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India's Ambassador to the United Nations, Nirupam Sen,
on Friday has signed the United Nations anti-corruption
treaty which, among other things, now makes hiding of
illegal gains difficult.
The treaty requires signatories to return assets obtained
through corruption to the country from which they were
stolen.
This had particularly been an important issue for developing
countries where corrupt officials took illicit gains
out of the country and hid them in foreign lands.
Topics covered by the 71-member treaty include bribery,
illicit enrichment, misappropriation, money-laundering,
protection of whistle blowers, freezing of assets and
cooperation between states to uncover corruption.
Precautionary measures are being taken in the coastal
areas of Tamil Nadu as the cyclone "Fanoos",
is likely to cross between Nagapattinam and Chennai
later in the day.
"Fanoos", presently located 350-km east southeast
of Nagapattinam, is likely to intensify and move in
west northwesterly direction and cross corth Tamil Nadu
coast between Nagapattinam and Chennai by Saturday noon,
Area Cyclone Warning Centre Director S R Ramanan told
reporters in Chennai.
Consequent to the system, some parts of north coastal
Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry have been experiencing rains
since late Friday with strong winds, but the metropolis
iteslf had been experiencing continous drizzle.
The weather office said due to Fanoos, gale with a wind
speed of 70 to 80 kms per hour is likely in Villupuram,
Cuddalore, Tiruvarur, Tanjavur and Nagapattinam districts.
Squally weather with wind speed reaching between 50
to 60 kms per hour is likely off south coastal Tamil
Nadu and in Chennai, Tiurvallur and Kanchipuram districts.
As the system comes closer, the condition of the sea
would be "rough to high" and fishermen have
been advised not to venture into the sea.
More than one lakh people, including fishermen, were
evacuated from the coastal hamlets of Cuddalore district
in view of the threat of the storm.
A red alert had been sounded at all the 51 coastal hamlets
situated along the 57-km-long coastline in the district
besides forming 15 medical teams, the sources added.
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