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India, China improve bilateral relations and co-operation
Report dated 21/05/2013 @ 2:46 PM

After delegation-level talks between PM Manmohan SIngh and his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang, agreements were signed to improve bilateral relations and enhance trade with three working groups under the Joint Economic Group, namely, Services Trade Promotion working Group, Economic and Trade Planning Cooperation Group and Trade Statistical Analysis Group. The two countries have set a target of $100 billion for bilateral trade by 2015. China also agreed to make improvements to the existing facilities for Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims and the Yatra will be conducted every year from May to September. India is expecting more exports from China and an MoU is to facilitate access to the China market in pharmaceuticals. A number of other agreements were on the agenda that proposes concrete deliverables to constitute and define the detailed mandate of the Working Groups.
Supreme Court: Two finger test violates rape victim's privacy
Report dated 20/05/2013 @ 2:13 PM

Supreme Court asks government to provide better medical procedures to confirm sexual assault as the two-finger test on a rape victim violates her right to privacy. The Bench said even if the report of the two-finger test that entails inspection of the female hymen, is affirmative, it cannot presume the consent on the part of a rape victim, and violates the right of rape survivors to privacy, physical and mental integrity and dignity. Bearing in mind the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 1966 and the UN Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power 1985, the Court said rape survivors are entitled to legal recourse that does not re-traumatise them, and are entitled to medical procedured conducted in a manner that respects their right to consent.
Indian students win $60,000 prize at Dell Social Innovation Challenge
Report dated 20/05/2013 @ 2:05 PM

Shital Somani and Vaibhav Tidke from Mumbai have won the grand prize of $60,000 at the Dell Social Innovation Challenge (DSIC 2013) for their Solar Conduction Dryer project. The team of two's project was shortlisted from over 2600 project concepts that addressed issues impacting over 110 countries. Five finalists convened in Austin to compete for the cash prize. Somani and Tidke's project aims at addressing the 30 percent food spoilage rate for poor rural Indian farmers via cost-effective dehydrators powered by solar conduction. The innovation will allow farmers to preserve more of their crops and sell dehydrated fruits and vegetables as another income source.
Three burn to death after lover sets girl's family on fire
Report dated 18/05/2013 @ 12:46 PM

A girl age 20, along with her sister and grandmother were burned to death after her jilted lover Lakhwinder set her six member family on fire in Ferozepur district. Police said the girl's father received 50% while the mother and brother age 10 received 20% burns. The girl had recently ended her relationship with Lakhwinder who set the family on fire while they were sleeping, after dousing them with petrol with the help of at least three accomplices. Their neighbours rushed to rescue them when they heard the screams but by then the two girls and grandmother had died. Sources say Lakhwinder had been stalking the girl after she turned down his marriage proposal and a dispute had erupted between the two families over the issue. The fact that the girl was engaged to another man infuriated Lakhwinder who then carried out his gruesome immolation of the family. Police say the exact reason behind the incident will be known only after the accused is arrested.
How the IPL soft fixing racket was busted
Report dated 18/05/2013 @ 12:32 PM

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested a person circulating fake currency notes in Delhi, and during interrogation they found out that the fake notes were being circulated to bookies in Delhi. The NIA shared this information with the Intelligence Bureau who then began monitoring phone calls of various top bookies in Delhi and discovered they were receiving huge amounts of counterfeit currency from across the border. The currency trail led to Pakistani bookies including Dr UBL, Javed Bhai, Sharif Bhai and Rehmatulla as well as Master Salman who paid their bets to Indian bookies using the fake currency that was printed in Pakistan and transported to India via Nepal, Bangladesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat. These notes were then distributed among punters and bookmakers across India and the bookies paid off their bets with some 21% of fake notes in the payout cash. Bookies were also discovered to have had conversations with cricketers and spot-fixers in the IPL. The information was passed on to Delhi police who began their probe into the spot fixing scandal.

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