2015, ജൂൺ 29, തിങ്കളാഴ്‌ച

NASA explains why June 30 will be 1 second longer

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Washington: Strictly speaking, a day lasts 86,400 seconds. On June 30, the day will officially be a bit longer than usual because an extra second or 'leap' second will be added and NASA has an explanation for this.

'The Earth's rotation is gradually slowing down a bit, so leap seconds are a way to account for that,' said Daniel MacMillan, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

This is the case according to the time standard that people use in their daily lives - Coordinated Universal Time or UTC.

UTC is 'atomic time' - the duration of one second is based on extremely predictable electromagnetic transitions in atoms of cesium.

These transitions are so reliable that the cesium clock is accurate to one second in 1,400,000 years.

However, the mean solar day - the average length of a day, based on how long it takes the Earth to rotate - is about 86,400.002 seconds long.

'That is because the Earth's rotation is gradually slowing down a bit owing to a kind of braking force caused by the gravitational tug of war between the Earth, the Moon and the Sun,' the US space agency said in a statement.

Scientists estimate that the mean solar day has not been 86,400 seconds long since the year 1820 or so.

This difference of two milliseconds, or two thousandths of a second - far less than the blink of an eye - hardly seems noticeable at first.

But if this small discrepancy were repeated every day for an entire year, it would add up to almost a second.

Typically, a leap second is inserted either on June 30 or December 31.

Normally, the clock would move from 23:59:59 to 00:00:00 the next day. But with the leap second on June 30, UTC will move from 23:59:59 to 23:59:60, and then to 00:00:00 on July 1.

In practice, many systems are instead turned off for one second.

Previous leap seconds have created challenges for some computer systems and generated some calls to abandon them altogether.

'In the short term, leap seconds are not as predictable as everyone would like,' said Chopo Ma, geophysicist at Goddard.

'The modelling of the Earth predicts that more and more leap seconds will be called for in the long-term but we cannot say that one will be needed every year,' Ma said.

From 1972, when leap seconds were first implemented, through 1999, leap seconds were added at a rate averaging close to one per year.

Since then, leap seconds have become less frequent.

This June's leap second will be only the fourth to be added since 2000.

IANS

Expatriates to Kuwait can undergo medical tests in Kerala now

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New Delhi: Expatriates from Kerala going to Kuwait for employment, study and joining family can now relax as they can undergo the medical tests in the state itself. This becomes possible with the Kuwait government exempting the Khadamat Integrated Solutions Pvt. Ltd, which runs centres at Mumbai and Hyderabad, from the responsibility of conducting medical screening process.

Instead of Khadamat, now the Gulf Approved Medical Centre Association (GAMCA) has been entrusted to conduct the tests. Since GAMCA has centres in Kozhikode, Manjeri, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, candidates from Kerala need not have to travel to Mumbai or Hyderabad now.

Recently Khadamat hit headlines after reports of the agency charging excess fee from the expatriates and also falling to provide them basic facilities.

While Khadamat charged Rs 24,000, the fess at GAMCA is just Rs 3,800.

Earlier in the day, the medical test fee for those travelling to Kuwait was reduced from Rs 24,000 to Rs 16,000. The decision comes after Indian under-secretary Sunil Jain held talks with Kuwaiti officials and health department officials.

Mathrubhumi News had reported earlier that the agency which had been entrusted to conduct pre-employment medical tests raised the fee from Rs 4,000 to Rs 24,000 in a single step. The money was non-refundable even if the candidate fails to clear the medical test.

As the Khadamat centre in Kochi was shut down, those aspiring for a job in Kuwait had to take the medical fitness test either from its centres in Hyderabad or Mumbai. Making things worse for Keralites, the centres lacked basic facilities and the candidates had to wait under scorching sun for long hours.

Greeks hit by closed banks, warnings from eurozone

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Athens: Anxious pensioners swarmed closed bank branches today and long lines snaked outside ATMs as Greeks endured the first day of serious controls on their daily economic lives ahead of a July 5 referendum that could determine whether the country has to ditch the euro currency and return to the drachma.

As strict capital controls took root following Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' surprise weekend decision to call a
referendum on international creditors' latest economic proposals, Greece's population tried to fathom the sheer scale
of the impact on their day-to-day existence.

Following a breakdown in talks between Greece and its creditors, the country is in the midst of the one of the most
acute financial crises seen anywhere in the world in years. It's running out of time to get the money it needs to stave
off bankruptcy.

That has stoked fears of a crippling bank run, a messy Greek debt default and an exit from the euro. As a result, the
country's government imposed strict capital controls, none more onerous than a daily allowance of a measly 60 euros (USD
67) at the ATM.

The sense of unease was palpable among the crowds of pensioners who lined up outside bank branches hoping they
might open. Many elderly Greeks don't have ATM cards and make cash withdrawals in person, and so found themselves completely cut off from their money.

'I came here at 4 a.m. because I have to get my pension,' said 74-year-old Anastasios Gevelidis, one of about 100
retirees waiting outside the main branch of the National Bank of Greece in the country's second-largest city of Thessaloniki.

'I don't have a card. I don't know what's going on. We don't even have enough money to buy bread,' he said.
The capital controls come ahead of a big 1.6 billion-euro payment Greece has to make to the International Monetary Fund.
It's unlikely to be able to pay that without financial assistance.

Greece's bailout program with its European creditors officially expires Tuesday, meaning the country will not have
access to any of the money still available if it doesn't secure a deal. (AP)

Jayalalithaa takes a massive lead in RK Nagar vote count

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Chennai: Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa took a massive lead over her nearest rival, CPI's C. Mahendran at the end of first round of vote count on Tuesday in the Radhakrishnan Nagar assembly seat by-election.

Counting of votes began at 8 a.m.

At the end of the first round, Jayalalithaa got 9,562 votes (including postal votes), while Communist Party of India's (CPI) candidate C. Mahendran secured 930 votes.

Social activist K.R. Ramaswamy, popularly known as `Traffic Ramaswamy', got 289 votes.

Out of the 11,188 votes counted in the first round, 174 voters opted for NOTA (none of the above).

Sabarinathan wins from Aruvikkara by over 10,000 votes

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Congress party workers celebrating Sabarinathan's lead

Thiruvannathapuram : Congress candidate K.A. Sabarinathan was ahead of his rivals as the counting of votes in the Aruvikara assembly constituency by-election in the capital district began on Tuesday.

Counting of votes began at 8 a.m. and Sabarinathan has taken a lead of 10,128 votes.

Counting of postal votes was taken up first followed by the Tholikode panchayat. Vithura, Ayyadan, Uzhamalaikal, Vellanad, Aruvikkara, Poovachal and finally Kuttichal panchayat votes will be counted.

Of the total votes counted, K S Sabarinathan has so far got 56,448 followed by LDF's M Vijakumar with 46,320 votes and BJP's O Rajagopal with 34,145 votes. Sabarinathan has more lead than what his father G. Karthikeyan had when the latter contested the assembly poll in 2011.

With all the 154 being counted so far, the lead of the Congress candidateis now 10,128 votes. NOTA has taken the fourth spot with total votes 1430.

In the Vithura panchayat, the UDF has taken a major chunk of votes with Vijayakumar able to take a minor lead only in two booths where counting is still on.

In Saturday's polls, 77.35 percent of the electorate had cast their votes.

The assembly constituency witnessed a triangular contest between the CPI-M, the Congress and the BJP. The counting will be held across 14 tables in 11 rounds.

The bypoll is a litmus test for both the Fronts as panchayat polls are to be held later this year and assembly elections are just a year away.

The bypoll was necessitated following the death of former Speaker G Karthikeyan who represented the segment (previously known as Aryanad) in the state assembly from 1991-2015.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said the poll outcome would be a referendum on the government's performance during the past four years while the opposition was confident that the electorate would deal a heavy blow to the ruling Front which was facing various allegations.

2015, ജൂൺ 28, ഞായറാഴ്‌ച

Two Indians killed in Kuwait blast

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Kuwait City: At least two Indians were among the 27 people killed in the bombing at a Shia mosque in Kuwait City, the Indian embassy said.

Rizwan Hussain, 31, of Sultanpur and Ibne Abbas, 25, of Ambedkar Nagar were both from Uttar Pradesh, an embassy statement said.

A suicide bomber hit the mosque on Friday during noon prayers, killing 26 devotees and injuring 227 in an attack claimed by the Islamic State. The attacker also died.

The embassy has advised the Indian community in Kuwait to take precautions for its safety and security in the wake of the blast.

Over 800,000 Indians live in Kuwait, forming the second biggest expatriate community after Egyptians.

Most Indians are employed in the private sectors and are workers, technicians, engineers, doctors, chartered accountants and IT experts.

Vigilance sought legal advice from lawyer representing bar owners

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Thiruvananthapuram: In yet another twist in bar bribery case, reports are out that the Vigilance Director sought legal advice from a senior lawyer who represented the bar owners.

Vigilance Director Vinson M Paul reportedly sought opinion from senior lawyer and former Additional Solicitor General L Nageswar Rao, who represented the bar owners in the Supreme Court questioning the state government's liquor policy.

Rao had represented the Qualified Hotels Association and the petition is still pending in the Supreme Court. Vinson M Paul had approached Rao as he failed to receive any legal advice from the government officially.

As per Rao's opinion, he further directed Vigilance SP and investigating officer Sukesan not to submit charge sheet against Finance Minister K M Mani in the case.

The Vigilance Director's move has kicked up a controversy as Sukesan is preparing to submit a report in this regard in court.

World Leaders Condemn String Of ‘Barbaric’ Attacks

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Iran Condemns Attacks In Tunisia, Kuwait And France

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and several other top officials from ministries, other government agencies and private sector joined a large number of citizens from various segments at the Grand Mosque where people went to condole relatives of the victims in the bombing of a Shia mosque in Sawaber.

PARIS, June 27, (AFP): US and UN leaders led an international chorus of outrage and condemnation after a string of suspected Islamist attacks in France, Kuwait and Tunisia Friday left dozens dead. The White House expressed solidarity and vowed to “fight the scourge of terrorism,” offering all three countries “any necessary support”.

Aides said US President Barack Obama was being regularly briefed on the attacks, which spanned continents and happened during the Muslim day of prayer in the holy month of Ramadan. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also strongly condemned the “appalling” attacks and said those responsible “must be swiftly brought to justice.” While there were no indications that the attacks were coordinated they came days after the Islamic State (IS) group urged supporters to carry out Ramadan attacks.

One person was found decapitated at a gas factory in southeastern France while in Tunisia gunmen killed at least 37 people at a beach resort frequented by European tourists. At least five British tourists were among the victims.

Another 25 people died in a suicide bombing claimed by Islamic State jihadists in Kuwait. The word “heinous” was repeated time and again as politicians worldwide reacted to the attacks. European leaders also condemned the “heinous” attacks, vowing to maintain a united front against “barbarism”. French President Francois Hollande and his Tunisian counterpart Beji Caid Essebsi expressed their solidarity against the “scourge” of terrorism. He also announced he was raising the security level to the highest possible in the Lyon region, where the gas factory attack took place.

Among his fellow European Union leaders gathered for a summit in Brussels, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was one of the first to react to news of the attack in France. “Barbarism will always be confronted by unity among democrats,” he wrote in a message on Twitter. Spain, which shares a border with southwestern France, swiftly raised its terror alert level from medium to high.

Challenges
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the attacks “show the challenges we face when it comes to fighting terrorism and Islamist extremism” while Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron called the attacks the fruit of “perverted ideology”. The EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini after the summit called for the Arab world and Europe to stay united. “Arabs, Europeans, Muslims, non- Muslims, we are together, in the same boat,” she said. “The response will be more unity and expressing very clearly, as an alliance of civilisations, that there can be no way in which a religion be misused to tear us apart.” Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said the attack in France “confirms that beyond the known battle fronts there are small, very well organised groups”. Czech President Milos Zeman described Islamic State as “a cancer,” calling for its training camps to be destroyed.

Outside of Europe, Israeli immigration minister Zeev Elkin urged French Jews to flee to the Jewish state. “Come home! Anti-Semitism is rising, terror is increasing,” he warned. Muslim clerics also condemned that attacks, using some of the strongest language to do so. A task force against extremism set up by Egypt’s mufti, the government’s interpreter of Islamic law, said that attacks had done untold damage to the image of Islam “far more than what anyone else has done, whether Muslim or non-Muslim”, Prominent Sunni cleric Yusuf al- Qaradawi suggested that the militants were worse than “beasts”. “Beasts don’t kill other animals except for what they need to eat, but some people never get their fill from murder and blood,” he wrote on Twitter.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said he was “both saddened and angered today to learn of the heinous terrorist attacks”. The Argentinian, Mexican and Brazilian governments were also among those strongly condemning the attack. EU head Donald Tusk said that the attack in Tunisia affected foreign tourists but also “the security of the whole region and, in the longer term, the security of Europe.”

Struggle
Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz went further, speaking of a “struggle between the civilised world and the barbarism of jihadism.” Iran has condemned the jihadist attacks in Tunisia, Kuwait and France, saying they were “contrary to the teachings of Islam,” in statements released Saturday by the foreign ministry. The killings were not apparently coordinated, but the Islamic State group claimed the atrocities in Tunisia and Kuwait, just days before the first anniversary of it declaring a “caliphate” in Iraq and Syria. “These terrorist acts are contrary to the teachings of Islam,” said foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham in Tehran. In a separate statement she also denounced the attack in a Tunisian hotel that killed 38 people, mostly British tourists. The incident was aimed at “defacing Islam’s image,” she said, urging governments of Muslim countries to “take effective measures against acts of terrorism that harm the image and unity of the Muslim world.” Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also condemned the “barbarous” attack against a Shiite mosque in Kuwait that killed 26 people. In a telephone conversation with his Kuwaiti counterpart, Zarif said such acts were “one of the key threats against countries in the region”.

NUMEROUS’ ARRESTS OF SUSPECTS IN MOSQUE ATTACK

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Thousands Call For Unity At Burial - Mosque Officer Interrogated

Huge crowds of mourners converged on the Al-Sulaibikhat cemetery Saturday to bury the dead from the terrorist blast that targeted worshippers at Imam Al-Sadiq Mosque on Friday. Among the crowds, besides Kuwaiti natives and foreign residents, were mourners from the GCC states and some who might have lost a loved one in the tragic incident.

KUWAIT CITY, June 27, (Agencies): Thousands of Kuwaitis braved scorching summer heat on Saturday to attend the funerals of 18 out of 27 victims of a Shiite mosque bombing claimed by the Islamic State group. The bodies of the remaining nine victims will be flown late Saturday to Iraq’s Shiite holy city of Najaf for burial there, State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Sabah said. Drapped in Kuwaiti flags, the bodies were borne by mourners who chanted religious slogans.

Mourners turned out in large numbers despite the Ramadan daylight fast and as temperatures hit 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit). “This crowd is the proof that the objectives of the criminal act have failed,” Parliament Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem told reporters as he led a large number of MPs and ministers to the cemetery west of Kuwait City. The mourners, who included women clad in black Islamic dress, carried Kuwaiti flags in addition to black and green banners bearing religious slogans.

The interior ministry said in a statement early Saturday that 27 people and the suicide bomber were killed and 227 wounded in one of the country’s worst bombings and its first ever on a mosque. The health ministry said that 40 wounded are still in hospital and the rest have been discharged. Two of the dead were Iranian, the Shiite-dominated Islamic republic’s foreign ministry said. Friday’s attack targeted Al-Imam Al- Sadeq mosque in Kuwait City during Friday noon prayers.

Condolences were being accepted for three days from Saturday at the Grand Mosque, the largest place of worship for Sunni Muslims, in a show of solidarity. The interior ministry said it has arrested the owner of the car the bomber used to go to the mosque, and that the driver was now being sought.

Bomber
The vehicle’s owner gave it to someone who drove the suicide bomber to the mosque, a ministry statement said. The ministry said an unspecified number of suspects were held for questioning in connection with the attack that shook the country. No details were provided. The government briefed MPs in a joint meeting about measures it has taken after the bombing, Sheikh Mohammad told reporters. His Highness the Amir, the government, Parliament and political groups and clerics have all said the attack aimed to stir up sectarian strife in the emirate.

Sunni religious and political groups were quick to condemn the attack which was claimed by IS, a radical Sunni group which considers Shiites to be heretics. Shiites form a third of Kuwait’s 1.3 million native population. The cabinet announced after an emergency meeting on Friday that all security agencies and police had been placed on alert to confront what it called “black terror”.

Justice and Islamic Affairs Minister Yacoub Al-Sane said additional security measures will be taken around mosques and places of worship. Kuwait declared Saturday to be a day of mourning. The Amir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al- Sabah, who visited the site immediately after the bombing, said the “criminal attack is a desperate and evil attempt targeting Kuwait’s national unity”.

Countries and organisations including the United Nations and the United States deplored the bombing. Eight Islamist, liberal and Shiite political groups condemned the attack in a joint statement and called on the government to confront extremists. National oil conglomerate Kuwait Petroleum Corp. (KPC) said on Saturday it had raised security at oil facilities to maximum level. Oil is Kuwait’s main source of income, accounting for around 90 percent of public revenues. The OPEC member says it sits on around 10 percent of global reserves and pumps around 2.8 million barrels of oil per day.

The police officer in charge of security at Imam Al-Sadiq Mosque is under interrogation, after the surveillance camera within the mosque premises revealed that the officer had left the scene after the bomb incident, reports Al-Shahed daily, reports Al-Anba daily. The Interior Ministry categorically quashed on Saturday local press reports on receiving information four days before on plans to target places of worship, prior to Friday’s Imam Al-Sadiq Mosque blast, and did not “pay them due attention.” The ministry stressed in a statement that it never discards tips pertaining to security of the nation and the people.

It noted that its members are doing their best to firmly combat any danger to the country. The statement urged the press to verify information prior to publication to avoid confusion and disturbing security and safety, and not to discredit the ministry efforts at the time when the nation needs all to join forces.

25 killed in suicide bombing of Shiite mosque in Kuwait

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KUWAIT: Twenty five people were killed and 202 wounded when a suicide bomber attacked a mosque in Kuwait City today. Mahmoud Al Dousary, assistant undersecretary for special forces affairs with the Ministry of Interior confirmed the number of dead today in a statement to the press.

The bomber snuck into the Imam Al-Sadiq Mosque near Kuwait's famous Al-Sawaber district in Sharq at the end of the busy noon prayer. Casualties covered in blood could be seen throughout the mosque grounds. Earlier, a government official confirmed to Kuwait Times that the attack was a suicide bombing.

Amir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah immediately visited the mosque and wounded, many of whom were taken to Amiri Hospital for treatment. Photos from the mosque show a chaotic scene with blood-covered bodies. Hundreds of police and emergency response teams at the scene. The Cabinet held an emergency meeting in response to the attack.

The imam of Al-Sadiq mosque Sheikh Hamed Hadi Al-Saleh told Kuwait Times, "A suicide bomber entered the mosque. During the sujoud, he shouted 'Allahu Akbar' three times and blew himself up near worshippers in the back rows. People sitting on chairs were the closest to him, and thus most affected."

The attack is the first suicide bombing in Kuwait since the 1985 suicide bombing attack on the late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah. Today's attack was immediately claimed by a group in Saudi Arabia affiliated with Islamic State militants. The Al Nadj Province group, an offshoot of IS, named the bomber as Abu Suleiman Al-Muwahhid.

Kuwait's Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al Sabah said the suicide bombing was a deliberate attack on Kuwaiti unity. Approximately 30 percent of the country's citizens are of the Shiite sect, the rest are Sunni.

But Kuwait social media responded with calls for unity and prayers for those who died or were wounded in the attack. Hundreds of people flocked to Amiri Hospital to search for relatives or to offer donations of blood. The local blood bank opened to receive donations as well.

2015, ജൂൺ 27, ശനിയാഴ്‌ച

Additional District Magistrate arrested for accepting bribe

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Kakkanad: Vigilance and Anti-Corruption bureau officials today arrested Ernakulam Additional District Magistrate (ADM) for allegedly accepting bribe from a person for granting explosive license, a top official said here today.

The accused ADM, B Ramachandran was arrested from his quarters this morning after he allegedly took Rs one lakh
bribe from a native from nearby Thrippunithura for issuing license for running his explosive store, the official said.

The Vigilance team headed by DySP Biju Mon have recovered Rs one lakh and another Rs 40,000 from his quarters
during a search operation. A man who reached there with Rs 15,000 when the search was being conducted has also been taken into custody, they said.

Vigilance suspect that the man reached the quarters to give bribe to Ramachandran.

Ramachandran will be produced before the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau court in Kozhikode today, officials
said.

A discreet probe was launched against Ramachandran after K M Antony, SP, Vigilance, Ernakulam Range, received
complaints from several quarters against him, vigilance sources said. PTI

Same-sex couples can now marry across US

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Washington: Giving gay rights activists their biggest victory yet, the US Supreme Court ruled Friday that same-sex couples can marry nationwide and states cannot ban such marriages - an issue that divides America and India too.

President Barack Obama, who come out in support of same sex marriage only three years ago in the face of fast-changing public opinion in the midst of his 2012 re-election campaign, hailed the apex court's 5-4 ruling as 'a victory for America'.

Social progress sometimes comes in small increments, he said from the White House Rose Garden, 'and then there are days like this, when that slow, steady effort is rewarded with justice that arrives like a thunderbolt'.

'America should be very proud,' said Obama whose administration supported the challengers to the gay marriage bans in the apex court.

Unlike India, where homosexuality is a criminal offence, same-sex couples can marry in 36 American states today, but federal appeals courts have been divided over whether states must allow same-sex couples to marry and recognize such marriages performed elsewhere.

The 14 same-sex couples and two widowers who challenged gay marriage bans in Michigan, Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio were just a few of the estimated 650,000 same-sex couples in the US, 125,000 of whom are raising children.

Lawyers for the four states argued their bans were justified by tradition and the distinctive characteristics of opposite-sex unions.

The issue, they said, should be resolved democratically, at the polls and in state legislatures, rather than by judges.

The challengers included same-sex couples who wanted to marry, those who sought to have their lawful out-of-state marriage recognized, as well as those who wanted to amend a birth or death certificate with their marriage status.

'No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family,' wrote Justice Anthony Kennedy for the majority with four liberal justices.

'In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than they once were,' he added

In a dissent, Justice Antonin Scalia blasted the court's 'threat to American democracy.'

'The substance of today's decree is not of immense personal importance to me,' he wrote. 'But what really astounds is the hubris reflected in today's judicial Putsch.'

IANS

39 killed in Tunisia hotel attack

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Tunis: At least 39 people were killed in an armed attack on a Tunisian hotel in the popular resort of Sousse, an interior ministry official said on Friday.

A security operation was going on inside the hotel, according to ministry spokesperson Mohamed Ali Aroui, Xinhua said citing TAP news agency.

The city of Sousse is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the country.

Tunisia has been on high alert since March when gunmen attacked the Bardo museum in Tunis, killing a group of foreign tourists in one of the worst attacks in a decade in the North African country.

5 students killed as tree falls over school bus in Kothamangalam

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Photo: Basil M Varghese, Nellimattom

Kothamangalam: In a tragic incident, five students were killed when a tree fell over a moving school bus here on Friday evening.

The deceased identified as Krishnendu (5), Johar (13), Ameen, Niza and Gouri _ are students of Karukadom Vidya Vikas School.

The accident happened near MBITS engineering College at Nellimattom around 4.5 pm while the students were taken back from school.

Eyewitnesses say a huge tree that stood on the roadside fell over the bus. The students who were sitting in the front portion of the bus met with the accident.

Local residents along with personnel from the police and Fire and Rescue Services Departments carried out the rescue work.

Indian high commissioner to leave New Zealand after wife accused of assault

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MELBOURNE: Indian high commissioner in New Zealand is set to leave the country after allegations that his wife had assaulted a staff member.

High commissioner Ravi Thapar was formally recalled and a vehicle was seen this morning at his Wellington address, media reports said.

NZ Radio website said that Police were declined to interview both Thapar and his wife Sharmila.

Police said that the staff member who made the allegation of assault had returned to India in early May.

Police further said that the victim did not want to press charges. They had since made welfare checks with the man, who said he was fine and happy to be home.

The victim, believed to be a chef, had walked 20km one night from the diplomat's residence to Wellington where he was found by member of a public in a distress state.

He was then taken to police station and later spent several nights at Wellington Night Shelter. He alleged that he was kept in slavery and was assaulted by Sharmila.

The ministry of foreign affairs and trade said it is aware Thapar is preparing to leave New Zealand.

'MFAT was aware a staff member raised with New Zealand police concerns about his treatment in the high commission,' a spokesman confirmed to the New Zealand Herald.

'MFAT has been advised the individual concerned elected not to take the matter further. That staff member had independent legal representation and decided to return to India.'

Argentina tops Colombia 5-4 in shootout, reaches Copa semis

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Chile: Argentina defeated Colombia 5-4 on penalty kicks after a 0-0 tie Friday night and will play Brazil or Paraguay next week in the Copa America semifinals.

Following a scoreless regulation that Argentina dominated, the game went straight to a shootout and Carlos Tevez converted the winning kick after his team squandered a pair of earlier chances to end the match. Lucas Biglia shot wide in the shootout and Marcos Rojo hit the crossbar.

Argentina is trying to win its first major title since the 1993 Copa America. In Monday's semifinal, host Chile meets Peru.

Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina had two of the tournament's best saves in the 26th minute. He sprawled and used his feet to stop Sergio Aguero on a point-blank shot. The ball bounced to Lionel Messi, who turned 28 on Wednesday, and the four-time world player of the year headed the ball toward an open net. Ospina then scrambled to his right to bat the shot away.

Ever Banega hit the crossbar in the 78th, and two minutes later Ospina batted Nicolas Otamendi's shot off a post before a Colombian player cleared the ball off the line.

Tevez raced into the area in the 88th and collided with Ospina. The ball was rolling toward an open goal before Jeison Murillo cleared it off the line.AP

Sukumaran Nair declines to meet Suresh Gopi

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Photo: G Sivaprasad

Changanassery: NSS general secretary G Sukumaran Nair declined to meet cine star Suresh Gopi when he reached the NSS headquarters in Perunna where the budget session was going on. According to reports, Nair had asked Suresh Gopi 'who had invited you here; your show is not needed here.'

Suresh Gopi had gone to seek the blessings of the Almighty at Vazhapalli on his birthday. After the darshan he reached Perunna and offered floral tributes at the Mannam memorial. Soon after, he left for the NSS budget session. When he entered the room where the budget session was going on, he was asked by NSS general secretary why he had come here. Nair said it was not right to come here on this day.

Suresh Gopi reacting to the incident said he left the place with a heavy heart.

Over 50 pc polling in Aruvikkara by noon

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Voters turned up in large numbers on Saturday to cast their ballot in the by-election for Kerala assembly constituency Aruvikara, an official said.

Voters queued up much before the start of polling at 7 a.m and after three hours of polling 21 percent of the electorate had exercised their franchise.

The by-poll was necessitated following the death of sitting member and assembly speaker G. Karthikeyan in March. He had represented the constituency for 24 years.

There are a total of 16 candidates in the fray, and there are a total of 184,210 voters -- up from 164,884 in 2011, when Karthikeyan won with a margin of over 10,000 votes.

The ruling Congress has fielded Karthikeyan's 31-year-old son K.A. Sabarinathan, while the Communist Party of India-Marxist has nominated 67-year-old former speaker and minister M. Vijayakumar and the Bharatiya Janata Party has pitted its regular warhorse, O. Rajagopal, 85, in the fray.

On Saturday, all three candidates expressed confidence of winning the poll.

Sabarinathan said his biggest advantage is that Aruvikara electorate has been an extended family for him, while Vijayakumar said Keralites all over the world were viewing this election and the electorate is waiting to give a fitting lesson to the Oommen Chandy government.

Rajagopal said for the past five decades, the people of Kerala had just two options, either the Congress-led front or a CPI-M led government. He said the BJP has now emerged as the third alternative and people will definitely vote for a change.

Saturday's election will see the photo of candidates affixed on the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for the first time in a bid to eliminate confusion among voters.

2015, ജൂൺ 26, വെള്ളിയാഴ്‌ച

Imran Khan calls for mass civil disobedience

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The Pakistani opposition leader set a two-day deadline for Nawaz Sharif to step down and vowed to continue his ‘dharna’ (sit-in) in Islamabad.

Pakistan cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan on Sunday asked the people to stop paying taxes to the government in a civil disobedience movement to oust Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from power.

“We will not pay electricity and gas bills, the general sales tax and other taxes until Nawaz Sharif resigns,” Imran declared in what has been described as his political career’s most important speech to a huge crowd in the capital.

Imran, who heads the parliament’s third largest political bloc and is Tehreek-i-Insaaf chief, said he does not want to promote disorder and lawlessness in the country. He stopped short of asking the crowd to overrun the ‘red zone’ which houses the PM House, the Parliament House and other sensitive buildings because that would lead to clashes with security forces and bloodshed.

Imran set a two-day deadline for Nawaz Sharif to step down and vowed to continue his ‘dharna’ (sit-in) in Islamabad.

Parallel to Imran’s gathering, cleric Tahirul Qadri also addressed an equally impressive crowd of dedicated followers, during which he said Sharif has only 24 hours left to resign, failing which his people would be ready for a ‘revolution’.

Sharif curtailed his weekend stay in Lahore and flew back to the capital for intense talks with close aides to tackle the evolving situation.

(Khaleej Times)

General Mohammed gives Dh3 million to students for buying books

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General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed’s grant is aimed at encouraging students to buy books and enrich their knowledge through more reading.

General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on Tuesday gave directives to grant Dh3 million for children, youth and school and university students to enable them to buy books at Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) which begins today.

General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed’s grant is aimed at encouraging students to buy books and enrich their knowledge through more reading.

Juma Al Qubaisi, ADIBF Director and Executive Director of the National Library, a division of Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), said the initiative of General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed reflects the interest of the leadership in providing students with all facilities in order to enable them to obtain knowledge from books and valuable publications as the fair will put more than half a million titles covering all disciplines and sciences and providing a platform for intercultural interaction.

The TCA Abu Dhabi will give out the vouchers to students of public and private schools and universities during the 24th edition of the fair at Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre (ADNEC). Running till May 5, the ADIBF is being organised by the TCA Abu Dhabi under the patronage of General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed.

(Khaleej Times)

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait to abide by UN blacklisting of citizens

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Two of the blacklisted men were Saudis wanted by Riyadh for links to militants, while two others were Kuwaitis, including a prominent cleric accused of links to Nusra Front..

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait agreed to comply with a United Nations resolution aimed at stopping financing for Islamist militant groups in Syria and Iraq after four of their nationals were named among a group blacklisted by the international body.

The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on Friday intended to weaken the Islamic State - an Al Qaeda splinter group that has seized swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria and declared a caliphate - and Al Qaeda’s Syrian wing, Nusra Front.

Riyadh this year declared the Islamic State group and the Nusra Front terrorist organisations, imposing prison terms for giving them moral or material support, and has mobilised its clerics to preach against private donations to militants.

The Islamic State has long been blacklisted by the Security Council, while Nusra Front was added earlier this year. Both groups are designated under the UN Al Qaeda sanctions regime.

Gulf media said that two of the blacklisted men were Saudis wanted by Riyadh for links to militants, while two others were Kuwaitis, including Sheikh Hajjaj bin Fahd Al Ajmi, a prominent cleric accused of links to Syria’s Al Qaeda branch, the Nusra Front.

“Kuwait will abide by the UN Resolution 2170 and implement all its terms,” Kuwait’s UN ambassador Mansour Ayyad Al Otaibi said in a statement carried by state news agency KUNA on Saturday.

Under Friday’s resolution, the six people will be subject to an international travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo. It asks UN experts - charged with monitoring violations of the council’s Al Qaeda sanctions regime - to report in 90 days on the threat posed by Islamic State and Nusra Front, and on details of their recruitment and funding.

The London-based Asharq Al Awsat said the two Saudis, Abdul Mohsen Abdallah Ibrahim Al Charekh and Abdelrahman Mouhamad Zafir al Jahani, were on two lists of wanted militants issued in 2009 and in 2011.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors casualties in fighting in Syria, has said that Charekh was killed near the Syrian coastal city of Latakia in March. Jahani was believed to be at large somewhere outside Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Abdullah Al Mualami, also said Riyadh was “committed to implementation” of the resolution.

Both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have recently tightened laws aimed at preventing citizens from involvement in foreign conflicts and instructed mosque preachers to abide by government policies during their sermons.

The Kuwaiti government last month ordered non-governmental public welfare associations to refrain from involvement in politics and shut down branches of some associations.

In Saudi Arabia, Muslim Sharia courts have issued a series of verdicts jailing people for going to fight abroad or collecting funds for militants.

(REUTERS)

Netanyahu says undeterred by Hamas warnings in talks

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The Palestinian demand for a Gaza sea port and reconstruction of an airport destroyed in previous conflicts with Israel has been a stumbling block.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday any deal on Gaza’s future at truce talks in Cairo must be contingent on Israel’s security needs, cautioning Hamas against carrying out its threat of a long war if Palestinian demands are not met.

With a five-day ceasefire due to expire late on Monday, negotiators were to reconvene in the Egyptian capital to seek an end to five weeks of hostilities that have killed more than 2,000 people.

Both sides say gaps remain in reaching a long-term deal that would keep the peace between Israel and militant groups in the Hamas-dominated Gaza Strip, and open the way for reconstruction aid to reach the battered enclave.

Hamas wants Israeli and Egyptian blockades of the Gaza Strip lifted, as well as the establishment of a seaport and airport, as part of any enduring halt to violence.

Israel, which launched its offensive on July 8 after a surge in cross-border Hamas rocket attacks, has shown scant interest in making sweeping concessions, and has called for the disarming of militant groups in the territory of 1.8 million people.

Netanyahu, in public remarks to his cabinet, said Hamas should not underestimate Israel’s resolve to battle on.

“Only if there is a clear response to our security needs will we agree to reach understandings,” he said.

“If Hamas thinks that through continued intermittent firing it will cause us to make concessions, it is mistaken. For as long as quiet does not return, Hamas will continue to absorb very harsh strikes.”

The Gaza offensive has had broad public support in Israel, where militants’ rockets, many of them intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile system, have disrupted everyday life but caused little damage and few casualties.

Commenting on Netanyahu’s remarks, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said: “The only way to achieve security is to afford security to the Palestinians first and to lift the blockade and to agree to their demands.”

On Saturday, Osama Hamdan, the head of Hamas’s foreign affairs, said on Facebook: “Israel must accept the demands of the Palestinian people or face a long war.”

Egypt, which is mediating between the sides and, like Israel, views Hamas as a security threat, has given little detail on any progress in the talks.

“As of now, Israel has not agreed to any proposals,” an Israeli official said on condition of anonymity.

The United Nations said 425,000 people in the Gaza Strip have been displaced by the war. The Palestinian Health Ministry in the enclave says 1,980 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in the conflict.

On the Israeli side, 64 soldiers and three civilians have been killed.

Egyptian and Palestinian sources have said that at the Cairo talks Israel had tentatively agreed to relax curbs on the movement of people and goods across the border, subject to certain conditions.

Israeli Communications Minister Gilad Erdan, a member of Netanyahu’s security cabinet, said Israel was examining the Egyptian proposal as a whole and had yet to make any final decision.

“There are sections that are problematic as far as Israel is concerned,” Erdan said on Israel Radio, without elaborating.

The Palestinian demand for a Gaza sea port and reconstruction of an airport destroyed in previous conflicts with Israel has been a stumbling block, with Israel citing security reasons for opposing their operation.

Israel and Hamas have not met face-to-face in Cairo: Israel regards Hamas, which advocates its destruction, as a terrorist group. The Palestinian delegation includes representatives of Hamas and US-backed President Mahmoud Abbas, who brought his former Islamist rivals into a unity government in April.

(REUTERS)

World No Tobacco Day: 500 retailers in Dubai stop sale of tobacco for 24 hours..

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Anwar Ajaz (name changed), a 27-year-old Dubai resident, has tried every “tried and tested method” to kick the smoking habit. Several nicotine patches and anti-tobacco chewing gums later, Ajaz has concluded that he has just not reached a point where he wants to give up smoking completely.

“It’s like being in a self-damaging relationship with a cigarette,” laughed Ajaz.

It is not really a laughing matter, though. Cigarette smoking is the number one risk factor for lung cancer and tobacco smoke is a mix of more than 4,000 chemicals, of which 250 are toxic and at least 50 others are known to cause cancer.

“People who quit smoking have a lower risk of lung cancer, but their risk is higher than the risk of people who never smoked. However, it is important to note that quitting tobacco at any age can lower the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases,” said Dr Sami Mana, community medicine specialist at the Dubai Health Authority (DHA).

On the occasion of the World No Tobacco Day, about 500 retailers across Dubai stopped the sale of tobacco for 24 hours. The initiative that was spearheaded by the Dubai Municipality garnered a lot of public interest and, most importantly, raised awareness about the ill effects of smoking.

Ahmad Saeed Al Naqaz, public safety officer and campaign coordinator, told Khaleej Times: “I think the campaign is going really well. The whole point of the campaign is to raise awareness and I think we’ve successfully done that. Most retail outlets have stopped the sale of tobacco and ... DM officials are distributing brochures to people in these places as well.”

He said targeting major landmarks like Dubai Aquarium, The Dubai Mall, Vox Cinemas and Ski Dubai at the Mall of the Emirates on a weekend helped because the footfall was higher.

“We have no numbers so far of the total number of cigarette packets that were not sold. From what I notice, people are genuinely interested ... Retail outlets did have some people coming and asking for cigarettes, but they were turned down.”

Several retail chains have taken a step forward and have completely stopped the sale of cigarettes at their outlets.

The 500 shops that stopped selling cigarettes and tobacco products from 12am Saturday to 12am Sunday belong to the major retail groups in Dubai — Emarat, Enoc and Eppco petrol stations, Hyper Panda, Al Safeer, News Center, Kadoli, Spinney’s, Waitrose, Carrefour, Zoom, Choithram, LuLu, Al Maya, Family, West Zone, J-Mart, Fresh Plus, Talal, Lifco, KM Trading, Baqer Mohebi, Shaklan, Sunrise, Galaxy, Wow Pinoy, Masco, Grand Mart, Megamart, Tabeer, City Corner, Thomson, Wafa Al Madina, Mars, EMart and Majelan Al Madina.

Healthy ways to quit

The DHA, in its weekly Twitter clinic, advocated the importance of smoking cessation on May 29.

In the session, smoking cessation specialists disseminated vital information with an aim to educate the community about the ill-effects of smoking and provide information about the DHA’s various smoking cessation programs. Dr Manal Taryam, CEO of Primary Healthcare Centre, said: “DHA is keen on curbing the menace of tobacco consumption in its community and therefore, in addition to regular awareness campaigns, we have dedicated smoking cessation clinics. This is in line with the Tobacco Free Dubai Project which was implemented in 2009 and the Dubai Health Strategy 2013-2025. Since the project was implemented in 2009, more than 30,000 people have benefited from the smoking cessation campaigns which the DHA has conducted across universities, schools, private and public sectors.”

(Khaleej Times)

2015, ജൂൺ 24, ബുധനാഴ്‌ച

RAW tried to sabotage Zimbabwe cricket team's Pak tour: minister

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RAW tried to sabotage Zimbabwe cricket team's Pak tour: minister

The home minister of Punjab province in Pakistan, Shuja Khanzada, on Wednesday alleged that the Indian spy and intelligence agency, RAW, had made attempts to ensure that the Zimbabwe cricket team did not tour the country in May.

He claimed in the Punjab assembly in Lahore that the Indian agency had attempted to sabotage the Zimbabwe cricket team's tour, which concluded successfully in late May, marking the first visit by a Test team to Pakistan in six years' time.

Khanzada alleged that India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officials had sent a text to the Zimbabwe team manager when the squad landed in Dubai with threats that if their players went to Lahore, none of them would go back alive.

'We came to know about this when the team manager forwarded that message to us and we sent it to our security agencies. When they investigated the origin of the message it belonged to an RAW official,' the home minister claimed.

Zimbabwe played two T20 matches and three one-day internationals at the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore with all the games drawing capacity crowd. The visiting team was given unprecedented security throughout the tour.

Even an incident during the second One-day International, when a suicide bomber allegedly blew himself up after he failed to penetrate the security ring around the Gaddafi stadium, didn't derail the tour.

Khanzada also alleged that the suicide blast was an attempt by RAW to sabotage the event.

'We foiled RAW's attempt to abandon Pakistan, Zimbabwe cricket series,' he claimed.

No Test team had toured Pakistan since March, 2009 when militants attacked the Sri Lankan team in Lahore, killing six Pakistani policemen and a van driver and injuring some of the visiting players.

Zimbabwe agreed to undertake the tour in May after the PCB gave them financial incentives, including $12,000 to each player, although the chairman of the board Shahayrar Khan rubbished media reports that it was a bribe to the Zimbabwe cricket board to undertake the tour.PTI

Delhi resident doctors call off their strike

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New Delhi : Over 20,000 resident doctors, who were on strike over a slew of reforms, late Tuesday called off their strike after a meeting with the union health ministry officials.

The doctors will resume their duties from Wednesday morning.

'We have called off the strike as we have been given proper time-frame within which the government will fulfil all our demands,' Pankaj Solanki, Presdent of the Federation Of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) told IANS.

FORDA is an association of doctors of 25 Delhi-based government hospitals.

Asked if the doctors would return back on strike if the demands were not fulfilled, Solanki said: 'This time we have been given proper time-frame and we are pretty sure that they will implement the demands as they would not want patients to suffer again.'

The meeting between the health ministry officials and FORDA representatives was chaired by Health Secretary B.P. Sharma.

Over 20,000 resident doctors from 25 government hospitals in the city went on an indefinite strike on Monday, demanding adequate stocks of life-saving drugs, security at work place, fixed duty hours and timely payment of their salaries.

The doctors had went on strike in February too after which the Delhi government had assured them of better working conditions.

US Agency Spied on French Presidents: WikiLeaks

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Paris: The United States National Security Agency spied on French presidents Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande, WikiLeaks said in a press statement published on Tuesday, citing top secret intelligence reports and technical documents.

The revelations were first reported in French daily Liberation and on news website Mediapart, which said the NSA spied on the presidents during a period of at least 2006 until May 2012, the month when Hollande took over from Sarkozy.

WikiLeaks said the documents derived from directly targeted NSA surveillance of the communications of Hollande (2012-present), Sarkozy (2007-2012) and Chirac (1995-2007), as well as French cabinet ministers and the French ambassador to the US.

The documents also contain the cell phone numbers of numerous officials in the Elysee presidential palace including the direct cell phone of the president, WikiLeaks said.

The documents include summaries of conversations between French government officials on the global financial crisis, the Greek debt crisis, and the relationship between the Hollande administration and the German government of Angela Merkel.

Former NSA employee Edward Snowden created an uproar in Germany after he revealed that Washington had carried out large-scale electronic espionage in Germany and claimed the NSA had bugged Merkel's phone.

'While the German disclosures focussed on the isolated fact that senior officials were targeted by US intelligence, WikiLeaks' publication today provides much greater insight into US spying on its allies,' WikiLeaks said.

This includes 'the actual content of intelligence products deriving from the intercepts, showing how the US spies on the phone calls of French leaders and ministers for political, economic and diplomatic intelligence'.

The French president's office was not immediately reachable for comment.

WikiLeaks said French readers could 'expect more timely and important revelations in the near future. Last week, WikiLeaks published more than 60,000 diplomatic cables from Saudi Arabia and said on its website it would release half a million more in the coming weeks.
Reuters

2015, ജൂൺ 22, തിങ്കളാഴ്‌ച

Kerala Assembly ruckus: no moves yet to claim compensation

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Kottayam: The reply to an RTI application has revealed that the authorities concerned have failed to make any move to claim compensation for the damage of properties inside Kerala Assembly during the ruckus on budget day.

The documents received by the organization, NCPRI, from the office of the Speaker, the violence caused a loss of Rs 2, 20, 093 to the exchequer. However, the government has not initiated any moves to book those behind the incident.

According to the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984 (PDPP), those damaging public property will invite imprisonment from 6 months up to 5 years and also penalty.

During such instances, bail could be granted only if the offenders deposit bail money equivalent to the cost of properties damaged. Though three months have passed after the incident, no action was taken to book those behind the incident or claim the compensation.

The NCPRI plans to move court against this.

Seven killed as Taliban attacks Afghan parliament

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Kabul: All seven Taliban militants who staged a spectacular attack on the Afghan parliament here on Monday were killed in a gun battle with security forces that also left 21 people wounded.

Kabul Police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi told the media that all the seven attackers had been killed, including one who first exploded his explosive-laden car, enabling the others to enter the parliament compound.

'One of the attackers was killed in the blast and the remaining were killed by security forces,' Rahimi said.

He confirmed there were injured people but failed to give figures, saying investigation was on.

Afghan media outlet Tolo News reported 21 civilians, including five women and three children, were injured in the horrific incident.

The attack on the parliament began with a suicide car bomb attack and was followed by gun shots during which windowpanes of several buildings in the vicinity were smashed.

Taliban militants claimed responsibility for the attack, insisting they had inflicted heavy casualties on the lawmakers. Officials in Kabul rejected the statement.

The attack occurred as the Afghan president's nominee for the crucial post of defence minister was to be introduced in parliament.

'Several mujahideen have entered the parliament building, heavy fighting is on,' Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted earlier.

'The attack happened at a time when the defence minister was being introduced,' he added.

According to the media, some lawmakers were evacuated from the building while others remained holed up in the basement.

The Taliban has rebuffed requests from senior Afghan clerics to halt attacks during the fasting month of Ramadan as a surge in violence has sent civilian casualties soaring.

IANS