Arjun Singh takes clubhouse lead on rain-marred opening day
4022015
Panchkula, Haryana, February 3, 2015: Delhi’s Arjun Singh took the clubhouse lead on the rain-marred opening day of the PGTI Players Championship presented by Panchkula Golf Club. Arjun was the only one to break par on Tuesday as he shot a one-under-68. The seven players tied for second at even-par-69 were the Panchkula-based duo of brothers Ranjit Singh and Randhir Singh Ghotra, Noida-based professionals Amardip Sinh Malik and Rahul Bajaj, Delhi’s Dinesh Kumar and Naman Dawar and Gurgaon-based Arshdeep Tiwana.
There was a two-hour forty-five minute rain-delay on the opening day and play began at 10 am local time. As a result of the delayed start, only 60 out of 120 players could complete round one on Tuesday. The remaining 60 players will complete their first round on Wednesday morning. The second round of the season-opener will commence on Wednesday after the completion of round one.
The overnight rain caused the tees to be pushed forward on the par-4 sixth and par-5 12th holes. Both these holes were played as par-3s in round one. The par for the course was thus reduced from 72 to 69 for the first two rounds.
Arjun Singh, a former winner on the PGTI, dropped a shot early on in his round as he missed an up and down from the bunker on the fourth. The seasoned Arjun, however, came back well with a two-under on the back-nine. The professional from the Delhi Golf Club made a good chip-putt for birdie on the 11th and landed it within six inches from a distance of 40 yards to set up birdie on the 16th.
Arjun said, “I think it’s a great start considering how tough the conditions were today. In windy conditions one needs to take advantage of the holes where the wind is assisting you. I managed to do that today and took one shot at a time. I also focused well on the holes where I was playing into the wind. Some of those holes were playing really long but I drove well and kept the ball on the fairways.”
He added, “I didn’t have a good season last year as I returned to competitive golf after a three-year gap. I didn’t play for three years due to my shoulder surgery and a lack of motivation to get back to the game. So the year 2014 was almost like a rookie season for me. But today’s round has provided me a good start to the season.”
As the strong winds took their toll on the field, brothers Ranjit Singh and Randhir Singh Ghotra shot identical scores of 69 at their home course to lie joint second. While Ranjit made three birdies and three bogeys, his younger brother Randhir shot three birdies, a bogey and a double-bogey on day one. Randhir came close to making a hole-in-one on the sixth as his tee shot stopped inches from the flag.
Dinesh Kumar, who also fired a 69, had the distinction of bagging back-to-back eagles on his first two holes of the tournament, both par-4s. Dinesh holed his second shot from 145 yards on the 10th and followed that up with a chip-in from 15 feet on the 11th. He had two more birdies and six bogeys in his round.
The other four players in tied second were Naman Dawar, who also had an eagle on day one, Amardip Sinh Malik, Arshdeep Tiwana and Rahul Bajaj.
Day 1 leaderboard (only 60 players out of 120 completed round 1):
68: Arjun Singh
69: Amardip Sinh Malik, Arshdeep Tiwana, Dinesh Kumar, Randhir Singh Ghotra, Ranjit Singh, Naman Dawar, Rahul Bajaj
Comments : Leave a Comment »
Categories : sports
Release of Al-Jazeera journalist in Egypt ‘imminent’ – Canadian FM
4022015
The release of Al-Jazeera journalist Mohamed Fahmy from a prison in Egypt is “imminent,” AP quoted Canada’s foreign minister as saying. Fahmy, a dual Egyptian-Canadian citizen, has relinquished his Egyptian citizenship as prerequisite to his deportation. Foreign Minister John Baird spoke to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. on Monday, a day after Al-Jazeera journalist Peter Greste of Australia was released after more than a year in prison. No specific time frame for Fahmy’s release was given. Greste, Fahmy and Egyptian Baher Mohammed were arrested in December 2013 and later convicted over the coverage of the violent crackdown on Islamist protests.
Comments : Leave a Comment »
Categories : Business
Taiwanese plane crashes in river
4022015
TransAsia’s French-made ATR 72 a Taiwanese passenger flight crashed shallow Keelung River just a couple dozen meters (yards) from the shore near the city’s downtown Sungshan airport killing dozen people as per latest reports.
TransAsia Airways flight a Taiwanese flight with 58 people aboard clipped a bridge shortly after takeoff and careened into a river Wednesday in the island’s capital of Tapei, killing at least two people, officials said.
Parts of the wrecked fuselage of the turboprop ATR 72 jutted out of the shallow Keelung River just a couple dozen meters (yards) from the shore near the city’s downtown Sungshan airport.Rescuers clustered around the plane in rubber boats.
Aviation authority director Lin Chi-ming told a news conference that two people were killed aboard the TransAsia Airways flight. The country’s Central News Agency later said three people had died, and that they were among passengers taken to a hospital. There was no immediate word given on the fate of the remaining people aboard.
CNA said the flight from Taipei to the outlying island of Kinmen lost contact with flight controllers at 10:55 a.m. and the fuselage landed in the Keelung River near the city’s downtown Sungshan airport.
It was the second of TransAsia’s French-made ATR 72 to crash in the past year. Last July, a flight crashed while attempting to land on the island of Penghu off Taiwan’s coast, killing 48 people and injuring another 10. Stormy weather and low visibility were suspected as factors in that crash. Media agencies
Comments : Leave a Comment »
Categories : Transport
India’s nuclear power sector to be opened to US firms ‘within year’
4022015
A “breakthrough understanding” to open India’s nuclear power sector to US companies could be finalized this year, Reuters said, citing Indian officials. The January 25 announcement by President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi followed six weeks of intensive talks. India wants to nearly treble its installed nuclear capacity, but significant work remains on the deal aimed at unlocking projects worth tens of billions of dollars. The agreement’s framework is based on India’s acceptance of the principle that plant operators should bear primary liability in the event of a nuclear disaster.
Comments : Leave a Comment »
Categories : Business
Greek defense minister to visit Moscow
4022015
Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos said Tuesday he had been invited to Moscow to meet his Russian counterpart, Sergey Shoigu, in the near future, Reuters reported. Kammenos is the leader of the right-wing junior coalition partner in Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ new government. The Greek minister had discussed strategic cooperation with the Russian ambassador and had received an invitation to Moscow. Kammenos had also met the US ambassador to Greece to discuss issues including training and procurement, saying that Greece would continue cooperation within NATO.
Comments : Leave a Comment »
Categories : Business
Condemn the politics of Fundamentalism and Hate!
4022015
NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF PEOPLE’S MOVEMENTS
Condemn the politics of Fundamentalism and Hate!
Stop Suppression of Freedom of Speech and Expression!!
3rd February 2015, New Delhi: In the wake of the 2015, India is seeing an upsurge of hate and fundamentalism on one hand and outright suppression of the right to free speech and expression on the other, with vigilante groups and non-state actors imposing censorship through hooliganism and assertive fundamentalist voices, in the name of nationalism with the tacit support of the State.
This republic day, the advertisement by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (DAVP22201/13/0048/1415) portrays an outdated version of the Preamble of the Indian Constitution when the words Socialist and Secular were not inserted by the 42nd Amendment. Some of the fundamentalists have also openly endorsed this error on the part of the Ministry saying that India is not a secular country! On the same day, there was a so called public uproar regarding the issue of Vice President of the Country not saluting in the republic day ceremony when the flag was being hoisted. The public debate and the media attention forced the Vice President to issue an official statement stating that his actions were guided by proper protocol. The irony of situation is that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting have not yet issued any statement with a clarification, at least, or an apology, at best.
This republic day, the advertisement by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (DAVP22201/13/0048/1415) portrays an outdated version of the Preamble of the Indian Constitution when the words Socialist and Secular were not inserted by the 42nd Amendment. Some of the fundamentalists have also openly endorsed this error on the part of the Ministry saying that India is not a secular country! On the same day, there was a so called public uproar regarding the issue of Vice President of the Country not saluting in the republic day ceremony when the flag was being hoisted. The public debate and the media attention forced the Vice President to issue an official statement stating that his actions were guided by proper protocol. The irony of situation is that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting have not yet issued any statement with a clarification, at least, or an apology, at best.
People of the country have also witnessed “the death of the ‘author’ Perumal Murugan” this year, when his book Mathorubhagan was opposed for allegedly portraying the Kailasanathar temple in Tiruchengode and women devotees in bad light and demands of his arrest were made. Not just the author was made to delete all controversial portions and submit written apologies, he was also forced to leave his home town and he has now decided to give up writing altogether.
In Kolkata, on the evening of 31st January, 2015, members of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, resorted to hooliganism and agitation against Bangladesh country and eventually forced the shutting down of the stall by the Department of Tourism of Bangladesh at the ongoing Kolkata International Book Fair. The issue was regarding the sale of a tourist map which showed parts of Kashmir within the boarders of Pakistan. While the map may be an issue to raise questions or even democratically agitate, the way the entire Book Fair was hijacked by this hooliganism was undemocratic. Hate mongering through repeated shouting of slogans such as ‘Bangladesh Murdabad’ was clearly an attempt to shame the very notion of democracy.
National Alliance of Peoples’ Movements strongly condemns the actions in all the events highlighted above and other events where the freedom of speech and expression, as envisaged by the Constitution of India, is being trampled through hooliganism and spreading of fundamentalism and hatred. We would like to bring the attention of the State authorities to these important matters and request them to take necessary actions so that the public space is not disturbed by the overtly hate mongering actions of the fundamentalist groups. We also call upon the citizenry to strongly condemn the actions of those in power who are trying to hijack and force public views and discourses and jeopardize the tolerant and understanding fabric of multi-cultural, geo-political land called India.
Medha Patkar – Narmada Bachao Andolan and the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM); Prafulla Samantara
Comments : Leave a Comment »
Categories : CSR, culture, Education
Xi Jinping Mon: China-India should push ahead cooperation on railways & industrial parks,
3022015
People’s Daily,China
China-India should push ahead cooperation on railways & industrial parks, said Xi Jinping Mon http://en.people.cn/n/2015/0203/c90883-8844838.html …
Comments : Leave a Comment »
Categories : world News
New Italian President Sergio Mattarella guarantee
3022015
New Italian President Sergio Mattarella guaranteed the constitutional foundation and rule of law of his country’s legal system as he was sworn in at the lower chamber.
Mattarella, a former constitutional judge, in his inaugural address defined the role of head of state as a “referee” who has to make the law punctually applied.”The referee must be and will be impartial,” the 73-year-old president stressed.”And players must help him with their honesty,” he added.
Mattarella highlighted the difficult times Italians are facing because of the economic crisis, which caused rampant unemployment especially among young generations.
“The urgency of institutional and economic reforms derives from the duty to give effective answers to the country,” he said.
“Citizens are asking for transparency and coherence in (political) decisions,” Mattarella went on saying, calling on politics to be a “common good” for everyone.
Mattarella, who entered politics in the 1980s after his brother was killed by the Sicilian mafia, particularly stressed the need of “national unity” in combating the organized crime.
Right to education and work, technological advancement, safeguard of cultural heritage, justice rapid response, pluralism of mass media, right to health care and individual freedoms, fight against tax evasion and corruption were among the main topics cited in his inaugural address.
Mattarella also mentioned Italy’s full support to the international community in the fight against global menaces, including terrorism.
He said the European Union (EU) represents a “frontier of hope” and the “perspective of a true political union must be relaunched without hesitation.”
The swearing-in ceremony took place in front of the 1,009 lawmakers and regional representatives who elected Italy’s 12th head of state with 665 votes on Saturday.
Mattarella then saluted the military forces and laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier at Rome’s Altare della Patria (Altar of the Fatherland) monument.
He later went to the Quirinal Palace, the presidential residence, for his installation ceremony in the presence of Italian authorities.
Senate speaker Pietro Grasso, who had the temporary presidency after last month’s resignation of Giorgio Napolitano, formally transferred powers to Mattarella for his seven-year mandate.
Comments
Post a Comment