League MLA Abdul Samad Samadhani stabbed in nose Kottakal: League MLA Abdul Samad Samadhani was stabbed in his nose at his home when he acted as a mediator in a family tussle. It is learnt that the injuries he received on his face are not serious and is treated at the MIMS hospital in Kottakal. Samadhani had called for a discussion in connection with a dispute relating to mosque. A family tussle also came up in the discussion. After the hour-long heated discussions ended, a person came back and stabbed Samadhani on his nose. The attacker was also injured and was taken to a private hospital for treatment. It all began with the 2008 dispute over the presidentship of a Juma Masjid mosque in Kuttipuram. In the dispute that occured over the mosque, two brothers were stabbed to death. The deceased were siblings of Kunjava Haji alias Ahmed Kutty, who was president of the Juma Masjid for over 10 years. 13 persons were injured in the attack which took place in August 2008. It is learnt that the dispute was solved amicably with the intervention of Samadhani a few months back.

League MLA Abdul Samad Samadhani stabbed in nose Kottakal: League MLA Abdul Samad Samadhani was stabbed in his nose at his home when he acted as a mediator in a family tussle. It is learnt that the injuries he received on his face are not serious and is treated at the MIMS hospital in Kottakal. Samadhani had called for a discussion in connection with a dispute relating to mosque. A family tussle also came up in the discussion. After the hour-long heated discussions ended, a person came back and stabbed Samadhani on his nose. The attacker was also injured and was taken to a private hospital for treatment. It all began with the 2008 dispute over the presidentship of a Juma Masjid mosque in Kuttipuram. In the dispute that occured over the mosque, two brothers were stabbed to death. The deceased were siblings of Kunjava Haji alias Ahmed Kutty, who was president of the Juma Masjid for over 10 years. 13 persons were injured in the attack which took place in August 2008. It is learnt that the dispute was solved amicably with the intervention of Samadhani a few months back.

Al Qaeda is loving Snowden leaks, says UK's spy chief London: Britain's top spy chiefs said in a rare televised appearance Thursday that the intelligence leaks by Edward Snowden have left its enemies 'rubbing their hands with glee' and caused terror groups to change the way they communicate. The heads of foreign spy agency MI6, its domestic counterpart MI5 and electronic eavesdropping agency GCHQ also denied in their evidence to parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee that Britons were subject to mass surveillance. In a hearing held under tight security and with a two-minute time delay to prevent accidental disclosures, MI6 boss John Sawers said Snowden's revelations of mass US and British surveillance programmes were a gift to Al-Qaeda and other terrorists. 'The leaks from Snowden have been very damaging, they put our operations at risk. Our adversaries are rubbing their hands with glee. Al-Qaeda is lapping it up,' Sawers told the committee. GCHQ boss Iain Lobban added that the revelations by the fugitive US leaker had led 'terrorist groups' in the Middle East, Afghanistan and elsewhere to modify the way they communicate. 'We have intelligence on (and) we have actually seen chat around specific terrorist groups, including closer to home, discussing how to avoid what they now perceive to be vulnerable communications methods,' Lobban said. Snowden, a former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor who has been granted temporary asylum in Russia, has revealed massive US electronic surveillance programmes in recent months, sending shockwaves around the world. The leaks have strained Washington's ties with its allies over suggestions that it has eavesdropped on dozens of world leaders, including by tapping the mobile phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Thursday's hearing marked an unprecedented joint public appearance for the heads of the three British intelligence agencies, who could be seen on television sitting in a row as they answered questions from lawmakers. They insisted that they worked hard to balance national security with citizens' right to privacy. 'We do not spend our time listening to the telephone calls or reading the emails of the majority. It would not be proportionate, it would not be legal. We do not do it,' Lobban told the committee. Spying activity 'proportionate to threats' MI5 director general Andrew Parker insisted that the work of the intelligence services was a 'proportionate' response to the terrorist threats faced by Britain. 'The suggestion that what we do is somehow compromising freedom and democracy -- of course we believe the opposite is the case,' Parker told the committee. 'The work we do is proportionate judged against the necessity of protecting against these threats.' Sawers emphatically denied that British agents used torture as a means of countering threats to national security. 'We're absolutely clear we only operate within the framework of the law,' he told the committee. 'Would we pursue a situation that we knew would lead to mistreatment or torture of an individual to get terrorist threat intelligence? The answer is absolutely not. 'We do not participate in, incite, encourage or condone mistreatment or torture, and that is absolute.' Britain's security services operate under 'very strong ethical standards', he said. The MI6 boss identified 'al-Qaeda and its many, many branches' as the biggest threat to British security. 'There are also states out there that are trying to do us harm, through cyber-attacks, by acquiring nuclear weapons or involved in generating instability in parts of the world important to us,' he added. The televised proceedings were subject to a delay to prevent any information that compromised national security from being accidentally broadcast, committee chairman Malcolm Rifkind said. The three spymasters have until now given evidence to the committee in private because of the sensitive nature of their work. GCHQ has faced questions in recent weeks because Snowden's leaks have suggested close collaboration between the British listening post and its US counterpart, the NSA, to harvest vast quantities of data from ordinary citizens' communications. Britain has faced questions from Berlin this week following a media report that London has been operating a secret listening post from its Berlin embassy. The German government called in Britain's ambassador for questioning over the report by Britain's Independent newspaper, which was said to be based in part on leaked documents from Snowden.AFP

League MLA Abdul Samad Samadhani stabbed in nose Kottakal: League MLA Abdul Samad Samadhani was stabbed in his nose at his home when he acted as a mediator in a family tussle. It is learnt that the injuries he received on his face are not serious and is treated at the MIMS hospital in Kottakal. Samadhani had called for a discussion in connection with a dispute relating to mosque. A family tussle also came up in the discussion. After the hour-long heated discussions ended, a person came back and stabbed Samadhani on his nose. The attacker was also injured and was taken to a private hospital for treatment. It all began with the 2008 dispute over the presidentship of a Juma Masjid mosque in Kuttipuram. In the dispute that occured over the mosque, two brothers were stabbed to death. The deceased were siblings of Kunjava Haji alias Ahmed Kutty, who was president of the Juma Masjid for over 10 years. 13 persons were injured in the attack which took place in August 2008. It is learnt that the dispute was solved amicably with the intervention of Samadhani a few months back.

League MLA Abdul Samad Samadhani stabbed in nose Kottakal: League MLA Abdul Samad Samadhani was stabbed in his nose at his home when he acted as a mediator in a family tussle. It is learnt that the injuries he received on his face are not serious and is treated at the MIMS hospital in Kottakal. Samadhani had called for a discussion in connection with a dispute relating to mosque. A family tussle also came up in the discussion. After the hour-long heated discussions ended, a person came back and stabbed Samadhani on his nose. The attacker was also injured and was taken to a private hospital for treatment. It all began with the 2008 dispute over the presidentship of a Juma Masjid mosque in Kuttipuram. In the dispute that occured over the mosque, two brothers were stabbed to death. The deceased were siblings of Kunjava Haji alias Ahmed Kutty, who was president of the Juma Masjid for over 10 years. 13 persons were injured in the attack which took place in August 2008. It is learnt that the dispute was solved amicably with the intervention of Samadhani a few months back.

Al Qaeda is loving Snowden leaks, says UK's spy chief London: Britain's top spy chiefs said in a rare televised appearance Thursday that the intelligence leaks by Edward Snowden have left its enemies 'rubbing their hands with glee' and caused terror groups to change the way they communicate. The heads of foreign spy agency MI6, its domestic counterpart MI5 and electronic eavesdropping agency GCHQ also denied in their evidence to parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee that Britons were subject to mass surveillance. In a hearing held under tight security and with a two-minute time delay to prevent accidental disclosures, MI6 boss John Sawers said Snowden's revelations of mass US and British surveillance programmes were a gift to Al-Qaeda and other terrorists. 'The leaks from Snowden have been very damaging, they put our operations at risk. Our adversaries are rubbing their hands with glee. Al-Qaeda is lapping it up,' Sawers told the committee. GCHQ boss Iain Lobban added that the revelations by the fugitive US leaker had led 'terrorist groups' in the Middle East, Afghanistan and elsewhere to modify the way they communicate. 'We have intelligence on (and) we have actually seen chat around specific terrorist groups, including closer to home, discussing how to avoid what they now perceive to be vulnerable communications methods,' Lobban said. Snowden, a former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor who has been granted temporary asylum in Russia, has revealed massive US electronic surveillance programmes in recent months, sending shockwaves around the world. The leaks have strained Washington's ties with its allies over suggestions that it has eavesdropped on dozens of world leaders, including by tapping the mobile phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Thursday's hearing marked an unprecedented joint public appearance for the heads of the three British intelligence agencies, who could be seen on television sitting in a row as they answered questions from lawmakers. They insisted that they worked hard to balance national security with citizens' right to privacy. 'We do not spend our time listening to the telephone calls or reading the emails of the majority. It would not be proportionate, it would not be legal. We do not do it,' Lobban told the committee. Spying activity 'proportionate to threats' MI5 director general Andrew Parker insisted that the work of the intelligence services was a 'proportionate' response to the terrorist threats faced by Britain. 'The suggestion that what we do is somehow compromising freedom and democracy -- of course we believe the opposite is the case,' Parker told the committee. 'The work we do is proportionate judged against the necessity of protecting against these threats.' Sawers emphatically denied that British agents used torture as a means of countering threats to national security. 'We're absolutely clear we only operate within the framework of the law,' he told the committee. 'Would we pursue a situation that we knew would lead to mistreatment or torture of an individual to get terrorist threat intelligence? The answer is absolutely not. 'We do not participate in, incite, encourage or condone mistreatment or torture, and that is absolute.' Britain's security services operate under 'very strong ethical standards', he said. The MI6 boss identified 'al-Qaeda and its many, many branches' as the biggest threat to British security. 'There are also states out there that are trying to do us harm, through cyber-attacks, by acquiring nuclear weapons or involved in generating instability in parts of the world important to us,' he added. The televised proceedings were subject to a delay to prevent any information that compromised national security from being accidentally broadcast, committee chairman Malcolm Rifkind said. The three spymasters have until now given evidence to the committee in private because of the sensitive nature of their work. GCHQ has faced questions in recent weeks because Snowden's leaks have suggested close collaboration between the British listening post and its US counterpart, the NSA, to harvest vast quantities of data from ordinary citizens' communications. Britain has faced questions from Berlin this week following a media report that London has been operating a secret listening post from its Berlin embassy. The German government called in Britain's ambassador for questioning over the report by Britain's Independent newspaper, which was said to be based in part on leaked documents from Snowden.AFP

Govt raises income limit for creamy layer to Rs 6 lakhs

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The cabinet decided to raise the income limit for the creamy layer under the other backward classes (OBCs) category from the existing Rs 4.5 lakh to Rs 6 lakh per annum. Kerala Kaumudi had reported that the state had not taken steps even after the centre had released an order six months before raising the income limit to Rs 6 lakh per annum.

The existing income limit for OBCs is 4.5 lakhs implemented in the state in 2009. The centre has accepted creamy layer for reservation to admissions in educational institutions and government jobs. But creamy layer has not been implemented under reservation for OBCs in educational institutions of the state. Instead, the annual income of the family is considered.

Govt raises income limit for creamy layer to Rs 6 lakhs

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The cabinet decided to raise the income limit for the creamy layer under the other backward classes (OBCs) category from the existing Rs 4.5 lakh to Rs 6 lakh per annum. Kerala Kaumudi had reported that the state had not taken steps even after the centre had released an order six months before raising the income limit to Rs 6 lakh per annum.

The existing income limit for OBCs is 4.5 lakhs implemented in the state in 2009. The centre has accepted creamy layer for reservation to admissions in educational institutions and government jobs. But creamy layer has not been implemented under reservation for OBCs in educational institutions of the state. Instead, the annual income of the family is considered.

Yasser Arafat was murdered with polonium: Widow

Paris: Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was poisoned to death in 2004 with radioactive polonium, his widow Suha said on Wednesday after receiving the results of Swiss forensic tests on her husband's corpse."We are revealing a real crime, a political assassination," she told Reuters in Paris. A team of experts, including from Lausanne University Hospital's Institute of Radiation Physics, opened Arafat's grave in the West Bank city of Ramallah last November, and took samples from his body to seek evidence of alleged poisoning. "This has confirmed all our doubts," said Suha Arafat after the Swiss forensic team handed over its report to her lawyers and Palestinian officials in Geneva on Tuesday. 

"It is scientifically proved that he didn't die a natural death and we have scientific proof that this man was killed." She did not accuse any country or person, and acknowledged that the historic leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization had many enemies, although she noted that Israel had branded him an obstacle to peace. Arafat signed the 1993 Oslo interim peace accords with Israel and led a subsequent uprising after the failure of talks in 2000 on a comprehensive agreement.Allegations of foul play surfaced immediately. Arafat had foes among his own people, but many Palestinians pointed the finger at Israel, which had besieged him in his Ramallah headquarters for the final two and a half years of his life.

"President Arafat passed away as a victim of an organised terrorist assassination perpetrated by a state, that is Israel, which was looking to get rid of him," Wasel Abu Yousef, member of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said in a statement on Wednesday. "The publishing of the results by the Swiss institute confirms his poisoning by polonium and this means that Israel carried it out." The Israeli government has denied any role in his death, noting that he was 75 years old and had an unhealthy lifestyle.  

It made no comment on the new findings.An investigation by the Qatar-based Al Jazeera television news channel first reported last year that traces of polonium-210 were found on personal effects of Arafat given to his widow by the French military hospital where he died.  That led French prosecutors to open an investigation for suspected murder in August 2012 at the request of Suha Arafat. Forensic experts from Switzerland, Russia and France all took samples from his corpse for testing after the Palestinian Authority agreed to open his mausoleum."

SMOKING GUN

"The head of the Russian forensics institute, Vladimir Uiba, was quoted by the Interfax news agency last month as saying no trace of polonium had been found on the body specimens examined in Moscow, but his Federal Medico-Biological Agency later denied he had made any official comment on its findings. The French pathologists have not reported their conclusions publicly or shared any findings with Suha Arafat's legal team. A spokeswoman for the French prosecutor's office said the investigating magistrats had received no expert reports so far. One of her lawyers said the Swiss institute's report would be translated from English into French and handed over to the three magistrates who are investigating the case.

Professor David Barclay, a British forensic scientist retained by Al Jazeera to interpret the results of the Swiss tests, said the findings from Arafat's body confirmed last year's results from traces of bodily fluids on his underwear, toothbrush and clothing. "In my opinion, it is absolutely certain that the cause of his illness was polonium poisoning," Barclay told Reuters. "The levels present in him are sufficient to have caused death. "What we have got is the smoking gun - the thing that caused his illness and was given to him with malice." 

The Swiss scientists' report, posted in full on Al Jazeera's website, was more cautious. It concluded: "Taking into account the analytical limitations aforementioned, mostly time lapse since death and the nature and quality of the specimens, the results moderately support the proposition that the death was the consequence of poisoning with polonium-210." Al Jazeera said the levels of polonium found in Arafat's ribs, pelvis and in soil that absorbed his remains were at least 18 times higher than normal.

The same radioactive substance was slipped into a cup of tea in a London hotel to kill defecting Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in 2006. From his deathbed, Litvinenko accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of ordering his murder. The British government refused to hold a public inquiry into his death after ministers withheld some material which could have shed light on Russia's suspected involvement.

Barclay said the type of polonium discovered in Arafat's body must have been manufactured in a nuclear reactor
While many countries could have been the source, someone in Arafat's immediate entourage must have slipped a miniscule dose of the deadly isotope probably as a powder into his drink, food, eye drops or toothpaste, he said.

BRIEF RECOVERY

Arafat fell ill in October 2004, displaying symptoms of acute gastroenteritis with diarrhoea and vomiting. At first Palestinian officials said he was suffering from influenza. He was flown to Paris in a French government plane but fell into a coma shortly after his arrival at the Percy military hospital in the suburb of Clamart, where he died on Nov. 11. The official cause of death was a massive stroke but French doctors said at the time they were unable to determine the origin of his illness. No autopsy was carried out.

Barclay said no one would have thought to look for polonium as a possible poison until the Litvinenko case, which occurred two years after Arafat's death. Some experts have questioned whether Arafat could have died of polonium poisoning, pointing to a brief recovery during his illness that they said was not consistent with radioactive exposure. They also noted he did not lose all his hair. But Barclay said neither fact was inconsistent with the findings.

Since polonium loses 50 percent of its radioactivity every four months, the traces in Arafat's corpse would have faded so far as to have become untraceable if the tests had been conducted a couple of years later, the scientist said. "A tiny amount of polonium the size of a flake of dandruff would be enough to kill 50 people if it was dissolved in water and they drank it," he added. The Al Jazeera investigation was spearheaded by investigative journalist Clayton Swisher, a former U.S. Secret Service bodyguard who became friendly with Arafat and was suspicious of the manner of his death. 

Suha Arafat called for an investigation inside the Muqata Palestinian government headquarters and said she and her student daughter, Zahwa Arafat, would pursue the case through the courts in France and elsewhere until the perpetrators were brought to justice. Hani al-Hassan, a former aide, said in 2003 that he had witnessed 13 assassination attempts on Arafat's life, dating back to his years on the run as PLO leader.  Arafat claimed to have survived 40 attempts on his life. Arafat narrowly escaped an Israeli air strike on his headquarters in Tunisia in 1985.  He had just gone out jogging when the bombers attacked, killing 73 people. 

He escaped another attempt on his life when Israeli warplanes came close to killing him during the 182 invasion of Beirut when they hit one of the buildings they suspected he was using as his headquarters but he was not there.  In December 2001, Arafat was rushed to safety just before Israeli helicopters bombarded his compound in Ramallah with rockets. 

Yasser Arafat was murdered with polonium: Widow

Paris: Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was poisoned to death in 2004 with radioactive polonium, his widow Suha said on Wednesday after receiving the results of Swiss forensic tests on her husband's corpse."We are revealing a real crime, a political assassination," she told Reuters in Paris. A team of experts, including from Lausanne University Hospital's Institute of Radiation Physics, opened Arafat's grave in the West Bank city of Ramallah last November, and took samples from his body to seek evidence of alleged poisoning. "This has confirmed all our doubts," said Suha Arafat after the Swiss forensic team handed over its report to her lawyers and Palestinian officials in Geneva on Tuesday. 

"It is scientifically proved that he didn't die a natural death and we have scientific proof that this man was killed." She did not accuse any country or person, and acknowledged that the historic leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization had many enemies, although she noted that Israel had branded him an obstacle to peace. Arafat signed the 1993 Oslo interim peace accords with Israel and led a subsequent uprising after the failure of talks in 2000 on a comprehensive agreement.Allegations of foul play surfaced immediately. Arafat had foes among his own people, but many Palestinians pointed the finger at Israel, which had besieged him in his Ramallah headquarters for the final two and a half years of his life.

"President Arafat passed away as a victim of an organised terrorist assassination perpetrated by a state, that is Israel, which was looking to get rid of him," Wasel Abu Yousef, member of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said in a statement on Wednesday. "The publishing of the results by the Swiss institute confirms his poisoning by polonium and this means that Israel carried it out." The Israeli government has denied any role in his death, noting that he was 75 years old and had an unhealthy lifestyle.  

It made no comment on the new findings.An investigation by the Qatar-based Al Jazeera television news channel first reported last year that traces of polonium-210 were found on personal effects of Arafat given to his widow by the French military hospital where he died.  That led French prosecutors to open an investigation for suspected murder in August 2012 at the request of Suha Arafat. Forensic experts from Switzerland, Russia and France all took samples from his corpse for testing after the Palestinian Authority agreed to open his mausoleum."

SMOKING GUN

"The head of the Russian forensics institute, Vladimir Uiba, was quoted by the Interfax news agency last month as saying no trace of polonium had been found on the body specimens examined in Moscow, but his Federal Medico-Biological Agency later denied he had made any official comment on its findings. The French pathologists have not reported their conclusions publicly or shared any findings with Suha Arafat's legal team. A spokeswoman for the French prosecutor's office said the investigating magistrats had received no expert reports so far. One of her lawyers said the Swiss institute's report would be translated from English into French and handed over to the three magistrates who are investigating the case.

Professor David Barclay, a British forensic scientist retained by Al Jazeera to interpret the results of the Swiss tests, said the findings from Arafat's body confirmed last year's results from traces of bodily fluids on his underwear, toothbrush and clothing. "In my opinion, it is absolutely certain that the cause of his illness was polonium poisoning," Barclay told Reuters. "The levels present in him are sufficient to have caused death. "What we have got is the smoking gun - the thing that caused his illness and was given to him with malice." 

The Swiss scientists' report, posted in full on Al Jazeera's website, was more cautious. It concluded: "Taking into account the analytical limitations aforementioned, mostly time lapse since death and the nature and quality of the specimens, the results moderately support the proposition that the death was the consequence of poisoning with polonium-210." Al Jazeera said the levels of polonium found in Arafat's ribs, pelvis and in soil that absorbed his remains were at least 18 times higher than normal.

The same radioactive substance was slipped into a cup of tea in a London hotel to kill defecting Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in 2006. From his deathbed, Litvinenko accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of ordering his murder. The British government refused to hold a public inquiry into his death after ministers withheld some material which could have shed light on Russia's suspected involvement.

Barclay said the type of polonium discovered in Arafat's body must have been manufactured in a nuclear reactor
While many countries could have been the source, someone in Arafat's immediate entourage must have slipped a miniscule dose of the deadly isotope probably as a powder into his drink, food, eye drops or toothpaste, he said.

BRIEF RECOVERY

Arafat fell ill in October 2004, displaying symptoms of acute gastroenteritis with diarrhoea and vomiting. At first Palestinian officials said he was suffering from influenza. He was flown to Paris in a French government plane but fell into a coma shortly after his arrival at the Percy military hospital in the suburb of Clamart, where he died on Nov. 11. The official cause of death was a massive stroke but French doctors said at the time they were unable to determine the origin of his illness. No autopsy was carried out.

Barclay said no one would have thought to look for polonium as a possible poison until the Litvinenko case, which occurred two years after Arafat's death. Some experts have questioned whether Arafat could have died of polonium poisoning, pointing to a brief recovery during his illness that they said was not consistent with radioactive exposure. They also noted he did not lose all his hair. But Barclay said neither fact was inconsistent with the findings.

Since polonium loses 50 percent of its radioactivity every four months, the traces in Arafat's corpse would have faded so far as to have become untraceable if the tests had been conducted a couple of years later, the scientist said. "A tiny amount of polonium the size of a flake of dandruff would be enough to kill 50 people if it was dissolved in water and they drank it," he added. The Al Jazeera investigation was spearheaded by investigative journalist Clayton Swisher, a former U.S. Secret Service bodyguard who became friendly with Arafat and was suspicious of the manner of his death. 

Suha Arafat called for an investigation inside the Muqata Palestinian government headquarters and said she and her student daughter, Zahwa Arafat, would pursue the case through the courts in France and elsewhere until the perpetrators were brought to justice. Hani al-Hassan, a former aide, said in 2003 that he had witnessed 13 assassination attempts on Arafat's life, dating back to his years on the run as PLO leader.  Arafat claimed to have survived 40 attempts on his life. Arafat narrowly escaped an Israeli air strike on his headquarters in Tunisia in 1985.  He had just gone out jogging when the bombers attacked, killing 73 people. 

He escaped another attempt on his life when Israeli warplanes came close to killing him during the 182 invasion of Beirut when they hit one of the buildings they suspected he was using as his headquarters but he was not there.  In December 2001, Arafat was rushed to safety just before Israeli helicopters bombarded his compound in Ramallah with rockets. 

Mars mission on track, spacecraft's orbit to be raised tomorrow

CHENNAI: A day after its successful launch, India's Mars Orbiter spacecraft was functioning smoothly in the Earth's VELLARADA: A gang consisting of almost 30 activists suspected to be RSS workers hacked SFI leader’s orbit and ready for orbit raising operations on Thursday.

"Since its injection into Earth's orbit yesterday, it has been functioning smoothly on the orbit. We are planning to perform orbit raising manoeuvres in the early hours of tomorrow," an ISRO spokesman said.Right now, the Mars Orbiter Mission is on its first round around the Earth, ISRO sources said.

The spacecraft would go around the Earth five times before going out of the Earth-bound orbit into Sun-centric orbit on December one. It will then go around the Sun embarking on its nine-month voyage to the red planet."
ISRO’S PSLV C 25 had successfully injected the 1,350-kg 'Mangalyaan' Orbiter ('Mars craft') into the orbit around Earth some 44 minutes after a text book launch at 2.38pm from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, marking the successful completion of the first stage of the Rs 450 crore mission.

Since the launch, the control of the mission has been taken over by scientists at Isro Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) at Bangalore.According to a satellite tracking system website www.n2yo.com, the MOM spacecraft had just crossed Nigeria and was flying over Chad in African continent, as at 1.09 pm.

India's MOM was at a perigee of (closest point from Earth) of 264.1km and an apogee (farthest point from Earth) of 23,903.6km with a degree of inclination of 19.3 degree.However, according to the website, MOM would not fly over India, as its trajectory would cross the Indian Ocean, after leaving African continent from Somalia in the afternoon. The International Designator or the NSSDC ID of India's Mars mission is 2013-060A.

The International Designator is the international naming convention for satellites, comprising the launch year, a three digit incrementing launch number of that year and up to a three letter code representing the sequential identifier of a piece in a launch.

Mars mission on track, spacecraft's orbit to be raised tomorrow

CHENNAI: A day after its successful launch, India's Mars Orbiter spacecraft was functioning smoothly in the Earth's VELLARADA: A gang consisting of almost 30 activists suspected to be RSS workers hacked SFI leader’s orbit and ready for orbit raising operations on Thursday.

"Since its injection into Earth's orbit yesterday, it has been functioning smoothly on the orbit. We are planning to perform orbit raising manoeuvres in the early hours of tomorrow," an ISRO spokesman said.Right now, the Mars Orbiter Mission is on its first round around the Earth, ISRO sources said.

The spacecraft would go around the Earth five times before going out of the Earth-bound orbit into Sun-centric orbit on December one. It will then go around the Sun embarking on its nine-month voyage to the red planet."
ISRO’S PSLV C 25 had successfully injected the 1,350-kg 'Mangalyaan' Orbiter ('Mars craft') into the orbit around Earth some 44 minutes after a text book launch at 2.38pm from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, marking the successful completion of the first stage of the Rs 450 crore mission.

Since the launch, the control of the mission has been taken over by scientists at Isro Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) at Bangalore.According to a satellite tracking system website www.n2yo.com, the MOM spacecraft had just crossed Nigeria and was flying over Chad in African continent, as at 1.09 pm.

India's MOM was at a perigee of (closest point from Earth) of 264.1km and an apogee (farthest point from Earth) of 23,903.6km with a degree of inclination of 19.3 degree.However, according to the website, MOM would not fly over India, as its trajectory would cross the Indian Ocean, after leaving African continent from Somalia in the afternoon. The International Designator or the NSSDC ID of India's Mars mission is 2013-060A.

The International Designator is the international naming convention for satellites, comprising the launch year, a three digit incrementing launch number of that year and up to a three letter code representing the sequential identifier of a piece in a launch.

Kerala announces schemes for Saudi Arabia returnees

 

Thiruvananthapuram:The Kerala government Wednesday announced a slew of schemes for returnees from Saudi Arabia, including a subsidy in both capital and interest on short and long term loans.Saudi Arabia is implementing Nitaqat, a programme of Saudisation introduced by that country's ministry of labour, which requires that all firms employing more than 10 people set aside posts for local people and reduce dependence on foreign workers.

The four-month grace period for foreign workers to get proper documents in case they desired to continue working in that country ended Nov 3. Speaking to reporters, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said his government would take up the matter with cash-rich Keralite businessmen in the Middle East, to see if they might be able to accommodate those from the state who are forced to leave Saudi Arabia on account of the new law. 

"Already, we have had one round of sitting with these business houses. It looks promising, and very soon we will have a final round of sitting where concrete job offers from their side are expected," Chandy said. Although the amnesty period ended Sunday, contrary to speculation in the media of a mass exodus, less than 14,000 people have so far returned to Kerala from Saudi Arabia. 

"We wish the returnees to get in touch with Roots-Norka officials who have with them small scale projects in various sectors and will help to set up units. Those who wish to buy vehicles for operating rent-a-car services will get loans at subsidised rates. Those who wish to start a venture in groups also can explore options. All of them can look forward to up to 10 percent subsidy in the capital cost and up to five percent in interest," the chief minister said. 

The state government has also offered programmes where people can avail up to Rs.20 lakh under interest-free schemes for specific projects," Chandy said. Three regional committees of Roots-Norka, the agency coordinating the rehabilitation of returnees, are collecting information about people who wish to return from Saudi Arabia. The state government will charter flights to get them back free of cost, the chief minister said. 

Kerala announces schemes for Saudi Arabia returnees

 

Thiruvananthapuram:The Kerala government Wednesday announced a slew of schemes for returnees from Saudi Arabia, including a subsidy in both capital and interest on short and long term loans.Saudi Arabia is implementing Nitaqat, a programme of Saudisation introduced by that country's ministry of labour, which requires that all firms employing more than 10 people set aside posts for local people and reduce dependence on foreign workers.

The four-month grace period for foreign workers to get proper documents in case they desired to continue working in that country ended Nov 3. Speaking to reporters, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said his government would take up the matter with cash-rich Keralite businessmen in the Middle East, to see if they might be able to accommodate those from the state who are forced to leave Saudi Arabia on account of the new law. 

"Already, we have had one round of sitting with these business houses. It looks promising, and very soon we will have a final round of sitting where concrete job offers from their side are expected," Chandy said. Although the amnesty period ended Sunday, contrary to speculation in the media of a mass exodus, less than 14,000 people have so far returned to Kerala from Saudi Arabia. 

"We wish the returnees to get in touch with Roots-Norka officials who have with them small scale projects in various sectors and will help to set up units. Those who wish to buy vehicles for operating rent-a-car services will get loans at subsidised rates. Those who wish to start a venture in groups also can explore options. All of them can look forward to up to 10 percent subsidy in the capital cost and up to five percent in interest," the chief minister said. 

The state government has also offered programmes where people can avail up to Rs.20 lakh under interest-free schemes for specific projects," Chandy said. Three regional committees of Roots-Norka, the agency coordinating the rehabilitation of returnees, are collecting information about people who wish to return from Saudi Arabia. The state government will charter flights to get them back free of cost, the chief minister said. 

Sachin is much more than strokeplay and statistics

Sachin Tendulkar is on the home stretch, playing his last two Test matches of an amazing career spanning almost a quarter century. Not many legends may have had the luxury of a farewell he is rightly receiving, though quite a few stalwarts like him chose their place and time to bow out of international cricket.

There is no better pastime than discussing the future of the game and the team whenever a great player quits. Mercifully, the question "who after Sachin" remains a murmur, not a hysterical wailing. Instead the talk is which of the youngsters in the Indian team is likely to get closer to some of Tendulkar's innumerable records, if ever they do.

The initial indication is that Virat Kohli can leave the great man behind in at least One-Day cricket, in the number of hundreds and aggregate much faster, but the rider is if the Delhi young man scores his runs at the frenetic pace he is getting now. There is no talk on the opening slot in the One-Day format he vacated a year ago. Within no time the replacement was found, not one but two who have done a lot better than all Tendulkar and his partners did to start with at the top.

As for his No. 4 position in the Test batting order, Kohli should take it now, that Rahul Dravid's one-drop slot has been taken by Cheteshwar Pujara. So, technically, in both the forms of cricket the selectors have been able to find batsmen who will make him feel that the future of Indian cricket is in good hands as he walks off the ground one last time.

Is that all for Tendulkar? It would be naive to make things so simple. Tendulkar is much more than mere strokeplay and statistics. The pleasure he has provided to the fans the world over cannot be measured in compartmental terms of his batting style and the tons of runs he scored.

Tendulkar is an impact player, not by his batting alone. If his presence in his dressing room created that confidence among his teammates, in the rival dressing room his very sight made them nervy. Look at the generations of players he has played with and how many of them still swear by his name for prolonging their careers by making course corrections thanks to tips he unselfishly offered them. That's a great quality in him. 

There have been great teams that represented India after he made his debut and he was a constant factor in all of them. He named at least three teams as best he has played in over the years.

His first pat was for Azharuddin's 1992 team that outclassed the Australians under Mark Taylor. Then came a phase where he thought under Sourav Ganguly the team has blossomed and finally under Mahendra Singh Dhoni he thought he saw the best.

Tendulkar's own contribution to the rise of these teams was immense, and no wonder he has never feared of getting dropped on performance and he has never been kept out of the team on cricketing grounds. Not many cricketers can claim such invincibility.

He has plenty to offer to Indian cricket and some of his interviews have revealed an insight into his approach to keep Indian cricket flourishing. He has definite ideas about junior cricket and how to groom players. Some of his contemporaries have also talked on the subject, but somehow could not get the required push to implement them. The Indian board will do well to pick his brains and make the pipeline more effective.

The motto of the Indian team should be a remarkable quote of his: Every time India wins, individual delight wanes before the team's celebration. The line sums up his cricket philosophy and it should be highlighted in every Indian dressing room to inspire the future generations of cricketers.


IANS

Sachin is much more than strokeplay and statistics

Sachin Tendulkar is on the home stretch, playing his last two Test matches of an amazing career spanning almost a quarter century. Not many legends may have had the luxury of a farewell he is rightly receiving, though quite a few stalwarts like him chose their place and time to bow out of international cricket.

There is no better pastime than discussing the future of the game and the team whenever a great player quits. Mercifully, the question "who after Sachin" remains a murmur, not a hysterical wailing. Instead the talk is which of the youngsters in the Indian team is likely to get closer to some of Tendulkar's innumerable records, if ever they do.

The initial indication is that Virat Kohli can leave the great man behind in at least One-Day cricket, in the number of hundreds and aggregate much faster, but the rider is if the Delhi young man scores his runs at the frenetic pace he is getting now. There is no talk on the opening slot in the One-Day format he vacated a year ago. Within no time the replacement was found, not one but two who have done a lot better than all Tendulkar and his partners did to start with at the top.

As for his No. 4 position in the Test batting order, Kohli should take it now, that Rahul Dravid's one-drop slot has been taken by Cheteshwar Pujara. So, technically, in both the forms of cricket the selectors have been able to find batsmen who will make him feel that the future of Indian cricket is in good hands as he walks off the ground one last time.

Is that all for Tendulkar? It would be naive to make things so simple. Tendulkar is much more than mere strokeplay and statistics. The pleasure he has provided to the fans the world over cannot be measured in compartmental terms of his batting style and the tons of runs he scored.

Tendulkar is an impact player, not by his batting alone. If his presence in his dressing room created that confidence among his teammates, in the rival dressing room his very sight made them nervy. Look at the generations of players he has played with and how many of them still swear by his name for prolonging their careers by making course corrections thanks to tips he unselfishly offered them. That's a great quality in him. 

There have been great teams that represented India after he made his debut and he was a constant factor in all of them. He named at least three teams as best he has played in over the years.

His first pat was for Azharuddin's 1992 team that outclassed the Australians under Mark Taylor. Then came a phase where he thought under Sourav Ganguly the team has blossomed and finally under Mahendra Singh Dhoni he thought he saw the best.

Tendulkar's own contribution to the rise of these teams was immense, and no wonder he has never feared of getting dropped on performance and he has never been kept out of the team on cricketing grounds. Not many cricketers can claim such invincibility.

He has plenty to offer to Indian cricket and some of his interviews have revealed an insight into his approach to keep Indian cricket flourishing. He has definite ideas about junior cricket and how to groom players. Some of his contemporaries have also talked on the subject, but somehow could not get the required push to implement them. The Indian board will do well to pick his brains and make the pipeline more effective.

The motto of the Indian team should be a remarkable quote of his: Every time India wins, individual delight wanes before the team's celebration. The line sums up his cricket philosophy and it should be highlighted in every Indian dressing room to inspire the future generations of cricketers.


IANS

130,000 Indians return from Saudi Arabia

New Delhi: Around 130,000 Indians have returned to India from Saudi Arabia this year following the kingdom's Nitaqat work policy, a top official said Wednesday. Around 5,000 Indian expatriates have also been deported from Kuwait for not possessing proper work documents. There are around 750,000 Indians in Kuwait. According to external affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin, while 130,000 Indians without valid work documents returned in an "orderly" manner, 1.4 million Indians used the extended time offered by Saudi Arabia to regularise their stay in that country.

He said the Nitaqat policy is part of the Saudi Arabian government's move to reorganise the labour market "as it deems fit". He said India was in touch with the Saudi government to ameliorate the adverse effects and Riyadh extended the deadline twice, which ended Nov 3. He said the Indian embassy in Riyadh and the consul in Jeddah had worked overtime to sensitise Indians, numbering 2.8 million, on Nitaqat under which local companies have to hire a Saudi national for every 10 migrants.

According to Mridul Kumar, joint secretary (Gulf) in the ministry, the Indian embassy used the opportunity to regularise status of Indians staying illegally or with invalid visas - entering on a domestic worker visa but taking up a job in a different category. "We managed to make it a huge success," he said.

PTI  

130,000 Indians return from Saudi Arabia

New Delhi: Around 130,000 Indians have returned to India from Saudi Arabia this year following the kingdom's Nitaqat work policy, a top official said Wednesday. Around 5,000 Indian expatriates have also been deported from Kuwait for not possessing proper work documents. There are around 750,000 Indians in Kuwait. According to external affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin, while 130,000 Indians without valid work documents returned in an "orderly" manner, 1.4 million Indians used the extended time offered by Saudi Arabia to regularise their stay in that country.

He said the Nitaqat policy is part of the Saudi Arabian government's move to reorganise the labour market "as it deems fit". He said India was in touch with the Saudi government to ameliorate the adverse effects and Riyadh extended the deadline twice, which ended Nov 3. He said the Indian embassy in Riyadh and the consul in Jeddah had worked overtime to sensitise Indians, numbering 2.8 million, on Nitaqat under which local companies have to hire a Saudi national for every 10 migrants.

According to Mridul Kumar, joint secretary (Gulf) in the ministry, the Indian embassy used the opportunity to regularise status of Indians staying illegally or with invalid visas - entering on a domestic worker visa but taking up a job in a different category. "We managed to make it a huge success," he said.

PTI  

Rs 10 cr to rehabilitate returnees due to Nitaqat law

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government Wednesday announced a rehabilitation package, including a self-employment scheme, at a total outlay of Rs 10 crore for Keralites returning from Saudi Arabia in the wake of implementation of the new labour law in that country.  "The government will provide a 10 per cent subsidy to 1000 entrepreneurs whose projects cost upto Rs 20 lakh and the Cabinet has earmarked Rs 10 crore for this purpose," Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said today after a Cabinet meeting. 
Apart from providing free air tickets to those wanting toreturn from Saudi Arabia, government also plans to charter flights to bring back Keralites, he said. A state-level banking committee would be convened to explore the possibility of extending concessional loans to returnees to start business ventures, Chandy said. Nearly 13,000 people have so far returned from Saudi Arabia after that country announced the new law, he said. 

Saudi Arabia has started strictly implementing Nitaquat, a policy which is part of steps to expand job avenues for its nationals. Under the policy, 10 per cent of jobs even in small and medium business establishments should be reserved for Saudi nationals. Chandy said the state had set up three advisory committees, one each at Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam to help Keralites, whose documents who wanted to return. Non Resident Keralites Affairs Department (NORKA) wouldbe the nodal agency to implement various schemes for the returnees, he added. 

Rs 10 cr to rehabilitate returnees due to Nitaqat law

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government Wednesday announced a rehabilitation package, including a self-employment scheme, at a total outlay of Rs 10 crore for Keralites returning from Saudi Arabia in the wake of implementation of the new labour law in that country.  "The government will provide a 10 per cent subsidy to 1000 entrepreneurs whose projects cost upto Rs 20 lakh and the Cabinet has earmarked Rs 10 crore for this purpose," Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said today after a Cabinet meeting. 
Apart from providing free air tickets to those wanting toreturn from Saudi Arabia, government also plans to charter flights to bring back Keralites, he said. A state-level banking committee would be convened to explore the possibility of extending concessional loans to returnees to start business ventures, Chandy said. Nearly 13,000 people have so far returned from Saudi Arabia after that country announced the new law, he said. 

Saudi Arabia has started strictly implementing Nitaquat, a policy which is part of steps to expand job avenues for its nationals. Under the policy, 10 per cent of jobs even in small and medium business establishments should be reserved for Saudi nationals. Chandy said the state had set up three advisory committees, one each at Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam to help Keralites, whose documents who wanted to return. Non Resident Keralites Affairs Department (NORKA) wouldbe the nodal agency to implement various schemes for the returnees, he added. 

One to two years average time to get pregnant: Study

London: Usually women lose patience within just six months from the time they decide to start a family. But they shouldn't be impatient as a couple takes one to two years to conceive, reveals a study.

A study by the women’s health brand Balance Activ, surveyed 2,000 women in Britain, about their knowledge of conception. They were misinformed when it came to how long and how demanding becoming pregnant can be, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

A mere 15 percent could identify the correct time frame, which is one to two years, while a shocking 43 percent expected to conceive within six months -- 12 percent of them even said three months. 
This ill-informed expectation to conceive sooner can often lead to stress and anxiety in women.

"Deciding to try for a baby can be an intense time for couples. The fact that women are choosing to have children later on in life, combined with an expectation that conception will happen within weeks can also add stress and anxiety to the mix, which in turn can lead to its own problems," said Corrin Farr, senior marketing manager at Balance Activ.

One to two years average time to get pregnant: Study

London: Usually women lose patience within just six months from the time they decide to start a family. But they shouldn't be impatient as a couple takes one to two years to conceive, reveals a study.

A study by the women’s health brand Balance Activ, surveyed 2,000 women in Britain, about their knowledge of conception. They were misinformed when it came to how long and how demanding becoming pregnant can be, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

A mere 15 percent could identify the correct time frame, which is one to two years, while a shocking 43 percent expected to conceive within six months -- 12 percent of them even said three months. 
This ill-informed expectation to conceive sooner can often lead to stress and anxiety in women.

"Deciding to try for a baby can be an intense time for couples. The fact that women are choosing to have children later on in life, combined with an expectation that conception will happen within weeks can also add stress and anxiety to the mix, which in turn can lead to its own problems," said Corrin Farr, senior marketing manager at Balance Activ.

1.34 lakh Indians return, Govt watching situation in Saudi: Ravi

New Delhi: With 1.34 lakh Indian workers already returning to the homeland, Government is closely watching the situation in Saudi Arabia which is targeting illegal foreigners under its new labour policy, Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said on Tuesday.

Asked about the drive in Saudi Arabia under which foreigners who have not corrected labour and residency status under its new labour policy - Nitaqat - are being deported, Ravi said that till now no incident of harassment of Indian nationals has been reported.

"The issue in Saudi Arabia has already been taken up. So far they have not entered into any house for checking. Saudi Arabian government has given specific instructions not to harass people but to check properly and not enter any house," Ravi told reporters at the sidelines of an event.

He said those Indians who are coming back as they are unable to stay there, are also given assistance by the ministry. "1.34 lakh Indians have already come back from Saudi Arabia," Ravi said. 
He said India is closely watching the situation and in touch with various associations as well. The embassy is very actively assisting in case of any problem, he added.

Saudi Arabia has launched a strict inspection campaign to target illegal foreign workers after the seven-month grace period ended on Sunday. The campaign is expected to continue throughout the year and there is no time limit set for it.

Asked if the move will adversely effect India's remittances, Ravi said that a delegation from the ministry has already gone to Saudi Arabia and has discussed the issue. "I was in touch with them. They went in April and also gave suggestions. That is why there are no complaints of harassment to Indians being made. They are checking, listing and people are coming back. This is going on," said Ravi.

He said the number of Indians there has gone up from 2.4 million to 2.8 million. "But there are some people without proper documents and they will send them back. My ministry is in touch with the ambassador and we are providing all the help they want." Asked whether Indians are being targeted abroad, Ravi said, "One cannot make such a general statement.

"There will be some issues here and there, some in the Gulf countries as the employment question comes in. Indians are not targeted and that is why no such serious complains have come to us."

1.34 lakh Indians return, Govt watching situation in Saudi: Ravi

New Delhi: With 1.34 lakh Indian workers already returning to the homeland, Government is closely watching the situation in Saudi Arabia which is targeting illegal foreigners under its new labour policy, Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said on Tuesday.

Asked about the drive in Saudi Arabia under which foreigners who have not corrected labour and residency status under its new labour policy - Nitaqat - are being deported, Ravi said that till now no incident of harassment of Indian nationals has been reported.

"The issue in Saudi Arabia has already been taken up. So far they have not entered into any house for checking. Saudi Arabian government has given specific instructions not to harass people but to check properly and not enter any house," Ravi told reporters at the sidelines of an event.

He said those Indians who are coming back as they are unable to stay there, are also given assistance by the ministry. "1.34 lakh Indians have already come back from Saudi Arabia," Ravi said. 
He said India is closely watching the situation and in touch with various associations as well. The embassy is very actively assisting in case of any problem, he added.

Saudi Arabia has launched a strict inspection campaign to target illegal foreign workers after the seven-month grace period ended on Sunday. The campaign is expected to continue throughout the year and there is no time limit set for it.

Asked if the move will adversely effect India's remittances, Ravi said that a delegation from the ministry has already gone to Saudi Arabia and has discussed the issue. "I was in touch with them. They went in April and also gave suggestions. That is why there are no complaints of harassment to Indians being made. They are checking, listing and people are coming back. This is going on," said Ravi.

He said the number of Indians there has gone up from 2.4 million to 2.8 million. "But there are some people without proper documents and they will send them back. My ministry is in touch with the ambassador and we are providing all the help they want." Asked whether Indians are being targeted abroad, Ravi said, "One cannot make such a general statement.

"There will be some issues here and there, some in the Gulf countries as the employment question comes in. Indians are not targeted and that is why no such serious complains have come to us."

Computer generated "Sweetie" catches child abusers; 100 Indians involved

The Hague: An international children's rights group said on Monday that it had passed details of 1,000  alleged Internet sex offenders to Interpol after trawling video chatrooms with the aid of a computer-generated, 10-year-old Filipina 'girl' named 'Sweetie'. Terre des Hommes urged authorities to tackle the growing problem of minors being coaxed into performing sexual acts in front of a webcam, and said it would provide them with the technology it had developed."The predator won't come forward. The victim won't come forward," Terre des Hommes activist Hans Guyt told a news conference in The Hague. 

"This requires a new way of policing."The group's researchers were inundated with potential predators when they went online with a lifelike, digitally-animated persona named Sweetie.Her video chat partners thought they were talking to a Filipina minor, but in fact they were communicating with a team in a warehouse in the Dutch capital Amsterdam, who were recording everything and looking for clues to their identity."

In 10 weeks, we traced 1,000 men from all over the world who were willing to pay Sweetie to perform sexual acts in front of the webcam," said Albert Jaap van Santbrink, director of Terre des Hommes Netherlands. An Indian news channel has claimed that among the 1,000 men tracked all over from the world, 100 were Indians. 

"Our worst-case scenario is that the same will happen with this phenomenon as with child pornography, which is now a multi-billion industry in the hands of criminal gangs."The largest contingents of named suspects on the dossier came from the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia,  Germany, Turkey, Italy and the Netherlands. In all, the charity identified suspects in 71 countries."

We identified ourselves as 10-year-old Filipino girls. We did not solicit anything unless it was offered to us," said Guyt. He said the researchers had used circumstantial evidence, including handles on the online telephony service Skype and profiles on social networks, to identify suspects. However, the European Union policing agency Europol expressed reservations about Terre des Hommes' approach."We believe that criminal investigations using intrusive surveillance measures should be the exclusive responsibility of law enforcement agencies," said Europol spokesman Soren 

Interpol said Tuesday it was waiting for information from Dutch authorities after a rights group said it had identified 1,000 paedophiles by offering online sex with a computer-generated 10-year-old girl.  
The Lyon-based international police agency said it was aware of the sting operation by Dutch rights group Terre des Hommes Netherlands but had not yet received any evidence. 

"No information about the research or the report was provided to Interpol prior to its publication. The Dutch authorities will provide the material to Interpol after conducting their own assessment," the agency said in a statement.  Terre des Hommes said Monday it had deployed the computer-generated Filipina girl -- dubbed Sweetie -- to Internet chat rooms to ensnare web predators. 

Within a 10-week period, over 20,000 predators from 71 countries approached Sweetie, asking for webcam sex performances. While they were chatting with the "girl", researchers gathered information about them through social media, identified them and eventually passed the details on to police. 

The group said it wanted to raise the alarm about a largely unknown but quickly spreading new form of child exploitation that has tens of thousands of victims in the Philippines alone, known as webcam child sex tourism.  Interpol said it would not comment further on the operation itself, but did warn non-governmental organisations against trying to usurp the role of police. 

"Whilst Interpol recognises the important role of NGOs in child protection, it is important that any criminal investigations should only be undertaken by law enforcement professionals," the statement said.  "This ensures that enquiries are conducted by individuals specifically trained in investigating these types of crime and that any evidence gathered is in accordance with national legislation and can therefore be submitted to the courts."

Computer generated "Sweetie" catches child abusers; 100 Indians involved

The Hague: An international children's rights group said on Monday that it had passed details of 1,000  alleged Internet sex offenders to Interpol after trawling video chatrooms with the aid of a computer-generated, 10-year-old Filipina 'girl' named 'Sweetie'. Terre des Hommes urged authorities to tackle the growing problem of minors being coaxed into performing sexual acts in front of a webcam, and said it would provide them with the technology it had developed."The predator won't come forward. The victim won't come forward," Terre des Hommes activist Hans Guyt told a news conference in The Hague. 

"This requires a new way of policing."The group's researchers were inundated with potential predators when they went online with a lifelike, digitally-animated persona named Sweetie.Her video chat partners thought they were talking to a Filipina minor, but in fact they were communicating with a team in a warehouse in the Dutch capital Amsterdam, who were recording everything and looking for clues to their identity."

In 10 weeks, we traced 1,000 men from all over the world who were willing to pay Sweetie to perform sexual acts in front of the webcam," said Albert Jaap van Santbrink, director of Terre des Hommes Netherlands. An Indian news channel has claimed that among the 1,000 men tracked all over from the world, 100 were Indians. 

"Our worst-case scenario is that the same will happen with this phenomenon as with child pornography, which is now a multi-billion industry in the hands of criminal gangs."The largest contingents of named suspects on the dossier came from the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia,  Germany, Turkey, Italy and the Netherlands. In all, the charity identified suspects in 71 countries."

We identified ourselves as 10-year-old Filipino girls. We did not solicit anything unless it was offered to us," said Guyt. He said the researchers had used circumstantial evidence, including handles on the online telephony service Skype and profiles on social networks, to identify suspects. However, the European Union policing agency Europol expressed reservations about Terre des Hommes' approach."We believe that criminal investigations using intrusive surveillance measures should be the exclusive responsibility of law enforcement agencies," said Europol spokesman Soren 

Interpol said Tuesday it was waiting for information from Dutch authorities after a rights group said it had identified 1,000 paedophiles by offering online sex with a computer-generated 10-year-old girl.  
The Lyon-based international police agency said it was aware of the sting operation by Dutch rights group Terre des Hommes Netherlands but had not yet received any evidence. 

"No information about the research or the report was provided to Interpol prior to its publication. The Dutch authorities will provide the material to Interpol after conducting their own assessment," the agency said in a statement.  Terre des Hommes said Monday it had deployed the computer-generated Filipina girl -- dubbed Sweetie -- to Internet chat rooms to ensnare web predators. 

Within a 10-week period, over 20,000 predators from 71 countries approached Sweetie, asking for webcam sex performances. While they were chatting with the "girl", researchers gathered information about them through social media, identified them and eventually passed the details on to police. 

The group said it wanted to raise the alarm about a largely unknown but quickly spreading new form of child exploitation that has tens of thousands of victims in the Philippines alone, known as webcam child sex tourism.  Interpol said it would not comment further on the operation itself, but did warn non-governmental organisations against trying to usurp the role of police. 

"Whilst Interpol recognises the important role of NGOs in child protection, it is important that any criminal investigations should only be undertaken by law enforcement professionals," the statement said.  "This ensures that enquiries are conducted by individuals specifically trained in investigating these types of crime and that any evidence gathered is in accordance with national legislation and can therefore be submitted to the courts."