9 FEBRUARY 2014

Ø  World Islamic Tamil Conference with the objective of creating greater awareness of the contributions of Muslims to the promotion of Tamil literature and to record and recognise their contribution to the promotion of an indigenous Tamil musical tradition, the Islamic Literary Society, Chennai, has planned to organise a three-day international conference in Kumbakonam from February 14 to 16.

Ø  India said it would go ahead with prosecuting two Italian marines accused of killing two fishermen under a maritime security law that calls for a maximum 10-year punishment.

Ø  From March 1, polio vaccination will be mandatory for all international travellers coming to India from polio-infected countries. The Health Ministry has also made OPV (oral polio vaccine) compulsory for those travelling from India to polio-endemic countries and countries with poliovirus circulation to prevent virus importation. The polio-endemic countries are Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan. Countries with poliovirus circulation are Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Syria.

Ø  D.R. Mehta, founder and chief patron of Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti which produces the world-famous Jaipur Foot, has been invited as a key speaker for the Harvard India Conference in the United States.

Ø  The Chinese Navy has conducted rare exercises in the Lumbok Strait in the Indian Ocean near Indonesia, with the drills seen by analysts as underlining China’s expanding capabilities in carrying out operations in waters far beyond its borders. A three-ship flotilla of the South Sea fleet, which included the large amphibious aircraft “Changbaishan” and two destroyers, conducted 10 exercises, including anti-piracy, search and rescue, and damage control drills, over a five-day exercise starting January 29, based out of the Lombok Strait, a narrow strip of water that runs from the Java Sea, near Indonesia, and is north of Australia.

Ø  The ongoing spectrum auction has so far ensured the government revenues worth over Rs.56,000 crore.