the countries have agreed to enhance people to people contac ts and confidence building measures to proceed in an atmosphere free of terroris m and violence. The Home minister said an Indian delegation will visit Pakistan in this week to settle the revised terms of agreement to facilitate an early visit of the Judici al Commission from Pakistan. Mr Shinde said the visiting Pakistani minister was informed about the concerted attempts by terrorists to infiltrate across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kas hmir. Mr Shinde also informed that a National Investigation Agency team along with off icials from home ministry will visit Pakistan in January 2013 to operationalise the task force on counterfeiting and drugs trafficking.

The Home minister also informed that the home secretaries would endeavour to mee t in the first quarter of 2013 to review progress. Mr Shinde said bringing fugit ives of the Mumbai bomb blasts of 1993 to justice and fake currency notes also f igured during the discussion. Earlier, raising the issue in id Pakistan interior minister the country is unprovoked and // Coal India s perspective plan Dec 17 The government today said Coal India (CIL) has submitted an initial perspective plan for developing 119 mines allocated to the PSU firm. In a written reply to R ajya Sabha, minister of State for Coal Pratik Prakashbapu Patil said ministry of Coal in May 2012 has tentatively assigned 116 coal blocks to CIL. Mr Patil furt her said three coal blocks viz Brahmini, Chichro Pastimal and East of Damogoria from the deallocated coal blocks have been assigned to CIL for undertaking minin g. Earlier, CIL had expressed hope that it can start mining in 13 of the 119 blocks allotted to it in one or two years. Our correspondent reports, Coal India has set a target to produce 464 million to nnes (MT) of coal for the current fiscal. Last fiscal, it had produced 435.84 MT . // WHO s clearance for India s vaccine regulatory system Dec 17 A World Health Organization team today cleared India's vaccine regulatory system for maintaining international standards. This has paved the way for easy export of vaccines produced in the country. India's Rs 19,000-crore vaccine industry accounts for exports worth 13 billion U S dollars to 150 countries across the world. The latest certification means all the 12 Indian vaccine makers can now apply fo r WHO pre-qualification and thus improve the chances of exporting their products to all over the world. // Pawar releases book For the Grains written by KV Thomas Dec 17 Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today released a book titled 'For the Grains' at a function in New Delhi. The book written by Food Minister K V Thomas is a co mpilation of 37 speeches delivered by him in recent years. the Book covers a wid e range of issues including agriculture, food security, climate change, ayurveda , research and education in the country. Releasing the book, Mr. Pawar said the book highlights the problems of food secu rity and also suggested conservation and cultivation among few methods to enhanc e food production. // the Rajya Sabha, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad sa Rehman Malik's statement about internal issues of unwarranted. for developing mines allocated to PSU

Presidential Standard to 25 & 33 Squadrons of IAF to be presented on Tuesday

Dec 17 President Pranab Mukherjee will present the Presidential Standard to 25 and 33 S quadrons of the Indian Air Force on Tuesday at a function in Sulur in Coimbatore , a Rashtrapati Bhavan statement said. Mukherjee, who is undertaking a two-day visit to Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, wou ld also inaugurate centenary celebrations of the award of Nobel Prize to Rabindr anath Tagore at Shantiniketan in the second phase of his visit. A Presidential Standard is a flag, awarded by the head of the state to a militar y unit. It is one of the greatest honours bestowed upon a unit or squadron in re cognition of exceptional service rendered by it to the nation, both in war and p eace. 25 Squadron of the Indian Air Force known as "The Himalayan Eagles" has been the lifeline of the armed forces personnel and citizens in the Northern Frontiers f or over five decades, in times of peace as well as war. // BJP: India s policy on Pakistan lacks clarity

Dec 17 The BJP has taken objection to the Home Minister's statement in Parliament on In do-Pak relations. Party spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad told the media in New Delh i today that Pakistan Interior Minister Rahman Malik's comments on India's inter nal matters were totally uncalled for and provocative. The government did not re but him and he got away with all that he said on the Indian soil. Mr. Prasad sai d India's policy on Pakistan lacks clarity and wondered if the government believ es only in tokenism. // Ajit for low cost airports to improve connectivity in country Dec 17 Civil Aviation Minister, Ajit Singh has emphasized on development of low cost ai rports to improve connectivity in the country. Addressing the Parliament Consult ative Committee meeting of his ministry in New Delhi today, Mr. Singh said gover nment has taken many steps recently including allowing 49 per cent FDI by foreig n airlines in Indian carriers to revive the aviation industry and ensure its lon g term viability. He said that apart from 5 major airports already operationalis ed under Public Private Partnership mode, the centre has also given in principle approval for setting up of 15 new greenfield airports in various locations incl uding Goa, Navi Mumbai and Kannur. Mr. Singh also said that aviation sector has emerged as one of the most importan t growth engines of the country during the 11th Plan period and the last 10 year s, compounded annual growth rate of passenger traffic has been approximately 15 percent. // Congress: Rehman Malik s statement on Hafiz Sayeed wrong

Dec 17 The Congress today described Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Mallik's statemen t on Hafiz Sayeed, the mastermind behind the 26/11 Mumbai attack, as factually w rong. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, party spokesman P C Chacko sai d Pakistan's claim that Hafiz Sayeed was arrested thrice, was on grounds other t han his role in the Mumbai attack. He said Rehman Mallik had not done his homewo rk. Otherwise, he would not have made the misleading statements in India. Mr Cha cko said the government has enough evidence to prove Hafiz Sayeed's role in the terror attack on Mumbai. He said talks between India and Pakistan have to contin ue even if their relations get embittered momentarily. // Mid Year Economic Analysis tabled in Parliament

Dec 17 Chief Economic Advisor Raghuram including a confidence inducing line to 5.7-5.9 per cent in the Delhi on the Mid Year Economic Rajan today suggested a three-pronged strategy, Budget, to push growth which is estimated to dec current fiscal. He was briefing reporters in New Analysis which was tabled in Parliament today.

The mid-year analysis lowered the growth projection for the current financial ye ar to 5.7-5.9 per cent from 7.6 per cent estimated earlier. Economic growth had fallen to a nine- year low of 6.5 per cent in 2011-12. The growth, Rajan said, was likely to show improvement in the second half to aro und 6 per cent from 5.4 per cent in the first half (April-September) driven by f actors like improved business confidence, corporate profitability, better indust rial output numbers and moderating inflation. Replying to a query on tax collection, Rajan said low corporate profitability is impacting revenue realisation. // Large-scale paid news in Gujarat elections:PCI Dec 17 A fact- finding team of the Press Council of India (PCI) has claimed that there has been large-scale practice of 'paid news' in the Gujarat elections. PCI chairperson Justice Markandey Katju said that the information provided by th e panel, appointed by him, only shows that self regulation by media was proving to be ineffective. He said the prevalence of paid news as shocking and very dist urbing. , Justice Katju said that not only the print media but even the visual media indul ged in large scale practice of paid news in the Gujarat elections. He also said that the full report on paid news in Gujarat elections is still bei ng prepared and he plans to take it to the Election Commission, public and other authorities after it is submitted and seek action against erring politicians. // India initiates move for currency swap agreement among SAARC countries

Dec 17 India is spearheading an initiative to develop a currency swap agreement among S AARC countries which would help them protect their currencies during special exi gencies. Speaking at a conference in New Delhi today, Foreign Secretary Ranjan M athai said India is spearheading efforts to finalise an agreement for SAARC cent ral banks to establish a currency swap arrangement as a baseline measure that wo uld provide funds to SAARC states to defend their currencies when faced by speci al exigencies. He said the integration of SAARC economies was not only important but it is an i mperative for all of us South Asians if we want to face challenges facing our re gion. To a suggestion on having a multilateral investment protection agreement, Mr Mathai said it is timely and relevant and India remains steadfast in support to SAARC. // Sri Lanka to take back Trincomalee oil storage tank farm from IOC

Dec 17 Sri Lanka s official news website today reported that the government is planning t o take back Trincomalee oil storage tank farm in the China Bay leased to the Ind ian Oil Corporation. The website quoting sources in the Ministry of Petroleum Industry said that a ca binet paper will be put up shortly for the re-acquisition of the Tank Farm. The tank farm is located in 850 acres and has 99 tanks with the capacity to hold 12,100 metric tons of oil in each tank. First built by the British on a strateg ically important sea route between east and west Asia, Sri Lanka s government expe cts to convert the tanks into a profitable venture with foreign investment. // Heavy rains disrupt normal life in Sri Lanka

Dec 17 Heavy rain across Sri Lanka during the last 24 hours has disrupted normal life. Flash floods and landslides have been reported from Matale and Kandy districts. The Meteorology Department reported a highest rainfall of 116 mm in Kandy with h eavy rains since Sunday evening. Batticaloa, Badulla, Kurunegala, and Nuwara Eli ya also recorded abnormally high rains. The Civil Defence Force said that a number of farmer families have been marooned by sudden floods in the Polonnaruwa district. A landslide was reported from Hun nasgiriya area on the Kandy - Mahiyanganaya main road. Several earth slips cause d traffic blocks in Nuwara Eliya district. Several warnings have been issued for landslides and flash floods due to opening of sluice gates of overflowing reservoirs. // Swiss proposes new bill to check black money flow

Dec 17

Switzerland has proposed a new bill to prevent its banks and other institutions from accepting black money from their clients and put in place a stricter due di ligence regime. The Switzerland Federal Council, the apex decision making body of Swiss governme nt, has asked its Finance Ministry to submit a consultation draft at the start o f 2013 to meet its goal of preventing banks from accepting untaxed funds from th eir clients. A decision to this effect was taken by the Federal Council at a mee ting on Friday in Bern. The move follows rising global pressure on Switzerland to act against its banks providing safe haven to overseas entities in name of client confidentiality. In a statement, the Swiss Federal Council said, it is stepping up its efforts to combat abuses in the area of money laundering and taxation. It said, with the planned implementation of the revised recommendations of the F inancial Action Task Force, serious tax offences will be qualified as predicate offences for money laundering in future. It said, in the event that they suspect money laundering, financial intermediari es should also report these cases to the Money Laundering Reporting Office Switz erland. // One killed, 15 injured in Afghan bomb blast

Dec 17 At least one person has been killed and 15 others injured in a powerful bomb bla st in the outskirts of Afghan capital Kabul today. According to the police sourc es the blast took place around 11.45 Hours (IST) at the office of a private cons truction company near customs office on Katul-Jalalabad road. The attacked ramme d his explosive laden vehicle into the building of the company. According to Ind ian Embassy in Kabul the injured also includes an Indian named Vijayan from Kera la. Police said the number of casualties may increase. Some nationals of Philipp ines and other countries working with the company have also been injured. // Russian arms exports to reach 14 billion US dollars this year Dec 17 Russian President Vladimir Putin has said his country's arms exports are expecte d to reach 14 billion U.S. dollars this year, the largest volume ever. Speaking to a military-technical cooperation commission today, he said Russia's militaryindustrial complex is finishing the year with positive results, with the contrac ts signed exceeding 15 billion dollars and more orders to come. President Putin said Russia should restore its position in the global market of modernizing and repairing military equipment, including those made in the former Soviet Union. // Nepal suspends officials for allowing illegal imported chicken containers Dec 17 In Nepal, the government has suspended four senior quarantine officials for two months on charges guilty for deliberately allowing containers carrying illegally

imported chicken from India for international food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken to enter the country. According to a press statement issued by Ministry of Agri culture Development, include officers in Birjunj , Chitwan and Kathmandu . Two containers of frozen and ready-to-eat chicken imported by Devyani Internatio nal, operator of KFC for Nepal and Mango Tree International were taken control b y local poultry farmers in Dharke of Dhading on Saturday and were dumped by offi cials. In a bid to minimize the risk of bird-flu, Nepal government had imposed a ban on the import of poultry products since 2008 from several countries, including Ind ia, where outbreak of the avian influenza was reported. // Philippines to work closely with Japan s new govt. Dec 17 Phlippines says it will work closely with Japan's new government amid the rising Chinese presence in the South China Sea. A Phlippine presidential spokesman Edw in Lacierda today said that the territorial issues the Philippines and Japan hav e with China are two distinct disputes in the region. He said as a strategic par tner, the Philippines can certainly work with Japan's new leadership. // Nepal parties yet to agree on PM to lead consensus govt. Dec 17 In Nepal, as the extended deadline for political parties expires today, the part ies are yet to agree on the prime minister to lead the consensus government. The Nepali Congress which met this evening in Kathmandu concluded that there is no scope or environment for consensus as Prime minister has refused to step down. T he party held that the UCPN (Maoist) intends to extend their stay in government // Syrian VP: Solution to civil war gets further away every day Dec 17 Syrian Vice president Farouk al-Sharaa says the government of President Bashar A ssad can no longer expect to win its battle against those who oppose him. In an interview with the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar published today, he said with ev ery passing day, a solution to the civil war in Syria gets further away, militar ily and politically. Sharaa said he does not have a transparent answer and Presi dent Assad himself might not be able to offer a satisfactory one. The insurgent forces have taken control of government facilities in the northern Syrian city o f Aleppo, and have surrounded the international airport in the capital city of D amascus. Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov expressed the view tha t a victory by the Syrian opposition cannot be ruled out. // India s initiative for currency swap agreement among SAARC nations Dec 17 India is spearheading an initiative to develop a currency swap agreement among S AARC countries which would help them protect their currencies during special exi

gencies. Speaking at a conference in New Delhi today, Foreign Secretary Ranjan M athai said India is spearheading efforts to finalise an agreement for SAARC cent ral banks to establish a currency swap arrangement as a baseline measure that wo uld provide funds to SAARC states to defend their currencies when faced by speci al exigencies. He said the integration of SAARC economies was not only important but it is an i mperative for all of us South Asians if we want to face challenges facing our re gion. To a suggestion on having a multilateral investment protection agreement, Mr Mathai said it is timely and relevant and India remains steadfast in support to SAARC. // China concerned over Japan s future direction on disputed islands Dec 17 China says, it is highly concerned about Japan's future direction after the cons ervative opposition Liberal Democratic Party was voted into power , with a big m ajority. The man expected to be Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a right wing national ist, has restated Japan's claims to disputed islands in the east China sea. Mr. Abe will now have enough votes, to push through controversial changes to Jap an's pacifist constitution. Those changes could allow Japan to send combat troop s beyond its own borders, for the first time since, World War II. // Strong earthquake hits Indonesian coast Dec 17 A strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of central Indonesia, sending panicked people rushing into the streets. There was no tsunami alert. A ccording to the US Geological Survey, the quake struck at 0916 GMT today at 160 kilometres south-southeast of Gorontalo in central Indonesia's Sulawesi island a t a depth of 18 kilometres. Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where continental plates collide, ca using frequent seismic and volcanic activity. // Two explosions rock police stations in Benghazi Dec 17 Two explosions have rocked police stations in the Libyan city of Benghazi early today and police have foiled a third attack. There were no casualties. Libyan po lice in the eastern city, had placed checkpoints and bolstered security around t heir stations following two Sunday attacks, which claimed the lives of four offi cers. The latest violence follows the arrest of a suspect for his alleged role in the killings of several police and military officers. Benghazi was the cradle of the 2011 uprising that toppled Moamer Kadhafi but it has increasingly become a focu s for jihadist groups, including militants who killed US ambassador Chris Steven s and three other Americans last September 11. // Bangladesh to get 160 million US Dollar loan from ADB

Dec 17 The Bangladesh government today signed an agreement with the Asian Development B ank for providing 160 million US Dollar loan to help Bangladesh develop sustaina ble urban public transport systems in greater Dhaka areas. Saifuddin Ahmed, Join t Secretary of the Economic Relations Division of Bangladesh and M. Teresa Kho, Country Director of ADB's Bangladesh Resident Mission, signed the agreement toda y at the office of Economic Relations Division at Sher-e- Bangla Nagar in Dhaka. The assistance will used to develop a sustainable urban transport system in Dha ka North City Corporation and Gazipur City Corporation areas, which form part of north Greater Dhaka, by constructing a 20-kilometer bus rapid transit route. It will help establish the first modern mass transit system in Bangladesh pursuing a holistic solution for integrated urban mobility. The assistance for the Great er Dhaka Sustainable Urban Transport Project will also construct sidewalks, mixe d-traffic lanes, high-capacity drainage system, BRT depot and terminal facilitie s, and 155 access roads for non-motorized transport. The BRT system to be develo ped under the project in greater Dhaka areas will be integrated with the BRT sys tem from Dhaka airport to city center, proposed to be developed with assistance from the World Bank and is expected to directly benefit more than 1 million peop le. ADB Country Director M. Teresa Kho said that besides creating efficient urba n transportation facilities, the project will reduce an average emission of 40,0 00 tons of carbon dioxide per year by 2020 and help in ensure a sustainable futu re for Dhaka. The total cost of the project is $255 million of which the ADB is providing 165 Million US Dollars and Agence Franaise de Dveloppement is expected t o co-finance the project with $45 million. In addition to this the Global Enviro nment Facility will provide $4.60 million and the Government of Bangladesh will providing $45.40 million. // 17 killed, over 70 hurt in Pak car bomb attack Dec 17 In Pakistan, 17 people have been killed and more than 70 hurt in a car bomb atta ck on a market in the Khyber tribal area in north-west Pakistan. Women and child ren were among those killed in the blast at the market in Jamrud, the main town in Khyber. The explosion took place close to the offices of the tribal administr ation. The injured have been taken to hospital in the nearby city of Peshawar. T he bombing comes a day after a 15-hour stand-off between militants and security forces in the vicinity of Peshawar airport, located just about 10 kilometres eas t of Jamrud town. // WB:India-Bangladesh FTA could increase bilateral trade Dec 17 A Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and Bangladesh could increase the bil ateral trade between the two countries by over 100 per cent, a World Bank report said. Releasing a report titled 'Unlocking Bangladesh-India Trade' at a CII function i n New Delhi, the World Bank Lead Economist Sanjay Kathuria said bilateral FTA be tween the two nations would increase Bangladesh's exports to India by 182 per ce nt and that of India's to Bangladesh by 126 per cent. During 2011-12, the two-way trade stood at USD 4.3 billion. Further, the report said investments by Indian companies in the neighbouring nat ion would not only create jobs, but would also increase production of goods, whi

ch in turn, could be re-exported to India. // Over 500 Indian migrants in Abu Dhabi & Dubai want to return Dec 17 561 amnesty seekers have approached the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Indi an Consulate in Dubai till date for going back to India from UAE under the gener al amnesty scheme. Out of these 155 are from Tamilnadu, 146 are from Andhra Prad esh and 134 are from Kerala. Among others 36 are from Uttar Pradesh,14 are from Maharashtra and 11 are from Karnataka. India s Ambassador to UAE, M.K.Lokesh told AIR in Dubai that 14 centers have been set up across UAE to accept the applicati ons along with the proof of national identity, passport and visa or other valid identity proof from the amnesty seekers. Efforts are on to reach out to those illegal Indian migrants who have overstayed in UAE and want to avail of the general amnesty scheme under which they can eit her go back to India without paying fines or get their residency visas regulariz ed as per the procedure. The scheme is valid from December 4 till February 3 nex t year. The UAE Government has said that this is the last chance for the illegal migrants who have overstayed in the country and it will not be extended. The Indian Ambassador told AIR that the Indian Embassy and the Consulate are alr eady extending the facility of free air tickets to the needy and those who can t a fford the air ticket to go back to India through the Indian Community Welfare Fu nd, ICWF. The embassy had offered free tickets to 1,200 needy persons and destit utes during the 2007 amnesty. Regarding the waiver of processing charges of 69 D irhams = Rs. 1000; for the exit or the out passes from UAE to India, he said tha t a communication has been sent to the center and states and the response is awa ited. Meanwhile Kerala Government has announced that it will reimburse the proce ssing fees to the the needy Keralites availing the general amnesty on their arri val at the airports in Kerala. Addressing the Indian community leaders at the Indian Consulate in Dubai on Sund ay, Mr. Lokesh told them to raise the level of awareness among the NRIs especial ly the illegal migrants who wish to avail the general amnesty. He asked the Asso ciations to provide a list of community volunteers to help the illiterate worker s fill up their application forms in their own languages. Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Indian Consulate in Dubai are geared up for an efficient documenta tion with the help of 14 processing centers across UAE for the out passes. The p rocess takes time since after the clearance from the Indian Embassy or the India n Consulate, the clearance is required from UAE s immigration, labor and the CID D epartments .The Ambassador told the Indian community representatives to raise aw areness about this aspect among the illegal migrant workers so that they can get the clearance in time. Representatives from around 90 Indian Associations from Dubai , Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quain, Kalba , Al Ain etc. took part in the deliberations on the general amnesty and related aspects at the Indian Consulate in Dubai on Sunday. The general amnesty scheme in UAE has earlier been held in 1996, 2002 and 2007. During the last amnesty scheme in 2007 around 50,000 Indian migrants had returne d home while 36,000 had got their stay regularized. Around 50 percent of those w ho went back were from Andhra Pradesh and most of them were blue collar workers. // 25 killed in Iraqi violence Dec 17

In Iraq, 25 people were reported killed while dozens were injured in a series of attacks across the country. The targets were security forces and civilians. The attacks took place a day after 19 people were killed and 77 others were injured in a fresh spurt of violence in Iraq. Seven persons were killed and 12 others w ere injured in a car bomb explosion in Mosul. In the northern city of Tuz Khurma tu, two car bombs exploded one after another near a shiite place of worship leav ing five dead and 26 injured. Gunmen attacked a police checkpoint on the highway west of Tikrit, killing one policeman and wounding three. A police patrol chase d the gunmen, who abandoned their car and then detonated explosives in it, killi ng four more police men while two others were injured. Three roadside bombs expl oded near Baquba, north of Baghdad, killing one person and wounding four others. In the Anbar province , the town of Rutba was hit by 10 rounds of mortar firing in which two persons were killed and nine others were injured. Another car bomb exploded near Dujail north of Baghdad leaving one Iraqi dead while 10 Iranian p ilgrims were injured. No one has claimed the responsibility for these attacks bu t the security agencies have pointed out that the manner in which these incident s took place bears the hallmark of Al Qaeda in Iraq. Analysts say the incidents are a grim reminder of the first anniversary of the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq last year and warned that other such attacks might follow. // US scientists record their best result in robotic arm use Dec 17 Scientists in the United States say, they have recorded their best result so far , in producing a robotic arm controlled by natural brain activity. Writing in th e Lancet Medical Journal, the Scientists described how a woman, who was paralyse d from the neck down, was able to pick up,move and place objects in a manner, si milar to a normal arm by being trained to use a brain controlled prosthetic limb . The signals were picked up by two sensors implanted into the motor cortex of a patient's brain and translated into commands, by a computer program. // Afghan Foreign Minister to visit Sri Lanka Dec 17 Afghanistan s Foreign Minister, Dr. Zalmai Rassoul will be visiting Sri Lanka from 18th to 21st December 2012. During the visit, agreements in the fields of Econo mic, Educational, Scientific and Technical Cooperation will be signed. Dr Rassou l will call on President Mahinda Rajapaksa and also meet Minister of Economic De velopment Basil Rajapaksa and Secretary, Ministry of Defence and Urban Developme nt Gotabaya Rajapaksa besides holding talks with Sri Lanka s Foreign Minister G. L Peiris. // Further heavy bombardments on outskirts of Damascus Dec 17 Activists in Syria say, there have been further heavy bombardments on the southe rn outskirts of the capital Damascus, where the bombing of a mosque on Sunday, r eportedly caused heavy loss of life amongst civilians. Activists group say, the mosque in a Palestinian refugee camp, was hit by a government air-strike amid in tensified fighting with rebels. The activists say 180 people were killed in figh ting around the country on Sunday. // UP govt.officials protest reservation in promotion in govt.jobs

Dec 17 In Uttar Pradesh, a workforce of 18 lakh government officials continued their pr otest against reservation in promotion in government jobs. The offices belonging to the state government wore a deserted look in Lucknow today, as the majority of the employees were out on the roads protesting against the bill presented in Rajya Sabha in this regard. AIR Lucknow correspondent reports that protesting employees shouted slogans agai nst BJP and Congress outside the state party headquarters in the capital for the ir support of the 117th constitution amendment bill. They also ransacked the hoa rdings put outside the party offices. Meanwhile Shailendra Dubey, the convenor o f 'Sarwajan Hitaya Sanrakshan Samiti' has reiterated that he will move to the Su preme Court against the passage of the constitution amendment bill by the Rajya Sabha today. On the other side members belonging to 'Arakshan Bachao Samiti' have welcomed th e passage of the bill by the upper house. // J&K cabinet accords sanction to NRLM

Dec 17 In an effort to further strengthen the prospects of rural employability in Jammu & Kashmir, the State Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today acco rded sanction to the roll out of National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), a pov erty eradication programme through J&K State Rural Livelihood Society (SRLS). Th e expenses for the mission will be shared between centre and state initially in the ratio of 75:25. Self help groups of 10-15 women will be formed in their imme diate neighborhood. Each 25 to 30 groups will be federated so as to organize Sel f Help Groups into a bigger forum to provide financial and other support. For the purpose, 17 crore rupees have been allocated by the Union Ministry of Ru ral Development for J&K for the current Year. To start with four resource blocks in the State have been selected, two each in Kashmir and Jammu divisions. // WB govt.to start pre-primary education in all schools

Dec 17 The West Bengal Government is due to start pre-primary education in all Governme nt and Government-aided Schools. Talking to newspersons in Kolkata today, the St ate Education Minister Mr. Bratya Basu said that, additional class rooms for pre -primary teachings and appointment of pre-primary teachers are to be undertaken soon. He said that, the admission of students in these sections will be through lotteries. The education minister said that although admissions to the primary s tage is going to be at 6 plus age of students, those who pass pre-primary before 6 syears of age will not be debared from admition to class one. // 14 killed in road accident in MP

Dec 17

In Madhya Pradesh, 14 persons were killed and 10 others injured in a road accide nt near Sarla Nagar cement factory in Maihar Tehsil of Satna district today. The condition of three injured is stated to be critical. All inujured have been admitted to hospital in Maihar for treatment. // Army launches helpline for ex-servicemen

Dec 17 In an endeavor to reach out to ex-servicemen, the Army's Central command has lau nched a 24x7 helpline for all retired personnel from the states of Uttar Pradesh , Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Chhattishgarh, Odisha and Jharkhand. AIR correspondent reports that the helpline was inaugurated by the Chief of Cent ral Command, Lt. Gen. Anil Chait on Saturday. It has two toll free numbers 1800-180-5666 and 1800-180-5444 on which ex-service men can call and inquire about welfare schemes and pensions, among others, and a lso register their grievances and complaints. // Opposition demand debate on CAG report in Orissa Assembly Dec 17 Opposition Congress and BJP today demanded a special debate in Odisha Assembly o n the different irregularities detected by CAG in its report on general and soci al sector for the year ended March 2012. The issue was raised in the assembly by leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh of Congress during the zero hour. However, Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat said CAG report will be discussed in the Publ ic Accounts Committee. // Belarusian interest in promoting Haryana s Minsk Motor Dec 17 Belarus has evinced keen interest in setting up an engine assembly and manufactu re unit of Minsk Motor in Haryana. Chief Minister Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda HAS o ffered to provide land for the same in the State. Minsk Motor is the largest Bel arusian Company and leading manufacturer of modern diesel engines. Giving this i nformation, a government spokesman said that the state government offered full s upport to Belarus for setting up of this unit in Haryana. // Centre starts consultation with RBI to deal chit fund menace Dec 17 The Centre has started consultation with Reserve Bank of India to deal with the problems of illegal chit fund. Addressing a function in Kolkata on Sunday, Corporate Affairs Minister Sachin Pi

lot said that the Centre is drafting suitable measure in consultation with RBI t o protect small investors from such multi-level marketing agencies which are tak ing advantage of the loopholes in law to misuse public money. Mr. Pilot said once the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) gets statutory recognition after the company bill is passed, it will help to take up such mena ce of illegal chit fund effectively. // Oil prices up in Asia

Dec 17 Oil was up in Asia today on trader expectations of a hike in Chinese crude deman d after a key survey showed its manufacturing activity hitting a 14-month high i n December. New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in January rose 23 cent s to 86.98 dollars a barrel and Brent North Sea crude for February delivery adva nced five cents to 108.23 dollars. // Saina top-seeded in Syed Modi Indian Grand Prix Badminton

Dec 17 Olympic bronze-medallist Saina Nehwal has been given the top billing in women's singles, while flamboyant former world champion Taufik Hidayat leads the men's l ine-up for the USD 120,000 Syed Modi International India Grand Prix Gold Badmint on Championship starting in Lucknow on Tuesday. In men's singles, Olympics quarter-finalist P Kashyap is the top Indian, seeded second in the field. The other star attractions for the six-day Championship are 2010 CWG women's doubles gold-medallist Ashwini Ponnappa, London Olympics quart er-finalist Parupalli Kashyap and other leading names such as Ajay Jayram and Sa urabh Verma. India's teen sensation PV Sindhu will also feature in the in the women's section . Overall, 150 top shuttlers from 12 countries, including hosts India, will clash for the top honours in singles, doubles and mixed doubles categories, being orga nised by the UP Badminton Association under the auspices of the Badminton Associ ation of India (BAI). // Second ASEAN-India car rally flagged down at Guwahati

Dec 17 After covering around 8000km across nine countries, the second edition of ASEANIndia car rally was officially flagged down with a glittering function at Guwaha ti today. Organised by CII and the Ministry of External Affairs, the 22-day rally was flag ged off from Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

In the 21 days, the 124 participants passed through Singapore, Malaysia, Thailan d, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar before ending the epic journey Guwahati. The official flag down program started with a cultural dance performance showcas ing the region's history. There was also a daredevil performance by panthers on wheels, which enthralled t he packed crowd at the stadium. The Assam CM Tarun Gogoi said this rally will promote not only friendship, goodw ill but also business and trade. He thanked CII, Prime Minister and Commerce and External Affairs Ministers and everybody for taking interest and making it a su ccess. // Gurbani regains All India Ladies Golf title

Dec 16 Rising golfer Gurbani Singh has regained the Usha All India Ladies Matchplay tit le after a gap of three years. Sixteen-year old Gurbani outplayed Gursimar Badwa l in the final of the National Championships in Kolkata today. The contest was t o be played over 36 holes, but ended in just 27. Gurbani emerged a victor by 10 & 9. By winning the title, Gurbani underlined her status as the top amateur in the co untry. Three years back, she had become the youngest to win the All India Ladies title for the first time. The Trophy for the Championships, which was being held for the 96th time, was gi ven away by Indian women's boxing legend and Olympic bronze-medallist M C Mary K om. // Discussion on Constitution 117th Amendment Bill in Rajya Sabha The discussion on Constitution 117th Amendment bill 2012 has begun in the Rajya Sabha. The Bill was introduced in Rajya Sabha on 5th September this year by mini ster of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions V Narayansamy. The B ill provides reservation in promotion for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in government jobs. In April this year the Supreme Court struck down the U P Gov ernment Seniority Rules which provides for reservations in promotions. After com pleting discussion, the voting will take place later in the evening. // Govt to set up long-range missile testing centre The Government is planning to set up a long-range missile testing centre in the country. Defence Minister A K Antony told this to the Lok Sabha today in a writt en reply. He also said 56 twin engine light utility helicopters are being procur ed by the Navy. Stating that tenders have been called for procuring the same, he said these heli copters will replace the Chetak and Medium Range Torpedo Carrying Helicopters. H e ruled out any proposal to upgrade Sukhoi-30 aircrafts at present. // Electronic Voting system to be more transparent: Govt The government has said that the Election Commission is working out a plan for m aking the Electronic Voting system more transparent.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha the Law and Justice Minister Dr Ashwani Ku mar said that Election Commission has asked Electronic Voting Machines, EVM manu facturers to develop a voter verifiable paper audit trail in EVMs in the interes t of greater transparency. On its implementation, he said it is not possible to give any time limit. // Terrorism affects relationship between India and Pakistan: Shinde The government today said that terrorism is affecting all aspects of the relatio nship between India and Pakistan. Making a statement in both the Houses of Parliament on the Pakistan Interior min ister Rehman Malik's visit to India from 14th to 16th of this month, Home minist er Sushil Kumar Shinde said the need for bringing guilty of the Mumbai terror at tack to justice was emphasised. Mr Shinde said both the countries have agreed to enhance people to people contac ts and confidence building measures to proceed in an atmosphere free of terroris m and violence. The Home minister said an Indian delegation will visit Pakistan in this week to settle the revised terms of agreement to facilitate an early visit of the Judici al Commission from Pakistan. Mr Shinde said the visiting Pakistani minister was informed about the concerted attempts by terrorists to infiltrate across the Lin e of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. Mr Shinde also informed that a National Investigation Agency team along with off icials from home ministry will visit Pakistan in January 2013 to operationalise the task force on counterfeiting and drugs trafficking. The Home minister also informed that the home secretaries would endeavour to mee t in the first quarter of 2013 to review progress. Mr Shinde said bringing fugit ives of the Mumbai bomb blasts of 1993 to justice and fake currency notes also f igured during the discussion. Earlier, raising the issue in the Rajya Sabha, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad sa id Pakistan interior minister Rehman Malik's statement about internal issues of the country is unprovoked and unwarranted. // Govt lowers growth projection for current fiscal to 5.7% The Government today expressed confidence that the economy will improve with an overall growth rate of GDP to around 5.7 to 5.9 percent in the current financial year. In its Mid-Year Economic Analysis for 2012-13 tabled by Minister of State for Fi nance Namo Narain Meena in the Lok Sabha, the government said the growth rate in the second half of the current fiscal would be close to around six percent. However, to achieve this both fiscal and monetary policies would have to sustain investor confidence. The Report said that there has been a positive upturn in t he business expectation index in the third quarter. A visible buoyancy in capital markets and a resurgent growth in the manufacturin g sector suggest that the economy is poised for an acceleration in growth in the

second half of 2012-13. The core sectors of industry recorded a growth of 6.5 percent in October this ye ar compared to an average growth of 3.2 percent in the first half of this fiscal . Agriculture is also expected to improve because of better prospects of Rabi cr ops. The assessment indicates that fiscal deficit would be contained to 5.3 percent o f the GDP as against 5.1 percent indicated at the Budget stage. Inflation is expected to be moderate between six and seven percent. The Analysis expects the trade deficit in the current fiscal to be lower than what it was in 2011-12. The Analysis concludes that it should be possible for the economy to improve to around six percent during 2012-13. // Economy to improve with GDP growth rate 5.7 to 5.9% this fiscal: Govt confident The Government today expressed confidence that the economy will improve with an overall growth rate of GDP to around 5.7 to 5.9 percent in the current financial year. In its Mid-Year Economic Analysis for 2012-13 tabled by Minister of State for Fi nance Namo Narain Meena in the Lok Sabha, the government said the growth rate in the second half of the current fiscal would be close to around six percent. However, to achieve this both fiscal and monetary policies would have to sustain investor confidence. The Report said that there has been a positive upturn in t he business expectation index in the third quarter. A visible buoyancy in capital markets and a resurgent growth in the manufacturin g sector suggest that the economy is poised for an acceleration in growth in the second half of 2012-13. The core sectors of industry recorded a growth of 6.5 percent in October this ye ar compared to an average growth of 3.2 percent in the first half of this fiscal . Agriculture is also expected to improve because of better prospects of Rabi cr ops. The assessment indicates that fiscal deficit would be contained to 5.3 percent o f the GDP as against 5.1 percent indicated at the Budget stage. Inflation is expected to be moderate between six and seven percent. The Analysis expects the trade deficit in the current fiscal to be lower than what it was in 2011-12. The Analysis concludes that it should be possible for the economy to improve to around six percent during 2012-13. // MP govt shifts 94 villages from National Parks areas and sanctuaries The Madhya Pradesh Government has shifted 94 villages so far from areas of Natio nal Parks and sanctuaries in the state. The state has ten notified national parks and 25 sanctuaries including Kanha, Pe nch, Bandhavgarh, Satpura, Panna and Sanjay Tiger Reserve. Madhya Pradesh Forest Minister Sartaj Singh said, there were a total of 821 villages at the time of i ssuance of notification.

Following resettlement of these villages, 192 out of the remaining 730 villages will be preserved as enclaves, while 426 villages will be shifted after re-fixat ion of boundaries of protected areas. // GMR seeks $ 800 mn compensation from Maldives for terminating airport deal Indian Infrastructure company GMR has sought a compensation of over 800 million dollars from Maldives for the termination of its airport deal, but Male is insis ting on a forensic audit as it feels that the actual amount will be less than ha lf. GMR (Airports) CFO Siddhartha Kapur said that the company has sent a letter to t he Maldivian government in this regard. He said this is our initial estimate and the final figure will be based upon various calculations and loss of profit amo ng others. Asked if GMR is open to a forensic audit, Mr. Kapur said the concession agreemen t signed with Maldives government does not have the clause of forensic audit. He , however, said that the company does not have any objection to an audit but it has to come through proper legal process. The 500 million dollar Airport contract awarded to GMR for modernising and opera ting Male Airport was unilaterally terminated by the incumbent Maldivian governm ent on the 27th of last month. // Govt launches Census Info India Software Government has launched Census Info India Software in New Delhi. The specially d eveloped software is an innovative and flexible database technology used for the dissemination of population and housing Census results. It was launched by Registrar General and Census Commissioner, C. Chandramouli to day. The software has been developed by the United Nations Statistics Division, in pa rtnership with UNICEF and UNFPA, to help countries disseminate their census resu lts at any relevant geographical level. This powerful data dissemination tool will not only reduce the burden of statist ical drudgery, but also make using census data an enjoyable experience. // Indian Army chief to visit Sri Lanka Chief of the Army Staff General Bikram Singh and a delegation of senior Indian A rmy officials will visit Sri Lanka from Wednesday. Army Chief is scheduled to meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Secretary Defence, Chief of Defence Staff and three forces Commanders and will hold talks on wide r anging issues of mutual interest. He will visit Security Force Headquarters Vavunia and the Ex Combatants' Rehabil itation Centre at Poonthottam which will be followed by a visit to Anuradhapura heritage sites. He will donate a collection of books to the Sri Lanka Military Academy library a nd witness the final research presentation conducted by the passing out batch of Officer Cadets on the 21st evening.

He will be the Chief Guest at the Sri Lanka Military Academy Commissioning Parad e of 157 Officer Cadets, which includes 18 female cadets, on 22nd December. // Australia to boost intelligence sharing with Sri Lanka to stop boat-people Australia has announced plans to boost intelligence sharing with Sri Lanka to tr y to check the illegal asylum seekers. Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr, who is in Colombo for a three-day visit, said there is an urgent need to defeat the smugglers who are getting rich by fooling the people into undertaking hazardous journeys on unsafe boats. In a statement, Carr said the plan included increased maritime cooperation, inte lligence sharing and reducing incentives for smuggling ventures. He said more than 16,770 boat-people have arrived in Australia in 2012, with Sri Lankans making up the biggest group, accounting for more than 6,360. Since Augu st this year, Australia has sent home hundreds of asylum seekers. Sri Lanka says it prevented nearly 3,000 people from illegally journeying by boat to Australia this year. Senator Carr is in Colombo for the inaugural meeting of Joint Working Group on P eople Smuggling and Transnational Crime, chaired by Sri Lanka's Defence Secretar y Gotabaya Rajapaksa // Female foeticide case: Maha govt to approach CJ of Bombay HC In a bid to bring down the pendency of cases pertaining to female foeticide, Mah arashtra Government will soon approach the chief justice of Bombay High Court se eking his direction to lower courts for speedy disposal of such cases. The issue of pending female foeticide cases came to the fore in a meeting held r ecently by Public Health Minister Suresh Shetty. The state government will request the chief justice of the Bombay high court to give directions to the lower courts to expedite the process to disposing of the pending cases of female foeticide. It was also decided in the meeting that those lawyers who have fought and won th e female foeticide cases should be honoured by the government by appointing them as assistant public prosecutors. // Libya orders temporary closure of southern borders Libya's Parliament has ordered the temporary closure of southern borders and dec lared seven southern regions restricted military areas. A Parliament spokesman, Omar Humidan, said the move is aimed at stemming the flow of illegal immigrants and goods. There is no indication of how long borders with Chad, Niger, Sudan and Algeria w ill remain shut. Libya's southern regions have struggled with lawlessness since former leader Muammar Gaddafi was toppled last year. One Member of Parliament, Suad Ganur, said the situation has deteriorated recent ly because of possible international military action against Islamist militants in northern Mali. She also told reporters that there had been an upsurge in violence and drug traf ficking, and the presence of armed groups that act with complete impunity. The move comes after the European Union proposed to help train Libyans to secure

their southern borders and prevent the trafficking of arms from the country. The Parliamentary decree said the southern regions of Ghadames, Ghat, Obari, AlShati, Sebha, Murzuq and Kufra will be considered as closed military zones to be ruled under emergency law. // Tax row: French actor Depardieu to give up passport French actor Gerard Depardieu says he is handing back his French passport after the Prime Minister criticised him for moving to Belgium to avoid taxes. In a let ter to a newspaper he lambasted the French government for punishing success, cre ation and talent. Last week the 63-year-old actor announced he was moving to the small Belgian tow n of Nechin just over the French border. French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault described the decision as shabby. Next year, the top rate of income tax in France is due to become 75 per cent on earnings above one million euros. It is currently 50 per cent in Belgium. Depardieu accused the government of Socialist President Francois Hollande of dri ving France's most talented figures out of the country. He said during his long career he had paid 145 million euros to the French taxman. The Prime Minister had suggested that Depardieu's move to the town of Nechin, ju st over the border from the French city of Lille, was unpatriotic at a time of c utbacks. // MGNREGA irregularities: UP govt take action against officials involved Uttar Pradesh government has taken action against officials involved in irregula rities in Mahatma Gandhi NREGA. In an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, the state government said it has registered FIRs against 13 Class-III employee in Sonebhadra district, while dep artmental action has been initiated against 82 employees. Investigations have also been initiated against 44 other employees of the depart ment. // World Series Boxing: Afghanistan wins 2 bronze medals Afghanistan has won two bronze medals in the World Series Boxing tournament in K azakhstan yesterday. Afghan boxer Rezaye reached quarter finals of the tournamen t defeating his Chinese and Kazakh rivals in the qualifying rounds before he was defeated by another Kazakh boxer. In women s category Afghan female boxer Sadaf R ahimi received an honorary bronze medal for her performance in the tournament. //