Day 1: 40,559 forms sold

New Delhi, May 28 — The admission process for undergraduate courses to Delhi University colleges kicked off on Friday with a whopping 40,559 forms being sold on day one. In comparison, the varsity had sold only 27,610 forms on day one last year.

The Faculty of Arts in the North Campus sold the highest number of forms at 5,400 and Kirori Mal College was next with 4,500. Students thronged the 16 centres across the city to collect the common admission forms for the 54,000 seats .

Some of the counters were opened before the scheduled time due to the long queues. “A lot of students came early to collect the forms, so we opened the counter at Dean Students’ Welfare at 9.20 am even though it was supposed to open at 10 am,” said Gurpreet Singh Tuteja, Deputy Dean, Students’ Welfare.

Though the form sale was officially supposed to end at 1 pm, counters were re-opened after 3 pm. “Students had come from far-off areas and would have to return without the forms, so we decided to re-open,” said Tuteja.

Accompanied by parents, siblings and friends, students collected and some even submitted the forms. The number of forms submitted this year on day one was 1,416 as compared to 800 last year.

“I submitted the form today itself. The form is simple and the DU booklet is also very helpful,” said Jyoti Shokeen, an applicant.

The cool weather too helped in the huge sale of forms. The day temperatures in the Capital reached a maximum of 37.7deg Celsius, which was three degree below normal.

Many out station students and their parents who came to collect their forms seemed worried about the unavailability of hostels till the Commonwealth Games.

Gilani, Nawaz challenge Musharraf to appear in Supreme Court

Islamabad, May 19 (ANI): Joining hands against former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf, both Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif have challenged the former general to appear before the Supreme Court and face trial in numerous cases pending against him.

Sharif, who returned from London after a long stay, had a telephonic conversation with Gilani and assured him that the PML-N would continue to work with the government to strengthen the democracy and institutions in the country.

Both the leaders also agreed to hold a meeting soon to discuss ways to work together to protect democracy, The Daily Times reports.

They also agreed that democracy would not be allowed to be derailed since it was the only way forward to ensure prosperity and welfare of the common man, sources said. (ANI)

China Foxconn worker falls to death, 7th this year

A worker was killed after falling from a Foxconn dormitory in southern China, the seventh employee to die this year after falling from buildings at the world’s top contract maker of cellphones, state media reported on Saturday.

Foxconn, whose clients include Apple and Sony Ericsson, has faced criticism over the welfare of its employees after the spate of apparent suicides.

Police were investigating whether the latest death was suicide, the official Xinhua news agency said. A total of nine Foxconn workers have plunged from buildings in 2010, it said, adding that two of them did not die.

The Taiwanese firm has a sprawling factory base in Shenzhen, near Hong Kong, where an estimated 300,000 workers churn out products for the world’s leading computer and phone companies in round-the-clock shifts.

(Editing by Paul Tait)

Justin Bieber recording next album in NYC

New York, May 7 (ANI): Teen idol Justin Bieber is set to record his next album in New York.

Bieber”s record label, Universal, has filed papers in Manhattan Supreme Court, seeking a judge”s permission to get its latest contract with the singer approved.

The 16-year-old signed the two-record deal in December and is getting a 400,000-dollar advance on the first CD, reports the New York Post.

The documents say that Bieber is “providing his services as a recording artist in recording studios located in New York City.”

In the papers, the records label also tells the judge not to worry — “the foregoing services rendered by the minor shall not, however, require excessive time as to interfere with the minor”s education and welfare.” (ANI)

Following attacks on Indians, Victoria Premier promises to boost police numbers

Melbourne, Apr.28 (ANI): In the wake of reports of attacks on members of the Indian community here and in other parts of Victoria, Premier John Brumby has promised to boost police numbers by almost 2000 officers during the next five years.

According to The Age, Brumby today promised an extra 1966 police, trumping the opposition”s election pledge of 1600.

The 561 million dollar boost will fund the recruitment of 1700 new frontline police.

Brumby also said that his government will also recruit 200 white collar workers to replace trained police currently performing office duties who will be redeployed.

“This is a historic investment in police numbers. This is designed to keep our streets safe, this is designed to drive down crime,” The Age quoted Brumby, as saying.

He also revealed that an additional 66 police will be redeployed from telephone answering dispatch services to frontline roles.

The extra police boost is a pre-election budget announcement.

Brumby said 604 of the new police would be delivered in the first year of the five-year program.

In February this year, Brumby had said that no violence would be tolerated against any community in the state, including the Indian community.

“As a father, having had a child living and studying overseas, I know what it is like to worry about your child. Are they safe? Are they happy? I also understand those parents place their trust in the jurisdiction their child has chosen to live in to do all it can to look after the welfare of their child. I take the trust placed in us by Indian parents seriously and I am determined to do everything possible to repay it,” Brumby had said then.

He said that people from around the world have shaped the state of Victoria.

“We come from more than 200 countries, speak more than 230 languages and dialects and follow more than 120 faiths. Today, Victoria””s 150,000- strong Indian community is a vital part of multicultural Victoria,” he said.

Brumby said assaults on Indian students in Melbourne were a cause of great concern to him.

“There have been some disturbing incidents, and some of these incidents have had racist elements. Such racism begins and ends with a small number of bigoted, narrow-minded idiots. It is not part of our state, as evidenced by the thousands of Victorians who marched through city streets at the Harmony Walk last year. We have worked hard to bring down the crime rate, and Victoria is Australia””s safest state,” Brumby had said then.

He said that the Victorian Police force was being provided with additional powers to search for weapons, move people on from trouble spots and fine people on the spot for disorderly conduct.

He revealed that the state’s sentencing laws have been amended so that judges can take into account hatred for, or prejudice against, a particular group when sentencing offenders.

The Police Indian Western Reference Group has been established to identify, implement and monitor strategies to engage police and Indian communities to reduce the risk of crime,” he said.

“Any attack in our community is an attack upon us all. An attack motivated by race or prejudice is particularly disgraceful,” he said then. (ANI)

Lahore High Court quashes petition against Shaoib Malik for overspending on marriage

Lahore, Apr.28 (ANI): The Lahore High Court (LHC) has quashed a petition seeking action against cricketer Shoaib Malik and his newly wedded wife Indian tennis star Sania Mirza for overspending on their marriage ceremony.

In his petition, Sheikh Hasan Sheraz had urged the court to take action against the star couple for spending millions of rupees on their widely reported marriage.

The petition also raised questions over gifting a gold crown to Sania by federal minister for population and welfare Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan.

However, the court did not agree to the arguments, observing that the gold crown was given in Hyderabad, India, which was not under its jurisdiction.

The court also observed that there was no proof that the couple had spent five million rupees on the marriage ceremony. (ANI)

Larry King seeks 8th divorce

US television personality Larry King and his seventh wife have both filed for divorce to end their 13-year marriage.

King’s spokesman Howard Rubenstein says the 76-year-old CNN broadcaster has filed for divorce from Shawn Southwick, 50, with whom he has two children.

“His major concern is the welfare of his children and beyond that he’ll have no further comment about the divorce,” Mr Rubenstein said.

He said minutes after King’s attorneys filed their court papers, lawyers for Southwick, who is a singer, filed divorce documents in Los Angeles.

Both parties are citing irreconcilable differences.

King’s attorney, Dennis Wasser, says the broadcaster wants to “keep this divorce amicable”.

King has been married to seven different women, but this is his eighth divorce because he remarried one of his former spouses and then divorced her again.

The broadcaster hosts Larry King Live on CNN, where he interviews political figures and celebrities, dressed in suspenders that have become his personal trademark.

He often allows viewers to call in with questions for guests.

King is seeking joint custody of their children, while Southwick is seeking primary custody.

Media Advisory: Fraser Institute’s Annual Survey of Mining Companies to be Released Thursday, April 15

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, Apr 14 (MARKET WIRE) —
The Fraser Institute will release its Survey of Mining Companies
2009/2010 on Thursday, April 15 at 6:30 a.m. (Eastern).

This annual report represents the opinions of 670 mining executives and
managers worldwide on the policy and mineral endowment of 72
jurisdictions on all continents except Antarctica. Companies
participating in the survey reported exploration spending of US$2.9
billion in 2009 and of US$3.6 billion in 2008.

A news release with additional information will be issued via Marketwire
at 6:30 a.m. Eastern on Thursday, April 15.

The full report will also be available as a free PDF download at
www.fraserinstitute.org.

Fred McMahon, coordinator of the survey and the Institute’s
vice-president of international policy research, will be in Toronto and
available for media interviews the day of the release.

Follow the Fraser Institute on Twitter | Become a fan on Facebook

Check out our latest videos on YouTube

The Fraser Institute is an independent research and educational
organization with locations across North America and partnerships in more
than 70 countries. Its mission is to measure, study, and communicate the
impact of competitive markets and government intervention on the welfare
of individuals. To protect the Institute’s independence, it does not
accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit
www.fraserinstitute.org.

Contacts:
The Fraser Institute – Media Contact
Fred McMahon
Vice-President of International Policy Research
(416) 363-6575 ext. 226
fred.mcmahon@fraserinstitute.org

The Fraser Institute
Dean Pelkey
Director of Communications
(604) 714-4582
dean.pelkey@fraserinstitute.org
www.fraserinstitute.org

Copyright 2010, Market Wire, All rights reserved.

Media Advisory: Fraser Institute’s Annual Survey of Mining Companies to be Released Thursday, April 15

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, Apr 14 (MARKET WIRE) —
The Fraser Institute will release its Survey of Mining Companies
2009/2010 on Thursday, April 15 at 6:30 a.m. (Eastern).

This annual report represents the opinions of 670 mining executives and
managers worldwide on the policy and mineral endowment of 72
jurisdictions on all continents except Antarctica. Companies
participating in the survey reported exploration spending of US$2.9
billion in 2009 and of US$3.6 billion in 2008.

A news release with additional information will be issued via Marketwire
at 6:30 a.m. Eastern on Thursday, April 15.

The full report will also be available as a free PDF download at
www.fraserinstitute.org.

Fred McMahon, coordinator of the survey and the Institute’s
vice-president of international policy research, will be in Toronto and
available for media interviews the day of the release.

Follow the Fraser Institute on Twitter | Become a fan on Facebook

Check out our latest videos on YouTube

The Fraser Institute is an independent research and educational
organization with locations across North America and partnerships in more
than 70 countries. Its mission is to measure, study, and communicate the
impact of competitive markets and government intervention on the welfare
of individuals. To protect the Institute’s independence, it does not
accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit
www.fraserinstitute.org.

Contacts:
The Fraser Institute – Media Contact
Fred McMahon
Vice-President of International Policy Research
(416) 363-6575 ext. 226
fred.mcmahon@fraserinstitute.org

The Fraser Institute
Dean Pelkey
Director of Communications
(604) 714-4582
dean.pelkey@fraserinstitute.org
www.fraserinstitute.org

Copyright 2010, Market Wire, All rights reserved.

Inglis avoids conviction over assault

Melbourne Storm and representative centre Greg Inglis has avoided a conviction for assault against his girlfriend.

A Victorian court has ordered the matter be dealt by a diversion program.

Inglis, 23, appeared in the Sunshine Magistrates Court, supported by his girlfriend, Sally Robinson, whom he was accused of pushing in the face at a Maribyrnong home last year.

He was charged with assault, but police have agreed to drop the more serious charge of recklessly causing serious injury.

The court heard the couple had argued, and Inglis pushed his girlfriend back onto the bed with an open hand.

Robert Richter QC told the court that in a statement to police, Ms Robinson said her boyfriend has never hurt her before and she had got in his face.

Previously, the court heard self-defence was an issue, not because Inglis was defending himself, but because he was trying to stop his girlfriend from hurting herself.

The magistrate agreed the assault was born out of frustration and a diversion program was suitable to deal with the matter.

Inglis was ordered to attend a men’s behavioural change program and to pay $3,000 to Women’s Health West.

He issued a statement via the Storm saying that he accepts the court’s ruling.

“It was in the best interests of all parties that I have today accepted the issuing of this diversion order,” he said.

“This was the right decision for Sally’s welfare and privacy.”

Acting Storm chief executive Matt Hanson says the club will continue to offer counselling to Inglis and Ms Robinson.

Doctor intern questions remain

The Australian Medical Association says it still has questions about how well a Wagga Base Hospital intern was supported, before he committed suicide.

Doctor William Huynh died in January last year.

Friends blamed excessive working hours, something rejected by health officials.

An internal New South Wales Health report confirms he raised concerns about his workload, which required him to supervise two surgical teams.

But the report found Dr Huynh’s death was not predictable.

The Chairman of the AMAs Doctors-in-Training program, Doctor Andrew Perry says it is a concerning case.

“Covering two surgical teams in and of itself is not of major concern,” he said.

“The main issue is whether he was actually being properly supervised and supported at the time…he has brought up concerns about his work load.

“He himself did actually have some concerns about whether he was able to perform and cover that duty.”

There have been increased calls for an overhaul of JMO working hours, after the death of Dr Huynh last year.

Dr Perry says the AMA plans to repeat an audit of junior doctor working hours to ensure fatigue and stress is not putting them at risk.

“The issue of doctors’ welfare is always one of the top priorities of the AMA and that covers a range of areas so it covers safe hours and it also covers doctors’ mental well being,” he said.

“And I think we may have seen those two issues intersecting with this tragic suicide.

“And next year we’ll be repeating an audit of safe hours which we last did five years ago.”

Missing 80yo found in rugged bushland

An elderly Dongara man missing for more than three days is recovering in hospital after being found late yesterday afternoon.

Eighty-year-old Walter Fallon disappeared from his Dongara retirement home on Easter Sunday.

Grave concerns were held for his welfare because he was without vital medication.

The Police Air Wing yesterday spotted Mr Fallon’s car on a remote bush track, about 16 kilometres south-east of the town, and directed searchers to his location.

Senior Sergeant Martin Haime says both his family and police are relieved at the result.

“We plan for the worst but hope for the best,” he said.

“In this sort of case, often things don’t turn out the way we would have liked and thankfully in this case it’s not a tragic result. It’s very pleasing for us and we’re happy we can help the family.”

Senior Sergeant Haime says without the aircraft, police may not have been able to find Mr Fallon.

“It was a very rugged location and it was difficult to get in there,” he said.

“The last sort of section we had to get in on foot to try to recover this gentleman and it was quite an effort getting him out onto the main road, so there’s every likelihood, that had we not had the aircraft available and applied these resources, there’s every chance that he wouldn’t have been found for some time and could have quite conceivably passed away.

Nearly 9000 drunks locked up in Katherine

The Member for Katherine says there were nearly 9000 cases of drunks being locked up by police in the town last year.

The Country Liberal’s Willem Westra Van Holte says the number of people taken into protective custody for public drunkenness reinforces the need for habitual drunks to either undergo rehabilitation or go to jail.

Mr Westra Van Holte is a former police officer, and he says there is a core group of about 150 people who are regularly arrested.

“On top of the 8600 taken into the police cells, there would also be quite a few hundred more throughout the year who have gone to the sobering up shelter and in some cases some people have been taken home and taken into the care of their family,” Mr Westra Van Holte said.

He says rules limiting the time that takeaway alcohol can be bought should be rolled back, to help police deal with drunks on the streets.

He says winding back the so called “drunks clock”, which starts at 2pm when takeaway alcohol is available, could help stop assaults.

“If you roll back the drunks clock by four hours to say 10am it means that there is a longer daylight window of opportunity for operational police officers to deal with the drunken issues and get them off the streets before more serious incidents occur.”

The Mayor of Katherine says she would like to see a mandatory rehabilitation program for habitual drunks in the town.

Anne Shepherd says she is “cautiously supporting” the Opposition’s proposal to jail habitual drunks who reject rehabilitation efforts.

“I think that it is not a bad idea,” Ms Shepherd said.

“I don’t like the idea of being locked up though, that sounds pretty Draconian.

“But I certainly think some people should be forced into rehabilitation.

It may not work of course. I mean there may be some people that we will not ever be able to help.”

She says there are mounting calls for a tougher approach to public drunkenness in Katherine.

“We can’t allow it to keep going,” she said.

“There has to be some intervention to stop the recidivists, the drunks that are just going through the spin dryer all the time.

“It is just ridiculous if we can’t do something more than that.”

A spokeswoman for the Alcohol Policy Minister, Delia Lawrie says a review is considering bringing drunks before the alcohol court, whether or not they have committed an offence.

Salvos join forces with top end of town

The Salvation Army will open a commercial law firm in the Sydney CBD later this year which will charge market rates to do property and conveyancing law for corporate and government clients.

Profits from the new firm, which will pay its lawyers proper salaries, will be funnelled back into the Salvation Army’s humanitarian work, including free legal advice for the poor and needy.

“We are really excited about the concept,” Lieutenant Colonel Miriam Gluyas from the Salvation Army told The 7.30 Report.

“We recognise that there are a whole lot of people who need it and we want to be there for people at the grassroots.”

The new firm, called Salvos Legal, has evolved out of the successful Courtyard Legal, a pro bono service by volunteer lawyers which the Salvation Army operates out of its church halls in Auburn and Parramatta in Western Sydney.

Solicitor Luke Geary gave up his partnership at a top Sydney law firm to work at Salvos Legal full-time.

“We act in areas of criminal law, family law, children’s law, debt, housing, welfare, social security, and in recent years we have done a lot of refugee and migration law,” Mr Geary said.

“I think it is really good to be able to go to work in the morning and say ‘well, as long as things fall the right way, we might be able to make a difference’.”

Associate Professor Ben Saul from Sydney University says the Salvation Army’s self-funding legal service addresses a real need, picking up cases which the Legal Aid Commission cannot, while not diluting the finite resources available for existing legal services.

“There’s a crisis in Legal Aid funding around the country,” Professor Saul said.

“Any initiative that can increase the availability of services for those in need is a really welcome development.”

The Salvation Army plans to set up more legal centres in New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT and is calling on lawyers to volunteer their services at their local Salvation Army churches.

For more on the Salvation Army’s legal service and some of the people whose lives it’s changed, watch the 7.30 Report tonight on ABC1, repeated on ABC2.

Antony and wife launch third missile destroyer warship in Mumbai

Mumbai, Apr 1 (ANI): The Indian Navy launched a missile destroyer in the Project-15 Alpha Class at the Mazgaon Dock here today.

Elizabeth Antony, the wife of Defence Minister A.K. Antony, launched the warship, which is the country’s third missile destroyer.

Speaking on the occasion Antony said India should have indigenous warship manufacturing capability.

“The country cannot depend on foreign shipyards,” he added.

He also said the government would work towards the welfare of the Mazagaon Docks where the ships are manufactured.

These are the largest warships ever constructed at the Mazgaon Docks, the oldest and the most prolific of all Indian naval dockyards.

The lead ship, INS Kolkota, and its sister ship, INS Kochi, have already been launched. (ANI)

Universal welfare quarantining will ‘punish’

A former chief justice of the Family Court has criticised the Federal Government’s push to roll out welfare quarantining to all recipients.

Judge Alistair Nicholson, who prepared the ‘Will They Be Heard’ report examining the Government’s consultation efforts on the Northern Territory Intervention, believes the welfare measure will remain discriminatory even after being applied to everyone.

He says Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin has ignored the findings of regional meetings held across the Territory to discuss welfare quarantining.

“There were five of those regional reports prepared by the department, and in each one of them it was clear that although the participants acknowledged there’d been some positive benefits, they did not support either of the compulsory options outlined in the discussion paper, and you can see that from Tennant Creek, Nhulunbuy, Darwin and Katherine,” he said.

Judge Nicholson says the widespread roll out of welfare quarantining will demonise and punish all recipients.

The Federal Government wants to apply income management to Indigenous and non-Indigenous recipients so it can reinstate the Racial Discrimination Act.

But Judge Nicholson says few people realise how widespread the proposed changes would be.

“I think most of the community thinks it’s all got something to do with Aboriginal people,” he said.

“What they don’t realise is that it applies to all of them or potentially applies to all of them, and in the hands of government at its whim, it can put anyone in receipt of welfare on this regime, which I think is just offensive.”

Families’ welfare suspended over school truancy

The Federal Government says a small number of Northern Territory parents had their welfare payments suspended last year because their child was not attending school.

It is the first time Centrelink has taken such action under a trial taking place in some Northern Territory and Queensland communities.

The Government says Centrelink is working with about 30 families to encourage them to send their children to school.

Federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs Jenny Macklin said privacy concerns prevented her from saying how many Territory parents had payments suspended.

“In the Northern Territory, we have had a small number of parents have their welfare payments suspended at the end of last year – a small number of parents have been referred to Centrelink again this year,” she said.

“We have around 20 parents in Brisbane who have also been referred to Centrelink, but there have been no suspensions of payments in Queensland.”

Floodwaters cut off returning residents

Flooding has isolated another New South Wales far west community.

Water from the Culgoa River rose enough at the weekend to cut off the Weilmoringle Station and the nearly Wytaliba Aboriginal community.

The far west State Emergency Service’s operation controller, James McTavish, says about 25 people are cut off.

“They were subject to an evacuation order last week but over that period of time some people have come back into Wytaliba,” he said.

“But they are very well prepared and we have no concerns about their welfare during the period of isolation, which could be up to four weeks.”

Mr McTavish says the road west of Wanaaring has been reopened, but he is issuing a warning.

“The road is not in very good condition and it is quite a long way to Broken Hill,” he said.

“It is over 500 kilometres to Broken Hill from Wanaaring, so we’re still treating that effectively as an isolated community.”

Reeves applauds safe houses impact

Queensland Child Safety Minister Phil Reeves says safe houses in two remote Indigenous communities have improved the welfare of children.

Mr Reeves has visited the safe houses at Doomadgee and Napranum.

He told State Parliament the houses are playing an important role in allowing children to remain close to their families.

“The first two children who resided at the Napranum safe house, who had been with carers outside the community, have not only been able to return to the community but have now also been reunited with their family,” Mr Reeves said.

He says as well as allowing at risk children to remain close to their families, the safe houses have increased community abuse awareness.

“Community awareness about the Government commitment to keeping families together has been raised and has provided motivation for others in the community to provide safe environments,” Mr Reeves said.

“The Napranum facility is in fact an interim one and will be replaced with a permanent purpose-built establishment.”

Centrelink worker created dozens of false accounts, court told

A Centrelink employee created false accounts to claim tens of thousands of dollars in social security payments, an Adelaide court has heard.

The District Court was told Kevin Lee McInerheney, 33, created 26 fake identities and used those of four genuine Centrelink customers to claim welfare payments over three months, totalling $66,000.

The prosecutor said most of the fraud happened after normal working hours and associated records were created in an effort to avoid detection.

McInerheney pleaded guilty to 30 counts of deception.

His lawyer asked that the man not be given an immediate jail term because of psychiatric issues.

He said the offending was out of character.

The prosecutor argued jail was warranted to send a clear message that Centrelink fraud, especially by an employee, could not be tolerated.