2012, ഏപ്രിൽ 30, തിങ്കളാഴ്‌ച



13 killed in copter crash in ColombiaOfficials in Colombia say a Colombian air force helicopter has crashed near the Caribbean coast and all 13 people aboard have been killed.Atlantico state civil defence director Jorge Fernandez says the aircraft crashed in a field in a rural area of the town of Sabanagrande.Two officials who spoke on condition they not be further identified put the death toll at 13. Both say they were not authorised to disclose the number.They say that the aircraft caught fire as it fell to the ground and that police and air force personnel were aboard.Colombia’s air force says on its website that the Bell 212 helicopter crashed at 4:30 pm and that the incident is under investigation.




13 killed in copter crash in ColombiaOfficials in Colombia say a Colombian air force helicopter has crashed near the Caribbean coast and all 13 people aboard have been killed.Atlantico state civil defence director Jorge Fernandez says the aircraft crashed in a field in a rural area of the town of Sabanagrande.Two officials who spoke on condition they not be further identified put the death toll at 13. Both say they were not authorised to disclose the number.They say that the aircraft caught fire as it fell to the ground and that police and air force personnel were aboard.Colombia’s air force says on its website that the Bell 212 helicopter crashed at 4:30 pm and that the incident is under investigation.




'Telecom towers kill 7mn birds in America every year'
Washington:Telecom towers are killing nearly seven million birds every year as they migrate from the US and Canada to Central and South America, says a new study.
According to the study, around 84,000 telecom towers, some of which can rise nearly 2,000 feet into the sky, much higher than the Empire State Building at 1,250 feet, dot the two countries. 
However, the birds are killed not by running into the tower itself but the dozens of cables, known as guy wires, that prop up the thin, freestanding structures, said study co-author Travis Longcore, associate professor at the University of Southern California Spatial Sciences Institute, US. 'This is a tragedy that does not have to be,' added Longcore. 
The taller the tower the greater the threat, the study found. The 1,000 or so towers above 900 feet accounted for only 1.6 percent of the total number of towers. Yet these skyscraper towers killed 70 percent of the birds, about 4.5 million a year, Longcore said, the journal the Public Library of Science ONE reports.During bad weather, the birds were pushed down by cloud cover and flew at lower altitudes. The clouds also removed navigation cues, such as stars, leaving only the blinking or static red lights of towers. The blinking did not fool the birds, but towers with a static red light resulted in more dead birds, according to a Southern California statement.
'In the presence of the solid red lights, the birds are unable to get out of their spell,' Longcore said. 'They circle the tower and run into the big cables holding it up.'Longcore estimated that changing the steady-burning lights on the 4,500 towers greater than 490 feet tall (about six percent of the total) could reduce mortality about 45 percent, or around 2.5 million birds. The study also recommended that businesses should share towers to reduce their number and build more freestanding towers to reduce the need for guy wires.
The study did not include shorter towers that typically are used for transmission. 



'Telecom towers kill 7mn birds in America every year'
Washington:Telecom towers are killing nearly seven million birds every year as they migrate from the US and Canada to Central and South America, says a new study.
According to the study, around 84,000 telecom towers, some of which can rise nearly 2,000 feet into the sky, much higher than the Empire State Building at 1,250 feet, dot the two countries. 
However, the birds are killed not by running into the tower itself but the dozens of cables, known as guy wires, that prop up the thin, freestanding structures, said study co-author Travis Longcore, associate professor at the University of Southern California Spatial Sciences Institute, US. 'This is a tragedy that does not have to be,' added Longcore. 
The taller the tower the greater the threat, the study found. The 1,000 or so towers above 900 feet accounted for only 1.6 percent of the total number of towers. Yet these skyscraper towers killed 70 percent of the birds, about 4.5 million a year, Longcore said, the journal the Public Library of Science ONE reports.During bad weather, the birds were pushed down by cloud cover and flew at lower altitudes. The clouds also removed navigation cues, such as stars, leaving only the blinking or static red lights of towers. The blinking did not fool the birds, but towers with a static red light resulted in more dead birds, according to a Southern California statement.
'In the presence of the solid red lights, the birds are unable to get out of their spell,' Longcore said. 'They circle the tower and run into the big cables holding it up.'Longcore estimated that changing the steady-burning lights on the 4,500 towers greater than 490 feet tall (about six percent of the total) could reduce mortality about 45 percent, or around 2.5 million birds. The study also recommended that businesses should share towers to reduce their number and build more freestanding towers to reduce the need for guy wires.
The study did not include shorter towers that typically are used for transmission. 



Bars to work till 12 midnight

Thiruvananthapuram: As per the new excise policy, the government has issued a circular to change the bar timings. The total working hours was brought down by three hours. In panchayats and municipalities, bars can function till 11 pm and in cities till 12. In panchayats, bars should be opened at 8 am and in cities at 9 am.
The other directions include allotting bars only for four-star hotels and change in working hours. As per the 1953 rules, bars were allowed to function from 6 am to 11 pm and that has been changed now. 



Bars to work till 12 midnight

Thiruvananthapuram: As per the new excise policy, the government has issued a circular to change the bar timings. The total working hours was brought down by three hours. In panchayats and municipalities, bars can function till 11 pm and in cities till 12. In panchayats, bars should be opened at 8 am and in cities at 9 am.
The other directions include allotting bars only for four-star hotels and change in working hours. As per the 1953 rules, bars were allowed to function from 6 am to 11 pm and that has been changed now. 


CBI also probing financial sources of Abdul Rasheed
Kollam : CBI will also probe the financial sources of crime branch DySP Abdul Rasheed who was held in connection with attacking Mathrubhumi reporter VB Unnithan.
CBI also gained some information on his assets inappropriate to his income. CBI also collected information on his business dealings he had made under benami names and his land dealings etc.

CBI also probing financial sources of Abdul Rasheed
Kollam : CBI will also probe the financial sources of crime branch DySP Abdul Rasheed who was held in connection with attacking Mathrubhumi reporter VB Unnithan.
CBI also gained some information on his assets inappropriate to his income. CBI also collected information on his business dealings he had made under benami names and his land dealings etc.

Three students killed in separate accidents

Kochi: Three students died in separate accidents in Ernakulam district on Sunday. Two engineering students died when their bike hit a lorry parked on the Vallarpadom container terminal road and another student died at MC road after his bike hit a mini lorry.
Jain Joseph, 22, son of Joseph from Chengamanad, Shobin Nath, 22, son of Sethumadhavan from Kuttippuram died after their bike hit a continer lorry parked on the roadside. Jain and Shobin Nath were fourth year computer engineering students at Mala Mets School of Engineering. They were on their way to their college in Mala from Ernakulam. 
Basil K Paul, 24, son of Paulose from Vatakkattupadi died in another accident at Perumbavoor. His friend Eldose Varghese was admitted to the Ernakulam medical center. They were returning after meeting a friend in Pulluvazhi. Their bike was hit by a mini lorry coming from Muvattupuzha. Basil was a diploma student at Erode PGP College.



Three students killed in separate accidents

Kochi: Three students died in separate accidents in Ernakulam district on Sunday. Two engineering students died when their bike hit a lorry parked on the Vallarpadom container terminal road and another student died at MC road after his bike hit a mini lorry.
Jain Joseph, 22, son of Joseph from Chengamanad, Shobin Nath, 22, son of Sethumadhavan from Kuttippuram died after their bike hit a continer lorry parked on the roadside. Jain and Shobin Nath were fourth year computer engineering students at Mala Mets School of Engineering. They were on their way to their college in Mala from Ernakulam. 
Basil K Paul, 24, son of Paulose from Vatakkattupadi died in another accident at Perumbavoor. His friend Eldose Varghese was admitted to the Ernakulam medical center. They were returning after meeting a friend in Pulluvazhi. Their bike was hit by a mini lorry coming from Muvattupuzha. Basil was a diploma student at Erode PGP College.



SC seeks Italian govt's stand on release of Enrica Lexie ship

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today sought the Italian government's stand on a plea for release of its vessel Enrica Lexie whose two marines allegedly had shot dead two Indian fishermen, Jalastine and Binki, in February.
A bench of justices R M Lodha and H L Gokhale reserved its order on vessel's owner Dolphin Tankers' plea for release ofthe ship for 10.30 am tomorrow, by which time the Italian government too was asked to file its reply.
Earlier during the two-hour-long argument, the apex court questioned the Kerala government as to why it did not oppose
the compromise reached between the families of the deceased fishermen and the Italian vessel's owners, who reportedly paidRs one crore to each victim's family.
Referring to the compromise, the apex court bench said, 'This is a challenge to the Indian judicial system, this isimpermissible. It is most unfortunate.'
The apex court also indicated that it was not in favour of detaining the vessel crew and the two marines unless theirpresence was required by the investigating authorities.
The bench made it clear that not only the citizens of this country but even foreign nationals, present in the country are entitled to the protection as per Article 21 which grants right to life and liberty to everyone in India.
Earlier on April 23, the court had sought the response of the Centre and the Kerala government on Italian government'splea to quash the criminal cases against its two merchant navy personnel.
The court is also hearing a petition challenging the seizure of Italian vessel Enrica Lexie by the Indian authorities after two of its onboard marines allegedly gunned down two Indian fishermen on February 15.
The special leave petition was filed by Enrica's owners, Dolphin Tankers questioning the Kerala High Court's orderstaying the release of the vessel. 
In its petition filed under Article 32, the Italian government had asserted that the Kerala Government has nolocus standi to register any criminal case as the alleged offence ought to be treated under international law andcovenants as India is a signatory to the UN charter.
Appearing for the Italian government, senior counsel Harish Salve had told the bench that the matter needs to bedealt between the two countries and the Kerala Government had no jurisdiction in interfering with the matter as the incident had occurred in 'contigual waters' 12 nautical miles beyond the Indian jurisdiction.
He had said the action of the Italian personnel was part of their official duty.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Indira Jaising had questioned the maintainability of the petition of the Italian government on the ground that it was not a citizen within the meaning of Article 32 for invoking the court's jurisdiction.
Counsel for the Kerala Government had also opposed the Italian Government's petition on the ground that the KeralaHigh Court had already reserved its judgement on the  sue.


SC seeks Italian govt's stand on release of Enrica Lexie ship

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today sought the Italian government's stand on a plea for release of its vessel Enrica Lexie whose two marines allegedly had shot dead two Indian fishermen, Jalastine and Binki, in February.
A bench of justices R M Lodha and H L Gokhale reserved its order on vessel's owner Dolphin Tankers' plea for release ofthe ship for 10.30 am tomorrow, by which time the Italian government too was asked to file its reply.
Earlier during the two-hour-long argument, the apex court questioned the Kerala government as to why it did not oppose
the compromise reached between the families of the deceased fishermen and the Italian vessel's owners, who reportedly paidRs one crore to each victim's family.
Referring to the compromise, the apex court bench said, 'This is a challenge to the Indian judicial system, this isimpermissible. It is most unfortunate.'
The apex court also indicated that it was not in favour of detaining the vessel crew and the two marines unless theirpresence was required by the investigating authorities.
The bench made it clear that not only the citizens of this country but even foreign nationals, present in the country are entitled to the protection as per Article 21 which grants right to life and liberty to everyone in India.
Earlier on April 23, the court had sought the response of the Centre and the Kerala government on Italian government'splea to quash the criminal cases against its two merchant navy personnel.
The court is also hearing a petition challenging the seizure of Italian vessel Enrica Lexie by the Indian authorities after two of its onboard marines allegedly gunned down two Indian fishermen on February 15.
The special leave petition was filed by Enrica's owners, Dolphin Tankers questioning the Kerala High Court's orderstaying the release of the vessel. 
In its petition filed under Article 32, the Italian government had asserted that the Kerala Government has nolocus standi to register any criminal case as the alleged offence ought to be treated under international law andcovenants as India is a signatory to the UN charter.
Appearing for the Italian government, senior counsel Harish Salve had told the bench that the matter needs to bedealt between the two countries and the Kerala Government had no jurisdiction in interfering with the matter as the incident had occurred in 'contigual waters' 12 nautical miles beyond the Indian jurisdiction.
He had said the action of the Italian personnel was part of their official duty.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Indira Jaising had questioned the maintainability of the petition of the Italian government on the ground that it was not a citizen within the meaning of Article 32 for invoking the court's jurisdiction.
Counsel for the Kerala Government had also opposed the Italian Government's petition on the ground that the KeralaHigh Court had already reserved its judgement on the  sue.

2012, ഏപ്രിൽ 29, ഞായറാഴ്‌ച



New carcinogen in smokeless tobacco identified
Thiruvananthapuram: It is bad news for those Malayalis who use smokeless tobacco -- in the form of 'gutka' and similar products -- as a research in the US has, for the first time, identified a specific oral cancer-causing chemical in smokeless tobacco products.
Dr. Silvia Balbo of the Masonic Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, US, found after a study on rats that smokeless tobacco products contain a strong oral carcinogen -- a chemical called (S)-N'-nitrosonornicotine, or (S)-NNN.
Dr. K.R. Thankappan, professor and head, Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies in Thiruvananthapuram, said though this study is yet to be translated on humans, it is a definite pointer to the grave risk that use of smokeless tobacco products poses to health.
'Oral cancer can be extremely debilitating and the use of smokeless tobacco that is fast gaining popularity among Malayali youth should be controlled through strict legislative measures,' said Thankappan.
According to a recent study in Kerala, 10.7 percent of adult Malayali users are hooked to smokeless tobacco.
P. Janardhana Iyer, honorary secretary, Regional Cancer Association and a well-known tobacco control activist in Kerala said the sale and use of smokeless tobacco products should be strongly discouraged.
'This (US) study and the example set by Madhya Pradesh which has banned such products indicate the great dangers that these products pose to the society, particularly to the vulnerable young population,' said Iyer.
Incidentally, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had last year written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh requesting him to ban tobacco products in the country through a legislation.
The Kerala government has extended the ban on sale of tobacco products within a radius of 400 metres around educational institutions, thus extending the scope of Section 6(b) of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act 2003.




New carcinogen in smokeless tobacco identified
Thiruvananthapuram: It is bad news for those Malayalis who use smokeless tobacco -- in the form of 'gutka' and similar products -- as a research in the US has, for the first time, identified a specific oral cancer-causing chemical in smokeless tobacco products.
Dr. Silvia Balbo of the Masonic Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, US, found after a study on rats that smokeless tobacco products contain a strong oral carcinogen -- a chemical called (S)-N'-nitrosonornicotine, or (S)-NNN.
Dr. K.R. Thankappan, professor and head, Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies in Thiruvananthapuram, said though this study is yet to be translated on humans, it is a definite pointer to the grave risk that use of smokeless tobacco products poses to health.
'Oral cancer can be extremely debilitating and the use of smokeless tobacco that is fast gaining popularity among Malayali youth should be controlled through strict legislative measures,' said Thankappan.
According to a recent study in Kerala, 10.7 percent of adult Malayali users are hooked to smokeless tobacco.
P. Janardhana Iyer, honorary secretary, Regional Cancer Association and a well-known tobacco control activist in Kerala said the sale and use of smokeless tobacco products should be strongly discouraged.
'This (US) study and the example set by Madhya Pradesh which has banned such products indicate the great dangers that these products pose to the society, particularly to the vulnerable young population,' said Iyer.
Incidentally, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had last year written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh requesting him to ban tobacco products in the country through a legislation.
The Kerala government has extended the ban on sale of tobacco products within a radius of 400 metres around educational institutions, thus extending the scope of Section 6(b) of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act 2003.




500-km human chain for Indian fishermen's sake

Thiruvananthapuram: More than half a million people Saturday formed a 500-km-long human chain running from Kerala to Tamil Nadu to press for the safety and security of Indian fishermen.
The formation started at 5 p.m. and in 15 minutes a human chain had been formed running from Manjeswaram to Kanyakumari.
The formation aimed to highlight the threat looming over the lives of fishermen after five people were recently killed while fishing in the seas in two separate incidents.
Archbishop M. Susaipakiam of the Latin Archdiocese inaugurated the process, seeking the safety of fishermen.
'Numerous state and central agencies are associated with the safety of fishermen but there is a lack of coordination and hence things do not happen the way they should,' he said.
Part of the chain was people from all walks of life and political affiliations.
Pinarayi Vijayan, secretary of Kerala CPI-M, was among the leaders who joined the formation.
Several Kerala legislators also took part in the formation in their respective localities.
'This was done to bring to attention the safety and security issues our fishermen face while doing their jobs,' said T. Peter, convener of Kerala Swanthantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation.
The event comes in the wake of two recent incidents namely the killing of two fishermen by Italian marines along the Alappuzha coast and the death of three fishermen after being hit by a Singaporean vessel.



500-km human chain for Indian fishermen's sake

Thiruvananthapuram: More than half a million people Saturday formed a 500-km-long human chain running from Kerala to Tamil Nadu to press for the safety and security of Indian fishermen.
The formation started at 5 p.m. and in 15 minutes a human chain had been formed running from Manjeswaram to Kanyakumari.
The formation aimed to highlight the threat looming over the lives of fishermen after five people were recently killed while fishing in the seas in two separate incidents.
Archbishop M. Susaipakiam of the Latin Archdiocese inaugurated the process, seeking the safety of fishermen.
'Numerous state and central agencies are associated with the safety of fishermen but there is a lack of coordination and hence things do not happen the way they should,' he said.
Part of the chain was people from all walks of life and political affiliations.
Pinarayi Vijayan, secretary of Kerala CPI-M, was among the leaders who joined the formation.
Several Kerala legislators also took part in the formation in their respective localities.
'This was done to bring to attention the safety and security issues our fishermen face while doing their jobs,' said T. Peter, convener of Kerala Swanthantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation.
The event comes in the wake of two recent incidents namely the killing of two fishermen by Italian marines along the Alappuzha coast and the death of three fishermen after being hit by a Singaporean vessel.

2012, ഏപ്രിൽ 28, ശനിയാഴ്‌ച


Saudi Arabia recalls ambassador to Egypt

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has decided to recall its ambassador to Cairo and close its diplomatic missions in Egypt after protests outside its embassy over an arrested Egyptian lawyer, state news agency SPA said Saturday. 
The embassy as well as consulates in the Mediterranean cities of Alexandria and Suez were closed. 
An official spokesman, quoted by SPA, said the measures were decided in response to demonstrations outside its missions in Egypt and threats following the announcement of the arrest of the Egyptian lawyer in Saudi Arabia. 
The protests were "unjustified," the spokesman said, adding that Saudi and Egyptian employees of its diplomatic missions had been threatened. 
"Hostile slogans were shouted out and the immunity of the diplomatic representations was violated, contrary to all international regulations," the spokesman said. 
He said the violence had led to the suspension of diplomatic and consular services for Egyptian workers and Muslim pilgrims headed for Islam's holiest sites, located in western Saudi Arabia. 
On Tuesday, hundreds of Egyptians protested outside the embassy demanding the release of an Egyptian human rights activist held by Saudi authorities who claim he possessed banned drugs. 
The protesters chanted slogans against the Saudi regime as they called for the "immediate" release of Ahmed Mohammed al-Gizawi, who was arrested on arrival at Jeddah airport on April 17. 
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, an Egyptian organisation, said Gizawi was detained following a sentence of one year in prison and 20 lashes delivered against him in absentia for criticism of the Saudi government. 
Gizawi, whose supporters said he travelled to the Gulf state on pilgrimage, was being targeted for his activism in favour of Egyptian detainees in Saudi prisons, it said.

Saudi Arabia recalls ambassador to Egypt

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has decided to recall its ambassador to Cairo and close its diplomatic missions in Egypt after protests outside its embassy over an arrested Egyptian lawyer, state news agency SPA said Saturday. 
The embassy as well as consulates in the Mediterranean cities of Alexandria and Suez were closed. 
An official spokesman, quoted by SPA, said the measures were decided in response to demonstrations outside its missions in Egypt and threats following the announcement of the arrest of the Egyptian lawyer in Saudi Arabia. 
The protests were "unjustified," the spokesman said, adding that Saudi and Egyptian employees of its diplomatic missions had been threatened. 
"Hostile slogans were shouted out and the immunity of the diplomatic representations was violated, contrary to all international regulations," the spokesman said. 
He said the violence had led to the suspension of diplomatic and consular services for Egyptian workers and Muslim pilgrims headed for Islam's holiest sites, located in western Saudi Arabia. 
On Tuesday, hundreds of Egyptians protested outside the embassy demanding the release of an Egyptian human rights activist held by Saudi authorities who claim he possessed banned drugs. 
The protesters chanted slogans against the Saudi regime as they called for the "immediate" release of Ahmed Mohammed al-Gizawi, who was arrested on arrival at Jeddah airport on April 17. 
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, an Egyptian organisation, said Gizawi was detained following a sentence of one year in prison and 20 lashes delivered against him in absentia for criticism of the Saudi government. 
Gizawi, whose supporters said he travelled to the Gulf state on pilgrimage, was being targeted for his activism in favour of Egyptian detainees in Saudi prisons, it said.

For Obama, bin Laden's killing becomes campaign tool

WASHINGTON: The killing of Osama bin Laden, first presented as a moment of American unity by President Barack Obama, has become something else: a political weapon. 
Obama's re-election campaign is portraying his risky decision to go after America's top enemy as a defining difference with his Republican presidential opponent, suggesting Mitt Romneymight not have had the guts to order a mission that put lives and perhaps a presidency at stake. 
Obama himself is opening up on the raid again, and opening the secretive White House Situation Room as an interview stage, to hail the one-year anniversary. 
The broader goal for Obama, whether through campaign web videos or the trappings of the White House, is not to just to remind voters of an enormous victory on his watch. It is to maximize a political narrative that he has the courage to make tough calls that his opponent might not. 
"Does anybody doubt that had the mission failed, it would have written the beginning of the end of the president's first term?" Vice President Joe Biden says in laying out Obama's foreign policy campaign message. "We know what President Obama did. We can't say for certain what Governor Romney would have done." 
The strategy underscores the fact that the Obama who ordered the raid as commander in chief is now seeking a second term as president. The risk is the political blowback that can come if he is seen as crossing a line into politicizing national security.
"Sad," said a Romney spokeswoman. "Shameless," said 2008 Obama election foe John McCain. 
Biden even combined the killing of the al-Qaida leader and Obama's support for a failing auto industry into what could be a re-election bumper sticker message. 
"It's pretty simple: Osama bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive," the vice president said in a speech on Thursday. 
Obama's campaign followed that Friday with a new web video questioning whether Romney would have taken the same path Obama did. If features a quote from a 2007 Romney interview in which he said it was not worth "moving heaven and earth spending billions of dollars just trying to catch one person." That promted McCain to issue a scathing statement in which he accused Obama of playing politics with the bin Laden killing and "diminishing the memory of September 11th." 
"This is the same president who said, after bin Laden was dead, that we shouldn't `spike the ball' after the touchdown. And now Barack Obama is not only trying to score political points by invoking Osama bin Laden, he is doing a shameless end-zone dance to help himself get re-elected." 
The president's initial words on the bin Laden mission _ a raid for which he received wide praise, including from Romney _ were ones of sober thanks. Addressing the nation late that night of May 1, 2011, in Washington, Obama said: "Tonight, let us think back to the sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11." So much for that, the Romney campaign said Friday. "It's now sad to see the Obama campaign seek to use an event that unified our country to once again divide us, in order to distract voters' attention from the failures of his administration," Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul said.
Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt declined comment for this story, saying Biden's speech and the new campaign video speak for themselves. 
White House spokesman Jay Carney said the bin Laden raid is a part of Obama's foreign policy story, and "I think the way that we've handled it represents exactly the balance you need to strike." 
President George W. Bush, when seeking re-election in 2004, faced criticism that he was politicizing the memory of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, including with a video at the Republican National Convention that credited him with "the heart of a president." 
Steve Schmidt, a spokesman and strategist for that Bush campaign, said the bin Laden killing is fair game as a campaign message for Obama. "It was a courageous political decision to launch the raid where bin Laden was killed. The stakes were enormous," Schmidt said. "Had it gone south, there would have been tremendous political ramifications for the president. It's a real event that happened on his watch, by his command." 
In perspective, he added, the issue won't be a determining factor in an election to be driven by the economy. 
Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan by US Navy SEALs. The terror leader was living in a compound in one of Islamabad's suburbs, having evaded capture for nearly 10 years. 
The episode is featured prominently in an Obama campaign video, narrated by actor Tom Hanks, as an example of decisive leadership.
Obama sent in the US forces with no assurance that bin Laden was at the site, leading to a heart-pounding scene in the Situation Room, captured in one of the most famous photos of Obama's presidency.

For Obama, bin Laden's killing becomes campaign tool

WASHINGTON: The killing of Osama bin Laden, first presented as a moment of American unity by President Barack Obama, has become something else: a political weapon. 
Obama's re-election campaign is portraying his risky decision to go after America's top enemy as a defining difference with his Republican presidential opponent, suggesting Mitt Romneymight not have had the guts to order a mission that put lives and perhaps a presidency at stake. 
Obama himself is opening up on the raid again, and opening the secretive White House Situation Room as an interview stage, to hail the one-year anniversary. 
The broader goal for Obama, whether through campaign web videos or the trappings of the White House, is not to just to remind voters of an enormous victory on his watch. It is to maximize a political narrative that he has the courage to make tough calls that his opponent might not. 
"Does anybody doubt that had the mission failed, it would have written the beginning of the end of the president's first term?" Vice President Joe Biden says in laying out Obama's foreign policy campaign message. "We know what President Obama did. We can't say for certain what Governor Romney would have done." 
The strategy underscores the fact that the Obama who ordered the raid as commander in chief is now seeking a second term as president. The risk is the political blowback that can come if he is seen as crossing a line into politicizing national security.
"Sad," said a Romney spokeswoman. "Shameless," said 2008 Obama election foe John McCain. 
Biden even combined the killing of the al-Qaida leader and Obama's support for a failing auto industry into what could be a re-election bumper sticker message. 
"It's pretty simple: Osama bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive," the vice president said in a speech on Thursday. 
Obama's campaign followed that Friday with a new web video questioning whether Romney would have taken the same path Obama did. If features a quote from a 2007 Romney interview in which he said it was not worth "moving heaven and earth spending billions of dollars just trying to catch one person." That promted McCain to issue a scathing statement in which he accused Obama of playing politics with the bin Laden killing and "diminishing the memory of September 11th." 
"This is the same president who said, after bin Laden was dead, that we shouldn't `spike the ball' after the touchdown. And now Barack Obama is not only trying to score political points by invoking Osama bin Laden, he is doing a shameless end-zone dance to help himself get re-elected." 
The president's initial words on the bin Laden mission _ a raid for which he received wide praise, including from Romney _ were ones of sober thanks. Addressing the nation late that night of May 1, 2011, in Washington, Obama said: "Tonight, let us think back to the sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11." So much for that, the Romney campaign said Friday. "It's now sad to see the Obama campaign seek to use an event that unified our country to once again divide us, in order to distract voters' attention from the failures of his administration," Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul said.
Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt declined comment for this story, saying Biden's speech and the new campaign video speak for themselves. 
White House spokesman Jay Carney said the bin Laden raid is a part of Obama's foreign policy story, and "I think the way that we've handled it represents exactly the balance you need to strike." 
President George W. Bush, when seeking re-election in 2004, faced criticism that he was politicizing the memory of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, including with a video at the Republican National Convention that credited him with "the heart of a president." 
Steve Schmidt, a spokesman and strategist for that Bush campaign, said the bin Laden killing is fair game as a campaign message for Obama. "It was a courageous political decision to launch the raid where bin Laden was killed. The stakes were enormous," Schmidt said. "Had it gone south, there would have been tremendous political ramifications for the president. It's a real event that happened on his watch, by his command." 
In perspective, he added, the issue won't be a determining factor in an election to be driven by the economy. 
Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan by US Navy SEALs. The terror leader was living in a compound in one of Islamabad's suburbs, having evaded capture for nearly 10 years. 
The episode is featured prominently in an Obama campaign video, narrated by actor Tom Hanks, as an example of decisive leadership.
Obama sent in the US forces with no assurance that bin Laden was at the site, leading to a heart-pounding scene in the Situation Room, captured in one of the most famous photos of Obama's presidency.

.

Taliban threat from Af-Pak real, warns Air Chief Marshal Browne

BANGALORE: Increasing Talibanisation of Pakistan and shifting of terror focus from Af-Pak region would pose a serious security threat to India in the next two years, Chief of Air StaffAir Chief Marshal N A K Browne said here Saturday. 
"If the American troops and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) withdraw from Afghanistan as planned, 2013-14 are going to be crucial watershed years for India as far as the security of our western border is concerned," Browne hinted. 
Noting that the emergence of Pakistani Talibanand Punjabi Taliban would pose a real threat to India, Browne said if the situation in the Af-Pak region deteriorated after the allied forces withdraw, these (Taliban) elements may shift close to the Wagah border.
"Our fear is that we may have these forces very close to the Wagah border to deal with because the focal point of al-Qaida and Taliban has dramatically shifted very fast from Afghanistan to Af-Pak border and North West Frontier Province to the heart of Pakistan," Browne said delivering the sixth Air Chief Marshal L M Katre Memorial Lecture at the HAL convention centre here. 
Referring to the terror outfit Jamaat-ud-Dawah founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed's speech at a seminar in Peshwar last week, the Air Chief said the game-plan of Taliban forces and terror elements in Af-Pak region was to target Kashmir after "liberating" Kabul from allied forces. 
"It is Kabul now we are dealing with. The moment we resolve that, we will take over the next phase to liberate Kashmir from Jammu & Kashmir state," Browne quoted Saeed as saying.

Admitting that unresolved borders with Pakistan and China were a baggage from the past, Browne said as a security concern, the convoluted borders were a point of friction with both the neighbouring countries who also collude in sharing conventional and missile technology to develop nuclear and conventional weapons.
"I can't think of any other model in the world where you are dealing with this kind of situation with two nuclear powered neighbouring countries having border issues with us as a common cause for point of friction," Browne told a gathering of about 500 members from the aeronautical community and air force families. 
The Air Force Association (Karnataka branch) organises every year the Lakshman Madhav Katre Memorial Lecture in memory of the former air chief (1984-85) who was also chairman of the defence behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) in 1983. 
HAL chairman R K Tyagi and Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) director P S Krishnan also spoke on the occasion.
                              


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Taliban threat from Af-Pak real, warns Air Chief Marshal Browne

BANGALORE: Increasing Talibanisation of Pakistan and shifting of terror focus from Af-Pak region would pose a serious security threat to India in the next two years, Chief of Air StaffAir Chief Marshal N A K Browne said here Saturday. 
"If the American troops and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) withdraw from Afghanistan as planned, 2013-14 are going to be crucial watershed years for India as far as the security of our western border is concerned," Browne hinted. 
Noting that the emergence of Pakistani Talibanand Punjabi Taliban would pose a real threat to India, Browne said if the situation in the Af-Pak region deteriorated after the allied forces withdraw, these (Taliban) elements may shift close to the Wagah border.
"Our fear is that we may have these forces very close to the Wagah border to deal with because the focal point of al-Qaida and Taliban has dramatically shifted very fast from Afghanistan to Af-Pak border and North West Frontier Province to the heart of Pakistan," Browne said delivering the sixth Air Chief Marshal L M Katre Memorial Lecture at the HAL convention centre here. 
Referring to the terror outfit Jamaat-ud-Dawah founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed's speech at a seminar in Peshwar last week, the Air Chief said the game-plan of Taliban forces and terror elements in Af-Pak region was to target Kashmir after "liberating" Kabul from allied forces. 
"It is Kabul now we are dealing with. The moment we resolve that, we will take over the next phase to liberate Kashmir from Jammu & Kashmir state," Browne quoted Saeed as saying.

Admitting that unresolved borders with Pakistan and China were a baggage from the past, Browne said as a security concern, the convoluted borders were a point of friction with both the neighbouring countries who also collude in sharing conventional and missile technology to develop nuclear and conventional weapons.
"I can't think of any other model in the world where you are dealing with this kind of situation with two nuclear powered neighbouring countries having border issues with us as a common cause for point of friction," Browne told a gathering of about 500 members from the aeronautical community and air force families. 
The Air Force Association (Karnataka branch) organises every year the Lakshman Madhav Katre Memorial Lecture in memory of the former air chief (1984-85) who was also chairman of the defence behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) in 1983. 
HAL chairman R K Tyagi and Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) director P S Krishnan also spoke on the occasion.
                              


“Timely action will save stroke victims”

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

 ‘Administration of an injection within three hours it would be possible to restore the patient's mobility”
Timely action will minimise the impact of stroke, ‘brain attack,' and with the administration of an injection within three hours it would be possible to restore the patient's mobility. This was the message conveyed to doctors drawn from various places of southern districts at a workshop on stroke prevention and management organised at the Apollo Speciality Hospitals here on Friday.
S. Meenakshi Sundaram, senior neurologist of the hospital, spoke about four vital factors, FAST, to determine whether a patient had suffered a stroke. He explained to reporters on the sidelines of the workshop that a drooping face was The workshop included interactive lectures and drill. an indicator of stroke.
If one of the arms was numb or the person experienced difficulty in raising both the hands up together, he should be shifted to a hospital. The third factor was slurred speech. The person should be asked to repeat a simple sentence to identify slur. Time was a very important factor in saving the brain and hence the patient should be shifted to hospital as early as possible.
An injection of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) administered within three hours of the onset of stroke would help regain lost faculties, he said. Karthik of Department of Neurosciences said that the patient could be discharged in about three days, if the injection was administered. Though costly, the injection would bring down the medical expenses of stroke treatment considerably, he claimed

“Timely action will save stroke victims”

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

 ‘Administration of an injection within three hours it would be possible to restore the patient's mobility”
Timely action will minimise the impact of stroke, ‘brain attack,' and with the administration of an injection within three hours it would be possible to restore the patient's mobility. This was the message conveyed to doctors drawn from various places of southern districts at a workshop on stroke prevention and management organised at the Apollo Speciality Hospitals here on Friday.
S. Meenakshi Sundaram, senior neurologist of the hospital, spoke about four vital factors, FAST, to determine whether a patient had suffered a stroke. He explained to reporters on the sidelines of the workshop that a drooping face was The workshop included interactive lectures and drill. an indicator of stroke.
If one of the arms was numb or the person experienced difficulty in raising both the hands up together, he should be shifted to a hospital. The third factor was slurred speech. The person should be asked to repeat a simple sentence to identify slur. Time was a very important factor in saving the brain and hence the patient should be shifted to hospital as early as possible.
An injection of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) administered within three hours of the onset of stroke would help regain lost faculties, he said. Karthik of Department of Neurosciences said that the patient could be discharged in about three days, if the injection was administered. Though costly, the injection would bring down the medical expenses of stroke treatment considerably, he claimed

 

 

Space shuttle Enterprise arrives in New York


REUTERS
New York City was abuzz as the space shuttle Enterprise arrived on Friday, flying low over high-profile locations, including the Statue of Liberty, while perched on the back of a 747 jet.New Yorkers watched from rooftops and sirens wailed as the shuttle glided up the Hudson River and back down minutes later on its way to its temporary home at the Kennedy Airport.NASA is wrapping up the shuttle programme, and Enterprise will become part of New York's Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. Enterprise was never used in an actual space mission but was a full-scale test vehicle in the air and on the ground. The shuttle flew from Washington on Friday morning.Enterprise will stay at the Kennedy Airport for a few weeks until it's taken off the 747 jet it rode to New York. After that it will be put on a barge in early June and brought up the Hudson River to the Intrepid, where it will be put on the flight deck.

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