Sagar National Travels

Shahabuddin PM hopeful may be arrested Although, Makhdoom Shahabuddin has been short-listed as one of the candidates for the prime minister’s slot after the disqualification of Yusuf Raza Gilani, he can be arrested anytime by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) in connection with the ephedrine case. “His arrest is a matter of time. He can be taken into custody anytime,” said a well-placed ANF official privy to the investigation into the drug case that made headlines after the alleged involvement of the son of outgoing PM, Ali Musa Gilani. A Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, had already directed the ANF to arrest Shahabuddin, who had approved the ephedrine quota. Shahabuddin is being considered for the slot together with Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar and Syed Khursheed Shah, with majority betting on him as he belongs to south Punjab. An ANF official said the investigators had undeniable evidence of Shahabuddin’s inv...

Maharashtra secretariat in blaze Anil Joshi, under secretary  in Secretariat general administration department  works on the 7th floor, was informed of the fire on his cell phone. He reports that  more than 95 per cent of the employees have been evacuated, but saw a  number of people stranded on the 4th, 5th and 6th floor of the building. Joshi said he and other employees of his department ran down the stairs to safety, but faced breathing problems as they ran down the staircase because of the thick smoke. Mantralaya engulfed with fire at 1.50 PM that spreads to CM's cabin media reports confirms that the fire broke out at NCP minister Babanrao Pachpute's office. Eight  fire tender  have rushed to the spot and battling the blaze  so far, there are no reports of any casualties. Maharashtra Chief Secretary has ordered immediate evacuation of the entire building. Pachpute said the fire has spread to the Chief Minister's o...

Dear Naresh, Ask Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa to grant Julian Assange's request for asylum. Take Action WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has requested political asylum from Ecuador. [1] British courts recently rejected Assange’s appeal against extradition to Sweden. Assange has good reason to fear extradition to Sweden: many believe it likely that Sweden would extradite Assange to the United States to face charges under the Espionage Act of 1917 for his role in publishing leaked U.S. diplomatic cables, charges that could carry the death penalty. The treatment of Bradley Manning, the U.S. soldier accused of providing U.S. diplomatic cables to WikiLeaks, suggests the treatment that Assange might expect in U.S. government custody. Manning has been subjected to repeated and prolonged solitary confinement, harassment by guards, and humiliation such as being forced to strip naked and stand at attention outside his cell. If the U.S. government succ...

FICCI HEAL 2012, “Universal Healthcare: Dream or Reality?” August 27 - 29, 2012; FICCI, New Delhi   I am pleased to inform you that Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) is organizing 6 th FICCI HEAL , its annual Healthcare Conference on August 27 - 29, 2012 at FICCI, New Delhi. The central theme of the Conference is “ Universal Healthcare: Dream or Reality? ”. The main features of the event are Conference, Master Classes, B2Bs and Poster Presentation.   India aims towards achieving universal health care by 2020. In spite of the increased public spending proposed in the 12th Plan, private out-of-pocket expenditures on health will remain high as compared to other countries in the world. Global experience shows that universal health care is affordable and feasible provided there is sustained public finance. The government has proposed to provide universal health care in the 12th Plan by taking steps to provide free gener...

Clinton to meet Lavrov to discuss Syria crisis By sagarmedia   US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov next week in an effort to gain Russia’s cooperation in ending the Syrian crisis.State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said in a statement on Wednesday that Clinton will meet Lavrov in St. Petersburg, Russia, next Thursday. The announcement came after US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin failed to narrow their differences on Syria in their meeting on Monday in Mexico. They met on the sidelines of the Group of 20 Summit. The United States is seeking an early resignation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Russia insists on non-interference in Syria’s domestic affairs. Escalating violence in Syria has forced UN observers in the nation to suspend their activities.Clinton is expected to ask once again for Russian cooperation for the removal of Assad. Twenty-e...

China curbs on exports of rare earth By sagarmedia   China has defended  its export curbs on rare earths saying its just preservation. China says it is limiting its exports of rare earths for the just reason of protecting resources.The Chinese government issued on Wednesday a report about its rare earths policy.It says that China, which is home to 23 percent of the world’s known rare earth deposits, accounted for 90 percent of global output last year. The report says China has made a great contribution to the world’s economic development and has met international demand.The report says growing global demand for rare earths has led to environmental destruction in China and supplies are being exhausted in some regions. Referring to Japanese and US criticism that restriction on their exports is pushing up rare earth prices, the report defends China’s restrictions as justifiable protection of resources. China says it opposes politici...