The contact

THE CONTACT WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ISSUE - 632, 15 SEP. - 21 SEP. 2015 PH: (905) 671 - 4761

US airports will now treat 2,000 Indians as VVIPS Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan likely to benefit Robert Vadra will ‘erase’ his name from airports

By Abhishek Bhalla

Remember how former president APJ Abdul Kalam and film star Shah Rukh Khan were subjected to embarrassing pat-down searches while travelling to the US? Well, the harrowing experience of going through stringent security drills at US airports will soon become a thing of the past for a select group of Indian celebrities and important personalities.

The Indian government will come up with a list of nearly 2,000 important personalities who will be allowed hassle-free immigration at US airports. Sources said the first batch of people that will be given the facility includes

former President Pratibha Patil, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, industrialists Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani and film stars Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan.

Their names came up when officials of two countries met in New Delhi last month to discuss the modalities of the system that will make India a part of US global entry programme that ensures smooth entry in the country, bypassing long immigration queues and waiting for hours during security checks.

The Global Entry, a US Customs and Border Protection programme, allows expedited clearance for preapproved, low-risk

travellers upon arrival in the United States. Not just Shah Rukh and Kalam, several Indian celebrities and VIPs have faced problems at US airports. Bollywood personalities Aamir Khan, John Abraham, politician and former Union minister Praful Patel and former diplomat Hardeep Puri went through rounds of

Two Indian institutes make it to world’s top 200 of Technology (MIT) is the world’s top university, closely followed by Harvard. The University of Cambridge is tied to Stanford University for the third place. London is the only city in the world with four universities in Continued on Page 2

The Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru LONDON Two Indian institutes have for the first time made it to the top 200 list of the world’s best universities.

The Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, has taken the top spot among its Indian counterparts, bagging the 147th rank.

The only other Indian institute to make it to the top 200 is Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, ranked 179th this year. It

has made great progress from last year when it was ranked 235th in the world. According to the QS World University Rankings 2015, there are 14 Indian institutions in the World University Rankings and half of them are among the global 400.

The bad news is that the University of Delhi and the University of Mumbai have lost ground. The Massachusetts Institute

frisking and quizzing when they landed in the US. So far, citizens of seven countries get the benefits of America’s Global Entry programme.

The countries are the Netherlands, Panama, South Korea, Germany, Peru, Mexico and Canada. In order to be part of the Global Continued on Page 2

Modi’s team braces for protests during his US visit Chidanand Rajghatta Amid a surge of Left-wing politics from Britain to the United States, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s team is preparing for a volley of protests during his visit to the United

Sikh designer in UK Sculpts Historic Figurines Midlands Taranjit Singh, a digital designer based in the UK has an impressive portfolio of Sikh related digital designs. His latest endeavour however is worth particular attention as he produces impressive figurines of the famous Bhai Garja Singh, companion of Bhai Bota Singh, hailing from the 18th century. A successful kickstarter

campaign has seen the pledged goal of £11500 being surpassed in but a few days. The 3d prints of

the small statues are described by Taran Singh as Continued on Page 2

States, powered by the kind of freedom only democracies like India and America allow. An unlikely alliance of Leftwing activists and radical, separatist Sikhs got some airtime during Modi’s Madison Square Garden appearance last year, and the same groups are again gearing up to voice their protest when the Prime Minister goes to Silicon Valley later this month. A Sikh human rights group under the banner of “Sikhs For Justice” announced on Monday that it would picket the Facebook headquarters at Menlo Park to highlight social media giant’s “collaboration with a human rights violator” when its founder Mark Zuckerberg will be hosting Indian Continued on Page 2

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15 Sep. - 21 Sep. 2015

Sikh designer in UK Sculpts Historic Figurines about the brave Sikh warriors follows, “The sculpture will be who rose to forge their own Sikh 12 inches tall and will be cold empire in Punjab during the 1700’s. I wanted to create something that would remind people of their bravery and celebrate their inspirational sacrifice. This is my way of sharing their story with the next generation.” Bota Singh and Garja Singh are famed for their single handed challenge to the oppressive ruling regime of the time. Keeping their swords in their sheaths and arming themselves with only staffs, they fought off the cavalry and infantry cast in resin bronze. There of a 100 man contingent. They will also be a real bronze eventually succumbed to their version which will be limited injuries and laid down their lives, to 10 casts only. I have but not before propping their researched and carefully broken-boned bodies against crafted each and every each other, back to back, to component in 3D. “Sikh spend their last few breaths history and art are my dealing a few more deathly passion and I have always blows to the shocked soldiers been inspired by stories who had come to ‘arrest’ them.

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US airports will now treat...

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entry programme, one should not have any criminal record or be connected with any kind of economic offence.

Officials working on the subject said the US authorities are in favour of including as many individuals as possible since it makes the job of security agencies easier.

“We are preparing a list of frequent travellers who can be part of this. Initially we will include about 2000 individuals but once we have a robust system in place to carry out background checks, the numbers will increase,” said a government official.

Select few Sources said the system cannot be restricted to celebrities or high-profile personalities alone. Once

Modi’s team braces for...

it starts functioning any individual can apply for it.

“It’s not just Indian agencies that will be involved in carrying out background

transaction receipt and direct him to baggage claim and the exit. The decision to include India in the Global entry programme

checks, the US authorities will also do that. Once all scrutiny is done, one can be included in the list,” the official added. So how will this work? There will be a global entry kiosk where passengers can present their machine-readable passport or US permanent resident card, place their fingerprints on the scanner for fingerprint verification and complete a customs declaration. The kiosk will issue the traveller a

was taken last September when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited America. Now, officials of both countries have come together to make this a reality soon.

Robert Vadra to ‘erase’ name from all no-frisk lists With the NDA deciding to uphold UPA’s decision of having Robert Vadra on nofrisking list at airport, the Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s controversial son-

in-law now plans to remove his name on his own. “Plans to visit every terminal in the airports in India and add a white tape on my name from the VVIP list and my signature on top !! So look out,” Vadra said in a Facebook post Monday.

Incidentally, as reported by the Goa airport had put a white tape on Vadra’s name at the no-frisking list earlier this year. The move, local officials had said, was taken after many people used to ask why Vadra’s name was on that list. The aviation ministry whose indecisiveness led to constant flip flops on Vadra remaining on that list or not reacted furiously to the businessman’s Facebook post. “Why is he politicizing the issue by writing on Facebook? He should write to me or the home minister and we will have his name removed in no time,” Union minister of state for aviation minister Mahesh Sharma who singlehandedly runs the show as the cabinet minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju has taken a back seat told reporters.

Two Indian institutes make...

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 27 for a joint town hall Q&A. The groups said it is against Facebook hosting PM Modi, who it alleged is leading a “Forcible Conversion” campaign “to turn India into Hindu nation”. Separately, a broad array of liberal, Left-wing intellectuals and academics issued a statement against the Modi visit, decrying everything from his alleged inaction during the 2002 riots in Gujarat to the government’s invasive propensities that could subvert its digital India campaign. All this is par for course for the PM’s travel planners, a mix of domestic and overseas party and organization (RSS) office bearers and government officials. “Only in US and India can these kind of protests take place,” said a party worker who is part of the planning team.

“Imagine this happening in China or Saudi Arabia.” In fact, protests against Indian leaders visiting the US goes back a long way.

It turns out that when Morarji Desai briefly visited UC-Berkeley when he was Prime Minister to accept an award, he was greeted with protests from a radical Left-wing group.

Calling the Gandhian Desai

a “butcher of the Indian people,” the group, calling itself supporters of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), railed that “the purpose of his current visit to US is to perpetrate the hoax of the so called ‘restoration of democracy’ in India. The fact is that the semifeudal, semi-colonial state of India has never been a democracy for the masses of Indian people. Mr Desai is the representative of the barbaric rule of feudal landlords and foreign-dependent capitalists in India. There is nothing common between the interests of Indian people and Mr Desai, the lackey of US imperialists and Soviet Social imperialists,” read the fervid trope from the group, radical even by Berkeley’s famed liberal reputation. Indian diplomats who have served long years in the US see all

this as business-asusual, suspecting some of the protests are backed by Pakistan - the same way Pakistanis suspect anti-Pakistan protests by dissident Baloch, Sindhi, Ahmadi, and Mohajir groups abroad are backed by India. In fact, the Sikhs groups were protesting even when Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister. The proposed protests have also led to moments of mirth on social media. A tweet by a Pakistani exhorting all Pakistanis to quit Facebook to protest Modi’s visiting the campus resulted in a riposte about when Pakistanis would quit the various countries Modi was visiting to be greeted and feted.

God Dhoni cover: Supreme Court stays criminal proceedings In a relief to cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Supreme Court on Monday stayed the criminal proceedings against him on a complaint lodged for allegedly portraying himself as Lord Vishnu on a magazine cover page. A bench comprising justices Pinaki Chandra Ghose and R K Agrawal also stayed the operation of the order of Karnataka High Court which had refused to stall the

criminal proceedings against him. The bench, which clubbed the plea of Dhoni with another petition on the similar issue, has also issued notice to the person who had lodged a criminal complaint against cricketer in a Bengaluru trial court. Dhoni had filed the Special Leave Petition challenging the Karnataka HC order.

the top 50, more than Boston and New York (3) Paris, Sydney, Hong Kong and Beijing (2), with the London School of Economics and Political Science making the top 40 for the first time.

In an exclusive interview to a newspaper, Ben Sowter, QS head of research, said, “India has two institutions in the top 200 this year, which has occurred as a result of QS evolving its methodology to be more even-handed across subject areas and it has revealed strength in research in engineering, technology and the natural sciences. If you want to compare India and China, the primary shortfalls are money and consistent policy leadership.” Thirtyfour countries are represented in the top 200. The US is the dominant nation, with 49 institutions, ahead of the UK (30), the Netherlands (12), Germany (11), Canada, Australia, and Japan (8), China (7), France, Sweden and Hong Kong (5).

Sowter adds “If, however, India and her universities are serious about competing internationally, then they have to start engaging internationally.

How does it make sense for Xi’an Jiaotong University to have higher proportions of international students and faculty than IIT Delhi? The only answer

is the quality and quantity of local demand. A typical international student who might want to go to an IIT probably can’t meet the entry standards - and if they can, then they’re going to MIT or Imperial,” Sowter said. According to Sowter, India should worry less about rankings.

diverse international mix on campus is not just a benefit for the visitors, but also for the natives, who will learn important skills and understanding, from working alongside their international peers”.

Sopwter also says that “India’s universities have clear strengths in

Sowter added “The current priorities of its HE system are domestic, the country has unique demographics that are very difficult to comprehend for many outside observers. What India should probably focus on, is having its universities focus on fostering global citizens with leadership potential, whilst maintaining its strengths in research in engineering, technology and natural sciences. In pursuing these objectives, institutions might conclude that a more

technology and natural sciences, and with the historic emphasis on medical research now neutralized, are reflected in their rightful place in this year’s tables. On a cautionary note, however, it’s important to highlight that the trend in a number of key measures remains downward, so to retain and improve upon this year’s results, the Indian Higher Education establishment must not be complacent, and must continue to drive for greater international recognition.”

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Russia capitalizes on US hesitancy

Ready to bolster Syria’s al-Assad regime!

Russia has shown it is willing to tackle the Daesh or ISIS threat head on by coming to the aid of President Assad’s regime in Damascus when the chips are down. Moscow’s role in Syria has been an open secret but with the terror group closing in on a strategic airbase, it is now clear Russia will do everything it can to take back the initiative from the extremists. First there were arms shipments and military advisers. Now there are Russian ground troops in Syria.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov may have denied his country’s rising involvement in the conflict, but it is clear Assad will be backed to the hilt. With this surge, Russia has two objectives in mind: one, save Assad from losing all of Syria and two, show the world that Russia is the only country that is ready and willing

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to put boots on the ground. Simply put, it has stepped in where the US has feared to tread. Differing reports now indicate that Russia has already sent heavy weapons and dozens to hundreds of troops to Syria, though the buildup appears to be limited for the time being.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov later confirmed that the huge Russian transport planes landing in an airport near Latakia, a port city on the Mediterranean, are carrying weapons and Russian servicemen.

Other reports confirm that two Russian Navy tank landing ships are moored at the Port of Tartus, also on the Mediterranean Sea, where the Russians have a naval base. According to the reports that the ships are offloading armored vehicles, tanks as well as nearly 50 Russian marines. The weapons and soldiers are arriving from Russia’s Sevastopol port in the Black Sea, in Crimea, that Russia invaded and annexed last year. Further reports indicate that hundreds of troops from Iran’s élite Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) have also arrived, and are deployed northwest of Damascus near the border with Lebanon. The first reports that Iran was planning to deploy troops in Syria came several months ago. That massive troop deployment appears to be occurring now.

Moscow’s stand has been consistent from the start. For this, it must be lauded. But why should the US be concerned if this is a war against terrorism? It should have sent in ground troops two years ago when the world realized Daesh is a Frankenstein in the making. Or is it more important to get Assad out of the way after four years and let the group do as they please in the region? Both sides have committed atrocities; Daesh even more than the regime in Damascus, yet Washington dragged its feet doing nothing as red lines were crossed by Assad and the extremists of every hue. As a result, 250,000 have died and 12 million Syrians are refugees in their own land and abroad.

So, how will the war pan out if Moscow’s troops join in the defense of Damascus?

US Secretary of State John Kerry warned Russia that Daesh backers would increase their support of the terror group if the Kremlin decides to go on the offensive. But who are these backers that Secretary Kerry is talking about? “Once

Opinion By: SUNNY BAINS

again this is an attempt to appease those who are using terrorists in their fight against unwanted regimes. I believe this is a colossal mistake,” responded Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister.

According to one analysis, Russia’s president Vladimir Putin does not really want to end up in a quagmire in Syria, but is using the threat of a massive Russian military deployment to Syria to blackmail the West into accepting “Putin’s plan” for Syria. Putin’s plan would be to form a broad international coalition, targeting the so-called Islamic State. The all-inclusive anti-ISIS coalition would unite Syrian regime forces with Western forces and Russian forces against ISIS, and

From my point of view, “Putin’s plan” is absolutely fascinating. In the coming Clash of Civilizations world war, Iran, Russia and India would be allied with the United States and West, while the Sunni Muslim nations would be allied with China.

Years ago, if I had predicted this my prediction may have sounded completely fantastical, but for the last couple of years we’ve seen it coming true, step by step.

“Putin’s plan,” if adopted, would be a major step in bringing that prediction closer to reality. Whatever else happens, there’s absolutely no doubt that the Sunni nations, starting with Turkey and Saudi Arabia, would be infuriatedly opposed to any such plan for the West to align with Iran and al-

would receive a mandate from the United Nations General Assembly. Putin plans to address the UN General Assembly in mid-September, and may discuss the plan then. The plan would mean that Western forces would join with Russia and Iran to prop up the regime of Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad, with the nominal objective of fighting ISIS. Russia’s power and military base in the Mideast would be firmly established, and Russia would take on the job of defeating ISIS and alQaeda linked Jabhat al-Nusra (al-Nusra Front). Some European leaders, including Italy’s former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and France’s former president Nicolas Sarkozy, have expressed interest in the plan because it relieves tensions with Russia in Ukraine, and they would like to mediate a rapprochement in Ukraine crisis.

Assad, who Sunni leaders consider to be existential threats to their countries. The White House has limited its role in this conflict to air raids and has restrained itself for the sake of President Obama’s legacy.

Military strategy has focused on drawdowns and withdrawals. Afghanistan is lost, Iraq has gone and Syria is in a mess. America does not want to take responsibility for continuing conflicts. A reluctant United States is in a battle of wills with a resurgent Russia that is carving out an important role for itself in the region. It was party to the nuclear deal with old ally Iran and has made its intentions clear with its military ground moves in Syria. The US on the other hand has reluctant to cede geostrategic space to its old Cold War foe. With that space slipping away, it has also lost the moral high ground in the Middle East.

Over 350 inmates escape in Afghanistan prison break At least 355 prison inmates on Monday fled a prison in Afghanistan’s Ghazni province after militants attacked it in the early hours Kabul: More than 350 inmates escaped on Monday after Taliban militants attacked a prison in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Ghazni, an official said.

“One militant rammed a car bomb at main gate of the prison around 2 a.m. (local time). Shortly after the blast, six militants disguised in police uniform entered the jail, assisting the inmates to leave the complex,” Xinhua news agency quoted Mohammad Ali Ahmadi, deputy provincial governor as saying.

The initial information showed that 352 prisoners, including a number of inmates, succeeded to flee while security forces intercepted more than 80 prisoners.

“Four policemen of the jail were killed while 14 people, including four inmates and 10 security forces, were injured,” Ahmadi said, adding “a massive operation has been initiated to arrest the escapees”.

Sediq Sediqqi, the country’s Interior Ministry spokesman, said an investigation was launched into the incident.

The Taliban militant group has claimed responsibility for the incident.

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Obama skips Chinese-owned hotel over ‘spying fears’, Modi, Putin opt for it NEW DELHI PM Narendra Modi will be staying at New York’s iconic Waldorf-Astoria hotel

We are all, in one way, asylum seekers. We all live in the madhouse called Earth. We are all surrounded by different sorts of insanity. We all crave meaning, peace, a sense of reason. We are all victims of a society that we didn’t ask to be born into yet now cannot get away from. We all need help and we deserve it too.

Even the helpers need it.

Indeed, the helpers probably need it most.

That will be you, then.

Helper extraordinaire. If you want to carry on being helpful be sensitive and humble enough to let someone else help you. !!!

What gods must we continually appease?

Gods of fashion.

Goddesses of social acceptability. Angry deities that will wreak havoc if we do not make them offerings of dishwasher-loading and account-balancing. In our efforts to satisfy the demands of these spirits, we overlook the ones who represent a ‘higher purpose’. Right now, though, despite all that seems so determined to bring you down to earth and fill your head with trivia, some great cosmic force insists that you reach for a wider, wiser, horizon.

Your heart will yet take you there. !!!

What can you see in your mind’s eye? What are you dreaming up? Thoughts are powerful things. They tend to lead to action.

Even when they don’t, they subtly shape the minds of other people.

They are transmitted telepathically. They are picked up by the unconscious. They have weight and impact. We are all sensitive to this, even if we pretend otherwise. You are beginning to envisage an exciting but different future emotional life. The chance of this coming into being is much greater than

you think. So think harder! !!!

Don’t we just want everything to be smooth?

Is that too much to ask?

Must life be a constant cavalcade of complication, aggravation and agitation? It may, at times, seem as if all that is inevitable and inescapable, but we are here for something so much bigger, brighter and better. Philosophers debate the issue of fate versus free will and that’s an open-ended question.

But here is one choice that we always have the power to make. We can decide to embrace the light and shun the dark. That’s all you have to do. !!!

Happiness is what you want. Plain, simple contentment. You want to feel good. You want to know, in your heart, that everything is okay. Is that too much of a tall order?

Of course not. Why, then, do you feel so restless or uneasy? Could it be that you have an overly fixed idea about what will (or will not) make you happy?

Might you be unnecessarily afraid of something that has less power to hurt or upset you than you suspect? Don’t worry about the future.

Don’t worry about the past, either. Just relax. !!!

Every hour contains sixty minutes. Every minute, sixty seconds. We all know that. We learned it when we were knee high to a grasshopper. Except that, hold on, were you and I ever that small? Maybe if we’re wrong about the grasshopper, we’re wrong about time, too. Maybe it’s a much more fluid, flexible phenomenon than we realize. Maybe those strict numerical divisions and the inexorable consistency they imply are derisible. In the realm of the heart now, if you want to slow time down or speed it up ... you can!

Palace Hotel this year, which has been a PMO favourite for many years.

Instead, Modi will move into the Waldorf-Astoria during the time that he will be in New York, between September 23 and 28. Putin has also taken advantage of Obama’s absence and booked himself in there. So has Chinese President Xi Jinping, who will be in New York during the UNGA’s high-level segment, and has booked his own suite of rooms at the WaldorfAstoria. The former Hilton The Waldorf-Astoria hotel property was sold to the this year, after US president chandeliers of the Waldorf. Chinese insurance Barack Obama refused to But Modi and Putin evidently company, Anbang Insurance stay there. While Barack Obama is apparently unwilling to run the risk of possible “bugging”, after Astoria was bought by a Chinese insurance company in 2014 even it means overturning a decades-old tradition, Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin don’t have such qualms. The US administration has been The New York Palace Hotel worried that the Chinese, who have been accused of don’t share the same fears. company, which is owned merrily stealing data and The Indian Prime Minister by the husband of Deng personal information from will abandon the New York Xiaoping’s granddaughter.

Pet dog turns out to be fox in China

the State Department and White House, could have a field day with bugs and cyber spies amid the gilded

Beijing A couple in China’s Guangdong province were shocked to discover that the dog which they had decided to adopt was actually a fox.

The man found the animal sitting outside his house on a rainy day last week and decided to offer the creature a home. His wife gave the animal a bath, but she noticed that the animal’s tail was unusually fluffy for a dog.

It also had a ferociouslooking set of teeth and a pungent scent. The animal even managed to escape after biting open the iron cage, but luckily it was recovered on the house’s balcony.

On examination, authorities said the animal was actually an Arctic fox and was abandoned after someone tried to raise it as a pet.

School under fire for assigning majors through lottery system Beijing A university in China’s Hunan province has caused controversy by making its students pick their majors through a lottery system.

The auditorium at the University of South China was especially crowded the evening of September 8, when hundreds of students queued to pick their majors through a lucky draw.

Lu Qinghua, an official with

the school, said, “We were forced to take these measures. If choosing a major is solely based on students’ wants, some

majors will be overcrowded and others will have difficulty enrolling enough students. There are some other colleges that use this

method.” Critics have said the university’s methods are a sign of lazy governance.

“The college lacks a sense of responsibility. Students should enjoy the right to choose the majors they prefer, and the college should not sacrifice students’ chances of personal development for the sake of maintaining a balance among majors,” said a student.

6 lakh descendants to join Confucius family in China

More descendants of Chinese philosopher Confucius will have a chance to be recorded in the thinker’s genealogical record books Beijing: Around six lakh descendants of the Chinese philosopher Confucius will soon be included in the thinker’s genealogical record books, which is believed to be the world’s largest.

Compilers have started updating the records in Qufu, Shandong Province and descendants may inquire and register at any time, said Kong Deyong, a 77th-generation descendant of the revered Chinese philosopher and chief compiler of the family

minority members, women generation,” Kong said. tree.

“At least an additional and people living overseas He said a digital database of the family tree is being built to ensure the records stay up-to-date.

Confucius, born in 551 BC in Qufu in eastern China’s Shandong Province, was a great teacher and thinker whose theories have been a dominant ideology in the Communist country for more than 2,000 years.China’s ruling Communist Party has 600,000 descendants of who are blood descendants returned to many Confucius will be included,” of Confucius whose names traditional Confucian he said. The latest revision had not been included in ideas since the 1990s, emphasising the need for also represents a change the family tree. to an old rule that the books “The lives and stories of social harmony and may only be revised every renowned descendants will respect for authority in an 30 or 60 years. The new be included in the records increasingly divided and additions are mainly ethnic to educate the younger materialistic society.

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BJP, hardliners warn Rajinikanth against accepting film offer on Tipu Sultan New Delhi BJP, hardline outfits say 18th Century ruler ‘committed atrocities against Hindus’, producer

says let ‘dogs bark’.Days after a leading Kannada producer said he planned to make a movie on Tipu Sultan and rope in Tamil actor Rajinikanth to star in, the BJP and hardline outfits in Tamil Nadu warned the actor against accepting the offer. Calling Tipu Sultan, the 18th century ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore, antiTamil, some hardline groups said Tamil actors should avoid accepting any role in the movie.

Senior BJP leader L Ganesan told The Sunday Express that Rajinikanth should not act in the movie. “He (Rajinikanth) is my very good friend. I am sure he will not take up the

role portraying Tipu Sultan as a hero. Tipu was an aggressor, who committed maximum atrocities against Hindus.

Rajinikanth will never take up a role to portray such a character,” said Ganesan.

“Knowing the history, how can I be silent when there are attempts to glorify foreigners who invaded us and our culture,” he added. Ramagopalan, leader of Hindu Munnani an outfit with a history of protesting against movies was the first to demand that Rajinikanth reject the project. Ramagopalan claimed that Tipu Sultan had attacked Tamils during his rule and a film about him would be an insult to Tamils. He also quoted certain portions from the autobiography of former chief minister M G Ramachandran, where he talks about how Tipu Sultan’s attacks had forced his ancestors to shift from Coimbatore to Palakkad. Hindu Makkal Katchi, another outfit with a sizeable cadre base across the state, also joined the protest Saturday and said it would not allow screening of the movie.

Lump of whale vomit to earn its lucky finder Rs 7.2 lakh London An extremely rare lump of whale vomit found by a dog walker on a beach in the UK is expected to fetch 7,000 pounds at the first auction of its kind. The chunk of ambergris a waxy rock-like substance that can prolong the scent of perfume was found washed-up on the shore near north Wales. The ambergris, that measures 8 inches by 6 inches and weighs 1.1 kg, could have been floating in the sea for decades before it came ashore. Ambergris is produced in the intestines of sperm whales to protect

them from the sharp beaks of squid which they eat and

pounds privately before.

“Our vendor was out

is passed as vomit. The substance is used in the perfumery industry and has sold for thousands of

walking his dog when it ran over to this object and wouldn’t leave it alone,” said Chris Surfleet, senior

valuer and auctioneer. “He took it home, did a bit of research and suspected it was ambergris and knew it had a value, so he came to us. We are 100 per cent certain it is ambergris. A number of people with experience with ambergris have studied it who have confirmed it,” he said. “It is a bit like gold in that it comes down to the price per gram. There is a lot of interest in unusual items these days,” he said. It is illegal to trade in ambergris in many countries, but when it is found washed up, the discoverer can keep it.

Cairo Egyptian security forces killed 12 people, including Mexican tourists, and injured 10 others when they mistakenly targeted their convoy while chasing terrorists in Egypt’s Western Desert.

“A joint police and army force were chasing terrorists yesterday in the western desert area of AlWahat when they mistakenly engaged with four 4x4 vehicles boarded

by Mexican tourists who

were present in a restricted area, according

wounded had been taken to hospital and an

investigation in to the incident. Western desert

to an Interior ministry statement.

“The incident led to the death of 12 and wounding of 10 Mexicans and Egyptians. The area they were in was off limits to foreign tourists,” it said.

“An inspection team was formed to identify what happened and why the tourists were present in the restricted area,” the statement said.

The statement said the

investigation had been launched into the circumstances of the incident. The interior ministry, however, did not give the exact number of Mexicans killed nor did it give out the details of how the vehicles were targeted.

Later the Mexican foreign ministry confirmed that at least two Mexican tourists were killed. Mexico’s president has asked Egypt to conduct an “exhaustive”

is one of the areas in the country that has been exploited by militants affiliated to the Islamic State group, who mainly target security forces in Sinai on Egypt’s eastern borders. Over 600 security personnel have been reported killed since the ouster of Islamist expresident Mohamed Morsi in 2013 by military following massive protests against his rule.

Kansas City A 24-year-old mother is in custody after her dirty, barefoot 4- and 6-year-old children were found living in a wooden shipping crate in an underground cave in Kansas City, Missouri.

The woman was charged yesterday with two counts of felony child endangerment. Jackson County detectives were serving a search warrant for an alleged stolen car operation in the caves on the city’s east side Thursday when they found the children, alone, in the 8by-10-foot (2.4-by-3-meter) crate furnished with vehicle bench seats. Prosecutors

say the children were poorly clothed, barefoot and covered in dirt, and the younger one was eating from a cup of dry ramen

noodles. A spokesman for the Jackson County prosecutor’s office said today he didn’t know if the woman has an attorney.

Egyptian forces chasing militants mistakenly kill 12 tourists

Whale vomit set to fetch 7,000 pounds at auction London An extremely rare lump of whale vomit found by a dog walker on a beach in the UK is expected to fetch 7,000 pounds at the first

auction of its kind.

The chunk of ambergris a waxy rock-like substance that can prolong the scent of perfume - was found washed-up on the shore at Anglesey, north

Wales, earlier this year.

The ambergris, that measures 8 inches by 6 inches and weighs 1.1 kg, could have been floating in the sea for decades before

it came ashore.

Ambergris is produced in the intestines of sperm whales to protect them from the sharp beaks of squid which they eat and is passed as vomit,

‘mirror.co.uk’ reported.

The substance is used in the perfumery industry and has sold for thousands of pounds privately before.

“Our vendor was out walking his dog when it ran over to this object and wouldn’t leave it alone,” said Chris Surfleet, senior valuer and auctioneer.

“He took it home, did a bit of research and suspected it was ambergris and knew it had a value so came to us. We are 100 per cent certain it is ambergris. “A number of people with experience with ambergris have studied it who have confirmed it,” he said.

“It is a bit like gold in that it comes down to the price per gram. There is a lot of interest in unusual items these days,” he said.

US mom charged after kids found living in crate, cave

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South Korean man gets 12 years prison for slashing US ambassador

Seoul Kim Ki-jong was convicted of attempted murder, assaulting a foreign envoy and obstruction, according to court spokesman Joon Young Maeng. A Seoul court on Friday handed a 12-year prison sentence to a South Korean man who slashed and seriously injured the US ambassador during a March forum. Kim Ki-jong was convicted of attempted murder, assaulting a foreign envoy and obstruction, according to court spokesman Joon Young Maeng.

Both Kim and the prosecution have one week to determine whether to appeal, Maeng said.

Prosecutors had previously asked for a 15-year prison term.

Kim slashed Mark Lippert during a breakfast forum in Seoul, leaving deep gashes on the envoy’s face and arm. Lippert was treated for five days at a Seoul hospital.

Kim has described himself as an anti-US activist. He told police that his assault was meant to protest US-South Korean military drills but that he did not intend to kill the ambassador.

The drills, which are meant as a deterrent against North Korean attack, are a major source of friction on the Korean Peninsula.

Pyongyang says they are meant as practice for a northward invasion to topple the dictatorship that has ruled the country since its founding in 1948.

S.African cave yields new human species MAROPENG The fossilised bones of 15 members of a previously unknown branch of the human family tree have been discovered in a cave in South Africa, scientists said Thursday, hailing the find as a breakthrough in evolution research.About 1,500 fossils were found deep in a cave system outside Johannesburg, hidden in a chamber only accessible via several steep climbs and narrow rock crevasses. The hominid described as a “new species” of human has been named Homo naledi after the “Rising Star” cave where the bones were found.

Naledi means “star” in Sesotho, a local South African language.

Experts are uncertain how old the bones are, but say they were probably placed there after death a discovery that shines light on ancient human rituals. “We have just met a new species of human relative that deliberately disposed of its dead,” Lee Berger, project leader and palaeoanthropologist at Johannesburg’s University of the Witwatersrand, announced as the fossils were unveiled.“Until this moment in history we thought the idea of ritualised behaviours directed towards the dead... was actually unique to Homo sapiens. “We saw ourselves as different. We have now seen, we believe, a

species that had that same capability and it is an

ultimate origins of our species,” he added.Scientists say the

extraordinary thing.” The bones were first discovered in 2013 by Witwatersrand University scientists and volunteer cavers in the Cradle of Humankind, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, 50 kilometres (30 miles) northwest of Johannesburg.

Ancient human remains have been found in the area since excavations begun in the 1920s.

“The discovery of so many fossils belonging to at least 15 individuals is remarkable,” said Professor Chris Stringer, from the Natural History Museum in London, one of the lead analysts on the discovery. The find highlighted “the complexity of the human family tree and the need for further research to understand the history and

hands, wrists and feet of the bodies were similar to modern humans, but the brain size and upper body were much more like the earliest humans. “Homo naledi had a tiny brain, about the size of an average orange, perched atop a very slender body,” said John Hawks, of the University of WisconsinMadison, a senior author on the academic paper detailing the new species. The hominid stood approximately 1.5 metres (about 5 feet) tall and weighed about 45 kilos (almost 100 pounds).“The hands suggest tool-using capabilities,” said Tracy Kivell of the University of Kent, in Britain, who was part of the team that studied Homo naledi’s anatomy.

One million Africans a year catch Man bites off wife’s nose, eats it for ignoring his phone calls malaria from dam mosquitoes

NAIROBI One million Africans will catch malaria this year because they live near a large dam and, at a time of booming dam construction on the continent, greater efforts must be made to protect people from the killer disease, a study said on Friday.

Almost 80 major new dams are due to be built in sub-Saharan Africa over the next few years, leading to an additional 56,000 malaria cases a year, the study in Malaria Journal predicted.

“While dams clearly bring many benefits - contributing to economic growth, poverty alleviation and food security adverse malaria impacts need to be addressed or they will undermine the sustainability of Africa’s drive for development,” the paper’s lead author, Solomon Kibret of Australia’s University of New England, said in a statement. The researchers called for measures to control malaria to be included when dams are being planned, such as drying out shorelines at

crucial times, issuing bed nets to local people and introducing fish that eat mosquito larvae to dam reservoirs. It is the first time scientists have measured the impact of dams on malaria across the continent, the researchers said.

Over 15 million Africans live within five kilomatres of dam reservoirs, the scientists found after studying almost 1,300 dams. Two-thirds of the dams

were in malaria-prone areas.

Africa is experiencing a surge in dam construction so as to generate electricity, irrigate crops and store water for fast-growing populations.

“Dams are an important option for governments anxious to develop,” another of the paper’s authors, Matthew McCartney of the International Water Management Institute, a research organisation, said.

“But it is unethical that people living close to them pay the price of that development through increased suffering and, possibly in extreme cases, loss of life.”

Malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes, which breed in stagnant water such as shallow puddles along dam shorelines.

It is a major health problem in sub-Saharan Africa, where there are 174 million cases a year.

London The pair, from the city of Dezhou in China, allegedly got into a fight after the woman did not answer her estranged husband’s calls after a late work shift earlier this week.In a gruesome incident in China, an estranged husband reportedly bit off his wife’s nose and ate it after she did not pick up his calls.The pair, from the city of Dezhou in China, allegedly got into a fight after the woman did not answer her estranged husband’s calls after a late work shift earlier this week.Enraged, her husband apparently stormed into her work place the following day and attacked her, biting off her nose and then swallowing it, according to the People’s Daily Online.The woman, identified only as Yang, told Shangdong Television station, “And the next thing I knew, he pushed my head

towards the way and ate my nose in one go.” Doctors have claimed the damage to Yang’s nose is so severe she will require extensive surgery. Almost her entire nose, including the nasal septum, soft triangle and nose tip, were eaten.Surgeons believe it will be at least three months before her nose can be cosmetically reconstructed, British daily The Independent reported. The couple, who were both divorcees when they married, appeared to have a tumultuous relationship.

According to local news reports, Yang claims her husband who had two grown-up children from his previous marriage attempted to sell the couple’s child so she could care for his grandchildren.

When Yang refused, the couple separated, although she claims he continued to ring her regularly.

appeared to have slowed the speed of its reactions and dulled its movement, according to Sponichi, a tabloid newspaper.

Kanagawa prefecture police told AFP they were investigating how much it will cost to fix the robot, which is on sale at 198,000 yen ($1,600) plus monthly fees.

SoftBank has hundreds of Peppers in its stores nationwide. As well as being offered for sale as a companion in robot-obsessed Japan, Pepper is also being used to sell

coffee machines in one chain and greet customers at a Japanese bank.

Furious Japanese man attacks phone shop robot TOKYO A Japanese man who allegedly attacked a phone shop robot in a drink-fuelled rage because he was angry at customer service has been arrested, media said.

Kiichi Ishikawa, 60, was captured on security camera aiming a kick at the 120centimetre (four-foot) -tall Pepper, a talking android used by mobile phone chain SoftBank to gather customer feedback. Reports suggested Ishikawa, who appeared to have

been drinking, was annoyed at his treatment at the hands of a human member of staff, and took his annoyance out on the automaton.

Pepper, a moon-faced robot on rollers that has what looks like a tablet computer attached to its plastic body, has been billed by its makers as a human companion capable of understanding language and emotion. The alleged attack on Sunday morning in a store in Kanagawa, near Tokyo,

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15 Sep. - 21 Sep. 2015

Japan centenarian population hits record 60,000

TOKYO The number of people aged 100 and above has hit 60,000 in Japan this year, as the country faces spiralling social and health expenses to look after its legions of retirees.The population of centenarians is expected to reach 61,568 next week, of which 87 percent will be women, the welfare ministry said Friday.

On September 15, when the country marks “Senior’s Day”, the government will give letters and commemorative gifts to the 30,379 people who turn 100 this year. They will receive a silver sake dish that now costs the equivalent of $65, but since Japan’s ageing population is ballooning, the ministry is eyeing

a cheaper alternative to the gift from next next year. Presenting centenarians with the expensive gift was fine in the first year of the programme - 1963 - when Tokyo gave just 153 dishes to those who passed the century mark.

But the number of 100-year-olds in Japan has boomed since, with nearly 30,000 people eligible for the annual gift in 2014, at a cost of 260 million yen ($2.1 million).

Japanese men on average live just over 80 years, while women boast the world’s longest life expectancy of 86.83 years. The country is also home to the world’s oldest man, Yasutaro Koide, who turned 112 years old in March.

Woman found needle in brain after 46 years Beijing A Chinese woman received the surprise of her life after a recent visit to the doctor to treat her regular headaches. The patient, from Anhui, eastern China, was told that a needle had lodged itself in her brain for at least 46 years, reported People’s Daily Online. A CT scan revealed that a sharp object, nearly two inches in length, was stuck inside her skull. The patient, 48, who is known by her surname of Liu, said she had suffered from regular headaches for more than four decades. Ms Liu visited the doctor often, but had never found out the cause of the pain. After experiencing increasing pain and numbness in half of her body, Ms Li decided to visit Huaibei Miners General Hospital again to have a thorough check up on August 29. Hospital staff realised something was wrong when they wheeled Ms Liu into an MRI scanner, because the metal alarm kept beeping when her head went in.

Ms Liu was then referred to do a CT scan to find out the reason of alarm. Shocking Xray images revealed a 1.8-inch-

long needle was lodging near the top of her skull. Doctors thought it was the metal object that triggered the alarm. They also deduced that the needle had been there for at least 46

nail was likely to have been inserted into my mother’s head before she was 18 months old.

‘Due to the fact that her brain had not been fully developed at the time, the nail did not affect

years. Ms Liu was baffled how the needle had got into her brain.

And doctors could only suspect that it was injected into her head when she was a baby.

Ms Liu’s daughter, who accompanied her mother to the hospital, told reporters from Anhui News: ‘Doctors said the

my mother’s growth. Doctors suggested an open brain surgery to Ms Liu’s and her family for removing the needle as the pin-sharp object could potentially cause epileptic seizures and other severe illnesses. Ms Liu decided to take the operation despite its high level of risks.

China aims to land probe on dark side of Moon BEIJING China is planning to land a lunar probe on the far side of the moon, state media reported, the latest step for Beijing’s ambitious space programme.The mission will be launched before 2020 and aims to land a probe on a part of the moon never visible from earth, the official Xinhua news agency reported, citing officials at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The far side of the moon has been seen by previous probes, but no country has attempted a landing.The goal will be to study low frequency radio waves and geological conditions, according to the Xinhua report. The mission, named Chang’e 4, follows the Chang’e 3, which landed a rover dubbed Yutu on the moon in 2013. That made China the third nation after the

US and Soviet Union to land on the Earth’s only natural satellite.

Chang’e is the name of the moon

Chinese woman must choose between 2nd child, husband’s job BEIJING A public outcry has been raised over the plight of a woman who’s considering an illegal abortion at 8 months because the child would violate China’s restrictive birth policy and would cost her husband his job as a police officer.Members of the public have been phoning local officials in the couple’s Yunnan province community to inquire about the case, and an online travel service reportedly has offered the husband a position if he loses his government job.The case has rekindled debate over whether employment in the public sector should be used to enforce the policy that limits urban couples to one child in cases where both husband and wife have at least one sibling.The 41-year-old woman, who spoke on condition that she be identified only by her surname, Chen, said in a telephone interview Monday that the couple felt under pressure to abort their second child to keep

her husband’s job with local police. “I’m fearful,” Chen said. “If my husband believes I must abort

rule. Wen Xueping, a family planning official in Yunnan’s Chuxiong prefecture, said the

the child, there’s nothing I can do.”

She also grew uneasy about the public attention her case was drawing. “I am worried he would lose his job even after we lose the baby, if the situation gets messy.”Chen said the couple had hoped for a policy change that would allow them to have a second child but found her unexpectedly pregnant earlier this year in violation of the current

couple will not be forced to abort the baby but have been warned of the consequences of having it.

Couples who violate the child policy face hefty fines and - if they have government jobs - face being sacked.

Wen said members of the public have been calling his offices to inquire about the couple, whose case has garnered much attention on China’s social media.

goddess in Chinese mythology and Yutu is her pet rabbit. “If we can place a frequency spectrograph on the far side, we can fill a void,” Zou Yongliao, of the moon exploration department at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was quoted by Xinhua as saying.Plans for China to land on the dark side of the moon first emerged in May, but with no details, according to a report by

the state-run China Daily. “We probably will choose a site on which it is more difficult to land & more technically challenging,” Wu Weiren, chief engineer of China’s Lunar Exploration Programme, told state broadcaster CCTV at the time.

China completed its first return mission to the moon last year with an unmanned probe landing successfully back on Earth.

Doggone in China: Pet dogs banned, authorities threatens to kill all BEIJING A district government in east China has banned pet dogs and threatened to kill them on the spot if they were not removed, triggering protests from canine lovers.A district government in east China has banned pet dogs and threatened to kill them on the spot if they were not removed, triggering protests from canine lovers.“All dogs must be removed from the district before September 10, otherwise authorities will enter your house and kill your dog on the spot,” state-run Global Times reported on Friday.Termed as a “the cruelest ban”, a statement released by local government of Dayang district in Shandong province said that the district government will ban residents from keeping dogs, including those who have an animal license. It defended the ban saying that it is for the good of residents and the district’s hygiene.“The rule is aimed at preventing stray dogs from hurting

residents, but made no further comments on why domestic dogs should also be eliminated,” a district officer said.

“It’s unacceptable. Many residents here keep dogs and have an animal license. They cannot kill my dog and have absolutely no right to storm into my house without permission,” a resident surnamed Yang told the paper.For many Chinese who are permitted only one child, dogs have become life companions.

Love for dogs has become so strong that several volunteer groups have been stopping lorries carrying captured dogs for slaughtered houses for meat in recent years and seizing the animals.Many netizens slammed the measure as barbaric and urged the government to reconsider the ban, the report said. A similar regulation has been enforced in Huidong county, Sichuan Province, with the local government forbidding dogs in public areas, and would kill any stray dog.

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Astronaut controls robot from space NOORDWIJK European experts have pulled off a major advance that might one day help build new worlds in space after an astronaut in the International Space Station

remotely guided a robot on Earth by feel.

Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen performed the breathtaking experiment in which he placed a peg into a very tight hole on Monday under the careful control of the European Space Agency. While orbiting some 400 kilometres (250 miles) above Earth, Mogensen took control of the Interact Centaur rover which has a pair of arms for delicate, highprecision work.

The blue-and-white fibreglass robot, which cost less than 200,000 euros ($224,000) to build, also has a camera on its head which allows the controller to directly see the task it is performing. But sight is not the most important sense in this project. It is touch.In real-time,

thanks to super swift signals bouncing off a dedicated complex system of satellites working in synchronisation, the astronaut manoeuvered the robot into place. He then very

slowly lowered a metal pin held by the robot into a tight hole in a task board with less than a sixth of a millimetre of wriggle room.For the first time - thanks to force-feedback technology when the pin was not aligned correctly Mogensen felt it hit the sides of the hole via the joystick he was operating on the space station. Cheers erupted when after several long nail-biting minutes the rover - which slightly resembles Disney’s WALL.E cartoon character dropped the pin successfully into place. Scientists and engineers believe applications of this kind of tactile technology are huge - allowing humans to guide robots in delicate tasks by feeling their way.The technology will allow people “to project a human-like presence

into the robots, to do human-like tasks on the surface” of a planet, Andre Schiele, head of ESA’s Telerobotics and Haptics Laboratory, told AFP. With space engineers hoping at some point to fly people to Mars, “we have to bring them back” which means before they first step foot on the planet “you would have to build an entire launch-platform on the planet.”

Robots like the Centaur - also affectionately dubbed the “blue bug” by some of its designers could be put in place first to do the building.

“There’s going to be a need for a set-up, some building before a human even sets foot on the planet and for that we could send down robots and control them from a space station,” said industrial designer Emiel den Exter.

The 18-month project was a collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA)and students from Delft University of Technology. “Even something like lacing your shoe is something you rely entirely on your tactile senses” for, Schiele told journalists gathered at the ESA headquarters in the Dutch town of Noordwijk.

On Earth this cutting-edge technology known as haptics could also be used “everywhere where you basically don’t want to send humans,” said Schiele.

“Feeling” robots would have been useful to cap the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, or help seal the reactors at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant after the 2011 meltdown.

30,000-yr-old Frankenvirus emerges from Siberia PARIS Scientists said they will reanimate a 30,000-year-old giant virus unearthed in the frozen wastelands of Siberia, and warned climate change may awaken dangerous

microscopic pathogens.

Reporting this week in the flagship journal of the US National Academy of Sciences, French researchers announced the discovery of Mollivirus sibericum, the fourth type of pre-historic virus found since 2003 - and the second by this team. Before waking it up, researchers will have to verify that the bug cannot cause animal or human disease. To qualify as a “giant”, a virus has to be longer than half a micron, a thousandth of a millimetre (0.00002 of an inch).Mollivirus sibericum “soft virus from Siberia” comes in at 0.6 microns, and was found in the permafrost of northeastern Russia. Climate change is warming the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions at more than twice the global average, which means that permafrost is not so permanent any more.

“A few viral particles that are still infectious may be enough, in the presence of a vulnerable host, to revive potentially pathogenic viruses,” one of the lead researchers, Jean-Michel Claverie, told AFP. The regions in which these giant microbes have been found are coveted for their mineral resources, especially oil, and will become increasingly accessible for industrial exploitation as more of the ice melts away.

“If we are not careful, and we industrialise these areas without putting safeguards in place, we run the risk of one day waking up viruses such as small pox that we thought were eradicated,” he added.In safe laboratory conditions, Claverie and colleagues will attempt to revive the newly discovered virus by placing it with singlecell amoeba, which will serve as its host. Claverie, who runs a lab at France’s National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), and a team discovered another giant virus, which they called Pithovirus sibericum, at the same location in 2013, then managed to revive it in a petri dish.

Unlike most viruses circulating today, and to the general astonishment of scientists, these ancient specimens dating from the last Ice Age are not only bigger, but far more complex genetically.

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Jat Sikh parents, looking for a match for their 32 year old daughter, born and raised in California. Has a Masters Degree.

The boy should be educated, clean shaven and family oriented.

Please email bio-data and pictures to: bbkaur1963@gmail.com ***632*** Jatt Sikh (Bajwa) Parents seek suitable match for their son, 6’1”, born 1987, Masters in Engineering, H1B visa holder, working in the automotive industry in USA. Girl should be family oriented and professionally qualified. Please contact brampton1980@hotmail.com ***632*** Jat Sikh Brar parents invite matrimonial alliance for their dauter, 31 yrs old, 5’-6”, US green card holder, will get Citizenship next year, M.A. B.Ed., Working as quality inspecter/computer programmer in Sanjose (Calefornia). The boy should be professionally employed, non drinker/non smoker, Boy on Student Visa/HI Visa may also be considered. Jat Sikh boy from India with Master’s degree in Engg. or with medical background welcome to. No marriage bureau.

Please email recent picture & biodata to : brar_2012@outlook.com or Call : 1-831-524-4850 ***632*** Jat Sikh parents seek a suitable match for their daughter, 36 yrs. old, 5’4” tall, beautiful, innocently divorced, Canadian Citizen, well versed in both cultures, professionally employed in Toronto. The boy should be family oriented and from a respectable Jat Sikh family. Please send your bio-data and recent picture to : torontomatrimonail@gmail.com Or Call : 416-509-5012 Or : 416-418-5151 ***632*** Jat Sikh parents invite metrimonial alliance for their daughter, Canadian Immigrant, 28 yrs. old, 5’-5” tall, completed CGA from Canada, beautiful, family oriented, wll versed in both cultures, innocently divorced after a very short marriage. The boy should be Jat Sikh, well educated, professionally employed with family values. Boy on student Visa/Work permit may also be considered. Family is well settled in Canada. Pl. email recent picture and biodata to cherubic125@gmial.com ***632*** Jat Sikh parents invite matrimonial alliance for their son 24 yrs. old, 5’-9” tall, B.DS (Dentist), presently in India prectising in Dentistry. The girl should be Canadian immigrant/Citizen, educated, beautiful and family oriented, Parents are in Canada these days on visitor visa younger brother is settled in India. Please email recent picture and bio-data to : amanpreet.aujala@ymail.com Or Call : 647-280-6503 Or : 011-91-98147-02918 ***632***

15 Sep. - 21 Sep. 2015

Jat Sikh parents seek a suitable match for their beautiful, 31 yrs old, 5’-7” tall daughter, born and raised in Canada, well educated, professionally employed in govt. job in Calgory. The boy should be educated Canadian/American, born and raised from good family.

Please send your bio-data and recent picture to :kaur198431@gmail.com Or Call : 1-604-356-0226 ***632*** Suitable match required for Professionally Qualified boy, Canadian immigrant, 5'- 8" tall,1982 born, M.Sc Electronics & Communications Engg. (UK)., B Tech Electronics & Instrumentation Engg. India. Caste No Bar. Please send your bio-data & recent picture to: bcalliance1@gmail.com or call: 1- 604-512-1078 *** 632*** Jatt Sikh girl, 29 yrs. old, 4'-11" tall, MBA, bank employee, USA citizen, only child (willing to relocate), family owns business/ property in NJ/PA. The boy should be Jatt Sikh, USA/ Canadian citizen, college educated and professionally employed. Please send your biodata & recent picture to: tksohi@yahoo.com *** 632*** Well settled Jat Sikh parents seeking a suitable match for their Canadian born son, 29 yrs. Old, 6’ tall, educated, handsome, wears turban. The girl should be educated, attractive, having good family background. Please send your bio-data and recent picture to: skaur222@outlook.com or Call: 1-604-728-3530 ***632*** Jat Sikh parents seeks a suitable match for their Canadian born daughter, 25 yrs. old, 5’-3” tall, well educated, working in her own field. The boy should be GurSikh, professionally qualified, settled with family values. Please email recent picture and bio data to : skaur222@outlook.com or Call: 1604-728-3530 ***632*** Jat Sikh parents invite matrimonial alliance for their daughter, 27 yrs. old, 5’-3” tall, Master degree in software engineering from a reputed University in Canada, Amritdhari and professionally employed. The boy should be equally qualified, professionally settled, Amritdhari from Jat Sikh family. Please email recent picture and biodata to: gilljs.369@gmail.com ***632**** Well settled Jat Sikh Gill family seeks a suitable match for their daughter, 32 yrs. old, 5’-6” tall, college graduate with diploma iin Business administration and accounting. The boy should be 30-37 yrs. of age, well qualified and raised in Canada. Please call: 905-874-0721 ***632*** Professionally qualified match for Jat Sikh Sidhu Turbaned, non drinker, Canadian citizen boy 25 yrs, 6’, Electrical Engineering from Canadian University and now

working in a reputed company in Mississauga. Family well settled in Brampton since 2005, GTA preferred. Respond with recent pic and biodata to sidhutoronto@hotmail.com or 905-497-3860 ***632*** Ravidasia family seek a suitable match for their daughter, 36 yrs old, 5’-3”, vegetarian, beautiful, innocently divorceds in two month, Canadian Citizen, Convent Educated, well settled in good job, belongs to a very educated family. The boy should be vegetarian, non-drinker, nonsmoker, well settled. Students/ Visitors/on work permit can be considered. Caste no Bar. Please send your bio-data & recent picture to : surjeetkamal@hotmail.com or Call : 1-778-998-3707 ***632*** Parents (SC) invite matrimonial alliance for their daughter, 33 yrs. old, 5'-2" tall, M.Sc. IT, Diploma in Pharmacy and presently working and residing in India. The boy should be Canadian immigrant/citizen, professionally employed with family values.

Sister's family is well settled in Canada. Cast no bar. Please Call: 1-306-737-9328 or 011-9197794-57530 ***632*** Jat Sikh parents seek a suitable match for their daughter, Canadian born 1980, 5'-5" tall, university graduate, working in government job. Divorced after short marriage. The Boy should be Jat Sikh, university educated and raised in Canada. Call: 1-604214-0911 *** 632*** Parents of American citizen, Jatt Sikh Girl, 27 yrs. old, 5'-4" tall,RN, BSN. looking for American Citizen Sikh boy, between 27-29 yrs. of age, well educated, family oriented, vegetarian, non drinker, non smoker. Call: 1-724-599-0722 *** 632*** USA citizen /Greencard /H1B above 5'-5", beautiful, professional girl for cleanshaven, handsome, jatsikh 28/6'-0 “,M-Tech (India) , presently USA study visa (Chicago) completing MBA (Finance) December 2015.mangat.harjit@yahoo.com .

Phone- 917-353-8909 *** 632*** Jat Sikh Parents invite suitable Match for their Handsome well behaved/cultured son, Medical Doctor (MBBS), 5'- 7'’, 27 Yrs. old, Canadian Immigrant and very well Family oriented with good Cultural Values in both indian/ north american cultures. Parents well settled. Please send your Bio-Data and recent picture to: hssharis@ yahoo.com or Call: 647 949 8191 *** 632*** Jat Sikh Parents invite suitable Match for their Daughter, doing B.A. (India), Beautiful, Slim, Fair, 5'- 5'’ tall, 24 Yrs. old, intelligent, Canadian Immigrant and very homely/ family oriented with good Cultural Values in both indian/ North American cultures.

Substantial property on our

daughter’s name. Please send your Bio-Data & recent picture to: hssharis@ yahoo.com or Call: 1 647 949 8191 *** 632*** Seeking equally qualified and employed match for Canadian citizen Jat Sikh Boy, born in India and raised and educated in Canada with Computer Engineering degree from a reputed University with current employment in Ontario Government as Software developer in Toronto. He is 27, 5’8”, athletic build and very fair complexion. Father retired Veterinary Doctor and mother retired Lecturer from India. Please send your bio-data and recent picture to: chahalcanadian100@outlook.com or Call: 1-416-998-9662 ***632*** Jat Sikh Brar parents invite matrimonial alliance for their daughter 28 yrs. old, 5’-4” tall, B.Sc. Nursing four years degree holder, well versed in both the cultures and family oriented. The boy should be professionally qualified, with family values from Jat Sikh family only. Please email recent picture and bio data to: avtar.brar@hotmail.com Or Call: 416-930-3261 ***632*** Jat Sikh parents invite matrimonial alliance for their son, 38 yrs. old, 6’ tall, born and raised in Canada, vegetarian, working in IT field, never married before. The girl should be vegetarian, beautiful well versed in both cultures.

Please email recent picture and biodata to: harp.h@hotmail.com Or Call: 416-840-7626 ***632*** Jat Sikh Grewal, Canadian citizen, 27 yrs. old, 5’-9” tall, well educated, has full time Job, doing part time family business. The girl should be well educated, family oriented, Jat Sikh, Canadian/ American immigrant or citizen.

Student/work permit/visitor can be considered. (Ludhiana District only). Please send your biodata and recent picture to: grewalsukhi68@gmail.com Or Call: 306-251-2828 ***632*** Jat Sikh parents looking for suitable match for their , 32 yrs. old son, 5'-10" tall, Canadian born, clean shaven, degree holder, currently working on govt. job. The girl should be well educated, family oriented, well versed in both cultures. Please email recent picture and bio-data to: bestwishes2016@ outlook.com or Call: 647-965-0959 ***632*** Professionally qualified match for Jat Sikh Canadian Citizen only son 28y/5'9", B.B.A and Diploma in Computer Science. Working as a Professional in IT field. Family well settled in Property business, Sisters Computer Engineers and married. Please send your biodata & recent picture to: matchforlife@hotmail.com or Call: 1- 613-823-8510 *** 632*** Jat Sikh parents looking for suit-

able match for their Canadian citizen, registered nurse daughter, 27 yrs. old, 5'-2" tall. The boy should be Canadian citizen/resident/professionally employed, vegetarian, non drinker, from well settled Jat Sikh family. Call: 905-861-9262 or 647-985-9262 ***632*** Jat Sikh parents seek a suitable match for their daughter, Canadian born, DOB 1980, 5'-5" tall, University graduate, working in government job, divorced after short marriage. The boy should be Jat Sikh, University educated and raised in Canada. Call: 1- 604-214-0911 ***632*** Jat Sikh parents seek a suitable match for their beautiful, smart , 31 year old daughter , holds Chartered Professional Accountant designation and bachelor in economics from University of Toronto and professionally employed in Canada. If interested please response with latest picture and biodata to: toronto.0454@gmail.com ***632*** Mair Rajput parents invite matrimonial alliance for their handsome son, 25 yrs. old, 5’-10” tall, B.Sc. in Airlines Management, Master’s degree in tourism management, IATA qualified, running his own successful business in Ludhiana Punjab (Verma Travels), presently in Brampton (Canada) on visitor Visa till Sept. 3, 2015. The girl should be Canadian Immigrant/Citizen with family Values. Boy’s Nanka family is well settled in Canada.

Please email recent picture & bio data to: robin_vr2006 @yahoo.com Or Call: 416-2741512 Or 647-981-8070 ***632*** Ramdasia Sikh parents invite matrimonial alliance for their well settled daughter, 30 yrs. old, 5’3” tall, born and raised in Sweden, MBA degree, beautiful, settled in Job. The boy should be should be Canadian Citizen/immigrant, equally qualified and family oriented. Girls Nanaka parivar is well settled in Canada. Please email recent picture & bio data to: tkaur83@ hotmail.com or Call: 647-708-0580 or : 647-761-3313 ***632*** Jat Sikh parents seek a suitable match for their son, Canadian Citizen, 30 year old, 6’-2” tall, born in India, University degree holder from Canadian University, running his own successful business. The girl should be tall, educated, from good family. Please send your bio-data and picture to: manpreetgill 48@yahoo.com or Call: 1-778-344-0303 ***632*** Jat Sikh parents seek a suitable match for their beautiful and slim daughter, 27 yrs. old, 5’-6” tall, American Citizen, holder Master degree in bio-technology currently working in MNC. The boy should be Jatt Sikh, well educated, and professionally employed. Please email recent picture and bio-data to: misskaur510@gmail.com or Call: 1-510-931-9860 ***632***

Issue - 632 (11)

15 Sep. - 21 Sep. 2015

Eating more than Super Mario celebrates 6 bananas at once kills you 30th anniversary

London It’s sometimes said that eating a lot of bananas at once could be dangerous - it has even been suggested that eating

George’s Hospital in London.

“We use it to help generate an electrical charge which helps the cell function properly. It helps keep your

more than six in one sitting could kill you.

Can this really be true?

Bananas are one of the world’s most popular fruits, stuffed with vitamins and minerals. On the face of it they are good for you, so why do some people think they could be fatal? One well-known figure who has spread this idea around is Karl Pilkington, the grumpy friend of comedian Ricky Gervais.

“Before when you were talking about bananas. I had that fact, about if you eat more than six, it can kill you,” he said in one of his conversations with Gervais and fellow comedian Stephen Merchant.“It is a fact.

Potassium levels are dangerously high if you have six bananas... I saw a bowl of bananas. There’s six bananas there. You know why there’s only six?

Seven would be dangerous.” So how dangerous is potassium?

Actually, it is crucial for survival and can be found “within every single cell of the body,” says Catherine Collins, a dietitian at St

heart rate steady, it helps trigger insulin release from the pancreas to help control blood sugars, and more importantly keeps blood pressure in check.”

On the other hand, if the level of potassium in the body is too low or too high it can result in an irregular heartbeat, stomach pain, nausea and diarrhoea.

Potassium chloride is even one of the chemicals used in lethal injections in the US, as extremely high doses can cause cardiac arrest.But for a healthy person, “it would be impossible to overdose on bananas,” says Collins.

“You would probably need around 400 bananas a day to build up the kind of potassium levels that would cause your heart to stop beating... Bananas are not dangerous - and in fact they are, and always have been, very good for you.”Adults should consume about 3,500mg of potassium per day, according to the UK’s National Health Service.

The average banana, weighing 125g, contains 450mg of potassium,

meaning a healthy person can consume at least seven-and-half bananas before reaching the recommended level. There are some people who should steer clear of foods that are high in potassium though, warns Collins those with kidney disease.

“These patients have a very low kidney function which can potentially see a build-up of harmful potassium levels in their blood stream because they can’t get rid of the mineral when they pass urine,” she says. “So in theory it is possible for someone with kidney disease to die of a high blood potassium level if they decided to consume lots of different food types rich in the mineral.” She once had a patient on dialysis who had a heart attack after eating too many tomatoes - another fruit rich in potassium. His kidneys had already stopped working so he was unable to get rid of the excess.

Al Qaeda chief says Islamic State is illegitimate in audio tape Al Qaeda leader Ayman alZawahri dismissed the Islamic State movement and its leader Abu Bakr alBaghdadi as illegitimate.

Al Qaeda leader Ayman alZawahri dismissed the Islamic State movement and its leader Abu Bakr alBaghdadi as illegitimate but said his followers would join them in fighting the Western-led coalition in Iraq and Syria if possible.In an audiotape on the internet, Zawahri said: “We don’t recognise this caliphate.”

Stolen $18000 bike ‘on sale for $180’ Madrid A stolen bicycle worth €12,000 (£8,800; $18000)

shop for suspected stolen goods when they spotted the bicycle’s “exceptional

has been recovered from a secondhand shop in the Spanish city of Malaga, where it was offered for sale at 1/100th of its value - €120.

Police were inspecting the

technical characteristics”.

It belonged to a rider competing in the Vuelta a Espana race around Spain.

The bicycle was returned to its owner on Sunday, the final day of the race.

The bicycle belonged to an unnamed rider for the Australian team, Orica Greenledge. A police statement (in Spanish) said the team had not yet had time to lodge a complaint for theft. A Malaga resident “with a long police record” had sold the bicycle to the shop, the statement said.

“We are going to offer a jersey with stripes on to the person who stole the Orica Greenedge bike,’’ police said on their official Twitter account (in Spanish). “His race ends in jail.” The Vuelta arrived in Malaga on 24 August, on the third stage of the three-week race. It finishes in the capital, Madrid, on Sunday.

TOKYO Nintendo Sunday celebrated the 30th anniversary of Super Mario, one of the best-known characters in video game history, at an event where artists performed his theme music for fans dressed as the hyperactive plumber.

Super Mario series creator Shigeru Miyamoto appeared on stage as a crowd cheered at a packed live-music venue that can house up to 700 people. He watched a human-size mascot Mario blow out candles on a birthday cake. “I was touched when I sang a birthday song with all of you,” Miyamoto said.

Video game music composer Koji Kondo played music used for newly released Mario software on a keyboard.

Other musicians, including performers on a violin and an accordion, separately performed well-known Mario music. Masako Iwata, one of the fans at the event, said she was looking forward to seeing Kondo, Miyamoto and Mario himself, whom she

described as her hero.

“I love Mario. I’ve been playing the series since I was four or five,” said the 26-

moustache, the hyperactive little plumber is instantly recognisable, a rare quality in the games

year-old, sporting a handmade Mario red cap and blue overall. Since Mario first hit the screens under his own name on September 13, 1985, Nintendo has sold more than 310 million units featuring the plucky plumber’s adventures fighting off Goombas and Koopa Troopas as he races to save Princess Peach.

The character had earlier made an appearance in the Nintendo arcade game “Donkey Kong”, but under the name Jumpman. With his distinctive uniform and

market. In his best-known adventures, Mario comes to the rescue of Princess Peach, but he has also been inserted into formats featuring football, golf or karting.The games have often been accompanied by technological advances, such as the fully threedimensional format introduced by “Super Mario 64” in 1996. To mark the three-decade milestone, Nintendo last Thursday released in Japan “Super Mario Maker” on the WiiU console.

Issue - 632 (12)

15 Sep. - 21 Sep. 2015

Senior Pakistani journalist shot dead by gunmen

Karachi A senior Pakistani journalist was shot dead on Wednesday by unidentified gunmen outside his

C area after dropping his children at home when he was targeted by two gunmen on a motorbike.

Aftab who received multiple bullet

house here, a day after an employee of a leading media house was killed in the city in the latest attack on media persons in the country.

Aftab Alam (42), who had been associated with different channels including Geo News and Samaa TV, was reversing his car in the city’s North Sector

wounds on his head, neck and chest, was rushed to Abbasi Shaheed hospital where doctors declared him dead.

“It appears to be a case of target killing,” a senior police official Munir Sheikh said.

It was the second incident in two days when the media persons were targeted by unidentified

Cairo Experts have reconstructed the face of an ancient Egyptian

Liverpool John Moores University, applied forensic techniques on the remains to reconstruct the

shooters on motorcycles.

Last night, a news van of Pakistan’s biggest media group, Geo Television Network came under fire by three unidentified gunmen in the Bahadurabad area in which a senior technical engineer was killed while the driver was injured.

The engineer, Arshad Ali Jaffri, died after being shot nine times in his upper body while driver Anis Chohan was injured and shifted to a private hospital.

The assailants fled the scene on motorcycles after opening fire.

Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Khan Siyal has asked senior police officials to immediately arrest the suspects.

The two new incidents have revived bitter memories of last year’s incident in the North Nazimabad area when two employees of the Express media group were gunned down while they sitting inside their news van.

One of Geo’s leading anchors Hamid Mir was also attacked last year in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi.

Egyptian mummy given a face

priest using cutting edge forensic techniques.

The mummy, called Kent, lived during the XVIII Dynasty and may have witnessed the reigns of Tutankhamen or Nefertiti. A CT scan of the mummy revealed that the man was around aged around 50 years when he died.

Dr Matteo Borrini, forensic anthropologist and lecturer at

features of the mummy.

Scanning allowed scientists to create an exact copy of the skull without disturbing the fragile bandages that hold the remains together.The scan also allowed individual muscles of the face to be reproduced.

Experts believe the mummy, which is the oldest at the Egyptian Museum of Florence,

was a high ranking person and probably a dignitary or a priest.

Dr Borrini calculated the shape of the face by cross-referencing the skeletal structures of the skull. His reconstruction was revealed at the International Congress of Egyptologists.

He said: ‘The research allows us to use forensic investigation techniques for archaeological purposes to sketch the portrait of men who died millennia ago.

‘The bust I made presents the scientific methodology in a language compatible with the needs of the museum and in harmony with the other artefacts on display.’

The hair, that could not be approximated from any anatomical remains, were designed by Dr Borrini in collaboration with Professor Donatella Lippi from the University of Florence and the Director of the Egyptian Museum Dr Maria Cristina Guidotti.

They took both the dynasty and the social status of the mummy into account when coming up with the style.

Australia spider possible new species of deadly funnel-web

SYDNEY Australian scientists have discovered what could be a new species of the deadly funnel-web spider, after finding a large specimen living in a national park.

The 50-millimetre (two-inch) spider found in Booderee National Park near Jervis Bay south of Sydney is believed to be from the Hadronyche genus, which typically lives in trees.

Until now, only the Sydney funnel-web, the ground-dwelling Atrax genus and one of the world’s most venomous, had been known to live in the park.

“It’s remarkable that we have found this in the Booderee National Park,” said Australian National University biologist Thomas Wallenius. “It shows we still have a lot to learn about what’s out there in the bush.

“It may even turn out to be a new species of funnel-web.” Funnelweb spiders are feared in Australia, where there have been 13 recorded deaths from bites

although none since the development of an anti-venom in the early 1980s. Wallenius said he found the female funnel-web in the lair she had created inside a rotten log.

“They build a silk-lined burrow inside the hollow log, which can be up to two metres (yards) long.

She had probably been living in there for 25 to 30 years,” Wallenius said. “This was a big one,” he said, adding that there had been reports that there may even have been larger specimens in the area. Wallenius said testing would be done on the spider to determine whether it fitted into current classifications.

He urged Australians not to be too alarmed, with other spiders often mistaken for their more lethal funnel-web counterparts.

“The males are more likely to be encountered in the summer months, and may be more aggressive, but contrary to common belief funnel-webs can’t jump,” Wallenius said.

Three detained for Bangladesh bloggers’ murders Dhaka Avijit Roy, who wrote against religious extremism, was hacked to death near Dhaka University on February 26, and blogger Ananta Bijoy Das was killed in the same manner in Sylhet on May 12.

Bangladesh police have arrested three members of a banned Islamist militant group suspected to be involved in the murders of secular bloggers Avijit Roy and Ananta Bijoy Das on Friday. Militant group Ansarullah Bangla Teamâ€s chief Abul Bashar and two of its

media wing members Julhas Biswas, Jafran Al Hasan were arrested in Dhaka on Thursday evening.

Avijit Roy, who wrote against religious extremism, was hacked to death near Dhaka University on February 26, and blogger Ananta Bijoy Das was killed in the same manner in Sylhet on May 12. Law enforcers suspected Ansarullah Bangla Team involvement in the murders from the start. They claimed that a five-man hit squad of the banned militant outfit carried out the murders.

Hungarian journalist fired for kicking, tripping up migrants Budapest A camerawoman for a private television channel in Hungary was fired late on Tuesday after videos of her kicking and tripping up migrants fleeing police, including a man carrying a child, spread in the media and on the internet.

In separate videos, the woman, who was not named by the channel, is seen kicking a girl and tripping up the man and child as hundreds of migrants, many of them Syrian refugees, broke away from police on Hungary’s southern border with Serbia.

Hungary’s right-wing government has taken a hard line on the flow of migrants across its borders en route to western Europe, portraying them as a threat to

European prosperity and “Christian values”.

“An employee of N1TV today showed unacceptable behaviour at the Roszke collection point,” N1TV, also known as Nemzeti TV, said in a statement. “We have terminated the contract of the camerawoman with immediate effect today.”

Hungarian news website 444.hu identified the camerawoman as Petra Laszlo.

N1TV runs a weekly chat show with Gabor Vona, leader of the far-right, antiimmigration opposition party Jobbik, according to the channel’s website http:/ /www.n1tv.hu/. The channel says it stands for “national issues.”

Issue - 632 (13)

15 Sep. - 21 Sep. 2015

Fleeing to the West is major sin, IS warns refugees

The Islamic State group has used the shocking image of drowned Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi to warn refugees against trying to flee to the West, calling it a “major sin”.

Three-year-old Aylan’s body was photographed lying in the sand in Bodrum, Turkey after he drowned in a boat accident while his family tried to reach Greece an image that helped to focus international attention on the plight of refugees.In the latest issue of its English-language magazine Dabiq, IS published the boy’s image under the headline: “The danger of Abandoning DarulIslam,” or the land of Islam, including the group’s selfdeclared “caliphate” in Syria and Iraq.“Sadly some Syrians and Libyans are willing to risk the lives and souls of those whom they are responsible to raise... sacrificing many of them during

the dangerous trip to the lands of the war-waging crusaders,” it said.

It said Muslims were committing a “dangerous major sin” by bringing children to the West, where “they are under the constant threat of fornication, sodomy, drugs and alcohol”.

IS seized control of large parts of Syria and Iraq last year, imposing a brutal rule of mass killings, torture, institutionalised slavery and widespread rape.

The group claims to be instituting Islamic rule but has been denounced by mainstream Muslims as perverting religion.Thousands of Syrians and Iraqis have fled areas under its control.The International Organisation for Migration, reported that more than 2,760 migrants have died so far this year in their attempt to cross the Mediterranean.

Taliban’s Mullah Omar died of natural causes in Afghanistan, says son

Mullah Omar, founder of the Afghan Taliban, died of natural causes in Afghanistan, his son said in a statement calling for unity and quashing rumours about his father’s mysterious death amid a leadership dispute.

The dispute within the Taliban threatens a fledgling peace process with the Afghan government and may open the way for Islamic State to expand its toehold of influence.

The Taliban in July officially confirmed Mullah Omar had been dead for more than two years, after the Afghan spy agency leaked the news. The next day, a hastily convened meeting appointed Omar’s deputy, Mullah Mansour, as leader. Many

commanders and Omar’s family were unhappy with the appointment. Some question why Mansour concealed news of Omar’s death for two years. He said it was necessary to preserve unity amid the 2014 NATO withdrawal. Rumours have multiplied amid the splits.

“I wanted to assure you that he died a natural death,” Omar’s eldest son, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, said in an audio tape released on Sunday night and authenticated by Taliban sources. “He had been sick for some time but his condition deteriorated,” he said. “We made enquiries from the doctors, it seems he was suffering from HCV (Hepatitis C).

Aylan Kurdi’s father is a people smuggler, refugee woman alleges A woman whose family was in the same dinghy as Aylan Kurdi, the Syrian boy whose drowning off the Turkish coast shook the world, has accused the toddler’s father of involvement in human trafficking.

Zainab Abbas who lost her nineyear-old son Haider and 11-yearold daughter Zainab when the dinghy capsized on September 2 has said Aylan’s father Abdullah Kurdi was at the helm at the time of the accident and have arranged to take a group of refugees to Greece.

Abbas, who is now in Iraq, levelled the allegation when she spoke to Ten News channel through her Australia-based cousin Lara Tahseen.

“He (Abdullah Kurdi) was a smuggler, he was the one driving the boat,” Abbas said, speaking in Arabic as her cousin translated. Abbas said she and Kurdi had met another man named Abu Hussain in a cafe and she had handed over $10,000 to get her family to Europe.

Hussain assured her that the journey would be safe and that the “captain of the boat or driver is bringing his own two kids and his wife”, she said.

“Abdullah was speeding. There

Later, Abbas heard Kurdi tell the media that a Turkish man was driving the boat.

Images of Aylan, lying lifeless on a Turkish beach in a bright red T-shirt, made their way around

were too many people in the boat and not enough life jackets,” Abbas said. Her husband asked Kurdi to be careful but he didn’t listen, she added. The dinghy hit a wave and flipped over and Abbas’ two children drowned.

Kurdi then pleaded with her not to turn him in, saying he had lost his sons and wife.

the world on social media and focussed global attention on the Syrian refugee crisis. The Kurdi family was fleeing from Kobane in Syria, which has been repeatedly targeted by Islamic State (IS) militants. “When we were away from the Turkish coast, oh my God the waves, we died.

Syria’s embattled president has acknowledged the losses, saying the army has had to relinquish some areas in the north to be able to better defend core areas.

After a two-year siege, al-Qaida’s affiliate in Syria and other insurgents on Wednesday captured the one remaining Syrian army air base in Idlib province, a development that activists said effectively expelled the last of President Bashar Assad’s military from the northwestern province.

It was the latest in a series of setbacks for Assad in Syria’s bitter civil war, now in its fifth year. Syria’s embattled president has acknowledged the losses, saying the army has had to relinquish some areas in the north to be able to better defend core areas seen as more critical to the government.

A state television report said the army pulled out from the Abu Zuhour air base and that the troops “evacuated their positions and moved to another” location.

This makes Idlib the second of Syria’s 14 provinces to completely fall out of Syrian army control. Earlier this year, militant groups captured the provincial capital, also called Idlib, as well as other towns and villages.The province of Raqqa fell to Islamic State extremists last year, after IS militants captured its provincial capital, also called Raqqa, in January 2014. The Islamic State group has since declared the city as

the seat of its caliphate that spans a third of both Syria and Iraq.

Al-Qaida’s Syria branch known

captured the base under the cover of a sandstorm and forced government forces out of their last post in Idlib province, which

as the Nusra Front and a top rival of the Islamic State and other Islamic insurgents now control nearly all of Idlib province, except for the predominantly Shiite villages of Foua and Kfarya, which progovernment militiamen hold.

Syrian state TV quoted an unnamed military official as saying that troops pulled out of the Idlib base with weapons, and that none of the equipment and warplanes left behind “were usable.”The military official said the attack on the base was carried out by “terrorist groups receiving support from Erdogan’s government,” referring to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who is a strong supporter of Syrian opposition groups. The Syrian government refers to all groups fighting against Assad’s forces as “terrorists.”The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said insurgents, including members of the Nusra Front,

borders Turkey. The Nusra Front is part of a coalition of insurgent groups called Jaish al-Fateh, or Army of Conquest, which has captured most of Idlib.

Another activist group, the local Coordination Committees posted a photo on its Facebook page, saying it showed Nusra Front fighters standing in front of warplanes inside the base.

Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Observatory, said militants were aided by the sandstorm, which engulfed much of the Mideast and reduced visibility The capture of the air base also increases pressure on nearby government-held coastal areas.

Syria’s conflict has killed more than 250,000 people since March 2011, when Arab Springinspired protests against the Assad family rule erupted in the country’s south. The protests turned into an insurgency and civil war following a brutal military crackdown on the protests.

Al-Qaida, other rebel groups take last army base in Syria’s Idlib

Issue - 632 (14)

15 Sep. - 21 Sep. 2015

Lost Ashoka Stupa set Kenya unveils memorial to those to be unveiled in China tortured during British rule

Beijing The Stupa in Nangchen, which was once a centre of trade in ancient Tibet, is believed to be among the more than 84,000 Stupas that were built to mark the Buddha’s life and hold relics, and later fell to ruin.

A lost Stupa built during the time of Emperor Ashoka that subsequently fell to ruin in China is set to be unveiled in public for the first time on Monday, after years of restoration of what is one of 19 rare Stupas believed to have been built in China.The restored Stupa will be unveiled in Nangchen, an old Tibetan town located close to the border of the Tibet Autonomous Region and western Qinghai province,

by Gyalwang Drukpa, a Ladakh-based Tibetan Buddhist leader who is

spiritual head of the Drukpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism, which historically held influence over many monasteries in the Nangchen region.

The Stupa in Nangchen, which was once a centre of trade in ancient Tibet, is believed to be among the more than 84,000 Stupas that were built to mark the Buddha’s life and hold relics, and later fell to ruin.An effort to restore the Nangchen Stupa began in 2007, when Gyalwang Drukpa, who is based in Ladakh, visited Nangchen. After a long restoration process, a grand ceremony to unveil the restored Stupa will be held on Monday and Tuesday, with representatives of Tibetan monasteries from the region expected to attend.

LONDON Muslim women, especially those wearing ‘hijabs’ or headscarves, were far more likely to fall victim to hate crimes amid alarming rise in Islamophobic attacks, according to monitoring groups.“We

may range from verbal abuse to violent assaults, including assailants tearing off ‘niqabs’ or veils, or threatening to burn them with lighter fluid.

As many as 60 per cent of Islamophobia victims were women, the organisation

realised that at a street-level Muslim women who were visible, and wore the Hijab or the headscarf, were suffering more targeted abuse,” said Fiyaz Mughal, director of UK-based Tell Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks (MAMA), that monitors Islamophobic attacks.

“We also realised quite early on that women who wear Niqab, the face veil, suffered more aggressive incidents there was something about the face veil that in a way brought out the worst in the perpetrator,” he added.

Attacks on Muslim women

claimed.The news comes after a shocking video surfaced of an unprovoked violent attack on a hijabwearing UK teenager, in which the victim was seen being punched in broad daylight while walking down the street.This also comes as latest Scotland Yard figures show that Islamophobic crimes against Muslims in London have gone up by 70 per cent over the past year.

Reported incidents ranged from cyber-bullying and assaults to extreme violence.Mughal pointed to the beheadings by ISIS in Iraq and Syria as well as

NAIROBI Thousands of Kenyans attended the inauguration Saturday of a monument that pays tribute to the victims of torture and ill-treatment during the emergency period of British rule.

The memorial, backed

by Britain, was officially opened in a ceremony witnessed by many veterans of the “Mau Mau” rebellion, which hastened the end of colonial rule in the East African country.

Several thousand now-elderly Kenyans say they were beaten and sexually assaulted by officers acting for the British administration trying to suppress the Mau Mau rebellion, when groups of Kenyans attacked British officials and white farmers who occupied fertile lands.

The British High Commission said in a statement that the memorial was built as part of an out-of-court agreement reached between the British government and some Mau

‘Muslim women in hijab more likely to be attacked in UK’

the refugee crisis in Europe as being linked to the rise in Islamophobic attacks.

“Women suffer more incidents, and more aggressive incidents of hate,” he told Al Arabiya News.One reason behind this is the visibility of those women who chose to cover their heads and faces, Mughal said. For those perpetrating the attacks, face coverings “visualise ‘the other’ very clearly,” he said.But while women are more likely to attract the “hate and the venom” of racist attackers, they are far less likely to come forward and report incidents, said Mussurut Zia, general secretary of the Muslim Women’s Network UK.She said there are an increasing number of such hate crimes happening across the country - not just in London.“I know of people who have had their hijabs pulled, who have been kicked, who have had their niqabs (veils) pulled off, people who have been assaulted, pushed and shoved and threatened with lighter fluid,” she said.

The Metropolitan Police define ‘Islamophobic’ crime as any offence intended to affect those known or perceived to be Muslim.

Mau veterans in 2013. The agreement, which included more than 5,200 claimants, was worth nearly 20 million pounds

($31 million).

The memorial features a statue of an armed rebel receiving a bag of supplies from a woman. It “stands as a symbol of reconciliation” between the British government and all the victims of the emergency period, which lasted from 1952 to 1960, the statement from the British High Commission said.

“This memorial is about reconciliation, allowing us to discuss together the issues arising from a difficult period in our shared history, and to move forward together,” said

See the man who earns his living by impersonating Obama

British high commissioner Christian Turner.Kenya gained independence in 1963.

“The recognition that Mau

Mau fighters were victims of human rights abuses and torture is a significant step toward the recognition of our past and its impact on our future,” said former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

29-year-old Xiao Jiguo has an uncanny resemblance with the President of United States of America, Barack Obama and earns his living by mimicking the US President.When his friend uploaded a video of him singing on social media, his life went through a change.

He realized he can use his looks to earn money and no longer had to work as a waiter. People who viewed the video weren’t a fan of his musical capabilities but Soon, he participated in a television talent show called the Chinese Dream Show where he gained attention from the media.

Spain police arrest man through Facebook video Spanish police have arrested a man for speeding after spotting a video on Facebook of him driving at 184 kilometres (115 miles) an hour, police said Sunday. The 24second video begins by showing the speedometer

of the car and then pans away to a young woman sitting beside the driver who sticks out her tongue and two smiling young men in the back seats. The voice of a man howling can be heard in the background.

Issue 632 (15)

15 Sep. - 21 Sep. 2015

Sooraj Pancholi, Athiya Shetty get dud of a debut Direction: Nikhil Advani Cast: Sooraj Pancholi, Athiya Shetty, Aditya Pancholi, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Sharad Kelkar, Vivaan Bhatena Ratings: 3 Stars Such a gorgeous face.

Such athleticism. What a bore. If these are the sentiments that the makers want the audiences to leave with, then they have succeeded in this remake of Subhash Ghai’s hit 1983 film. That film gave us Jackie Shroff aka Jackie Dada, the star from the

streets of Mumbai. The contemporary version introduces Sooraj Pancholi, who plays Sooraj, a heavily tattooed bad boy with the heart of Robin Hood, great physique and fighting skills. He can also do nifty

moves with laser lights and handstands on nails among other things. There is nothing ruffian or grungy about this new Sooraj, which is key to the love story that subsequently develops. Radha (Athiya Shetty), here is daddy’s dearest who takes selfies and is supposed to be an Indian classical dancer who for some inexplicable reason wants to go to Paris for training. She is made more annoying than innocently charming.

Sooraj conducts perhaps the fastest kidnap in

Bollywood history by taking Radha from Mumbai to Jammu. She thinks he and his boys are protecting her on her father’s orders. This naivete may have been appealing two decades ago but in this

day and age it just seems bonkers. Extreme closeups of the two show that the two are falling in love.

The kidnapper may have won his victim’s heart, but for Sooraj to be in the good books of Radha’s father, Inspector General Mathur (Tigmanshu Dhulia), he first has to become a good boy. Love, you see, conquers all.

The story is as formulaic as it gets but at least Ghai’s Hero gave its leading debutants the opportunity to impress viewers with their screen presence and chemistry, and showcase their talent. Hero is made less with the purpose of demonstrating the acting capabilities of the newcomers and more with the intention of presenting their physical attributes. Sadly, Pancholi and Shetty here are nothing more than a well-built young man and a pretty face respectively, with Shetty especially reduced to reciting some unintentionally hilarious lines such as “Thank you for your help, you dorkfaced muppet”. This is

She’s Funny That Way Star Cast: Owen Wilson, Imogen Poots, Jennifer Aniston, Kathryn Hahn, Rhys Ifans Director: Peter Bogdanovich Rating: 2 Stars Directing a film after 13 years, Peter Bogdanovich gets many big names to drop in for largely walk-on roles. This movie is funny that way. For, rustling this half-hearted effort together into some kind of a story on the strength of his reputation may be the only thing Bogdanovich has got right. Wilson is repetitive and tiresome, Poots grossly inadequate, Hahn

again underused, Ifans perhaps himself surprised at being seen as a hearthrob of sorts, the dialogues flat and the punch-lines absent. A screwball comedy about a philandering Broadway director-husband, a talented wife and her star ex-lover, a Brooklyn call girl, and a shrink, that steps on so few toes!

Bogdanovich pays the price for trying to project niceness upon all his characters despite their obvious, obvious wrongs.

Since the film is not funny enough to dismiss them as amusing quirks such as in a Woody Allen, that stands out like a sore

thumb. The only two actors who impress here are the two who won’t be nice. The first is Aniston, superb as a shrink with anger issues who can’t help contain her disapproval of her unstable clients. She is stretched, tense, abusive and impolite and looks all of it. The second is Lucy Punch in an absolute gem of a cameo as a East European hooker with limited English who arrives to mess up an already messy threesome.

The premise is that Wilson, as the Broadway director who sleeps around, lures in escorts/call girls by giving them $30,000 each to change their lives.

the writer’s way of reminding viewers that the film is set in 2015.

Director Nikhil Advani has a listless and lackadaisical approach to the entire film. Radha and Sooraj sing and dance, romance, cry, are separated temporarily, start all over again, and you are entirely unmoved by their trying amorous tale. Nothing

that transpires makes you root for the two lovers with disparate backgrounds to be together or evoke any threat or danger to the duo. That’s because Amrish Puri’s Pasha here is played by Aditya Pancholi, who seems more like a dad proud that his son is finally the Hero of a movie and less of a dangerous criminal

who is a hindrance to the lovers.

“Teri hasee toh bhool hi gaya,” says the real father to his son when they meet in the prison. But it is never quite explained what’s kept Sooraj so unhappy thus far. This lack of background detail on the film’s eponymous hero makes it difficult to connect with the character.

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Owe it all to Salman Khan, says Dabangg girl

It’s been five years since Dabangg hit the screens and Bollywood got its very own Dabangg girl.

Sonakshi Sinha made her Bollywood debut opposite Salman Khan in 2010 and since then there has been no looking back for this rising star. The actor, who is currently busy shooting for her upcoming film Force 2 in Budapest, has thanked her first co-star Salman for “showing the way” in Bollywood. Sonakshi took to Twitter to share that she “owes” her journey in Bollywood to Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Arbaaz Khan, the co-producer of her first film.

In a career span of five years, Sonakshi has already starred in 13 films.

The actor, who recently wrapped up AR Murugadoss’ Akira, is now in Budapest to shoot for Force 2. Sonakshi also thanked her fans for their constant support and love.

15 Sep. - 21 Sep. 2015

Ranbir is a huge star, everyone goes through ups and downs in their career, says Deepika Deepika Padukone feels she should not comment on her ex-boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor’s recent bad run at the box office.

Ranbir’s 2013 comedy Besharam and his latest outing Bombay Velvet failed to register success at the box office.

“I believe everyone, who comes on board for a film contributes for the success and failure.

Ranbir is a huge star.

Everyone goes through ups and downs in their career. I think I am no one to comment on what he has been through. As far as Tamasha is concerned we all have contributed,” Deepika told PTI. The 29-year-old actor will be seen romancing Ranbir in Imtiaz Ali’s Tamasha. The duo earlier worked together in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and Bachna Ae Haseeno.

Deepika said it was her wish to star opposite the 32-year-old Barfi actor in a film directed by Imtiaz.

“Ranbir and Imtiaz have worked earlier in Rockstar. I have worked with Imtiaz in Love Aaj Kal. Then Ranbir and I have worked in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

and Bachna Ae Haseeno.

I wanted to work with this team... I wanted to be directed by Imtiaz in a film with Ranbir,” she said.

“We all are friends and it’s a dream to be working with this team of Ranbir and Imtiaz. I am happy this film happened. If the film does well, we all will be equally responsible for it and if it doesn’t do well then also we will be equally responsible,” added Deepika. The trailer of Tamasha is set to release on September 22. Gossip mills are abuzz that Deepika would be a part of most of the promotions of Tamasha. On this, the actor told PTI, “I don’t know what is the market-

ing, promotion plan.”

She added she was a bit “cut off of what is happening outside, as her another film, Bajirao Mastani is extremely draining physically, mentally and emotionally.”

Tamasha will hit theatres on November 27.

Deepika Padukone

I am not doing ‘Sultan’ Las Vegas declares September 10 as ‘Anupam Kher Day’ says Anushka Sharma Anushka Sharma, who is currently in London to shoot Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, has shunned the rumours

about her presence in Salman Khan starrer Sultan. Anuksha took to micro-blogging site Twitter to tell the fans that she is not there in the film.

Sultan is based on the life of a wrestler from Haryana.

While the Dabangg actor

will be seen in the lead role, his leading lady in the film is yet to be announced. Anushka’s name is said to have come up after Parineeti Chopra reportedly walked out of the movie.

The film’s shooting is scheduled to commence in November, and its release date has been fixed for the auspicious occasion of Eid in 2016.

Meanwhile, Sultan director Ali Abbas Zafar is in Los Angeles to work for the film with Larnell Stovall, an international fight choreographer. While Anushka is busy shooting for Karan Johar’s film, Salman was busy promoting his own production, Hero. The film stars Sooraj Pancholi and Athiya Shetty in the lead roles. Hero hit the theatres on September 11.

Bollywood actor Anupam Kher has been awarded for his commendable contribution to cinema and art globally in Naveda with the US state’s most populous city Las Vegas declaring September 10 as ‘Anupam Kher Day’. Kher was presented

with the ‘Certificate of Excellence’ Thursday in Las Vegas by Nevada Senator Ruben Kihuen who praised the 60-yearold veteran actor for providing quality entertainment. “Thank

you for bringing such an extraordinary performance to Las Vegas and various other cities around USA. It has been an honor to meet and watch the cinematic genius live on stage,” Ruben, who declared 10th September as Anupam Kher Day, said.

Not been offered any ‘Jazbaa’ song says Surveen Chawla Actress Surveen Chawla, who has grooved to a special track in ‘Welcome Back’, has denied reports

that she will be seen in yet another dance number in ‘Jazbaa’. “I have not been offered any Jazbaa song!

I wish I was. I don’t know where this is coming from, though I would be more than happy to work with (director) Sanjay Gupta if

given an opportunity,” Surveen said in a statement. “I have loved his work and the style and sleekness that he brings to his films. Jazbaa is looking great,” added the actress, who has featured in films like Ugly and Hate Story 2 Jazbaa marks the comeback of actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to the big screen.

Issue 632 (17)

15 Sep. - 21 Sep. 2015

Kate Hudson craved Blake Lively names sugar like an addict bag after daughter

Actress Kate Hudson says she once craved sugar like an “addict”. Asked how she stays in great shape,

Hudson told Jimmy Choo while shooting the autumn/ winter collection for the luxury brand: “I would say

cutting sugar, or at least being aware of how much you are ingesting in a day and limiting it. “That was an eye opener for me, I realised I was craving it (sugar) like an addict around 4pm every day. I would crave something sweet and it hit me how much sugar we really eat,” she added. But it’s not just down to following a balanced and nutritious diet as Hudson also makes sure she lives an active lifestyle and banishes the stress by meditating daily.

Blake Lively

Actress Blake Lively has designed a bag for her lifestyle site Preserve, and named the accessory after her eight-month-old daughter James.

According to femalefirst.co.uk, the description of the bag reads: “Blake’s custom-made baby bag, named after her daughter. Need we say more?” Lively married Ryan Reynolds, 38, in 2012, and the couple welcomed James in December 2014. The Age of Adaline star is hoping to be as much an inspiration to her little girl as her own mother was to her.

“My mom was the one who inspired me.

She raised us in a way that meant she always created a moment out of everything - whether it was a flower arrangement, a meal or re-upholstering some piece of c**p that was sitting on the side of the road. “She’s an amazing cook. She could see a dress and know how to sew it together. I’ll never be that skilled, but it’s so inspiring to have that role model as your mum,” she said.

Joey King, Charlie Plummer in ‘Twilight’ helmer’s next Rising actors Charlie Plummer and Joey King have been signed on to star in Catherine Hardwicke’s next “Stargirl”.

The film, written by Cake producer Kristin Hahn, is an adaptation of the 2000 novel by Jerry Spinelli, said The Hollywood Reporter. The book centers on a homeschooled teen-

age girl who enrolls in an Arizona high school and through her non-conformity alters the ecosystem of the student body, while at the same time capturing the heart of starstruck boy. But when the student body turns on her, the boy tells her to go against her nature and try to fit in. King, 16,

will play Stargirl, while Plummer, 16, will play the boy who narrates the story. King has stared in films like Ramona and Beezus, Oz the Great and Powerful, The Conjuring, and White House Down. Plummer is best known for playing lead role of Timmy Sanders on the series “Granite Flats”.

My daughter makes me a better Selena Gomez joins “Neighbors 2” person says Reese Witherspoon

Actress Reese Witherspoon says her 16year-old daughter Ava makes her a “better person everyday”. The Wild actress paid tribute her daugh-

ter in an Instagram post to celebrate her birthday. Captioning a photograph of Ava as a young girl next to a more recent photograph, she wrote: “Wow! My sweet girl turns 16 today! I am so blessed to have such a kind, compassionate, brilliant, artistic, all-around wonderful daughter who makes me a better person everyday. I love you @avaphillippe (sic),” reports femalefirst.co.uk.

The 39-year-old actress also opened up about prioritising her family and career. “No one’s really

doing it perfectly. I think you love your kids with your whole heart, and you do the best you possibly can.

But, you know, right now I’m feeling sad missing my little 2-year-old, and my daughter’s about to finish her freshman year of high school, and my son has a golf tournament this weekend that I hope I don’t miss,” she said. “There are some sacrifices you make, and it hurts your heart sometimes, but my kids tell me they’re proud of what I’ve accomplished, and that just means everything. I grew up with a working mom, and I have so much respect for the things she did as a nurse and a teacher. I would never begrudge her that,” Witherspoon added.

Pop star Selena Gomez will star alongside Seth Rogen, Zac Efron and Chloe Moretz in the upcoming ‘Neighbors’ sequel, along with . Neighbors was a surprise hit with USD 269 million in worldwide grosses. Rose Byrne is set to reprise her role, with Nicholas Stoller returning as director, reported Variety. The original revolved around a couple whose lives are turned upsidedown after declaring war on the fraternity that moved in next door. The sequel’s plot is unknown, though sources say a sorority could be the couple’s problem this time. 23-year-old Gomez’s involvement in the film broke when fan photos revealed that she was on set. While details surrounding her role are

unknown, her sorority girlesque costume (a tight pink dress) suggests her character’s involvement with the Greek system. Rogen, Evan Goldberg and

James Weaver will produce under their Point Grey Pictures banner.

Katie Holmes in disguise to secretly meet boyfriend Actress Katie Holmes reportedly wore a disguise for a secret meet-up with her rumoured boyfriend, actor Jamie Foxx.

The 36-year-old Batman Begins actress wore a wig and a hat to meet the Annie star, although they persistently denied their dating rumours, reported Us Weekly. “She put on a wig and hat to meet him at a hotel,” a source said. The pair, who reportedly have been dating for two

years, were on separate coasts all summer. Holmes, who has been filming All We Had in NYC, headed to Las Vegas to support his gig on August 22 while Suri had to return to El Lay in order to start school. Suri took a trip with her friends to Disneyland on September 7 without her mother, who was spending time with the 47-year-old Django Unchained actor in his Thousand Oaks, California mansion.

Issue 632 (18)

15 Sep. - 21 Sep. 2015

It was a PakIstanI who fIrst demanded renamIng aurangzeb road New Delhi Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) or the Bajrang Dal had no role to play in the renaming of Aurangzeb Road as APJ Abdul Kalam Road in New Delhi.

The idea came from a journalist of Pakistanorigin. According to an article published in RSS’ mouthpiece ‘Organiser’, Pakistani scribe Tariq Fateh, who now resides in Canada, had toured India in 2013 and was shocked to see a road named after Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

Fateh had then appealed to the Indian Muslims to contemplate on changing the name of the Aurangzeb Road. He wanted the road to be named as Dara Shikoh, the brother of Aurangzeb.

The ‘Organiser‘ reports that

after the death of Kalam, Fateh on his Twitter account appealed to rename Aurangzeb Road to APJ Abdul Kalam Road.

Following this, a BJP MP from Delhi appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to change the name

of Aurangzeb Road to APJ Abdul Kalam Road, in the late former president’s honour. The tree-lined Aurangzeb Road is located in the heart of Delhi and has several billionaires living there.

Aurangzeb was the sixth Mughal emperor and ruled over most of the Indian subcontinent in the 17th century.

In 2014, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) had demanded that Aurangzeb Road be named after Sikh guru Teg Bahadur, who was executed by Aurangzeb.

Yemen airstrike: Bodies of six Indians found, one missing New Delhi The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said that six bodies of the seven Indian nationals, who were reported missing after their boats came under aerial attack in Yemen earlier this week, have been recovered. MEA official

spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in a statement that one person is still

missing and the Mission in Djibouti is in touch with the local authorities and contacts to ascertain his whereabouts.

Swarup said that the bodies were brought to the Military Hospital in Hodeidah and added that the families of the

deceased have been informed and their verbal consent has been taken for funeral rites. He said that of the remaining 15 Indians on the boat, 14 are safe and of them four are undergoing treatment in a local hospital and that they are in regular touch with their families but one person is still missing.

Chhattisgarh govt reduces meat ban from 8 to 2 days

Raipur A day after announcing meat sale ban for the eight days of the ‘Paryushan’ festival of Jain community, the Chhattisgarh government today said the order would be enforced only for two days. All the meat shops and slaughter houses will remain closed for any two days of the eight-day-long festival, which would be decided by the respective district magistrates, official sources said. The Urban Administration and Development department had earlier issued directives to civic bodies to keep all the slaughter houses and meat shops closed from

September 10 to 17 for the Jain ‘Paryushan’ festival and Ganesh Chaturthi.

Ganesh Chaturthi will be celebrated on September 17. The state government has been imposing ban on sale of meat during Paryushan since 2011.

Notably, there has been a row over such a directive in Mumbai where ruling BJP’s ally Shiv Sena and opposition MNS hit the streets to protest. The Rajasthan government had also ordered ban on sale of meat and fish on September 17 (Paryushan), 18 (‘Sanvatsari’ -another Jain festival) and 27 (‘Anant Chaturdashi’).

Issue 632 (19)

15 Sep. - 21 Sep. 2015

uber raPe case: no need to re-examIne wItnesses, says suPreme court The Supreme Court on Thursday sets aside an order to re-examine the victim and a dozen other witnesses in the Uber cab rape case, underlining the accused driver sought to abuse the judicial process.

A bench of Justices J S Khehar and Adarsh K Goel allowed the appeals moved by

the victim and the Delhi Police against the order of the Delhi High Court to let the accused examine the girl and 12 others one more time.

Lifting the stay on the trial proceedings, the bench also directed the trial court to expeditiously conclude the case without further delaying it. It held there was no valid ground to recall the victim and other witnesses and that the counsel for the accused had already been given opportunity in accordance with the law to examine them.

On the last date of hearing, the bench had pulled up accused Shiv Kumar Yadav, saying he was trying to “destroy the criminal justice system” by seeking reexamination of the victim, who

had been “embarrassed and insulted” by him in her deposition earlier.

“You are in a way trying to destroy the criminal justice system of this country. You are saying let this person sit on our head. You are trying to say that the criminal should be honoured and he should get everything he

wants,” it had observed.

The court had added: “For three days, you only embarrassed her. You only insulted her. We feel you have all nonsense at your hand.

For three days what did you do, except humiliate the prosecutrix who made the allegations”.

The bench made the observations while hearing the pleas filed by the victim and Delhi Police, which urged the court to quash the order of the Delhi High Court on March 4, which allowed the accused to recall the victim and 12 other witnesses.

The victim, in her petition, had said that the HC order amounted to a virtual re-trial and she was made to bear the agony and humiliation of

taking the witness box once again. The police described this as a “delaying tactic” by a “seasoned criminal.”

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Delhi Police, had supported the victim’s appeal against the high court order, allowing the recall of witnesses.

“He is not a novice. This accused has faced criminal trials earlier.

There are three rape cases, including the present one, against him. In addition to these, there are several other cases in Uttar Pradesh. The idea is to show that the accused is familiar with the court proceedings,” Rohatgi had said.

While reserving its verdict, the court had last month observed that Yadav appeared to be a “master” in playing legal tricks and that he had done meticulous planning to prolong the trial and demolish the case of the prosecution.

It also said the delay of several months in the trial has led to unnecessary harassment of the victim, as it is very traumatic experience for her to depose again and again. The accused has misused the process of law, added the bench. It also said it may lay down guidelines as to whether an accused has the right to get witnesses recalled for re-examination in a criminal trial.

Indian travellers will soon be in top 10 list for US Thinking of a holiday in the pristine wilderness of America or to try your luck in a casino

11th amongst the top 20 tourist generating countries for the US with 961,790

in Las Vegas? Well, that is exactly what Brand USA is looking for. They are going all out to attract more tourists from here and are hopeful that India will figure in its top 10 countries list very soon.

“In 2014, India was ranked

arrivals, an increase of 11.9 percent over the previous year according to the US Department of Commerce. By 2021 we expect 1.85 million tourists from India,” Carroll Rheem, vice president, research and analytics, Brand

USA told IANS. The Obama administration has set a goal of attracting 100 million annual international visitors to the US by 2021. The Brand USA, a publicprivate partnership initiative, was established by the Travel Promotion Act to spearhead the global marketing effort to promote the US as a premier travel destination.

It started four years back and the Indian representative office is over two years old. “It is a platform created to showcase destinations in the US and to promote travel and trade. In 2015, we will cross the mark of 1 million visitors,” she added.

Forbes ranks S.P. Jain b-school number 10 in the World

The Global MBA program of S.P. Jain School of Global Management (S.P. Jain) has got a global Top Ten ranking by Forbes in its Best International MBAs: One-Year Program rankings (2015-16). S.P. Jain is also the only school of Indian-origin to be ranked in the world’s top 10.

For four years in a row now, S.P. Jain has featured in Forbes’ biennial rankings of the world’s top business schools. In 2013-2014, it was ranked #11 in the world.

S P Jain’s rankings in the regions it operates in are: India #1, Dubai #1, Singapore #2, Australia #1.

“In the last five years of our 11year old history, we have consistently featured in top rankings by Forbes, Financial Times and Nielsen,” says Nitish Jain, president of the S.P. Jain School of Global Management said.

“This is a tribute to the excellent performance of our alumni around the world. We are a young, innovative business school that has reimagined its MBA program to enhance the global

employability and mobility of its graduates. Last year alone, we had over 100 graduates placed in countries like Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and the Middle East,” Jain added.

A unique highlight of the S P Jain education is its global learning model, he said, adding that all of its full-time undergraduate and postgraduate business programs offer students the unique benefit of studying in three world-class cities.

“We believe that this global exposure develops young students in a manner that a single-city campus cannot. Not only does it add vital international experience to their resumes, it also enables them to develop important global skills. These skills have proven to lead to better jobs, salaries and better graduate outcomes,” Jain said.

S.P. Jain is one of Asia’s topranked global business schools with international campuses in Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore and Sydney.

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Issue 632 (22)

15 Sep. - 21 Sep. 2015

Sikh-American assault: US won’t press hate crime charges, calls it ‘road rage New York Terming the incident as a “road rage” case, US authorities have not brought hate crime charges against a teenager who brutally attacked a 53-year-old Sikh-American man, sparking outrage among community members.

Inderjit Singh Mukker was called a “terrorist” and “Bin Laden” by the assailant in what is being described as a hate crime on September 8 in Chicago’s Darien suburb. DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced that aggravated battery charges have been filed against the Willowbrook teen, terming the incident as a “road rage.” The juvenile petition alleges five counts of felony aggravated battery. “What

happened to me on Tuesday night is the definition of hate,” Mukker said, as he

expressed strong disappointment at the decision, saying he is “appalled and disgusted.”

Advocacy group the Sikh Coalition said “despite clear hate crime evidence” and verbal indications by the Darien Police Department throughout the week that the assailant was going to be charged with a hate crime, the offender will

be tried in juvenile court.

“This disappointing decision directly contradicts Illinois hate crimes law...,” the group said.

The Sikh Coalition’s Legal Director Harsimran Kaur said the problem of hate in the nation cannot be addressed “if you refuse to acknowledge its existence.”

“This announcement is shocking and a completely unacceptable decision by the DuPage County prosecutor. If Illinois is going to drop the ball, then we demand that the US Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the US Attorney’s Office prosecute the offender under federal hate crime law immediately,” Kaur said. “In fact, in my many years of representing hate crime victims, the hate crimes charge is as clear and

as obvious as it gets.

To ignore the racial element of the crime sends a clear message that State’s Attorney Robert Berlin is not interested in protecting vulnerable communities.” The defendant had punched Mukker in the face, leaving him with severe facial injuries. When approached by police, the defendant resisted arrest and punched a police officer in the face, DuPage County said.

“The allegations against this defendant are very serious.

Regardless of what was said or done by either of the parties allegedly involved in this incident, physical attacks will not be tolerated and will be met with the full force of the law. People have to remember that if you find yourself involved in a traffic altercation, stay calm and don’t let your emotions get the better of you,” Berlin said.

US youth killed during trekking in Darjeeling, body fished out

Siliguri The body of a 22-yearold US citizen, who went missing while trekking on Wednesday, was fished out from a spring in Sevok area of West Bengal’s Darjeeling district here on Thursday, police said. According to police, Pennsylvania resident Rubel Lamar Fox along with his friend Ethan Phelps had gone for trekking on a hill in Mongpong under Kalimpong sub-division, when he slipped and fell down on Wednesday.

“Both Fox and Phelps (19) were associated with an NGO and were regular into adventure sports.

According to Phelps, while trekking a cliff near the Coronation Bridge, Fox slipped and fell into

the spring and was washed away,” Darjeeling Superintendent of Police Amit Javalgi said. While fire brigade and police personnel carried on a search operation, Fox’s body could be recovered only on Thursday morning from near a waterfall. According to police, Fox and Phelps did not have necessary equipment for trekking.

An autopsy was performed on Thursday and the American Consulate in Kolkata was informed about the incident. His family members too have been informed and arrangements were being made to send the body back to Pennsylvania, said the officer.

Issue 632 (23)

15 Sep. - 21 Sep. 2015

Widespread job restrictions on Indian women!

Washington Indian women face widespread restrictions for jobs though things are changing which is reflected in some recent decisions like quota for women on corporate boards of publicly-listed companies, according to a new World Bank report on South Asia’s largest economy.

In a report released today, the World bank said in India job restrictions remain widespread, with women not allowed to work in mining or in jobs that require lifting weights above a certain threshold or working with glass.

The law also prohibits women from jobs “involving danger to life, health or morals”.

In addition, there are no laws to protect women against sexual harassment in public places, protections which exist in 18 other economies around the world, the bank said in the

report ‘Women, Business and the Law 2016’.

At the same time, the bank said in the last two years, India undertook one reform in the areas covered by the report.

By introducing a law mandating at least one female member on the board of publicly-listed companies, India became the only developing country and one of only nine in the world to mandate female inclusion on corporate boards, it said.

“I would say, on the question of where some of the job restrictions are coming from in India, actually, one of the main sources that we see is legacy legislation. And by that, I mean something like the Factories Act, which actually came from the British,” said Sarah Iqbal, the report’s lead author.

“You see the same act in India, you see it in Pakistan, you see it in Sri

Lanka, Bangladesh, and it basically restricts the type of work that women can do. And what’s even more interesting is Jamaica has almost the same act, the Factories Act, which they just reformed in the last two years, and they removed the restrictions on women’s work in certain jobs and factories,”

Most extremists in India are not Muslim – they are Hindu

New Delhi The media has misleadingly conflated terrorism with Islam. But don’t expect Narendra Modi or his ministers to clear up such misconceptions. Are most terrorists in India Muslims?

I had the chance to look at this following yet another avoidable incident last week. On April 1, Nigeria’s ambassador to India responded to a comment made by Union minister Giriraj Singh, who said: “If Rajiv Gandhi had married a Nigerian lady and not a white-skinned woman, would the Congress have accepted her leadership?” The remark revealed the casual racism that is so commonplace in India.

Nigeria’s ambassador OB Okongor was upset enough to say, “I believe the prime minister will do right thing on this. I am not going to lodge protest.”

Prime Minister Narendra

Modi ignored it – once again, as those who have observed his conduct on such things will have noticed – though the media was naturally outraged. Rediff ran a commentary headlined “5 reasons why Giriraj Singh should shut up”. It included this statement of his from last year: “Isn’t it true that all people caught in terrorist activities belong to one community? I am not trying to blame any one particular community.

Why are all so-called secular parties silent on this?” Presumably he means Muslims. He is of course not right in assuming that all people caught for terrorism are Muslims, but are Muslims responsible for most of the terrorism in India? Let’s look at the data. The South Asian Terrorism Portal lists fatalities and incidents across India.

Quite helpfully, it also lists them by conflict theatre.

Numbers disprove belief In 2014, there were 976 deaths from terrorism (or extremism, whatever name one wants to use for it) in India. Of these, the most (465) came in the North East. The second most (314) came from Left-wing extremism, by a group of people called Maoists.

Deaths in Jammu & Kashmir, assuming we want to attribute the whole lot to terrorism, stood at 193.

Outside of these conflict theatres, Islamist extremism claimed four lives. In 2013, the figure was most for Maoists (421), the second most for the North East (252), and the Kashmir plus Islamist violence outside the state again came third (206).

In 2012, we had a similar situation: Maoists (367), followed by the North East (326), followed by Kashmir (117). The total number of victims of Islamist terrorism outside these three areas, across India, was 1.

she said.

In India, while they’re debating it at the state level in certain states, it still exists, the World Bank official said.

“But one thing that India has done in the past few years which we found very heartening is India is the first developing economy that has a quota for women

on corporate boards for publicly-listed companies,” Iqbal said.

“The quota in India is at least one woman has to be a member of the corporate board. Every other economy that we see is actually a developed economy. So, India is the first developing economy to do this,” she said.

When it comes to issue of women’s jobs, there is quite a bit of anomaly in India, acknowledged World Bank vice president and chief economist Kaushik Basu.

“In India you will find this anomaly that, right at the top, at the level of ministers, politicians, you have very, very prominent women. But at the level of jobs and job discrimination, there is quite a bit of that,” Basu said.

“One very interesting thing about India is that there’s a huge amount of regional difference which you can see between the north and the south and the east and the west.

“This, unfortunately, is not something that we do with in-country advice, but there is a lot of advice, I have to say, in India which can be picked up by one region for another region as to how to do better on some of these indicators,” he said.

India’s first Sunni seminary issues fatwa against Islamic State New Delhi The fatwa states that Islam does not permit killing of any innocent person... that Prophet Mohammad too has appreciated those who pardon others.

The country’s first Islamic seminary of Sunni Muslims, Lucknow-based Darul Uloom Nizamia Farangi Mahal, has issued a fatwa against the Islamic State (IS) terming its activities as “antiIslam”. It also asked the Indian Muslim youth not to fall in the trap of the “false propaganda of the IS”. The fatwa was issued in response to a query by Lucknow resident Sajid Umar Jilani who wanted to know whether the activities of the IS, including killing of innocents, were valid in light of Islamic teachings.

Jilani also referred to repeated waving of IS flags by some people in Kashmir. In response, the seminary issued a fatwa signed by its rector Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahli, Maulana Naeemur Rehman Siddiqui, apart from Maulana Mohammad Mushtaq and Maulana Mohammad Nasrullah.

The fatwa states that

Islam does not permit killing of any innocent person. “Holy Quran mentions that killing of any person without reason is against humanity. It

(heaven). I appeal to Indian Muslim youth not to join IS by getting impressed by its false propaganda,” Mahali said, adding that the fatwa will clear

mentions that Allah dislikes war on land,” the fatwa says. It states that Prophet Mohammad too has appreciated those who pardon others and even Prophet’s companions, who took part in wars, always protected the religious places of others. “In the light of the above teachings, there is no place for unholy acts of IS of killing innocents. It is totally un-Islamic,” said Mahli, who is also a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board. “Those who commit atrocities do not get place in ‘jannat’

misconceptions about IS among Muslims. Darul Uloom Nizamia Farangi Mahal is said to be founded nearly 300 years ago by Allama Nizamuddin Farangi Mahal who conceptualised the syllabus for madrasas in the country. The pattern of syllabus is still followed in leading seminaries including India’s biggest Darul Uloom, Deoband.

The fatwa comes after more than 1,000 Muslims clerics across country ratified and backed Mumbai-based cleric Mufti Manzar Hasan Khan Ashrafi Misbahi’s fatwa against the IS.

Issue 632 (24)

15 Sep. - 21 Sep. 2015

You may notice the tension developing as the week gathers pace, particularly as there’s a Solar Eclipse in your work and lifestyle sector on Sunday. You may be pushed by events to make one or two key changes to your routines, plans and goals, and perhaps job. However, it also offers the chance for a fresh new start, which could take you into new and exciting territory.

An intuitive hunch could see you taking swift action concerning a home or related family matter.

Fresh insights could provide you with a new perspective that enables you to efficiently resolve a tricky issue. There’s also a lot going on in your zone of creativity, romance, and fun. This week’s Solar Eclipse could encourage a budding romance to become more passionate.

Home affairs take the lead, with plenty of opportunities for expansion, entertaining, and making family life exactly what you want it to be. Even so, this week’s Solar Eclipse could coincide with a big decision. If it’s something you’ve been considering for a while, this Eclipse might push you to take action sooner rather than later.

There’s a chance of a small windfall early this week, which could put a smile on your face. Or an opportunity to increase your income could give you a pleasant boost. A lively Solar Eclipse may also encourage you to become more efficient with such things as time management and everyday administrative tasks.

Money matters look buoyant and can remain so if you’re willing to plan for your success.

Toward that end, the Solar Eclipse that’s building this week can encourage you to venture outside your comfort zone. You don’t have to do so all at once - baby steps are fine! You might even discover that someone will pay you for a skill that you haven’t really appreciated.

Mark this week down as a potential game changer, as the developing Solar Eclipse might encourage you to make a key decision. You may find information that puts a new spin on things, and you might want to take advantage of an associated opportunity.

This could be an exciting time when you'll venture into new territory.

Your social life sparkles, and this week is no exception. With Mars continuing its lively pace, this is the perfect time to explore new venues, date, join clubs, and network.

There’s also a Solar Eclipse in your spiritual sector that might encourage you to take up certain spiritual disciplines. If you’ve been busy and feeling somewhat stressed, you may find that doing so brings you greater.

Social trends look particularly buoyant, with opportunities to mix with people who can expand your social horizons. This week you might take a big step forward as the Solar Eclipse in Virgo pushes you to be more adventurous. There’s also the chance of an encounter that sets you thinking of new possibilities you hadn’t considered before.

If you’ve been hoping for some kind of a breakthrough, this week could start the process. Maybe it’s an inspiration or someone you meet that sets you thinking, or perhaps you spot an opportunity that seems too good to be true. Whatever shows up will certainly be worth investigating. Watch out for coincidences that seem to point in a particular direction.

Keep an open mind this week and don’t limit yourself to the tried and trusted. Where your job and career are concerned, a conversation could reveal options that may seem outlandish. However, if this person can also provide proof, then you might be persuaded. The Solar Eclipse on Sunday encourages you to actively study and acquire knowledge in key areas.

Shared finances and business affairs are looking a whole lot livelier since Jupiter entered Virgo. This week there could be even more positive changes afoot as the Solar Eclipse sets you wondering about the future and tantalizing thoughts of success. Toward that end, you may be motivated to look around for opportunities that could be big earners.

This can be an exciting week in which a conversation or encounter has a profound effect on you. A positive alignment in your relationship sector suggests that the people you connect with have the potential to change your life in one way or another.

This week’s Solar Eclipse hints that someone could take you under their wing or may even want to date you.

Issue 632 (25)

15 Sep. - 21 Sep. 2015

Technology Indian American cyberbullying expert gets $188,776 Facebook grant Sameer Hinduja, a prominent Indian American and cyberbullying expert from Florida Atlantic University, has received a $188,776 grant from social networking site Facebook to study cyberbullying and dating violence among teenagers. The overarching goal of the study is to illuminate the nationwide prevalence, frequency and scope of cyberbullying and electronic dating violence among a population of youth in the US. “Cyberbullying is a unique form of digital abuse that involves a range of tormenting, humiliating, threatening, embarrassing and harassing behaviours and has gained a lot of attention in recent years,” explained Hinduja in a university statement on Thursday.

“Many teenagers across the United States also experience dating violence that typically consists of

various forms of mistreatment from insults and rumour spreads to threats and physical assaults, added Hinduja, co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Centre and professor of criminology and criminal justice. Hinduja and his collaborator Justin Patchin, co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Centre, will rigorously construct a nationallyrepresentative panel of teens - ages 12 to 17 years old - who will be surveyed with parental consent.

Apart from descriptive findings by age, gender, grade, and other important demographics, they also will collect data on contributing factors to perpetration and victimisation, as well as the negative outcomes that stem from cyberbullying participation as an aggressor or a target.

There are a number of similarities between cyberbullying and electronic dating violence.

Both naturally employ technology and lead to specific emotional,

Smartwatches vulnerable to hacking: Indian-origin researcher Planning to buy a smartwatch? Beware as you are at an increased risk of losing your privacy as like other computer devices, smartwatches are also

data “leaks” produced by the motion sensors on smartwatches. “Sensor data from wearable devices will clearly be a double-edged sword.

“While the device’s contact to the human body will offer invaluable insights into human health

vulnerable to hackers, says an Indian-origin researcher. Using a homegrown app on a Samsung “Gear Live” smartwatch, associate professor Romit Roy Choudhury from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was able to guess what a user was typing through

and context, it will also make way for deeper violation into human privacy,” Choudhury said.

His project called Motion Leaks through Smartwatch Sensors (MoLe) has privacy implications.

An app that is camouflaged as a pedometer, for example, could gather data from

emails, search queries and other confidential documents. “The core challenge is in characterising what can or cannot be inferred from sensor data and the MoLe project is one example along this direction,” he added.

While a Samsung watch was used in this project, the researchers believe that any wearable device that uses motion sensors - from Apple Watch to Fitbit - could be vulnerable as well.

The app uses an accelerometer and gyroscope to track the micro-motion of keystrokes as a wearer types on a keyboard.

While Illinois researchers developed MoLe, it is conceivable that hackers could build a similar app and deploy it to iTunes and other libraries.

psychological, physical, and behavioural consequences. Cyberbullying tends to occur between individuals who do not like and do not want to be around each other. Electronic dating violence transpires between two people who are attracted to each other, at least on some level. “Most previous studies have focused on local schools or school districts as data sources.

This leads to a key methodological limitation the potential lack of generalizability - which can be addressed with a nationally-representative replication,” Hinduja commented. Results of this study will be disseminated through blogs and fact sheets posted on the Cyberbullying Research Centre’s website. Hinduja received the “Global AntiBullying Hero Award” for 2015 from Auburn University for his efforts and contributions on the subject. He recently spoke on Capitol Hill at a Congressional Briefing about cyberbullying and dating violence among teenagers.

Facebook Mentions now lets journalists broadcast live video

Journalists and other public figures can now offer live video to their followers on Facebook, which announced plans Thursday to broaden the streaming service.

As of Thursday, anyone with a verified Facebook profile will be able to use Facebook Mentions, an application made available earlier this year to actors, musicians and other celebrities to connect with their fans.

“People love reading articles from and connecting with their favorite journalists and public figures on Facebook,” the social network announced in a blog post.

“Today, we`re making Facebook Mentions and Live available to public figures with verified profiles to help them engage their

followers and interact with their peers.”

The move will allow journalists to report live from a news scene and host questions from followers on Facebook.

The users may choose who gets to see the live video stream.

“Whether you`re sharing text, links, photos or something else, Mentions lets you choose the audience you want to share with,” the blog post said.

“For example, you can share a post so only your followers see it in News Feed.”

Facebook began offering the service amid competition in live streaming from Twitter‘s Periscope and the independent Meerkat app, both of which launched this year.

WhatsApp security flaw puts 200 million users at risk A security flaw in Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp has put some 200 million users at risk from hackers – allowing cybercriminals to install malware on their PCs. According to Check Point - a security firm that originally found the vulnerability – hackers were sending vCards to random phone numbers they had obtained.

It said that the Vcard sent by hackers contained a malicious code that would distribute bots, ransomware and remote access tools (RATs) on a person’s phone or PC. While bots could enable

hackers take control of your computer, ransomware makes victims to pay a ransom to access to their system.

Remote administrative tools enables a hacker to

vulnerability affected the web version of WhatsApp, which it estimated has around 200 million active users often via their Pcs. WhatsApp Web is a computer based extension

spy on you remotely.

The problem was fixed by WhatsApp, but Check Point claimed that machines could still be infected.

Check Point said the

of the WhatsApp account on your phone. It lets users access their messages in Chrome, bringing one of the world’s largest messaging platforms to the desktop.

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‘Sex change drugs’ thrive in Haryana In a rampant practice in the state, Shivlingi (Bryonia laciniosa linn) containing testosterone and Majuphal (Quercus infectoria), which have natural steroids, are being used for sex selection purposes.

Sale of two drugs that claim they can change the sex of a foetus has seen a sharp rise in Haryana, known for its skewed sex ratio. In a rampant practice in the state, Shivlingi (Bryonia laciniosa linn) containing testosterone and Majuphal (Quercus infectoria), which have natural steroids, are being used for sex selection purposes. But consumption of these drugs is playing havoc with the health of expectant mothers and their foetus.

Dr GS Singhal, who is spearheading Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘ Beti Bachao Beti Padhao project in Chandigarh, said, “These claims that these drugs can help get

a baby boy compelled our team to investigate the matter. Our first stop was Ambala. We then headed to Rohtak next, another place notorious for its skewed sex ratio.”

“After speaking to chemists and doctors, we discovered that the sex

selective drug goes by the name of Shivling or Majuphal, a miracle sex selection drug that guarantees a male child, being sold openly across Haryana,” he said.

“The ways of taking the drug range from consuming it with the milk of a cow that has produced a male calf, to taking it while writing the gayatri mantra daily,” a

woman told this reporter.

The sex selection drug usually contains ‘shivalingi’ and Majuphal.

THe investigation revealed that they actually are filled with testosterone, progesterone and other natural steroids. A survey conducted by the Haryana government revealed that between April and June 2015, out of 5,58,713 births, more than 12,000 fetal deaths were reported. One of the biggest reasons for these deaths can be attributed to the fatal sex selection drug. Also, there is a recent study which shows that the number of still-born children in Haryana is higher than in other states of the country.

“The PM has been running a campaign for Beti Bachao, and here we are doing raids to find out that why are people undergoing such treatments to have a son,” said Rakesh Dhankar, Chief Medical Officer of Bhiwani.

89 killed, over 100 injured in an explosion in Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh At least 89 people were killed and over 100 injured when explosives kept inside a building went off at Petlwad town in Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh on Saturday, police said. The blast occurred at 8.30 AM, completely destroying at least two buildings-- one in which explosive material for digging wells was stored and an adjacent restaurant, and damaging several houses, officials said. “89 people have been killed in the explosion,” Block Medical Officer Urmila Choyal told PTI. Earlier, police had said that the explosion was caused by a cooking gas cylinder kept in the adjacent three-storeyed building housing a hotel. Both the buildings were extensively damaged in the high-impact explosion compounding the tragedy.

The explosion took place in the building of Rajendra Kasawa who has a licence to use explosive material for

digging wells in rocky areas.

Kasawa stored the explosive material including gelatin sticks in huge quantity in the residential building having two shops in it and situated close to the busy Sethia Restaurant in new bus stand area, a police of-

“We have seen them flying and falling on the ground. Vehicles specially two-wheelers were badly damaged and lying on the road,” he said. Due to the impact of the explosion, the doublestory house in which explosive material were stored col-

ficial said. In the vicinity of the restaurant, a large number of daily wage labourers were sitting when the explosion occurred. Besides many persons were there inside the restaurant which is a major eatery in the area, an eyewitness said. One of the injured, Narsingh (42), said body parts were strewn in the area after the blast.

lapsed trapping a number of persons, he said. State Home Minister Babulal Gaur said a high-level inquiry has been ordered into the incident. Expressing anguish over the loss of lives, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced an exgratia of Rs 2 lakh each to kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those injured.

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Americans so-so on knowledge of science WASHINGTON Americans’ knowledge of basic scientific facts is just average, says a poll out that also revealed differences by education level, gender, race and age.

Among 3,200 adults tested, the median score out of 12 questions was eight correct,

says the survey by the Pew Research Centre. Some 27 percent answered eight or nine questions correctly. Another 26 percent got 10 or 11 right, and just six percent got them all right.

Seventy-three percent knew the difference between astronomy and astrology. A total of 86 percent correctly identified the Earth’s inner layer, or core, as its hottest part. And 82 percent knew uranium is needed to make nuclear energy and nuclear weapons.Seventy-four percent of those surveyed identified Jonas Salk as the man who developed the polio vaccine.

They chose from a pool that included Marie Curie, Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton.

Americans did less well on other questions, however.For instance, only 35 answered correctly that the property of a

sound wave that determines loudness is the amplitude, or height, of that wave.And only 34 percent knew that the temperature at which water boils - which is linked to atmospheric pressure - is lower at a higher altitude setting than at sea level.Unsurprisingly, Americans with higher education levels did better on the test.A total of 57 percent of adults with a postgraduate degree got 10 to 12 correct answers, compared to 18 percent for those with a high school diploma or less.

As for gender, men averaged 8.6 out of 12 correct answers, while for women it was 7.3.

Some 24 percent of women answered 10 or more questions correctly. For men it was 43 percent.

Whites, with 8.4 correct answers out of 12, did better than Hispanics (7.1) and blacks (5.9).

Younger adults - aged 18 to 49 generally had more scientific knowledge than older ones (65 or older). The latter averaged 7.6 correct answers out of 12, while the younger adults averaged eight or more correct answers.

A 2014 poll by the National Science Foundation had already shown that science is not the strong suit of many Americans: 25 percent did not know the Earth revolves around the sun.

New York Americans rate a solid if unspectacular C in science, a new study has found. The Pew Research Center found in a basic quiz of a dozen random science questions, Americans got eight correct, according to an online

which ones they bombed: water boils faster at higher altitudes.

Rush Holt, chief executive officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, said while it’s crucial to understand how the general public grasps science, he’s not

Flaws found in password protection

Los Angeles More than 11 million passwords stolen from the Ashley Madison infidelity dating website have been decoded, says a password cracking group.

When stolen data from the site was first dumped, the encrypted passwords were said to be almost uncrackable because of the way they were scrambled.

But programming changes by the site’s developers meant more than a third of the passwords were poorly protected. The cracking group said it would not be sharing the decoded passwords. However, it had detailed the method it used to get at the passwords which would make it straightforward for criminal hackers to replicate the work. This may mean those who reused their Ashley Madison password could see other accounts breached.

The Ashley Madison website was breached by a group of hackers called The Impact Team which stole gigabytes of data including login names and passwords of more than 30 million users. Initial analysis of the data dump showed that the passwords were stored on a database after they had been protected using a process known as hashing that employs the bcrypt algorithm.

The way this scrambles passwords makes it hard to carry out so-called “brute force” attacks that try lots of different word and letter combinations because hashing with bcrypt takes a lot of computer power.

As a result, a brute force attack on the passwords would take years.

However, an amateur password

cracking group called Cynosure Prime looking through code also stolen from Ashley Madison

group said it had found two insecure functions in the site code that meant it was “able to

realised that at some point the site changed the way passwords were stored. This stripped away the protection bcrypt bestowed on passwords. In a blogpost, the

gain enormous speed boosts in cracking the bcrypt hashed passwords”. Instead of taking years, the 11 million passwords were cracked in about 11 days.

Tickets to see pope snatched in two minutes WASHINGTON Within two minutes, people snatched up 10,000 tickets to see Pope Francis deliver an address in Philadelphia later this month during his visit to the United States, the archdiocese said Tuesday.The free tickets were made available at noon (1600 GMT) and will allow holders access to see the pope on September 26 when he speaks at Independence Mall, a lawn in Philadelphia next to the building where the US Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed and adopted. The archdiocese also

said that “the website experienced 394,000 unique page views during that time.” The

pope will kick off his visit to the United States on September 22 in Washington, where he will meet with President Barack Obama and become the first pontiff to address a joint session of Congress.

Average American gets a C grade in science Trump’s Hollywood Walk

survey of more than 3,200 adults.

The questions ranged from what kind of waves are used in cell phones to interpreting a scatterplot graph. ’This is one of those cases where you can look at it as a glass half-full or a glass half-empty,’ said Pew associate director Cary Funk.

She found it more interesting which questions Americans aced (spoiler alert, if you want to take the test yourself) - the core is the hottest part of Earth - and

sure questions like those in the survey give the full picture.

‘It may not be important to know that the core of the Earth is hotter, but it is important to know the difference between astronomy and astrology,’ said Holt, a former congressman who wasn’t involved in the survey. ’It is important to know that science is based on evidence and that their daily decisions on daily life can also be based on evidence.’

Holt said he found ‘very troubling’ what the demographic breakdown of the survey showed.

Men in general got one more right answer than did women, while people with college degrees got two more correct answers than did those with a high school education or less. Whites did better than blacks and Hispanics. People between 30 and 49 scored the most correct answers. Those over 65 scored the lowest.

Westerners scored the highest on average, while those in the South did the worst.

Republicans scored half a correct answer more than Democrats, but Funk said that may be more a racial and ethnic issue, because white Democrats and Republicans had nearly identical scores.Other studies show gender and racial gaps and scientists consider that a serious problem, Holt said. The gender difference is noticeable in physical sciences like chemistry and physics and not in biological sciences, Funk said. Studies show that as early as sixth grade, girls have shown more interest in biological science and boys in physical science, according to Joshua Rosenau, a biologist and policy director of the National Center for Science Education.

of Fame star vandalised

LOS ANGELES Donald Trump’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star has been defaced with someone drawing a large yellow X over it before it was quickly cleaned up.

It was unclear when the star for the controversial mogul and leading Republican presidential candidate was vandalized. An AFP correspondent who visited the site on Hollywood Boulevard on Thursday saw that the star had been cleaned up.

Leron Gubler, head of the Hollywood Chamber of

Commerce, said he regretted that someone would vandalize a historic landmark.

“People who have a disagreement with Donald Trump should not take it out on the Walk of Fame,” he told AFP in a statement.

In December, the star for disgraced US comedy icon Bill Cosby, who is embroiled in a sex scandal, was defaced with the word “rapist” written on it. Trump got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007 for his hit reality TV show “The Apprentice.”

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Apple unveils iPad with ‘pencil’ that Steve disliked

California Rumours about a larger iPad have been circulating since last year and Apple has finally revealed it’s giant device at an event in California.Called the iPad Pro, the tablet has a 12.9-inch display with 5.6 million pixels,

meaning it has more pixels than a 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display. However, Apple set tongues wagging with a controversial accessory -a $100 Apple ‘Pencil’ stylus - a tool Steve Jobs once described as ‘yuck’ and declared that ‘nobody would want.’ Making the announcement, Apple’s boss

Tim Cook said: ‘iPad is the clearest expression of our vision of the future of computing.’ ‘In just five years, the iPad has transformed the way we create, the way we learn. ’We’ve been amazed with the new and unexpected things people have

done with the iPad, so we asked ourselves, how can we take the iPad even further?’ ‘This is the biggest news in iPad since the iPad. It’s called iPad Pro.’ The iPad Pro’s width is the same height as the iPad Air, and it is marginally thicker than last year’s iPad Air 2 at 6.9mm, compared to 6.1mm. Aside from its

‘monster’ size, the iPad Pro is more powerful than its predecessors. It features the new A9X chip, which Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller said is 1.8 times faster than the A8X in the iPad Air 2. He also said that the iPad Pro is faster than 80 per cent of the PCs that shipped in the past six months, and its graphics are faster than 90 per cent of those PCs. For the first time, Apple’s flagship tablet has been fitted with four speakers. These speakers balance the sound based on how it is being held.

It also comes with two new accessories - a case with a keyboard built in that resembles the one sold with Microsoft’s Surface range, and a stylus called Apple Pencil. The introduction of the Pencil will surprise many long-standing Apple fans because the tool was hated by the late co-founder Steve Jobs. Mr Jobs once famously said that if a company makes a stylus for a tablet, then ‘they blew it’. Apple’s Newton platform originally came with a stylus when it launched in the 1990s and the trend took off with the launch of the PalmPilot.

Could bombing Mars make it habitable?

New York After World War Two and the Cold War, mankind is wary of the destructive power of the nuclear bomb. But one of the world’s

best-known entrepreneurs believes the technology could be used to make Mars more hospitable.Elon Musk has hypothesised Mars could be heated up quickly by dropping nuclear weapons over its poles and said he would like to visit the red planet one day. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO agrees that Mars would be an inhospitable place to call home in its current state.

Mars’ atmosphere is 96 per cent carbon dioxide and less than one per cent oxygen, meaning any human who steps foot on the planet will have to wear a suit at all times. They will also have to cope with its gravity, which is 63 per cent weaker than on Earth so that someone who weighs 100lbs (45kg) here, would only weigh 38lbs (17kg) on Mars. The average temperature on Mars is -62°C (-81°F), with lows reaching

-176°C (284°F).Despite these harsh conditions, Musk told CBS’ new Late Show with Stephen Colbert that Mars is ‘a fixer upper of a planet’ that could

be made by Earth-like if it were warmer, USA Today reported.He also said his rocket firm, Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, will be capable of ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station in two or three years. At present, SpaceX’ Falcon rockets deliver cargo to the ISS.He explained that this could be achieved slowly - with the gradual release of greenhouse gases, to make a process like global warming on Earth - or quickly, using nuclear bombs. Nuclear weapons emit large amounts of thermal radiation as visible, infrared and ultraviolet light, known as ‘flash’.

On Earth, they can cause burns, eye injuries and fires, but the effects may be different on Mars.Heat accounts for between 35 and 45 per cent of the energy released by the explosion,

meaning a huge amount of heat is generated incredibly quickly, which could potentially be harnessed to heat up the Martian atmosphere, according to Musk’s fledgling theory.

US mother charged after kids found living in crate in an underground cave A mother was taken into custody on Saturday after her two young children were found barefoot, dirty and living in a wooden shipping crate in an underground cave on the eastern edge of Kansas City, Missouri.A mother was taken into custody on Saturday after her two young children were found barefoot, dirty and living in a wooden shipping crate in an underground cave on the eastern edge of Kansas City, Missouri.24 year old Brittany Mugrauer was charged at Friday night with two counts of felony child endangerment.Jackson County detectives discovered the 4 and 6-year-old children on Thursday in the 8-by-10-foot crate furnished with vehicle bench seats, two small blankets, trash and thin wires. According to the probable cause statement, the crate was missing one side and surrounded by car parts and vehicles in various states of disrepair.The investigators, who went to the cave to serve a search warrant related to a possible stolen car operation, noted that the children did not appear frightened despite being alone.The 4-year-old child was using hands to eat a dirty, dry cup of ramen noodles, a detective wrote. When asked why they weren’t wearing any shoes, the children responded that they didn’t have any.

Google takes on Apple with Android Pay

Washington Google has made its mobile payments system, Android Pay, available at more than one million locations in the United States.The tap-to-pay system will compete with Apple Pay in the burgeoning mobile payments market. The market is estimated to be worth $1tn (£650bn) in 2017. Technology companies are trying to convince shoppers to use their handsets, rather than plastic cards, to pay for purchases.

Android Pay can be used with smartphones that have nearfield communication (NFC) capability and Google’s KitKat 4.4+ operating system. It will allow users to store their credit card details on their phones, as well as loyalty cards and other data. Existing users of the Google Wallet app can access Android Pay through an update, while new users can download it from the Google Play app store in the coming days. Retailers including

Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and Subway are among the first to participate in Android Pay, with more to come.It will be extended to mobile checkouts in some apps later this year.

The Google system will support credit and debit cards from providers including MasterCard, Visa and American Express, as well as banks including Bank of America, with Citigroup and Wells Fargo to follow. Rather than passing users’ credit card details to a retailer, both the Google and Apple systems generate a “token” so the actual data is not revealed during a transaction, reducing the risk of data theft.

Last month, Samsung launched its own mobile wallet service, called Samsung Pay, in South Korea. It will be available in the US from 28 September, with countries including the UK, Spain and China to follow.

Google is yet to reveal when Android Pay will be available outside the US.

Obama ate bear’s dinner during Alaska reality show outing

WASHINGTON US President Barack Obama chowed on half-eaten salmon stashed away by an Alaskan bear, during a recent television shoot with British adventurer Bear Grylls. Excerpts of the show released Tuesday featured the suit-less president polishing off a raw, half-chewed fish pulled from underneath some moss near a river bank. “I think the president looked a little surprised when I pulled out this sort of bloody carcass of a half-eaten salmon,” television host Grylls is seen telling viewers. Obama is seen looking on as Grylls cuts away a chunk of the pink bloody flesh. The president then pops a morsel in his mouth and chews away at before declaring “Mmmm. That’s tasty.” “I think a piece of salmon, that’ll work just fine,” he tells the camera, “it

would have been nice if we’d have had cracker to go with it.”

Obama filmed the episode of “Running Wild With Bear Grylls” on a recent trip to Alaska. Grylls, a former special air service trooper, has previously boasted that he pushes celebrities like New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and actress Kate Winslet “beyond their limits.” The White House admitted however that some of Grylls’ suggestions for the presidential episode were rebuffed by the Secret Service.

Obama’s appearance is just the latest in a series of White House efforts to reach new audiences with an environmental message.

During the trip to Alaska, Obama also highlighted the impact of climate change, which has caused rising sea levels, shrinking glaciers, and melting permafrost.

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Indian-origin man leads in mayoral polls in Bonn A 49-year-old Indian-origin man in German city of Bonn has emerged as the front-runner for the city's top job ahead of this Sunday's polls to elect a new mayor, according to a opinion poll. Ashok Sridharan, who is the candidate of chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has established a narrow lead over his nearest rival Peter Ruhenstroth-Bauer of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). However, around 26 per cent of the voters are still undecided about who they will vote, according to the polls.

Four other candidates also are in the race for the mayor's office. Current SPD mayor of Bonn Juergen Nimptsch announced at the end of last year that he will retire when his term expires in October.

Around 245,000 voters in Bonn will go to the polls on Sunday to elect a new mayor. Sridharan, who is the son of a migrant from India and a German mother, currently serves as the treasurer

and deputy mayor in the nearby town of Koenigswinter. Even though Bonn is one of 178 cities and towns which will choose new mayors and municipal councils

in the state of North Rhine Westphalia, the election in the former German capital has gained special significance and its outcome will be watched with great interest across this nation.

If elected, Sridharan will become the first Indian-origin mayor of a major German city. The CDU has pinned high hopes on its

About half of US adults are diabetic or prediabetic

Approximately half of the US adult population has diabetes or is prediabetic, although prevalence of the disease appears to be leveling off after decades of increase, researchers said Tuesday.Nearly 40 percent of US adults had prediabetes and 12 to 14 percent had diabetes between 2011 and 2012, according to new research in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Among those with diabetes, 36.4 percent of cases were undiagnosed. That percentage was higher for Asian-Americans and Latinos at approximately half of all cases. Diabetes diagnosed or not - was likely to be highest among Latinos (22.6 percent), African-Americans (21.8 percent) and AsianAmericans (20.6 percent).

Prevalence among white participants was 11.3 percent.

Diabetes affected 9.8 percent of the population between 1988 and 1994, increased to 10.8 percent between 2001 and 2002, and grew again to 12.4 percent between 2011 and 2012.Despite these increases, the researchers said recent growth was slight and could signal a “plateauing of

diabetes prevalence” that is “consistent with obesity trends in the United States showing a leveling off around the same period.” “The current data provide a glimmer of hope,” endocrinologists William Herman and Amy Rothberg, of the University of Michigan, wrote in an accompanying editorial.“The shift in cultural attitudes toward obesity, the American Medical Association’s (AMA’s) recognition of obesity as a disease, and the increasing focus on societal interventions to address food policy and the built environment” were helping tackle circumstances that contribute to obesity, they said. Diabetes is a serious public health problem in the United States, racking up an estimated $245 billion in health care costs and lost productivity in 2012, the researchers said.The researchers based their estimates on surveys conducted from 1988-1994 and 1999-2012 and defined prevalence of diabetes based on a previous diagnosis or markers in patients’ blood that indicated they either had or were likely to develop diabetes.

candidate to regain control of Bonn after more than 20 years' rule by the SPD. The CDU is also hoping that a victory in Bonn will enable the party to recover from a string of defeats in the elections for mayor in several cities during the last two years and to prepare the ground for the national election in 2017.

Sridharan closeness to the citizens of Bonn also has been widely appreciated by his party colleagues, who bestowed him with the title "Indian boy of Bonn" at the CDU's carnival celebrations early this year. Sridharan's nomination is also seen as a gesture of goodwill by the CDU towards Germany's ten million strong migrant community and a strong signal that they are welcome in the party. During his election campaign, Sridharan emphasised that if elected, he will give top priority for reducing the city of Bonn's 1.7 billion euro debts and for achieving a balanced budget.

Nepal rejects Hindu nation calls; protesters, police clash

Nepal’s Constituent Assembly rejected calls to revert the Himalayan nation back to a Hindu state during voting Monday on a draft of the country’s longdelayed new constitution, sparking violent protests.

Nepal was a Hindu nation for centuries when kings ruled, but has been a secular state since the monarchy was abolished in 2006.

More than two-thirds of members of the assembly, which began voting on the constitution draft on Sunday, voted against making Nepal a Hindu state again. The proposal needed the support of two-thirds of the members to be adopted.

The proposal was pushed by the Rastirya Prajatantra Party Nepal, or National Democratic Party Nepal, which also wants the country to be a monarchy.

Many people in Nepal, which has a Hindu majority, believe the kings were a reincarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu.

Following Monday’s vote, hundreds of Hindu protesters clashed outside the assembly hall with police, who fired water cannons and beat them with bamboo batons.

The protesters attacked passing vehicles, including one of the United Nations. The U.N. vehicle appeared to be headed to the airport with an official inside.

Watch what you eat over the holidays, China tells officials Chinese officials have to watch what they eat and where they go over two upcoming holidays to make sure they don’t break frugality rules, and regret after the fact will not be accepted as an excuse, China’s top graftbuster said on Friday. Since President Xi Jinping’s appointment in 2013, the government has cracked down on official corruption and extravagance in China, where the flaunting of personal and often illicit wealth and wasteful public spending have led to widespread criticism of the party. Gift giving is particularly popular over holidays, such as mooncakes at the Mid-Autumn Festival later this month. The first week of October is the National Day holiday.

In a letter written to more than 300,000 officials at central government departments and state-owned industries, the

“Having a ‘clean’ holiday starts with you; steadfastly do not eat what you are not supposed to eat, steadfastly decline gifts

courses, often using public money.

Serious cases are prosecuted, but less serious ones generally

you’re not supposed to accept and steadfastly don’t go to places you’re not supposed to,” reads the letter, excerpts of which were released by the graft watchdog.

Since the corruption crackdown began, Chinese media has been

Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said that cadres needed to be aware they represented the Communist Party.

filled with stories of officials downing bottles of expensive imported liquor, carousing with prostitutes at private clubs, or playing golf at exclusive

result in a slap on the wrist, like a demotion.

The party is using such a novel and “homely” way as this letter to drive home its point to make sure officials understand potential corruption problems must be nipped in the bud before they become more serious, the watchdog said.

“Everyone feels regret when we see officials expressing penitence during the course of an investigation, but there is no drug to cure regret in this world.

Once something has happened, it’s too late for regrets,” an unidentified watchdog official was quoted as saying.

The anti-graft campaign has over the past two years or so dragged down sales of high-end products from the fiery sorghum-based liquor, baijiu, to mooncakes, both traditional popular gifts for smoothing business and official ties.

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Sustainability award for Hindus urge Brazil to improve artificial milk firm led by Indians lives of indigenous people NEVADA Hindus want Brazil to focus on the improvement of the daily lives

of its indigenous communities.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in

Nevada (USA) today, said that many indigenous groups reportedly lived in makeshift-

encampments/overcrowdedreserves; suffering from disease, high suicide rates, malnutrition,

Indian-origin woman charged with assault on cabbie

TORONTO An Indian-origin woman from the Canadian city of Calgary has been charged with common assault on a cab driver after she threw a bag full of vomit on him, media reported. Selena Narayan-Lachapelle, 33, will appear in court on October 14, Calgary Herald newspaper reported on Wednesday. Police said the incident occurred on the night of August 23 when the woman hired the taxi from downtown Calgary for her home in the northwest Sandstone Valley area. While on the way, the woman got sick and puked in the vehicle. The cabbie then gave her a bag and continued driving. After they reached the destination, the passenger threw up on the exterior of the vehicle.

After the incident, when the driver requested a cleanup fee, the

woman started abusing him and threw the bag of vomit on him, covering his clothes, phone, car seat and floor mats, police said.

“She became upset and agitated. She was intoxicated by alcohol and was not prepared to pay the cleanup fee,” a police officer said. The passenger’s family later paid both the cleanup fee and fare. President of the cab service Kurt Enders noted that he was pleased with the action of the police saying he believes drivers are now bringing these issues “to the forefront, because things are starting to get done and charges are being laid”. Calling this “an extreme case”, Enders said passengers do get sick in cars, probably every weekend, but this is the first time he has heard of a bag of vomit being thrown at one of his drivers.

etc.; and faced hostilities, prejudice, rights violations and appalling living conditions.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, stressed that indigenous people of Brazil had made lot of contributions to Brazil and the world. Besides providing them rights protection, Brazil government should make sure that reported illegal encroachment of indigenous lands be effectively stopped.

Rajan Zed pointed out that if Brazil “really and wholeheartedly” wanted upliftment of its indigenous people; a big change of heart, serious motivation, effective implementation, honest feeling of responsibility and firm political commitment were urgently needed; which seemed lacking at present.It was moral obligation of Brazil to take care of its indigenous communities with actions and not just announcements. Highlighting commitments, strategies and recommendations would yield nothing until translated to realities on the ground, Zed indicated.

Continued exploitation of Amazon rainforest was reportedly further threatening their existence and traditional lifestyle, Rajan Zed added.

Thursday.

“When I heard 45 soldiers were killed and there was a mourning period, I thought that I must show respect to them,” Saheb was quoted as saying.

“At first I wanted to paint each of the 45 faces, but I have been unable to find enough information about each of them,” added the 50-year-old artist who hails from Karnataka.

Saheb has been living in the country for 21 years now and said he feels that the UAE is his

potential to eliminate vast amounts of greenhouse gas emissions being generated by commercial dairy farming.

The biotech startup was founded in 2014 by bio-engineers Pandya, Perumal Gandhi and Isha Datar.The winner of the Dutch Postcode Lotteryorganised award was Jurriaan Ruys (47), co-founder of the Dutch start-up Land Life Company.Ruys won 500,000 euro for his technology for nature restoration.“It is inspiring to see how these green entrepreneurs are contributing to a better world... All of these ideas have potential for business success and to go to scale which is the only way we are going to tackle CO2 emissions,” Howard was quoted as saying.

World’s largest children’s museum displays Hindu Lord Ganesh NEVADA The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis (CMI), said to be world's largest children's museum, in partnership with National Geographic, is displaying a statue of Hindu Lord Ganesh in its current Sacred Journeys exhibition.This Lord Ganesh statue was custom made for the Museum and shipped from India recently.

Other areas of the “National Geographic Sacred Journeys” exhibition that focus on Hinduism, include Ganges River where they talk about Kumbh Mela, which includes a Ganga Jumna Lota pot and shows some contemporary items that people who go to the Kumbh Mela might purchase; Ganesh Chaturthi Festival; and Diwali Festival, which contains many Diwali

Dubai-based Indian painter Akbar Saheb honours UAE martyrs ABU DHABI A Dubai-based Indian painter who gifted Prime Minister Narendra Modi a series of paintings during his recent visit here has begun painting a new series to honour the martyrs of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the Yemen conflict.In his latest work titled “A Tribute to the Brave Soldiers”, professional illustrator Akbar Saheb painted a helmet of a soldier atop a rifle, next to a UAE flag in a landscape scarred by war, Khaleej Times reported on

LONDON A US-based company founded by a group of Indian-origin entrepreneurs which produces artificial milk has won a Dutch sustainability innovation prize of 200,000 euro, media reported.

An international jury chaired by Steve Howard, chief sustainability officer at multinational IKEA Group, awarded Ryan Pandya of Silicon Valley startup Muufri the runnerup prize of the Postcode Lottery Green Challenge 2015.

It is the largest annual international competition in the field of sustainability innovation, greenchallenge.info reported on Thursday.Muufri has identified the proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals in milk and is developing a blending process that has the

home.“Many years ago, I came here alone. Now my family is here. My children have grown up here,” he said, adding “The UAE is my home. Whatever I do here, I do it for this country.”“I have already done 38 paintings of Sheikh Zayed the principal driving force behind the formation of the UAE. For 2020 I would have done a 10 feet by 6 feet gigantic painting of Shaikh Mohammed the vice president and Prime Minister of the UAE,” he said.

hanging lanterns and diyas.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, commended CMI for exhibiting Lord Ganesh statue and Hinduism focused displays.

Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, urged major art museums of the world, including Musee du Louvre and Musee d'Orsay of Paris, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Los Angeles Getty Center, Uffizi Gallery of Florence (Italy), Tate Modern of London, Prado Museum of Madrid, National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, etc., to frequently organize Hinduism focused exhibitions, thus sharing the rich Hindu heritage with the rest of the world.This 7,000square-foot exhibition will continue till February 21 and is funded through a $1.25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. It also includes displays of Western Wall in Jerusalem, the Great Mosque in Mecca, Bodh Gaya in India, Tepeyac Hill and the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, Dome

of the Rock mosque, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Bodhi Tree, Caves in the bluffs along the Dead Sea; fragments of the Dead Sea scrolls, Jewish ritual objects, a piece of the Kiswah, throne built for the Dalai Lama, stone from the Western Wall, the trunk Brigham Young carried from New York to Utah, a replica of the Shroud of Turin, a sand mandala; etc. It “reflects this diversity of religious and spiritual pilgrimage through immersive environments created with photography from National Geographic”.The National Geographic Society claims to be “inspiring people to care about the planet since 1888” and reaches over 700 million people a month. Gary E. Knell is President. Lilly Endowment Inc., headquartered in Indianapolis and created in 1937, is a private philanthropic foundation.

Founded in 1925, CMI, a 472,900 square-foot facility situated on 29 acres with Dr. Jeffrey H. Patchen as President, is “committed to creating extraordinary family learning experiences”.

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15 Sep. - 21 Sep. 2015

$188,776 Facebook grant for cyberbullying expert Sameer Hinduja WASHINGTON Sameer Hinduja, a prominent Indian-American and cyberbullying expert from Florida Atlantic University, has received

a $188,776 grant from social networking site Facebook to study cyberbullying and dating violence among teenagers.The overarching goal of the study is to illuminate the nationwide prevalence, frequency and scope of cyberbullying and electronic dating violence among a population of youth in the US.Cyberbullying is a unique form of digital abuse that involves a range of tormenting, humiliating, threatening, embarrassing and harassing behaviours and has gained a lot of attention in recent years,” explained Hinduja in a university statement on Thursday.“Many

teenagers across the United States also experience dating violence that typically consists of various forms of mistreatment from insults and rumour spreads

to threats and physical assaults, added Hinduja, co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Centre and professor of criminology and criminal justice.Hinduja and his collaborator Justin Patchin, codirector of the Cyberbullying Research Centre, will rigorously construct a nationallyrepresentative panel of teens ages 12 to 17 years old - who will be surveyed with parental consent.Apart from descriptive findings by age, gender, grade, and other important demographics, they also will collect data on contributing factors to perpetration and victimisation, as well as the

2 UK nationals killed as Kalka-Shimla toy train derails

Shimla Two British women were killed and 13 others injured when three carriages of a chartered toy train that was carrying a group of tourists derailed while negotiating a turn near Parwanoo on the Kalka-Shimla narrow gauge section, a UNESCO heritage track.The mishap took place between Kalka and Taksal stations. The Shimla-bound special train had left Kalka station at 12.45 pm. “At 12.58 pm, we received a message that the train has derailed. The accident spot is nearly 3 km from the Kalka station,” said Kalka station superintendent Vinay Arora.“Of the four coaches, three got derailed. The engine of the train is safe but its first three bogies were damaged. The fourth bogie is also safe,” said Arora.

“The deceased has been identified as Joan Nicholas, 71, and Loraine Marie Tonner, 55,” said Ambala divisional railway

manager (DRM) Dinesh Kumar.

The injured were taken to Max Hospital in SAS Nagar after being treated briefly at ESI Hospital at Parwanoo while the bodies were shifted to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh. Of the 13 injured, three UK nationals Diane Logan, George Bertram and Andrew Summerhayes were admitted to Max hospital while the rest were discharged after first aid.Preliminary reports suggest that the accident might have taken place due to over-speeding.

Talking to HT, Stephen, a passenger from London, said, “The train was going too fast.”

Train driver Dhan Singh, however, said. “I was driving at 20-22 km/ hr. I don’t know what happened.”

The Railways has ordered a probe into the accident.ESI hospital medical superintendent Dr Vinod Kapil said: “As many as 13 injured were brought to our hospital.

negative outcomes that stem from cyberbullying participation as an aggressor or a target.

There are a number of similarities between cyberbullying and electronic dating violence.

Both naturally employ technology and lead to specific emotional, psychological, physical, and behavioural consequences.Cyberbullying tends to occur between individuals who do not like and do not want to be around each other.Electronic dating violence transpires between two people who are attracted to each other, at least on some level.“Most previous studies have focused on local schools or school districts as data sources. This leads to a key methodological limitation the potential lack of generalizability - which can be addressed with a nationallyrepresentative replication,” Hinduja commented.Results of this study will be disseminated through blogs and fact sheets posted on the Cyberbullying Research Centre’s website.Hinduja received the “Global Anti-Bullying Hero Award” for 2015 from Auburn University for his efforts and contributions on the subject.He recently spoke on Capitol Hill at a Congressional Briefing about cyberbullying and dating violence among teenagers.

First woman postmaster in California in 166 years is an Indian-American

NEW YORK Indian-American woman Jagdeep Grewal has become the first female to be appointed as the postmaster in Sacramento city in California in last 166 years, a media report said.

Grewal will oversee 1,004 employees who process and deliver mail on 537 city routes and 94 rural routes - and fill nearly 20,000 post office boxes, American Bazaar news portal reported on Wednesday.

Grewal who earned her bachelor’s and master’s degree from Punjab University, started her career in postal services in 1988 as a window clerk.She was promoted to the post of manager after five

years of service.

Referring to the steep decline in the usage of postal services due to internet and courier services, Grewal said that she looked forward to working with Sacramento’s Postal Service employees during a challenging time.

“It is only through joint effort and collaboration that we can truly meet our mission of providing extraordinary service while keeping costs down,” Grewal was quoted as saying.

She has also worked as a postmaster in Pacifica-Daly City, California.

The US Postal Service is facing cash crunch and recently reported a net loss of $586 million earlier this year.

Christian rights activist attacked on Twitter, RSS denies role New Delhi The reponses and counterresponses cascaded to a full crescendo so much so that #ShameOnJohnDayal trended for almost half a day.

In yet another case of the social media running riot, former journalist and Christian rights activist was trolled by suspected right-wing enthusiasts for his anti-RSS and anti-godmen tweets.

While sordid exchanges have continued from both sides starting last Saturday, alleged life threats to John Dayal over Twitter have become a reason for bother.

Dayal, appointed to the National Integration Council (NIC) by the last UPA government as also the spokersperson of the United Christian Forum, told Mail Today that he had already filed an FIR and had met top cop BS Bassi on Monday over life threats on social media. He said he feared none for his views and that he had not against any religion, albeit he held views against RSS and religious nationalism.

"I always held views against religious nationalism and I was attacked even back in the days of Atal Behari Vajpayee. What surprises me is the intensity and impunity of the attack this time.

If speaking against the government of the day is treason, then the entire Opposition will have to be declared anti-national.

I am as much patriotic as Narendra Modi, only that I believe in citizenship and not any brand of religious nationalism," said Dayal.

such elements who have donned the garb of sophistication and secularism and have spread nuisance. What happened to Dayal on Twitter is his own doing," said RSS Delhi prant prachar pramukh Rajiv Tuli.

The entire episode started on Saturday after Dayal tweeted over

Meanwhile, RSS too hit back at Dayal though denied having anything to do with the incident.

"It has become a fashion defame the RSS for each and everything.

If the priest of a school ws arrested for allegedly molesting kids, what does the RSS have to do with it? Dayal's trolling is the reflection of the fact that the society is conscious now and does not tolerate people like Dayal lying low. In fact, the people are themselves exposing

the arrest of the principal of St Xavier's school in Andheri East, Mumbai, for allegedly molesting two minor students. The reponses and counter-responses cascaded to a full crescendo so much so that #ShameOnJohnDayal trended for almost half a day.

"This trending was orchestrated to target me and was the handywork of those who have such kind of resources to make this happen," said Dayal.

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15 Sep. - 21 Sep. 2015

French dad jailed for stuffing 3 year-old son in washing machine

Paris A French father who stuffed his son into a washing machine and then surfed the internet as the toddler died was jailed for 30 years on Friday.Christophe Champenois, 36, rammed threeyear-old Bastien into the device and switched it on, allegedly as punishment for misbehaviour.The child’s 29-year-old mother, Charlene Cotte, told investigators she did a puzzle with her daughter and Champenois used the internet while their son screamed inside the whirring washing machine.She was jailed for 12 years, for “aiding and abetting murder and violence”.Cotte said that when her ex-husband removed Bastien from the machine and noticed he was no longer breathing, he said: “At least he won’t bother us anymore.”It was Champenois himself who called emergency services in the town of Germigny-l’Eveque, east of Paris, in November 2011, saying he had a “small problem” as his son had fallen down the

stairs. Champenois said he had given his son a bath and that the child must have drowned because he had water coming out of his nostrils.But the victim’s older sister, then five, told the doctor: “Daddy put Bastien in the washing machine because he was naughty at school” a version she maintained throughout the investigation.A neighbour who came to the apartment to help described the child as “frozen, completely naked. He was all white, limp, practically like a toy”.Cotte’s lawyer Gerard Zbili described her as a “broken woman who lost the child that she loved” but who was unable to protect him out of fear of her husband.

During the investigation, it emerged that the golden-haired Bastien was not wanted by his father, who meted out harsh punishments for his increasingly agitated behaviour at home and at school, such as locking him in a cupboard. Social services had been repeatedly alerted about the family’s case.

BANGKOK A Chinese woman who allegedly tried to smuggle a stolen diamond out of Thailand by swallowing it was released from

and an X-ray showed the diamond lodged in her gut. A 33year-old Chinese man who she was travelling with was also arrested.

hospital Monday after doctors removed the expensive gem from her gut.

Police say the 39-year-old unnamed woman, who will appear in court later Monday, switched the 10 million baht ($278,000) gem with a fake one at a jewellery fair on the northern outskirts of Bangkok on Thursday. She then tried to flee Thailand undetected by ingesting the gem. Investigators caught up to her as she tried to fly out of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport

Police say neither time nor laxatives dislodged the gem and on Sunday doctors were called in to remove the stone. “She is leaving the hospital - she is fine now,” Police Colonel Mana Tienmuangpak, lead investigator on the case, told AFP Monday.

He added that the woman would be taken to Nonthaburi Provincial Court which would then decide whether she will be remanded in custody as police continue to investigate. Police Lieutenant Colonel Anchulee Theera-

Next two years may be world’s hottest LONDON The next two years could be the hottest on record globally, says research from the UK’s Met Office.

It warns big changes could be under way in the climate system with greenhouse gases increasing the impact of natural trends.

The research shows that a major El Nino event is in play in the Pacific, which is expected to heat the world overall. But it also reveals that summers in Europe might get cooler for a while as the rest of the globe warms.

The scientists confirm that in 2015 the Earth’s average surface temperature is running at, or near, record levels (0.68C above the 19611990 average).

Met Office Hadley Centre director Prof Stephen Belcher said: “We know natural patterns contribute to global temperatures in any given year, but the very warm temperatures so far this year indicate the continued impact of (manmade) greenhouse gases.

“With the potential that next year could be similarly warm, it’s clear that our climate continues to change.”

An external reviewer, Prof Rowan Sutton, from the University of Reading, confirmed: “Unless there’s a big volcanic eruption, it looks very likely that globally 2014, 2015 and 2016 will be among the very warmest years

Chinese ‘thief’ swallowed diamond wongpaisal, spokeswoman of the Police General Hospital where the woman was treated, said doctors used a colonoscope and instruments to remove the gem from her lower intestine.

“It took 12 minutes to extract it” Anchulee said.

“It’s a normal surgical procedure except this time there was a 10million-baht diamond involved,” she added. While rare, it is not unheard of for gem thieves to swallow stones as they try to evade capture.

In September 2011, a thief who stole a diamond from a British woman in Spain was caught when police stopped him at a checkpoint and forced him to undergo an X-ray.

In February 2014 a British man was arrested in Australia trying to board a flight after he made off with a $180,000 pink diamond.

At the time investigators were convinced he had swallowed the diamond but the stone was never recovered. Despite being convicted and sentenced to prison he has yet to reveal what happened to the gem.

ever recorded.

“This isn’t a fluke. We are seeing the effects of energy steadily accumulating in the Earth’s oceans and atmosphere, caused by greenhouse gases.”

The scientists say that the combination of the effect of increasing CO2, coupled with

long-term natural ocean trends, leaves the climate system looking “very interesting”. They suspect major changes may be under way.

Prof Adam Scaife from the Met Office said: “It’s an important turning point in the Earth’s climate with so many big changes happening at once.”

Two trends affecting weather patterns in the near and medium term are in the Pacific Ocean.

El Nino happens when a Pacific current reverses on average every five years or so, bringing downpours where there is normally drought and drought where there is normally rain. El Nino tends to push world temperatures upwards.

This growing event is now looking similar to the 1998 El Nino, which bleached corals and brought havoc to world weather systems. The current event could increase drought risk in South Africa, East Asia, and the Philippines - and bring floods to southern South America.

One good outcome might be the end of the crippling, four-year California drought The second natural change is a shift in the decadal temperature pattern in the North Pacific known as the PDO. It has been in a cool phase, which the Met Office says has contributed to the pause in the rise of average surface atmospheric temperatures over the past decade. Now, it is entering a warm phase, which will typically make the world hotter.

But there’s another factor at play. These two warming events will be partly offset by the North Atlantic temperature pattern (AMO) switching into a cool phase.

The scientists say they have recently learned more about how these great ocean patterns temper or accelerate humaninduced warming, but Prof Sutton said: “The bit we don’t understand is the competition between those factors - that’s what we are working on.”

So the researchers can say that changes in the Atlantic mean Europe is likely to get slightly cooler and drier summers for a decade - but only if the Atlantic signal is not overridden by the Pacific signal. And they cannot be sure yet which influence will prevail.

Five feet worm taken out from child abdomen

QUETTA A five feet long worm was taken out from the abdomen of a child by medical treatment at District Headquarters Hospital Harnai.

The Medical Officer of the hospital, Dr. Wazir Khan Marri said on Monday that a child suffering from stomach pain was brought to hospital, who was given medicines which caused the worm leaving the abdomen of the child.

“Javed, a five-year-old child, the resident of village Killi Chhap, District Harnai was given emergency medicines at the district headquarters hospital after he was suffering severe stomach pain for last several days,” the doctor said, adding that after the medication, a fivefee long worm leave the abdomen of the child. He said that the condition of the child is now better.

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15 Sep. - 21 Sep. 2015

I was drawn into a vicious campaign says Mehr Tarar 7-yr-old dies of dengue, parents commit suicide

New Delhi Pakistani columnist Mehr Tarar, who was embroiled in a controversy surrounding the death of former Union minister Shashi Tharoor’s wife Sunanda Pushkar, has broken her silence

on the issue in a book slamming the media for dragging her in an “unsavoury story across the border”.In her book titled ‘Leaves from Lahore’ to be released next month, Tarar writes, “When bits of your personal life become a part of breaking news; when your life is caricatured into a few lines of half-truths and paraphrased analyses, you watch in helplessness and achieve a state of icy silence. Of wordlessness.” The 294-page hardbound published by Har

Anand Publications, a collection of Tarar’s writings, blogs and jottings in recent years, covers a broad sweep from life to love to cricket, politics, terrorism and Bollywood.The Lahore-based author says in one of the

passages, “When there is not much to a story that the media thought would become the next Clinton-Lewinsky or SarkozyBruni story, most journalistic ethics are side-stepped and a noholds barred attack is launched and your life turns into a cacophony of a scandal. You watch your life being discussed by strangers who do not have the remotest idea of who you are.”Saying that she was “deeply pained” by the media onslaught, Tarar writes, “When your name

Aurangzeb gave temples grants, land: Historian ALLAHABAD In sharp contrast to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s image of a temple destroyer in history books, an Allahabad-based historian has claimed that he had offered lavish grants and land to the ancient Someshwar Mahadev temple on the banks of Sangam in Arail. Historian and principal of Serveshwari Degree College Pradeep Kesherwani made this claim based on certain historical facts.

“During one of his military campaigns, Aurangzeb and his army had spent time near the temple. During the stay, he not only visited the temple but also offered grant and land for its maintenance. This fact is mentioned on the ‘Dharma Dand’ (religious pillar) situated on the temple premises,” Kesherwani told .“The pillar has 15 sentences in Sanskrit inscribed on it mentioning, ‘The ruler of the country visited the temple in 1674 and gave heavy grants to the temple, both in form of land and money’,” said Kesherwani, lamenting that regular use of vermilion on the pillar, situated near Lord Hanuman’s idol, had made the inscription illegible.

He said the fact also finds mention in the writings of former Allahabad mayor Vishamber Nath Pandey, who later became the governor of Odisha.

“Speaking in Rajya Sabha on July 27, 1977, Pandey informed the House that during his tenure as chairman of Allahabad Nagar Palika, a dispute over the

temple came before him. One of the parties presented documents regarding grants by Aurangzeb, both in terms of land and money. The matter was later referred to a committee headed

by Justice TB Sapru. The

committee sought documents from all temples that received ‘jagir’ (land) or money as donation from Aurangzeb,” Kesherwani said.He said that several temples, including Maha Kaleshwar temple of Ujjain, Balaji temple of Chitrakoot, Umanand temple of Guwahati, Jain temples of Saranjay and some temples of South India, produced such testimonials before the committee headed by Justice Sapru. Another historian of Allahabad University, Prof Yogeshwar Tiwari, supported the contention. “Akbar too provided grant to the temple to show his ‘praja’ (common man) that he was the ruler of everyone. Patronizing Hindu temples was one such act. As far as Someshwar Mahadev temple is concerned, Aurangzeb might have given or even hiked the grants,” Tiwari said.

becomes entangled in a drama in which your involvement was on a scale much less than what was being reported, no half measures are taken. You can only save yourself the harm of being attacked online by keeping quiet. Once you counter-attack, you become an accomplice in your own virtual lynching.”Tarar, who has not named Sunanda Pushkar in the book, told Hindustan Times on phone that she had never met or spoken to Pushkar and it came as a surprise when she (Pushkar) sent her emails.

The book mentions Tharoor only in passing, but does praise him for his “very cool words” and “mesmerising voice”.Calling Tharoor “a friend”, she said whatever relationship she had with Shashi in the past ended before the unfortunate incident of January 2014. “Pushkar’s death had no connection with this, but I was dragged into a vicious and slanderous campaign,” she said.

Tarar said she had not been in regular touch with Tharoor since Pushkar’s death a year and a half ago. “I wrote on his grandmother’s demise, and he sent a two-line thank you. Also the same on his son’s wedding,” she said. Tharoor said that he does not comment on “any details of what remains an ongoing investigation”.

New Delhi According to reports, two of Delhi’s reputed hospitals Moolchand Medicity and Max Saket - had refused a bed to Avinash Rout. Rout’s parents Laxmichandra and Babita - then rushed him to Batra Hospital. But by then it was too late and the kid was declared dead on September.The government has ordered a probe into the death of a seven-year-old boy, who died of dengue on September 8. In a tragic chain of events, the child’s parents committed suicide by jumping from a four-storey building in South Delhi hours after the kid succumbed to dengue at a hospital.According to reports, two of Delhi’s reputed hospitals - Moolchand Medicity and Max Saket - had refused a bed to Avinash Rout. Rout’s parents -

Laxmichandra and Babita - then rushed him to Batra Hospital. But by then it was too late and the kid was declared dead on September.Devastated by the death of their only child, Laxmichandra and Babita committed suicide a couple of hours after performing the last rites of Avinash.

Guilty won’t be spared: Government Taking note of the incident Health Minister JP Nadda has now sought a report from the Delhi government.

Terming the whole episode as deplorable, Nadda said,” We have asked for a report from Delhi government. An enquiry has been ordered into the incident and guilty won’t be spared. A joint secretary of the ministry will investigate the whole matter and summit his report within a week.”

Eggs hurled at trader's shop for supporting meat ban on Facebook New Delhi Eggs were hurled and roosters released at a jewellery businessman’s shop by Shiv Sena supporters after he posted comments supporting meat ban on a social networking site. However, no complaint was registered in this connection as the matter was settled between the two sides, police said on Sunday. The incident took place on Friday when Sena supporters, who were already protesting the four-day meat ban (imposed then) in the city during Jain community’s ‘Paryushan’ fasting period, learnt that a jewellery trader supported the meat ban and posted comments in this regard on Facebook, saying that “nobody would die if they don’t eat meat for two days.” The jewellery businessman, a local BJP worker, later removed the Facebook post. Sources privy to the development said, “Angry Shiv Sena supporters gathered outside the businessman’s shop and not only they hurled eggs at his shop, but also released five

cocks and hens at the doorsteps of his shop which prompted the shop owner to call the police.”

However, after Samta Nagar police’s timely intervention, both the sides settled the matter.

“After the matter was settled by both the parties, we did not reg-

has defended the ban imposed

by Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), the Sena and opposition MNS, Congress and NCP have strongly opposed it, alleging that the move was aimed at polarising voters and appeasing a section

ister any complaint or FIR against anyone,” Samta Nagar police station incharge Dilip Yadav said. A similar ban on sale of meat had also been imposed

by Mira-Bhayander and Navi Mumbai municipal corporations in Mumbai’s adjoining Thane district. Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray had earlier said his party would ensure that there was no ban on sale of meat. While the ruling BJP in Maharashtra

of society before the crucial MCGM polls in early 2017. However, MCGM on Friday had told the Bombay High Court that it has decided to withdraw its decision. While the civic body announced the ban for September 13 and 18, the government had banned it for September 10 and 17. BMC’s decision to withdraw the ban would mean that the city would now go without meat only on September 17.

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15 Sep. - 21 Sep. 2015

Humans are ‘born lazy’ Ottawa It is the perfect excuse to forget that trip to the gym and put your feet up. Scientists say, “We are wired to save energy - adapting our movements to make them as

streamlined as possible.” In other words, we are born lazy. The study looked at the dynamics of walking but the Canadian researchers said it the idea likely applies to other types of exercise. A spokesman for the team said: ‘Those of you who spend hours at the gym with the aim of burning as many calories as possible may be disappointed to learn that all the while your nervous system is subconsciously working against you.’ The researchers, from Vancouver ’s Simon Fraser University, fitted men and women

with equipment that made their usual walking style more difficult than usual. Faced with difficulty in swinging their legs, they quickly changed their gait to the path of least resistance.

They did this within minutes, despite having established their own particular walking style over decades, the journal Current Biology heard. Researcher Max Donelan said: ‘We found that people readily change the way they walk - including characteristics of their gait that have been established with millions of steps over the course of their lifetime - to save quite small amounts of energy.

‘This is completely consistent with the sense that most of us have that we prefer to do things in the least effortful way, like

when we choose the shortest walking path, or choose to sit rather than stand.

‘Here we have provided a physiological basis for this laziness by demonstrating that even within a well-rehearsed movement like walking, the nervous system subconsciously monitors energy use and continuously re-optimises movement patterns in a constant quest to move as cheaply as possible.

‘We think that minimising energetic cost is a principle that guides most of our movements.’

The discovery is also a blow for those who have second helping of dessert or an extra chocolate biscuit in the belief they will quickly work off the extra calories.Researcher Jessica Selinger said: ‘Even when we elect to do a task that requires more energy, like when we choose to go for a run, our nervous system is hard at work in the background making it as efficient as possible. ‘This is bad news for those of us who eat too much.’However, it is not all doom and gloom. The scientists said: ‘There is a bright side to this.

‘Sensing and optimising energy use that quickly and accurately is an impressive feat on the part of the nervous system. ‘You have to be smart to be that lazy.’

Doctors warn of snakebite serum shortage

PARIS Tens of thousands of people will unnecessarily die of snakebites unless an affordable new source of antivenom is found, Doctors Without Borders has warned, with stocks of a Frenchproduced drug running out.

Pharmaceutical company Sanofi stopped production of the drug, Fav-Afrique, at the end of last year, the medical volunteer group, known by its French acronym of MSF, said.

The last batch will expire next June.An effective replacement will not be available “for another two years,” MSF warned in a statement issued to coincide with a symposium in Basel, Switzerland on Tuesday, entitled: “Time to improve snakebite

management in the tropics.”

“The absence of a safe and effective antivenom that is active against multiple toxins from June 2016 until at least the end of 2018 will translate into countless deaths,” it said. “Until alternative treatments are found, Sanofi needs to ensure the interim production of the Fav-Afrique antivenom.” Fav-Afrique acts against the venom of 10 different snake species, among the most dangerous in Africa.

About five million people are bitten by snakes every year, of whom about 100,000 die, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Some 300,000 people per year lose limbs or suffer other permanent disabilities after snakebites.

Queen Elizabeth ‘never Ocean plants ‘can help freeze clouds’ aspired’ to become UK’s longest-reigning monarch London Queen Elizabeth sealed a special place in the Britain’s history by becoming its longestreigning monarch on Wednesday.

Queen Elizabeth sealed a special place in the Britain’s history by becoming its longestreigning monarch on Wednesday, but amid warm tributes from politicians and the public, she said the landmark was not something to which she had ever aspired. Elizabeth, 89, surpasses the 63 years, 7 months, 2 days, 16 hours and 23 minutes that her great-greatgrandmother Queen Victoria spent on the throne. The occasion was marked by cheering, flag-waving crowds on the street, bells ringing out in Westminster Abbey and solemn messages in parliament but Elizabeth, who is also the nation’s oldest ever monarch, wanted little fuss. She made only a brief reference to it in a speech as she opened a new railway line in Scotland. Thanking the crowd for their welcome, she said: “Many ... have also kindly noted another significance attaching to today, although it is not one to which I have ever aspired.

“Inevitably a long life can pass by many milestones - my own is no exception - but I thank you all and the many others at home

and overseas for your touching messages and great kindness.”

However, in London, political leaders heaped praise on a head of state who became monarch aged just 25 at a time when Britain was emerging from the ravages of World War Two and has witnessed massive political change, social upheaval and the end of the British empire during her long reign.

London Scientists say tiny ocean plants could play a significant role in the formation of ice in clouds. An international team has shown that the top few millimetres of the sea is rich in secretions from phytoplankton.

The group’s tests demonstrate that this microscopic material can nucleate ice crystals if lifted into the atmosphere by crashing waves and sea spray. If this is a very prevalent process, it likely alters cloud properties, the researchers tell the journal Nature.

A greater or lesser abundance of

Rate of child deaths drops by half since 1990 UNITED NATIONS Child mortality rates have plummeted to less than half of what they were in 1990, but it is not enough to meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of a two-thirds reduction over the past 15 years, according to a new report released Wednesday by a number of United Nations agencies.

“We have to acknowledge tremendous global progress, especially since 2000 when many countries have tripled the rate of reduction of under-five

mortality,” the Deputy Executive Director of the UN Children’s

Fund (UNICEF), Geeta Rao Gupta, said. “But the far too large number of children still dying from preventable causes before their fifth birthday and indeed within their first month of life – should impel us to redouble our efforts to do what we know needs to be done.

ice will affect the clouds’ lifetimes, their precipitation potential, and whether they behave as a blanket to warm the atmosphere, or as a bright shield to reflect sunlight, thus having a

However, the plants also excrete matter. These “exudates”, as they are known, are gel-like, and their scale is on the order of 0.20.02 micrometers. This means they are capable of being carried

cooling effect. It is yet another factor that climate models will have to consider, says study lead Dr Theo Wilson from the University of Leeds, UK. “Our understanding of cloud formation is actually pretty poor, and we need to understand better how ice is made so that modellers can better represent it,” he told BBC News. Wilson’s team visited the Arctic, the northwestern Atlantic and the northeastern Pacific. The scientists used a remotecontrolled boat to trawl the top “microlayer” of these waters to see what sort of organic material it held.

Phytoplankton are clearly present, but these organisms, as small as they are, are really too big to be wafted high into the sky.

skyward.

“This ‘goo’ is the sort of material that will get into the fine fraction of sea spray aerosol, which is the part of the sea spray that is going to make it high into the atmosphere,” explained Dr Wilson. His team shows that the exudates can become Ice Nucleating Particles (INPs) in the atmosphere.

“Exactly why they’re good at making ice is still not clear,” said co-researcher Dr Luis Ladino from the University of Toronto, Canada. “It could be because their structure is similar to ice; it could be because they have some affinity to have hydrogen bonds; or some other favourable chemistry at their surface. There are probably many components, and you can’t say it’s just one.”

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Steve Waugh sees Sourav Ganguly in Virat Kohli There is a very fine line between being aggressive and going over the top.

Pacer Ishant Sharma’s outbursts against the Sri Lankans in the last two Tests was the ideal example of misplaced aggression and unsportsmanlike behaviour, an instance, where emotion got the better of the player.

Australian stalwart Steve Waugh, who in his prime rarely dropped his guard,

believes while one should not cross the line, passion and emotion are prerequisites of the sport. The man, who led one of the most aggressive teams in cricket, guffawed when asked if cricket can still be called a gentleman’s

game. “I don’t know what a gentleman’s game means!” But he was quick to add, “...But as long as it is played in the right spirit. You’d be disappointed if the Indian side had no passion because they are representing 1.2 billion people.

The Australian side represents 24 million people.

There is a lot at stake when you are playing for your country. You want passion.

Sometimes that can bubble over but you want to see the emotion and see them really wanting to do well. You don’t want to cross the line where it becomes unsportsmanlike but that can happen occasionally in any sport. We want to see players with emotion and passion.”

Comparing India’s young and brash Test skipper Virat Kohli to Sourav Ganguly, the veteran of 168-Test matches said Kohli’s aggressive personality would be one of his highlight traits as leader.

“He will do well. He had a

good win in Sri Lanka and very few sides in the past decade have won away from home, so that’s a good feather in his cap. I haven’t seen him captain much but I assume by the way he plays the game that he is out there to win. He plays aggressively and I guess his captaincy is a bit in the Sourav Ganguly mould, where he can be in your face and he can be a bit prickly at times. But I don’t mind that, I am happy to see that.

As a captain, he is never going to back down or be trampled upon by the opposition and that’s a good thing for India,” explained the former Australian skipper.

become the format’s most successful male player in

the Open era. The fourth-seeded IndoSwiss pair edged past unseeded Americans Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sam Querrey 6-4 3-6 10-7 in a tricky final to win their third Major title together this season. Dravid

said it is incredible that at age of 42, Paes has been able to achieve the glorious feat three Majors in a calendar year.

“It is incredible what Leander has been able to achieve in this age. It is timeless - he keeps going on and on. It is terrific to watch him,” he said.

Sania, Paes are huge inspiration, says Dravid

Congratulating tennis stars Sania Mirza and Leander Paes, former India captain Rahul Dravid today said that both are “huge inspiration” for aspiring sportspersons in the country.

“Both Sania and Leander are huge inspiration for not only tennis aspirants, but also for sportspersons,” Dravid told reporters on the margins of announcement of second edition of Bengaluru Cup being organised by Hockey Karnataka here. “I think it is phenomenal achievement by Sania and Leander to be able to win the U.S. mixed doubles and women’s doubles titles,” he added. Sania and her Swiss partner Martina Hingis bagged the women’s doubles title after outplaying the fourth seed team of Casey Dellacqua and Yaroslava Shvedova 6-3 6-3 in the final.

This was Sania’s second consecutive Grand Slam title of the season and fifth overall. Veteran Paes scripted history by notching up the US Open mixed doubles title with Hingis to

Dramatic rule changes for HIL 2016

With every field goal being valued as two, the fourth edition of the Hockey India League (HIL) in 2016 would likely witness some dramatic changes to the game.

The differential value for goals scored is perhaps among the most radical innovations introduced in hockey. According to this, a field goal during the HIL would count as two while a penalty corner would continue to be counted as one goal, making field goals twice as valuable.

However, penalty strokes would continue to be counted as one except when a stroke is awarded for a deliberate foul during the execution of a penalty corner.

Rules and Regulations Squad strength: 20 (12 Indians, 8 Foreign) Rules for scoring: A field goal and penalty strokes other than those resulting from a penalty corner: 2 goals

Penalty stroke goals resulting from a deliberate foul during a penalty corner: 2 goals Penalty stroke goals resulting from ball hitting a foot during penalty corner: 1 goal Penalty corner goal: 1 goal Shootouts: 1 goal.

Three days before the six franchises participate in the open auctions for the next two seasons of the event, Hockey India President Narinder Batra made the announcement here on Monday, and the immediate impact is likely to be felt during the auctions, with increased demand for forwards. “We have seen teams trying to go for penalty corners instead of field goals. There is over-reliance on PC experts. We want to bring back the skills required for field goals and reduce over dependence on PCs. The decision was taken after consultations with all the franchises,” Batra said.

Happy to renew ties with Dravid, says Raina Suresh Raina is excited to renew his fruitful relationship with Rahul Dravid.

Raina is in the city as part of the India ‘A’ cricket team which soon faces Bangladesh ‘A’, with Dravid as coach.

“Dravid was good with youngsters like me, Robin Uthappa, Irfan Pathan and others when he was the captain. He gave all of us a lot of confidence, and I’m definitely happy to work with him again,” Raina said, after a training session here on Monday.

The Bangladesh ‘A’ team tour kicks off with the first of three 50-over matches, which will be held at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on September 16.

Raina, who was part of the India senior team which lost to Bangladesh 2-1 in the away ODI series in June this year, is rightly wary of the opposition.

“I can’t really say that this ‘A’ series will give us good practice matches because we (senior team) have lost a series to Bangladesh recently. India ‘A’ have done

well in the last couple of series, and we need to continue the good work,” he said.

The 28-year-old, who has played 218 ODIs and 18

Tests, is happy to ply his trade in an ‘A’ series. “It’s all in the mind. I’m happy to play a few good practice games with players like Kedar Jadhav, Manish Pandey, Kuldip Yadav and Unmukt Chand. I can learn something from them,” he said.

A busy few weeks await Raina, who has also been named in the 30-man India senior probables list for the upcoming series against South Africa.

Asked about the visiting side’s good recent record against the Indians, Raina replied: “Let us focus on the positives of what we have achieved just now.

We won the Test series in Sri Lanka.”

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American Airlines sends wrong plane to Hawaii WASHINGTON American Airlines accidently sent the wrong plane across the ocean from Los Angeles to Hawaii, a company spokesman confirmed to AFP Sunday.

In the August 31 incident, first reported by transportation blogger Brian Sumers, a plane that was not authorized to fly long distances over open water made the flight - albeit safely - to Honolulu.

American Airlines spokesman Casey

Norton said they were still looking into how the mixup happened.

aside from having an “ETOPS” certification, which requires the plane to

He emphasized that the plane that made the trip, an Airbus A321S, is the same plane as the one that was supposed to make it, an Airbus A321H,

carry additional equipment.

“It has the same engine, same fuel tanks, same range,” Norton told AFP, but, he said, the A321H

has extra medical oxygen - different than the oxygen masks that drop from the ceiling - in case of an in-flight medical emergency and an additional firesuppression canister.

Planes that are flying over water in an area where they will be more than an hour from a possible landing area are required to carry that precautionary equipment and the ETOPS authorization certifying they are on-board, he said.

Bangkok bombing: Three women detained Bangkok: The team led by bomb disposal police and forensic officers raided a dormitory and detained three women in connections with the Bangkok blasts.

The team led by Metropolitan Police Bureau chief Sriwara Rangsipramanakul said tenants at the Din Daeng dormitory, raided on Sunday, has links to Erawan shrine blast and the Sathon pier explosion,

Bangkok Post reported.

Officers seized travel bags and computers for DNA

examination and traces of fingerprints to see whether they matched DNA

samples of those involved in the bomb attacks.

A source said two students rented the room. Two months ago, mother of one of the two students had brought a middle-aged woman to stay in the room claiming that she was her friend.

Three men had brought something to keep in the room and they were believed to have fled the country, said the source.

Man held for urinating on passengers during flight Washington A 27-year-old man from the US state of Oregon was jailed after urinating on several passengers, seats and luggage on a flight.

Jeff Rubin was asleep for most of the flight, but about 30 minutes before the flight was scheduled to land, he stood up and began urinating through the crack of the seat in front of him. Pic/ Multnomah County Sheriff’s office.

Jeff Rubin was taken into custody on Friday after the JetBlue Flight 47 he was traveling in landed at Portland International Airport, police said.

Sleepy much?

Rubin was asleep for most of the flight, but about 30 minutes before the flight was scheduled to land, he stood up and began urinating through the crack of the seat onto the passengers seated in front of him.

Copspeak “As he continued to relieve himself, Rubin lost his balance and fell backwards and urinated upwards which got the passengers

and seats next to him as well as some other passengers’ personal belong-

ings,” the police report stated. When the officers boarded the aircraft, they found Rubin slumped over asleep in his seat. The crew and the fellow passengers were completely shocked by the act committed by the drunk passenger.

Airlinespeak “Flight 45 from Anchorage, Alaska, was met by local authorities upon arrival into Portland at 4:26 am on Friday following an incident involving an intoxicated customer,” the airline said in a statement.

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Health Be smart, stay mentally fit!

People think about how to keep themselves physically fit practically everyday, so much so, that they often forget that their mental health is equally important.

Everyday stress and anxiety related to work and family pressures tend to take a toll on you sooner or later, as a result of which, you find yourself getting mentally drained much easily than before.

Being mentally healthy means having a sense of well-being, having the ability to function during everyday life and feeling

confident of rising to a challenge when opportunity arises.

Just like for your physical health, there are actions you can take to increase your mental health. Foster your wellbeing and stay mentally fit and healthy by following a few simple steps.

1. Connect with others: Develop and maintain strong relationships with people around you who will support and enrich your life. The quality of good personal relationships has a great,

High BMI can reduce risk of rheumatoid arthritis in men

soothing effect on our mental well-being. Giving your time and effort to build strong and healthy relationships. On the other hand, stay away from people who have the ability to strain you mentally and stress you out.

2. Take time to enjoy: Everyone has a set of hobbies. Set aside time for those hobbies and projects that you enjoy.

Let yourself be spontaneous and creative when the urge takes you.

In short, spend some quality time with yourself. This means doing something that ‘you’ like doing, for a change. That may include curling up with a good book and coffee, shopping, taking a walk,

enjoying nature, painting, etc.

3. Take care of yourself: Be active and eat well.

These may sound very basic but they help maintain a healthy body.

Since physical and mental health are closely linked, it is easier to feel good about life if your body feels good and vice versa. You don’t necessarily have to go to the gym to exercise – gardening, dancing and bush-walking all count.

Combine physical activity with a balanced diet to nourish your body and mind and help you maintain the feel-good factor inside and out.

4. Challenge yourself: Acquire a new skill or take on a challenge to meet a goal. You could take up something different at work; commit to a fitness goal or learn to cook a new recipe. Learning new things improves your mental fitness, while striving to meet your own goals builds skills and confidence and gives you a sense of progress and achievement.

Healthknown benefits of Lesser health benefits of pears! mulberry!

We all love to eat sweet, juicy and delicious pears, don’t we? Pears not only taste good but are packed with many nutrients which are essential for good health. Also, pears come in a wide range of colors and varieties.

You should include them in your diet plan for a healthier lifestyle.

Here are some health benefits of juicy pears: Good for heart: Pears are an excellent source of dietary fibre, which is good for the heart. The fibre content in the fruit reduces cholesterol in our body and protects us from heart diseases. So, eat

pears daily and reduce the risk of a stroke.

Prevents Cancer: The high fiber content in the fruit binds to help remove cancer-causing chemi-cals in the colon which therefore, reduces the risk of colon cancer too.

Daily consumption of pears can prevent breast cancer by upto 34% in women after menopause.

Boosts immune system: Pears contain high content of anti-oxidants like vitamin C and copper which helps in boosting the immune system of the body and fights against various diseases.

Eat apple, green tomatoes to gain never-say-die muscles A new study has claimed that men with high BMI (Body Mass Index) have a lower risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

In the study, scientists in Sweden analysed data from 383 patients, taken from two population based health surveys with a total of 50,705 participants, to discover that there was a strong association between a high BMI in men and a lower risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. However, this association was not found in women.

After the results had been adjusted for smoking as that has been found to be

negatively associated with obesity in men, men with a BMI over 25kg/m2 were estimated to be 63 percent less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis.

The scientists suggested that a high BMI more often reflects increased abdominal obesity or visceral fat in men compared with women, which could be protective against the development of rheumatoid arthritis.

Lead author Carl Turesson said that the effect of obesity on the risk of rheumatoid arthritis did not appear to be substantially different from that of overweight.

While discovering a protein that causes muscle weakness and loss during ageing, scientists from University of Iowa have also stumbled upon two natural compounds, one found in apples and one in green tomatoes, which reduce the protein’s activity in aged muscle.

The protein called ATF4 alters gene expression in skeletal muscle, causing reduction of muscle protein synthesis, strength and mass. The team identified ursolic acid, which is found in apple peel, and tomatidine, which comes from green

tomatoes, as small molecules that can prevent acute muscle wasting caused by starvation and inactivity. Those studies set the

stage for testing whether ursolic acid and tomatidine might be effective in blocking the largest cause of muscle weakness and atrophy: aging.”Ursolic acid and tomatidine appear to have a lot of potential as tools for dealing with muscle weakness and atrophy

during ageing,” said Christopher Adams, professor of internal

medicine and senior study author. We might be able to use ursolic acid and tomatidine as tools to find a root cause of muscle weakness and

atrophy during ageing, he added. The findings could lead to new therapies for age-related muscle weakness and atrophy.

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HIV infection: Know early signs and symptoms of it For most of us, whenever we hear or see the words ‘HIV/AIDS’, a tingling feeling or a shiver move down our spine. Acquired

childbirth or breastfeeding.

About 36.9 million people were living with HIV globally at the end of

that people with HIV can enjoy healthy and productive lives.

Symptoms of HIV/AIDS vary depending on the

immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a term which applies to the most advanced stages of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

While HIV can be transmitted through unprotected sex, it can also be spread by contact with infected blood or from mother to child during pregnancy,

2014, according to estimates by WHO and UNAIDS. Some 2 million people became newly infected, and 1.2 million died of AIDS-related causes in the same period.

There’s no cure for HIV infection, but, effective treatment with antiretroviral (ARV) drugs can control the virus so

stage of infection.

Although, sometimes HIV symptoms don’t appear for years, and sometimes even a decade - after infection, it’s important to know what early symptoms to look out for.

Most of the people infected by HIV develop an influenza-like illness within a month or two

Do you like to stay physically fit? Do you go or plan to go to the gym?

If yes, then this one’s for you! You must have already heard that hitting the dumbbells on an empty stomach can lead to all sorts of problems like low blood sugar

1. Whole Wheat Toast with Sliced Banana and Cinnamon: When you get ready for your workout, carbs are your best friends. Wholewheat toast with fruit gives you both types of carbs and it’s also easy to digest. Complex carbs

levels, dizziness, lightheadedness, fatigue, etc.

Therefore, it is important to eat well before starting with your power workouts and strength training.

A pre-workout snack is one that should be consumed about 30-60 minutes before you start sweating it out.

It’s evident that bodies differ from person to person and so do their workout routines.

Therefore, it is eminent that their nutrition depends on that as well.

Keeping this in mind, we bring to you a few quick snacks that, when timed properly, will give you the balance of protein, fat and carbs that you need to fuel your workout, build muscle and recover quickly.

will keep your motor humming, while the fruit adds an extra kick of energy. For an added bonus, add a dash of cinnamon. The spice has been linked to stabilizing blood sugar and improving brain function.

2. Greek Yogurt: Getting ready for a little cardio run on the treadmill? Eat some yogurt first. You can also go for some flavoured yogurt too! It’s easy on your stomach and can give you the little boost your body needs. Just remember, a little bit goes a long way.

3. Smoothies: If you’re in a hurry to go to the gym, smoothies are your go-to buddies.

Not only are they timefriendly, but creating your

own blend has a bunch of exercise benefits. For a foolproof formula, use your favourite sliced fruit, a cup of Greek yogurt and some granola for a thicker consistency.

4. Fruits and Oats: Oats are full of fiber, which means they gradually release carbs into your bloodstream.

This steady stream keeps your energy levels consistent during your workout. Oats also contain B vitamins, which help convert carbohydrates into energy. Help yourself to one cup at least 30 minutes before you begin exercising. To give yourself that buildup, don’t hesitate to add a cup of fresh fruits to the oatmeal.

5. Avocado: This does not mean guacamole. Slices of avocado sprinkled with lemon juice serve as a great pre-workout snack. The healthy fats they contain not only provide long-burning fuel during your workout, but the pair also keeps your eyes, skin, and heart healthier in the long run. If you can’t eat simple avocados, you can also try pairing it up with fresh yogurt.

after the virus enters the body.

Possible signs and symptoms of acute HIV infection: Fever Headache Rash Sore throat Aching muscles Swollen lymph glands – mainly on the neck Nausea and vomiting Ulcers in the mouth or in the genitals Diarhoea Weight loss Nail changes Night sweats As the infection progressively weakens the immune system, without treatment, an individual could also develop severe illnesses such as tuberculosis, cryptococcal meningitis, and cancers such as lymphomas and Kaposi’s sarcoma, among others.

Seek immediate medical help if you think you may have been infected with HIV or are at risk of contracting the virus.

Gut bacteria key to good cholesterol, heart health

Bacteria living in your gut may impact your weight, fat and good cholesterol levels, all necessary to help maintain a healthy heart, new research indicates. The study provides new evidence that microbes in the gut are strongly linked to the blood level of HDL (good cholesterol) and Triglycerides.

“Gut bacteria may be added as a new risk factor for abnormal blood lipids, in addition to age, gender, Body Mass Index (BMI) and genetics,” said Jingyuan Fu, Associate Professor of Genetics at University Medical Centre

in Groningen, Netherlands.

Using state-of-the-art deep sequencing technology, researchers studied the association between gut microbes and blood lipid levels in 893 people in the Netherlands.

They identified 34 different types of bacteria that contributed to differences in body fat (BMI) and blood Lipids such as Triglycerides and the good cholesterol known as high-density Lipoprotein or HDL. Bacteria in the gut contributed to 4.6 percent of the difference in body fat, six percent in Triglycerides and four percent in HDL.

Eat your way to a healthy workout! How you keep balance while jogging

Do you know why a jogger does not feel dizzy or lose balance while a roller-coaster rider can find his or her head spinning with no control over the abrupt dips and swoops?

The secret is hidden in the sensory hair cells in your inner ear.

The reason for the difference lies in the vestibular organ (VO) located in the inner ear, which controls balance and posture, researchers have reported.

The VO senses ongoing selfmotion and ensures that, while running, the jogger unconsciously compensates for the accompanying changes in the orientation of the head.

The team from University of Bordeaux in France and Ludwig-MaximiliansUniversity (LMU) of Munich in Germany revealed that cells in the spinal cord which generate the rhythmic patterns of neural and muscle activity required for locomotion also adaptively alter the sensitivity of the hair

cells in the VO. It enables them to respond appropriately to the broad range of incoming signal amplitudes.

slight and substantial displacements of the head in turn implies that the sensory hair cells in the inner ear can react to widely varying

“We are not really aware of what movement actually involves because our balance organs react immediately to alterations in posture and head position,” said neurobiologist Boris Chagnaud from LMU. The hair cells, which detect the resulting changes in fluid flow in the semicircular canals in the inner ear, enable us to keep our balance without any conscious effort, he explained.

The capacity to adapt and respond appropriately to both

stimulus intensities.

The whole adaptation process is controlled by neurons in the spinal cord, which transmit signals to the VO via nerve cells just before the muscles carry out the next locomotory behaviour.

These signals thus notify the VO in advance about the temporal form of the impending movement.

The team now intends to study whether all the hair cells in the inner ear also respond to efferent information emanating from the spinal cord.

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CRISPY SMASHED ZA'ATAR POTATOES

ClassiC GUaCamOle

Ingredients: 2 1/2 lb. baby Yukon gold potatoes Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup olive oil 3 tbsp. za’atar Lemon wedges, for serving Instructions: Heat the oven to 425°. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water by 1-inch. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat to medium and cook the potatoes until tender, about 10 minutes.

Drain the potatoes and then spread them on a baking sheet. Using the palm of your hand, lightly press the potatoes to flatten them. Transfer the potatoes to a roasting pan and drizzle

Ingredients: 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, divided 2 tbsp. finely chopped white onion 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1/2 fresh serrano chile, stemmed and finely chopped 1 lb. avocados (about 2 small), halved and pitted 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice Tortilla chips, for serving Instructions: Mash half the cilantro, the onion, salt, and serrano into a paste in a mortar and pestle.

Scoop out the flesh of the avocado and roughly chop; add to mortar along with remaining cilantro and lime juice and lightly mash. Serve with tortilla chips.

ALMOND GRANITA Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups whole milk 1/2 cup slivered, blanched almonds, toasted 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 cup canned almond paste 1/2 tsp. almond extract Pomegranate seeds and toasted sliced almonds, to garnish Instructions: In a blender, combine the milk with the slivered almonds, sugar, almond paste, and almond extract and purée until smooth. Pour the almond milk into a 9by-13-inch baking dish, cover the dish with plastic wrap, and place in the freezer.

Using the tines of a fork, stir the mixture every 30 minutes, scraping edges and breaking up any ice chunks as the mixture freezes, until the granita is

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

slushy and frozen, about 3 hours. Scoop the granite into chilled serving glasses and garnish with pomegranate seeds and sliced almonds.

Ingredients: 4 1/4 cups flour 2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. kosher salt 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar 3 eggs 2 tsp. vanilla extract 2 (12-ounce) bags semi-sweet chocolate chips Instructions: Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of a hand mixer until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addi-

tion until smooth; beat in vanilla. Add dry ingredients, and beat until just combined; stir in chocolate chips. Roll cookies into about 20 4-ounce balls and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet about 4-inches apart. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Heat oven to 350°. Bake cookies, rotating pans halfway through, about 15 minutes. Cool before serving.

MOZZARELLA STICKS

PineaPPle salsa HOt DOG Ingredients: 6 oz. pineapple (about 1/4), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces 1 small shallot, finely chopped Zest and juice of 1 lime 7 oz. red cabbage (about 1/4), cored and thinly sliced 3 tbsp. white vinegar Cilantro leaves, for serving Grilled hot dogs, for serving Grilled hot dog buns, for serving Instructions: Toss pineapple, avocado, shallot, zest, and juice in a large bowl.

Toss cabbage and vinegar in a bowl and let sit for 10-15 minutes.

Top hot dog in a bun with pineapple

with the olive oil and season with salt, and pepper. Bake the potatoes, flipping once halfway through cooking, until crispy, about 45 minutes.

Transfer the pan to a rack and sprinkle the potatoes with za’atar. Transfer the potatoes to a platter and serve warm with lemon wedges.

salsa, cabbage, and cilantro leaves.

Ingredients: 1 lb. block mozzarella cheese, cut into 3-inch by 1/2-inch sticks 3/4 cup flour 4 eggs, lightly beaten 2 cups Italian bread crumbs 2 tbsp. olive oil 1 tbsp. unsalted butter 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped 1 tbsp. tomato paste 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand 1 tbsp. sugar 1 tsp. chile flakes Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, canola oil, for frying Instructions: Place the flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in separate shallow dishes. Working with 1 piece of mozzarella at a time,

dredge in flour, dip in eggs, and coat in breadcrumbs; repeat this process one more time. Lay on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to use. Heat olive oil and butter in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high; add garlic and onion and cook until soft, about 6 minutes.

Add tomato paste and cook 2 minutes more, then add tomatoes, sugar, chile flakes, salt, and pepper; cook until thick, 15-18 minutes. Keep marinara sauce warm.

Heat 2” canola oil in a 6-quart saucepan until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350°; working in batches, fry mozzarella until golden and crisp, about 1 1/2 minutes.

Transfer mozzarella sticks to paper towels to drain; serve hot and with marinara sauce.

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