Abu Dhabi website for visitors available in 10 languages

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Dutch has now been added to the list of languages joining Arabic, English, German, French, Italian, Portugese, Russian, Chinese and Japanese.

Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) has added yet another language to its online destination resource www.visitabudhabi.ae meaning the portal can now be read in 10 different languages around the world.
Dutch has now been added to the list of languages joining Arabic, English, German, French, Italian, Portugese, Russian, Chinese and Japanese.
The website offers extensive information on Abu Dhabi's attractions and experiences, culture and heritage, events and recreation activities. It currently achieves a daily hit average of more than 11,000, presenting it as a valuable source of information for potential visitors.
The hotel search option aggregates live deals and room availability from over 50 booking engines, giving visitors real-time information prior to their decision to book. The flight search functionality compares and displays real-time information from 50 booking engines and more than 25 international airlines in one screen, allowing visitors to find immediately the best fares to suit their travel plans to Abu Dhabi.
Mouza Al Shamsi, Acting Executive Director Marketing and Communications, TCA Abu Dhabi, said: "As Abu Dhabi continues to develop and expand its attractions as it becomes a year round destination, attracting more visitors to reach record numbers year or year, we need to reach out and let as many people as possible know why they should visit our fabulous destination.
Since 2013 www.visitabudhabi.ae has scooped 20 top industry honours including in 2015, 3 Gold Stevie Awards, 3 Silver Stevie Awards and one Bronze Stevie Award. The site was also an Official Nominee in the 2015 Webby Awards.

Saudi may ease curbs on foreign ownership, visas

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Retail, wholesale will open fully once rules are approved

dubai - Saudi Arabia may further ease restrictions on foreign ownership in the economy and overhaul the visa system as the kingdom seeks to draw investors to help reduce its reliance on oil exports.
The world's biggest oil exporter is considering allowing foreigners to own 100 per cent of a company in at least four more industries, Mohanud Helal, secretary general of the Economic Cities Authority, said in an interview in Riyadh. Retail and wholesale will be opened fully, from a 75 per cent limit now, once rules are approved, Abdullatif Al 0thman, governor of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority, said on Monday.
As oil prices plummet to around $30 a barrel, authorities are racing to find alternatives to revenue from crude exports to finance a budget deficit of about 15 per cent of economic output.
Foreign investments in non-oil industries are also crucial to create jobs for Saudi nationals in the private sector in a country where youth unemployment stands at about 30 per cent. Almost 90 per cent of private-sector jobs created in five out of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Countries between 2000 and 2010 went to expatriates, according to the International Monetary Fund. Nationals filled over 70 per cent of public-sector jobs.
"The decision had already been made on some of the industries," Helal said. The Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority, known as SAGIA, has identified about four sectors in which full foreign ownership may be permitted, he added without elaborating. Calls made to SAGIA after office hours weren't immediately returned.
The slump in oil prices has already pushed Saudi authorities to cut spending, issue more debt and draw down the kingdom's foreign-currency reserves. Officials are also weighing plans to sell stakes in state-owned entities from hospitals to airports and even Saudi Arabian Oil Co, the kingdom's biggest oil company, known as Aramco.
The country is also reviewing its visa system by looking for ways to accelerate the process of issuing work and visit permits, according to Helal, who heads the regulatory body governing four economic cities, including King Abdullah Economic City.
"It is a very important and much needed step," said Mohammed Alsuwayed, the Riyadh-based head of capital and money markets at Adeem Capital. "We need foreign investors to contribute to the expansion of the Saudi economy, specifically the private sector and for them to better understand what or where they are putting their money in, they need to be allowed better access into the kingdom."
The kingdom last year started allowing direct foreign investments in its stock market, the Arab world's biggest. The benchmark Tadawul All Share Index has dropped 36 per cent over the past year, compared with a 27 per cent-decline in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.
Authorities are looking at allowing visitors, including pilgrims, to visit landmarks in various parts of the country through tourist visas. Enabling workers to bring family in easily is another area which is being considered, Helal said.
"These are all things that are being looked at as we speak today and very quickly we will hear how some things are quickly changing to further the invitation of the international community," he said.

Woman uses sister's ID to give birth at hospital in Dubai

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The 27-year-old woman, K.I., who holds a Comoros Islands passport, allegedly used her sister's name in the hospital form before walking into the clinic of the doctor.

A housewife has faced charges in court for allegedly providing false details for an admission in the emergency unit of a hospital. She has been charged with forgery and use of a forged document when her case was heard by the Court of First Instance.
The 27-year-old woman, K.I., who holds a Comoros Islands passport, allegedly used her sister's name in the hospital form before walking into the clinic of the doctor. The incident allegedly happened on August 16, last year. K.I. admitted in the prosecution investigation that she managed to be admitted into the hospital where she gave birth, using her sister's name. A nurse at the hospital said that K.I. came to the hospital and was about to give birth.
"She claimed she was M.I. I put her name in our records as she gave it to me. She did not carry an ID." The nurse added that the woman came alone without her husband and claimed to them she had a medical record at that hospital.
"The doctor on duty asked me whether she had any medical file with us but I told her we could not find any as she did not carry a health card".
Even after K.I. gave them her full name they could not find any medical file for her at the hospital. A clerk at the hospital said that K.I. looked tired when she came to the emergency unit.
"She did not have any ID or health card. She gave a phone number which belonged to the name she gave and was registered in our electronic system.
"I found a file but the photo was not clear enough to match it with the face of K.I., whose features have changed." A verdict is expected on February 10.

Woman delivers 5 babies in 2 minutes

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She wanted three children with her husband and was really hoping for a baby boy.

Kim Tucci, a 26-year-old mum from Perth, Australia, has given birth to quintuplets - one boy and four girls - in just two minutes.
Only 30 weeks along when she went into labour, the five children were born at King Edward Memorial Hospital.
Tucci has a nine-year-old son from a previous marriage and two daughters with her husband Vaughn. She wanted three children with her husband and was really hoping for a baby boy, according to Woman's Day.
In a Facebook post she said, "The babies and I are both doing very well, thank you for all your well wishes and support."
The new addition to couple's growing brood is made up of a son, Keith, and four daughters - Ali, Penelope, Tiffany and Beatrix.

Fuel prices in UAE drop further for February

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The price of diesel will be Dh1.37 a litre; E Plus 91 would be available at Dh1.40 a litre; Super 98- at Dh1.58 and Special 95- Dh1.47 a litre.

The Ministry of Energy has lowered the prices of petroleum products by up to seven per cent for February.
A high level committee chaired by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Energy and participated by the CEOs of the oil marketing and distribution companies reviewed the average prices of oil at the international markets.
New price of diesel will be Dh1.37, plunging 14.90 per cent since January 2016 price level of Dh1.61 a litre.
The price of E Plus 91 has been at Dh1.40 a litre down 7.28 per cent month-on-month from Dh1.51 in January.
Super Octane-98 will be cheaper by 6.50 per cent to Dh1.58 from Dh1.69 a litre.
Special or Mumtaz-95 will be filled at Dh1.47 a litre, down 6.92 per cent from January level of Dh1.58 a litre.
Prices will be effective February 1.

The economists and energy experts have all praise for the UAE policy of economic reforms and petroleum price de-regulation.
The UAE lifted subsidies at a very auspicious time particularly from the point of view of the customer, said Dave Ernsberger, global editorial director Oil, Platts.
Prices have fallen substantially already in the wholesale markets, and this has been reflected at the pump, he said
"Early indications are that this trend may reverse soon though - crude oil has bounced back by almost 20 per cent in value at the end of January, and this will start to put upwards pressure on gasoline and diesel in February if the trend continues," said global editorial director Oil at Platts.
The maximum decrease was seen in the price of E-Plus 91 that dropped 7.28 per cent to Dh1.40 a litre; Super-98 fell 6.50 per cent from January to Dh1.58 and Special dropped 6.962 per cent. 
Since July, diesel plunged 33 per cent from Dh2.05 a litre to Dh1.37 a litre; E Plus-91 dropped 32.36 per cent from Dh2.07 a litre to Dh1.40 a litre; Super-98 is down 29.77 per cent from Dh2.14 a litre in July to Dh1.47 a litre.
Alp Eke, a senior economist at National Bank of Abu Dhabi said subsidies in UAE constitute almost six per cent of GDP or around $23 billion, according to 2014 IMF data, energy. But with recent pressures on the budget, energy subsidies are being gradually removed.
"Benefits of the subsidies will be felt in the long run, UAE economy will save only modestly but the benefit will add up in the future years. UAE has already reduced some of the subsidies starting from gasoline prices," Alp Eke said.
Petrol price de-regulation initially created upward pressure to consumer prices.
Since August through December, due to reduction of oil prices globally the gasoline price at the pump declined, he said.  For average UAE household spending on transportation is 11 per cent of the budget while major chunk is consumed by housing and utilities spending which is almost 40 per cent.

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Also Read: All you wanted to know about falling oil prices...

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The recent water tariff increase of 6.6 per cent introduced from January will put pressure on housing and utilities component of the budget, he said.
Abu Dhabi's consumer price index increased 5.28 per cent year-on-year in December 2015, mainly driven by cost of housing/utilities and furniture household maintenance.
Abu Dhabi has been ranked 33^rd most expensive in 2015, moving up 35 spots from last year.
Commenting on impact the lower petroleum prices would have on consumption, economic growth and cost of doing business, the economist said "the impact of removal of energy subsidies on the economy will be seen in the long run."
Partial or total removal of subsidies is initial steps to reduce burden on the budget and eliminate in-efficient allocation of resources, he said.
With additional resources available and less pressure on the budget, government spending will be more focused on diversification efforts investments to logistics, manufacturing will increase and will be able to reduce reliance.
For an average UAE household, spending on transportation is 11 per cent of the budget while the major chunk is consumed by housing and utilities spending which is almost 40 per cent.
Arab world biggest economy, Saudi Arabia last month followed the UAE's footsteps and by reducing subsidies on petroleum products by 50 per cent.
Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain have also taken steps to cut subsidies on petroleum prices, as oil revenues dip.

Delhi, Kochi among smart cities to get $7.5b makeover

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The plan is also intended to boost investment and create jobs for millions of people, but it has faced criticism for being a slow starter.

India named 20 cities on Thursday which it says will be provided with uninterrupted power and water supplies, proper sanitation and public transport in a $7.5 billion makeover to turn them into smart cities with living standards comparable to Europe.
India's cities lack basic infrastructure such as toilets and are bursting at the seams with the influx of tens of thousands of people from the countryside. Thirteen of them are in the WHO's list of the 20 most polluted cities in the world, topped by the capital New Delhi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to create 100 new smart cities by 2022 that will have internet connectivity, e-governance along with quality infrastructure such as waste management and efficient public transport.

The 20 cities named in the first list: Bhubaneswar Pune Jaipur Surat Kochi Ahmedabad Jabalpur Visakhapatnam Solapur Davanagere Indore New Delhi Coimbatore Kakinada Belgaum Udaipur Guwahati Chennai Ludhiana Bhopal

The plan is also intended to boost investment and create jobs for millions of people, but it has faced criticism for being a slow starter.
The federal government has struggled to pass reform legislation making it easier to acquire land and build roads and it was not immediately clear how it would be able to provide high-quality infrastructure to these cities within five years.
On Thursday, Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu named the first set of cities that will be targeted for a transformation.

 

These include Chennai in the south, which was ravaged by floods last year because of flawed urban planning, as well as a part of New Delhi. Other proposed smart cities are the tourist destinations of Jaipur and Udaipur and Bhubaneswar in the east.
"This game-changing mission marks the end of a business-as-usual approach," Naidu told a news conference. About 35 million people live in the 20 cities.
What is a smart city?
The India Smart Cities Challenge is a competition designed to inspire and support municipal officials as they develop smart proposals to improve residents' lives. The Smart Cities Mission aims to promote economic growth, improve governance, and produce better results for India's urban residents.

Case of missing boy at Dubai Global Village solved

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Warrant officer Sulatan Abdullah Ali blamed the mother for negligence.

After Dubai's bustling Global Village closed its doors at 1.30am and everyone had gone, two policemen were surprised to find an unattended child crying near the entrance, apparently left behind by his parents.
The two officers - warrant officer Sultan Abdullah and Sergeant Yousuf Hassan Ahmed - tried to find out why he was alone at that time, and it appeared he was lost.
The 13-year-old boy told the cops that he had gone to the Global Village with his mother, and that she, his father and brother were staying at a hotel near Burj Khalifa.
The boy said he didn't know the name of the hotel or its location and insisted that the two cops take him back to his family.
The officers soon discovered that he had a mobile phone with the number of a neighboring GCC country. "We called the family number in the contacts icon, but with no avail as there was no credit in the phone."
The police then called all the hotels located near Burj Khalifa and finally traced the hotel in which the family was staying.
The officers soon took the boy to the hotel, where the family was waiting.
The father of the boy praised the Dubai Police for finding his son and bringing him back, which he said was evidence that Dubai is a safe place for visitors.
Warrant officer Sulatan Abdullah Ali blamed the mother for negligence. It appeared that she returned to the hotel in a cab thinking that the son had taken another cab and returned to the hotel.

കോവളത്ത് എസ്.എഫ്.ഐയും പൊലീസും ഏറ്റുമുട്ടി,​ ടി.പി ശ്രീനിവാസനെ മുഖത്തടിച്ച് വീഴ്‌ത്തി

തിരുവനന്തപുരം: ആഗോള വിദ്യാഭ്യാസ സംഗമത്തിനെതിരായ എസ്.എഫ്.ഐ പ്രതിഷേധത്തിൽ കോവളത്ത് സംഘർഷം. സമരക്കാർ പൊലീസിനുനേരെ കല്ലേറു നടത്തി. പൊലീസ് ലാത്തിവീശി. വിദ്യാഭ്യാസ സംഗമത്തിന്റെ മുഖ്യ സംഘാടകനായ ഉന്നതവിദ്യാഭ്യാസ കൗൺസിൽ വൈസ് ചെയർമാൻ ടി.പി. ശ്രീനിവാസനെ എസ്.എഫ്.ഐക്കാർ മർദ്ദിച്ചു. അദ്ദേത്തെ പ്രവർത്തകരിലൊരാൾ കവാലത്തിന് അടിച്ചുവീഴ്‌ത്തി. പൊലീസ് നോക്കി നിൽക്കെയാണ് ഈ അതിക്രമം. വാഹനം തടഞ്ഞ വിദ്യാർത്ഥികൾ വേദിയിലേക്ക് നടന്നുപോകാൻ തുനിഞ്ഞ അദ്ദേഹത്തെ മർദ്ദിച്ച് തിരിച്ചയച്ചു. വിദ്യാഭ്യാസ സംഗമം നടക്കുന്ന കോവളം ലീലാ ഹോട്ടലിന് മുന്നിലെ റോഡ് ഉപരോധിച്ച വിദ്യാർത്ഥികളെ മണിക്കൂറുകൾ നീണ്ട സംഘർഷത്തിനൊടുവിൽ പൊലീസ് അറസ്റ്റ് ചെയ്തു നീക്കി.

ഇന്നുരാവിലെ 9മണിയോടെയായിരുന്നു സംഭവം. ഡെപ്യൂട്ടി പൊലീസ് കമ്മിഷണറുടെ നേതൃത്വത്തിലുള്ള പൊലീസ് നോക്കിനിൽക്കെയാണ് ശ്രീനിവാസന് നേരെ കൈയേറ്റമുണ്ടായത്. സോളാർ കേസിലുൾപ്പെട്ട മുഖ്യമന്ത്രി ചടങ്ങിൽ പങ്കെടുക്കുമെന്ന് കരുതി സംഗമം നടക്കുന്ന കോവളം ലീലാ ഹോട്ടലും കോവളം ജംഗ്ഷനിൽ നിന്ന് ബീച്ചിലേക്കുള്ള റോഡും ഇന്നലെ രാത്രി മുതൽ ഉപരോധിച്ച വിദ്യാർത്ഥികളാണ് സംഗമത്തിൽ പങ്കെടുക്കാനെത്തിയ ടി.പി ശ്രീനിവാസനെ മ‌ർദ്ദിച്ചത്.

ഇന്ന് പുലർച്ചെ മുതൽ റോഡിലൂടെ ആരെയും കടത്തിവിടാൻ സമരക്കാർ തയ്യാറായിരുന്നില്ല. പൊലീസ് ഉദ്യോഗസ്ഥർ വിദ്യാർത്ഥി സംഘടനാ നേതാക്കളുമായി പലതവണചർച്ച നടത്തിയെങ്കിലും ആഗോള വിദ്യാഭ്യാസ സംഗമത്തിലും മുഖ്യമന്ത്രിക്കെതിരായ പ്രതിഷേധത്തിനും പിന്നോട്ടില്ലെന്ന തീരുമാനത്തിലായിരുന്നു അവർ.

സർ‌ക്കാരിനും വിദ്യാഭ്യാസ കച്ചവടത്തിനുമെതിരെ മുദ്രാവാക്യം വിളിച്ച് പ്രതിഷേധം തുടർന്ന വിദ്യാർത്ഥികളോട് പിരിഞ്ഞുപോകണമെന്നും അല്ലാത്ത പക്ഷം അറസ്റ്റ് ചെയ്യുമെന്നും പൊലീസ് അറിയിച്ചെങ്കിലും പിന്മാറുന്ന പ്രശ്നമില്ലെന്ന നിലപാടിലായിരുന്നു അവർ. ഡെപ്യൂട്ടി പൊലീസ് കമ്മിഷണർ സഞ്ജയ്കുമാറിന്റെ നേതൃത്വത്തിലുള്ള പൊലീസ് സംഘം വിദ്യാ‌ർത്ഥികളെ അറസ്റ്റ് ചെയ്ത് നീക്കാൻ നടത്തിയ ശ്രമമാണ് കോവളത്ത് മണിക്കൂറുകളോളം സംഘർഷങ്ങൾക്കിടയാക്കിയത്.

അറസ്റ്റ് ചെയ്യാനെത്തിയ പൊലീസിന് നേരെ കല്ലെറിഞ്ഞ വിദ്യാർത്ഥികളെ പൊലീസ് ലാത്തി ചാർജ് ചെയ്തു. ലാത്തിചാർജ് ആരംഭിച്ചയുടൻ പലവഴിക്ക് ചിതറിയോടിയ വിദ്യാർത്ഥികൾ പല സ്ഥലങ്ങളിൽനിന്നായി പൊലീസിന് നേരെ കല്ലെറിഞ്ഞു. തുടർന്ന് ആറുറൗണ്ട് ടിയർഗ്യാസും പ്രയോഗിച്ചു. ലാത്തിചാർജിലും കല്ലേറിലും പൊലീസുകാരും വിദ്യാർത്ഥികളുമുൾപ്പെടെ നിരവധി പേർക്ക് പരിക്കേറ്റിട്ടുണ്ട്.

സംഘർഷത്തെയും പൊലീസ് നടപടിയെയും തുടർന്ന് കോവളം ജംഗ്ഷനും ബീച്ചും വിജനമായി. ലീലാ ഹോട്ടലിന് മുന്നിൽ നിന്ന് പലവഴിയ്ക്കായി ചിതറി ഓടിയ വിദ്യാർത്ഥികളും പൊലീസും കോവളം ജംഗ്ഷനിലും ബീച്ചിന്റെ ഭാഗങ്ങളിലും പല സ്ഥലങ്ങളിലായി ഏറ്റുമുട്ടി. ടൂറിസ്റ്റ് മേഖലയായ കോവളത്ത് വിദ്യാർത്ഥികളും പൊലീസും തമ്മിലുള്ള സംഘർഷം വിദേശികളുൾപ്പെടെയുള്ളവരെ ഭയചകിതരാക്കി.

സംഘർഷമറിഞ്ഞ് സിറ്റിയിൽനിന്ന് കൂടുതൽ പൊലീസ് കോവളത്തേക്ക് തിരിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്. സി.പി.എം , ഡി.വൈ.എഫ്.ഐ നേതാക്കളും സംഘർഷത്തിന്റെ പശ്ചാത്തലത്തിൽ കോവളത്തെത്തിയിട്ടുണ്ട്. പൊലീസും നേതാക്കളുമായി പലതവണചർച്ചകൾ നടത്തിയെങ്കിലും സംഘർഷം നിയന്ത്രണവിധേയമാക്കാൻ തുടക്കത്തിൽ കഴിഞ്ഞില്ല.

അസി.കമ്മിഷണർമാരായ ജവഹർ ജനാർദ്, സുധാകരൻ പിള്ള, റെജി ജേക്കബ്ബ് തുടങ്ങിവരുടെ നേതൃത്വത്തിൽ വിദ്യാഭ്യാസ സംഗമം നടക്കുന്ന സ്ഥലത്തെ സുരക്ഷ ശക്തമാക്കിയിട്ടുണ്ട്.

വിദ്യാഭ്യാസ മന്ത്രിയുൾപ്പെടെ സംഗമത്തിൽപങ്കെടുക്കേണ്ട ഒരാളെയും ഇവിടേക്ക് പ്രവേശിപ്പിക്കില്ലെന്ന നിലപാടിലാണ് വിദ്യാർത്ഥികൾ. ഹോട്ടലിൽ താമസിച്ചിരുന്ന ടൂറിസ്റ്റുകളും പ്രതിഷേധത്തിൽ കുടുങ്ങിയിട്ടുണ്ട്. വിദ്യാർത്ഥിസമരവും ആഗോള വിദ്യാഭ്യാസ സംഗമവും കണക്കിലെടുത്ത് ശക്തമായ സുരക്ഷാ വലയത്തിലാണ് കോവളം. എന്നിവരുടെ നേതൃത്വത്തിൽ മുന്നൂറോളം പൊലീസുകാരെ കോവളത്ത് നിയോഗിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്. അറസ്റ്റുചെയ്ത സമരക്കാരുമായി നീങ്ങിയ വാഹനം എസ്.എഫ് .ഐ പ്രവർത്തകർ തടഞ്ഞത് വീണ്ടും സംഘർഷത്തിന് ഇടയാക്കിയിട്ടുണ്ട്. വാഹനത്തിന്റെ ടയറുകൾക്കിടയിൽ കിടന്ന് തടസം സൃഷ്ടിക്കുകയായിരുന്നു.

It's getting hotter! Mumbai's average temperature rises by 2.4 degrees!

________ A to Z kerala .......... [kvk] [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com]
 With 2015 now the hottest year since records started being kept 135 years ago, Delhi, Mumbai and other Indian cities have heated up substantially since the 19th and 20th centuries, data from the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) reveal.

Mumbai's average annual temperature has risen 2.4 C since 1891 and Delhi's average annual temperature has risen 0.3 C since 1930, as the following chart indicates:

An alternative study from Berkeleyearth.org, a US non-profit that analyses climate science, appears to confirm the larger trend seen in the temperature rise in India: A rise of 2.2 C over 200 years.



Finland, Spain experience greatest warming

NASA took data from 6,300 weather stations around the world and compared it to a baseline, which is the average temperature from 1951-1980 (and can be taken roughly as 14 C). In 2015, the temperature deviation from the baseline was 0.87 C, making it the hottest year since last year (2014), when the global temperature was 0.74 C above the baseline.

The 10 hottest years on record have now all occurred after 2000 and deviations from the baseline have increased at a rate of 0.03 C for every year from 2000 to 2015, indicative of a larger trend of global warming.

Finland and Spain had their warmest years ever while Argentina had its 2nd warmest year. In the long term, the biggest temperature increases have occurred around the poles, while temperatures around the equator haven't changed much, according to this report on PBS.org.

A closer look at the map also shows there is no region untouched by warming. "Further affirmation of the reality of the warming is its spatial distribution, which has largest values at locations remote from any local human influence," a NASA statement said.

Most of the weather stations around the world are in the northern hemisphere, where most of the earth's land mass is located. This means we do not really have a good idea of how the southern hemisphere, which is mostly ocean, has heated up. So, global warming could be underestimated, according to this report from realclimate.org, a commentary site on climate science.

Could El Nino play a role in global warming?

It would be easy to blame human activity and greenhouse gases for the warming, but according to some scientists, while that may not be possible for a single year, it does adequately explain the longer trend.

"[A] specific year [being the warmest]...is not attributable to greenhouse gases per se...but the long-term trend ... is attributable," said Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA's Goddard Institute of Space Studies in 2015.

A role in warming the world, and parts of India, in 2015 can also be attributed to the complex phenomenon called El Nino, a vast ocean-atmosphere climate interaction in parts of the Pacific ocean, linked to warmer sea-surface temperatures. IndiaSpend has reported how El Nino in 2015 brought a more intense heatwave in northern India and a weaker monsoon.

The fact that there were record hot years, such as 2014, without an El Nino is seen as further evidence of global warming.

What could the warming lead to?

More flooding in Europe, water shortages in Africa, droughts in Asia and wildfires in North America.

These are some of the effects that could result if the earth's warming continues, the Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change, a United Nations agency responsible for investigating the effects of global warming, predicted in a 2014 report.

Countries around the world took their most significant step yet at COP21, the Paris climate change conference. Agreeing to keep the rise in global temperatures in 2030 to under 2 C from pre-industrial times, while striving for a 1.5 C rise, will go a long way, but, to borrow a proverb, the proof will be in the pudding.

Pune teen burned alive for being Hindu: Right wing groups

________ A to Z kerala .......... [kvk] [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com]

Pune: On January 13th a Pune teenager was burnt alive in a horrific attack. 17-year-old Savan Rathod was a rag-picker in Pune. On the afternoon of the attack, he had stepped into a side alley in Kasba Peth to urinate. Once there, he was accosted by three men - Imran and Zuber Tamboli (who are brothers), and Ibrahim Sheikh.

The three men accused him of being responsible for a slew of car battery thefts in the area. The allegations quickly escalated and for some reason the three took the boy, poured diesel on him and set him on fire. Rathod suffered over 70% burns on his body.

The trio later doused the flames and dumped Rathod at the Shivajinagar bus stand, some thirty kilometers from the spot of the attack. He managed to reach a nearby police chowky, from where he was admitted to Sassoon hospital. He died of his injuries on January 15.

Police later checked CCTV footage, made enquiries and arrested the three suspects soon after. They are currently in judicial custody.

So far, it appeared that the case was one of deranged murder. However the case is currently acquiring a communal hue, as per new allegations made by several right-wing groups and the Banjara Kranti Dal. Rathod was from the Banjara caste.

The new allegations are based off a video, which a lawyer named Ramesh Rathod claims to have filmed in the hospital in the presence of the boy's father and "other activists". The lawyer claimed that this should be considered his dying declaration.

According to the lawyer, Savan stated that he was urinating in the alley when he was stopped by three men. They asked him if he was Hindu, which he confirmed, and then they poured 'something from a can' and set him on fire.

The Indian Express, which claims to have seen the video (which is also doing the rounds on social media), states -

"Those recording the video then ask Savan if he feels he was burnt because he is a Hindu. To this, Savan is seen nodding his head."

Savan did not make this claim when he originally reported his attack to the police.

Various right-wing groups, and the Banjara Kranti Dal, have since agitated before the police, and are threatening to go on a full scale protest on January 27 if the case was not investigated via this religious angle. They claim that the attack resembles 'ISIS style' attacks and are demanding an investigation into the extremist links of the suspects.

Speaking to the Indian Express, DCP Tushar Doshi said -

"We probed the backgrounds of all three suspects. No communal links have been found so far. They have committed a gruesome crime. But there is no evidence to say the intention behind it was communal. After nabbing Savan, the assailants questioned him for battery theft for a few hours. We confirmed at least two spots where they took Savan, suspecting he had sold stolen batteries here. Then they forcibly made him drink petrol and set him on fire. Savan Rathod's video at the hospital could be an afterthought as he did not mention anything of a communal nature when FIR was lodged."

Savan's father told the Indian Express -

"Savan left home about a week before his death following a petty quarrel with his sister. After coming to know about the incident, I reached Sassoon hospital on Thursday evening. I asked him what happened. From what he told me I believe that assailants did ask him whether he was a Hindu and then burnt him alive after he said yes,"

Further investigations are ongoing.

RJ Kunal's wife commits suicide, jumps from 10-storey building

________ A to Z kerala .......... [kvk] [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com]

Anandnagar: Bhumi Desai, wife of a Gujarat's famous Radio Jockey, Kunal, committed suicide by jumping off a ten-storey residential building in Anandnagar.
The two had got married two months ago.
According to Anandnagar police inspector P.V. Jadeja, Bhumi committed suicide by jumping off the terrace of Sachin Tower near Shyamal Crossroad in the city.
Police investigations have revealed that she had come to the building in her car with the motive of killing herself.
"Before coming to the spot, she had sent an SMS to one Mitesh Soni around 2 pm, stating that she is going to commit suicide at Sachin Tower and then she jumped off the terrace at around 2.30 pm," Jadeja said.

After learning about the incident, Mitesh, alongwith Bhumi's family members, rushed to the spot.
"They had got married on November 24 last year. Recently, they had been to Bangkok together and had come back on January 18," Jadeja said, adding "we have registered a case of accidental death and sent the body for post-mortem. We are yet to find out the exact reason behind her extreme step."
Further investigation into the case is on.

Rohith Vemula suicide: Scratched out paragraph raises questions

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Hyderabad: The letter purportedly written by Rohith Vemula, the Dalit scholar of University of Hyderabad, before he committed suicide, has been sent to the forensic lab for analysis, police sources said.

"The letter was sent to forensic lab for handwriting match and other analysis. It would take a few days to get the report," police sources told PTI.

The cause for the investigation, according to sources, is a scratched out paragraph in the middle. The words are barely legible under the scratchings, and below the paragraph Rohith appears to have written - "I myself strike these words off.", followed by his signature.

It is these words, and the signature which is being analysed, since some speculation has arisen regarding what the paragraph said. The letter joins another mystery in the suicide - the gap between the time when Rohith committed suicide and when his body was found. More than six hours passed between the two events, and the time gap has not been explained.

Rohith's body was found hanging at one of the hostel rooms on the University of Hyderabad campus on Sunday.

Rohith and four other students were earlier suspended from the university following an alleged assault on an ABVP leader. Later, the suspension was revoked but they were barred from accessing hostel facilities.

When contacted, Inspector J Ramesh of Gachibowli police refused to share any information saying it would hamper the investigation.

Cyberabad police haS named Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, Vice Chancellor Appa Rao, Telangana BJP MLC Ramachandra Rao and two students in the FIR filed in the suicide case.

Over 30 injured in clashes during Imphal strike

________ A to Z kerala .......... [kvk] [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com]

Over 30 people, most of them women, sustained minor injuries in clashes during a general strike called in the Manipur capital by a civil society group protesting the objectionable behaviour by women vendors against a BJP legislator after he stopped reconstruction of market complexes destroyed in the earthquake.In clashes between women from BJP legislator Khumukcham Joykishan's Thangmeiband constituency and women vendors during the 12-hour general strike, one woman fainted after being injured and was rushed to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal. Hospital sources told IANS that she was out of danger.

The strike was called by a number of organisations under the aegis of the Thangmeiband Kendra Development Organisation (THAKDO) to protest the storming of the legislator's house by some women vendors on Saturday.Armed police and paramilitary personnel were deployed, and no untoward incident was reported till noon on Monday.Shops, banks, schools and other establishments were closed and there was no traffic in the Thangal market area.Police set up barricades at all major entrances, but small groups of women who were supporting the strike managed to sneak into the market area. The women vendors opposing the strike retaliated.

A clash ensued, and many people sustained minor injuries. Policewomen, deployed at the site, had a hard time in separating the brawling women.Some youths also sneaked into the market to stop the ongoing construction work.

Sources said the youths pelted stones and women vendors retaliated. Police, however, managed to chase away both the groups.Security measures have been beefed up, as police fear more confrontation since the government is going ahead with the construction of the temporary market and the BJP legislator's supporters are out to block the same.The 12-hour strike was called from 5 a.m. on Monday in Thangmeiband constituency in which the market falls, in protest against the objectionable language some women vendors used against the BJP legislator and the damage they caused to his house.The civil society organisations have demanded an apology from the women vendors for their objectionable language and damage caused to the BJP leader's house.

The legislator said no tender was floated for the construction and no work order was issued.Eight people were killed and over 100 others wounded in the January 4 quake that also razed to the ground hundreds of houses.The nearly 2,000 displaced women vendors are now selling their items by the roadside, much to the resentment of the street vendors.

Sensing violent confrontation between the two groups, the government hurried with the temporary construction of the damaged markets.The women's market in Imphal is one of the largest such markets in the country

Eight killed as car bomb hits security chief's home in Yemen -

________ A to Z kerala .......... [kvk] [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com]
A booby-trapped car struck the home of the security chief of Yemen's southern port city of Aden on Sunday, killing about eight people, a police official told Xinhua."A four-wheel-drive vehicle loaded with explosives struck the main gate of the residential building of Aden's security chief, Brigadier Shalal Ali Shayea, leaving eight people dead -- mostly bodyguards," a local police official said on condition of anonymity.Witnesses said that "a huge blast was heard near the house of Aden's security chief in Aden's neighbourhood of Tawahi and followed by exchange of heavy gunfire."A spokesman for Aden's local government said that "for the second time, Brigadier General Shalal Shayea survived a terrorist car bombing unharmed, but some soldiers were killed and others injured at the scene."Initial information indicate that eight soldiers were killed in the attack, including the suicide bomber who slammed his explosives-laden car into the building.An unspecified number of civilians, who were present in the area, were wounded in the explosion.The port city of Aden, Yemen's temporary capital, has been witnessing a state of chaos and lawlessness during the past months resulted in the assassination of Aden's governor, several security officers and judges

35 IS militants killed in clashes with security forces in Iraq -

________ A to Z kerala .......... [kvk] [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com]
The Iraqi security forces killed 35 Islamic State (IS) terrorists on Sunday in clashes in the provinces of Anbar and Salahudin, security sources told Xinhua news agency.In Anbar province, the security forces and allied Sunni tribal fighters fought fierce battles with IS terrorists and managed to extend their grip in Sajjariyah and Juwiba districts in the eastern part of the provincial capital city Ramadi, some 110 km west of Baghdad.The battle, which were covered by Iraqi and US-led coalition aircraft, left at least 25 terrorists killed and six of their vehicles destroyed, while four security members were also killed and some nine others wounded during the day, the source said.The security forces captured downtown Ramadi from the IS on December 28, raising the Iraqi flag on the government complex there, but small parts of the city has not yet been fully secured due to a large numbers of bombs planted by the IS.For months the troops have been fighting to retake control of key cities and towns in Anbar, Iraq's largest province, from IS terrorists who previously seized most of Anbar and tried to advance toward Baghdad. - See more at: http://www.5dariyanews.com/news/133703-35-IS-militants-killed-in-clashes-with-security-forces-in-Iraq#sthash.H3Gp15cq.dpuf

Nine killed in Udhampur road accident

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At least nine people were killed and 15 injured on Friday when a bus fell into a gorge in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district, police said.The accident took place at Ramnagar, 65 km from Udhampur town, when the driver lost control over the bus, Deputy Inspector General of Police Surinder Gupta told IANS.The injured were shifted to a Ramnagar hospital. The bus was going from Ramnagar to Basantgarh in Udhampur district. - See more at: http://www.5dariyanews.com/news/133376-Nine-killed-in-Udhampur-road-accident#sthash.TKHz6kjI.dpuf

Access to learning opportunities and the pursuit of excellence must both receive equal attention : Pranab Mukherjee -

________ A to Z kerala .......... [kvk] [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com]

The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee formally inaugurated the Shiv Nadar University and dedicated it to the nation today (January 18, 2016) at Dadri, Gautam Buddha Nagar (Uttar Pradesh). He also laid the foundation stone for its faculty residential campus. The President presented the HCL Citizens Grants Award. Speaking on the occasion, the President complimented Shri Shiv Nadar, the founder chairman of HCL, for his vision in the field of higher learning. He said that Shiv Nadar Foundation, set up two decades ago, has become an important platform for transformational education. Shiv Nadar University was established in the year 2011. It was started with the goal to become a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary and student-oriented institution focused on creating new knowledge and producing competent professionals. The university has since adopted a distinct curriculum to nurture students for the exciting opportunities of tomorrow. 

Its unique approach has the potential to positively influence the higher education landscape of our country in the next two to three decades. The President said that private institutions account for about sixty percent of the students enrolled in higher education. Though proliferation has led to greater access, its negative fall-out on standards is alarming. If the declining quality of education particularly in the area of higher learning is not reversed quickly, we will land ourselves in a scenario of having a large number of people with degrees but not enough manpower with proficiency. We cannot afford to produce workers and professionals who fail to meet the skill levels required by a growing economic system. Hence, access to learning opportunities and the pursuit of excellence must both receive equal attention. He expressed happiness that in 2015, two Indian institutions for the first time have been ranked within the top two hundred Universities in international rankings. He was confident that many more will join in the coming years. 

More IS attacks likely as group suffers setbacks: US general

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WASHINGTON: Islamic State jihadists will likely increase the tempo of attacks around the world as they come under increased pressure in Iraq and Syria, a top US general has warned.

 

General Lloyd Austin, who currently heads the military's Central Command (CENTCOM) overseeing Middle East operations, yesterday made the argument that recent IS-claimed attacks like the ones this week in Istanbul and Jakarta are in fact evidence the group is faltering.

 

"ISIL has assumed a defensive posture in Iraq and Syria," Austin said at a news conference in Florida.

 

"Going forward, we can expect to see him rely increasingly on acts of terrorism such as we saw this week in Baghdad and in Turkey, and most recently in Jakarta," he added.

 

The IS group, which swept through vast rgions of Iraq and Syria in 2014 and 2015 and captured a string of cities, has seen recent setbacks across its self-proclaimed caliphate, including the loss of the key Iraqi city of Ramadi to US-supported local forces.

 

A US-led coalition has also been hammering the group's oil infrastructure, including by blowing up hundreds of trucks used to ferry illicit crude oil around Syria, and this week bombed a financial facility in the Iraqi city of Mosul that US officials said held millions of dollars in cash.

 

Austin, who has headed CENTCOM since March 2013 and will shortly be stepping down, said the IS group is upping its overseas actions to distract from such losses.

 

"ISIL wants to draw attention away from the growing number of setbacks" that it is  experiencing," Austin said, using an alternative name for the IS group.

 

"It is important to understand that these terrorist acts don't necessarily mean ISIL is getting stronger," he added.

 

"ISIL by its nature is a terrorist organization and by conducting these attacks, he is attempting to produce an image of invincibility in the wake of setbacks. So overall, we are making progress."

 

Pentagon chief Ashton Carter said he will recommend that President Barack Obama nominate General Joseph Votel to replace Austin.

 

Votel currently heads the Special Operations Command. His nomination would reflect the increased role special operations troops are carrying out in the region as elite US commandos launch raids against IS jihadists.

 

"General Votel has a wealth of in-depth, politico-military experience -- that is working with foreign governments and militaries -- and is therefore well-equipped to handle the complex challenges of CENTCOM," Carter said.

At least 20 dead in al Qaeda attack at Burkina Faso hotel

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OUAGADOUGOU: At least 20 people died and others were taken hostage when Islamist gunmen stormed a hotel in the capital city of Burkina Faso on Friday, a hospital director told Reuters, and al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed responsibility for the attack.
Security forces surrounded the Splendid Hotel and were awaiting orders to begin an assault to rescue the hostages and retake the building, which is frequented by Westerners, the country's foreign minister Alpha Barry said in a telephone interview.
Medical personnel moved wounded away from the front of the hotel.
A U.S. defence official said that France had requested U.S. intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance support in the city and at least one U.S. military member in Burkina Faso was giving "advice and assistance" to French forces at the hotel.
The government has not ruled out calling for help from French special forces stationed in the country, Barry said in a telephone interview.
This is the first time Islamist militants have carried out an assault in the capital of Burkina Faso.
It follows a deadly raid on a luxury hotel in Mali last November in which two attackers killed 20 people including citizens of Russia, China and the United States. There have been attacks by militants in other countries in West Africa.
The assault in Ouagadougou began mid-evening and by 11 p.m. (2300 GMT) the sounds of gunfire and explosions had died down.
"We have received around 15 wounded people. There are people with bullet wounds and people who are injured because of falls," said Robert Sangare, director of Ouagadougou's university hospital centre.
Sangare said one European woman being treated at the hospital told him the attackers appeared to target white people.
The hotel is sometimes used by French troops with Operation Barkhane, a force based in Chad and set up to combat Islamist militants across West Africa's vast, arid Sahel region.
The landlocked West African state has endured political turmoil since October 2014 when longtime President Blaise Compaore was overthrown during mass protests and elite troops launched a one-week coup in September 2015.
But it has been largely spared violence by Islamist militants, who have staged attacks in Mali, a country with which it shares a 600-km border.
Burkina Faso’s communications minister says about 30 hostages have been freed from the upscale hotel that was seized more than nine hours earlier by al-Qaida militants.
Minister Remis Dandjinou said early Saturday that among those evacuated from the Splendid Hotel was Public Works Minister Clement Sawadogo.
The hostages were freed by Burkina Faso security forces backed by French troops who are trying to secure the four—story hotel. An unknown number of hostages remain inside.

Astronomers spot brightest supernova yet in distant galaxy

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Astronomers have discovered the most luminous supernova ever observed, which is up to 50 times brighter than the entire Milky Way galaxy.

The super-luminous supernova, called ASAS-SN-15lh, was discovered by the All Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae team (ASAS-SN), an international collaboration at the Ohio State University in US, which uses a network of 14-centimetre telescopes around the world to scan the visible sky every two or three nights looking for very bright supernovae.

Supernovae are violent stellar explosions and some of the brightest objects in the universe. Human records noting their existence date back nearly 2,000 years.

"We spotted a newly occurring explosion in a galaxy of an unknown distance," said Benjamin Shappee, from Carnegie Institution for Science.

Subsequent observations allowed the team to confirm the existence of the supernova ASAS-SN-15lh, Shappee said.

The supernova's spectra matched that of other hydrogen-poor super-luminous supernovae.
However, the researchers realised after further follow-up that it is two times more luminous than any supernova previously discovered.

ASAS-SN-15lh at peak was almost 50 times more luminous than the entire Milky Way galaxy, the researchers said.

The researchers determined that the galaxy where ASAS-SN-15lh formed is very atypical for a super-luminous supernova, which raises questions about how these types of supernovae form.

Its host galaxy is not the typical low-luminosity, star-forming galaxy where previous super-luminous supernovae have been spotted. ASAS-SN-15lh's galaxy is more luminous than our own Milky Way.

Within the past two decades a rare new category of super-luminous supernovae have been discovered, which shine one hundred to a thousand times brighter than the more common supernovae.

It has been theorised that these super-luminous supernovae are powered by so-called magnetars, neutron stars with extremely powerful magnetic fields, with the magnetism providing the engine for the immense luminosity.

According to this theory, the magnetic field's spin magnifies the energy of the explosion, increasing the luminosity.

As counterintuitive as it may sound, super-luminous supernovae are difficult for astronomers to spot.

This is because they are rare and tend to form in low-luminosity galaxies with vigorous star formation, whereas the sky surveys that have been traditionally used to locate supernovae target bright galaxies with low rates of star formation.

The findings were published in the journal Science.

Standing desks could make kids smarter: study

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The introduction of standing desks in classrooms could make children smarter by improving their cognitive performance, a new study by an Indian-origin researcher has found.

The study provides the first evidence of neurocognitive benefits of stand-height desks in classrooms, where students are given the choice to stand or sit based on their preferences, researchers said.

Ranjana Mehta, assistant professor at the Texas A&M Health Science Centre School of Public Health, researched high school students with who used standing desks. Testing was performed at the beginning and again at the end of their freshman year.

Through using an experimental design, Mehta explored the neurocognitive benefits using four computerised tests to assess executive functions. Executive functions are cognitive skills we all use to analyse tasks, break them into steps and keep them in mind until we get them done.

These skills are directly related to the development of many academic skills that allow students to manage their time effectively, memorise facts, understand what they read, solve multi-step problems and organise their thoughts in writing.

Because these functions are largely regulated in the frontal brain regions, a portable brain-imaging device (functional near infrared spectroscopy) was used to examine associated changes in the frontal brain function by placing biosensors on students' foreheads during testing.

"Test results indicated that continued use of standing desks was associated with significant improvements in executive function and working memory capabilities," Mehta said.

"Changes in corresponding brain activation patterns were also observed," she said.In earlier studies that primarily focused on energy expenditure, teachers observed increased attention and better behaviour of students using standing desks.

Mehta's research is the first study not subject to bias or interpretation that objectively exams students' cognitive responses and brain function while using standing desks.

"Interestingly, our research showed the use of standing desks improved neurocognitive function, which is consistent with results from previous studies on school-based exercise programmes," Mehta said.

"This is the first examination of students' cognitive responses to the standing desks, which to date have focused largely on sedentary time as it relates to childhood obesity," added Mark Benden, co-researcher and director of the Texas A&M Ergonomics Centre.

Continued investigation of this research may have strong implications for policy makers, public health professionals and school administrators to consider simple and sustainable environmental changes in classrooms that can effectively increase energy expenditure and physical activity as well as enhance cognitive development and education outcomes.

The findings were published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Chinese prefer Pak,want to move away India as neighbour: Survey

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 Majority of Chinese would like to move India away along with Japan and a host of other neighbouring countries with whom Beijing has territorial disputes and would prefer Pakistan and Nepal as neighbours, if given a chance to 'play God' to redraw China's map.

A total of 13,196 people wanted to "move away" Japan, the highest number of votes polled in a survey seeking their views to select neighbours, if they can 'Play God' and rearrange the countries at China's borders.

More than 200,000 Internet users took part in the survey conducted by the Chinese edition of the state-run tabloid Global Times known for its nationalistic postures.

Other countries that were "moved away" include the Philippines (11,671), Vietnam (11,620), North Korea (11,024), India (10,416), Afghanistan (8,506), and Indonesia (8,167), the results published in the daily today said.

While historical disputes including the second world war atrocities by Japanese forces may have weighed in Chinese people's minds to move Japan away, the border dispute and "protection" to Dalai Lama and his associates whom China regards as separatists led to adverse view of India, Chinese analysts said.

"China and India have disputes over 120,000 square kms of land and the two have not signed treaty to settle the border disputes," Sun Lizhou, deputy director of the Academy of the World and  China Agendas, Southwest University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times.

India-China have a disputed border stretching up to 3448 kms. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of Southern Tibet. The recent initiatives by India and China to improve relations had little effect on Chinese perceptions.

Unsurprisingly majority wants Pakistan often referred as all-weather ally by Chinese leaders and media to remain as a neighbour.

"Net users used their votes to show the bond shared by China and Pakistan, with 11,831 people wanting the country to 'stay as a neighbour'," the report said.

Considering the fast developing ties with Nepal, the Chinese wants it too to remain as a neighbour.

The news paper gave 36 countries to choose from as options for "new neighbours". Sweden earned 9,776 votes, accounting for 5.8 per cent.

And the other six countries that netizens would most like to be closer are New Zealand, Germany, the Maldives, Singapore, Norway and Thailand.

While preferring to move away Japan, ironically, Japan actually fits many of the criteria netizens said were desirable in a neighbour, such as being the fourth largest trade partner of China in addition to its wealth and stability, Sun said.

Net users choose to "move away Japan" because the Japanese government has not apologised over historical issues and the dispute over the disputed islands has soured China-Japan relations, Sun said.

New dates for talks with India soon: Pakistan

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 Pakistan and India are in touch on holding talks between their foreign secretaries and new dates will be decided soon, a senior Pakistani official said on Friday.

Sartaj Aziz, adviser to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on foreign affairs, said this at a breakfast meeting here with Chinese scholars, diplomats as well as journalists.

The talks were to take place on Friday in Islamabad but they have been rescheduled following the attack by Pakistani terrorists on an Indian Air Force base in Pathankot.

JeM chief Masood Azhar in 'protective custody', not under arrest, says Pakistan minister

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Lahore, (PTI): Pakistan's Punjab province Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Friday confirmed that banned Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar has been taken into ”protective custody” along with his accomplices, but clarified that he is “not arrested”.

”Masood Azhar has been taken into protective custody by the Punjab police counter-terrorism department,” Sanaullah told Dawn News.

Earlier, the government chose not to confirm or deny the reports that Azhar has been taken into “protective custody”.

”We have taken Maulana Azhar and his fellows under protective custody in connection with the Pathankot incident. However, we will arrest him if his involvement in the Pathankot attack is proved,” Sanaullah said.

He added that operation against banned outfits including JeM would continue under the National Action Programme.

India has identified Azhar as the mastermind of the Pathankot attack on January 2. It has also blamed his brother Rauf and five others for carrying out the attack in which seven Indian soldiers were killed along with all the six terrorists.

India has shared this information along with two Pakistani phone numbers that the terrorists had called.

According to reports, security agencies have arrested 31 activists of JeM from different parts of the province.

After a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday, his office issued a statement that said that “several individuals” belonging to JeM have been apprehended in connection with the Pathankot terror attack and some of its offices traced and sealed.

On Friday, Pakistan said that the Foreign Secretary-level talks with India will not take place on Saturday as scheduled.

Foreign Office Spokesman Qazi Khalilullah told a news briefing that both sides were holding consultations to reschedule the talks.

Indian baby put in foster care in US

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New York,   (PTI): The two-month-old son of an Indian couple has been placed in foster care by US child welfare officials after he was admitted to a local hospital with head injuries in New Jersey.
Ashvid Pareek slipped from his mother's hands and hit his head on a TV stand before falling hard on the floor last month, his family said.
The baby was rushed to a hospital where he was diagnosed with serious internal injuries to his head. After initial treatment, the hospital transferred Ashvid to another hospital where doctors reported the case to the department of child protection and permanency.
Local authorities said the child suffered from "shaken baby syndrome' and did not agree with the parents' version. They said the parents had neglected to take care of their child.
The parents, Ashish and Vidisha Pareek, were not given permission to meet their son while in hospital. After recovery, the baby was handed over to foster care last week.
The couple have been living in the US since August. Ashish works for Tata Consultancy Services.
The Indian consulate in New York said legal procedures will have to be followed in the case since it has gone to court. The consulate is in touch with the couple and the local authorities.

Odd-even appeal rap on lawyer

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New Delhi, Jan. 14: The Supreme Court today warned an advocate of exemplary penalties and refused to urgently hear his petition challenging Delhi High Court's recent decision upholding the 15-day experimental odd-even car-rationing policy to combat pollution.
The advocate, whose identity could not be ascertained, had sought his petition to be heard before a bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and Justices A.K. Sikri and R. Banumathi when he drew their ire.
Chief Justice Thakur, who has already declared he fully supports the Arvind Kejriwal government's policy, came down heavily on the young lawyer. "The government is taking some steps to deal with the situation. You are not sensitive. People are dying because of pollution. We will impose heavy costs on you. Please co-operate. You are not helping, you are obstructing," Justice Thakur observed.
As the lawyer tried to persuade the court, Justice Thakur cut him short: "All types of publicity stunts (are made). The government is doing something. Old people, the younger generation... (all) are suffering from so many pollution-related diseases. The whole place is polluted. Don't make it an issue, make some serious suggestions."
Justice Thakur then chided the lawyer after he contended that the car-rationing scheme had made it difficult for him to reach the court. "Twenty thousand lawyers in Delhi can reach courts. This young lawyer can't. He should change his profession. We (other apex court judges) are car-pooling."
Sensing the court's mood, the lawyer walked away. However, his petition could come up later. It has not been formally listed yet and today, he had merely pressed for an early hearing.
His petition challenged the high court's order upholding the policy on an experimental basis from January 1 to 15, though it had not commented on its legal validity.
Under the policy, public and private vehicles with odd-number registrations can ply only on odd days of the month and even-numbered ones on even dates. CNG car owners, taxis, autos, two wheelers and women have been exempted. The exemptions have come under criticism from various sections and the high court.
Odd-even for phones
St. Stephen's College students today decided to adopt the odd-even formula for cellphones on the campus, terming the devices "lethal" for health and intellectual life, according to PTI.
The decision was taken at an assembly meeting of the college, with over 70 per cent of the students voting in favour of the idea. However, the scheme will be voluntary and no student will be penalised for violations. Principal Valson Thampu said cellphones were as "lethal a pollutant of our inner/ intellectual life as vehicles are for our roads or outdoor life".
"I had given up using my cell phone last July. This is the best I have done for myself in recent years. It has reduced my distractions by 95 per cent, my vexation by 96.5 per cent and my headache by 99.66 per cent. The quality of my concentration has improved," Thampu said.

After Jakarta attacks, Indonesian police arrest 3 militants, hunt for others

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Jakarta, Jan 15 (Reuters): Indonesian police arrested three suspected militants in a pre-dawn raid and hunted down others across the country on Friday, a day after an attack by Islamic State suicide bombers and gunmen in the heart its capital Jakarta.
Just seven people were killed in Thursday's late-morning siege near a busy shopping district despite multiple blasts and a gunfight, and five of the dead were the attackers themselves.
Nevertheless, it was the first time the radical group has targeted the country with the world's largest Muslim population, and the brazenness of the attack suggested a new brand of militancy in a country more used to low-level strikes on police.
Police chiefs across the country were put on high alert, some embassies in Jakarta were closed for the day and security was stepped up on the resort island of Bali, a draw for tourists from Australia and other Asian countries.
Chief security minister Luhut Pandjaitan confirmed media reports that three people suspected of plotting an attack were arrested at a house in the city of Depok, just south of Jakarta.
However, Metro TV quoted Depok's police chief as saying that the men - which it described as a bomb-maker, a firearms expert and a preacher - were not linked to the Jakarta attack.
Raids were also under way across other parts of Java and other islands to round up suspected militants.
”Now we are sweeping in and outside Java, because we have captured several members of their group, and have identified them,” National Police spokesman Anton Charliyan said.
Returning to the area outside Jakarta's oldest department store, Sarinah, where Thursday's attack unfolded, the city's police chief said the rise of Islamic State was a cause for serious concern.
”We need to strengthen our response and preventive measures, including legislation to prevent them ... and we hope our counterparts in other countries can work together because it is not home-grown terrorism, it is part of the ISIS network,” Tito Karnavian said, using another acronym for the Syria-based group.
Pandjaitan, the security minister, said his office was working with parliament to make changes to legislation that would allow preemptive arrests.
Islamic State said in its claim of responsibility that“a group of soldiers of the caliphate in Indonesia targeted a gathering from the crusader alliance that fights the Islamic State in Jakarta”.
Police confirmed that Islamic State was responsible and named an Indonesian militant, Bahrun Naim, as the mastermind.
Indonesia has seen attacks by Islamist militants before, but a coordinated assault by a team of suicide bombers and gunmen is unprecedented and has echoes of the sieges seen in Mumbai seven years ago and in Paris last November.

US asks China to rein in North Korea

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WASHINGTON/SEOUL: The United States called on China to end “business as usual” with its ally North Korea after Pyongyang defied world powers by saying it had tested a hydrogen bomb, while South Korea prepared to retaliate by broadcasting propaganda across the border. South Korea, which has grown increasingly close to China in recent years, said its foreign minister would speak with his Chinese counterpart later on Friday. US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Thursday he had made clear in a phone call with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that China’s approach to North Korea has not succeeded. US Navy Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin, commander of the 7th Fleet based in Yokosuka, Japan, says the Navy is watching North Korea closely after the country conducted its fourth nuclear test. Aucoin told reporters on Friday morning that the Navy has ships in the area and is monitoring very closely, and added that he could not be more specific. He says, “We want them to abandon any nuclear activities and comply with the international commitments and obligations. Until they do that they’re not going to achieve prosperity, they’re not going to achieve the security they desire. They’re going to live in isolation.” Aucoin spoke aboard the USS Ronald Reagan at the Yokosuka naval base. “China had a particular approach that it wanted to make, that we agreed and respected to give them space to implement that,” Kerry told reporters. “Today in my conversation with the Chinese I made it very clear that has not worked and we cannot continue business as usual.” China is the North’s main economic and diplomatic backer, although relations between the two Cold War allies have cooled in recent years. China’s foreign ministry said after the call with Kerry that Beijing was willing to communicate with all parties, including the United States. “Wang Yi stressed that China has staunchly dedicated itself to the goal of the peninsula’s denuclearisation and to maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a short statement. South Korea’s foreign ministry had requested a phone call with Wang since directly after North Korea announced on Wednesday it had tested a hydrogen bomb, the South’s Yonhap News Agency said. However, the call had been delayed due to China’s “internal scheduling,” it said, citing an unnamed official. South Korea’s propaganda broadcasts by loudspeaker across the heavily militarised border, known to infuriate the leadership of isolated North Korea, were due to begin at noon on Friday. The last time Seoul deployed the speakers, in retaliation for a landmine blast in August that wounded two South Korean soldiers, it led to an armed standoff and exchange of artillery fire. South Korea heightened military readiness to its highest level at locations near the loudspeakers, and Seoul vowed to retaliate against any attack on the speakers. The South Korean city of Paju, which sits along the border with North Korea, suspended tours of the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) at the military’s request. Seoul had also raised South Korea’s cyber security alert level. Yonhap also reported that North Korea had boosted troop deployments and raised its surveillance of the South. Wednesday’s test angered both the United States and China, which was not given prior notice, although the US government and weapons experts doubt Pyongyang’s assertion that the device it exploded was a hydrogen bomb. The vast majority of North Korea’s business dealings are with China, which bought 90 per cent of the isolated country’s exports in 2013, according to data compiled by South Korea’s International Trade Association.

Turkey troops kill 17 militants in Iraq

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BAGHDAD: Turkish troops stationed in neighbouring Iraq killed 17 Daesh militants during a second attack by the militant group in less than a month, state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Friday. Turkey’s Bashiqa camp near the Iraqi city of Mosul, which Daesh has controlled since June 2014, came under assault late on Thursday night, Anadolu said. No Turkish soldier was hurt during ensuing clashes.  “There was an exchange of fire around the Bashiqa camp and Daesh launched an attack which was repelled,” a Turkish government source said. Separately, the US-led coalition launched 23 air strikes against Daesh in Iraq and three in Syria on Thursday, the task force leading the operation said in a statement. The coalition said 22 strikes in Iraq were coordinated with that nation’s government against Daesh targets, and one strike was against inoperable coalition equipment. The strikes included seven in the Daesh stronghold of Mosul and six in Ramadi, where Iraqi troops drove out most of the militants last week after a hard-fought offensive, the Combined Joint Task Force said in a statement on Friday. In Mosul, the strikes destroyed four Daesh tactical units, six fighting positions, four assembly areas, a bunker and a tunnel. In Ramadi, they destroyed 16 fighting positions, 13 heavy machine guns and a dozen improvised explosive devices and denied militants access to terrain, the coalition said. Other strikes in Iraq hit near Al Qaim, Sinjar, Haditha, Irbil, Kisik, Qayyarah and Sultan Abdallah, it said. The coalition said air strikes in Syria included two near Ayn Isa, where they destroyed three fighting positions and suppressed a third, and near Manbij, where a strike destroyed three staging areas. Meanwhile, Daesh spokesman Abu Muhammad Al Adnani has reportedly been wounded in an air strike in Iraq’s western province of Anbar, a military statement said on Thursday. Reuters could not immediately confirm the report. “There are confirmed reports that the so-called terrorist Abu Muhammad Al Adnani the spokesman of the Daesh terrorists was wounded in an air strike in the region of Barwana,” the military statement said. Adnani lost “a large amount of blood” in the attack a few days ago, before being moved to the northern city of Mosul, Daesh’s capital in Iraq, the statement added. More than 100 Daesh fighters were killed in and around Barwana this week by air strikes aimed at helping the Iraqi army repel militant offensives near the city of Haditha, according to the US-led coalition. Adnani is a Syrian from Idlib who pledged allegiance to Daesh’s predecessor Al Qaeda more than a decade ago and was once imprisoned by US forces in Iraq, according to the Brookings Institution. William McCants, a Brookings scholar who is author of the book “The Daesh Apocalypse,” said if true, Adnani’s wounding could be a significant setback for Daesh. “If he’s incapacitated, Baghdadi has lost a very trusted adviser,” he said by phone, referring to Daesh leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi. “His name has been floated as a possible successor and he’s an effective propagandist.” US Army Colonel Steve Warren, spokesman for the coalition bombing Daesh in Iraq and Syria, could not confirm the Iraqi military report but said Adnani had not been targeted by a coalition air strike. Adanani has been the chief propagandist for militant group since he declared in a June 2014 statement that it was establishing a modern-day caliphate spanning large swaths of territory it had seized in Iraq and neighbouring Syria.

Belgium finds Daesh bomb factory

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BRUSSELS: Belgian police have found a Brussels flat where bombs used in the Paris attacks could have been made and where key suspect Salah Abdeslam may have hidden after the massacre, prosecutors said on Friday. Investigators believe explosives used in the Daesh attacks in Paris on Nov.13 may have been made in the apartment that was rented under a false name and where a fingerprint of the key fugitive was found. Police found material that could be used to make explosives, traces of explosive acetone peroxide and handmade belts during a raid on the apartment on Dec.10, federal prosecutors said in a statement on Friday. “During a house search conducted Dec.10 in an apartment on the third floor, Rue Berge in Schaerbeek, material that can be used to fabricate explosives as well as traces of TATP were found,” the prosecutor said in a statement, referring to a type of explosive. “This apartment was rented under a false identity that might have been used by a person already in custody in this case,” the statement added. Agencies

Schools reopen tomorrow

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Mohammed Ibrahim

DUBAI: As many as 414,136 male and female students at the state level will start on Sunday morning the first day of the second semester of the academic year 2015-2016, in all public and private schools which follow the curriculum of the Ministry of Education, kindergartens and adult education.

This comes after the winter vacation, which began in Dec.20 and lasted for three weeks, within three semesters being applied by the MoE.

The second semester is scheduled to continue until March 27, when the Spring holiday starts for two weeks. The third semester will kick off at April 10.

The summer vacation for students starts on June 23, while teaching staff, technical and administrative staff will start their vacation on July 10.

Total of 16,500 cameras in 225 schools installed
BY EMAN SROUR
ABU DHABI: The Abu Dhabi Educational Council (Adec) completed the installation of about 9,300 surveillance cameras in 137 schools across the emirate so far. The Information and Communication Technology Department at Adec is still following up installation of other 7,200 camera in 118 public schools. This is scheduled to be completed during the current academic year. This comes as part of a project aims to support security and safety, and to control the conduct of students. The total number of surveillance cameras that have been installed within the project reached 16,500 cameras in 255 schools in the emirate The IT department is following the installation of the cameras in the rest of the schools, according to specific stages. The first phase was carried out last year in high schools and mix-schools. These schools are in an immediate need of surveillance cameras, to uphold security efforts and safety by deterring any unwelcome behaviour from students. Meanwhile, the next phase will include the primary and preparatory schools, and kindergartens. The cameras were installed in the yards, walkways, entrances and exits of the schools. The recordings are kept for a period of six months only. This step gained a big welcome from the educational field, as it comes within measures considered to strengthen the stability of the schools and procedures of security, safety and follow-up of students’ behaviours.

Monsoon floods hit north India, 200 villages under water

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At least 21 people killed and thousands left homeless as rain causes landslides and floods in India's Uttarakhand and north eastern states, say officials.

Floods triggered by heavy rains have inundated nearly 200 villages in northern India, killing at least 21 people and leaving thousands homeless, officials said on Sunday, as forecasts for more rain prompted fresh flood warnings.

The latest rain has caused landslides and floods in many parts of India and neighbouring Nepal, where at least 90 people have been killed since Thursday, according to the latest government update.

More rain is now forecast in the state of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand in the Himalayas, resulting in new flood warnings.

“Nearly two hundred villages have been hit by the flood which has taken at least 21 lives,” said Alok Ranjan, chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh.

The river Rapti that threads through densely populated parts of the state was running above the danger mark, another official said.

India’s annual rains have picked up from early August after the worst start in five years for the June-September monsoon season raised fears of widespread drought in the sub-continent.

There were concerns that a slow start to the monsoon season would trim cane output in the world’s second-biggest sugar producing nation, but a late revival in rains resulted in higher acreage being planted.

However, fresh floods in North India have now raised fears of damage to the cane crop.

“Sugarcane is at high risk due to floods as water logging can damage the crop,” Sudhir Panwar, president of farmers’ body Kisan Jagriti Manch said by telephone from Lucknow, capital of Uttar Pradesh.

According to the latest assessment of the Indian Sugar Mills Association, the country’s sugar output could rise 4 per cent to 25.3 million tonnes in 2014/15, the fifth surplus year in a row, because of higher cane yields in other major producing states of Maharashtra and Karnataka.

(Khaleej Times)