N.K. Singh, the Janata Dal (United) Rajya Sabha MP, “voluntarily” recused himself from participating in the proceedings of the parliamentary public accounts committee looking into the 2G spectrum allocations. His decision was made public today by PAC chairperson Murli Manohar Joshi after the panel questioned the editors of Outlook and Open magazines, which published the transcripts of the radia tapes some months ago. Singh’s conversation with corporate lobbyist Niira radia figured in...

All food items imported from Japan will be checked for radiation at the ports before being allowed into the country. Authorised officers of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) have been asked to get all food items originating from Japan tested at the ports and airports. Food items transported from March 11 will be tested. The Revenue Department has also been requested to advise all the customs points, which clear...

Outlook, Open editors to testify, question of N.K. Singh recusal open The Public Accounts Committee examining the CAG report on the 2G spectrum allocation affair seems to have made up its mind to examine the players featuring in, and connected to, the radia tapes. On Monday it will start with two editors, Vinod Mehta of Outlook and Manu Joseph of Open, who were among the first to publish transcripts of tapped conversations...

PAC member N.K. Singh recuses himself from meetings to avoid conflict of interest Two editors, Vinod Mehta of Outlook and Manu Joseph of Open magazine, told the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament on Monday it was their journalistic duty to place in the public domain the transcripts of tapped conversations between corporate lobbyist Niira radia and others which had a direct bearing on the 2G spectrum allocation scandal. After the meeting, PAC...

The amounts of various radioactive releases into the environment are unknown, as are the winds and other factors that determine how radioactivity will disperse. The different radioactive materials reported at the nuclear accidents in Japan range from relatively benign to extremely worrisome. The central problem in assessing the degree of danger is that the amounts of various radioactive releases into the environment are now unknown, as are the winds and other...