General Affairs
Pakistan Army kills 2 jawans in firing from across LoC in Kupwara
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Two Indian Army jawans from 5 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles were martyred in a sniper shootout near the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir.
It is believed Pakistani troops targeted two army jawans near Furkian Gali of Keran sector in Kupwara district.
It is not yet clear whether the jawans were fired by Pakistani troops or Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT). Furkiya area has been a known route used by militants infiltrating into the Kashmir Valley from Pakistan.
Further details about the attack are awaited.
In the meantime, the Home Ministry has sounded a "highest alert" from across Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of the killing of 7 Amarnath pilgrims by militants in Anantnag.
Security forces have launched a massive hunt to track down LeT commander and Pakistani national Abu Ismail, the mastermind of the Amarnath attack.
Two Indian Army jawans from 5 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles were martyred in a sniper shootout near the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir.
It is believed Pakistani troops targeted two army jawans near Furkian Gali of Keran sector in Kupwara district.
It is not yet clear whether the jawans were fired by Pakistani troops or Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT). Furkiya area has been a known route used by militants infiltrating into the Kashmir Valley from Pakistan.
Further details about the attack are awaited.
In the meantime, the Home Ministry has sounded a "highest alert" from across Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of the killing of 7 Amarnath pilgrims by militants in Anantnag.
Security forces have launched a massive hunt to track down LeT commander and Pakistani national Abu Ismail, the mastermind of the Amarnath attack.
PM Narendra Modi's policies made space for terrorists in Kashmir: Rahul Gandhi
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Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi today singled out Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies and the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) alliance with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's People's Democratic Party (PDP) for the increase in terror attacks in the Kashmir Valley including the Amarnath Yatra terror attack.
In a series of tweets, the Gandhi scion said Modi's policies have created space for terrorists in Kashmir which is a "grave strategic blow" to India.
Rahul Gandhi said a "short-term political gain for PM Modi from PDP alliance" has cost India "massively". Modi's personal gain means India's strategic loss and sacrifice of innocent Indian blood, Gandhi said.
Seven Amarnath pilgrims were gunned down by militants in Kashmir's Anantnag on Monday night. The attack is the worst since 2000.
After the Amarnath Yatra attack, Rahul Gandhi had said it was a grave and unacceptable security lapse. The PM needs to accept responsibility and never allow it to happen again, he had said.
Opposition parties had also asked the government to introspect on its failure to prevent the "cowardly and ghastly" terror attack on Amarnath pilgrims despite reports of advance intelligence inputs.
"The government needs to introspect as to why, despite advanced intelligence inputs, was there a failure to prevent this attack?" a resolution passed by 18 opposition parties yesterday said.
The BJP, however, asked Gandhi to "rise to the occasion" and not do politics over the Amarnath terror strike after he attacked the PM.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had yesterday told India Today that if Mufti's regime becomes untenable then there may not be another option besides President's Rule.
He had also blamed the alliance between BJP and PDP for the deterioration of the law and order, security environment of Jammu and Kashmir.
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi today singled out Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies and the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) alliance with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's People's Democratic Party (PDP) for the increase in terror attacks in the Kashmir Valley including the Amarnath Yatra terror attack.
In a series of tweets, the Gandhi scion said Modi's policies have created space for terrorists in Kashmir which is a "grave strategic blow" to India.
Rahul Gandhi said a "short-term political gain for PM Modi from PDP alliance" has cost India "massively". Modi's personal gain means India's strategic loss and sacrifice of innocent Indian blood, Gandhi said.
Seven Amarnath pilgrims were gunned down by militants in Kashmir's Anantnag on Monday night. The attack is the worst since 2000.
After the Amarnath Yatra attack, Rahul Gandhi had said it was a grave and unacceptable security lapse. The PM needs to accept responsibility and never allow it to happen again, he had said.
Opposition parties had also asked the government to introspect on its failure to prevent the "cowardly and ghastly" terror attack on Amarnath pilgrims despite reports of advance intelligence inputs.
"The government needs to introspect as to why, despite advanced intelligence inputs, was there a failure to prevent this attack?" a resolution passed by 18 opposition parties yesterday said.
The BJP, however, asked Gandhi to "rise to the occasion" and not do politics over the Amarnath terror strike after he attacked the PM.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had yesterday told India Today that if Mufti's regime becomes untenable then there may not be another option besides President's Rule.
He had also blamed the alliance between BJP and PDP for the deterioration of the law and order, security environment of Jammu and Kashmir.
Doklam border dispute: Villagers near India-China border worried but won't leave their homes
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A small dusty village of Zuluk looks nonchalantly at the Army vehicles which appear and disappear into the vast hills every once in a while. It's not really uncharacteristic as most villagers are engaged in contractual work with Army and government which is why many of them settled here years ago.
At a height of 12,000 feet, this village is at a crow fly distance of four kilometers from Doklam. The situation is same at other villages of Nathang valley and Kupop which are a few kilometers away. A villager of Nathang accompanied by his three-year-old daughter said, "Everyone seems a bit worried. But we are trying to go about life as it is."
The men folk discuss the tension at the border which have now reached the tiny village of Zuluk. "If need be, we will send the women and kids to safer places and stand here to fight with Indian Army. We are Gorkhas, we will fight for our motherland," said a villager.
Another man from the crowd said, "China has always eyed the land near the tri-junction. But it won't succeed, though we are hoping the issue will get resolved." But there is confusion in the air as news reports talk of stand-off in Doklam, the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction. A group of people flip through TV news, their source of information. India Today crew chats with a petite lady as she sends her four-year-old to play with other children on the street. She quickly returns to her kitchen chores. As we join her, she tells us, "We here of the stand-off daily. You know, this place is not too far from the border. We have discussed leaving the place if situation gets worse but for now we are staying."
Outside, two children, barely into their teens, play badminton. The younger kids play with the bat and ball. One of them said as he chuckled, "We hear China is coming." The other kid immediately gets an Indian flag and starts waving it.
Few metres away, at tea shop where women have gathered, one says "Let's see, no one tells us what's going on. Though we stay close to the border, there is no instruction by the civil administration or the Army to move to a safer distance, so we suppose that situation is under control."
A small dusty village of Zuluk looks nonchalantly at the Army vehicles which appear and disappear into the vast hills every once in a while. It's not really uncharacteristic as most villagers are engaged in contractual work with Army and government which is why many of them settled here years ago.
At a height of 12,000 feet, this village is at a crow fly distance of four kilometers from Doklam. The situation is same at other villages of Nathang valley and Kupop which are a few kilometers away. A villager of Nathang accompanied by his three-year-old daughter said, "Everyone seems a bit worried. But we are trying to go about life as it is."
The men folk discuss the tension at the border which have now reached the tiny village of Zuluk. "If need be, we will send the women and kids to safer places and stand here to fight with Indian Army. We are Gorkhas, we will fight for our motherland," said a villager.
Another man from the crowd said, "China has always eyed the land near the tri-junction. But it won't succeed, though we are hoping the issue will get resolved." But there is confusion in the air as news reports talk of stand-off in Doklam, the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction. A group of people flip through TV news, their source of information. India Today crew chats with a petite lady as she sends her four-year-old to play with other children on the street. She quickly returns to her kitchen chores. As we join her, she tells us, "We here of the stand-off daily. You know, this place is not too far from the border. We have discussed leaving the place if situation gets worse but for now we are staying."
Outside, two children, barely into their teens, play badminton. The younger kids play with the bat and ball. One of them said as he chuckled, "We hear China is coming." The other kid immediately gets an Indian flag and starts waving it.
Few metres away, at tea shop where women have gathered, one says "Let's see, no one tells us what's going on. Though we stay close to the border, there is no instruction by the civil administration or the Army to move to a safer distance, so we suppose that situation is under control."
Misa Bharti's husband Shailesh appears before ED in money laundering case
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Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Misa Bharti's husband Shailesh Kumar today appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a Rs 8,000 crore money laundering case, officials said.
Bharti, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughter, had appeared before the central probe agency on Tuesday and was grilled for almost eight hours.
Kumar, who was summoned again today after he skipped the first date on Monday, will be confronted with the documents seized by the ED in the case and the statements given by his wife in relation to their finances and business transactions, officials said on the condition of anonymity.
The agency is expected to record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Kumar, like his wife, will be questioned about his role in a firm, Ms Mishail Printers and Packers Private Limited, his other finances and his links with a chartered accountant arrested by the agency earlier in the case, they said.
ED RAIDS ON JULY 8
The ED had on July 8 conducted searches at three Delhi farmhouses of Bharti, Kumar and the firm.
The raids had come a day after the CBI had raided multiple premises of Prasad and his family in a corruption case probe.
The latest summons to Bharti and her husband are related to a Rs 8,000 crore money laundering probe being conducted by the agency against two Delhi-based businessmen brothers- Surendra Kumar Jain and Virendra Jain, and others who are alleged to have laundered money worth over several crores using over 90 shell companies.
The Jain brothers were arrested by the ED earlier under PMLA.
LINK WITH SHELL COMPANIES
One of the firms that the arrested duo dealt with was Ms Mishail Printers and Packers Private Limited.
Bharti and her husband are alleged to have been directors of this firm in the past.
According to ED officials, it was detected that 1,20,000 shares of M/s Mishail Printers and Packers Private Limited were bought during 2007-08 at a rate of Rs 100 per share by four shell companies - M/s Shalini Holdings Limited, M/s Ad- Fin Capital Services (India) Pvt. Ltd, M/s Mani Mala Delhi Properties Pvt. Ltd. and M/s Diamond Vinimay Pvt. Ltd.
These 1,20,000 shares, they said, were allegedly bought back by Bharti at Rs 10 per share.
WHAT SHELL COMPANIES DO?
The ED had also arrested Rajesh Agarwal, a chartered accountant allegedly linked to Bharti, who provided accommodation entries (black funds) of about Rs 60 lakh to M/s Mishail Printers and Packers Private Limited.
The searches, officials said, are part of investigations to unravel these links which allegedly routed black money using the shell companies in question.
Shell companies are firms set up with nominal paid up capital, high reserves and surplus on account of receipt of high share premium, investment in unlisted companies and no dividend income or high amount of cash-in-hand.
The ED is the third agency probing alleged financial irregularities by the Lalu Prasad family after the CBI and the Income Tax department which recently attached benami assets worth about Rs 180 crore (market value) in its investigation against them.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Misa Bharti's husband Shailesh Kumar today appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a Rs 8,000 crore money laundering case, officials said.
Bharti, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughter, had appeared before the central probe agency on Tuesday and was grilled for almost eight hours.
Kumar, who was summoned again today after he skipped the first date on Monday, will be confronted with the documents seized by the ED in the case and the statements given by his wife in relation to their finances and business transactions, officials said on the condition of anonymity.
The agency is expected to record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Kumar, like his wife, will be questioned about his role in a firm, Ms Mishail Printers and Packers Private Limited, his other finances and his links with a chartered accountant arrested by the agency earlier in the case, they said.
ED RAIDS ON JULY 8
The ED had on July 8 conducted searches at three Delhi farmhouses of Bharti, Kumar and the firm.
The raids had come a day after the CBI had raided multiple premises of Prasad and his family in a corruption case probe.
The latest summons to Bharti and her husband are related to a Rs 8,000 crore money laundering probe being conducted by the agency against two Delhi-based businessmen brothers- Surendra Kumar Jain and Virendra Jain, and others who are alleged to have laundered money worth over several crores using over 90 shell companies.
The Jain brothers were arrested by the ED earlier under PMLA.
LINK WITH SHELL COMPANIES
One of the firms that the arrested duo dealt with was Ms Mishail Printers and Packers Private Limited.
Bharti and her husband are alleged to have been directors of this firm in the past.
According to ED officials, it was detected that 1,20,000 shares of M/s Mishail Printers and Packers Private Limited were bought during 2007-08 at a rate of Rs 100 per share by four shell companies - M/s Shalini Holdings Limited, M/s Ad- Fin Capital Services (India) Pvt. Ltd, M/s Mani Mala Delhi Properties Pvt. Ltd. and M/s Diamond Vinimay Pvt. Ltd.
These 1,20,000 shares, they said, were allegedly bought back by Bharti at Rs 10 per share.
WHAT SHELL COMPANIES DO?
The ED had also arrested Rajesh Agarwal, a chartered accountant allegedly linked to Bharti, who provided accommodation entries (black funds) of about Rs 60 lakh to M/s Mishail Printers and Packers Private Limited.
The searches, officials said, are part of investigations to unravel these links which allegedly routed black money using the shell companies in question.
Shell companies are firms set up with nominal paid up capital, high reserves and surplus on account of receipt of high share premium, investment in unlisted companies and no dividend income or high amount of cash-in-hand.
The ED is the third agency probing alleged financial irregularities by the Lalu Prasad family after the CBI and the Income Tax department which recently attached benami assets worth about Rs 180 crore (market value) in its investigation against them.
Vice-Presidential election: Bitter rivals TMC, Left united on support for Gopalkrishna Gandhi
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Putting up a united front, the Opposition announced that Mahatma Gandhi's grandson Gopalkrishna Gandhi will be their candidate for the Vice Presidential election.
Though the announcement of former Governor's name was made by Congress President Sonia Gandhi but the proposers of former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi's name were Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Left parties.
TMC's bitter rival, Left parties together penned an unthinkable script of the selection of Opposition's Vice-Presidential candidate leaving other parties spellbound.
SINGLE NAME FROM OPPOSITION
None of the other Opposition parties, including Congress, gave any other name as a candidate for the Vice-Presidential Poll.
It was a matter of 20 minutes when the consensus was build and the announcement was made by the Opposition.
Interestingly, when Gopal's name was finalised, it was leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad who spoke to him, while CPI leader D Raja sent him an SMS.
"When we broke the news to him, Gopal replied that whatever is best in the interest of country, he will do," said Raja.
DEREK O BRIEN PROPOSED GOPAL'S NAME
Names of many retired judges were doing the rounds before the meeting but TMC and Left parties together backed the former West Bengal governor.
"Only Gopal Krishna Gandhi's name came up. Congress had already said that they will not propose any name. It was TMC's Derek O Brien who proposed Gopal's name. It was then backed by leaders of Left parties - Sitaram Yechury and D Raja. It was interesting to see the two arch rivals build up consensus on the same name," said a senior Congress leader.
Rajya Sabha MP D Raja said, "Gopal Krishna Gandhi stands for certain values which is why we agreed".
"In view of the current political situation, an ideological battle must happen. Who better than Gopal Krishan Gandhi, a former diplomat and grandson of Mahatma Gandhi?" Sitaram Yechury said.
Putting up a united front, the Opposition announced that Mahatma Gandhi's grandson Gopalkrishna Gandhi will be their candidate for the Vice Presidential election.
Though the announcement of former Governor's name was made by Congress President Sonia Gandhi but the proposers of former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi's name were Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Left parties.
TMC's bitter rival, Left parties together penned an unthinkable script of the selection of Opposition's Vice-Presidential candidate leaving other parties spellbound.
SINGLE NAME FROM OPPOSITION
None of the other Opposition parties, including Congress, gave any other name as a candidate for the Vice-Presidential Poll.
It was a matter of 20 minutes when the consensus was build and the announcement was made by the Opposition.
Interestingly, when Gopal's name was finalised, it was leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad who spoke to him, while CPI leader D Raja sent him an SMS.
"When we broke the news to him, Gopal replied that whatever is best in the interest of country, he will do," said Raja.
DEREK O BRIEN PROPOSED GOPAL'S NAME
Names of many retired judges were doing the rounds before the meeting but TMC and Left parties together backed the former West Bengal governor.
"Only Gopal Krishna Gandhi's name came up. Congress had already said that they will not propose any name. It was TMC's Derek O Brien who proposed Gopal's name. It was then backed by leaders of Left parties - Sitaram Yechury and D Raja. It was interesting to see the two arch rivals build up consensus on the same name," said a senior Congress leader.
Rajya Sabha MP D Raja said, "Gopal Krishna Gandhi stands for certain values which is why we agreed".
"In view of the current political situation, an ideological battle must happen. Who better than Gopal Krishan Gandhi, a former diplomat and grandson of Mahatma Gandhi?" Sitaram Yechury said.
Business Affairs
Retail inflation slips to record low of 1.54 per cent, likely to cause rate cuts
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Retail inflation hit a "historically low" level of 1.54 per cent in June on dip in food items like vegetables, pulses and milk products, which may prompt the Reserve Bank to go in for rate cut next month.
"The number of 1.54 per cent is historically low and reflects the firm and ongoing consolidation of macro economic stability," Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian told reporters.
"The last time we saw such inflation -- according to slightly different CPI (IW) -- was in 1999 and before that in August 1978," he added.
The latest series of Consumer Price Index (CPI) was introduced in January 2012.
Inflation in the previous month - May this year - was 2.18 per cent.
On the other hand, in June last year, it was 5.77 per cent.
As per the data released by Central Statistics Office, inflation in the food basket as a whole contracted further to 2.12 per cent last month as compared to (-)1.05 per cent in May.
Vegetables inflation declined to 16.53 and that of pulses and products to 21.92 per cent.
There was decline in rate of price in eggs (-0.08 per cent). On the other hand, the protein rich meat and fish turned costlier as the inflation spiked to 3.49 per cent in June from 1.87 per cent in May.
Fruits too were dearer on monthly basis.
The retail inflation in the fuel and light segment slowed to 4.54 per cent as compared to 5.46 in May.
The Reserve Bank, which mainly factors in retail inflation to arrive at its monetary policy, is slated to meet in early August to announce the next bi-monthly policy rate.
In its last policy in June, the central bank had kept the key lending rate unchanged citing risk to inflation.
Retail inflation hit a "historically low" level of 1.54 per cent in June on dip in food items like vegetables, pulses and milk products, which may prompt the Reserve Bank to go in for rate cut next month.
"The number of 1.54 per cent is historically low and reflects the firm and ongoing consolidation of macro economic stability," Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian told reporters.
"The last time we saw such inflation -- according to slightly different CPI (IW) -- was in 1999 and before that in August 1978," he added.
The latest series of Consumer Price Index (CPI) was introduced in January 2012.
Inflation in the previous month - May this year - was 2.18 per cent.
On the other hand, in June last year, it was 5.77 per cent.
As per the data released by Central Statistics Office, inflation in the food basket as a whole contracted further to 2.12 per cent last month as compared to (-)1.05 per cent in May.
Vegetables inflation declined to 16.53 and that of pulses and products to 21.92 per cent.
There was decline in rate of price in eggs (-0.08 per cent). On the other hand, the protein rich meat and fish turned costlier as the inflation spiked to 3.49 per cent in June from 1.87 per cent in May.
Fruits too were dearer on monthly basis.
The retail inflation in the fuel and light segment slowed to 4.54 per cent as compared to 5.46 in May.
The Reserve Bank, which mainly factors in retail inflation to arrive at its monetary policy, is slated to meet in early August to announce the next bi-monthly policy rate.
In its last policy in June, the central bank had kept the key lending rate unchanged citing risk to inflation.
Filing Income Tax Returns: Take your time! Rs 10,000 late penalty is applicable from April 2018
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Penalty for delay in filing income tax by individuals announced in the Budget earlier this year in February has many taxpayers worried. The new rule states that a penalty up to Rs 10,000 will be imposed on delay in filing tax return by individuals.
With a little over a fortnight left in the July 31 deadline for filing income tax returns, taxpayers are worried about paying extra over delay in taxes. They, however, can breathe easy as the new penalty system will not be in effect till April 2018 and will not affect taxes to be paid for financial year 2016-17.
The fines levied on delays in filing income tax return will depend on the time frame of the hold-up. Defaulters will have to pay Rs 5,000 if taxes are paid after the deadline but before December 31 of the assessment year. Failing to pay the taxes by December 31 will mean a penalty of Rs 10,000 against the defaulter.
However, taxpayers earning not more than Rs 5 lakhs annually will have to pay only Rs 1,000 for delay in filing income tax return.
The new provision will replace Section 271F which leaves it on the discretion of an assessing officer to levy a penalty of Rs 5,000 if an individual fails to file returns before the end of the relevant assessment year.
Section 234F remains intact though, which states simple interest is levied at the rate of 1per cent every month or part of it on any tax amount if not paid within due dates, an Economic Times report said. The section will be applicable along with the recently introduced fees.
Thus individuals failing to meet the July 31 deadline at the end of this month to file their returns will have to pay penalties as per the old rules as the new rules will be applicable from assessment year 2018-19.
Presenting the Budget this year, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also reduced the existing rate of taxation for individual assesses with income between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 5 lakh to 5 per cent from 10 per cent.
A surcharge of 10 per cent of tax payable on categories of individuals whose annual taxable income is between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore will also come into effect.
In a bid to expand the tax net, government also made provisions for simple one-page form to be filed as income tax return for individuals who earn up to Rs 5 lakh apart from business income. Taxpayers filing income tax return for the first time in this category will not be subjected to any scrutiny in their first year unless the Income Tax Department receives specific information regarding his high value transactions.
Penalty for delay in filing income tax by individuals announced in the Budget earlier this year in February has many taxpayers worried. The new rule states that a penalty up to Rs 10,000 will be imposed on delay in filing tax return by individuals.
With a little over a fortnight left in the July 31 deadline for filing income tax returns, taxpayers are worried about paying extra over delay in taxes. They, however, can breathe easy as the new penalty system will not be in effect till April 2018 and will not affect taxes to be paid for financial year 2016-17.
The fines levied on delays in filing income tax return will depend on the time frame of the hold-up. Defaulters will have to pay Rs 5,000 if taxes are paid after the deadline but before December 31 of the assessment year. Failing to pay the taxes by December 31 will mean a penalty of Rs 10,000 against the defaulter.
However, taxpayers earning not more than Rs 5 lakhs annually will have to pay only Rs 1,000 for delay in filing income tax return.
The new provision will replace Section 271F which leaves it on the discretion of an assessing officer to levy a penalty of Rs 5,000 if an individual fails to file returns before the end of the relevant assessment year.
Section 234F remains intact though, which states simple interest is levied at the rate of 1per cent every month or part of it on any tax amount if not paid within due dates, an Economic Times report said. The section will be applicable along with the recently introduced fees.
Thus individuals failing to meet the July 31 deadline at the end of this month to file their returns will have to pay penalties as per the old rules as the new rules will be applicable from assessment year 2018-19.
Presenting the Budget this year, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also reduced the existing rate of taxation for individual assesses with income between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 5 lakh to 5 per cent from 10 per cent.
A surcharge of 10 per cent of tax payable on categories of individuals whose annual taxable income is between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore will also come into effect.
In a bid to expand the tax net, government also made provisions for simple one-page form to be filed as income tax return for individuals who earn up to Rs 5 lakh apart from business income. Taxpayers filing income tax return for the first time in this category will not be subjected to any scrutiny in their first year unless the Income Tax Department receives specific information regarding his high value transactions.
CBI recovers Rs 3.5 crore cash, 5 kg gold from I-T official
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The CBI today recovered Rs 3.5 crore cash and 5 kg gold during searches at the Kolkata residence of Jharkhand's Principal Commissioner of Income Tax in a corruption case, the agency said.
The CBI searched 23 locations in Kolkata and Ranchi including the residential premises of Tapas Kumar Dutta and others, spokesperson R K Gaur said here.
The searches were conducted in 18 locations in Kolkata and five in Ranchi after filing an FIR under corruption charges against Dutta and others, he said.
During the searches, the agency recovered Rs 3.5 crore cash and over 5 kg of gold (about Rs 1.4 crore according to current bullion rate) from the residence of Dutta, Gaur said, adding several incriminating documents were also seized.
It is alleged that Dutta during 2016-17 entered into criminal conspiracy with three other officials of the Income Tax department and Kolkata-based businessmen and entry operators, he said.
Text messages sent to Dutta seeking his reaction remained unanswered.
In pursuance of the conspiracy, Dutta allegedly took huge illegal gratification from the businessmen through a chartered accountant to get the income tax assessment files of different assesses transfered from Kolkata/Hazaribagh to Ranchi, Gaur said.
It was allegedly done to provide undue favours to these tax assessees who were charged with heavy tax liabilities in return for illegal gratification, he said.
Abusing his official position, Dutta had already issued orders abusing his official position, the spokesperson said.
The CBI recently registered a case against Dutta, Arvind Kumar, Additional Commissioner Income Tax, Income Tax Officer (Tech) Ranjit Kumar Lal, one more Income Tax officer, and chartered accountant Pawan Maurya.
Bishwanath Agarwal, Kolkata-based businessman and director of Anchal Vyapar, private persons
Santosh Chaudhary, Santosh Shah, Akash Agarwal, Arvind Agarwal have also been booked in the FIR filed under charges of criminal conspiracy and provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act.
The CBI today recovered Rs 3.5 crore cash and 5 kg gold during searches at the Kolkata residence of Jharkhand's Principal Commissioner of Income Tax in a corruption case, the agency said.
The CBI searched 23 locations in Kolkata and Ranchi including the residential premises of Tapas Kumar Dutta and others, spokesperson R K Gaur said here.
The searches were conducted in 18 locations in Kolkata and five in Ranchi after filing an FIR under corruption charges against Dutta and others, he said.
During the searches, the agency recovered Rs 3.5 crore cash and over 5 kg of gold (about Rs 1.4 crore according to current bullion rate) from the residence of Dutta, Gaur said, adding several incriminating documents were also seized.
It is alleged that Dutta during 2016-17 entered into criminal conspiracy with three other officials of the Income Tax department and Kolkata-based businessmen and entry operators, he said.
Text messages sent to Dutta seeking his reaction remained unanswered.
In pursuance of the conspiracy, Dutta allegedly took huge illegal gratification from the businessmen through a chartered accountant to get the income tax assessment files of different assesses transfered from Kolkata/Hazaribagh to Ranchi, Gaur said.
It was allegedly done to provide undue favours to these tax assessees who were charged with heavy tax liabilities in return for illegal gratification, he said.
Abusing his official position, Dutta had already issued orders abusing his official position, the spokesperson said.
The CBI recently registered a case against Dutta, Arvind Kumar, Additional Commissioner Income Tax, Income Tax Officer (Tech) Ranjit Kumar Lal, one more Income Tax officer, and chartered accountant Pawan Maurya.
Bishwanath Agarwal, Kolkata-based businessman and director of Anchal Vyapar, private persons
Santosh Chaudhary, Santosh Shah, Akash Agarwal, Arvind Agarwal have also been booked in the FIR filed under charges of criminal conspiracy and provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act.
SBI waives charge on IMPS fund transfer of up to Rs 1,000
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Country's largest bank SBI has waived charges for fund transfer of up to Rs 1,000 through its IMPS (Immediate Payment Service) to promote small transactions.
State Bank of India had been charging Rs 5 along with the applicable service tax for IMPS fund transfer of up to Rs 1,000.
IMPS is an instant interbank electronic fund transfer service through mobile phones as well as internet banking.
"In order to promote small ticket size transactions, SBI has waived off IMPS charges for transfer up to Rs 1,000," the bank said while informing about the revised IMPS transfer charges under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime.
For IMPS, charge will be Rs 5 along GST for fund transfer in the range of Rs 1,000 to Rs 1 lakh. The charge will go up to Rs 15 for transactions of Rs 1-2 lakh.
GST at the rate of 18 per cent is applicable on all financial transactions.
Country's largest bank SBI has waived charges for fund transfer of up to Rs 1,000 through its IMPS (Immediate Payment Service) to promote small transactions.
State Bank of India had been charging Rs 5 along with the applicable service tax for IMPS fund transfer of up to Rs 1,000.
IMPS is an instant interbank electronic fund transfer service through mobile phones as well as internet banking.
"In order to promote small ticket size transactions, SBI has waived off IMPS charges for transfer up to Rs 1,000," the bank said while informing about the revised IMPS transfer charges under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime.
For IMPS, charge will be Rs 5 along GST for fund transfer in the range of Rs 1,000 to Rs 1 lakh. The charge will go up to Rs 15 for transactions of Rs 1-2 lakh.
GST at the rate of 18 per cent is applicable on all financial transactions.
Reliance Industries stock hits nine-year high on Reliance Jio's revised tariff rates
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The Reliance Industries stock on Wednesday hit its nine-year high level on its telco arm Reliance Jio Infocomm increasing the effective rates of its services with effect from July 11, 2017.
The new plans entail reduced data and validity for the telco's services.
On Tuesday, the telco announced Jio Prime Members could enjoy unlimited services for 3 months with Rs 399 Plan. The earlier launched Rs 309 plan would provide two months of unlimited Jio services.
The new set of plan benefits will be applicable for all new as well as existing subscribers. As part of these unlimited benefits, customers can enjoy 1GB Data per day at 4G speed followed by unlimited at 128 kbps, unlimited local, STD and national roaming voice calls and unlimited national SMS, the company said in a press release.
Also, the firm is offering 112 GB data instead of 168 GB under the Rs 509 plan. The validity of the offer has been reduced to 56 days instead of the earlier 84 days.
This effectively means Jio will fetch more revenue for lesser data and this will add to its profit.
In anticipation of more revenue for the company, the stock hit the Rs 1524 level, a fresh nine-year high on the BSE.
At 1148 hours, the stock was trading 0.67 percent or 9.95 points higher at Rs 1505 level on the BSE.
The stock closed at 1,510 level, a gain of 15 points or 1.02 percent on the BSE.
The Reliance Industries stock on Wednesday hit its nine-year high level on its telco arm Reliance Jio Infocomm increasing the effective rates of its services with effect from July 11, 2017.
The new plans entail reduced data and validity for the telco's services.
On Tuesday, the telco announced Jio Prime Members could enjoy unlimited services for 3 months with Rs 399 Plan. The earlier launched Rs 309 plan would provide two months of unlimited Jio services.
The new set of plan benefits will be applicable for all new as well as existing subscribers. As part of these unlimited benefits, customers can enjoy 1GB Data per day at 4G speed followed by unlimited at 128 kbps, unlimited local, STD and national roaming voice calls and unlimited national SMS, the company said in a press release.
Also, the firm is offering 112 GB data instead of 168 GB under the Rs 509 plan. The validity of the offer has been reduced to 56 days instead of the earlier 84 days.
This effectively means Jio will fetch more revenue for lesser data and this will add to its profit.
In anticipation of more revenue for the company, the stock hit the Rs 1524 level, a fresh nine-year high on the BSE.
At 1148 hours, the stock was trading 0.67 percent or 9.95 points higher at Rs 1505 level on the BSE.
The stock closed at 1,510 level, a gain of 15 points or 1.02 percent on the BSE.
General Awareness
41st annual UNESCO World Heritage Committee conference held in Poland
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United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee met for its 41st session in Krakow, Poland, from 2nd to 12th July 2017
- During the session, the World Heritage Committee, chaired by Jacek Purchla, examined the state of conservation of 99 sites already on the World Heritage List and of the 55 sites on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
- The Committee also decided on the inscription on the World Heritage List of 33 nominated sites, which include six natural sites, 26 cultural and one that is proposed both as a natural and cultural site.
- Issues concerning the implementation of the World Heritage Convention were also discussed by the committee.
- During this session 21 new sites have been inscribed to UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Among these were 18 cultural and three natural sites. In addition to the new inscriptions, the Committee also approved five site boundary changes.
- Including the new additions, the total number of sites on the World Heritage List now stands at 1073.
- Angola and Eritrea saw their first sites join the List during the 41st
- The World Heritage Committee consists of representatives from 21 of the States Parties to the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, elected by the General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention.
UNESCO votes to declare Hebron an endangered site
UNESCO has recognised the old city of Hebron in the West Bank as a Palestinian world heritage site. UNESCO voted 12 to three – with six abstentions – to give heritage status to Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
About Hebron:
- Hebron is home to more than 200,000 Palestinians and a few hundred Israeli settlers, who live in a heavily fortified enclave near the site known to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque and to Jews as the Tomb of the Patriarchs.
- Hebron is one of the oldest cities in the world, dating from the Chalcolithic period or more than 3,000 years BC and at various times was conquered by Romans, Jews, Crusaders and Mamluks.
- The ruling also puts Hebron on UNESCO’s ‘in danger’ list, which allows for the allocation of immediate World HeritageFund assistance and alerts the international community to endangered sites.
Vienna historic center put on UNESCO heritage in danger list
Historic Center of Vienna has been put in UNESCO’s list of sites ‘in danger’ due to a high-rise construction project there.
More Details:
- UNESCO World Heritage Committee said the project for the Vienna Ice-Skating Club Intercontinental Hotelis against the body’s earlier decisions that put a limit on the height of new constructions in the oldest part of the Austrian capital.
- It said the project will have a negative effect on the outstanding universal value of the site that dates to Celtic times and is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
- The list of sites in danger draws the international community’s attention to conditions that threaten value of unique sites.
About Vienna Historic Center:
- The historic centre of Vienna is rich in architectural ensembles, including Baroque castles and gardens, as well as the late-19th-century Ringstrasse lined with grand buildings, monuments and parks.
- It was added to UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage list in year 2001.
UNESCO omits Great Barrier Reef from ‘List of World Heritage in Danger’
At the 41st annual Conference, UNESCO World Heritage Committee has decided to omit Australia’s Great Barrier Reef in the “List of World Heritage in Danger”.
- This decision comes as an endorsement of Australian Government’s Reef 2050 plan for protecting and managing the Reef until 2050.
- However, in a draft document, the World Heritage Committee noted with “serious concern” coral bleaching along the Great Barrier Reef, and asked for an overall report on the state of conservation by December 2019.
- It is to be noted that as per Australian scientists, continuous bleaching events in 2016 and 2017 have devastated a 1,500 km (900 miles) stretch of Great Barrier Reef.
Coral Bleaching:
- Coral bleaching occurs when coral polyps expel algae that live inside their tissues. Expelling the algae consequentially drains its colour.
- As the algae provide the coral with 90% of its energy, after expelling the algae the coral begins to starve.
- Above-average sea water temperatures caused by global warminghave been identified as a leading cause for coral bleaching worldwide.
About Great Barrier Reef:
- The Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Queensland in north-eastern Australia, is a 2,300km-long ecosystem comprising thousands of reefs and hundreds of islands made of over 600 types of hard and soft coral.
- It was inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in year 1981.
UNESCO Declares China’s Hoh Xil Nature Reserve a Heritage Site
UNESCO has declared the Hoh Xil nature reserve in China’s Qinghai Province a natural heritage site in a controversial decision challenged by pro-Tibet activists.
About Hoh Xil nature reserve:
- The Hoh Xil nature reserve, located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is home to over 200 animal species.
- More than 20 of them are state-protected, including the Tibetan antelope.
- It is China’s largest world natural heritage site, covering an area of 45,000 square kilometres.
- China has invested billions of dollars into resettling Tibetan herders out of the reserve, who have for centuries led a nomadic life, moving regularly to seek fresh grazing for their animals.
- Pro-Tibet activists worry about the disappearance of a lifestyle that has endured for hundreds of years, and see the resettlements as part of a broader erosion of Tibetan culture in China.
UNESCO declares Ahmedabad as world heritage city
The 5.5 km walled city area in Ahmedabad, Gujarat with an approximate population of four lakh has been declared India’s first World Heritage City by UNESCO.
- Ahmedabad was in competition with New Delhi and Mumbai for the title.
- A proposal in this regard was sent to the UNESCO in 2010 at the behest of PM Modi, who was then Chief Minister of Gujarat.
- The city had figured in UNESCO’s tentative list in 2011.
- Ahmedabad has now joined the privileged club of heritage cities like Paris, Cairo, Edinburg and two cities in the subcontinent, Bhaktpur in Nepal and Galle in Sri Lanka.
About Walled City of Ahmedabad:
- The walled city of Ahmedabad was founded by Ahmed Shah in 15th
- It has 26 Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)-protected structures and numerous sites associated with Mahatma Gandhi who lived there from 1915 to 1930.
- It is constituted out of residential settlements called ‘Pol’ and has a specific scale of its community-based settlement grouping. Several of such settlements combined together forms a ‘Pur’
- The historic city has several ‘Pur’ neighbourhoods forming the entire fortified historic city.
- These various ‘Pur’ have its own urban structure which is self-sufficient for the communities.
Brazilian Port Where Slaves Arrived Given UNESCO Status
The Valongo wharf in Rio de Janeiro, where slaves from Africa first arrived in Brazil has been added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.
About Valongo:
- World Heritage Committee said Valongo was a reminder of the estimated 900,000 Africans who were brought there by slave traders starting in 1811.
- Valongo is where the slaves, often emaciated and sick after the voyage, were taken to be quarantined, sorted and sold.
- Today the Valongo site is not on the water, but well inland, following expansion of the original city. The remains were only discovered by accident in 2011during massive works to refurbish the port area for the 2016 Olympics.
- For Valongo, the world heritage honour makes it a twin with Ile de Goree, a small island near Dakar harbour that was chosen in 1978 as the emblem of the departure points for slaves from West Africa on their way to the Americas.
Japan island that bans women is UNESCO Heritage site
Okinoshima, a sacred island in south-west Japan that bans women and where male visitors must strip naked before going ashore has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
About Okinoshima:
- Okinoshima, located midway between the south-western main island of Kyushu and the Korean peninsula, was once the site of rituals to pray for maritime safety and a centre for relations with China and Korea that stretch back as far as the fourth century.
- The island has a surface area of 240 acres.
- Priests from Munakata Taisha, a group of Shinto shrines, are in principle permitted to travel to worship at the island’s 17th century shrine, Okitsu.
- In addition, up to 200 men are allowed to visit only once a year, on 27 May, to honour sailors who died in a nearby naval battle during the 1904-05 Russo-Japanese war.
- The reason for the ban on women has never been publicly stated.
- Okinoshima is home to a huge collection of artefacts attesting to its importance as an early centre of international exchange.
Cambodian Temple Site Gets UNESCO World Heritage Status
Sambor Prei Kuk, an ancient temple site in Cambodia has been added to the list of UNECO World Heritage Sites.
About Sambor Prei Kuk:
- Sambor Prei Kuk, or “temple in the richness of the forest” in the Khmer language, located 206 km (128 miles) north of the capital Phnom Penh, is home to numerous temples, ten of which are octagonal.
- UNESCO said the area had been identified as Ishanapura, the capital of the ancient Chenla Empire, a Khmer civilization that flourished in the late 6th and 7th centuries and preceded the Khmer Empire.
- Two other sites in Cambodia already have heritage status. Angkor Wat and Preah Vihear, 11th century temples on the border between Thailand and Cambodia, were listed as World Heritage Sites in 2004 and 2008, respectively.
List of 21 new sites that have been inscribed in UNESCO’s World Heritage List during 41st annual UNESCO World Heritage Committee conference
Site Type Country/Countries Aphrodisias, archeological site and marble quarries Cultural Turkey Asmara, modernist city of Africa Cultural Eritrea Assumption Cathedral and Monastery of Sviyazhsk Cultural Russia Caves and ice age art in the Swabian Jura Cultural Germany Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town Cultural Palestinian territories Historic city of Yazd Cultural Iran Kujataa Greenland, sub-arctic farming landscape Cultural Denmark Kulangsu, historic international settlement Cultural China Mbanza Kongo, political and spiritual capital of the Kingdom of Kongo Cultural Angola Sacred Island of Okinoshima Cultural Japan Taputapuātea, center of the “Polynesian Triangle” Cultural France Tarnowskie Góry, lead-silver-zinc mine Cultural Poland Sambor Prei Kuk temple zone Cultural Cambodia English Lake District Cultural United Kingdom Valongo Wharf, archeological site Cultural Brazil Venetian Works of Defense Cultural Croatia, Italy, Montenegro Khomani Cultural Landscape Cultural South Africa Historic city of Ahmedabad Cultural India Landscapes of Dauria Natural Mongolia, Russia Los Alerces National Park Natural Argentina Qinghai Hoh Xil, world’s highest and largest plateau Natural China
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee met for its 41st session in Krakow, Poland, from 2nd to 12th July 2017
- During the session, the World Heritage Committee, chaired by Jacek Purchla, examined the state of conservation of 99 sites already on the World Heritage List and of the 55 sites on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
- The Committee also decided on the inscription on the World Heritage List of 33 nominated sites, which include six natural sites, 26 cultural and one that is proposed both as a natural and cultural site.
- Issues concerning the implementation of the World Heritage Convention were also discussed by the committee.
- During this session 21 new sites have been inscribed to UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Among these were 18 cultural and three natural sites. In addition to the new inscriptions, the Committee also approved five site boundary changes.
- Including the new additions, the total number of sites on the World Heritage List now stands at 1073.
- Angola and Eritrea saw their first sites join the List during the 41st
- The World Heritage Committee consists of representatives from 21 of the States Parties to the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, elected by the General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention.
UNESCO votes to declare Hebron an endangered site
UNESCO has recognised the old city of Hebron in the West Bank as a Palestinian world heritage site. UNESCO voted 12 to three – with six abstentions – to give heritage status to Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
About Hebron:
- Hebron is home to more than 200,000 Palestinians and a few hundred Israeli settlers, who live in a heavily fortified enclave near the site known to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque and to Jews as the Tomb of the Patriarchs.
- Hebron is one of the oldest cities in the world, dating from the Chalcolithic period or more than 3,000 years BC and at various times was conquered by Romans, Jews, Crusaders and Mamluks.
- The ruling also puts Hebron on UNESCO’s ‘in danger’ list, which allows for the allocation of immediate World HeritageFund assistance and alerts the international community to endangered sites.
Vienna historic center put on UNESCO heritage in danger list
Historic Center of Vienna has been put in UNESCO’s list of sites ‘in danger’ due to a high-rise construction project there.
More Details:
- UNESCO World Heritage Committee said the project for the Vienna Ice-Skating Club Intercontinental Hotelis against the body’s earlier decisions that put a limit on the height of new constructions in the oldest part of the Austrian capital.
- It said the project will have a negative effect on the outstanding universal value of the site that dates to Celtic times and is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
- The list of sites in danger draws the international community’s attention to conditions that threaten value of unique sites.
About Vienna Historic Center:
- The historic centre of Vienna is rich in architectural ensembles, including Baroque castles and gardens, as well as the late-19th-century Ringstrasse lined with grand buildings, monuments and parks.
- It was added to UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage list in year 2001.
UNESCO omits Great Barrier Reef from ‘List of World Heritage in Danger’
At the 41st annual Conference, UNESCO World Heritage Committee has decided to omit Australia’s Great Barrier Reef in the “List of World Heritage in Danger”.
- This decision comes as an endorsement of Australian Government’s Reef 2050 plan for protecting and managing the Reef until 2050.
- However, in a draft document, the World Heritage Committee noted with “serious concern” coral bleaching along the Great Barrier Reef, and asked for an overall report on the state of conservation by December 2019.
- It is to be noted that as per Australian scientists, continuous bleaching events in 2016 and 2017 have devastated a 1,500 km (900 miles) stretch of Great Barrier Reef.
Coral Bleaching:
- Coral bleaching occurs when coral polyps expel algae that live inside their tissues. Expelling the algae consequentially drains its colour.
- As the algae provide the coral with 90% of its energy, after expelling the algae the coral begins to starve.
- Above-average sea water temperatures caused by global warminghave been identified as a leading cause for coral bleaching worldwide.
About Great Barrier Reef:
- The Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Queensland in north-eastern Australia, is a 2,300km-long ecosystem comprising thousands of reefs and hundreds of islands made of over 600 types of hard and soft coral.
- It was inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in year 1981.
UNESCO Declares China’s Hoh Xil Nature Reserve a Heritage Site
UNESCO has declared the Hoh Xil nature reserve in China’s Qinghai Province a natural heritage site in a controversial decision challenged by pro-Tibet activists.
About Hoh Xil nature reserve:
- The Hoh Xil nature reserve, located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is home to over 200 animal species.
- More than 20 of them are state-protected, including the Tibetan antelope.
- It is China’s largest world natural heritage site, covering an area of 45,000 square kilometres.
- China has invested billions of dollars into resettling Tibetan herders out of the reserve, who have for centuries led a nomadic life, moving regularly to seek fresh grazing for their animals.
- Pro-Tibet activists worry about the disappearance of a lifestyle that has endured for hundreds of years, and see the resettlements as part of a broader erosion of Tibetan culture in China.
UNESCO declares Ahmedabad as world heritage city
The 5.5 km walled city area in Ahmedabad, Gujarat with an approximate population of four lakh has been declared India’s first World Heritage City by UNESCO.
- Ahmedabad was in competition with New Delhi and Mumbai for the title.
- A proposal in this regard was sent to the UNESCO in 2010 at the behest of PM Modi, who was then Chief Minister of Gujarat.
- The city had figured in UNESCO’s tentative list in 2011.
- Ahmedabad has now joined the privileged club of heritage cities like Paris, Cairo, Edinburg and two cities in the subcontinent, Bhaktpur in Nepal and Galle in Sri Lanka.
About Walled City of Ahmedabad:
- The walled city of Ahmedabad was founded by Ahmed Shah in 15th
- It has 26 Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)-protected structures and numerous sites associated with Mahatma Gandhi who lived there from 1915 to 1930.
- It is constituted out of residential settlements called ‘Pol’ and has a specific scale of its community-based settlement grouping. Several of such settlements combined together forms a ‘Pur’
- The historic city has several ‘Pur’ neighbourhoods forming the entire fortified historic city.
- These various ‘Pur’ have its own urban structure which is self-sufficient for the communities.
Brazilian Port Where Slaves Arrived Given UNESCO Status
The Valongo wharf in Rio de Janeiro, where slaves from Africa first arrived in Brazil has been added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.
About Valongo:
- World Heritage Committee said Valongo was a reminder of the estimated 900,000 Africans who were brought there by slave traders starting in 1811.
- Valongo is where the slaves, often emaciated and sick after the voyage, were taken to be quarantined, sorted and sold.
- Today the Valongo site is not on the water, but well inland, following expansion of the original city. The remains were only discovered by accident in 2011during massive works to refurbish the port area for the 2016 Olympics.
- For Valongo, the world heritage honour makes it a twin with Ile de Goree, a small island near Dakar harbour that was chosen in 1978 as the emblem of the departure points for slaves from West Africa on their way to the Americas.
Japan island that bans women is UNESCO Heritage site
Okinoshima, a sacred island in south-west Japan that bans women and where male visitors must strip naked before going ashore has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
About Okinoshima:
- Okinoshima, located midway between the south-western main island of Kyushu and the Korean peninsula, was once the site of rituals to pray for maritime safety and a centre for relations with China and Korea that stretch back as far as the fourth century.
- The island has a surface area of 240 acres.
- Priests from Munakata Taisha, a group of Shinto shrines, are in principle permitted to travel to worship at the island’s 17th century shrine, Okitsu.
- In addition, up to 200 men are allowed to visit only once a year, on 27 May, to honour sailors who died in a nearby naval battle during the 1904-05 Russo-Japanese war.
- The reason for the ban on women has never been publicly stated.
- Okinoshima is home to a huge collection of artefacts attesting to its importance as an early centre of international exchange.
Cambodian Temple Site Gets UNESCO World Heritage Status
Sambor Prei Kuk, an ancient temple site in Cambodia has been added to the list of UNECO World Heritage Sites.
About Sambor Prei Kuk:
- Sambor Prei Kuk, or “temple in the richness of the forest” in the Khmer language, located 206 km (128 miles) north of the capital Phnom Penh, is home to numerous temples, ten of which are octagonal.
- UNESCO said the area had been identified as Ishanapura, the capital of the ancient Chenla Empire, a Khmer civilization that flourished in the late 6th and 7th centuries and preceded the Khmer Empire.
- Two other sites in Cambodia already have heritage status. Angkor Wat and Preah Vihear, 11th century temples on the border between Thailand and Cambodia, were listed as World Heritage Sites in 2004 and 2008, respectively.
List of 21 new sites that have been inscribed in UNESCO’s World Heritage List during 41st annual UNESCO World Heritage Committee conference
| Site | Type | Country/Countries |
| Aphrodisias, archeological site and marble quarries | Cultural | Turkey |
| Asmara, modernist city of Africa | Cultural | Eritrea |
| Assumption Cathedral and Monastery of Sviyazhsk | Cultural | Russia |
| Caves and ice age art in the Swabian Jura | Cultural | Germany |
| Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town | Cultural | Palestinian territories |
| Historic city of Yazd | Cultural | Iran |
| Kujataa Greenland, sub-arctic farming landscape | Cultural | Denmark |
| Kulangsu, historic international settlement | Cultural | China |
| Mbanza Kongo, political and spiritual capital of the Kingdom of Kongo | Cultural | Angola |
| Sacred Island of Okinoshima | Cultural | Japan |
| Taputapuātea, center of the “Polynesian Triangle” | Cultural | France |
| Tarnowskie Góry, lead-silver-zinc mine | Cultural | Poland |
| Sambor Prei Kuk temple zone | Cultural | Cambodia |
| English Lake District | Cultural | United Kingdom |
| Valongo Wharf, archeological site | Cultural | Brazil |
| Venetian Works of Defense | Cultural | Croatia, Italy, Montenegro |
| Khomani Cultural Landscape | Cultural | South Africa |
| Historic city of Ahmedabad | Cultural | India |
| Landscapes of Dauria | Natural | Mongolia, Russia |
| Los Alerces National Park | Natural | Argentina |
| Qinghai Hoh Xil, world’s highest and largest plateau | Natural | China |
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