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THE CONTACT WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ISSUE - 660, 29 MARCH - 4 APRIL 2016 PH: (905) 671 - 4761

Putin’s arsenal that ‘mortally’ hurt ISIS

THEY have been dubbed ‘Moscow’s war games’, a deadly flexing of Russia’s military might in the battlegrounds of Syria that has seen Vladimir Putin’s forces tip the balance of power towards the once beleaguered leadership of Bashar al-Assad.

For ranged now in the name of Putin’s war on terror is an awesome array of firepower, with Russia’s iron man president deploying an arsenal of his latest weapons to Syria - operating from land, sea and air.

In the latest major campaign to support Assad, the Russians have helped to drive Islamic State out of the ancient city of Palmyra, inflicting what the army called a

‘mortal blow’ to militants who seized the city last year and dynamited its ancient temples.

The loss of Palmyra represents one of the biggest setbacks for the ultra-hardline Islamist group since it declared a caliphate in 2014 across large parts of Syria and Iraq.

As Putin’s intervention turns the tide of Syria’s five-year conflict in Assad’s favour, MailOnline spotlights the terrifying arsenal of weapons, armour and warplanes that have become so pivotal to the fate of all sides inside Syria.

While the Russian Command Group and Co-ordination teams are based at their embassy in Damascus, it is their base in the

port city of Latakia, north western Syria, which is providing the hub for the air power. Dozens of daily sorties were flown from these headquarters when the campaign was at its height.

Based there is the astonishingly powerful Air Group of Su-34, Su35S, Su-30SM, Su-24 and Su25 combat aircraft, the Helicopter Group of Mi-24 and Mi-35 gunships, Mi-8 utility helicopters and the Airlift Contingent of An124, II-76 and Tu-154 aircraft.

The supersonic Su-24 tactical bomber, Su-25, Su-30 and Su34 are all equipped with air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles to assist Syrian ground troops and destroy enemy bases.

Continued on Page 2

Issue - 660 (2)

29 March - 4 April 2016

Putin’s arsenal that...

Continued from Page 1 The KH-29L air-to-surface missile - weighing up to 690kg - is designed to level hardened ground targets including railways,

bridges, factories, runways and aircraft in reinforced concrete shelters, according to the Tactical Missiles Corporation.

Fitted with high explosive, penetrating warheads weighing up to 136kg, the rocket can reach speeds of up around 900mph. It has a range of up to six miles and can hit a target within an accuracy of just two metres.

It uses a ‘semi active laser guidance system’ whereby the pilot marks a target using a laser sight which the missile follows.

Russian warplanes are also using the smaller KH-25 missiles, weighing around 300kg, to destroy ships, armoured vehicles, ammunition caches and oil reserves.

Meanwhile the 80ft long, 60ft wide

Su-24 can reach speeds of around 1,400mph and can climb at a rate of 29,000ft a second, according to experts at Military Factory. It is also equipped with a six barreled GSh-6-23 cannon and 500 rounds of 23mm ammo.

Russia claimed a Su24 bomber destroyed the ISIS command centre in the Idlib on February 11. ISIS’s presence in the province is disputed.

In November, a Russian Su-24 was shot down by two Turkish jets after the country claimed their airspace was violated. Both of the flight crew ejected before the plane crashed in Syria.

Russia responded by arming its Su-34 jets with AA-10 and AA-11 air-to-air missiles.

Costing £26 million and dubbed the ‘Fullback’, the two-seat Su-34 possesses a state-of-the-art fire control system, a phased array radar, and a powerful electronic countermeasures (ECM) suite.

The AA-10 and AA-12 air-to-air missiles can hit targets from 60miles away and, when fully loaded, have a maximum speed of Mach 1.8. They fly to a range of 2,500 miles before needing to refuel.

The A-11 Archer is the best short

range air-to-air missile in Russia’s possession, according to military experts at Federation of American Scientists.

The smart rocket is connected to the pilots’ helmets, which they use to target enemy aircraft.

The technology also means the missiles can be fired at jets flying either side of the aircraft, which a traditional system of targeting and guidance cannot manage.

Just like the AA-10, the AA-11 is designed to destroy helicopters, drones and cruise missiles - but can also engage modern and ‘next generation’ fighter jets.

The heat seeking AA-10, which carries a 39kg warhead, can intercept flying targets travelling at a speed of up to 2,000mph.

CRUISE MISSILES: White swan

that carries KH-101 and KH-55 cruise missiles Russia responded to the downing of a passenger jet over Egypt’s Sinai province in November by deploying its colossal 24 foot long, two tonne KH-101 cruise missile for the first time.

WHITE HOUSE SLAMS ‘COWARDLY ACT’ AGAINST ‘INNOCENT’ PEOPLE In a statement from the White House, Ned Price, a spokesman for the US National Security Council, said: ‘The United States condemns in the strongest terms

today’s appalling terrorist attack in Lahore, Pakistan. ‘This cowardly act in what has long been a scenic and placid park has killed dozens of innocent civilians and left scores injured.’

He added that the country ‘stands with the people and government of Pakistan at this difficult hour.

We will continue to work with our

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partners in Pakistan and across the region ... to root out the scourge of terrorism. The number of injured stands at more than 200 people, most of them are in

critical condition,’ he said. I fear the death toll will rise.’ He described a nightmarish scene at the hospital, with staff treating casualties on floors and in corridors.

Javed Ali, a 35-year-old resident who lives opposite park, said the force of the blast had shattered his home’s windows. ‘Everything was shaking, there were cries and dust everywhere. After ten minutes I went outside. There was human flesh on the walls of our house. People were crying, I could hear ambulances.’ He added: ‘It was overcrowded because of Easter, there were a lot of Christians there. It was so crowded I told my family not to go.’ ‘When the blast occurred, the flames were so high they reached above the trees and I saw bodies

flying in the air,’ said Hasan Imran, 30, a resident who had gone to Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park for a walk.

The park had been particularly busy on Sunday evening due to the Easter holiday weekend, and ambulances were seen rushing to the blast scene. Police cordoned off an area where crowds of people still remain, pictured metres away from a fairground ride in the park.

Salman Rafique, a health adviser for the Punjab provincial government, put the death toll at least 52 people. ‘Most of the dead and injured are women and children,’ said Mustansar Feroz, police superintendent for the area in which the park is located.

Media footage showed children and women crying and screaming and rescue officials, police and bystanders carrying injured people to ambulances and private cars.

In 2014, Pakistan launched an offensive against Taliban and affiliated jihadist fighters in North Waziristan, seeking to deprive them of safe havens from which to launch attacks in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Punjab has traditionally been more peaceful than other parts of Pakistan. Sharif’s opponents have accused him of tolerating militancy in return for peace in his province, a charge he strongly denies. Last year, a bomb killed a popular Pakistani provincial minister and at least eight others when it destroyed the minister’s home in Punjab.

Carried by a Tu-160 bomber dubbed the ‘White Swan’, the cruise missile can be fired 6,000 miles from its target, flies as low 30m off the ground to avoid enemy radar, and is said to have an accuracy of between 25m to 30m.

missiles. It is also capable of carrying with nuclear and ‘regular’ bombs.

A nuclear version of the missile, the KH-102, can carry a 250 kiloton warhead, which the United States has expressed concerns

Its astonishing range means the KH-101 could be launched from Moscow to hit an enemy base in Syria. The satellite-guided smart rocket hugs the terrain using a digital map, which is downloaded onto its on board computer before it is fired.

Both the KH-101 and its predecessor, the KH-55, are fired from Russia’s largest long range strategic bombers, the Tu-95 and the Tu-160. The Tu-160 Strategic Bomber is the heaviest combat aircraft ever built. It can accelerate to a maximum speed of 1,380 mph, climb to a maximum altitude of 49,235 feet and has a range of 7,643 miles. It is capable of carrying up to 12 Kh-55 cruise missiles and Kh-15 short range

about.

GUNSHIPS: Helicopters fitted with tank-destroying rockets and cannons. Russia has three helicopter gunships operating in Syria - the Mi-35s, Mi-24Ps and the new generation Mi-28, which is designed to carry out search and destroy missions on tanks and armoured vehicles. Syrian TV crews filmed what is believed to be an Mi-28 near Humaymin air base in Syria, Russia based Sputnik news reported.

Called the ‘Night Hunter’ by pilots, the Mi-28 is equipped with 16 tankdestroying missiles, the Shturm and the Ataka, one unguided S13 rocket and a turreted 2A42 cannon that fires up to 550 30mm shells a minute.

‘We will now be protected’: Sikhs get legal rights in Chile

Chile’s more than 200 legally recognised religions didn’t include Sikhism until this January 25. It took the fledgling Sikh community in the South American western-edge country four years to win this privilege.

“Now we will be protected, with more safety in our jobs, besides health and political systems,” Rupinder Kaur Khalsa of Sikh Dharma Chile said of the legalisation, adding: “We can even hold public gatherings now.”

“The legalisation process started four years ago with the creating of legal documents to describe what a turban and Sikh

religion is, who we are, what do we want from legalisation, and what our values as Sikhs are.

Then, it was waiting for the Chilean government to approve this, which it did in January,” said Khalsa, as reported by online portal Sikhnet.

Sikh missionary Harbhajan Singh Khalsa “Yogi Bhajan” had introduced the religion to Chile in the late 20th century. Through his inspiration, people in the South American country began to adopt the faith. Now, there is a thriving community of Chileanborn Sikh families in the country, who organise many religious events.

Issue - 660 (3)

29 March - 4 April 2016

Issue - 660 (4)

29 March - 4 April 2016

The Strongman returns This week, I am presenting to you an article written by Adnan R Amin in the Daily Star - Sunny Bains.

It should be no surprise to us that the political ‘strongman’ has resurged. The very word evokes images of a bare-bodied Vladimir Putin on horseback: a veritable Hercules of politics! Granted that it is an image that the Western media cultivates – there is little recourse but to admit that a president who can nonchalantly annex a province of a neighbor is a strongman.

So is the leader who promises the abolishment of a weaker neighbor if he is elected. That was Benyamin Netanyahu, if you were wondering.

A political ‘strongman’ is essentially a political leader who – even if operating within the democratic bounds – rules by force and with a sense of entitlement.

They are most akin to tribal chiefs, commanding loyalty and arbitrating morality. Before the Industrial Revolution, it was not uncommon for the leaders to be the warrior-conquerors and moral-

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judges at the same time. Therefore, military leaders had long been thought of as strongmen. But things have changed.

I would venture the qualification that modern strongmen are distinct from warlords, dictators or monarchs, in that they operate under the veneer of democratic structures and institutions.

They prevail during ‘terms’ not ‘reigns’.

They stage ‘elections’, not ‘coronations’.

There is a tendency to limit the term to certain regions only (namely, Africa and Asia). But with the global right-wing resurgence, strongmen are floating to the forefront in every corner of this fractured, post-globalization world. While many of the earlier strongmen did come to power through revolutionary means, the contemporary ones are often elected to office. Strongmen leaders often evade the labels of ‘dictator’ or ‘autocrat’ because popular understanding of dictatorships concentrates on the manner of ‘ascension’, not the manner of ‘rule’.

A recent Financial Times op-ed named seven statesmen who are shaping contemporary geopolitics: Vladimir Putin (Russia), Xi Jinping (China), Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (Egypt), Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Turkey), Shinzo Abe (Japan), Narendra Modi (India) and Benyamin Netanyahu (Israel) – all sharing similar characteristics and styles of governance. Not long ago, Thaksin (Thailand), Mahathir (Malaysia), Rajapaksa (Sri Lanka) and Gbagbo (Ivory Coast) had all been dubbed strongmen.

Latin American actually has a term for such leaders: Caudillo. Strongmen are also frequently women, some examples being Indira Gandhi (India), Thatcher (UK), Merkel (Germany) and Suu Kyi (Myanmar).

Political strongmen have been known to share certain attributes: humble beginnings, right-wing politics, messiah complex, official personality cults, promises of (ruthless) progress, dislike for critical media and penchant for moral legislation. A key attribute is a preference for a ‘nationalist’ view of their countries.

In the post-Cold War era, national, communal or religious appeals are used to cultivate tribal loyalty in the masses.

Narendra Modi’s campaign evoked the glorious past of a Hindu India. Turkey’s Erdogan is reviving the glory of the Ottoman Empire. Donald Trump is feeding the fear of Islamization and ‘making America great again’. These characters are products of their times and seek to capitalize on the sentiments of anxiety and longing for reclamation of a civilizational past.

Strongmen drive a ruthless development agenda. Rwanda’s Paul Kagame – who grew up in a refugee camp – has reduced child mortality by 70 per cent, grown the economy at 8 per cent, established a national health insurance program and rallied for more women in political office.

Today, Rwanda has the highest percentage of female parliamentarians in the world. However, Kagame is also allegedly engaged in cracking down on citizens and covertly supporting violent rebel groups. In Hungary, Viktor Orbán’s

government regards its protectionist policies as a form of SUNNY BAINS ‘patriotism’. For political strongmen, ‘progress’ is both the goal and justification. and flung a garb of democratic legitimacy Turning ‘tribalism’ into a ‘cult’ requires over his military regime. The international strongmen to nurture and promote an community has now wholeheartedly adversarial view of neighboring nations. endorsed Sisi’s regime, unhesitatingly Their own nations have no friends, only doling out financial aid and shipping interests. They may also adopt armaments to Egypt. oppressive stands against minorities. In wake of a new strongmen era, what is Erodgan, for example, is known to odd is that it also means that mass persecute the Kurds, which helps unite tolerance, if not preference, for such and consolidate his primary constituency. characters has grown steadily.

Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi has been Undoubtedly, two protracted, multihauntingly silent on the country wars, a lingering recession and disenfranchisement and persecution of the specter of international terrorism have the minority Rakhine people. Modi’s substantially molded public sentiments administration – cruising on the promise and fears. It seems like more and more of economic progress – has imposed people are now willing to trade loyalty for

Hindu scripture study in schools, condoned attacks on churches and banned beef to appease his core constituency.

Strongmen have a tendency of breaking diplomatic norms, especially those established in the wake of WW2. Putin’s annexation of Crimea, Kagame’s disregard for his own constitution and Modi’s breaking with India’s long tradition of secularism point towards willingness to defy expectations. Hungary’s Orbán has adopted protectionist economic policies, exerted control over media and cracked down on donors and NGOs funding civil society organizations. An avid footballer, he has been using legislative influence to raise donations for a megastadium just across his residence.

Because they operate like dictators but appear similar to democratic leaders, strongmen are seldom shunned from the corridors of international power and diplomacy.

Strongmen also exert control over media’s framing and reporting, e.g. to help introduce nuances of ‘fatherly benevolence’ to stories about their authoritative rule. Thus, political strongmen are defining a new mode of government that is an isomorphic mimicry of democracy but no different from a dictatorship. Consider this: Egypt’s Sisi led a coup to depose the elected Morsi administration and assume power – in order to ‘rescue the Egyptian people’. He suspended the Constitution and imprisoned leaders of the ousted government. But it was not long before he organized a (questionable) election

Rocket fired at Afghan Parliament building in Kabul A huge explosion took place on Monday as a rocket landed near the Afghan parliament building, a media report said.

The blast took place when senior security officials were on their way towards the building to brief lawmakers, Khaama

Press reported.

“Some three rockets landed near new parliament building around 10.15 am (local time). At least one rocket struck the building’s yard, sending up a black smoke in the air,” Xinhua news agency quoted an eye witness as saying.

direct benefits to their group or community.

Jason Stanley argued on the NYT, “[these] voters are simply more attracted to a system that favors their own particular religion, race, gender or birth position.”

In the past half-century, gentle, receptive leaders with egalitarian agendas and liberal sensibilities have either lacked a robust development agenda or the will and/or power to push it through.

Diplomacy and dialogue have made no dents on the growing menace of terrorism. Informed advocacy and journalism has not deterred unsanctioned surveillance or attacks on foreign soil.

To a world that perceives the chasms to be widening, a leader who dictates and acts may be preferable to one who orates and consults. The preference for ‘doers’ over ‘thinkers’ is not incongruent with the dynamics and sentiments of modern industrialized nations.

In The Republic Plato predicts that a ‘towering despot’ will invariably rise in any democracy; feeding the fears of dominant groups, (s)he will declare himself the ‘protector’, thus (s)he will usurp power and limit freedoms. What we are witnessing may be a number of countries simultaneously reaching this critical stage. It is easy to view the resurgence of strongmen as socio-political immaturity or devolution; or as a temporary digression in the wake of worldwide conflict and recession. But a more realistic possibility is that the ‘strongman’ is an enduring archetype that will emerge and fade based on political needs. In Latin America, the era of caudillos is virtually over. The branded strongmen of the Middle-East have fallen (but they are not necessarily irreplaceable). Cambodia’s estranged strongman Hun Sen has been facing a popular uprising and was recently found buying Facebook ‘likes’ to puff up his online image. Global governance is in flux. As one set of strongmen bows out, others will rise elsewhere. The resurgence of strongmen may point to market demand for democratized dictators; or it may herald a new political reality in the post-Cold War era.

Issue - 660 (5)

29 March - 4 April 2016

ISIS crucified Indian priest on Good Friday The Islamic State crucified Indian priest Reverand Thomas Uzhunnalil on Good Friday in Yemen, an American website reported on Sunday.

The Catholic priest working for Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity was kidnapped in a raid at an old age home in Yemen earlier this month.

To execute Uzhunnalil, reports The Washington Times, the Islamist terror group used the same method which the Romans did to crucify Jesus Christ,

A few wise words of insight and inspiration can make such a difference to our attitude. In much the same way as we may feel excited if we discover a longforgotten banknote under our mattress, we gain a greater sense of wealth and comfort by rediscovering ideas or insights from long ago. Time, somehow, caused us to overlook what we once knew and felt so sure of. Now, though, you enter a different chapter of the story of your life. Here is where yesterday catches up with today and brings you sight of a bright tomorrow. !!!

Luck works in mysterious ways. If, indeed, it works at all. Some doubt that. But none question the way in which existence on this planet makes next to no sense, regardless of how hard we think about what it all really means. If this is a crazy place where crazy things happen, why can’t at least some be crazily good? Actually, they can. And that can be the case in your life. Believe in yourself. Believe in at least the possibility of magic. Whilst sensational dramatic good fortune may not come, you’ll be happy enough with how things turn out! !!!

None of us are immune to annoyance. It isn’t as if there are some folk who can sail serenely through life, ignoring all sources of nuisance and irritation.

But it does seem as if a few folk can put all this to one side and focus on a bigger, brighter picture, whilst others bubble and boil about what’s bothering them, until it becomes like a concentrated liquid that coats every other thought. Success is simply a matter of looking away from what’s upsetting you and towards whatever inspires you. Just find the will to do that. !!!

The more we think about the people we are close to, the more confusion we create. If we feel sure that we fully understand one another, we should be especially wary. We may be suffering, not from confusion, but delusion. Deceptive situations only seem easy to understand while we are in a mood to believe whatever it suits us to believe. Once we open our eyes and our minds, we make discoveries which, whilst surprising, can deeply enrich our lives and hearts. You may soon see proof of that. !!!

Someone thinks you are special. You think someone else is special. Now, all we have to ensure is that both special someones feel the same about each other! We all tend, at times, to admire whatever (or whoever) seems more distant. That which is closer to home can end up getting second-class treatment. Events around you remind you of how precious life is, how important a particular person is, how much love you have in your heart and how much hope is on your horizon. Be magnanimous. !!!

You’re important, powerful, gifted. Yet you’re also, at times, a little difficult to co-exist with. Wonderful individuals often are tricky in that way. You can’t change who you are, any more than you can alter someone else’s nature or identity. But you can come to a more mature, acceptance of yourself ... and of someone you are close to. And in doing this, you can help them to feel better about their relationship with you. Even aspects of a personal connection that have previously been tense or troubling can be healed.

the Indian priest had first appeared on a South Africabased religious group’s Facebook page. “Was informed that the Salesian priest, Father Tom who was kidnapped from the Missionaries of Charity Home in Yemen is being tortured and is going to be crucified on Good Friday.

This calls for serious concerted prayers from all of us,” the post read. There a day marked as Good the Easter Vigil Mass by has been no confirmation Cardinal Christoph from Uzhunnalil’s family or Friday every year.

The report says the grisly Schonborn of Vienna. the Indian government crucifixion was confirmed at The ISIS’s plan to crucify about the execution yet.

Lahore attack: Facebook apologises after ‘safety check’ tool goes haywire The social networking website Facebook apologised on Monday after a bug turned its “safety check” feature into a breaking news alert for all users after a fierce blast at a public park in Lahore, causing loss of 69 lives and injuring over 250.

Facebook enables the “Safety Check” feature to assist friends and family members know they are secure in case being trapped after a natural disaster or terror attack.

But in the case of Lahore terror attack, people nowhere nearby, or even near Pakistan, received notifications, Quartz reported.

In fact, people tweeted from New York city, South Africa, Nepal and Canada about receiving the “Safety Check” notification activated after the Lahore bombing.

A Facebook spokesperson

said, “We activated Safety Check in Lahore, Pakistan, after a bombing took place there. Unfortunately, many people not affected by the crisis received a notification asking if they were okay.

product’s intent.”

Similarly in January when Manipur was hit by a powerful earthquake measuring 6.7 on the Richter Scale rocked Manipur, Facebook

We worked to resolve the issue and we apologise to anyone who mistakenly received the notification,” According to a post from Facebook’s disaster response team, “this kind of bug is counter to the

activated its “Safety Check” tool to help people in the area let friends and family know they are safe.

Facebook had also activated this feature for its users in flood-hit Chennai to provide them

A dog that disappeared three years ago finally had his day when he was reunited with his family in Virginia - more than 1,500

weeks before they moved to Norfolk, Virginia.

The family made fliers and searched the neighborhood but didn’t find Gucci, Kelly

saying the microchipped dog was there.

The family was told someone had cared for Gucci for a while but

with a way to reassure loved ones that they are safe.

The blast, apparently caused by a suicide bomber, occurred in a parking lot at Gulshan-eIqbal Park, one of the largest parks in Lahore, the capital of Punjab province of Pakistan.

The splinter group Jamaatul-Ahrar, a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack and said it deliberately targeted Christians on Easter Sunday. “We claim responsibility for the attack on Christians as they were celebrating Easter,” a spokesperson for the terrorist group was quoted by the Telegraph as saying. “It was part of our annual martyrdom attacks we have started this year,” he said and warned that more attacks would follow.

Missing for 3 years, dog returns to family

Transport, to transport Gucci to Virginia.

Wendy Perry, who drove Gucci to the Kellys’ home, warned the family that Gucci wasn’t the same dog back who disappeared three years ago. He may have been used for breeding or abused, she said.

But after the trip, Kelly said, Gucci was the same gray and white dog when he arrived at his new home late Thursday. He wagged his tail and ran around as if he’d been there before, she said.

“He’s the same big baby,” Gary Kelly said.

CAUGHT miles from where they’d last seen him.

Ayana Kelly and her family welcomed back their American pit bull terrier Gucci on Thursday.

The dog went missing in 2013 from the family’s yard in San Antonio, Texas, two

said. She said she thinks someone took him.

“We were devastated,” Kelly said. “We really felt like we left a family member behind.” Two weeks ago, Kelly’s husband, Gary, received a call from a San Antonio animal shelter

couldn’t anymore, and eventually took him to the shelter.

Kelly said she wanted to leave immediately to retrieve Gucci, but it was too far. She hired an animal rescue group, For The Love of Paws R.I. Rescue and

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Issue - 660 (7)

29 March - 4 April 2016

Keralite nurse, toddler killed in rocket attack in Libya Kochi A nurse from Kerala and her one-and-half-year-old son have been killed in a

Zawiya hospital,” Swaraj said in a series of tweets.

Sonu and the toddler were sleeping in their house

rocket attack in violencehit Zawiya city of Libya.

Sunu Sathyan and her son Pranav were killed in the rocket attack on their apartment block yesterday at around 4 PM in Zawiya city, 45 km from Libyan capital Tripoli, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said. “On 25 March 2016, around 4 pm Mrs Sunu Sathyan an Indian nurse from Kerala and her son Pranav were killed when a rocket (hit) their apartment. “We have got in touch with her husband Vipin Kumar. There are 26 more Indians working in

when it was rocked by the explosion, her father Sathyan Nair, hailing from Kondadu in Kottayam district, said. The victim was working as a nurse in Zawiya Medical centre AZ Zawiya, Libya. Her husband Vipin, who is a male nurse in Libya, was away on duty. The External Affairs Minister made a fresh appeal, urging people in conflict zones to move out.

“We have issued advisories many times. I request you once again - Please move out of the conflict zones,” she said.

Nair has sought Kerala governments help to bring back the mortal remains of his daughter and grandson.

“Yesterday I got information through phone that my daughter and her one-and-a-half-year-old baby died in a bomb blast at her residence while they were sleeping,” he said in his letter to the government. Nair also requested for help and protection to Sunus husband, who he said is in a state of shock. “I came to know that the blast occurred due to regular fights between the rival groups in Libya. So I humbly request your good self to make available the detailed information about the incident and help us bring back the dead body of my beloved daughter and her son, whom we have never seen.”

Meanwhile, states Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said eight to nine people are stranded in Libya and efforts are on to bring them back.

Woman calls hubby ‘mota haathi’, Delhi HC says it’s enough for divorce New Delhi Calling your overweight husband “mota haathi” (fat elephant) is grounds for divorce as it is “destructive of the matrimonial bond”, the Delhi high court has

is bound to strike at his self respect and self esteem,” justice Vipin Sanghi said.

The woman had contended the family court relied on “vague and

ruled .The court on March 22 upheld a divorce granted by a family court in 2012 to a man who said he was subjected to cruelty by his wife for being overweight and his alleged failure to satiate her sexual desires. The woman challenged the order in the high court.

“The calling of names and hurling of abuses such as ‘Haathi’, ‘Mota Haathi’ and ‘Mota Elephant’ by the appellant (woman) in respect of her husband – even if he was overweight,

non-specific” allegations while granting the divorce.

She argued he failed to give specific instances of alleged cruelty with dates, time and particulars.

The high court, however, rejected this argument.

“When two parties are in a marital relationship, neither is expected to maintain a logbook and note down therein each and every instance of matrimonial offence committed by the other,” justice Sanghi said.

The judge also took note of other complaints by the man that his wife not only slapped him but also asked him to leave the house. The man said his wife threatened to immolate herself with kerosene and implicate him and his family in a dowry case.

The woman left the matrimonial home with her jewellery and belongings, and told the man to transfer his property in her name if he desired her to live a “devoted wife”, the man alleged. “Such events are clearly destructive of the matrimonial bond and would naturally give rise to a bonafide and genuine belief and apprehension in the mind of the respondent (husband) that it is not safe for him to peacefully and mentally continue the relationship…” the high court said.

The man also said on the night of February 11, 2005, she hit his private parts when he wanted to have intercourse and injured him.

“Each of this… incidents are grave and weighty matrimonial offences/ misconducts by the appellant (woman), which cannot be described as events relating to normal wear and tear of a marriage,” the judge said.

No UK Sikh likes to be called Asian CHANDIGARH The Sikhs in UK are no longer seen as settlers but as citizens. Their spirit of charity and welfare has made them an integral part of the society.Though Sikhs constitute just 0.8% of the population of England and Wales, they are challenging public perception about migrant communities.

These are the findings of the British Sikh Report-2016 released in UK Parliament on Tuesday. The annual report, which focuses on the needs and wants of Sikh population in the UK, is based on an online survey of more than 1,400 Sikhs across the UK.Of more than 1,400 respondents, nearly half (48%) of Sikhs identified themselves as British Sikhs and 13% as British.

While only 8% identified themselves as Indians, 7% described themselves as Punjabi. Significantly, none of the respondents preferred to call themselves as Asian, a term commonly used for them in the media.

For a majority of

respondents (60%) caste was not important while 20% said it used to be important but was no longer so. Only 14% said that caste mattered to them, while 6% were unsure about their response, mostly the young generation.

Highlighting that the transformation in the identity

that a number of marketing campaigns are using the turbaned Sikh male to celebrate diverse British citizenry, the report says.

A large majority of Sikhs now prefer to go in for higher education in UK and only 1% opts for some apprenticeship.It also came out that one out of 10

of Sikh youth in UK, the report says they are moving to newer ways of communication and away from traditional channels like family, gurdwaras and community socialisation.

For young Sikhs, adhering to spiritual traditions as well as engaging with the mainstream culture and politics is a major challenge, the 32-page report points out. It’s a sign of the community’s widespread acceptability

British Sikhs sport the five articles of faith. Speaking to TOI from London, Jasvir Singh Chair, City Sikhs Network - an organisation that has been instrumental in preparing the report said, “All important issues ranging from Britain’s place in the world, the upcoming EU referendum, immigration, treatment of refugees, UK military action on Syria, have been touched up on in the 2016 survey.”

Issue - 660 (8)

29 March - 4 April 2016

Holi celebrated for the first time at Canada’s Parliament

TOKYO A splash of colour doused the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa as it witnessed the first ever celebration of Holi at the seat of the country’s government.The festival of colours arrived at the parliament complex on Thursday the initiative of Chandra Arya, the Liberal Party MP from Nepean, an Ottawa riding (as constituencies are called in Canada), with the involvement of the Indian high

commission. More than 300 people participated in the celebration as attendees were adorned with ‘gulal’. In a message, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said: “This happy holiday is an opportunity to renew friendships and celebrate peace, but it is also a time to reflect on traditional notions of good and evil, and the ultimate triumph of light over darkness.”He added, “As friends and families come together

for this joyous occasion, we must take a moment to recognise the tremendous contributions Canadians of Hindu faith have made to our country. “Our diversity is our greatest strength.

On behalf of our family, Sophie and I wish all those marking this occasion a fun, happy and colourful Holi.” There was also a dance-drama on the origin of Holi by the Darpan Performing Arts group.

Indian missionary caught in fund scandal in Canada, US

New Delhi A lavishly funded missionary organisation that focuses on India, particularly Kerala, faces accusations in Canada of misusing millions of dollars in charitable donations while a class-action lawsuit, with a similar premise, has been filed against it in the US. Gospel for Asia (GFA), with its headquarters in Wills Point, Texas, was founded by Keralaborn Yohannan Kadippiaril Punnose in 1978. Since then, it has burgeoned with branches in countries like the US, Canada, Australia, South Korea, Finland and others.

Complaints against the evangelical group’s functioning have multiplied in North America.

Among the complainants is Bruce Morrison, pastor of the Christian Fellowship Church of New Glasgow in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.

Morrison has prepared a 21page financial analysis, alleging as much as $128 million in global donations received by GFA during 2007-14 had gone

“missing”, The Hamilton Spectator newspaper reported.

The report alleged GFA was “using donations to build a massive for-profit corporate empire”. GFA’s filings with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) show $93.5 million was transferred to India during 200714, but “Indian government documents show that no money from Canada was received by the charity’s Indian affiliates during the same period”, the report said.

Morrison, who has filed complaints with the CRA and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), told Hindustan Times, “They received money for one purpose and spent it for another.

I wrote several letters to them (GFA), but never really got good answers.”

Another complaint has gone to CRA’s Charities Directorate from Garry Cluley, a former board member of GFA Canada, who stated in a letter it was his belief that “a full investigation into financial and other practices by GFA is needed”.

The CRA does not comment on individual cases and the RCMP

refrains from comments unless charges are filed in a case.

GFA’s Hamilton, Ontario-based Canadian operations head Pat Emerick responded in an email: “The accusations are not true, even absurd, and we’ve communicated that clearly.”

Emerick also told the Spectator “all proper reporting has been done according to Indian law” and that GFA has “complied with all Canadian law for charities, and funds sent to the field have been accounted for”. He dismissed Morrison’s allegations as “based upon conspiracy theories (that) do not by any means reflect reality”.

Yohannan met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on March 17, in his capacity as Metropolitan Bishop of the Believers Church of Kerala (one of four groups in the state believed to be affiliated with GFA), and handed over Rs 1 crore for the government’s Ganga-cleaning initiative.

The Prime Minister’s Office was contacted but chose not to respond on the issue.

Japan company offers urns in 3D likeness TOKYO Missing your grandma or grandpa? Well now you can be sure they are watching over you thanks to a Japanese company that can turn old photos into 3D figurines complete with urn.

Roice Entertainment is offering the full-body figures up to 30 centimetres (12 inches) tall in the spitting image of lost loved ones using 3D printing technology. As an optional add-on, a tiny battery-sized container made of brass in which ashes can be kept is available and can be inserted in the figure, the Osakabased company said. Its website shows a figurine of a silver-haired man in a Japanese yukata robe sitting on the floor, next to a photo of him alive in a similar pose. The idea came after a mother who had lost her teenage daughter asked the company if

they could turn old photos into a 3D likeness, company President Koichi Furusho told AFP on Friday.“The mother told us she wanted to somehow revive her

SYDNEY Australia on Friday branded Japan’s killing of 333 whales “abhorrent”, saying there was no scientific justification for the Antarctic hunt. The Japanese fleet set sail for the Southern Ocean in December despite a worldwide moratorium and opposition led by Australia and New Zealand, using a loophole in the ban that allows for lethal research. On Thursday, Japan’s Fisheries Agency announced enough whales had been killed for “scientific research” as the boats returned to port.

“The Australian government opposes so-called ‘scientific’ whaling clearly, absolutely and categorically,” Australian Environment Minister Greg Hunt said in comments emailed to AFP. “It is in my view abhorrent and a throwback to an earlier age... There is no scientific justification for lethal research.”

Japan was forced to abandon its 2014-15 hunt after the International Court of Justice said the expedition was a commercial activity masquerading as research.

Hunt criticised Japan for going ahead with the killings “in spite of a resolution by the

(International Whaling) Commission calling on it not to go whaling”.

Tokyo claims it is trying to prove the whale population is large enough to sustain a return to commercial hunting, but the meat still ends up on dinner tables and is served up in school lunches. Environmental activist group Sea Shepherd criticised the Australian and New Zealand governments, saying they had not done enough to stop the whaling.

“The majority of Australians wanted the Australian government to send a vessel to oppose the slaughter. They did not,” Sea Shepherd Australia’s managing director Jeff Hansen said in a statement late Thursday. “The governments responsible for protecting these magnificent creatures stood by, in the complete knowledge that both federal and international crimes were taking place. “This empty response from authorities in the wake of the ICJ ruling is a disgrace.” Some experts say that Japan’s refusal to give up the Antarctic mission despite censure by the international court is largely due to a small group of powerful politicians.

daughter, who had died at a young age, as a 3D figure,” he said. But the figurines - and urns - don’t come cheap. A 20 cm plaster figure costs 100,000 yen ($884) and takes about two months to make, according the company’s website. A 30 cm one is double that, at 200,000 yen, while the urn has a 30,000 yen price tag.

Australia slams Japan Antarctic whale hunt

Issue - 660 (9)

29 March - 4 April 2016

World’s nations gather to rescue ocean life PARIS It took a decade to get to the negotiating table, and it could easily take another to finish the job, but UN talks in New York to safeguard life in the high seas finally begin in earnest Monday.

The stakes could hardly be higher, experts and diplomats agree. Oceans produce half the oxygen we breathe, regulate the weather, and provide humanity’s single largest source of protein.

Without them, Earth would be just another barren rock in the Universe.

And yet humanity has harvested marine species upon which we depend to the edge of extinction, and used the seas as a collective garbage dump. Climate change, meanwhile, has altered the ocean’s basic chemistry in ways that raise the spectre of a mass extinction that scientists say is already underway.

Today, a patchwork of agreements and regulatory bodies govern shipping, fishing, and mineral extraction, while the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, negotiated in the 1970s, lays out rules for how far a nation’s zone of influence extends beyond its shores. But in what may be the biggest legal loophole in history, geographically speaking, there is no international treaty protecting marine areas beyond national jurisdiction -- that’s two-thirds of the

surface of the oceans, and half the planet’s.

The result has been a kind of aquatic “Far West”, a case study for what has sometimes

been called the tragedy of the commons.

“Very early we decided that the high seas were for everybody and nobody, because everyone owns them and nobody takes responsibility for them,” said Callum Roberts, a marine biologist at the University of York in England. For most of human history, the vast expanse of open ocean was seen as a distance to travel across rather than a resource to exploit. But a global population closing in on 10 billion, along with lethally efficient advances in technology, have created the will and the way to pillage marine flora and fauna as never before.

Currently, about 12 percent of the

90 million tonnes of fish harvested every year come from the high seas, but that percentage could climb quickly. “On the high seas, anything goes,” said a

European diplomat who will take part in the talks. “The aim of this future agreement is precisely to set up a system of governance to constrain the impact of human activity,” he said, requesting anonymity.

The meeting Monday of the “preparatory committee” is the first of four two-week sessions scheduled through the end of 2017. That is when members of the United Nations will decide if they have a foundation for negotiating a legally binding treaty which could -- if the history of UN climate talks is any guide -- take a long time.

As with the two-decade wrangle over how to tackle global warm-

ing, which finally yielded a universal deal in December, a halfdozen key issues divide nations grouped in familiar blocs on how best to manage the high seas.

One is the scope of zones in which industrial fishing and mineral extraction would be curtailed or banned. “Marine protected areas are one of the strongest tools for safeguarding nature and rebuilding fish stocks,” said Roberts. Currently, just over three percent of oceans -- all within national boundaries -- are off limits to commercial exploitation.

The UN Convention on Biodiversity has called for a target of 10 percent by 2020.

But many experts cite the World Parks Congress 2014 recommendation that fully 30 percent of oceans should be set aside as de facto international parks.

Even then, according to a study published last week in the journal Conservation Letters, it may not be enough. The loss of marine life is already so advanced that it would take larger areas to protect biodiversity and prevent some fish stocks from collapsing.

US man chooses to wear ‘I am a thief’ sign over going to jail

An Ohio man chose to wear a sign proclaiming that he is a thief rather than go to jail after stealing a television.

Greg Davenport pleaded no contest this month to a theft charge for stealing from a Walmart in December.

A judge gave Davenport, 44, the sentencing option of 30 days in jail or wearing a sign saying, “I am a thief. I stole from Walmart.”

Davenport has to wear the sign in front of the store eight hours a day for 10 days of his choosing.

Police chief Richard Tisone said he hopes the sign embarrasses Davenport enough to prevent him from committing the same crime again.

Davenport said the sign is better than being in jail, and he just wants to finish his punishment.

He said he isn’t embarrassed by it.

“I stole, I got punished. That’s it,” he said.

North Korea nukes Washington in new video, threatens South Korea Trump effigy set ablaze in Mexico Easter ritual

North Korea released a new propaganda video on Saturday showing a nuclear strike on Washington and then threatened South Korea with a

launched nuclear missile laying waste to Washington and concludes with the US flag in flames.

The four-minute video romps

“merciless military strike” for slandering leader Kim Jong-Un. Pyongyang has been ramping up the bellicose rhetoric and propaganda for weeks, since the launch of annual South Korea-US war games that it views as provocative rehearsals for invasion.

Seoul and Washington made the already large-scale joint drills bigger than ever this year in response to the North’s nuclear test in January and long-range rocket launch a month later.

Menacingly titled “Last Chance”, the video released on Saturday shows a submarine-

through the history of USKorean relations and ends with a digitally manipulated sequence showing a missile surging through clouds, swerving back to Earth and slamming down in front of Washington’s Lincoln Memorial.

The US Capitol building explodes in the impact and a message flashes up on the screen in Korean: “If US imperialists budge an inch toward us, we will immediately hit them with nuclear (weapons).”

The North has issued similar videos in the past, including one in 2013 showing the White

House in a sniper’s crosshairs and the Capitol building exploding in a fireball.

The latest offering was published on the North’s propaganda website DPRK Today and shows images from the Korean War, the capture of US spy ship Pueblo in 1968 and the first crisis over North Korea’s nuclear programme in the early 1990s.

North Korea has been pushing to acquire a submarinelaunched ballistic missile (SLBM) capability which would take its nuclear strike threat to a new level, allowing deployment far beyond the Korean peninsula and the potential to retaliate in the event of a nuclear attack.

It has conducted a number of what it says were successful tests of an SLBM, but experts have questioned the claim, suggesting Pyongyang had gone little further than a “popup” test from a submerged platform.

Tensions always rise on the Korean peninsula during the annual South-US military exercises, but have reached a particularly elevated level this year.

That is partly due to the nuclear test and the UN sanctions that followed, but also because of the first-time inclusion in the drills of an operation that envisages strikes to “decapitate” North Korea’s top leadership.

MEXICO CITY An effigy of US presidential contender Donald Trump -- a hated figure for many in Mexico -- was set ablaze late Saturday in a contemporary twist on a Holy Week ritual.

A smiling figure of the billionaire American businessman went up in flames during the Easter eve “Burning of Judas,” a tradition in which Mexicans torch effigies of the devil -and of public figures they dislike.

In a neighborhood of the Mexican capital city, this year the devil took the form of Trump, who is notorious here for comments made during his presidential campaign accusing Mexican immigrants in the United States of being criminals and rapists.

About 200 people attended the event late Saturday, in which a six-foot (two-meter) papiermache likeness of Trump wearing a blue suit, white shirt and red tie was torched. The figure was created by Felipe Linares, who has been making effigies for more than 50 years at a workshop founded by his father in the early 20th century.

This year he made likenesses of the devil, President Enrique Pena Nieto, Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa and Trump -all of which went up in flames.

Linares told AFP the likeness of Trump was chosen “because we don't like him. He speaks ill of Mexicans.” He was referring to

the real estate tycoon's remarks on the campaign trail describing Mexican migrants as criminals and rapists. The Holy Week tradition of burning effigies is believed to symbolically dispel evil, while torching the Judas figure exacts revenge for the death of Jesus. Since making his remarks, Trump has become a figure of scorn in Mexico.

Some have made pinatas resembling the Republican frontrunner, while one artist produced shirts decorated with his image along with a vulgarity.

Issue - 660 (10)

Punjabi Sikh parents seek a match for their Canadian born and raised, clean shaven son, 32 yrs. old, 6’-1" tall, handsome, Doctor MD, finished internal Medicine, residency and now doing followship (Specialization). The girl should be resident doctor (MD) or Physician, born and raised in Canada and from Ontario, beautiful, atleast 5’-5" tall with family values. Please send your bio-data & recent picture: sm9058@hotmail.com ***663*** Jat Sikh parents seeking a suitable match for their daughter, born and raised in Canada, D.O.B. 1989, 5’-3” tall, Bachelor’s degree in Social Science from York University, currently working for Peel School Education Board. The boy should be Jat Sikh born or raised in Canada, professionally educated and settled with family values.

Please email recent picture and bio-data to: harjione@hotmail.com Or Call : 647-778-7619 ***660*** Match for beautiful, intelligent, well-cultured girl, canadian pr, citizenship this year, born in 1985, 5'-5" tall, B.Tech (india), pg project management (canada), working in Admn. Dept of a company in canada. The boy should be Jat sikh, qualified, canadian, well settled. Brother and parents in USA, belong to Ludhiana but now built kothi in Amritsar. Please send your bio-data and recent picture to: dhillonintl@yahoo.com or call: 1-718-414-4618 *** 660*** Jat Sikh parents invite matrimonial alliance for their daughter, born and raised in Canada, 30 yrs. old, 5’6” tall, Masters in Clinical Psychology, professionally employed, well versed in both cultures. The boy should be well educated, professionally settled between 28-34 yrs. of age.

Mainland area prefered. Please Call : 1-604-317-7576 ***660*** Match for Hindu/Sikh Ramgarhia Dhiman girl, 30 yrs. old, 5’-6” tall, B.Sc., M.Sc. in Nursing, Vegetarian, holds US Visitor Visa.

Upper caste no bar. Please send your bio-data & recent picture to: rupajagdev85@gmail.com Or Call : 1-484-557-7706 Or : 011-9196460-12412 ***660*** Jat Sikh parents seek a suitable match for their Canadian Citizen son, 26 yrs. old, 6’-2 tall, clean shaven, handsome, non-drinker, Diploma in HVAC-BCIT, Transit Operator-Coast Mountain Bus Company Vancouver. The girl should be Jat Sikh, Canadian Citizen/Permanent Resident, not more than 26 yrs. old, beautiful, professionally employed, preferably from Vancouver or BC area. Please send your bio-data & recent picture to: gbala9999@gmail.com Or Call : 1-604-312-0526 ***660***

29 March - 4 April 2016

Match for Hindu/Sikh Ramgarhia Dhiman Clean Shaven boy, 31 yrs. old, 5’-11” tall, MS in Engineering/MBA in IT from America, Vegetarian, working in US on H1B Visa. Upper caste no bar. Please send your bio-data & recent picture to: rupajagdev85@gmail.com Or Call : 1-484-557-7706 Or : 011-9196460-12412 ***660*** Jat Sikh family teachers by profession long settled in Canada seek a match for their daughter, slim, attractive, close to 50, divorced, No children, degree holder, suiable match should be from Canada, aged 47-55.

Call : 416-910-5670 ***660*** Mazhbi Sikh parents invite matrimonial alliance for their daughter, 30 yrs. old, 5’-3” tall, beautiful, LLM degree holder, working as Assistant Professor in Delhi University India, father Additional Secretery retired, status family. The boy should be Canadian/American, Iimmigrant/ Citizen, well educated and family oriented. Caste no bar. Please email recent picture and bio-data to: sahota.avtar54@gmail.com Or Call : 011-91-98681-07737 Or : 416-400-7895 ***660*** Saini Sikh parents invite matrimonial alliance for their daughter, 31 yrs. old, 5’-4” tall, raised in Canada, M.A.Sc. in Engineering, working for a leading engineering company in GTA, Vegetarian. The boy should be very well educated, Canadian born/ raised from early age, professionally employed preferably from GTA. Please email recent picture and bio-data to: shagan018gmail.com Or Call : 416-795-7531 ***660*** Well settled jat Sikh Maan parents in USA seeking a suitable match for their daughter, born in Sept 1985,U S citizen, Master,s in Mathematics currently teaching in high school, 5'- 5" Tall, slim. New York area prefered. Please send your bio-data & recent picture to: manngurdip916@gmail.com *** 660*** Jat Sikh parents seeking a match for their Canadian born Son, 34 yrs. old, 6’-2” tall, University educated, professionally employed, well paid manager. The girl should be University educated, beautiful with family values. Please email recent picture and bio-data to: tormgr13@gmail.com Or Call : 416-708-1392 ***660*** Lubana Sikh parents invite matrimonial alliance for their son, 1985 born, 5’-9” tal, running his own successful business in USA and earning in six figures, graduated from Canadian University with bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and post graduate diploma, extended family well settled in Canada/USA, seeking a beautiful, professional, career and family oriented girl, USA family also welcome. Please email recent

picture and bio-data to: shaadi.northamerica@gmail.com Or Call: 647-956-4817 ***660*** Jat Sikh parents looking for a suitable match for their daughter, born and raised in Canada, 29 yrs. old, 5’-6” tall, RN and Master’s degree in Nursing, Currently Working in GTA. The boy should be well educated, professionally employed, prefered non-drinker, non-smoker, vegetarian. Please send your bio-data & recent picture to: skbrar100@gmail.com Or Call: 416-970-7028 ***660** Jat Sikh parents invite matrimonial alliance for their son, 31 yrs. old, 5’-10” tall, born and raised in Canada, Chartered Accountant, Vegetarian, non-drinker, clean shaven, working in GTA with family values. The girl should be from Jat Sikh family, well educated and family oriented. Please send your bio-data & recent picture to: msbrar100@gmail.com Or Call : 416-970-7028 ***660*** Jat Sikh family seeking a suitable match for their daughter, 34 yrs. old, 5’-5” tall, Dental Hygienist, Canadian Citizen, Well Versed in both cultures. The boy should be professionally employed and with family values. Please email recent picture and bio-data to: jasleenbhullardutt@yahoo.ca Or Call : 1-604-722-5531 ***660*** Jat Sikh parents seek a suitable match for their son, 31 yrs. old, 5’-10 tall, Canadian born, working as a RN and Teacher. The girl should equally educated, beautiful, family oriented, atleast 5’-6” tall.

Please send your bio-data & recent picture to: g0110sekhon@hotmail.com Or Call : 1-604-501-9234 Or : 1778-317-1349 ***660*** Lubana Sikh parents seeking a suitable match for their well settled engineer son, 30 yrs. old, 6’-1” tall, athletic built. The girl should be beautiful, tall, well educated, family oriented. Caste no bar. Please email recent picture and bio-data to: amar3264@aol.com Or Call : 1-408-781-4086 ***660*** Jat Sikh parents invite matrimonial alliance for their beautiful daughter, 25 yrs. old, working as RN in Seattle (USA) Completing BSN in Nursing from University of Washington, born in Canada. The boy should be be born in Canada/ America well edcuated, professional (Doctor/Dentist) employed with moderate family values. Please email recent picture and bio-data to: hk_leen@yahoo.com ***660*** Ramgarhia Sikh family seek a suitable match for their daughter, 31 yrs. old, 5’-5” tall, living in India, having 10 yrs. Visitor Visa of Canada, doing Govt. Job in India, M.Sc. Nursing (Gynachologist).

The boy should be Canadian Immigrant or Citizen, educated, well settled. Caste no bar. Please send your bio-data & recent picture

to: jitkaram3@gmail.com Or Call : 647-532-6275 ***660*** Saini Sikh family seek a sitable match for their son, 33 yrs. old, 5’11” tall, born in India, raised in U.S.A. American Citizen, B.A. from De Vry University California, working as a ERP Consultant in California, family is living in California. The Girl should be professionally qualified/Bachelors or Masters degee. The Girl should be Canadian Immigrant or Citizen, simple, fair, attractive, atleast 5’-4” to 5’-11” tall. Please send your biodata & recent pictore to: hardipsingh2017@gmail.com ***660*** Jat Sikh parents invite a matrimonial alliance for their daughter, DOB 1983, 5’-5” tall, Lawyer, Working with a reputed Law firm in B.C., beautiful and family oriented. The boy should be well educated, professionally employed, clean shaven with family values.

Please Call : 1-250-545-9063 ***660*** Teetotaler Khatri Sikh boy, 32 yrs. old, 5’-7” tall, working as a software Engineer in Milwaukee U.S.A. having HIB Visa and green card is in process. The girl should be beautiful, educated family oriented, Candian/American Immigrant or Citizen, Girls on strudent visa or work permit may also be considerd. Please send your biodata & recent picture to: mandyusa9@gmail.com Or Call : 1-414-552-7913 ***660*** Saini Sikh parents invite matrimonial alliance for their daughter, Canadian Citizen, 30 yrs. old, 5’-6” tall, B.Teh. degree holder, well settled in job, beautiful and family oriented. The boy should be Canadian Immigrant/Citizen, equally qualified and professionally settled with family values prefered vegetarian. Respond with biodata & recent picture to: surinderksaini59 @gmail.com Or Call : 416-418-9687 ***660*** Jat Sikh grewal parents invite matrimonial alliance for thei son, Canadian Citizen, DOB 1985, 6’ tall, graduate from Canada, well settled in job, belongs to a very well settled family. The girl should be beautiful, educated and family oriented from Canada/US,father retired gazetted officer. Family owns rural and urban property in India. Please respond with biodata & recent picture to: mkgrewal4@gmail.com Or Call : 647-938-1174 ***660*** Tonk Kshatrya parents invite matrimonial alliance for their daughter, 28 yrs. old, 5’-3” tall, Canadian Immigrant, B.Sc, Nursing, well settled in job, beautiful and family oriented. The boy should be Canadian Immigrant/Citizen, well educated, professionally settled, non-smoker with family values. Boys on work permit may aso be considered. Caste no bar.

Please respond with latest picture and bi-odata to: manjinder_dhot@yahoo.com Or

Call : 416-577-5935 Or : 011-9198553-83222 ***660*** Jat Sikh parents invite matrimonial alliance for their daughter, Canadian Citizen, D.O.B. 1986, 5’-7” tall, beautiful, Post graduate, professionally settled in a top ranking bank of Canada and well versed in both cultures. The boy should be tall, handsome, well educated, professionaly employed or businesssman and family oriented from Canada. GTA prefered. Please email recent picture and bio-data to: pcanada600@gmail.com ***660*** Punjabi Brahmin parents invite matrimonial alliance for their daughter, Canadian Citizen, 27 yrs. old, 5’-7” tall, professionoally employed, belongs to a very good family, well versed in both cultures.

The boy should be educated and settled with family values from BC area only or willing to reclocate to BC. Boys on student visa/work permit may also be considered.

Serious inquaries only. Please email recent picture and bio-data to: sharmabc7@gmail.com Or Call : 1-604-825-2550 ***660*** Ramgarhia Sikh parents seeking a suitable match for their son, 26 yrs. old, 5’-7” tall, Mechanaical Engineer in India, belongs to a very good family. The girl should be Canadian/American, Citizen/ Immigrant, educatged, and family oriented. Please email recent picture and bio-data to: sohalsp@gmail.com Or Call : 647-829-5872 (Leave Message) ***660*** Jat Sikh Gill parents invite matrimonial alliance for their daughter, 27 yrs. old, 5’-6” tall, M.C.A., Bio-data administration degree holder, working in MNC (America) in India, beautiful, slim with family values. The boy should be Canadian Immigrant/Citizen, educated, settled and family oriented. Please Call : 011-3463204-8994 Or : 011-91-9810174388 ***660*** Jat Sikh parents invite matrimonial alliance for their son, 24 yrs. old, 5’-10” tall, diploma in Computer and Network from Humber College, now on work permit and working as a Computer Network technician, handsome, clean shaven, vegetarian, non-smoker/nondrinker. The girl should be Canadian Immigrant/Citizen with family values. Parents govt. employees in India. Only sister married and well settled in Canada Please email recent picture and bio-data to: nav_t@hotmail.com Or Call : 647-531-4760 ***660*** Jat Sikh family seek a suitable match for their daughter, 27 years old, 5’-6” tall, Canadian Citizen, MBA professionally employed. The boy should be raised in Canada, educated and professionally employed. Please Call after 4 P.M. and Weekand any time. 647-6076723 ***660***

Issue - 660 (11)

29 March - 4 April 2016

How a con man used China to make millions Israel Gilbert Chikli was rolling in money, stolen from some of the world’s biggest corporations. His targets: Accenture. Disney. American Express. In less than two years, he made off with at least 6.1 million euros from France alone.

But he had a problem. He couldn’t spend the money.

A tangle of banking rules designed to stop con men like him stood between Chikli and his cash. He needed to find a weak link in the global financial system, a place to make his stolen money appear legitimate.

He found it in China.

“China has become a universal, international gateway for all manner of scams,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press. “Because China today is a world power, because it doesn’t care about neighboring countries, and because, overall, China is flipping off other countries in a big way.”

A visionary con man, Chikli realized early on around 2000, the year before China joined the World Trade Organization the potential that lay in the shadows of China’s rise,

its entrenched corruption and informal banking channels that date back over 1,000 years. He told the AP he laundered 90 percent of his money through China and Hong Kong, slipping it into the region’s

China as a haven where they can safely hide money, clean it, and pump it back into the global financial system, according to police officials, European and US court records and intelligence docu-

great tides of legitimate trade and finance.

Today, he is in good company.

Criminals around the world have discovered that a good way to liberate their dirty money is to send it to China, which is emerging as an international hub for money laundering, an AP investigation has found.

Gangs from Israel and Spain, North African cannabis dealers and cartels from Mexico and Colombia are among those using

ments reviewed by the AP. China’s foreign ministry, central bank and police all refused repeated requests for comment.

Chikli is widely credited in France with inventing a con that has inspired a generation of copycats. Chikli’s scam, called the fake president or fake CEO scam, has cost companies around the world $1.8 billion in just over two years, according to the FBI. And the damages are rising fast.

New York’s millionaires call for higher taxes for the wealthy to target poverty New York’s infrastructure is crumbling and the only way to improve it is to tax the state’s wealthiest citizens more highly.

This was the demand made on Monday, not by activists from Occupy Wall Street, but by some of state’s

struggling economically, and the state’s ailing infrastructure is in desperate need of attention.

We cannot afford to ignore these challenges,” says the letter. “As business leaders and investors, we know that the long-term stability and

wealthiest citizens, who said they were concerned about a lack of investment, both in human resources and basic infrastructure. A group of around 40 millionaires wrote to Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo and senior legislators, calling on them to consider raising taxes on the state’s wealthiest residents to help address poverty and other problems. “We are upperincome New Yorkers who treasure the quality of life in our state. However, we are deeply concerned that too many New Yorkers are

growth of a company requires investments in both its human capital and physical infrastructure. The same is true for our state.”

Among those who have signed the letter, which was organised by the Fiscal Policy Institute, a liberalleaning think tank, were Abigail Disney, Leo Hindery and Steven C Rockefeller.

“As a businessman and philanthropist and as a citizen of New York State, I believe we need to invest in our people and our infrastructure,” said Mr Hindery, the managing partner of InterMedia

Partners, a media industry private equity fund.

“The one-percent tax plan makes it possible to make these investments, and simply asks people like me to continue to pay a higher tax rate, as we should.”

The Associated Press said the so-called one-percent plan would create new, higher tax rates for those making $665,000 or more.

Currently, single filers making more than $1,062,000 pay the state’s top rate of 8.82 per cent.

Under the one per cent plan, the 8.82 rate would apply to anyone making $1m to $2m, and higher rates of 9.35 per cent, 9.65 per cent and 9.99 per cent would apply to those making $2m to $10m, $10 to $100 m and more than $100m, respectively.

The proposal faces significant political obstacles in New York’s state legislature in Albany.

While the Democratic majority in the Assembly has its own plan to increase taxes on millionaires, the Republican-led Senate opposes the idea.

Politicians are now negotiating the details of the state budget and hope to have a deal in place by April 1.

Security cameras poke over the high wooden fence that encircles Chikli’s property, a sleek, three-story home in Ashdod, a port city on the Mediterranean.

Beyond that, a swing set, pink-and-purple tricycle and orange ball jumble his lawn. And then there is Chikli himself, tan and smiling at his massive front door. He was sentenced in absentia to seven years in prison by a French court last year and remains a wanted man, but here in Israel, he lives openly and talked about his criminal exploits with pride during four hours of interviews with the AP. “It’s the power of persuasion,” he said. “It’s not easy to turn the head of a bank president.”

Dirty money has long washed through China, but has been viewed primarily as a domestic problem.

Now, mounting evidence shows that non-Chinese criminals are learning to tap entrenched, sophisticated Chinese systems to move money illegally largely beyond the reach of Western law enforcement.

China’s underground financial systems are of rising concern to top policymakers there, who are struggling to stem massive capital flight as the economy slows. Despite strict currency controls, a record net $711 billion gushed out of China last year, not counting foreign direct investment, according to estimates by Fitch Ratings.

A lot of that money leaks out illegally. Corporations undervalue exports or overvalue imports to move capital abroad, for example.

Money changers and underground banks routinely help mainland Chinese slip cash out of the country in excess of the official $50,000-a-year limit. Global Financial Integrity, a Washington-DC non-profit, ranks China as the world’s largest exporter of illicit money.

“Wherever I go in the world, there is a growing Chinese presence,” said John Cassara, a former financial intelligence agent at the U.S. Treasury Department.

“It’s only natural that the Chinese are going to bring their financial systems with them — their above-board financial systems and their underground systems.”

Indian-origin conman gets 3-year jail for ‘preying’ on elderly in UK A Birmingham-based man who conned several people by narrating fake stories of illness and shortage of funds to travel to India for medical treatment has been jailed for 37 months.

Gurtake Singh, 37, took money ranging from 20 to 350 pounds from several people between June and October last year, the West Midlands police said. The unemployed man reportedly drove pensioners – including an 80-year-old man – to cash points on at least two occasions when they told him that they were short of money.Singh admitted to 11 counts of fraud, plus one charge of theft, and was jailed for 37 months by the Birmingham Crown Court this week. He was also ordered to pay back £1,552 compensation to his victims, and was made the subject of a criminal behaviour order that bans him from coldcalling addresses and asking people on the street for cash. Detective constable Estelle Albutt, the investigating officer, said: “Singh would knock on doors in a panicked state, sometimes crying, in order to gain entry… once inside.

Issue - 660 (12)

29 March - 4 April 2016

Kin of missing Pak journo who helped Indian seek PM Sharif’s help Lahore Family of a Pakistani woman journalist, who was allegedly kidnapped while pursuing the case of an Indian engineer recently jailed over espionage charges, on Sunday sought Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s help to trace her after her distraught brother committed suicide.

“Helping an Indian prisoner in Pakistan has cost us dearly my sister is missing for the last seven months and my brother hanged himself after losing hope to get reunited with her,” said Salman Latif, brother of the missing journalist Zeenat Shahzadi.“Our family cannot bear more mental torture. We urge Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to intervene and help in securing the release of my sister as she has not committed any crime in helping an Indian national,” Latif told PTI. 24-year-old Zeenat, a local reporter of Daily Nai Khaber and Metro News TV channel, went missing on August 19, 2015, when some unknown men allegedly kidnapped her while she was en route to her office in an auto-rickshaw from her home in a populated locality of Lahore.

Police have registered an abduction case against ‘unknown men’.

Latif said Zeenat had filed an

application with the Supreme Court’s Human Rights Cell on behalf of Fauzia Ansari, the mother of Indian national Hamid Ansari, who had gone missing in Pakistan since November, 2012.

She secured in August, 2013 a special power of attorney from Ansari’s mother. She also pursued his case in the Peshawar high court.

Ansari was reportedly in love with a Pakistani girl of Kohat, a district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, whom he had befriended on Facebook.According to an official of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, unable to get a visa for Pakistan, the then 28-year-old engineer and MBA from Mumbai managed to arrive in Kabul, on November 4, 2012.He somehow reached Pakistan around November 12, 2012 and stayed with one of his online friends till another friend got him lodgings in a hotel in Kohat.From there, police took Ansari away on November 14, 2012 and handed him over to an officer of a security agency, the rights official said.

The official said attempts to register an FIR for his arrest and detention failed.

Zeenat submitted application to the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances that ordered registration of the FIR in

2014. At the same time, she also filed a habeas corpus petition in the Peshawar high court.

“Zeenat received threats from unknown persons who asked “Zeenat received threats from unknown persons who asked her not to pursue this case any more.

We also asked her not to put her life at risk but she said she wanted to help Ansari out of humanity. When she spoke to Ansari’s mother she literally cried along with her and vowed to help,” Latif said.

Ansari was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment on charges of illegally entering Pakistan and ‘spying’ reportedly by a military

Rift between foreign and local fighters of Islamic State grows

Washington Rift is growing between Islamic State’s foreign and local fighters with recent battlefield setbacks in Iraq and Syria exacerbating latent strains within the terror group as it contends with financial hardships and territory loss, according to a media report.

Foreign fighters, long welcomed

by Islamic State as essential parts of its global mission, are generating greater internal discord and even violence just as the group pivots outward to target Europe and the US, the Wall Street Journal reported.

“With time, and because of the financial and management differences between them, the locals started to complain” about the foreign fighters, a Mosul resident was quoted as saying.

“We all hope to see the day when this division among the fighters ends them.”

“Throughout Islamic State-

controlled territory in Iraq and Syria, tempers are flaring, showing how recent battlefield setbacks in Iraq and Syria can exacerbate latent strains within the group as it contends with financial hardships and loss of territory,” the report said.

The Mosul resident described a clash he said he witnessed a few weeks ago in a busy market.

In a scene that has become commonplace, a foreign Islamic State fighter angrily denounced an elderly Iraqi man for wearing his beard too short for a properly devout Muslim, the report said.

“Instead of quietly enduring another routine indignity, the old man cursed his detractor, to the surprise of onlookers. But what followed was even more surprising: Six local Iraqi fighters for Islamic State intervened to take the old man’s side. The Iraqis beat their foreign comrade, handcuffed him and threw him

into a car, then sped away,” it said.

At least 38,200 foreign fighters from at least 120 countries have travelled to Syria since the beginning of the five-year conflict, according to US intelligence reports.

Many of them, particularly those from Europe, offer little regard for local traditions or rigid tribal structures of western Iraq and eastern Syria.

The growing resentment tends to bubble up following battlefield defeats, said Patrick Skinner, a former Central Intelligence Agency official who is senior associate at the Soufan Group, which follows Islamic State closely.

After Islamic State lost the strategic town of Tal Abyad in northern Syria to Kurdish fighters last autumn, local fighters blamed foreigners for insufficient support, he said.

court last month.

Her younger brother Saddam, who was emotionally attached to her and very much disturbed by her mysterious disappearance, on Thursday committed suicide.

The death of Saddam, an intermediate student, has hit the family which was already in a state of dejection because of Zeenat’s disappearance.

“My mother’s condition has deteriorated after the suicide of Saddam. My father is already in a state of shock. He has stopped talking. Our only plea to the authorities concerned to help free Zeenat,” Latif said.

On the intervention of the court,

Zeenat’s case has been included in the missing persons cases being probed by the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) Lahore.

“I along with my mother had appeared in the JIT meeting in last month. Some officials in the meeting had assured us that Zeenat would be back home soon,” Latif said, adding his family is hoping the JIT would keep its words.

The next meeting of the JIT will take place in Lahore in April.

Meanwhile, rights activists have also voiced for the release of Ansari, saying that since he has served his sentence, he ought to be set free now.

Australian woman tracks down and marries sperm-donor

New Delhi An Australian woman has tracked down and married the sperm-donor father of her child, according to a report published in the UK daily The Independent.

Aminah Hart, who was born in Britain but has since assumed an Australian citizenship, has written a book detailing her experience, saying she wanted to meet her IVF donor after the birth of their daughter, Leila.

Scott Andersen, a 45-year-old cattle farmer, was chosen from a list of suitable candidates by Hart because he described himself as being “happy and healthy”.

Hart had underonge in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment in order to have Leila. IVF is the process by which an egg is fertilised by sperm outside of the human body.

She contacted him formally via the IVF clinic, and he accepted

after seeing the striking resemblance between Leila and him.

Andersen said he first agreed to the meeting in order to see the girl but later developed feelings for Hart. Two other children she gave birth to from previous relationships had both died at young age.

Hart later found out that she had a rare genetic disorder which only affected male offspring.

“You can’t really put it into words.

I had two relationships and two children but it wasn’t until the second one that I got a diagnosis of the genetic disorder. I did set out to have a family the conventional way and if I didn’t have them I wouldn’t have Leila or Scott,” Hart told the Mail Online.

“I would have never been looking for a sperm donor or thought to go through IVF to have a baby on my own.”

Issue - 660 (13)

29 March - 4 April 2016

Trump says China rebuilt itself with money drained out of US Republican US presidential frontrunner Donald Trump has vowed to pursue an “America First” foreign policy if elected, saying many nations including allies “ripped off” America while China has rebuilt itself from money that

it has “drained out of the US”.

Expounding his foreign policy priorities, Trump said he would consider pulling out American troops from Japan and South Korea if the close allies did not pay the US more.

Trump told the New York Times that he might stop buying oil from Saudi Arabia if it did not send troops to back US efforts to fight Islamic State militants.

The 69-year-old real estate

billionaire, who has kept his momentum rolling despite concerted efforts by party establishment to thwart his presidential aspirations, insisted he was “not isolationist” but “America First”.

He said: “We have been disrespected, mocked, and ripped off for many, many years by people that were smarter, shrewder, tougher.

“We were the big bully, but we were not smartly led. And we were the big bully who was the big, stupid bully and we were systematically ripped off by everybody.”

“So America first, yes, we will not be ripped off anymore. We’re

Muslim shopkeeper killed hours after he wished his ‘beloved Christian nation’ a happy Easter

Hours before the attack, Shah had posted messages on Facebook calling for religious harmony. A Muslim shopkeeper was killed on Thursday night in Glasgow hours after he wished Christians a happy Easter on Facebook.40-year-old Asad Shah was attacked on the street.

The Independent reports that an eyewitness had seen two men attack the shopkeeper. They were quoted as saying, “One was stamping on his head. There was a pool of blood on the ground.”Medics reportedly tried to revive Shah but he died on the way to the hospital.

Hours before the attack, Shah had posted messages on

Facebook calling for religious harmony. “Good Friday and very happy Easter, especially to my beloved Christian nation x!” he wrote.

Scottish police say the killing is being investigated as “religiously prejudiced”. Police say a 32year-old man has been arrested in connection with Shah’s death.

The suspect, who police say is Muslim, has not been identified or charged.Vigils were held on Friday in memory of Shah.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon joined the vigil in support of Shah and his family.

Many lit candles and left flowers.

The police promised a full investigation into Shah’s death.

going to be friendly with everybody, but we’re not going to be taken advantage of by anybody,” he said.

Trump cited the US debt - “soon to be $21 tn” - and linked it to the fact the US “defended the world”.

“No matter who it is, we defend everybody. When in doubt, come to the United States. We’ll defend you. In some cases free of charge.”

He said that China, now the world’s second largest economy after America, had rebuilt itself from money that has “drained out of the United States”. “They’ve done it through monetary manipulation, by devaluations. And very sophisticated. I mean, they’re grand chess players at devaluation,” Trump said. He added: “I like China very much, I like Chinese people.

I respect the Chinese leaders, but you know China’s been taking advantage of us for many, many years and we can’t allow it to go on.”

Mother Jumps to Death to Get USD46,000 for Son’s Treatment; Insurance Had Expired A desperate mother has jumped to her death from a building in the Chinese city of Shenzhen in the hope that insurance compen-

sation would pay for treatment her son needs for an autoimmune disease. The policy, however, had run out.

The 63-year-old’s insurance policy expired last year. A payout of CNY300,000 (USD46,000) could have financed therapy for her son’s ankylosing spondylitis.

Medical treatment costs several hundreds of thousands of yuan.

The family’s only income was CNY3,000 a month from her daughter-in-law.

The family lived in a 20-squaremeter single-room in Shenzhen,

India’s brides hire langurs to halt monkey business

Wedding rings - check. Brass band - check. Large, aggressive monkeys - check. Anxious brides wanting the perfect wedding day are leaving nothing to chance in the Indian city of Agra, hiring large monkeys and their handlers to keep pesky smaller ones at bay. Grey langurs are becoming increasingly common at outdoor weddings to ward off their natural enemy rhesus monkeys which are known to gatecrash and wreak havoc, an official said Tuesday. “The langur-handlers are much in demand during the winter wedding season,” Ram Avtaar, an official in the city’s municipal corporation, told AFP by phone. “They usually charge up to 3,000 rupees ($48) if booked in advance but the rates can go up to Rs 10,000 ($160) in case of an emergency when monkeys have already entered a venue.”Though revered in the majority Hindu nation, monkeys are a major menace in many cities, trashing gardens, office and residential rooftops and even viciously attacking people for food.

Agra, home to the Taj Mahal which attracts huge numbers of

tourists, has seen monkey numbers increase in recent years, in part because devout Hindus believe feeding them is auspicious.With weddings increasingly held outdoors, many brides in Agra have already faced a simian scare, the Times of India reported.Amita Singh was quoted as saying she was shocked to find a group of uninvited monkeys chattering away on her wedding day. “I was so scared that I fell off my chair,” the daily quoted the 29-year-old as saying. “My make-up and dress were completely spoilt.”

Al-Jazeera to cut 500 jobs, mostly in home base in Qatar The Qatar-based news broadcaster Al-Jazeera says it is slashing around 500 jobs as part of a worldwide workforce reduction.

The network announced the cuts on Sunday, saying they are part of a “workforce optimization initiative” linked to changes in the media

landscape. It says most of the cuts will be in its home base of Qatar.

Acting Director General Mostefa Souag says the cuts will allow the Al-Jazeera Media Network to evolve, in order to “maintain a leading position and continue our recognized commitment to high quality,

a city with one of the highest property prices in China. The woman’s husband was already dead, her son ill, and her granddaughter was just starting primary school. The insurance company rejected a request for compensation on the grounds that the policy did not cover suicide and had expired. Shenzhen Charity Association Deyi Fund is asking for donations. It plans to provide the son with free treatment in the hope of helping him return to a normal life.

independent and hard-hitting journalism around the world.”

Al-Jazeera was launched as an Arabic-language news channel in 1996 with backing from Qatar’s then-emir, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. It has grown to include multiple channels and today boasts more than 70 bureaus worldwide.

She hired a langur and handler for her reception, held on a separate day for Hindu weddings. Agra resident Deepesh Gupta, who attended a wedding at which the groom was attacked by monkeys, said he recently hired three langurs which were positioned strategically during his daughter’s marriage.

Tiger nations to set up antipoaching network Thirteen countries which are home to the world’s dwindling population of wild tigers agreed to establish an intelligencesharing network to fight traffickers, concluding an antipoaching conference in Kathmandu.Around 100 experts, government and law enforcement officials attended the five-day summit, co-hosted by Nepal and conservation group WWF to hammer out a regional plan to fight poaching in Asia.

Issue - 660 (14)

29 March - 4 April 2016

x-boyfriend kills youth over rift for his girlfriend

NEW DELHI The Vithalwadi police have arrested six for allegedly killing a 21-year-old with sharp weapons after one of the accused was dumped by his girlfriend after dating him for a long time.

The spurned youth later caught hold of the victim and a scathing attack led to the boy’s death.

The main accused, Hemant Bharole, took nine of his friends armed with knives, bamboo and various other weapons to attack Abhay Vasanik.

This was a revenge after his ex-girlfriend dumped him for Vasanik.

“The victim was dating his ex-girlfriend after she dumped the main accused leading to fights, while the

cousins of the girl were, too, involved in the fight as they supported the main accused. So, they too are involved in the crime,” said a senior officer. The accused fled after leaving Vasanik critically injured and he was declared dead before admission to the hospital. “We have arrested six accused in the case under sections 302

(murder), 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting with weapons), 149 (every member of assembly committing the act) of the Indian Penal Code and under relevant sections of Mumbai Police Act,” said VC Dolas, senior inspector. The six of them have been remanded into police custody till 31 March.

New Delhi JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar on Monday compared the alleged onslaught on varsities with Gujarat riots alleging both of them were carried out “with support” from state machinery even as he stressed that there is a fundamental difference between “emergency” and “fascism”. Asserting that there is a difference between 2002 riots and 1984 Sikh massacre Kanhaiya alleged that Gujarat violence was carried out through state machinery while the other was caused due to mob frenzy. “There is difference between emergency and fascism.

During emergency, goons of only one party were engaged into goondaism, in this (fascism) entire state machinery is resorting to goondaism. There is difference between riots of 2002

and 1984 Sikh riots. “There is a fundamental difference between a mob killing a common man and massacring people through state machinery. Therefore, the

need for understanding history first before reaching a conclusion on any issue.

“Today it's an era of Islamophobia. Leave aside the words of terrorism and

threat of communal fascism we are faced with today, there is an attack being launched on universities, because like Hitler, Modi ji doesn't have support from intellectuals in India. No intellectual is defending Modi regime,” he added. Noting the present time is an era of “Islamophobia” , Kanhaiya underscored a

terrorist. The moment these words will come to your mind, imprints of face of a Muslim person will be there in your mind. This is Islamophobia. “Connotations, meaning of a word change. Hence, it is important for us to understand history before we reach to conclusion on anything,” he said.

Man pours acid on 5 new-born puppies for barking at him It seems to be the season for cruelty towards dogs.

After Bengaluru and Delhi earlier this month, it is Agra now.In the latest incident, a man who was apparently drunk, poured acid on five newborn puppies and their mother after the animals barked at

him, in Hanuman Nagar under Jagdishpura police station in Agra on Wednesday night. One puppy died in the attack after which the residents assaulted the culprit. A team from the People For Animal (PFA) reached the spot and attended the

infection.These peptides are attractive antimicrobials. However, they degrade in the body and have short half-life.

Rinki Kapoor along with her PhD advisor and professor Annelise Barron of Stanford University studied novel mimics of antimicrobial peptides or peptoids for their antibacterial activity against multi-drug resistant bacteria, also known as superbugs.

In one of their studies, they showed that peptoids kill resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa -- one of the leading bug causing hospital associated infections.

The group synthesised seven different peptoids and compared their activity

with three different antibiotics.

In a separate study, Kapoor and Barron also revealed that peptoids kill resistant Mycobacteria -bacteria responsible for causing Tuberculosis, a leading cause of death worldwide. In this study, published in the journal of antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy (AAC), they evaluated the efficacy of six different peptoids against Mycobacteria.

“These molecules are currently under research and development and merit further studies to investigate their potential as new class of drugs for treating resistant bacterial infections,” Kapoor told IANS in a statement.

Indian-origin researcher working to beat ‘superbugs’

NEW DELHI Researchers, including one of Indian-origin, have developed novel peptidelike analogs or peptoids that have the similar antimicrobial properties as peptides but more robust.

The discovery,paves the way for creation of new generation antibiotics that can defeat the so called multi-drug resistant bacteria “superbugs”.

Like proteins, peptides are are chains of amino acids that participate in the metabolic system of living organisms and the immune system.

They are the first line of defence against a broad range of pathogens, and are released by the body in the earliest stage of

2002 Gujarat riots and 1984 Sikh riots are different says Kanhaiya Kumar

puppies. They said one puppy died but the others were out of danger.“No complaint has been lodged but we are inquiring into the matter,” said Tej Bahadur, the officer in charge of Jagdishpura police station.

Earlier, a woman in Bengaluru was booked for

allegedly killing eight puppies. That incident came to light just a day after a man in Delhi was seen stabbing dogs.

The Bengaluru woman flung the puppies onto a boulder to teach the mother (of the pups) a lesson.

Issue 660 (15)

29 March - 4 April 2016

John Abraham’s action does all the talking Cast: John Abraham, Diya Chalwad, Nishikant Kamat, Teddy Maurya, Sharad Kelkar, Nathalia Kaur Direction: Nishikant Kamat Ratings: 3 Stars A man who no one quite knows or bothers about. He runs a pawn shop in Goa, and is neighbour to a seven-year-old girl who, again, no one quite bothers about. She calls him ‘Handsome’ (John Abraham); he calls her Nayomi (Diya). Rocky Handsome, at its core, is the story of these two unusual friends.

Nayomi and Handsome share a strange friendship.

They are joined by their love for fish, and are similar in their unwanted-ness.

Nayomi has a cokehead of a mother Anna (Nathalia Kaur), who routinely gets into trouble because of her addiction.

Nayomi and Handsome find solace in each other’s company until the latter walks away from her when she calls him her dad in front of the cops. Torn by guilt, when Handsome gets back to his house and ponders over it all, Nayomi and Anna are kid-

napped in a drug-theft related case. And all hell breaks loose.

On the other side, the Goa Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) led by Dilip Sangodkar (Sharad Kelkar) is after a major drug-dealing, trafficking and organ-harvesting Mafioso called Maantu.

Brothers Kevin (Nishikant Kamat) and Luke Ferreira (Teddy Maurya) are Maantu’s Man Fridays, who do the dirty work. Basically, kidnapping, killing and keeping the channels aflow.

Handsome gets embroiled in the Ferreira brothers’ nefarious schemes and lands in the net of the ANC. And it is then that they realise that this is Kabir Ahlawat, a man from nowhere, from the looks of it.

They have the task of nabbing the gang; he has the task of getting Nayomi back. And in the process, they deliver one hell of a ride.

Nishikant Kamat’s story is essentially the same as that of Lee Jeong-beom’s original, The Man From Nowhere. Rocky Handsome straddles the territories of emotion and action, and it is in the latter that the film does wonders.

Rocky Handsome is immensely enjoyable in its classy action sequences.

John Abraham infuses the right amount of deadliness into the gritty punchingkicking sequences. John puts everything in his Kabir Ahlawat and the effort is visible in every frame. The hand-to-hand combat scenes are largely responsible for taking your breath away. Action Abraham does a fine job of donning the emotionless, cold-hearted, silent killing machine garb.

Diya manages to impress as the girl who dreams to open her own nail paint parlour. But that’s about it, really. Nishikant Kamat, in most of his scenes, does a good job of being the bad guy. The scene with Maantu, where Kamat spits blood, deserves a mention for its brilliance. Teddy Maura is over the top. Tuning his psychotic Luke down a few notches would have been a sensible task.

Sharad Kelkar shines in his cop act.

Shanker Raman’s cinematography is a treat for the eyes. Despite the numerous Hindi films shot in Goa in the recent past,

Rocky Handsome manages to deliver on screen the underbelly of the state in all its darkness.

Inder and Sunny Bawra’s music grows on you.

Alfazon Ki Tarah, Rehnuma, Rock Tha Party are all hummable, easyon-the-ears tracks.

However, underneath all

the stylised action sequences and slick long shots in the rain, Rocky Handsome is not all flawless. The crispness of the story is lost in parts, and it is a bit difficult to keep your attention from swaying through the course of the film.

In all, Rocky Handsome is

a decent one-time watch for non-fans of Abraham.

For a John Abraham fan, the film clicks several boxes. Above all, Rocky Handsome is a sumptuous feast for action-lovers.

Watch it if you swear by punches and kicks and special, hitherto-unseenin-Hindi-films martial arts.

Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill can’t save this film Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Holly Hunter Direction: Zack Snyder Ratings: 3 Stars Batman v Superman Dawn Of Justice is about the superpower tussle between DC Comics’ two superheroes, Batman played by Ben Affleck and Superman portrayed by Henry Cavill.

The world is at war; or shall we put it as the superheroes are at war. Superman, who is trying to stop General Zod from invading Planet Earth, ends up turning Bruce Wayne’s metropolis building to dust, killing thousands of workers. And thus begins the enmity between the two.

Batman wants to curb

Superman’s power for good, whereas Superman dislikes Batman’s way of justice. But the true predator who feeds on this is tech giant Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg), whose motive remains unclear throughout the film. Jesse Eisenberg, the Social Network actor, could have done great if the script was not flooded with sub-plots.

Lex Luthor, who runs Lex Corp, gets hold of a huge piece of Kryptonite that was found in the Indian Ocean. Luthor plans to use it as a device to fight the perennial forces outside the planet, and of course, crush the superhuman forces - the superheroes on it. In the first half of the film, the audience is lost with the characters them-

selves. Director Zack Snyder introduces so many sub-plots in the first half that it takes quite a while to understand what is going on in the film. It is the second half where the characters’ motives become clear and the story unravels. The film has been titled Dawn Of Justice, but it does not justify the metaphor as Snyder’s film goes beyond the realms of justice. “No one stays good in this world,” says Superman. The film is all about “God versus Man”, in Luthor’s words. Luthor echoes the analogy put forth by many writers and poets: If God is all-powerful, he cannot be all good. And if he is all good, he cannot be all-powerful. He creates a monster, an “ancient

form of Kryptonian deformity” which feeds on energy. The human forces call it ‘unkillable’ as it grows stronger and stronger no matter how hard they strike. Snyder uses an old Bollywood trope to bring Superman and Batman face-to-face with each other: Martha. But a scene where Luthor uses an old stopwatch to keep track of time seems out of place in this otherwise technologically-advanced film. Luthor’s character could definitely afford a better weapon to keep the time track! The third DC Comics’ superhero who appears on the screen for the first time is Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), who definitely has nothing to do in the film.

Issue 660 (16)

29 March - 4 April 2016

I don’t have energy, dedication for Hollywood says Kareena Kapoor Khan These days Indian actors are making buzz for their Hollywood projects rather than Bollywood, but actor Kareena Kapoor Khan says she is not eyeing Hollywood.

Asked if she would like to feature in a Hollywood film, Kareena said, “I have no interest in Hollywood. Today, people are watching Hindi films all over the world and in fact Hindi films are dubbed in all languages... So, it’s not that they (West) don’t know other actresses.”

“To work in Hollywood, a different kind of energy and dedication is required, but I don’t think I have that in me.”

Kareena is currently busy promoting her upcoming film Ki And Ka - a film which breaks gender stereotypes with its theme.

The actor credits her husband Saif Ali Khan for being supportive and allowing her to do the film.

“Partner’s support is very important.

If my partner was not supportive, I would not be able to do a film like Ki And Ka,” she said, adding that Saif found the film “progressive”.

The film features Arjun Kapoor as Kabir, an IIT graduate, who has grown up wanting to be like his mother and not like his father and will be seen doing household work.

On the other hand, Kareena essays Kia, an ambitious and a careeroriented woman. Directed by R Balki, the film is slated to hit the theatres on April 1, 2016.

Padma Shri to Ajay Devgn The Padma Awards winners for 2016 were announced in January. The awards are conferred in three categories Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and Padma Shri.

Ajay Devgn won Padma Shri award and the official account of President of India has shared the picture on Twitter. In an earlier interview, Ajay had said, “I feel deeply humbled yet elated to receive such honour from my own country. This announcement today makes it special for me when I’m filming abroad

for my new film Shivaay.

I’d like to acknowledge that Padma Samman puts an extra responsibility on me and I promise to serve my country for as long as I can.” Not just Ajay Devgn won Padma title this year, Anupam Kher was also conferred with Padma Bhushan.

Expressing his happiness, Anupam Kher had earlier told Indian Express, “I am thankful to our country and people.

I feel humbled. This is the best news of my life. In my 31 years of career in cinema spanning more than 500 films and 150 plays, I think this award reaffirms your faith that hard work and honesty always pays. I also feel also a sense of responsibility towards my country because when you are honoured like this it is your duty to deal with responsibility in a different manner.”

Happy Ending is not the end of my career says Ileana D’Cruz Ileana D’Cruz, who was last seen in the Saif Ali Khan starrer Happy Ending, says that she doesn’t believe in a happy ending to her film career and she is all set to make a comeback with her next film Rustom starring Akshay Kumar.

Rustom is directed by Tinu Suresh Desai and also features Arjan Bajwa and Esha Gupta. The film is scheduled for a worldwide release on 12 August.

“Happy Ending is not the end of my career, so don’t worry. I am coming back. In August my film Rustom is

Malaika and Arbaaz have finally confirmed their separation

2016 seems to be the year of divorces, separations and break-ups. A couple of weeks ago, the tinsel town was abuzz with rumours of Arbaaz Khan and Malaika Arora calling it quits. A lot has been said and heard about their separation and gossip mills had their own

versions of it. Arbaaz and Malaika had always maintained silence over the whole issue, but now the two have finally opened up on their separation.

They have exclusively issued a joint statement to dna AfterHrs confirming their separation and have given a halt to the

speculations around them. In the statement, Malaika and Arbaaz said, “The truth is, we have taken a break, but that doesn’t mean people can presume, assume and speculate things of such malicious nature. We are taking out time to figure out our lives... Yes, it’s true that we are separated, but where our lives go and what transpires between us, it is for us to decide. Wherever it goes from here, we will talk about it when we are ready to.” There were several rumours surrounding their separation, but in the statement they have clarified that the sources claiming to be close to them speaking on their behalf were giving out wrong information.

coming up with Akshay Kumar. So fingers crossed,” Ileana said at an event here. “Rustom is an intense film. I am too excited,” she added during a brand promotional event.

The 27-year-old actor plays one of the leading roles in the film.

Media circles are abuzz with speculations that the film is based on life of Kawas Manekshaw Nanavati, a naval officer, who killed his wife’s lover by firing three shots in 1959. Manekshaw, later surrendered himself and got a reputation as the “honourable killer”.

Akshay plays a Parsi, Rustom Pavri, in this romantic thriller.

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29 March - 4 April 2016

Taylor Swift has always been there for me says Selena Gomez Singer Selena Gomez says ‘Bad blood’ hitmaker Taylor Swift has been extremely supportive of her career and has always stood by her no matter what.

The 23-year-old singer has praised her close pal -- who she has been friends with since she was 13 -- for always being there for her in good and bad times and for being supportive of her career, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

The ‘Out of the woods’ hitmaker has always encouraged the ‘Good for you’ star to be herself and not be afraid to tell her story and be “proud” of it, which is something Gomez admits she was “hesitant” about when she first met her best friend.

Speaking on ITV’s show ‘Lorraine’ on Friday, Gomez said: “I mean I’ve known her for ten years... She’s been one of my best friends through thick and thin, walked by my side. Her whole family has been so supportive of me, and yeah, she’s been there during crucial points in my life and in my career.”

“She’s known for embracing her personal story and creating a beautiful thing out of it and I was a little hesitant with that and she was always the person to encourage me to tell my story and be proud of who I am,” Gomez added.

Jennifer Aniston hated Church is the centre of my her ‘Friends’ wardrobe social life says Jennifer Garner

Jennifer Aniston says she hated her 90s style wardrobe on ‘Friends’, although that would

not stop her returning to the popular series, which came to a close after 10 years in 2004.

“I had a love/hate relationship with ‘the Rachel’ because it was difficult to style. I would never go back to that style. Although I would go back in time because Friends was so fun,” Aniston was quoted as saying by Marks and Spencer’s Style and Living publication, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Despite the actress being taken off the market after marrying “Zoolander No. 2” actor Justin Theroux in a private ceremony last year, she has confessed she still has a girl crush on the former Brazilian fashion model Gisele Bundchen.

Actress Jennifer Garner says faith is important to her and the church is the “centre” of her social life.

Garner’s Christian family still make regular visits to the Methodist church back home in Charleston, West Virginia, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

“My parents did such a great job of raising my sisters and me in a world where faith was part of our lives. It’s the centre of our social lives, as well as a spiritual centre,” Garner said on “The Dr. Oz Show”.

The 43-year-old, who has children Violet, 10, Seraphina, seven, and Samuel, four, with former husband Ben Affleck, doesn’t believe fame changes people in a “huge” way and those who let success go to their heads were probably always driven to want recognition.

“I’ve lived in Los Angeles a long time and I know a lot of really incredible, down-to-earth people. I think a few people are kind of more into the idea of fame or whatever, but they were like that when they were kids, I’m sure,” she added.

“I don’t see people changing in some huge way. You are who you are.”

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29 March - 4 April 2016

Students held for ‘Pakistan Ki Jai’ message on WhatsApp, released

Mangaluru Two college students in Karnataka were detained for sharing pro-Pakistan slogans on WhatsApp during the India-Pakistan cricket match last Saturday and released later on the same day, police said.

One of the students posted on a WhatsApp group a message saying ‘Pakistan Ki Jai’, to which his classmates objected, police said on Friday.

The incident happened in

a college in Puttur town near Mangaluru. Police said the duo were detained on Wednesday.

They were produced before an executive magistrate and asked to produce a bond of good conduct and were released on the same day.

There was no intent of sedition as the slogan was just a comment, the police said.

India won the match, which was played at Eden Gar-

dens in Kolkata, by six wickets. Cricket stirs passions in India and Pakistan.

In the past, Kashmiri students have been expelled for supporting the Pakistan team. Students have also clashed over celebrating the arch-rival’s success.

The incident came at a time India is faced with a debate on ‘nationalism’ and controversies over some political leaders refusing to say ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’.

Stalker hacks national-level volleyball player to death near Kolkata Kolkata A national-level volleyball player was hacked to death while she was practising with friends at Notunpukur in the outskirts of the city on Friday. The victim, 14-yearold Sangita Aich, was a Class 9 student who had played volleyball twice at the national level and thrice at the state level. Police said the attacker, identified as Subrata Sinha (20), was reportedly furious over Aich spurning his advances several times in the recent past.

According to police, Sinha arrived at the practice camp on Friday evening and demanded that Aich speak to him. When she refused, he advanced towards her with a cleaver.

According to NDTV, the girl’s coach Swapan Das tried to save Aich by trying to beat Sinha back with a chair. A frightened

Aich scrambled for her residence, located barely 100 metres away, but Sinha caught up with the girl and allegedly hacked her to death.

“If Tina had stayed with me, he would have had to kill

Parganas, is also a national-level volleyball player. Police said they have launched a manhunt for him, and raided several places including his house in this connection.

Aich’s relatives have al-

me first. And he may have too,” NDTV quoted Das as saying.

The assailant then allegedly brandished his bloodied weapon at bystanders and escaped from the spot.

Sinha, a resident of Shyamnagar in North 24-

leged that though Sinha threatened her on several occasions in the past, complaints made to the police were ignored. Her father, who runs a business in the area, was not in a condition to comment.

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A Kashmiri child torn between India and Pakistan, and between ‘parents’ Saloora (Ganderbal) A two-storeyed house in a quaint village in Kashmir’s Ganderbal district has become a local landmark ever since a middleaged son of the family, who had crossed over the LoC into Pakistan in 1990, returned with his four-year-old son and was arrested last Friday.

Ask anyone on the road about “Pakistan se bacha leke aaya hai…” and they will point out to you a green house.

Family members says Gulzar Ahmad Tantray (43) had returned to Kashmir from Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, with Iftikhar Ahmad (4) on Thursday and presented himself at the police station a day later.

According to the police, Ifthikhar had refused to leave his father and stay with his relatives, thus spending a few days in the prison cell until Tuesday, when the father was granted bail.

Repeated attempts by HT to

meet or speak over phone to Gulzar and Iftikhar went in vain and family members at their home in Saloora village in Ganderbal kept saying that

the father-son duo had gone to Srinagar with a relative to complete certain legal formalities and was not carrying a mobile phone with them.

A senior cop at Ganderbal whom Hindustan Times spoke to said that under Section 13 of the unlawful activities act and Section 2/3 of the ingress and internal movement control ordinance.

“He has been released on bail on Tuesday evening and investigations will continue,” he said. Gulzar’s father Mohd Maqbool Tantray, a 68-year-

old retired school master, told Hindustan Times that his son had not crossed over to join militants as written in several local media publications, but because he was hounded by militants on the suspicions of being an agent of the Indian intelligence.

“He had gone t o Muzaffarabad when he was a student of class 12 in 1990. We have heard he used to work as a medical representative there.

We did not ever communicate with him in these long 25-26 years,” said Tantray.

He added, “We all are now very happy. Our son has returned home after 26 years and my grandson is also back with him.”

Clash of narratives But Iftikhar’s story is not as simple as that. Because, on the one hand there is a happy Tantray family but on the other we have a prominent Pakistani activists raising severe doubts over Gulzar’s fatherhood.

Journalist held for ‘inflammatory’ WhatsApp message A newspaper journalist has been arrested after allegedly posting an “inflammatory” message on social media, police said Thursday.

Prabhat Singh had criticised police in a WhatsApp post about the situation in Bastar region of eastern Chhattisgarh state, where rights groups say journalists are facing official harassment from security forces.

D M Awasthi, director general of the Chhattisgarh police anti-Maoist operations, said Singh “was arrested on a complaint over an inflammatory post”.

“We have charged him under relevant sections,” he told AFP. Singh’s lawyer told AFP his client had been beaten in custody and denied food.

“The text messages were critical of police and of some ele-

Last year two journalists in the region were arrested under anti-terror laws over stories that allegedly supported Maoist rebels waging a longrunning insurgency against the government in Chhattisgarh.

ments close to the establishment,” Kshitij Dube added.

His arrest came a month after freelance journalist Malini Subramaniam said she was forced to flee the region after she was threatened and her house was attacked over her

critical coverage of the local police.

Subramanian had reported extensively on human rights violations and allegations of sexual violence by security forces in the Bastar region.

Bastar is one of the strongholds of Maoist rebels fighting the Indian government for land, jobs and other rights for millions of poor tribal groups spread across the country.

On Wednesday India’s National Human Rights Commission, a quasi-judicial body, asked authorities in Chhattisgarh to provide a report on Singh’s arrest and alleged torture.

The US based Committee to Protect Journalists (CJP) and Amnesty International have also urged the authorities to release Singh.

Amnesty said the authorities “must respect the crucial work of the media and human rights defenders and refrain from apparent attempts to silence them through arbitrary arrests and torture”.

India was ranked as the seventh most dangerous place for journalists in 2015, according to an International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) report.

‘World’s fastest Kiwi’ cycles nearly 6000 km-Indian highway network

New Delhi He had a close shave numerous times on the sprawling Indian roads but that did not deter ‘world’s fastest Kiwi’ Tim Chittock from completing his journey of the Indian Golden Quadrilateral on his bicycle.

Chittock, 24, set upon his cycling journey from New Zealand Embassy in New Delhi on February 27 to cycle close to 6,000 kilometres across Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Jaipur, Kanpur, Pune, Surat, Guntur, Vijayawada, and Visakhapatnam.

The cyclist, who hails from New Zealand and holds a Bachelors degree in Law and Economics from University of Waikato, pedalled about 250km a day and made the distance in 24 days.

Two years ago, he cycled the length of New Zealand and more recently the width of Australia.

Chittock says travelling on the Indian roads was a great experience

and at the same time challenging.

“The national highways are okay for cycling. However, the inner and link roads were challenging. I had a close shave at least three times.

Once I was almost mowed down by a truck and I narrowly escaped,” the cyclist told PTI. Chittock describes the people he met on the way as being always affectionate and curious to know about his journey.

“People will always come for a handshake. They would ask me questions like ‘Where are you from? Where you have to go?’ and what is the cost of your cycle,” he said, bursting into laughter.

Chittock is attempting to set a Guinness World Record for cycling the Indian Golden Quadrilateral.

He was contacted by Guinness and asked if he will give it a try.

Chittock has been pursuing his passion for cycling from a young age, pedalling around 80km on an average every day. He says he does not know if he has set a record.

Issue 660 (20)

Delhi’s monuments get a new

+(5,7$*( 6,7(6 72 *(7 1(: /,)( Putrid stench greets you at the very entrance of Roshanara Bagh. If you get past it holding your breath, the canal - once full of glittering fountains by which Roshanara spent hours - now overflows with filth. The ornate cement decorations on the inner walls of the canal have eroded and look sad. Inside the grand mausoleum itself, the red and green floral motifs overlooking the maiden’s grave, have become grey, and in fact invisible, with time.

For the uninitiated, princess Roshanara second daughter to Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and the beloved sister of notorious Aurangzeb - was a most powerful woman of her time. She spent her spinster years, history says, romancing every soldier of the Mughal Army, in this very garden. Her tomb was also laid here on death. Today, this landmark lies in abject neglect, serving as a house of miscreants and a garbage receiving plot for its busy Kamala Market (north Delhi) neighbourhood.

Roshanara, though, is not alone in this fate.

Many other poets, fakirs, ministers and nobility - who were instrumental in shaping India’s history - lie in obscurity in Delhi’s kunchas (bylanes) and galis. Razia Sultana, Abdul Qadir Bedil, Mubarak Shah, all await the attention of governmental agencies - the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Delhi Culture Department, DDA and the three municipal corporations of Delhi.

ASI has, in fact, taken a serious step towards executing its duties more efficaciously. Only this January, the ‘Delhi Circle’ of ASI has been bifurcated, and a ‘Mini Circle’ created.

Of all the cities - the heritage of which national agency ASI guards - only two, Leh and Hampi (Karnataka), have a ‘Mini Circle’.

It’s a recognition of the fact that Delhi has a huge corpus of heritage and architectural gems - 174 monuments are with ASI - which need individual care. “The new Mini Circle will concern districts: New Delhi (including the Lutyens’ Bungalow Zone area), Central, Northwest and North of the city. The original Delhi Circle will retain the three World Heritage Sites - Red Fort, Qutub Minar and Humayun’s Tomb - and South and Southeast districts,” an official said. How successful this move turns out, one will see in time. The Delhi Culture Department has been annually contracting at least 20 ‘smaller monuments’ to INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and cultural Heritage) for some time now. In the last installment, 16 historical structures spread across the city were ‘restored’. These include: A baoli (stepwell) at Dwarka Sector 12, Chaumachi Khan’s Tomb in Mehrauli, an Imambara on Qutub Road and the Southern Guard House near Kamla Nehru Ridge. The Municipal Corporations of Delhi -north, east and south - still struggle with their share of monuments. While a working list exists, it needs updating. The corporations have long complained of inadequate funds and manpower to take care of heritage.

Now, with their coffers having dried up further, spending on security and preservation of monuments is out of the question. A great example of how the DDA safeguards the heritage under its wings, is seen in the Mehrauli Archaeological Park (MAP). Tombs here are dens of cardplayers and criminals. Vandals scribble their heart out

without a care on graves. No signages or public amenities exist. When authorities are in absentia, the burgeoning population of Delhi swallows these historical built-icons whole. Mubarak Shah Sayyid’s tomb near South Extension I is a case in point. Fivestorey pigeonhole buildings have come up at arm’s length from the tomb. The narrowest lanes of Kotla Mubarakpur lead you to this smelly, dilapidated site. While the Coronation Memorial on Burari Road is well-

maintained as a park by the DDA, it hardly comes across as a historical site. Statues of Lord Willingdon (the 22nd Viceroy of India) and Lord Hardinge (Viceroy of India from 1911-1916) are unnamed. British emperor King George V’s statue is defaced and even the Coronation Pillar has ugly scribbling on it. Delhi retains only a third of the 3,000 monuments Maulvi Zafar Hasan recorded in 1916. Wonder how many will survive a decade or so from now.

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lease of life with ASI’s ‘Mini Circle’

,QGLD DYHUWV EHLQJ FOXEEHG DV 6RXWK $VLD Protests by Indians averted an attempt by certain Left-leaning academicians and scholars to dissolve India’s unique identity under a larger South Asian one in US school text books. The California Department of Education’s Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) rejected the academics’ suggestions at a public hearing of the matter on March 24.

The suggestion for changes was moved by a group comprising of well-known Leftist scholars like Lawrence Cohen, Thomas Hansen and Sheldon Pollock.

The protest began on fears that this was an attack on India’s Hindu heritage and its status of being one the most ancient world cultures.

“Congrats to Hindu activists for successfully

opposing and contesting the suggestion to replace ‘India’ by ‘South Asia’ in textbooks in the USA. The Leftist scholars’ bid to undermine India’s glorious identity was foiled

by young Hindu activists and Hindu Education Foundation in California, USA,” RSS spokesperson Manmohan Vaidya said.

“India has its own identity. It is very wrong to deprive India’s identity. Activists have rightly carried out a campaign and demonstrated against the move,” Vaidya added.

These academics, under the aegis of the South Asia Faculty Group, suggested several changes to the existing curriculum for the teaching of ‘History and Social Sciences’ of California Textbooks, including recommendations to substitute ‘South Asia’ for ‘Ancient India’ or ‘India’ in the chapters on Ancient India.

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BJP fields Sreesanth from Thiruvanthipuram for Kerala assembly elections

New Delhi The BJP, which declared list of 51 candidates, today has decided to field former pace bowler S Sreesanth from Thiruvanthipuram for upcomimg Kerala assembly elections.

The pacer has earlier said that he hailed from a family with leftist leanings, while his wife’s family supports the Bharatiya Janata Party. Sreesanth was banned for life by the Board of Control for Cricket in India after fixing allegations. He last played in the 2013 Indian Premier League. He was arrested on charge of

match-fixing and was lodged in Tihar Jail in Delhi.

In July 2015, a Patiala House court in Delhi exonerated him and two other players in the case, against which Delhi Police have gone in appeal.

While his parents are settled in Ernakulam in Kerala, he keeps shuttling between Bengaluru and Kochi.

Sreesanth has played 27 Tests (87 wickets), 53 ODIs (75) and 10 T20Is (seven wickets) and was part of two World Cup winning teams, in the 2007 World Twenty20 and the 2011 World Cup.

UK court rules deporting Indians for ‘cheating’ unlawful London A British court has ruled as unlawful the basis of the deportation of nearly 48,000 non-EU students most of them Indians in the past two years for allegedly fraudulently passing a mandatory English language test needed for visa purposes.

In a damning ruling this week, the Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) allowed an appeal by two students who were accused of cheating in the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) conducted by the US-based company ETS. It began in February 2014, when a sting operation by the BBC Panorama programme uncovered cheating, including the use of proxies to impersonate candidates in speaking and listening tests, and invigilators at a London centre providing correct answers. The Home Office reacted by claiming its own probe after the programme had revealed 46,000 invalid and questionable tests conducted

by ETS, and suspended the company.

Extrapolating fraud uncovered in one London centre by the programme, the Home Office revoked the sponsorship licence of 60 institutions and detained or removed thousands of non-EU students and mi-

tary of state has not discharged the legal burden of establishing that either appellant procured his certificate by dishonesty,” it said.

Senior Labour MP Keith Vaz called it a “devastating verdict” on the judgement:

ported.” He added: “The biggest disappointment was this was not briefed or highlighted to PM Narendra Modi during his (November) visit. I certainly hope that the students will be adequately compensated.

grants who had obtained the TOEIC certificate. The actions affected genuine students who had not cheated.

The tribunal ruled on March 23 that the Home Office had relied on “hearsay” in the case. “Apart from the limited hearsay evidence, there was no evidence from the protagonist in this saga, the ETS organisation…The secre-

“It is clear that there are many people who speak impeccable English, and who have broken no laws, who have been denied the right to live in the UK.” Harsev Bains of the Indian Workers Association told HT: “Seventy percent of the 48,000 affected were Indians. Due to their personal and national humiliation, many left of their own accord, the majority were de-

However, I would not be surprised if they choose not to come back to UK after the way they were disgracefully treated.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We are very disappointed by the decision and are awaiting a copy of the full determination to consider next steps, including an appeal. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”

Issue 660 (23)

29 March - 4 April 2016

Google Maps search for ‘sedition’ and ‘anti-national’ leads to JNU New Delhi If you type in the words ‘sedition’, ‘patriotism’ or ‘antinational’ on Google search, do not be surprised if you receive a map suggestion that leads you to Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi.

The glitch, noticed on Friday morning, irked students and faculty members at JNU. The JNU?students union (JNUSU)?said it would approach Google Map India to fix the search result.

“On the face of it, it looks offensive. We will contact Google authorities and find out why and how such a thing can happen. There would be some technical issues involved but we need to find out why is JNU being shown in the map for location search of anti-national,” Shehla Rashid Shora, vice-president, JNUSU,?told Hindustan Times.

“I don’t know how this thing works on internet. But it

should be corrected. JNU should contact Google and get it rectified,” said

there were some who found the whole thing comical. “It is laughable

sible,” said a PhD student.

With the flood of articles around the Kanhaiya

Anuradha Chenoy, dean School of International Studies. Most people however remained unaware of the search glitch.

Of those who are aware,

that the search engine is showing JNU in the location search for anti-national. The trolls are at work. But this should be removed as soon as pos-

Kumar case on the internet, keywords like JNU, anti-national and sedition have been associated to the university on the web. Google’s algo-

Soon, littering or peeing in public may invite a fine of Rs 5,000 New Delhi The Centre has directed states to start levying fines for littering, open defecation and public urination by April 30 as the NDA government’s

ment ministry has asked states to impose penalties in at least one ward in each city by April 30, all wards in 10-15 cities by the end of the year and all wards in all cities by September

flagship Swachh Bharat Mission has failed to have the desired effect in urban areas.

Littering or urinating in public places could invite penalties ranging between Rs 200 and Rs 5,000. In a communication to all chief secretaries, the urban develop-

30, 2018. The ministry has set a strict time frame for states to provide an adequate number of public toilets and ensure facilities for garbage collection.

States have been told to ensure there are public toilets, door-to-door garbage collection facilities and adequate dustbins at public

places in wards where the fines kick in.

Sanitation experts said fines should have been preceded by adequate sanitation facilities.

“Ideally, the government should have provided adequate sanitation facilities before imposing fines. But the problem of open defecation has become so pervasive in our cities that a beginning has to be made somewhere,” Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of public toilet chain Sulabh International, said.

According to norms set by the ministry’s central public health and environmental engineering organisation, there should be one toilet serving each kilometre stretch of road in cities and an equal number of facilities should cater to women and men.

The WHO has expressed its concern

over the debate around reduction in size of health hazard warnings on Bidi and smokeless tobacco products. Advocating larger pictorial warnings on tobacco products, Bekedam called for intensifying the drive

it seems like the cause of the problem is yet to be rectified.

And in the following month, users noticed that searching for “top 10 criminals” displayed Narendra Modi in the result. Google later apologised to the Prime Minister and displayed a disclaimer when you use the search term in question:” These results don’t reflect Google’s opinion or our beliefs; our algorithms automatically matched the query to web pages with these images.”

A spokesperson for the tech company said Google was aware of the issue and was working on resolving it.

Logically, it would be impossible for Google Maps to become smarter if most of its functioning weren’t automated. So, it ‘s understandable that these methods can result in erroneous assumptions that Google is finding difficult to eliminate.

Odd-even success: Kejriwal only Indian on Fortune’s leaders list New Delhi Arvind Kejriwal has been named among the world’s 50 greatest leaders by Fortune magazine with the Delhi Chief Minister being the sole Indian leader on the list topped by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

The 47-year-old Aam Aadmi Party chief is ranked 42nd on the Fortune’s third annual World’s 50 Greatest Leaders’ list that features men and women from across the globe from the fields of business, government, philanthropy and the arts who are “transforming the world and inspiring others to do the same.”

However, South Carolina’s Indian-American Governor Nikki Haley is also on the list at 17th while another Indian- American Resham Saujani is at the 20th spot.

India losing over Rs. 1 lakh cr due to tobacco related illness: WHO New Delhi World Health Organisation (WHO) representative to India Henk Bekedam, in a statement, said that the economy has been losing around Rs. 1,04, 500 crores every year because of the tobaccorelated diseases, which claim around 10 lakh lives annually.

rithms crawl websites to optimise search queries.

Thus, as more articles and text appear on the web comprising of the words JNU, sedition and anti-national, the algorithm throws up all related results when someone looks.

This isn’t the first time Google Maps has suffered such a glitch. In May 2015, search for racist slur “nigger house” directed one to the White House in Washington DC as a result. “Some inappropriate results are surfacing in Google Maps that should not be, and we apologise for any offence this may have caused. Our teams are working to fix this issue quickly,” Google was quick to clarify, but didn’t explain why the error happened. A year later,

to make people aware of the ill-effects of tobacco.

The Supreme Court is hearing several petitions on the size of health warnings on tobacco products. It has to be noted that India stands 136 among 198 countries ranked in a report on health warnings on cigarette packs.

Fortune credits Kejriwal for his efforts to curb pollution in New Delhi through the scheme of allowing vehicles of odd and even numbers on alternate days on the city’s roads.

“When Kejriwal unveiled a

blueprint to tackle the smog in New Delhi -called the world’s most polluted city by the World Health Organization many were sceptical. A key component: an ‘odd-even’ pilot project in which vehicles were allowed on the roads only on alternate days.

The uplifting result of the pilot this January: roads were less clogged, hourly particulate air pollution concentrations dropped by 13 per cent, and citizens could breathe deep,” Fortune said.

It said leadership is not “demagoguery, pandering, even populism” but is defined by people across the world “you’ve never heard of who are rallying followers to make life better in ways you never imagined.” “...the New Delhi ‘government official’ risking his

career to fight pollution; the Italian mayor welcoming Middle East migrants to his tiny town improving its economy and brightening their prospects,” the USbased magazine said in a reference to Kejriwal and Domenico Lucano, the Mayor of the Italian town of Riace, who was ranked 40th on the list.

“The leaders you’ll meet here, known and new, will lift your mood and upgrade your assessment of the world’s future.

Some may inspire you to join their followers. And those unheard-ofs, so seemingly ordinary, may even prompt you to rethink your own potential as an inspiring leader,” Fortune said. Bezos, who topped the list this year, has been on the list all three times, along with Pope Francis who comes in at the 4th position followed by Apple CEO Tim Cook. The list includes German Chancellor Angela Merkel (2), Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi at (3), US astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko (22), IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde (36), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Co-chair and CEO Melinda Gates and Susan Desmond-Hellmann (41), Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (48) and Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay (50).

Issue 660 (24)

29 March - 4 April 2016

This actionoriented week can bring promising results if you channel your energy into key goals and ambitions. The more willing you are to override your limitations, the more successful you can be. Tread with care on Tuesday, as a fiery combination could cause an argument or even a minor accident. This is one day when it pays to go slowly.

Feelings could be intense, yet you might keep them to yourself, which wouldn’t be such a good idea. The pressure could be explosive, especially on Tuesday, causing a bout of anger and frustration. To avoid this, it would be best to tackle issues as they arise and discuss them with those who need to know.

Not only will this help create a solution but can save you a lot of stress as well.

Your social life bubbles with excitement and opportunity. The more people you meet, the more your life opens up in interesting ways. It would be best to avoid cantankerous folks or those looking for trouble on Tuesday. Keep a low profile.

Mercury eases into Pisces and your career sector on Thursday, encouraging you to research your options, apply for jobs.

There’s plenty of activity in your career, kickstarting a new phase. If you’re looking for work, the presence of Mars encourages a proactive approach to getting what you want. Use creative solutions and try to stand out from the crowd and showcase your skills. Avoid impulsive moves on Tuesday, particularly when dealing with those in authority.

The desire for adventure continues to show up this week, spurring you to take up new challenges. An unexpected romantic opportunity could appear, disrupting your best-laid plans. Think very carefully about getting too involved, as it might not be in your best interests and could even have negative consequences.

Go easy regarding finances this week, as it could be all too easy to make the wrong moves.

Overspending or the unwise use of funds in general could leave you struggling at a later date. If you need to talk, discuss things with a professional adviser who can help set you on the right track. Tuesday is the day to watch out for splurging and melting your plastic.

Your relationships can be very direct and honest this week. An upbeat aspect on Monday could encourage you to melt the ice concerning someone you’ve admired for some time. You’ll need to be careful and sensitive to other people’s feelings on Tuesday. Even an innocent remark could cause a spat, leaving you hurt as a result.

There’s a pleasant focus on your romance sector, paving the way for some wonderful date nights. Use your leisure time to channel your creative skills, as doing so can be very therapeutic now.

You can make great strides this week where your job and career are concerned if you focus on one goal and work to achieve it.

The fun meter is set on high, with m a n y opportunities for leisure and pleasure providing thrills and spills. Romance can also be a heady subject, bringing passion and intensity your way. There’s little chance you’ll want to make a commitment, however, which is just as well. Avoid dangerous sports or activities on Tuesday, when it’s best to keep things low-key.

It’s “all systems go” at home, with a chance that the days ahead could be fun yet disruptive. Unexpected events will mean that your best-laid plans may fall by the wayside. Avoid frustration if possible, as that will only make things worse. If you’re feeling annoyed or edgy, channel your energy into exercise or a long walk. Doing so will be calming and therapeutic.

Communication is fast paced this week. You may be busy closing deals, discussing ideas, and generally interacting with others. There’s a lot to be gained from expanding your network and meeting new people, as the lucky breaks will come rolling in. It would be to your advantage to avoid arguments on Tuesday.

An upbeat aspect on Monday can be excellent for attending interviews and meetings with a view toward getting results. Your ability to project a confident demeanor can go a long way to helping you succeed. Avoid impulsive spending on Tuesday, as it will certainly do more harm than good. Channel your energy into exercise instead, which will leave you feeling calm and centered.

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29 March - 4 April 2016

Technology ‘Map My Meet’ will enable sending invites for social events Electronic invitations or e-invites may be the quickest and easiest way to invite friends or colleagues for a get together or business meeting; however, describing the driving directions to the venue to all recipients remains a task for the host.

Map My Meet provides a simple yet effective solution to the issue. It is an exclusive and revolutionary route navigation app that, as the name suggests, sends driving directions directly to guests mobile to help them easily find the venue.

The route navigation app is compatible with mobile phones and various other Android as well as iOS devices and provides users live routing from their current location to the meeting place.

With the intent to offer insight into the route navigation app, one of the senior executives at Map My Meet stated, “Finding an address

or location to attend an urgent meeting in an alien place, especially crowded metropolitan cities, usually gets tiring as well as time consuming.” “However, this is not the case with our exclusive route navigation app. We allow Android as well as iOS gadget users receive real-time driving instructions for better coordination and commutation to the place of meeting without any hassle,” he added.

The app also allows users to scroll through or locate various other places of interest, such as restaurants and pubs, located on the way and around the meeting area. Providing instant directions to the users, the radical route navigation app allows them to enjoy the food,

drinks and various other attractions of their liking without asking anyone for help or bothering others while heading towards the destination.

“We allow mobile phone or portable gadget users, based on the occasion or their individual requirements, to send the e-party invitation to friends, family and colleagues quickly and efficiently. Our route navigation app is one of the fastest ways to provide or receive driving directions,” while elaborating the Map My Meet app, the executive stated.

The unique and interactive invitation maker app is as simple and effective as it allows users to plan a party or gathering on the go. The users can also share their location on the same page as navigation and chat for perfect and easy coordination.

Flipkart, Snapdeal co-founders fight on Twitter over Alibaba’s India entry Founders of Indian e-commerce rivals Flipkart and Snapdeal took to Twitter to trade barbs at at each other’s companies over Chinese player Alibaba’s

gan Stanley just flush five billion worth market cap in Flipkart down the toilet.

Focus on your business, not commentary.”

Morgan Stanley slashed

entry into India. “Alibaba deciding to start operations directly shows how badly their Indian investments have done so far,” tweeted Flipkart co-founder Sachin Bansal on Friday evening in a reference to Alibaba’s participation in Snapdeal’s $500 million fundraising in 2015. Retorting to this, Snapdeal’s founder Kunal Bahl tweeted: “Didn’t Mor-

Flipkart’s shares value by 27 percent in February 2015, bringing down the etailer’s claimed valuation from $15.2 billion to $11 billion. Flipkart’s cofounders Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal were employees of Amazon founded in 1994 in the US

by Jeff Bezos, before they quit to set up Flipkart in 2007.

New world record set in 5G Facebook, Twitter compete for live TV rights wireless spectrum efficiency Social networking giant Facebook Inc and microblogging site Twitter Inc are competing to buy rights to stream conventional TV programming, the Reuters

senger Bot Store’ at F8 conference New Delhi Social networking giant Facebook would unveil a ‘Bot Store’ for its Messen-

quoted the New York Post.

“Our goal with live video is to work with our partners to move to a sustainable monetisation model quickly. We are not focused on acquiring the rights to conventional TV programs,” the Facebook said in a statement.

Facebook to unveil ‘Mes-

ger app at its upcoming F8 developer conference in April.

The ‘Bot Store’ may allow users to download a range of automated programs which they could interact with through Messenger, the independent reported.

A Messenger Bot Store would have far-reaching con-

sequences not only for entrepreneurs and investors, but also developers and designers, experts said.

“The rise of chat-based user interfaces will mark a fundamental shift that is going to change the types of applications that get developed and the style of service development,” said Sam Lessin, CEO of Fin Exploration company.

Facebook Messenger is an instant messaging service and software application which provides text and voicecommunication. Integrated with Facebook’s web-based Chat feature and built on the open MQTT protocol, Messenger lets Facebook users chat with friends both on mobile and on the main website.

A team of researchers has set a new world record in 5G wireless spectrum efficiency, achieving 1.59Gbit/s over a 20MHz radio channel. Engineers from the Universities of Bristol and Lund, working alongside National Instruments (NI), demonstrated how a massive antenna system can offer a 12-fold increase in spectrum efficiency compared with current 4G cellular technology. Multiple antenna technology, referred to as MIMO, is already used in many Wi-Fi routers and 4G cellular phone systems.

Normally this involves up to four antennas at a base station. Using a flexible prototyping platform from NI based on LabVIEW system design software and PXI hardware, the Bristol configuration implements Massive MIMO, where 128 antennas are deployed at the base station.

Bristol’s Massive MIMO system used for the demo operates at a carrier frequency of 3.5GHz and supports simultaneous wire-

less connectivity to up to 12 single antenna clients.

Each client shares a common 20MHz radio channel.

Complex digital signal processing algorithms unravel the individual data streams in the space domain seen by the antenna array.

The Massive MIMO dem-

said: “This activity reinforces our well established propagation and system modelling work by offering a new capability in model validation for Massive MIMO architectures. This is a truly exciting time for our PhD students and opens up further opportuni-

onstration was conducted in the atrium of Bristol’s Merchant Venturers Building and achieved an unprecedented bandwidth efficiency of 79.4bit/s/Hz. This equates to a sum rate throughput of 1.59Gbit/s in a 20MHz channel.

Professor Andrew Nix, Head of the CSN Group and Dean of Engineering,

ties for collaborative research with our national and international partners.”

Ove Edfors, Professor of Radio Systems at Lund University said: “We see massive MIMO as the most promising 5G technology and we have pushed it forward together with partners in Bristol and in our EU project MAMMOET.

Issue 660 (26)

29 March - 4 April 2016

MERKEL TOPS FORBES LIST OF POWERFUL WOMEN; CLINTON NO. 2 New York Forbes magazine ranked German Chancellor Angela Merkel the most powerful woman in the

they control or earn, and media presence.

“These power women exert influence in very different ways and to very

world for the second year in a row in the annual list dominated by politicians, businesswomen and media figures.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton placed second, followed by Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, making the top three spots unchanged from last year.

The list named women involved in policymaking, entertainment, technology and nonprofit organizations, among other fields. They were ranked according to influence, the amount of money

different ends, and all with very different impacts on the global community,” said Moira

ForbesWoman.

The magazine noted Merkel's resolve in preserving the European Union and her influence over the euro zone's ongoing debt crisis.

Clinton was applauded for her handling of crises such as the release of a trove of diplomatic cables by the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks.

Forbes cited Rousseff for her leadership of the world's eighth-largest economy and approval ratings within her country.

The average age of the 100 power brokers from 28 countries was 55.

They had a combined 90 million Twitter followers, Forbes said.

Also in the top five were

Forbes, president and publisher of

Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda

Gates Foundation and wife of Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates, and Jill Abramson, executive editor of the New York Times.

Sonia Gandhi, president of the Indian National Congress, followed at No. 6. U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama, who had topped the list in 2010, was No. 7.

The list featured newcomers such as actress and performer Jennifer Lopez and billionaire philanthropist and widow of Apple founder Steve Jobs, Laurene Powell Jobs.

Republican U.S. Representative of Minnesota and former White House hopeful Michele Bachmann was among 21 women who fell off the list this year.

Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, was No.

8. The former French cabinet minister has been on the list since it began in 2004.

“So many of these

influence... is only growing so it's not surprising that someone like Merkel or Clinton would continue to be

women are in policy or political roles, and their

present on the list year to year,” Forbes said.

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29 March - 4 April 2016

Syrian forces enter IS-held Palmyra; intense clashes with IS

Backed by Russian airstrikes, Syrian government forces today pushed into the ancient town of Palmyra that has been held by the Islamic State group since May, state TV reported, as an Iraqi military spokesman announced the start of a longawaited military operation to recapture the northern city of Mosul from IS militants.

The advance on Palmyra, a UNESCO world heritage site, came after the troops managed this week to capture several hills and high ground around the town, famed for its priceless archaeological site and Roman ruins. Syrian troops have been on the offensive for days in an attempt to capture the town.

The fall of Palmyra to IS militants

last year had raised concerns world over, and the destruction the extremists subsequently embarked upon sent shock waves through archaeological circles and beyond.

It was also a big blow to the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad whose forces pulled out with apparently little fighting.

Today, Syrian state TV broadcast footage of its reporter, embedded with the Syrian military, speaking live from the entrance of Palmyra and saying that as of midday, the fighting was concentrated near the archaeological site on the southwestern edge of the town.

Cracks of gunfire and explosions echoed as the reporter spoke.

The TV also aired footage

ISIS Releases Video Celebrating the Brussels Attacks

The Islamic State militant group (ISIS) released a new propaganda video on Thursday celebrating the operations conducted by its suicide bombers at a Brussels airport and metro station.

The nine-minute-long video, simply titled “Brussels Attacks,” was released by the pro-ISIS alBattar Media Foundation and shared by ISIS sympathizers on social media. It shows footage of the aftermath of the Brussels bombings, medical workers helping victims and soldiers guarding the streets of the Belgian capital, while flames engulf the footage. The video also features images of U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve.

The group claimed responsibility for the attacks through its semiofficial Amaq news agency on Tuesday before later doing so through its official channels on the encrypted messaging app Telegram. The attack came just four months after the group’s coordinated suicide bomb and shooting attacks in Paris, which left 130 people dead.

“The crusade jets including the

Belgian [sic] are still bombing the Muslims in Iraq and Levant in the day and the night, killing children, women, old, and destroying mosques and schools,” an Arabic speaker says.The footage also shows a picture of U.S. Republican candidate Donald Trump, using his recent comments in which he called Brussels a “disaster.” ISIS Media In English subtitles, placed over footage of jihadis firing automatic weapons and the sound of singing, the group translates the Arabic lyrics of the song, “Brothers rise up! Claim your victory! Haya! (Let’s go!) Let’s go for Jihad!”It uses a recent audio clip of Trump’s comments in response to the Brussels attacks: “Brussels was one of the great, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, 20 years ago.

It was amazing, actually, and safe. Now, it’s an absolute horror show.”

The footage also shows an unidentified newscaster saying: “That is the problem inherent with attacks like this, you can talk about increasing security but there is a limit to how far you want to go.”

showing soldiers walking and SUVs driving near a building that appears to have been a hotel..

An unnamed Syrian soldier told the station he had one message for the Islamic State group: “You will be crushed under the feet of the Syrian Arab Army.”

Recapturing the town would be a significant victory for Syria’s army and its Russian allies.

Russia withdrew most of its forces and aircraft from Syria last week after a months-long bombing campaign that succeeded in turning the tide of the war again in President Bashar Assad’s favour.

However, Turkey-based activist Osama al-Khatib, who is originally from Palmyra, denied that Syrian troops had entered the town. He said they were still on the edge of Palmyra and that the video seen on Syrian state TV shows the area about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Palmyra. Earlier in the day, Gov Talal Barazi told The Associated Press from the nearby city of Homs that the Syrian army has determined three directions to storm Palmyra and was clearing all roads leading into the town of mines and explosives.

‘Nightmare has just begun’: New IS video threatens more attacks

The Islamic State (IS) militant group released two videos warning that the “nightmare” of the Brussels terror attacks that killed over 30 people “had only just begun”, Belgian broadcaster RTBF reported on Saturday.

The videos were sent to Belgian newspaper Le Soir, showing two radical militants ordering western governments to withdraw their troops from Syria and Iraq.

“Tell them to withdraw their planes and soldiers and you will live in peace,” a speaker said in one of the videos.

“The nightmare has only just begun. What will come later will be even more appalling,” the video continued.

“Remember my message a year ago when it was announced that we would attack Paris and Brussels. We have achieved that and we have other targets,” the video added.

The city’s Zaventem airport was the first target on Tuesday, with two suicide bomb explosions in the departures hall killing 11 people. An hour later, 20 people died in the suicide bombing at the Maalbeek metro station located in central Brussels.

Murdoch’s ‘The Sun’ censured over story of UK Muslims’ IS support Britain’s press regulator on Saturday censured Rupert Murdoch’s The Sun tabloid for a “significantly misleading” story claiming one in five British Muslims sympathise with jihadi fighters.

The ruling on the front-page story from November comes amid heightened community tensions following the Brussels attacks this week claimed by the Islamic State group, which left 31 people dead.

The mass-selling daily claimed an exclusive poll revealed “1 in 5 Brit Muslims’ sympathy for jihadis”, and published a picture of Mohammed Emwazi, the British IS executioner known as Jihadi John, alongside the shock headline.The story generated more than 3,000 complaints to the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), most of them challenging the coverage on the grounds of accuracy.

A graph inside the paper clarified that 5% of those surveyed had a lot of sympathy, 14% had some sympathy and 71% had no sympathy with “young Muslims who leave the UK to join fighters in Syria”.

Complainants argued that the question did not specifically mention the Islamic State group, and could include those fighting against IS jihadis.

The Sun had denied that the wording of its poll was ambiguous, saying that previous questions in the telephone survey

had made explicit reference to the IS group. IPSO noted that the paper had provided various interpretations of the poll result inside but concluded that “the

coverage was significantly misleading”. The Sun published the adjudication on page 2 of the newspaper’s Saturday edition as required by the regulator.

162 individuals with links to ISIS arrested in Malaysia Maintaining high alert against terrorism, Malaysian police have arrested 162 individuals suspected of having links with the Islamic State militant group, the Home Ministry said on Thursday.

“The government is also in a midst of implementing the Advanced Passenger Screening System to screen tourists entering the country before they depart from their own country,” the ministry said in a written reply to parliament.“The Royal Malaysian Police managed to arrest 162 individuals in Malaysia suspected of involvement with Daesh (the Islamic State terror group), the Ministry said.Meanwhile, Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said Malaysia was on high alert

against terrorism. Asking the people not to panic, he said Malaysia had good surveillance systems in place, not just at

airports but also at ports and its railway stations.

“We take terrorist attacks very seriously and have improved all safety aspects,” he told reporters.According to Liow, extra scanners and closed circuit television¬cameras (CCTV) had been installed at the country’s international airports.

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29 March - 4 April 2016

Final edition of British paper The Independent goes to print Staff at The Independent sent their final edition to the printing presses on Friday before the 30year-old British newspaper becomes available only in digital format.

Journalists posted footage online

of the team “banging ourselves out” -- an old tradition of banging the desks to mark the departure of a colleague.

The newspaper’s final editorial said history would be the judge of its “bold transition” to online media, “as an example for other newspapers around the world to follow”.

“Today the presses have stopped, the ink is dry and the paper will soon crinkle no more,” it said.

“But as one chapter closes, another opens, and the spirit of The Independent will flourish still.”

The newspaper’s Russian-born British owner, Evgeny Lebedev, who announced the closure of the print edition last month, wrote that journalism had “changed

beyond recognition” and the newspaper “must change too”.

The Independent was set up by three former journalists in 1986 and became known for its eyecatching, campaigning front pages and emphasis on photos.

At the peak of its popularity , it had a circulation of more than 420,000, but this slumped to 40,000.

In an editorial, The Guardian paid tribute to a “really rather wonderful newspaper” that had suffered from dramatic changes to the advertising market, notably the shift in revenues to sites such as Facebook.

“Great newspapers which have survived for centuries find their business models challenged as never before. So no one will celebrate the end of the Independent in print,” it said.

Like The Guardian, The Independent was politically left of centre, and campaigned strongly against Britain’s involvement in the US-led war in Iraq in 2003.

Saturday’s final edition will include four special magazines looking back at its history, before it becomes the first daily national to close in Britain since 1995, when Today folded.

The weekly News of the World owned by US media tycoon Rupert Murdoch closed in 2011 in the wake of a series of phone hacking scandals, but was replaced by the Sun on Sunday, which is owned by the same group.

ESI Media, which controls The Independent, is also selling off the “i” -- a cut-price sister title launched in 2010 -- to Scotlandbased publisher Johnston Press.

The sale price is estimated at £25 million (32 million euros, $36 million), according to British media reports -- money which will be invested in the website.

Independent.co.uk currently has nearly 70 million monthly global unique users, while ESI Media has also launched a new subscription app offering a ‘virtual’ print edition.

Some staff will move to the “i” but ESI Media warned there would be some redundancies.

Many reporters tried to stay upbeat on the final day.

“Vain scramble for final-edition bylines begins,” regular contributor Simon Usborne tweeted earlier.

Parliamentary sketch writer Tom Peck added: “The whiskey’s out.

Nothing would amuse me more than a massive breaking news story right now.”

UK imam lauds Pak politico Taseer’s killer Qadri, courts controversy The imam of one of Britain’s biggest mosques has praised a religious extremist in Pakistan who was recently executed for murdering liberal politician Salman Taseer, triggering a controversy.

Imam Maulana Habib Ur Rehman

of the Glasgow Central Mosque the largest in Scotland - supported killer Mumtaz Qadri in a series of WhatsApp messages, the BBC reported on Friday.

Qadri, a former police commando, was hanged on February 29 after he gunned down Punjab governor Salman Taseer, who opposed Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws.

Qadri was working as a bodyguard for Taseer when he pulled out a gun and shot him 28 times in 2011 in broad daylight in an upmarket locality of

Islamabad.

Pakistan has some of the strictest blasphemy laws in the world, which can carry a potential death sentence for those judged to have insulted Islam.

The imam’s messages, seen by the BBC, detail how he was

“disturbed” to hear of Qadri’s death and gave him the religious blessing usually reserved for devout Muslims.

The imam said he was “disturbed” and “upset” before he wrote the messages, seeking God’s mercy be upon Qadri.

In another message, he wrote: “I cannot hide my pain today. A true Muslim was punished for doing which [sic] the collective will of the nation failed to carry out.”

Later, the imam claimed the messages were taken out of context and that he was

expressing his opposition to capital punishment in Pakistan.

He told the BBC: “The assassination of Salman Taseer is widely condemned.

“Whether I agree or disagree with the views he expressed, as an Imam and as a human being I express abhorrence at the manner in which he was executed.“The execution was not in accordance with Islamic teachings and principles.”

He said: “Mumtaz Qadri’s execution is condemned as it is not in accordance with due process nor is it in accordance with Islamic teachings and principles.

“Capital punishment on this particular occasion was inappropriate and any expressions of sympathy or compassion are extended in my capacity as a private individual and not in any professional or public capacity,” The Daily Record quoted him as saying.

Reacting to the imam’s remarks, lawyer and activist Aamer Anwar accused the religous leader, who condemned the Brussels bombings, of “rank hypocrisy”.

He told BBC Scotland many people within the community were scared the views would “filter down the Muslim community and radicalise our children”.

Students as young as 7 caught sexting by British teachers

More than 60% of school staff in Britain are aware of 13-16 year olds sharing sexual material online, and pupils as young as seven have been caught “sexting”, a study said Friday.

The report from teaching union, NASUWT union found that 63% of teachers were aware of 14year-olds sexting, while 45% said they knew of 13-year-olds sharing material of a sexual nature.

A small amount of teachers said seven-, eight-, and nine-yearolds were engaged in such behaviour, and a quarter of respondents said they were aware of 11-year-olds sexting.

Around half of all teachers said they knew of pupils using social media to send sexist and bullying messages to other students, and a similar number were aware of racist messages.

Half of them had suffered online abuse and negative comments, including false accusations of paedophilia.

Almost a third of teachers reported seeing online photos or videos of themselves taken without consent.

“Over the three years the NASUWT has been running this survey the situation has deteriorate,” said Chris Keates, general secretary of NASUWT. “Online abuse has a devastating impact on teachers’ and pupils’ lives and yet no serious action is taken by government to ensure that schools are responding appropriately to this abuse.

“The level of abuse that teachers are suffering at the hands of parents online is simply unacceptable.”

Examples of abuse included a fake Twitter account describing the teacher as a wife beater and parents threatening to “knock out” teachers.

The Department for Education stressed that teachers “have a right to feel safe” at work.

“We want to make sure young people are aware of the risks and dangers - including sending inappropriate images,” said the department.

“The law is also crystal clear that where teachers find indecent images of children they must report this to the police.

Beatles record sold for £77,500 at auction

An extremely rare Beatles record found languishing in a loft has sold for £77,500 at auction.

The 10-inch acetate of Till There Was You and Hello Little Girl from 1962 has been described as “a Holy Grail item”. It was the first Beatles disc to be cut before the band broke into the national charts and bears the writing of their manager Brian Epstein.

Omega Auctions said it was “nicely surprised” by the price paid by a Manchester man for the item. The disc lay forgotten in the home of Les Maguire - the keyboardist in fellow Liverpool act, Gerry and the Pacemakers.

The 78 RPM record - mislabelled

by Epstein as ‘Til There Was You and described as being the work of “Paul McCartney & The

Beatles” - was made at the HMV store in Oxford Street, London.

Hello Little Girl, on the other side, was again mislabelled as Hullo Little Girl and was described as being by “John Lennon & The Beatles”.

In a bid to secure the band a recording contract, it was presented to future Beatles producer George Martin - who died earlier in March - at the EMI record label. Maguire, 74, of Formby, Merseyside, was given the disc by Epstein in 1963, after it had been returned to him by Martin. The record was sold at the Warrington auction, having been locked away in Maguire’s loft - where it was kept wrapped in paper for more than 50 years.

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29 March - 4 April 2016

ISIS Trains 400 Fighters To Attack Europe In Wave Of Bloodshed Paris The ISIS group has trained at least 400 fighters to target Europe in deadly waves of attacks, deploying interlocking terror cells like the ones that struck Brussels and Paris with orders to choose the time, place and method for maximum carnage, The Associated Press has learned.

The network of agile and semiautonomous cells shows the reach of the extremist group in Europe even as it loses ground in Syria and Iraq. The officials, including European and Iraqi intelligence officials and a French lawmaker who follows the terrorist networks, described camps in Syria, Iraq and possibly the former Soviet bloc where attackers are trained to attack the West.

Before being killed in a police raid, the ringleader of the November 13 Paris attacks claimed to have entered Europe in a multinational group of 90 fighters, who scattered “more or less everywhere.”

But the biggest break yet in the Paris attacks investigation - the arrest on Friday of fugitive Salah Abdeslam- did not thwart the multipronged attack just four days later on the Belgian capital’s airport and metro that left 31 people dead and an estimated 270 wounded. Three suicide bombers also died.

Just as in Paris, Belgian authorities were searching for at least one fugitive in Tuesday’s attacks - this time for a man seen on security footage in the airport with the two suicide attackers.

The fear is that the man, whose identity Belgian officials say is not known, will find Abdeslam’s path instructive.

After fleeing Paris immediately after the November attacks,

Abdeslam forged a new network back in his childhood neighborhood of Molenbeek, long known as a haven for terrorists, and renewed plotting, according to Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders.

“Not only did he drop out of sight, but he did so to organize another attack, with accomplices everywhere. With suicide belts.

Two attacks organized just like in Paris. And his arrest, since they knew he was going to talk, it was a response: So what if he was arrested? ‘We’ll show you that it doesn’t change a thing,’“ said French Senator Nathalie Goulet, co-head of a commission tracking terrorist networks.

Estimates range from 400 to 600 ISIS fighters trained specifically for external attacks, according to the officials, including Goulet.

Some 5,000 Europeans have gone to Syria.

“The reality is that if we knew exactly how many there were, it wouldn’t be happening,” she said.

Two of the suicide bombers in Tuesday’s attacks, brothers Ibrahim and Khalid El Bakraoui, had no known extremist links until

an apartment one of them rented was traced to Abdeslam last week, according to Belgian state broadcaster RTBF. Similarly, an Algerian killed inside that apartment on March 15 had nothing but a petty theft record in Sweden - but he’d signed up as an Islamic State suicide bomber for the group in 2014 and returned to Europe as part of the November 13 plot.

In claiming responsibility, the ISIS group described a “secret cell of soldiers” dispatched to Brussels for the purpose. The shadowy cells were confirmed by Europol - the EU police agency which said in a late January report that intelligence officials believed the group had “developed an external action command trained for special forces-style attacks.”

French speakers with links to North Africa, France and Belgium appear to be leading the units and are responsible for developing attack strategies in Europe, said a European security official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about briefing material.

He is also familiar with

British Queen Elizabeth must apologise for executing Bhagat Singh: Pakistan activists Lahore Human rights activists in Pakistan said on Thursday that British Queen Elizabeth must apologise for executing freedom fighter Bhagat Singh in 1931 and pay blood money to his heirs .

Marking Bhagat Singh’s 85th death anniversary several events held on Wednesday in two

from here. People from different walks of life attended the ceremony and paid rich tributes to him for his struggle for freedom.

The second function was held at Shadman Chowk here where Bhagat was hanged along with his companions Raj Guru and Sukhdev on March 23, 1931 after being tried under charges of

different places in Pakistan’s Punjab province.The first ceremony was held at the birth place of Bhagat Singh - Chak 105GB, Banga Chak, Jaranwala, Faisalabad district - some 100 km

hatching a conspiracy against the regime.A resolution was adopted unanimously, demanding an apology from the British Queen (Queen Elizabeth II) for executing the freedom movement hero as

well as paying blood money to his heirs.

Bhagat Singh was initially jailed for life but later awarded death sentence in another “fabricated case”, they said.

A written message of Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale was also read out during the occasion.

Mr. Bambawale lauded the efforts of the Bhagat Singh Foundation for organising the event to keep his memories alive.

“We will submit this resolution to the British High Commission in Islamabad to be forwarded to the Queen,” rights activist Abdullah Malik told media on Thursday.

“We will agitate with the British government to tender apology for executing Bhagat Singh,” he said.Shadman’s event was held under strict security in the face of threats from extremists.

Since the Bhagat Singh Foundation has been demanding renaming the Shadman Chowk as ‘Bhagat Singh Chowk’ the Hurmat-e-Rasool, a sister organisation of Jamaat-u-Dawah, opposing it and suggesting to rename it as ‘Hurmat Chowk’.

interrogations of former fighters who have returned to Europe.

Some were jailed after leaving ISIS while others were kicked out of the terror group. The fighters include Muslims and Muslim converts from all across Europe.

Fighters in the units are trained in battleground strategies, explosives, surveillance techniques and counter surveillance, the security official said.

“The difference is that in 2014, some of these ISIS fighters were only being given a couple weeks of training,” he said. “Now the strategy has changed. Special units have been set up. The training is longer. And the objective appears to no longer be killing as many people as possible but rather to have as many terror operations as possible, so the enemy is forced to spend more money or more in manpower. It’s more about the rhythm of terror operations now.”

Similar methods had been developed by al Qaida but ISIS has taken it to a new level, he said. Another difference with these “external operation” units is that fighters are being trained to be their own operators - not necessarily to be beholden to specific orders from the ISIS stronghold in Raqqa, Syria or elsewhere.

In the case of Tuesday’s attacks, Abdeslam’s arrest may have been a trigger for a plot that was already far along.

“This was not put together as a response to the arrest. However the timing of what has happened over the last few days has maybe hurried up the planning and execution,” said Magnus Ranstorp, a Swedish security analyst. “I see the link to the

environments either in France or in Belgium. Whether they’re logistically linked ... they’re probably part of the same batch of extremists that have come out of Syria.”

Several security officials have said there is growing evidence to suggest the bulk of the training is taking place in Syria, Libya and elsewhere in North Africa.

“To pull off an attack of this sophistication, you need training, planning, materials and a landscape,” said Shiraz Maher, a senior research fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation in London.

Maher has conducted extensive interviews with foreign fighters.

The research center, based at Kings College in London, has one of the largest databases of fighters and their networks.

“Even if they worked flat out, the attackers in Brussels would have needed at least four days,” Maher said.

The question for many intelligence and security officials is now turning to just how many more fighters have been trained and are ready for more attacks.

A senior Iraqi intelligence official who was not authorized to speak publicly said people from the cell that carried out the Paris attacks are scattered across Germany, Britain, Italy, Denmark and Sweden.

Recently, a new group crossed in from Turkey, the official said.

The latest new name to surface this week, Najim Laachraoui, turned out to be a Brussels resident with a degree in mechanical engineering - the bombmaker who made the suicide vests used in the Paris attacks, according to French and Belgian officials.

India top source for nurses in Britain

New Delhi India was the source of the highest number of nurses recruited from non-EU countries into Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) between 2009 and 2015, latest figures show, amid concerns that some Indian health professionals face discrimination.

In a report released on Thursday, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) of the Home Office said nurses from India and the Philippines “tended to have better English skills and…this made them preferred candidates for recruitment”.

The British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin has expressed concern over alleged discrimination against some Indian and other non-EU health professionals in the NHS. Between 2009 and 2015, a total of 6,138 Indian nurses were recruited, accounting for 37% of the non-EU nurses employed by

NHS trusts. Others in the top five source countries are the Philippines, Nigeria, Nepal and Australia.

Placing much of the blame for current nursing shortages on the sector itself, MAC chairman David Metcalf said: “(There) is no good reason why the supply of nurses cannot be sourced domestically.

There seems to be an automatic presumption that non-EEA skilled migration provides the health and care sector with a ‘Get out of Jail Free’ card.” MAC had previously found that, on average, non-EU nurses were being paid £6,000 less than equivalent UK workers.

Faced with a shortage of nurses, Britain last October moved nursing to the “shortage occupation list”. Professions mentioned in the list are not subject to several restrictions applicable to professionals migrating under other visa categories.

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Earliest evidence of humans in Ireland Dublin A bear bone found in a cave may push back dates for the earliest human settlement of Ireland by 2,500 years. The bone shows clear signs of cut marks with stone tools, and has been radiocarbon dated to 12,500 years ago.

This places humans in Ireland in the Palaeolithic era; previously, the earliest evidence of people came from the Mesolithic, after 10,000 years ago. The brown bear bone had been stored in a cardboard box at the National Museum of Ireland for almost a century.

Since the 1970s, the oldest evidence of human occupation in Ireland has been the huntergatherer settlement of Mount Sandel on the banks of the River Bann, County Derry, which dates to 8,000 years ago. Antiquarians and scientists have been searching for an Irish Palaeolithic since the second half of the 19th Century.

Over this 150-year period,

occasional Palaeolithic tools have surfaced but in each case

have been dismissed as objects originating from Britain that had simply been carried along by ice sheets or other geological processes.

During the Palaeolithic, Ireland was already an island, cut off from the rest of northwest Europe, so nomadic huntergatherer groups would have arrived by boat. The brown bear

Saudi journalist jailed 5 yrs over tweets against Saudi kings

patella - or knee bone - dates to a time at the end of the Ice Age

when the climate was considerably colder. In addition to brown bears, humans would have come into contact with and possibly hunted - giant deer, red deer, reindeer, hare and wolves. The discovery was made

by Dr Marion Dowd, an archaeologist at IT Sligo; and Dr Ruth Carden, from the National Museum of Ireland.

‘Archaeologists have been searching for the Irish Palaeolithic since the 19th Century, and now, finally, the first piece of the jigsaw has been revealed. This find adds a new chapter to the human history of Ireland,’ said Dr Dowd.

The adult bear bone was one of thousands of bones originally discovered in Alice and Gwendoline Cave, County Clare, in 1903. The excavators

published a report on their investigations and noted that the bear bone had knife marks.

The bone has been stored in a collection at the National Museum of Ireland since the 1920s.

In 2010 and 2011, Dr Carden reanalysed and documented the museum’s animal bone collection. As a specialist in cave archaeology, Dr Dowd became interested in the bone from the butchered bear and the two scientists sought to carry out radiocarbon dating of the Chrono Centre at Queen’s University Belfast. ‘When a Palaeolithic date was returned, it came as quite a shock. Here we had evidence of someone butchering a brown bear carcass and cutting through the knee probably to extract the tendons,’ said Dr Dowd.

The examinations determined that the cut marks were made on fresh bone, confirming they were of the same date as the patella, and therefore that humans were in Ireland during the Palaeolithic period.

‘This made sense as the location of the marks spoke of someone trying to cut through the tough knee joint, perhaps someone who was inexperienced,’ explains Dr Dowd. ‘In their repeated attempts, they left seven marks on the bone surface. The implement used would probably have been something like a long flint blade.’

Swiss billionaire businesswoman has twins at 53

GENEVA Margarita Louis-Dreyfus, a Russian-born Swiss businesswoman who owns the French football club Olympique de Marseille, has given birth to twin girls at the age of 53, her spokeswoman said on Monday.

‘The mother and babies are doing well,’ the spokeswoman said in an email to AFP, confirming press reports at the weekend. Louis-Dreyfus, who will be 54 in June, inherited the group Louis-Dreyfus Commodities, a 160-year-old giant in the world commodities business, after her husband Robert Louis-Dreyfus died in 2009. They had three boys including twins.

The father of the girls is Swiss banker Philipp Hildebrand, 52, who was head of the Swiss central bank until he resigned in a storm involving alleged insider trading on the currency markets involving his former wife. He has since become a vice chairman of the US financial group BlackRock.

‘Macho’ men more likely to die young

London Amnesty International on Friday said a Saudi journalist was sentenced to five years in prison over tweets deemed insulting to the kingdom’s rulers.

Alaa Brinji, who has reportedly already served two years behind bars, was on?Thursday found guilty of a list of charges including “insulting the rulers (and) inciting public opinion,” the rights group said in a statement.

Brinji was also convicted of “accusing security officers of killing protesters” in the Shia town of Awamiya in Saudi’s restive Eastern Province, it added.The group said the journalist had been tried in a “notorious” counter-terrorism court that also found Brinji guilty of “ridiculing Islamic religious figures”.In addition to the jail term, Brinji has been slapped with a fine of 50,000 riyals ($13,333) and an eight-year travel ban, it said, pointing out that he has been in detention since May 2014, including an initial period of incommunicado solitary

confinement.

Amnesty’s regional deputy head James Lynch slammed Brinji’s sentence as “utterly shameful”.

“He is the latest victim of Saudi Arabia’s ruthless crackdown on peaceful dissent, where the aim appears to be to completely wipe out any and all voices of criticism,” he said.

“Putting someone behind bars for peacefully exercising his legitimate right to freedom of expression, and defending the rights of others to do so, is a complete distortion of the very notion of justice.

“The authorities must ensure his conviction is quashed and release him immediately and u n c o n d i t i o n a l l y, ” Ly n c h added, insisting that Saudi Arabia “must be held accountable for its gross and systematic violations of human rights.”

Amnesty said Brinji worked for Saudi newspapers Al-Bilad, Okaz and Al-Sharq.

Awamiya, a town of about 30,000 in Eastern Province, has been the scene of repeated incidents since 2011.

London They may pride themselves on their large muscles or burly build. But so-called ‘macho’ men often lag behind in the health stakes and are more likely to die young, new research warns. Not only do many think going to the doctor is for ‘wimps’, they also try to brave out the symptoms of an illness, the study claims. In fact this ‘stiff upper lip’ could be a major factor in why men die earlier than women throughout the world, it added. Diana Sanchez, professor of psychology at Rutgers University, said: ‘The question we wanted to answer was, why do men die earlier than women? They may pride themselves on their large muscles or burly build. But socalled ‘macho’ men often lag behind in the health stakes and are more likely to die young, new research warns.

Not only do many think going to the doctor is for ‘wimps’, they also try to brave out the symptoms of an illness, the study claims. In fact this ‘stiff upper lip’ could be a major factor in why men die earlier than women throughout the world, it added.Diana Sanchez, professor of psychology at Rutgers University, said: ‘The question we wanted to answer was, why do men die earlier than women? In a series of interviews with men and women

they found men were less likely to go to a doctor.

They also chose male doctors because they thought they were more competent than female

The study concluded: ‘Men have a cultural script that tells them they should be brave, self-reliant and tough. ‘Women don’t have that script, so there

doctors. Yet when they go to see a male GP, it was found they were less likely to be honest with them about their problem. A psychological questionnaire among the men taking part in the study looked at their own feelings about masculinity. It found those who were the most macho were least likely to seek medical advice.

These men also felt they should be ‘tough, brave, self reliant and restrained’ about potential medical problems,’ according to the study. ‘That’s because they don’t want to show weakness or dependence to another man, including a male doctor’ Professor Sanchez said.

isn’t any cultural message telling them that, to be real women, they should not make too much of illnesses and symptoms.’ From blood in the urine to ‘man boobs’, there are a host of signs that things aren’t quite right in the male body. And sometimes seemingly everyday symptoms can be a sign of a more serious disease. For example, heavy drinking may be a sign of depression, while problems performing in the bedroom is an early indicator of heart disease. Here, experts reveal to MailOnline the nine health symptoms men should never ignore.

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10,000 rabbits shot in New Zealand Easter hunt

SYDNEY Hunting for chocolate eggs is popular Easter event, but in New Zealand it was bunnies in the firing line at an annual rabbitshooting event in one district where they are regarded as pests.

Ten thousand rabbits were shot by more than 300 hunters in 27 teams during the 24-hour “bunny hunt”, which began on Good Friday. Among the hunters were a few ferrets, according to organiser Eugene Ferreira.

Ferriera, 49, president of the Alexandra Lions Club, said the event had been running annually for 25 years in the Central Otago district, and was organised after rabbits - an introduced species developed immunity to poison.

“It’s a big fun event - hunters are out and awake all night,” he said.

Ferreira said the rabbits were a “very, very big problem” for farmers because they cause erosion and eat crops, particularly carrots and cauliflower. In previous years

animal rights activists have protested against the hunt, but Ferriera said none came this year.

However, Hans Kriek, executive director of animal rights organisation SAFE, told Reuters his group was “dead opposed” to the hunt. “It’s inhumane,” he said.

“It’s a bunch of amateurs just going out for a bit of a thrill kill.”

Culls, when necessary, ought to be done by professional marksmen, he said.Ferriera said animal activists did not understand the scale of the rabbit problem in the area. “People see them as a pet to keep at home until they come here and realise for themselves what we’re dealing with,” he said. Ferriera said the weather was “perfect,” this Easter: temperate at night, when most of the shooting happens by torchlight, and sunny during the days. This year, the winning team, “Down South”, shot 889 rabbits, beating “Hopper Stoppers” with 755.

New Zealand rejects flag change, stays with Union Jack New Zealanders voted convincingly against a proposal to ditch Britain’s Union Jack from the national flag and adopt a silver fern design, official referendum results showed today.

The country’s electoral commission said 56.61% of voters backed the existing flag, while 43.16% favoured a change.

The results are preliminary but the size of the margin means they are unlikely to change when the final tally is released next Wednesday.

The outcome will likely be viewed as a defeat for Prime Minister John Key, the main advocate for change, who described the existing banner as a colonial relic from the days of British rule.

“New Zealand has voted to retain our current flag. I encourage all NZers to use it, embrace it and, more importantly, be proud of it,” he tweeted.

Deputy Prime Minister Bill English said some would be disappointed with the outcome but the government had staged a robust democratic process that had given people a choice.

The referendum was the culmination of an often-heated 18-month debate which touched on issues of national identity in the South Pacific nation of 4.5 million people.

On one side of the ballot was the existing flag, a dark blue ensign with the Union Jack in the top left corner and four red stars representing the Southern Cross

Why do humans have large pointy noses?

Sydney It was a key moment that allowed our species to spread around the world from humble beginnings in Africa. But the migration of our ancestors from the African continent around

50,000 years ago was not helped by the evolution of our noses. In fact, our protruding noses formed as a result of other changes in our face and did not help us adapt to new climates as was previously thought, new research suggests. It was a key moment that allowed our species to spread around the world from humble beginnings in Africa. But the migration of our ancestors from the African continent around 50,000 years ago was not helped

by the evolution of our noses. In fact, our protruding noses formed as a result of other changes in our face and did not help us adapt to new climates as was previously thought, new research suggests. The study found that

in humans inhaled air is conditioned poorly in the nasal cavity in comparison with primates. Unlike our ancestors, the genus Homo, other hominins like australopithecines had flat nasal features and faculties that improved air conditioning.

This means our ancestors were not the most well-equipped when they ventured out of Africa.

‘The air-conditioning faculty in the nasal passages was probably impaired in early Homo

members,’ continued the researchers. ‘Although they have survived successfully under the fluctuating climate of the PlioPleistocene, and then they moved out of Africa to explore the more severe climates of Eurasia.’

The Plio-Pleistocene period began around 5 million years ago and lasted until 12,000 years ago. Insufficient conditioning can damage the tissues in the respiratory system and impair respiratory performance, undermining health and increasing the likelihood of death.

But the recent findings suggest the protruding nose had little effect on air conditioning, so the nasal anatomy of our ancestors was not very sensitive to the conditions in the atmosphere.

Instead, the researchers said, our protruding noses formed as a result of other changes in our faces and were not formed in response to a changing environment. ‘Even though the inhaled air is not adjusted well within the nasal cavity in humans, it can be fully conditioned subsequently in the pharyngeal cavity, which is lengthened in flat-faced Homo,’ the paper says.

constellation.

On the other was the proposed alternative -- a silver fern on a black-and-blue background, which retains the four stars.

Created by designer Kyle

previous generations who fought and died under the banner.

“We are delighted, but not surprised,” it said after the result was announced.

Others criticised the new

Lockwood, it beat four other proposed flags in a preliminary referendum last December.

Key called the existing flag a colonial throwback, saying the silver fern used by the All Blacks “screams New Zealand” in the same way the maple leaf identifies Canadians.

He described the vote as a oncein-a-generation chance to update the flag after more than a century.

However, veterans’ group the Returned and Services Association argued that to change the flag disrespected

design’s aesthetics, with “Jurassic Park” actor Sam Neill saying: “This ugly beach towel is no alternative. It’s hideous.”

But there were high-profile advocates for change, including ex-All Black skipper Richie McCaw, who said the existing flag was too similar to Australia’s.

“The silver fern has always been the special symbol on the All Black jersey... so the new flag with a silver fern as a part of it would be a great option,” he posted on Facebook earlier this month.

Scan of Shakespeare’s grave confirms skull missing LONDON Shakespeare’s skull is likely missing from his grave, an archaeologist has concluded, confirming rumours which have swirled for years about graverobbers and adding to the mystery surrounding the Bard’s remains. Four hundred years after his death and burial at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Stratford-upon-Avon, central England, researchers were allowed to scan the grave of England’s greatest playwright with ground-penetrating radar.

But in the area under the church floor where the Bard’s skull was expected to be, they found signs of interference. “We have Shakespeare’s burial with an odd disturbance at the head end and we have a story that suggests that at some point in history someone’s come in and taken the skull of Shakespeare,” said archaeologist Kevin Colls from Staffordshire University.

“It’s very very convincing to me that his skull isn’t at Holy Trinity at all.” The findings deepen the mystery around Shakespeare’s last resting place. The grave does not bear his name, merely this warning rhyme: “Good friend, for Jesus’ sake forbear, to dig the dust enclosed here.

Blessed be the man that spares these stones, And cursed be he that moves my bones.” In their quest to find Shakespeare’s skull, Colls’s team also investigated a long-standing tale that it was hidden in a sealed crypt in another church 15 miles

(24 km) across the English countryside in Worcestershire.

But analysis of that skull showed it to be that of a woman who had been in her 70s when she died.

The story of Shakespeare’s missing skull appeared in The Argosy magazine in 1879, which blamed the removal on trophy

hunters from the previous century when grave-robbing was common. Skulls were worth collecting because genius, thought some at that time, would be evident in the remains of a man like Shakespeare, whose character Hamlet famously holds a skull while musing on death. The scan of the grave where Shakespeare’s remains rest next to those of his wife Anne Hathaway was conducted in a non-intrusive way, said the team, who will present the results in a Channel 4 television documentary due to air in Britain on Saturday. “There are so many contradictory myths and legends about the tomb of the Bard,” said Colls in a statement. “These results will undoubtedly spark discussion, scholarly debate and controversial theories for years to come. Even now, thinking of the findings sends shivers down my spine.”

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62% Russians agree Stalin was ‘brutal’ but 57% say he was ‘wise’

More than half of Russians believe the Soviet dictator Stalin was a wise leader, a new poll by Levada independent polling centre showed Friday.

Levada found 57% of Russians said they entirely or generally agreed that Stalin was a “wise leader who made the USSR powerful and prosperous.”

Levada said the figure was at a “maximum level” for its polls, up 10% on four years ago.

The pollsters also found that 71% of Russians agreed that “whatever mistakes or sins are attributed to Stalin, the most important thing is that he led our people to victory in World War II.” That figure was up 11% on 2012, with Levada linking increased levels of positive feeling about Stalin’s role in World War II to Russia’s current involvement in armed conflict.

“In our view, negativity towards (Stalin) falls in periods of armed conflicts with Russia’s involvement when historical memory about ‘enemies’, victory and defence becomes more vivid,” Levada researchers

said in the analysis of the poll.

It cited 2008-2009 when Russia was in conflict with Georgia and “the events in eastern Ukraine,” despite Russia’s official denial that it is fighting with separatists in Ukraine.

Asked whether they agreed with the view that Stalin was a “brutal tyrant” who killed millions, 62% said yes, while 23% disagreed.

The figures had changed slightly since 2008, from 68 and 19%, respectively.

The seeming contradiction reflects the contradictory government policy on Stalin and his legacy, said Yan Rachinsky, one of the founders of Memorial rights group which has chronicled the purges and works to commemorate their victims.

“On the one hand, the authorities are memorialising the victims of repressions, on the other hand they erect Stalin monuments,” Rachinsky told AFP.The poll questioned 1,600 people and was carried out between March 11 and 14 in 48 different regions in Russia.

Korean-American arrested in N Korea says was spying for South

A Korean American detained in North Korea admitted to attempting to steal military secrets as he was paraded in front of media groups in Pyongyang on Friday.Kim DongChul, 62, who became a naturalised US citizen in 1987 and was arrested on espionage charges in October last year, pleaded for mercy during his carefully orchestrated confession, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported.His detention first came to public attention when he was produced in January during an interview CNN was conducting with a detained Canadian pastor in a Pyongyang hotel.At that time, Kim said he had been living in China near the

North Korean border for the past 15 years, commuting regularly to Rason -- a North Korean special economic zone.

On Friday, Kim said he had first been detained in Rason after receiving a USB stick containing nuclear-linked and military secrets from his source.

According to China’s official Xinhua news agency, he also admitted to having been in contact since 2011 with South Korean intelligence who had funded his espionage activities.

Foreigners detained in North Korea are often required to make a public, usually officiallyscripted acknowledgement of wrongdoing as a first step towards a possible release.

Social media can lead to mental health timebomb Young adults are struggling with social media addiction far more than previously thought, researchers have warned.

The more time young adults use social media, the more likely they are to be depressed, according to new research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. They say social media sites could be fueling ‘Internet addiction,’ a proposed psychiatric condition closely associated with depression. The findings could guide clinical and public health interventions to tackle depression, forecast to become the leading cause of disability in high-income countries by 2030.

‘Because social media has become such an integrated component of human interaction, it is important for clinicians interacting with young adults to recognize the balance to be struck in encouraging potential positive use, while redirecting from problematic use,’ said Brian Primack, director of Pitt’s Center for Research on Media, Technology and Health.‘It may be that people who already are depressed are turning to social media to fill a void,’ said lead author Lui yi Lin of the University of Pittsburgh.

Ms. Lin said exposure to social media also may cause depression, which could then in turn fuel more use of social media. She warned exposure to highly idealised representations of peers on social media elicits feelings of envy and the distorted belief that others lead happier, more

successful lives. The research also found engaging in activities of little meaning on social media may give a feeling of ‘time wasted’ that negatively influences mood. It could be

fueling ‘Internet addiction,’ a proposed psychiatric condition closely associated with depression. Spending more time on social media may increase the risk of exposure to cyberbullying or other similar negative interactions, which can cause feelings of depression, she said.

The research, funded by the National Institutes of Health, is published online and scheduled for the April 1 issue of the journal Depression and Anxiety. It is the first large, nationally representative study to examine associations between use of a broad range of social media outlets and depression.

Previous studies on the subject have yielded mixed results, been limited by small or localized samples, and focused primarily on one specific social media platform, rather than the broad range often used by young adults. In 2014, Dr. Primack and

his colleagues sampled 1,787 US adults ages 19 through 32, using questionnaires to determine social media use and an established depression assessment tool.

The questionnaires asked about the 11 most popular social media platforms at the time: Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google Plus, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, Tumblr, Pinterest, Vine and LinkedIn. On average the participants used social media a total of 61 minutes per day and visited various social media accounts 30 times per week.

More than a quarter of the participants were classified as having ‘high’ indicators of depression.

There were significant and linear associations between social media use and depression whether social media use was measured in terms of total time spent or frequency of visits. For example, compared with those who checked least frequently, participants who reported most frequently checking social media throughout the week had 2.7 times the likelihood of depression.Similarly, compared to peers who spent less time on social media, participants who spent the most total time on social media throughout the day had 1.7 times the risk of depression. The researchers controlled for other factors that may contribute to depression including age, sex, race, ethnicity, relationship status, living situation, household income and education level.

Beijing allows remarried couples to have more children In a bid to increase Beijing’s population, the Chinese capital city has passed a new family planning rule allowing remarried couples to have more children besides granting 128 maternity leaves for mothers and 15-day holiday for fathers.As per a new regulation passed by the local legislature, remarried couples who had one child before remarriage and then gave birth to a child after getting remarried are allowed to have a second child together.Moreover, if remarried people have two children or more before marriage and have had no child since remarrying, they can also give birth to a child together, official media reported.Previously, the one-child policy Beijing only allowed remarried couples with one child from both previous and current marriages to give birth to another child.Since the beginning of this year China scrapped three-decade-old onechild policy and allowed couples to have second child to avert demographic crisis following sharp increase in people above 60 years.“The policy should be supported, as it will benefit a lot of remarried couples in Beijing to have another child. However,

it will not be promoted across the country, as different cities have different situations,” Huang Wenzheng, a demographics expert and former assistant professor at Harvard University,

was married previously.” “Why can I not have two children with my husband like other couples?” she asked. Han gave birth to a daughter in 2013, and under the previous family planning

was quoted as saying by the Global Times.Unlike Beijing, the local government in Nanjing, East China’s Jiangsu Province stipulated four scenarios in which remarried couples will be allowed to have another child, including when the partner that is an only child has no offspring and his or her spouse already has two children.Han Zhiyun, a 31-yearold woman who married a Beijing man who had previously fathered twins, said that, “I still feel that the policy discriminates against people like me, who married for the first time with someone who

regulation, she could not get a Beijing household registration for her baby. The new regulation also provides a 15-day paternity leave for husbands during their wives’ pregnancy and extends female workers’ maternity leave to 7 months.Current national regulations allow women only 98 days of maternity leave.

Some additional rules like stipulating that women are only allowed to give birth to a second child if they are aged 28 or older or if it has been at least four years since the birth of their first child have been scrapped.

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After 27 years, Nobel panel finally condemns Rushdie death threat The Swedish Academy, which selects the winners of the Nobel Prize in literature, has condemned an Iranian death

warrant against British writer Salman Rushdie, 27 years after it was pronounced.

Two members quit the academy in 1989 after it refused to condemn Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini’s fatwa, or religious edict, against Rushdie for allegedly blaspheming Islam in his book “The Satanic Verses.”

Citing its code against political involvement, the academy issued a statement defending free expression but without explicitly supporting Rushdie.

However, in a statement posted on its website Thursday, the academy for the first time denounced the fatwa and reward

money for Rushdie’s death as “flagrant breaches of international law.”

It didn’t specify what prompted

its change of heart, but cited state-run Iranian media outlets’ recent decision to raise the bounty by $600,000.

“The fact that the death sentence has been passed as punishment for a work of literature also implies a serious violation of free speech,” the academy said, adding that literature must be free from political control.

Rushdie responded on Twitter, saying “I would like to thank the Swedish Academy. I am extremely grateful for its statement.”

Asked what prompted the academy to revisit the issue, acting secretary Tomas Riad

referred to the normalization process between Iran and the West and the increase of the bounty.

“The issue came up in the academy and we decided to do it (issue a statement),” Riad said. “It wasn’t a controversial decision.”

He called Rushdie, 68, a “symbol of the freedom of expression, albeit an involuntary one.”

The death decree forced Rushdie into hiding for years. India, Pakistan, Iran and several other countries banned “The Satanic Verses.” Later, Iran severed diplomatic ties with Britain, accusing the British government of supporting Rushdie.

Besides “Satanic Verses,” Rushdie’s novels include “The Moor’s Last Sigh” and “Midnight’s Children,” a Booker Prize winner and one of the most highly praised books of the past quarter century.

Kerstin Ekman, one of the members who resigned from the academy in 1989, welcomed the move.“It took a few years but here it is. I think it is very good,” Ekman told Swedish public radio. She said she doesn’t plan to return to the academy, whose appointments are for life.

81 Pakistanis denied entry into Russia over financial deficit

Russian authorities denied entry to 81 Pakistanis yesterday on suspicion of visa rules violations and also due to lack of finances to stay in Moscow.

According to Dawn, this was the second group of Pakistanis to have been disallowed entry to Russia in as many days and the deportation of the two groups has sparked a mini diplomatic row with the Pakistan embassy in Moscow lodging a protest with the Russian foreign ministry.

A group of 84 Pakistanis businessmen had reached Moscow on Wednesday night for purportedly attending an exhibition, but were detained at the Domodedovo Airport by

Migration Service of the Russian Federation on suspicion of ‘visa rules violations’.

Russian media stated that the group didn’t have enough money to stay in country and had been denied entry for not having enough funds to support their stay in Russia.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that while authorities were working to resolve the issue witht eh Pakistani nationals, the preliminary information indicated that their documents did not match the purpose of their visit to Russia. Earlier on Wednesday, another group of 48 Pakistani passengers was deported from Vnukovo Airport to Islamabad via Istanbul.

Chinese media praise Moon’s ‘wandering poles’ shifted long ago hacker for spying on US Spying on the US is a service to China, state-run media said on Wednesday, while singing the praises of a man who confessed to hacking American defence contractors on Beijing’s behalf.

Chinese national Su Bin, 50, pleaded guilty to stealing trade secrets from the companies, including plans for transport planes and fighter jets.

In a plea agreement filed on Wednesday, he admitted to conspiring with two unnamed persons in China to try to acquire plans for F-22 and F-35 fighter jets and C-17 transport aircraft.

Boeing, the American air plane manufacturer, was among the companies hacked.

If he had done so, “we are willing to show our gratitude and respect for his service to our country”, said an editorial in the Global Times, a nationalistic newspaper with close ties to the ruling Communist Party.

“On the secret battlefield without gunpowder, China needs special agents to gather secrets from the

US,” it added. But it also questioned whether the plea agreement reflected the truth of the matter, saying that while the US has arrested “quite a few ‘Chinese spies’... most of them proved to be innocent”. “As the ‘war of information’ between China and the US continues”, it said, “there will probably be more Chinese framed as spies.” Asked about the case, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said that Beijing “firmly opposes and does not support any cyberhacking activities”.

Washington and Beijing have repeatedly clashed over what the US describe s a s r a m p a n t cyberspying by the Chinese government on US industry.

Last year, the US indicted five Chinese military officers on charges of cyberspying.

In the 1990s, TaiwaneseAmerican Wen Ho Lee was accused of spying for the Chinese government, but eventually pleaded guilty to only one minor charge in an embarrassing debacle that ended in an apology from then US President Bill Clinton.

Chinese-born US citizen Chi Mak was jailed for 24 years in 2008 for conspiring to smuggle sensitive US submarine technology to China.

Telltale patches of water ice on opposite ends of the Moon reveal that Earth’s orbiting companion once spun on a different axis, according to a study released Wednesday.The six-degree tilt, which happened several billion years ago, was likely caused by an ancient volcanic formation on the near side of the Moon, said the study, published in Nature.

The data underlying this startling discovery has been in plain view for nearly two decades, but scientists had failed to connect the dots, one of the researchers told AFP.“It was kind of hidden because of the way we plotted polar maps,” explained coauthor James Keane, a researcher at the University of A r i z o n a . Tw o - d i m e n s i o n a l representations create a subtle distortion, obscuring the fact that observed concentrations of ice near each pole were exactly 180 degrees apart - and thus on an axis running through the dead centre of the Moon.“That is my pet hypothesis about why nobody thought about this before,” Keane said.The man who finally put the top-andbottom pieces of the lunar puzzle together was co-author Rich Miller of the University of Alabama.Having located the largest concentrations of water ice near the current north and south poles by detecting hydrogen molecules - the “H” in “H2O” - he rotated a 3-D model to see how they would line up.

“He found a Sigma-8 correlation,” which means that the odds of it being a coincidence were about

one-in-a-million, said Keane.

That there was any ice at all after three billion years is due to the fact that the Moon spins on a rotation at a right angle with the Sun, which means its poles are in constant shadow.

there might have been an anomaly - a disturbance to the Moon’s mass - that could have caused this,” he said.

And that, he continued, led to another “eureka” moment.

The calculations immediately

Indeed, the lunar poles are among the coldest regions in the Solar System - chillier, even, than the atmosphere around distant Pluto.Even after the axis tilted, the Sun couldn’t reach the frozen H2O, which remains trapped at the bottom of polar craters or hidden behind mountains.If the Moon’s axis had shifted a few degree more, however, the ice would have evaporated under the Sun’s intense radiation.

After the team led by Matt Siegler of the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona uncovered the Moon’s “polar wander,” as scientists call it, a key question remained: why?

That’s where Keane’s expertise - planetary rotation - came in.

“I did an analysis to see where

pointed to a well-known volcanic formation on the near-side of the Moon called the Procellarum KREEP Terrane, or PKT for short.

Ian Garrick-Bethell, a planetary scientist at the University of California in Santa Cruz, said this was a “plausible mechanism” for explaining the lunar tilt.“Planets can change their orientation if their internal mass distribution changes,” he said in a commentary, also published in Nature.“Pockets of dense material tend to be close to the equator to minimise the planet’s spin energy. “ In the case of the PKT - the Moon’s most radioactive and volcanic region - the heat it generated made it less dense, creating an imbalance.

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Japan loses track of pricey Chinese teen gives birth during black hole satellite volleyball game, leaves baby in bushes A teenage volleyball player in China gave birth to a baby in a gymnasium toilet before leaving the girl in some bushes and returning to her tournament, state-run media reported on Friday.

The girl went into labour while filming a match at the national under-18s women’s volleyball

championship in Changxing city in the eastern province of Zhejiang on Wednesday, the Hangzhou Daily said.

She gave birth alone in the toilet before placing the baby in the bushes near the gymnasium “out

of fear”, the report said, then went back inside to continue recording the match.

The infant was discovered by a passerby, who followed a trail of blood on the ground to find the mother, the report said.

“She was resting near the courtside,” the website of the People’s Daily quoted the

passerby, surnamed Wang, as saying.

“She looked fine after giving birth.

I assumed that she must have a strong body to give birth to a baby during the match.”

The newborn and the mother

Pope Francis washes feet of Muslim refugees, says ‘we are brothers’

Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of Muslim, Christian and Hindu refugees on Thursday and declared them all children of the same God, as he emphasised solidarity with other faiths at a time of increased antiMuslim sentiments following the attacks on Brussels which killed over 30.

Francis denounced the carnage as a “gesture of war” carried out by bloodthirsty people beholden to the weapons industry during an Easter Week Mass with asylum-seekers at a shelter in Castelnuovo di Porto, outside of Rome.

The Holy Thursday rite re-enacts the foot-washing ritual Jesus performed on his apostles before being crucified, and is meant to be a gesture of service. Francis contrasted that gesture with the “gesture of destruction” carried out by the Brussels attackers, saying they wanted to destroy the brotherhood of humanity represented by the migrants.

“We have different cultures and religions, but we are brothers and we want to live in peace,” Francis

said in his homily, delivered offthe-cuff in the windy courtyard of the centre.

Several of the migrants then wept as Francis knelt before them, poured holy water from a brass pitcher over their feet, wiped them clean and kissed them.

Francis was greeted with a banner reading “Welcome” in a variety of languages as he walked down a makeshift aisle to celebrate the Mass. But only a fraction of the 892 asylumseekers living at the shelter attended, and many of the seats were left empty. Those who came out, though, received a personal greeting from the Pope at the end of Mass, with the pontiff even posing for selfies and accepting notes as he moved down the rows.

Vatican rules had long called for only men to participate in the foot-washing ritual, and previous popes and many priests traditionally performed it on 12 Catholic men, symbolising Jesus’ 12 apostles and further cementing the doctrine of an allmale priesthood.

were rushed to hospital for treatment, it added. Both were safe.

Chinese babies born out of wedlock are sometimes abandoned because of social and financial pressures. The country’s family-planning policy can mean heavy fines for couples who have more than two babies.

A newborn was rescued from a toilet sewage pipe on Sunday in Xinping county, in the southwestern province of Yunnan, according to a website run by the fire department of China’s public security ministry.

It took firefighters nearly three hours to take the pipe apart, piece by piece, in order to pull the baby out, said the report.

It did not state whether the baby whose gender was not given -was thought to have ended up in the pipe deliberately or by accident, or mention its mother.

Local officials told AFP they were not aware of the case.

In 2013, a baby boy was also saved from a sewage pipe after his 22-year-old unmarried mother gave birth unexpectedly as she used a squat toilet.

Dozens of space scientists are desperately scouring the skies after losing track of a quarter-ofa-billion-dollar Japanese satellite that was sent to study black holes. The ultra-high-tech “Hitomi” - or eye - satellite was supposed to be busy communicating from orbit by now, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said, but no one can say exactly where it is. The device briefly made contact with ground crews but has since dis-

appeared, with American researchers reporting that it could have broken into several pieces.

“We’re taking the situation seriously,” Saku Tsuneta, director of the agency’s Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, told a news conference on Sunday.

JAXA has around 40 technicians on the case, trying to locate the spacecraft and establish some kind of communication with it, an agency spokesman told AFP on Monday.

Karadzic guilty of genocide, jailed for 40 years UN war crimes judges on Thursday found former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic guilty of genocide and sentenced him to 40 years in jail over the worst atrocities in Europe since World War II.The court said Karadzic, the most high-profile figure convicted over the wars that tore Yugoslavia apart in the 1990s, bore criminal responsibility for murder and persecution in the Bosnian conflict.Judge O-Gon Kwon said the court in The Hague found Karadzic guilty of genocide for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre and nine other charges of murder, persecution, and hostagetaking.But in what will be a blow to thousands of victims, the court said it did not have enough evidence to prove “beyond reasonable doubt” that genocide had been committed in seven Bosnian towns and villages over two decades ago.

It marks the end of a marathon trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia for Karadzic’s role during the 1992-1995 Bosnian war that claimed more than 100,000 lives and displaced 2.2 million others.The 70-year-old listened stony-faced as Kwon said it was clear Karadzic bore “individual criminal responsibility” for murder, persecution as well as the hostage-taking of UN peacekeepers.Karadzic “was at the apex of political, governmental and military structures” of the Bosnian Serb leadership and “at the forefront of developing and promoting its ideologies,” Kwon said.

‘Hugely significant’ “I hope this court will fulful its mission and put this man behind

bars. Our children are dead,” Munira Subasic, from the Mother’s of Srebrenica, told AFP before the verdict.

“I hope finally the lies that have

A long-time fugitive from justice until his arrest on a Belgrade bus in 2008, Karadzic, a one-time psychiatrist with his trademark bouffant hairdo, was found guilty

been told in Bosnia will be exposed,” she added.

Karadzic, 70, is the highestprofile politician from the Balkans conflicts to be judged, after former Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic died in his prison cell while on trial in 2006.

UN rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein hailed the verdict as “hugely significant”.

The hearing, which has drawn more than 200 journalists and over 100 other diplomats and observers, took place amid tight security, with one police officer saying they were on “extra alert” following Tuesday’s attacks in neighbouring Belgium.

Karadzic, as president of the breakaway Republika Srpska, was accused of taking part in a joint criminal scheme to “permanently remove Muslim and Bosnian Croat inhabitants... from areas claimed as Bosnian Serb territory”.This was done through a ruthless campaign of ethnic cleansing, indiscriminate killings, persecutions and terror.

Huge ‘day for justice’

for his role in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre in eastern Bosnia.

Almost 8,000 Muslim men and boys were slaughtered and their bodies dumped in mass graves

by Bosnian Serb forces who brushed aside Dutch UN peacekeepers in the supposedly “safe area.”

The massacre was the worst bloodshed on European soil since World War II. He was also found guilty of being behind the 44-month siege of Sarajevo in which 10,000 civilians died in a relentless campaign of sniping and shelling.

“It’s a hugely significant day today for international justice,” said Jasna Causevic, 58, one of the protesters outside the ICTY. “Karadzic and his group, including Milosevic, divided Bosnia and that’s still the case today,” she told AFP. In an unexpected earlier drama, the former spokeswoman for exchief prosecutor Carla del Ponte was detained at the tribunal by UN guards.

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How Kohli-Dhoni planned winning onslaught Virat Kohli, who mastered India’s successful runchase against Australia to take his team through to semi-finals at Mohali on Sunday, has admitted that he has “never played an innings” in a situation where 39 were needed in last three overs.

Kohli said that he had decided to target James Faulkner in the 18th over.

“The thoughts, the pre-planning for the boundary just kept coming to me in my mind. I knew a hundred percent that I had to target James Faulkner in the 18th over. I thought 3 overs and 39 runs, and one over has to be a big one at least close to 15 runs. We got bigger (19) than that. I think just before the 16th over, I thought if we don’t get too many boundaries, we

might be struggling in the end because the pitch was not as flat.”

Kohli said that the slower balls were holding up.

“The slower balls were holding up. It was very im-

portant to stay in the moment and pick your gaps.

It was a quick outfield, so I knew if I could beat the fielder inside the ring, I would probably end up get-

ting four runs.”

The best part about having Dhoni at the other end is that he pushed for the twos. “I think what really helped was him (Dhoni) running those twos. The

opposition panicked a bit because of that. They were unsettled because they knew we could run the runs as well and get 12 off one over without taking a

PM Nawaz responsible for downfall of cricket says Imran Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan Sunday criticised Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif saying the PM is also re-

sponsible for the downfall of Pakistani cricket.

Referring to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) executive committee chairman Najam Sethi, in one of his tweets, Khan said that the one, who fixed the elections, has now been appointed to fix cricket in the country, adding that Pakistani cricketers lack a serious attitude towards

the game and they also didn’t play with the right technique.

Khan said that an accurate analysis could help Paki-

stan get out of the situation, it had been facing.

“The PM is responsible for the demise of cricket as it is his duty to appoint the PCB chairman whereas Nawaz always appoints the one who is close to him,” claimed the PTI chief.

Former skipper of the side that won the 1992 World Cup said that despite the fact that the players were

immensely talented, they were not showing a determined attitude towards the game.

He also said that he has the strategy to improve the current condition of the Pakistani cricket side.

“Here is my strategy for reforming cricket in Pakistan: One: to make cricket an institution we have to insulate it from political pressure.

Two: Despite an abundance of talent, our players lack temperament & technique, leading to performance inconsistencies,” he added.

The PTI chief said that consistency only comes through quality and highly competitive cricket.

“Hence, as in Australia, all talent should be concentrated in six regional teams. And the third one: Rather than wasting money on senseless expenditures, we badly need more cricket grounds,” he added.

risk. I think that is when the bowlers started thinking too much,” Kohli said.

“Credit to MS Dhoni. He kept me calm and kept telling me - ‘Pick your areas, these many runs are left in these many balls’. He didn’t want me to get carried away or over excited. He just kept telling me what are the areas I could pick and that just gave me assurance,” Kohli said.

“If I was going to go towards covers, he would give me assurance again and I became confident. I think that is where communication and partnership helps. It was wonderful to pull the team out of that situation.”

Kohli said that it is for the cricket lovers to decide where to put this Indian chase in the pecking order.

Shame on people for trolling Anushka Sharma says Virat Kohli Indian batting star Virat Kohli on Monday lashed out at social media trolls for targetting Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma, saying that those who blame her for anything negative in his cricket career should be ashamed of themselves. Kohli, who single-handedly powered India into the World Twenty20 semifinal with a hurricane 82-run knock against Australia last night, took to Twitter and Instagram to hit out at the trolls who take digs at his former girlfriend after every India match.

“Shame on those people who have been having a go at anushka for the longest time and connecting every negative thing to her.

Shame on those people calling themselves educated,” Kohli wrote.

“Shame on blaming and making fun of her when

she has no control over what i do with my sport. If anything she has only motivated and given me more positivity. This was

long time coming. Shame on these people that hide and take a dig.

“And i dont need any respect for this post. Have some compassion and respect her. Think of how your sister or girlfriend or wife would feel if someone trolled them and very conveniently rubbished them in public,” he added.

Manish Pandey called up as cover for injured Yuvraj Singh An unfortunate injury to left-handed batsman Yuvraj Singh has opened the doors for Ajinkya Rahane and Manish Pandey, who was named as his cover ahead of India’s semi-final against West Indies in the ICC World Twenty20 on Thursday.

Karnataka batsman Pandey has arrived as cover for injured Yuvraj, while Mumbaikar Ajinkya Rahane, who was warming the bench so far, is also back in focus ahead of the all-important clash.

Sources in the BCCI said that Yuvraj, who sustained an ankle injury when setting off for a run against Australia at Mohali, went for a MRI scan soon after arriving here with the rest of the team members.

As per reliable sources, Yuvraj had gone for MRI scan on arrival. The senior batsman is doing his rehab and medical staff is confident that he might be fit for semi-final In case Yuvraj doesn’t recover fully in time for the last-four game, either

Rahane or Pandey might find a place in the playing XI on March 31.

Pandey last played for India in the fifth and final ODI

if the physio says his injury is bad,” he said.

The team management is assessing Yuvraj’s condition. The southpaw, who

at Sydney in the bilateral series in Australia and signed off with a maiden century.

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, speaking after the six-wicket win on Sunday night, said he is open to changes in the playing XI if the conditions demand.

“I don’t know whether we should make changes but it is possible, depending on the wicket. We have to see Yuvraj’s injury as well.

We would definitely like to have a replacement ready

was dismissed on 21, was in pain after twisting his ankle and had to be attended by the physio in the middle.

Rahane should be match ready if the need arises and even before the Australia game, he had an extended session at the nets of the I S Bindra Stadium.

Shane Watson, who retired with the Mohali loss, was asked about his former IPL teammate Rahane not finding a place in the XI.

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Can’t force anyone to chant Bharat Mata ki Jai, says RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat Amid a raging row over chanting ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’, Rashtriya Swayemsewak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat today said that nobody needed to be forced to raise it and that efforts should be made to build a “great” India that is hailed across the globe voluntarily.

“We have to create such a great India where people themselves chant ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’. It need not be imposed,” Bhagwat said. Bhagwat’s remark at a Bhartiya Kishan Sangh (BKS) event came days after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) patriarch LK Advani termed the controversy over the slogan “meaningless”. The RSS chief said, “We (India) have to show the way to the people of the world with our life and deeds. We do not want to win or defeat anyone. We don’t want to impose our ideology and thoughts on anyone. We wish to show them the path because we accept them

as our own. We have to show the path to the world through our deeds and create such an India that there is ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ across the world...

We don’t want to force anyone. It is not to be imposed,” he said, PTI reported. Bhagwat was speaking after inaugurating the renovated building of the BKS. He said the Sangh was striving to raise more and more people who were committed to the cause of creating a great India.

“Whether it is farmers or people engaged in other

occupations for livelihood, everyone contributes something to society,” he said.

“Earning maximum wealth with minimum effort can be

considered to be a special ability, but it should not be a motto. Our motto should be that we will work more than we take from the society. We should give more to the society,” Bhagwat added.

Terming ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the world is one family) as the philosophy and core of Indian culture, he said, “We have to present an example before

the entire world.”

The RSS supremo had stirred a controversy recently with his remark that the younger generation needed to be taught to hail “Mother India”.

In apparent retaliation, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi had said he would not chant ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ as he was not obliged to do it under the Constitution and that he would not do so even if a “knife is put to my throat”.

The issue snowballed into a political slugfest with the Shiv Sena, BJP and other parties slamming the Hyderabad MP over his stand.

Maharashtra Assembly suspended an AIMIM MLA after he refused to chant the slogan, while the Madhya Pradesh Assembly passed a censure motion condemning Owaisi.

Amid the escalating row Advani had said in Gandhinagar, “I don’t want to comment on it. This is a meaningless controversy (‘yeh ek vyarth vivad hai’)”.

Man Takes Revenge on Venomous Snake, Eats It

Ranchi A tribal youth in Jharkhand reportedly ate a venomous snake alive after it bit him while he was working in his field at Harmu village in Lohardaga district.

The youth, identified as Surendra Oraon (30), instead of panicking picked up the snake and devoured it alive, barring its head.

However, his condition deteriorated and he went home. He told his family members about the incident and was rushed to the district hospital. Doctors attended to him and discharged him on Saturday morning.

Doctors who treated Oraon

said, “We discharged him this morning as he was perfectly normal after night-long care.” Oraon said he had heard of people eating snakes after being bitten as it reportedly helps save the lives of the victims. Tribal folks in Jharkhand’s Kolhan believe that eating bats can save them from brain strokes while some believe that eating bears saves them from malaria. Some tribes also eat crab in the belief that it improves libido.

A resident of the village said the area had witnessed three to four such incidents and the victims have all lived to tell the tale.

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Health Losing weight through low calorie diet can reverse diabetes If you have been diagnosed with diabetes for 10 years or even longer than that, don’t give up hope as major improvement in blood sugar control is possible!

According to a new study, individuals who suffer from diabetes and successfully lose weight through a very low calorie diet, can reverse their condition and remain free of diabetes for the long term.

In addition, even patients who had type 2 diabetes for up to 10 years can also reverse their condition.

The findings showed that the fat, which accumulated in their pancreas, gets removed as a result of a low

calorie diet and thus leads to the normal production of insulin.

“What we have shown is that it is possible to reverse your diabetes, even if you have had the condition for a long time, up to around 10 years,” said lead researcher Roy Taylor, professor at Newcastle University in Britain.

Individuals vary in how much weight they can carry without it seeming to affect their metabolism.

If a person gains more weight than what he or she personally can tolerate, then diabetes is triggered, but if they then lose

that amount of weight then they go back to normal.

“The bottom line is that if a person really wants to get rid of their type 2 diabetes, they can lose weight, keep it off and return to normal,” Taylor maintained.

For the research, published in the journal Diabetes Care, 30 volunteers having type 2 diabetes for between six months and 23 years embarked on a diet of 600 to 700 calories a day.

Participants lost on average 14 kg. Over the next six months they did not regain any weight.

Overall 12 patients, who

were having diabetes for less than 10 years, reversed their condition. Six months later they remained diabetes free.

Though the volunteers lost weight they remained overweight or obese but they had lost enough weight to remove the fat out

Researchers point out gene responsible for sleep deprivation, metabolic disorders

A new study has revealed that fruit flies, who have similar sleeping habits like humans, can tell a lot about the connection between sleep deprivation and metabolic disorders like diabetes, obesity, and blood glucose levels.

The study conducted by the Florida Atlantic University is the first to identify that a conserved gene called translin works as a modulator of sleep in response to metabolic changes. The study establishes that translin is an essential integrator of sleep and metabolic state, with important implications

for understanding the neural mechanism underlying sleep deprivation in response to environmental challenges.

Acute sleep loss in humans is associated with increased appetite and insulin insensitivity, while chronically sleep-deprived individuals are more likely to develop obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Corresponding author Alex C. Keene said that in humans, sleep and feeding are tightly interconnected and pathological disturbances of either process are associated with

metabolism-related disorders. Keene added despite the widespread evidence for interactions between

sleep loss and metabolic dysfunction, little is known about the molecular basis of this interaction and how these processes integrate within the brain.

Co-first author Kazuma Murakami said that while many genes have been identified as genetic regulators of sleep or metabolic state, mounting evidence from their study indicates that translin functions as a unique integrator of these processes.

Results of this study provide important evidence that translin is not required for the perception of starvation or to stimulate hunger-related behaviors, but is required to stimulate wakefulness in the absence of food.

of the pancreas and allow normal insulin production, the researchers pointed out.

The team was also able to identify in advance participants who would not respond to adequate weight loss by reversing their diabetes as at the start they

had almost absent insulin production from the pancreas.

“This is good news for people who are very motivated to get rid of their diabetes. But it is too early to regard this as suitable for everyone,” Taylor concluded.

Know why fish is good for health!

Fish is considered as one of the healthiest foods and contains important nutrients like protein and vitamin D. It is also the best source of omega-3 fatty acids that are important for our body and brain.

Here are some health benefits of eating fish: Fish oils helps to reduce the blood clot and abnormal heart rhythms after a heart attack. It is god for diabetic patients as it helps

to regulate blood sugar levels. Fish helps to relieve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and autoimmune disease.

Eating of fish helps to lowers the levels of fats called triglycerides in the blood which reduces the risk of heart disease.

Fish can curb depression as it is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids that helps to raise levels of the brain chemical serotonin.

Here’s why men die earlier than women Hey men, your pretentious toughness is taking away years from your life. A new study has found that the tougher men think they are, the less likely they are to be honest with their doctors.

Men are less likely than women to go to the doctor, more likely to choose a male doctor when they do go, but less likely to be

honest with that doctor about their symptoms,

Rutgers psychologists have found. The research-

ers believe this may contribute to men’s dying earlier than women.

“The question that we wanted to answer was, why do men die earlier than women?” said researcher Diana Sanchez, adding “Men can expect to die five years earlier than women, and physiological differences don’t explain that difference.”

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Exercise to slow down brain’s ageing clock by 10 years Think of workouts as a brain’s best friend. A new study linked regular exercise in older people to a slower rate of decline in thinking skills that occurs with aging.

People who reported light to no exercise experienced a decline equal to 10 more years of aging as compared to people who reported moderate to intense exercise, according to the population-based observational study.

Study author Clinton B. Wright of the University of

Miami said that the number of people over the age of 65 in the United States is on the rise, meaning the public health burden of thinking and memory problems will likely grow. The study showed that for older people, getting regular exercise may be protective, helping them keep their cognitive abilities longer.

When looking at people who had no signs of memory and thinking problems at the start of the study, researchers found

that those reporting low activity levels showed a greater decline over five years compared to those with high activity levels on tests of how fast they could perform simple tasks and how many words they could remember from a list. The difference was equal to that of 10 years of aging. The difference also remained after researchers adjusted for other factors that could affect brain health, such as smoking, alcohol use, high blood pressure and body mass

index.

Wright concluded that the results suggest that moderate to intense exercise

may help older people delay aging of the brain, but more research from randomized clinical trials com-

paring exercise programs to more sedentary activity is needed to confirm these results.

Drug combo shuts down tumour New drug for prostate growth in aggressive lung cancer caNcer fouNd promisiNg A combination treatment consisting of the rheumatoid arthritis drug auranofin and an experimental targeted agent may shut down one of the most common and lethal forms of lung cancer, says a study.

he combination therapy worked in a laboratory study to stop lung adenocarcinoma associated with mutation of the KRAS gene.

“If our approach works in KRAS-mediated lung adenocarcinoma, it may work

in other KRAS-mediated cancers, such as pancreatic and colon cancers, as well as other cancer types,” said the study’s senior author Alan Fields, cancer biologist at Mayo Clinic in Florida, US.

The study was published in the journal Cancer Cell.

The researchers found that the combination therapy shuts down a major signaling pathway, or set of molecular mechanisms, that stimulates the growth of cancer stem cells in

KRAS-mediated lung adenocarcinoma.

“Cancer stem cells are the really bad actors in many cancers,” Fields explained.

“Cancer stem cells initiate cancer development, drive its growth and metastasis, and also develop resistance to treatments,” Fields noted.

“This research indicates auranofin might be useful in treating many different cancer types,” Fields said.

Based on this and other preclinical research, the team is conducting early-phase clinical trials to test the effectiveness of auranofin alone and in targeted combinations in patients with KRAS-mediated lung adenocarcinoma, ovarian cancer, and another common lung cancer called lung squamous cell carcinoma.

Researchers, including one of Indian-origin, have created a new molecule for prostate cancer that has shown great efficacy when tested in mice.

The findings suggest that the new therapeutic might be a viable treatment for prostate cancer in humans too if it is found effective the future clinical trials.

The treatment was designed to inhibit the activity of a protein called PAK-1, which contributes to the development of highly invasive prostate cancer cells.

“PAK-1 is kind of like an on/off switch,” said study co-author Somanath Shenoy, associate professor at University of Georgia College of Pharmacy in the US. “When it turns on, it makes cancerous cells turn into metastatic cells that spread throughout the body,” Shenoy noted.

The researchers developed a way to package and administer a small molecule called IPA-3, which limits

the activity of PAK-1 proteins.

The findings were published in the journal Nanomedicine: Nano-tech-

PAK-1 protein.

The researchers found that this molecule significantly slowed the progression of cancer in mice, and it also

nology, Biology and Medicine.

The researchers enveloped the IPA-3 molecule in a bubble-like structure called a liposome and injected it intravenously.

The liposome shell surrounding IPA-3 ensures that it is not metabolised by the body too quickly, allowing the inhibitor enough time to disrupt the

forced the cancerous cells to undergo apoptosis - a kind of programmed cell death.

“The results of our experiments are promising, and we hope to move toward clinical trials soon, but we must figure out what side effects this treatment may have before we can think about using it in humans,” Shenoy said.

Giving kids antibiotics before age 2 ups their obesity risk

Eat like Japanese to live longer Eating according to Japanese diet guidelines could add years to your life, a new study has revealed.

The research by Kayo Kurotani at the National Centre for Global Health and Medicine in Tokyo suggest that balanced consumption of grains, vegetables, fruits and adequate intake of fish and meat, can contribute to longevity in the Japanese population.

In 2005, the Japanese government developed the spinning top, a Japanese food guide, to illustrate the balance and quantity of

food in the daily Japanese diet.

Researchers set out to examine the association

between adherence to the food guide and total and cause specific mortality.

They used data from de-

tailed food and lifestyle questionnaires completed by 36,624 men and 42,920 women aged 45-75. Participants had no history of cancer, stroke, heart disease, or chronic liver disease and were followed-up for 15 years.

They found that both men and women with higher scores on the food guide (better adherence) had a 15 percent lower total mortality rate over 15 years.

This protective association was mainly attributable to a reduction in mortality from cerebrovascular disease.

A new study has suggested that early antibiotic use can be a contributing factor to the childhood obesity epidemic. The study found that administration of three or more courses of antibiotics before children reach an age of 2 years is associated with an increased risk of early childhood obesity. Antibiotics have been used to promote weight gain in livestock for several

decades, and our research confirms that antibiotics have the same effect in humans, said Researcher Frank Irving Scott, adding that the results do not imply that antibiotics should not be used when necessary, but rather encourage both physicians and parents to think twice about antibiotic usage in infants in the absence of well-established indications.

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Sour Cream Pork Chops Ingredients: 6 pork chops salt and pepper to taste garlic powder to taste 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 large onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick 2 cubes chicken bouillon 2 cups boiling water 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream Directions: Season pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and then dredge in 1/2 cup flour. In a skillet over medium heat, lightly brown chops in a small amount of oil. Place chops in slow cooker, and top with onion slices. Dis-

Basil Chicken over Angel Hair

solve bouillon cubes in boiling water and pour over chops. Cover, and cook on Low 7 to 8 hours. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). After the chops have cooked, transfer chops to the oven to keep warm. Be careful, the chops are so tender they will fall apart. In a small bowl, blend 2 tablespoons flour with the sour cream; mix into meat juices. Turn slow cooker to High for 15 to 30 minutes, or until sauce is slightly thickened.

Serve sauce over pork chops.

lic. Stir in the tomatoes, chicken, basil, salt and hot pepper sauce. Reduce heat to medium, and cover skillet. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture is hot and tomatoes are soft.

Toss sauce with hot cooked angel hair pasta to coat. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Kung Pao Chicken

spiNach aNd feta pasta Ingredients: 1 (8 ounce) package penne pasta 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 clove garlic, minced 3 cups chopped tomatoes 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms 2 cups spinach leaves, packed salt and pepper to taste 1 pinch red pepper flakes 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled Directions: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente; drain.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add onion and garlic, and cook until golden brown. Mix in tomatoes, mushrooms,

Ingredients: 1 (8 ounce) package angel hair pasta 2 teaspoons olive oil 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1 clove garlic, chopped 2 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes 2 cups boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cubed 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese Directions: In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook angel hair pasta until it is al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil over mediumhigh heat. Saute the onions and gar-

and spinach. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook 2 minutes more, until tomatoes are heated through and spinach is wilted. Reduce heat to medium, stir in pasta and feta cheese, and cook until heated through.

or bowl and add marinade. Toss to coat.

Cover dish and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes. To Make Sauce: In a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon cornstarch/water mixture, chili paste, vinegar and sugar. Mix together and add green onion, garlic, water chestnuts and peanuts. In a medium skillet, heat sauce slowly until aromatic. Meanwhile, remove chicken from marinade and saute in a large skillet until meat is white and juices run clear. When sauce is aromatic, add sauteed chicken to it and let simmer together until sauce thickens.

Tofu Parmigiana

pollo fajitas Ingredients: 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon cider vinegar 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 clove garlic, minced 1 dash hot pepper sauce 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into strips 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 onion, thinly sliced 1 green bell pepper, sliced 1/2 lemon, juiced Directions: In a medium bowl, combine Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, chili powder, garlic and hot pepper sauce. Place chicken in sauce, and turn once to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate for several hours.

Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat.

Ingredients: 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into chunks 2 tablespoons white wine 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided 2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water 1 ounce hot chile paste 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar 2 teaspoons brown sugar 4 green onions, chopped 1 tablespoon chopped garlic 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts 4 ounces chopped peanuts Directions: To Make Marinade: Combine 1 tablespoon wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon cornstarch/water mixture and mix together.

Place chicken pieces in a glass dish

Add chicken strips to the pan, and saute for 5 minutes. Add the onion and green pepper, and saute another 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and sprinkle with lemon juice.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs 5 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided salt to taste ground black pepper to taste 1 (12 ounce) package firm tofu 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1 clove garlic, minced 4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese Directions: In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon oregano, salt, and black pepper. Slice tofu into 1/4 inch thick slices, and place in bowl of cold water. One at a time, press tofu slices into crumb mixture, turning to coat all

sides. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook tofu slices until crisp on one side. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil, turn, and brown on the other side.

Combine tomato sauce, basil, garlic, and remaining oregano. Place a thin layer of sauce in an 8 inch square baking pan.

Arrange tofu slices in the pan. Spoon remaining sauce over tofu. Top with shredded mozzarella and remaining 3 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 20 minutes.

Issue 660 (40)

29 March - 4 April 2016

Issue - 660 (6)

29 March - 4 April 2016

Do pseudo activists affect Politics?

There was a party thrown by my father for his literary friends after my brother got engaged.

Light music was being played and all were sitting in the backyard of our house. Having a residence in the university campus has it’s own benefits, one being that the university houses have very big backyards. Our courtyard had few trees under which sitting arrangement was done and dance floor was made on the extreme left of the garden.

Children were busy playing, running here and there and stamping as if trying to hit the blinkers in the dance floor. The ladies were having a ‘serious’ discussion on their suits, changing trends in jewellery while some were enjoying the ‘Kitchen politics’. The youngsters were either talking about cars or the new releases be-

cause none of them had any interest in the upcoming elections, so I decided to sit in my father’s group. They all were discussing the pros and cons of AAP, a third major party emerging in Punjab’s political scenario. I always wondered whether any of these discussions have any impact on the society or were these topics only for bridging the gap for a conversation while in a party.

Amidst this my mind drifted to a term I once found while surfing the net, ‘Slacktivism’. It is a combination of two words ‘slacker’ and ‘activism’.

Slacktivism as defined in the urban dictionary is “the act of participating in obvious pointless activities as an expedient alternative to actually expending effort to fix a problem.”

It allows us to adopt a pseudo activist personality i.e. A slacktivist.

The slacktivists think that the problems can be solved by discussing them while sitting on a comfortable sofa in a drawing room or in a party. By doing so they think that it will satisfy the requirements to be an activist.

In order to bring change in our society, we need to change the way we think. There is a need to

Infosys employee missing in Brussels attacks is dead: Indian embassy The Indian embassy in Belgium has confirmed that Infosys employee Raghvendra Ganeshan, who hails from Bengaluru and went missing after the Brussels terror attacks, has passed away.

The Belgian authorities have identified Ganeshan as being one of the victims who perished in the blast that took place in Brussels on March 22. The Ministry of External Affairs said the mortal remains of Raghvendra are in the process of being handed over to his family, who will be leaving for India from Amsterdam airport.

“He was a victim of the blast that took place in the metro at Malbeek station in Brussels,” the MEA said. The Islamic State terrorists struck Brussels Airport in the first of two attacks that also hit the city’s metro, killing at least 30 and wounding over 200 on Tuesday. As of today, the death

Putin, Elton John might meet in Russia MOSCOW Russian President Vladimir Putin could meet British singer Elton John when he visits Russia in May if room can be found in the two men’s schedules, the Kremlin said on Monday.

Putin telephoned Elton John in September to say he would be ready to meet for a chat after the entertainer requested a meeting.

“When they spoke by telephone several months ago, they agreed ... they will meet during Elton John’s stay in Moscow,” said Putin.

toll in the blasts has risen to 35. The 13 victims of the metro blast included 10 Belgians and three foreign nationals. Sources said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be paying homage to Ganeshan and others, who died in the blast, when he is in Brussels.

Infosys issued the following statement It is with deep regret that we confirm the passing of our colleague

Raghavendran Ganeshan in the terrible attack in Brussels. Our thoughts and prayers are with Raghavendran’s family and with those who were injured or lost a loved one in these attacks. We will continue to provide all possible support to his family in this hour of grief.

We thank the Belgian and Indian authorities for their support over the past few days.

convert the slacktivists into real time activists.

We should get it right in our minds that no solution will come out of the drawing room discussions. Instead, we should move out of our houses to propagate our views to the populace.

We should encourage the masses to exercise their right to vote. A middle class and a higher middle class family discuss politics often because they are very well aware about it but when it comes to voting, everyone thinks of enjoying the holiday because they think that their one vote would not make any difference. Little do they know that every single vote counts.

‘Little drops of water, little grains of sand, make the mighty ocean and the beauteous land.’

So it is good to have political discussions but we should rather take initiatives to make people

Mahi Ahluwalia +91-9876655553 aware about it. This is the only way if we want our country to develop by leaps and bounds.

Eminent men genuinely want to help but actions must speak louder than words. And the actions here are to enlighten the masses to exercise their right to vote.

Drought-hit Thailand sends up the Royal Rainmakers BANGKOK When drought strikes, Thailand turns to its Royal Rainmakers - an airborne team which seeds the clouds over the kingdom.

The country is the grip of its worst drought for decades, with 22 of its 76 provinces affected. So the Thai Department of Royal Rainmaking is sending up its planes to try to cajole the clouds into producing rain. “The first step is making clouds by spraying saltpowder,” according to Wiraphon Sudchada, a scientist who is part of the team. “Then we mix calcium chloride and calcium oxide and spray it into clouds carrying humidity to make them bigger,” he added. “We also spray ice beneath the clouds so that it will rain faster.” The current drought has hit northern Thailand hardest, raising fears of taps running dry as levels in reservoirs dip to record lows. Last

year’s rains came late and infrequently and desperate farmers hope the heavens will open come the arrival of the monsoon season in June. Rainmaking has a

storied history in Thailand.

People credit their revered current monarch King Bhumibol Adulyadej with driving rainmaking projects back in the late 1960s.

US museum returns looted statue to Cambodia

Chile reports its first Zika case BUENOS AIRES Chile has confirmed its first case of the Zika virus having been sexually transmitted, the health ministry said in a statement on its website on Saturday.

The virus is linked to thousands of suspected cases of birth defects in Brazil. The new case in Chile is that of a 46-yearold woman whose partner was infected while in Haiti.

Chile, where the mosquitoes that transmit the virus

are not found, has confirmed 10 cases of Zika involving people infected out-

side the country.

There is growing evidence that suggests a link between Zika and microceph-

aly in babies. The condition is defined by unusually small heads that can result in developmental problems.

Brazil said it has confirmed more than 900 cases of microcephaly and considers most of them to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. US health officials recommend that women wait at least two months, and men at least six, before attempting to conceive after infection with Zika.

PHNOM PENH An American museum on Monday returned to Cambodia a 10th-century sandstone sculpture of the Hindu god Rama decades after it was looted from a jungle temple during the kingdom’s civil war. The 62inch-tall torso, which was stolen in the 1970s from the Koh Ker temple site near the famed Angkor Wat complex, was handed over by the Denver Art Museum at a ceremony in Phnom

Penh.

The statue - still missing its head, arms and feet had been in the museum’s possession since 1986, the Cambodian government said in a statement. “We are joyful with the torso of Rama returning home,” Cambodian official Yim Nolson said at the ceremony, adding that the joy was tempered by the fact that the head was still missing and its whereabouts unknown.