Daily News Notes

· The second round of talks between ULFA and the Centre began in New Delhi to discuss ceasefire ground rules. Meanwhile, the Assam government has sounded a high alert to check infiltration of Maoists in the state from West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar.
· The Centre has ordered a CBI probe into the murder of Madhya Pradesh RTI activist Shehla Masood in Bhopal.
· The Rajya Sabha secretariat has issued a breach of privilege notice to another team Anna member Prashant Bhushan for using derogatory words against MPs.
· The sex ratio in Kerala where women outnumber men is fast declining almost two percent in 0-6 age group. This phenomenon is taking place for the first time which can lead to negative population growth in Kerala similar to Europe or Japan.
· In Madhya Pradesh, the situation is under control in curfew bound Ujjain city after a clash between two groups last night.
· Vice President Hamid Ansari has said that the youth of the country are an important national resource and their skills must be channelised and harnessed for the nation’s progress. The Scout and Guide Movement has played an important role globally and in India it has helped in the training of youth, building their character and social outlook.
· India will need 345 million tonne of food grains by 2030 but presently it produce 241.56 million tonne of food grains. So far 378 varieties of wheat have been released for cultivation under different agro-climatic conditions.
· A report on Indo- Bangladesh relations states that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s upcoming visit to Dhaka provides an opportunity to take bilateral relations between the two countries to a higher trajectory and move towards a strategic partnership.The report emphasises the need to settle legacy issues and reach an agreement on river water sharing, setting up of a counter-terrorism centre in Dhaka to address border security issues and to explore new areas of cooperation on climate change, science and technology, IT and communication, alongwith focusing on medicine, health, disaster management and calls for strentheging educational ties between the two countries.
· A Chilean air force plane with 21 people on board, has crashed near a remote Juan Fernandez islands.
· In South Korea, the demonstrators have gathered on the island of Jeju to protest at construction of a new naval base despite a court order against obstructing the work. The government says the 970 million dollars development is vital for national security. But residents and activists argue that the base could spark regional tensions and is damaging to the environment.
· The United Nations nuclear energy agency says that Iran is secretly working on a nuclear weapons programme and development of a nuclear payload from a missile.
· Japanese officials say Typhoon Talas has slammed into western Japan, bringing heavy rains and fierce winds.
· The United Nations Children's Fund, Unicef, says that a crucial project to reunite family members separated in the last phase of Sri Lanka's civil war is being expanded.
· The International Monetary Fund has agreed to release another 2.1 billion dollars of the rescue package for Irelandn and said the Irish economy was showing signs of stabilisation, and Ireland had resolutely implemented austerity measures. The IMF Ireland's budget and banking crisis along with those of Greece and Portugal contributed to fears about the stability of the Euro. Spain and Italy have also heavy debt burdens.