NEWS ALERT Saudi Arabias King Abdullah dies, Prince Salman new ruler Good morning India! Obama, Modi plan radio show to reach out to masses Odisha districts on high alert after International Border terror warning Rights Activist Irom Sharmila released from prison SAUDI Saudi Arabias King Abdullah dies, Prince Salman new ruler Saudi Arabias King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, who spent almost a decade on the throne of the worlds largest oil exporter, died on Friday and was replaced by Crown Prince Salman, the royal court said. The late monarchs half brother Moqren was named as the new Crown Prince, according to the statement. With great sadness and mourning His Royal Highness Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, and all members of the family and the nation, express condolences for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, passed away at exactly 1:00am (2200 GMT) this morning, Friday, an announcer said on state television, after a recitation from the Koran. Abdullah will be buried later Friday following afternoon prayers, and citizens would be invited to pledge allegiance to the new monarch and crown prince at the royal palace, the statement said. King Abdullah, believed to be around 90 years old, was hospitalised on December 31 for checks.The royal court announced two days later that he had pneumonia and was breathing with the aid of a tube. Abdullah came to the throne in 2005 but had been a powerful figure in the kingdom for a decade before that after King Fahd suffered a stroke in 1995. In recent years, Abdullahs advanced age and poor health have raised concerns about the future leadership of the largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Abdullahs half-brother Salman, 79, became crown prince in June 2012 following the death of Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz. Salman has been representing the king at most recent public events because of Abdullahs ailing health. In March 2014, King Abdullah named another half-brother, Prince Moqren, as a second crown prince, in an unprecedented move aimed at smoothing succession hurdles. Moqren, a former air force officer born in 1945, is the youngest son of King Abdul Aziz al-Saud, the founder of Saudi Arabia. The throne has systematically passed from one of his sons to another, brothers and half-brothers. But many of Abdul Azizs sons are old or have died. Abdullahs former crown princes Sultan and Nayef died in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Unstained by the profligacy tainting many of the Saudi rulers, Abdullah was hugely popular with his subjects, cherishing the traditional desert life of the Bedouin. He pushed the kingdoms economic development and oversaw its accession to the World Trade Organization, while challenging conservatives with moves such as including women in the Shura Council, an advisory body. NEW DELHI Good morning India! Obama, Modi plan radio show to reach out to masses The leaders of the worlds largest democracies will next week take to Indias radio airwaves, the main source of news and information for many in the country, to get their message out. U.S. President Barack Obama, who will be the chief guest at New Delhis showpiece Republic Day military parade on Jan. 26, will join Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a special edition of the latters radio programme next Tuesday.Listeners have been asked to pre-submit questions by Sunday to the leaders on the programme Mann Ki Baat, or Talking from the Heart. This months Mann Ki Baat episode will be a special one, where our Republic Day guest @BarackObama & I will share our thoughts together, Modi tweeted on Thursday. Modi makes radio speeches at least every month to communicate with two-thirds of Indias 1.2 billion people who regularly listen to the radio. He had talked about a cleanliness drive, tax evasion, and drug abuse among others on his show. Obamas decision to appear on the show during his visit is a sign of the bond the two leaders share.In a unique departure from protocol, Obama accompanied Modi on a motorcade drive from the White House to the memorial honouring slain U.S. civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. during the leaders visit to Washington last year.Modi and Obama also issued a joint editorial before that trip, a first for an Indian leader, according to the Indian media.It is not clear whether Modi will speak in English or in Hindi, as he usually does during his broadcast. Modis radio show is recorded at Race Course Road, the official residence of the Indian prime minister. ODISHA Odisha districts on high alert after International Border terror warning Bhubaneswar, Jan 22 (PTI) Odisha government has put all the districts in the state on high alert today following Intelligence Bureau’s warning of a possible terror attack by Pak-based groups to four states. Odisha Special Secretary, Home, Lalit Das said besides Odisha, Maharastra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have also been alerted by IB. “Odisha’s DGP and Intelligence Director have been informed about the situation. All the districts of the state have been put on high alert. The police have been also told to keep tight vigil on important installations to avoid possible terror attacks,” he said. All the 18 marine police stations have been asked to be extra vigilant, he said, adding, the IB warning said the terror groups are likely to attack before January 28. Director General of Police Sanjeev Marik said all the superintendents of police have been asked to be on high alert. “It may not necessarily be a big attack. But the threat of a small attack is definitely there,” Marik said. He said security personnel have been asked to keep an eye on crowded public places and meeting venues as they are more vulnerable to terror attacks.The recent IB input is being considered significant in view of last year’s report that two dreaded Indian Mujahideen (IM) terrorists had visited Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Puri but the state police did not get any confirmation.Pakistan-based Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) have dispatched four groups to India for carrying out terror attacks in significant areas, sources in the home department said quoting intelligence agencies’ report. Rights Activist Irom Sharmila released from prison Human Rights Activist Irom Chanu Sharmila was released on Thursday evening after a local court rejected her charges of attempt to suicide and ordered her immediate release form custody. The court has also set aside charges against her under sections 309 and 353 of the Indian Penal Code. The women volunteers of Sharmila Kanba Lup (SAKAL) came to receive her from the security ward of Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, however she did not co-operate with them charging they are wild people. After her release in the evening, Sharmila again sat on fast. A team of police officials was being deployed in order to prevent from any untoward incident. Sharmila further said that she would no longer take support from SAKAL or take help from any individuals but she will continue fasting on her own demanding to repeal Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958 from the state. She has been in judicial custody since November 2000, when she started an indefinite fast demanding for the repeal of the AFSPA. Note for Recipients: Advisory is based on analysis of open source information; local environmental conditions should be factored in by recipients to assess holistic impact on business continuity. Thanks and Regards, Operation Team, Manforce Hyderabad. Ph: 040 65656090 24/7 Helpline: 9493 180 180 hyd.manforce@outlook. manforceguarding
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 06:24:42 +0000