Saudi Arabia, Red Sea and Gulf of Aden states reach agreement for cooperation

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Wednesday reached an agreement to establish an entity of cooperation with six countries bordering the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, a strategic area vital to global shipping. Representatives from Egypt, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and Jordan gathered in Riyadh on Wednesday to discuss the initiative. A team of experts is expected to meet “soon” in Cairo for technical talks. “This is part of the Kingdom's efforts to protect its interests and those of its neighbours and ... to stabilise the region that we live in and to try to create synergies between the various countries,” Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir told reporters after a day of meetings. “The more cooperation and coordination that you have among the countries of this region, the less negative outside influence will be on this region," he added. Eritrea and Ethiopia were not present at the meeting. The Red Sea also includes the Bab Al-Mandeb strait, through which oil is shipped towards Europe, the US and Asia. In recent years the waterway has been targeted by Iranian-backed Houthi militants from Yemen. Al-Jubeir said the meeting also discussed boosting trade and conserving the environment. Saudi Arabia has announced several mega-projects along the Red Sea, including a $500 billion business zone shared with Egypt and Jordan as well as a luxury tourism destination.

Congress leads in three BJP-ruled states, TRS in Telangana

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] NEW DELHI: Congress candidates on Tuesday took significant leads in BJP-ruled Rajasthan and was inching ahead of the BJP in both Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in Assembly elections held in five states Early trends from counting centres also showed that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) appeared set to retain power in Telangana while the ruling Congress was lagging behind the Mizo National Front (MNF) in Mizoram in state elections that were widely dubbed a “semi-final” ahead of the Lok Sabha battle next year. In line with exit polls, the Congress appeared to be returning to power after a five-year gap in Rajasthan, the country’s largest state which has not re-elected a ruling party in recent times. Congress candidates were ahead in 87 of the 199 constituencies, gaining around 60 seats, while the BJP was leading in 70 seats but heavily losing in over 50 constituencies. And in a reversal of trends, the Congress overtook the BJP in both Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Both states the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has ruled for 15 years. Congress nominees were ahead of others in 75 seats and the BJP in 60 in the battle for the 230-member Assembly. While the Congress made major gains across the state, the BJP was losing many seats it has held for long. In Chhattisgarh, the Congress was ahead in 44 of the 90 seats, giving a fright to the BJP, whose Chief Minister Raman Singh was at one time trailing in the vote count from Rajnandgaon before he overtook his rivals later. BJP candidates were ahead in 25 seats in Chhattisgarh. In Mizoram, the ruling Congress was trailing to the MNF, whose candidates were ahead in 16 of the 40 seats. The Congress was ahead in five seats, losing as many as 10 seats. The TRS was poised to retain power in Telangana with a huge majority, with its candidates leading in 80 of the 119 seats, leaving the Congress-led alliance way behind. Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi told the media that he was confident of a Congress victory in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and said he had “always been a little more pessimistic” about Telangana.

അഞ്ച് സംസ്ഥാനങ്ങളില്‍ മൂന്നിലും കോണ്‍ഗ്രസ്

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] ന്യൂഡല്‍ഹി: രാജ്യം ആകാംഷയോടെ കാത്തിരിക്കുന്ന അസം, മധ്യപ്രദേശ്, രാജസ്ഥാന്‍, ഛത്തീസ്ഗഡ്, തെലങ്കാന സംസ്ഥാനങ്ങളിലേക്കുള്ള തെരഞ്ഞെടുപ്പിന്റെ വോട്ടെണ്ണല്‍ തുടങ്ങി. ലോക്‌സഭാ തിരഞ്ഞെടുപ്പിന്റെ സെമിഫൈനലായി കണക്കാക്കപ്പെടുന്ന അഞ്ച് സംസ്ഥാനങ്ങളിലെ വോട്ട് എണ്ണി തുടങ്ങിയപ്പോള്‍ കോണ്‍ഗ്രസിന്റെ വന്‍ മുന്നേറ്റമാണ് കാണുന്നത്. അഞ്ച് സംസ്ഥാനങ്ങളില്‍ മൂന്നിലും കോണ്‍ഗ്രസ് ലീഡ് ചെയ്യുന്നു. രാജസ്ഥാനില്‍ വിജയം ഉറപ്പിച്ചിരിക്കുകയാണ് കോണ്‍ഗ്രസ്. എക്‌സിറ്റ് പോള്‍ പ്രവചനങ്ങള്‍ ശരിവച്ചുകൊണ്ടാണ് രാജസ്ഥാനില്‍ കോണ്‍ഗ്രസ് മുന്നേറ്റം. ബിജെപിയേക്കാള്‍ ഇരട്ടി സീറ്റുകളില്‍ കോണ്‍ഗ്രസ് ലീഡ് ചെയ്യുന്നു. ബിജെപിയുടെ സീറ്റിംഗ് സീറ്റുകളിലും കോണ്‍ഗ്രസിന് ലീഡ്. ഛത്തീസ്ഗഢിലും മധ്യപ്രദേശിലും അതിശക്തമായ പോരാട്ടമാണ് നടക്കുന്നത്. ഇരു സംസ്ഥാനങ്ങളിലും കോണ്‍ഗ്രസ് ലീഡ് ചെയ്യുകയാണ്. എക്‌സിറ്റ് പോള്‍ വിവരങ്ങളെ ശരിവെച്ച് രാജസ്ഥാനില്‍ കോണ്‍ഗ്രസിന് വന്‍ മുന്നേറ്റം. 101 സീറ്റില്‍ കോണ്‍ഗ്രസ് ലീഡ് ചെയ്യുന്നു. 80 ഇടങ്ങളിലാണ് ബി.ജെ.പി ലീഡ് ചെയ്യുന്നത്. 199 മണ്ഡലങ്ങളിലെ വോട്ടെണ്ണലാണ് നടക്കുന്നത്. എക്സിറ്റ് പോള്‍ ഫലങ്ങള്‍ നല്‍കിയ സൂചനകള്‍ക്കനുസരിച്ച് രാജസ്ഥാനില്‍ തുടക്കം മുതല്‍ തന്നെ കോണ്‍ഗ്രസ് മുന്നേറ്റമാണ് കാണുന്നത്. കോണ്‍ഗ്രസ് അധ്യക്ഷന്‍ സച്ചിന്‍ പൈലറ്റ് ടോംഗ് മണ്ഡലത്തില്‍ ലീഡ് ചെയ്യുന്നു. എ.ഐ.സി.സി ജനറല്‍ സെക്രട്ടറി ശാരദാപൂരില്‍ ലീഡ് ചെയ്യുന്നു. സച്ചിന്‍ പൈലറ്റിന്റെ വീടിന് മുന്നില്‍ കോണ്‍ഗ്രസ് പ്രവര്‍ത്തകര്‍ ആഘോഷം തുടങ്ങി. മധ്യപ്രദേശില്‍ കോണ്‍ഗ്രസ് അധികാരം ഉറപ്പിച്ചു. 230 അംഗ നിയമസഭയില്‍ 116 സീറ്റുകള്‍ നേടിയാണ് കോണ്‍ഗ്രസ് മുന്നേറ്റം. ബിജെപി 98 സീറ്റില്‍ ഒതുങ്ങി. ബിഎസ്പിക്ക് എട്ട് സീറ്റുകള്‍. മറ്റുള്ളവര്‍ക്ക് എട്ട് സീറ്റുകള്‍. മുഖ്യമന്ത്രി സ്ഥാനാര്‍ത്ഥി പോലുമില്ലാതെ തിരഞ്ഞെുപ്പിനെ നേരിട്ട ഛത്തീസ്ഗഢില്‍ കോണ്‍ഗ്രസിന് മൂന്നില്‍ രണ്ട് ഭൂരിപക്ഷം. ആകെയുള്ള 90 സീറ്റില്‍ 60 സീറ്റിലും കോണ്‍ഗ്രസ് ലീഡ് ചെയ്യുന്നു. ഭരണകക്ഷിയായ ബിജെപി 23 സീറ്റില്‍ ഒതുങ്ങി. മുഖ്യമന്ത്രി രമണ്‍സിംഗ് പിന്നില്‍. എക്‌സിറ്റ് പോള്‍ ഫലങ്ങളെ ശരിവെച്ച് തെലങ്കാനയില്‍ ടി.ആര്‍.എസ് ലീഡ് തിരിച്ചുപിടിച്ചു. കോണ്‍ഗ്രസ് ആദ്യമണിക്കൂറില്‍ വന്‍ മുന്നേറ്റം നടത്തിയിരുന്നെങ്കിലും ടി.ആര്‍.എസ് തിരിച്ചുവരുകയായിരുന്നു. നിലവില്‍ 84 സീറ്റിലാണ് ടി.ആര്‍.എസ് മുന്നിട്ടുനില്‍ക്കുന്നത്. കോണ്‍ഗ്രസ് 26 സീറ്റിന്റെ ലീഡുമായി രണ്ടാം സ്ഥാനത്തുണ്ട്. അതേസമയം തെലുങ്കാനയിലെ വോട്ടര്‍ പട്ടിക വിഷയത്തില്‍ പാരാതിയുമായി കോണ്‍ഗ്രസ് ഭരണ പാര്‍ട്ടിയായ ടി.ആര്‍.എസിനെതിരെ കോടതിയിലേക്ക്. വോട്ടര്‍ പട്ടികയില്‍ നിന്നും 20 ലക്ഷത്തോളം വോട്ടര്‍മാരുടെ പേരുകള്‍ അപ്രത്യക്ഷമായതിനെ ചൂണ്ടികാട്ടിയാണ് കോണ്‍ഗ്രസ് കോടതിയിലേക്ക് കയറുന്നത്. അതേസമയം മിസോറാമില്‍ കോണ്‍ഗ്രസിന് അധികാരം നഷ്ടമായി എംഎന്‍എഫിനോടാണ് മിസോറാമില്‍ കോണ്‍ഗ്രസിന് തിരിച്ചടി നേരിട്ടത്. 27 സീറ്റുകള്‍ നേടിയ എംഎന്‍എഫ് സര്‍ക്കാര്‍ രൂപീകരിക്കാന്‍ ഭൂരിപക്ഷം ഉറപ്പിച്ചു നാല്‍പത് സീറ്റുകളില്‍ കോണ്‍ഗ്രസിന് 7 സീറ്റ് മാത്രമാണ് ലഭിച്ചത്. ലോക്‌സഭാ തെരഞ്ഞെടുപ്പിന് നാല് മാസം മാത്രം ശേഷിക്കെ ബി.ജെ.പിക്കും കോണ്‍ഗ്രസിനും ഒരു പോലെ നിര്‍ണ്ണായകമാണ് ഫലം. രാവിലെ എട്ട് മണിക്കാണ് വോട്ടെണ്ണല്‍ ആരംഭിച്ചത്. അഞ്ച് സംസ്ഥാനങ്ങളില്‍ മധ്യപ്രദേശും ഛത്തീസ്ഗഡും രാജസ്ഥാനും ബി.ജെ.പിയുടെ കയ്യിലിരിക്കുന്ന സംസ്ഥാനങ്ങളാണ്. മൂന്നിടത്തും കോണ്‍ഗ്രസും ബി.ജെ.പിയുമാണ് നേരിട്ട് മത്സരിക്കുന്നത്. മധ്യപ്രദേശും ഛത്തീസ്ഗഡും ഇഞ്ചോടിഞ്ച് എന്ന അവസ്ഥയും രാജസ്ഥാന്‍ കോണ്‍ഗ്രസ് തൂത്തുവാരുമെന്നുമാണ് എക്‌സിറ്റ്‌പോളുടെ പ്രവചനം. ഈ മൂന്ന് സംസ്ഥാനങ്ങളുടെയും ലോക്‌സഭയിലെ അംഗബലം 67 ആണ്. അതിനാല്‍, മോദിക്കും രാഹുലിനും ഇത് ലോക്‌സഭാ തിരഞ്ഞെടുപ്പിനുള്ള ചൂണ്ടുപലകയാണ്. ഫലം വരും മുന്‍പേ തെലങ്കാനയില്‍ ടിആര്‍എസിന് പിന്തുണ പ്രഖ്യാപിച്ച് ബി.ജെ.പി നിലപാടും വ്യക്തമാക്കി. അസദുദ്ദീന്‍ ഒവൈസിയുമായുള്ള ബന്ധം വിച്ഛേദിച്ചാല്‍ ടി.ആര്‍.എസിന് പിന്തുണ നല്‍കുമെന്നാണ് ബി.ജെ.പി അറിയിച്ചത്. ഛത്തീസ്ഗഡില്‍ തൂക്കുസഭയായിരിക്കുമെന്ന പ്രവചനം യാഥാര്‍ത്ഥ്യമായാല്‍ അജിത് ജോഗി മായാവതി സഖ്യം കോണ്‍ഗ്രസിന് പിന്തുണ പ്രഖ്യാപിക്കുമന്ന സുചനയുമുണ്ട്. വോട്ടീംഗ് മെഷീന്‍ അട്ടിമറികളുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട വിവാദങ്ങളും ചര്‍ച്ചയ്ക്കിടയായിട്ടുണ്ട്. അഞ്ച് സംസ്ഥാനങ്ങളിലും വോട്ടണ്ണല്‍ കേന്ദ്രങ്ങളില്‍ ഒരുക്കങ്ങള്‍ പൂര്‍ത്തിയായതായി തെരെഞ്ഞെടുപ്പ് കമ്മീഷന്‍ വ്യക്തമാക്കി. അതിനിടെ മധ്യപ്രദേശിലെ വോട്ടെണ്ണല്‍ കേന്ദ്രങ്ങളില്‍ നിന്ന് വെബ്കാസ്റ്റിങ് ഉണ്ടാകില്ലെന്ന് മുഖ്യ തെരഞ്ഞെടുപ്പ് ഓഫിസര്‍. നാളെ വോട്ടെണ്ണല്‍ നടക്കാനിരിക്കെയാണ് ഇക്കാര്യമറിയിച്ചത്. വോട്ടെണ്ണല്‍ കേന്ദ്രങ്ങളില്‍ വൈഫൈ ഉപയോഗിക്കില്ലെന്നും സി.സി.ടി.വി. ക്യാമറകള്‍ സ്ഥാപിക്കുമെന്നും ഓഫിസര്‍ അറിയിച്ചു. സ്വകാര്യ കമ്പനികളെ ഉപയോഗിച്ച് വെബ്കാസ്റ്റിങ് നടത്താന്‍ നേരത്തെ തെരഞ്ഞെടുപ്പ് കമ്മിഷന്‍ തീരുമാനിച്ചിരുന്നു. ഇതിനെതിരെ കോണ്‍ഗ്രസ് ഉള്‍പ്പെടെയുള്ള പ്രതിപക്ഷ കക്ഷികള്‍ രംഗത്ത് വന്നതിന് പിന്നാലെയാണ് തെരഞ്ഞെടുപ്പ് കമ്മിഷന്റെ തീരുമാനം.

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] ndia has a 5,000 kg gold medal to India's defense fund during the war with Pakistan. . Do you know who is a citizen of the same country who has given the unpaid amount of money to the government of mother country? Has you heard Usman Ali Khan Asaf Jha? It would be easier to understand today's history as the last ruler of Hyderabad, the founder of the University of Osmania. Nizam of Time magazine's cover of 1937 found that he was the wealthiest man in the world during his lifetime, used to duplicate Jacob's diamond paper worth 50 million. After the merger of Hyderabad in 1948, he never went. Nizam, who was appointed governor of Hyderabad (Raj Kapoor) until Hyderabad became part of the linguistic state of Hyderabad in 1956, was granted to Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri for generous donations to the Indian Defense Fund during the 1965 Indian Indo-Pak war 0 kilos of gold ... Until today no Indian citizen can give the government the mother country. He was staying in Hyderabad until his death. What's the history of Saip's shorts? At the time of India's Pakistan War, when Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri asked the people to contribute generously to India's defense treasure, 5,000 kg of gold was given. He was staying in Hyderabad until his death. What's the history of Saip's shorts? At the time of India's Pakistan War, when Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri asked the people to contribute generously to India's defense treasure, 5,000 kg of gold was given. He was staying in Hyderabad until his death. What's the history of Saip's shorts?

India’s ruling BJP seen losing ground in key state polls before national vote

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling party is likely to lose two heartland states while a third is too close to call, exit polls showed on Friday in the final test of popularity before a national election due by May next year. Surveys broadcast at the end of voting for five state assemblies showed the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) trailing behind the rival Congress party in some areas. The actual votes will be counted on Tuesday, and exit polls have been wrong in the past, partly because of the sheer scale of Indian elections involving millions of votes. Still, nearly all the polls showed that the Congress — led by Rahul Gandhi, the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family — will win a clear majority in western Rajasthan state and scrape through in eastern Chhattisgarh, according a survey of surveys pulled together by NDTV. In Madhya Pradesh, the same polls suggested the BJP and the Congress were locked in a fight down to the wire. The combined surveys showed the BJP winning 110 seats, the Congress 108, and smaller groups 12 in the 230-member house. To rule, a party requires 116 seats. The three states are part of the northern Hindi belt, a bastion of the ruling Hindu nationalists. CLUES “The BJP is struggling everywhere, for all its bravado,” said Juhi Singh, a spokesman of the regional Samajwadi Party. Modi, who came to power with a sweeping majority in 2014, has been praised for improving governance and cutting some red tape, but has been criticized for failing to create enough jobs for the thousands of young people entering the jobs market every month. He has also faced criticism for allowing hard-liners in his party to undermine India’s secular foundations. Foreign investors who largely remain bullish on India’s long-term prospects, are watching the state polls closely for clues to the national vote. “The result would be consistent with what most polls are showing: that we are heading for hung parliament,” said Jan Dehn, head of research at emerging markets fund manager Ashmore. “The market may discount the results a little bit given these are state elections and there are often protest votes.” But a divided parliament would make it difficult for the incoming government to carry out reforms in the banking sector and other areas, he said.

Investors flee bonds and stocks as trade tussle between US and China heats up

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] LONDON: Investors pulled billions from bonds and stocks this week as US bond movements triggered fears over global growth and a trade tussle between the US and China heated up, strategists at Bank of America Merrill Lynch said on Friday. This week’s selloff was precipitated by the inversion of part of the US yield curve, which has previously been a reliable indicator of an impending recession. It deepened on Thursday after the chief financial officer of China’s Huawei was arrested on a US request, sending markets spiraling further as investors predicted a worsening of relations between the world’s two biggest economies. The anxiety drove investors to pull $5.2 billion from equity funds and $8.1 billion from bond funds, according to EPFR data cited by BAML. “Markets starting to price in recession, but policymakers yet to price in recession,” argued the BAML strategists. Equity outflows were made up of opposite flows in ETFs and mutual funds, with $5.3 billion driven into ETFs while $10.5 billion was taken out of mutual funds. But investors were continuing to edge back into emerging market stocks, which saw their eighth week of inflows with $2.7 billion. This helped to push BAML’s “Bull & Bear” indicator of market sentiment up from 2.4 to 2.7 — “not yet an extreme bearish reading,” BAML strategists said. The starting point for a fall to lower equity allocations is high, they pointed out, with the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund at 67 percent equity allocations. Hedge funds are still at a net 35 to 40 percent net long, and BAML’s fund manager survey shows cash levels under 5 percent. The global consensus forecast is for 8.3 percent growth in earnings-per-share in 2019, which the strategists said was too high, predicting a “Big Low” in markets next year.

UN chief urges Syria to resolve gaps on chemical weapons

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] UNITED NATIONS: Secretary-General Antonio Guterres again urged Syria to resolve “gaps, inconsistencies and discrepancies” in its declaration of chemical weapons after the global watchdog reported no progress on these outstanding issues. The UN chief said in letter to the Security Council circulated Wednesday with the report from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons that he is “deeply concerned about the continued alleged use of toxic chemicals as weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic.” OPCW chief Fernando Arias said in the report that Syria’s report still cannot be considered “accurate and complete” because of its failure to clear up “all of the identified gaps, inconsistencies and discrepancies.” He said OPCW investigators went to Syria in late September to investigate five alleged uses of chemical weapons in 2017. Also on Wednesday, the UN spokesman said Guterres remains a “believer” in the UN despite US criticism that the world body had lost sight of its founding mission to advance peace. In a major foreign policy address in Brussels, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took a swipe at the UN and other multilateral organizations, suggesting they were outdated and catered to elites. “The UN was founded as an organization that welcomed peace-loving nations. I ask: Today, does it continue to serve its mission faithfully?” Pompeo said in the address on Tuesday. Asked about Pompeo’s remarks, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric acknowledged that there was a “lack of trust” in international organizations but that Guterres strongly defended multilateralism. “The secretary-general has been a believer in the United Nations and a believer in the multinational system for a long time now,” said Dujarric. He has been “very clear in addressing the lack of trust... that there exists in many international organizations,” he said. In his remarks, Pompeo took aim at UN peacekeeping missions that “drag on for decades, no closer to peace,” and said UN climate deals were “viewed by some nations as simply a vehicle to redistribute wealth.” “Anti-Israel has been institutionalized. Regional powers collude to vote the likes of Cuba and Venezuela onto the Human Rights Council.” The renewed criticism followed the US administration’s decisions to quit the Geneva-based Human Rights Council and cut funding to UN agencies and UN peacekeeping missions. On Thursday, the UN embarked on two major peace efforts, bringing warring parties in Yemen to the negotiating table in Sweden while talks on the decades-old conflict in Western Sahara opened in Geneva. Guterres, the former prime minister of Portugal, who took the UN helm in January 2017, has pushed for reforms to make the global body more responsive to world crises. The Socialist politician has had a surprisingly smooth relationship with the administration of President Donald Trump, despite its criticism of the UN. By far the UN’s largest financial backer, the US provides for 20 percent of the operating budget and 28 percent of the separate peacekeeping budget.

More than 90% of children in the Arab region have no access to preschool, kindergarten

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] More than 90 percent of children in the Arab region are not getting access to preschool and kindergarten-level education, Saudi Press Agency reported, citing the executive director of the Arab Gulf Program for Development (AGFUND) Nasser Bakr Al-Qahtani said. He said sustainable development goals could not be achieved without progress on five major agendas. These included early childhood, women’s empowerment, civil society, and open education for young people and young women. AGFUND is a regional development and donor organization, which operates from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Al-Qahtani said AGFUND’s program since its establishment in 1980, has “contributed to the financing of more than 1,500 projects in 133 countries and this would not have happened without the partnership with the United Nations.” He added that the program had been working with international organizations in projects that support women and children.

Rouhani threatens to block all Gulf oil exports if Iran can’t export oil

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] GENEVA: Iran has threatened to block the waterway in which oil exports are shipped on Tuesday, with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani reiterating that the United States will not be able to stop the country from exporting its oil and any move to prevent Iranian crude shipments passing through the Gulf. The United States has imposed sanctions on Iran and US officials say they aim to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero in a bid to curb the Islamic Republic's missile program and regional influence. "America should know that we are selling our oil and will continue to sell our oil and they are not able to stop our oil exports," President Hassan Rouhani said in a televised speech during a trip to the northern Iranian city of Shahroud. "If one day they want to prevent the export of Iran's oil, then no oil will be exported from the Persian Gulf," he said. Tensions have risen between Iran and the United States after US President Donald Trump withdrew from a multilateral nuclear deal in May and reimposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic. Rouhani said the United States would not succeed in cutting Iran's economic ties with the region and the world. Iranian Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri also said on Tuesday that US sanctions were hitting vulnerable people in Iran. "When (Americans) say their target is the Iranian government and there won't be pressure on the sick, the elderly and the weak in society, it's a lie," Jahangiri said, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

Saudia launches direct flights to Calicut, India

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia's national carrier Saudia is set to launch direct and regular flights to Calicut in India on Wednesday, following a three-year hiatus. Saudia will operate three flights a week from Riyadh, and four flights from Jeddah, using a daily Airbus A330-300 aircraft fitted to provide the best comfort and comfort for guests, with 298 seats, 36 business class seats and 262 economy seats. The reopening of the Calicut route follows a three-year hiatus after the modernization and development of the Kerala city airport, which lies on the southern coast of India. It will be the ninth destination operated by Saudia airlines to Indian cities, along with Kochi, Hyderabad, Delhi, Bangalore, Lucknow, Mumbai, Chennai and Travendrum. It also marks the fourth direct and regular flight launched by Saudia this year after Erbil in Iraq, as well as Surabaya and Mukasher in Indonesia.

your spare

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2008 google.com, pub-6424298476279500, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 ************************************************************************************************************************** In the morning when the shop arrives to open the shutter, the two phones in the pocket are combined. Open the shutter and thought to take the phone. But hearing the unnecessary belliadi is Hajiar in my home phone. "You come home soon," said Hajar, without having any face. "What are you doing here?" "Do not worry, you come home one soon," Hajar put the phone on. I quickly dialed my sister's number. Ring but no phone. Soon the phone rang in the pocket and back to home at maximum speed. The doctor told me when he went to yesterday to check the press and occasionally look at the BP that Umman's BP is now some high. My mother I did not do anything to my house. The whole crowd of people crossed the gate of the house and the little crowd in the courtyard looked at me. My dear, my dear, my heart. I called Uma and ran into the house and said with grumbling eyes, she hugged me and wept. "Sure our cuu ..." Umma's words pierce my heart and wandered in the brain. A few times before, I made chili and chocolates made from her hands. I'm gone with that too. I can not believe it. I fell asleep on the bed where she was white wrapped up and I fell down. Normally when I go out, She's standing in the doorsteps of the kitchen. But today I'm looking at the gateway to the gait and I asked her what little girl is looking at me today. She smiled and said, "I'm watching my brother," "I'm looking forward to it's too late. Then it's late for the shop." I'm not going to sleep, but I'm not sure if it's going to happen ... I'm not sure what's going on ... Add me to this view My friends and relatives stayed away from me, and suddenly my heart felt like standing up, I have fallen asleep in the body so much that I have a stupor, no sense. That's what's going to come to my side where I was tired of taking somebody out of the room near my cell and then I'm feeling calm. She laughed slowly. In that laughter my love and romance stand still. Her experiences, complaints, and laughs .. jokes .. her love ... all of us are like a veil. She also called me in the morning prayer. She is coming here to call me. You're all looking for you to Evan. You have come here near me ... you can stay with me for sometime. "Suddenly I stood in the thought. Sit down and sit on the bed of the bed that is lying on her. How long have you been there for me? I'm just a type of froze and I do not even know what's going on. Someone does not know who I am bringing in water and I can not open my eyes. All my clothes are standing in tears. My life is lying in this life ... thirsty and thirsty throat. But i drink water in the water .. "Echo ...." "What's so .." "Will you wash my mama when I die?" She wanted herself. I'll laugh at you all the time, I'm dead you die ... And then ... and my soul is not alone ... She had only the baby baby wishes that I could give her. I'm so excited to hear that I'm not going to tell you how to do it. .. ikka ... will you be lucky enough to make a morning meal? It's enough to sit down with this chair. I do not want to help anymore .. I'm in the room with my mobile and she will come in and call me, I'm not talking to my pearl ... And I'd have to call her when she called. Now you're playing on the phone. My eyes are open and my eyes are open, I can not open my eyes anymore, I see how much of her needs are left today ... tomorrow's handbag .. okay i dont say i can buy a new one ... I'm not going to tell you about it ... I'm still not looking up to the sea and we're going to see the sea .. " Each of the desires stated started to run away. No ... can not think too ... I can not wait to bend at her feet ... I 'm trying to hold on to the cry ... I cant believe that there is no more hello with me. I went to sleep at night and took me to sleep. I was invited to pray in the morning at my Sulu. So suddenly my friends and family came and took me away from there, and was taking me to bathe my mum and said, "If I'm dead my mama will wash me ..." her words sounded in the heart of the heart. One of her wishes .. I will give you this one. "I'm bathing" ... my words surprised everyone. She got up slowly and washed her with the help of her relatives. My body is my soul, my body is my soul, my body is my soul, my body, my eyes, my eyes, my eyes, my eyes, my eyes, my eyes, my eyes, my eyes, On So putting me in the bed and putting my women in the church. A little had to go, my legs nothing but frustrate. When my friends tried to take me to a church and tried to take me to the mosque, my hand was broken and I walked into the church with my prayers lying on my shoulder lying on my shoulder. I wanted to stop him for my dear sake, for stopping him from her brother and for half of my life, Not my half I was all my life. I broke my heart and prayed for her. So she is taking her to the grave. My heart is so tired, I can not get hold of the truth that my pearl is no longer with me, all of them get her into the dust of the earth. She was filled with my sighs and dirt. How can she lie alone in the grave .. at the wedding home or fish She went late at night or to tick the river always said, "How much do I orrakkitt remain .. basically night petiyannariyumea me," she says, when I say to her that you kittentatayirunnu galphukarane. I started nose in my cup Darkness on the darkness ... Here are all the three palms of the earth and put up her grave. You were created from the soil and returned to the dust. You have three chests of soil with her chest with arms shaking her grave. They threw the soil up and threw the goblet and planted Mezan stone and planted a mile from the mossan stone. I'm not going to let you know what i'm doing, but i'm not sure what to do .. ... little thing I did not even have to create wealth for Priyayamune .. netteattattil, Everything is forgotten, and that's exactly what you're supposed to be with me ... all of them are out of the grave. Meenan told my friends who were going to take me with me, who was carrying me with the head. Let's stay a little longer, and she's afraid for a while ... she's afraid. She will go to her house immediately and without petiyayittaneta come back to sleep at night without her .. .. I am alone in the house, parrilleta parayaruntaval time that must have been made with one of the meals in the kitchen .. but I take a lot of work in mind ceyyarilleta .. the kitchen, she often did not bother to Ticcittunteta ... how many children she will vayyenkilum ventiyullateakke me ... I know the peace, if you stayed ... I do not want to get tired of how much work I have been working with ... I do not try to sit with her ... I see her filling my eyes ... I'm not ... I watched my tears and my friends told me many things. I can not get this girl here alone. I've been trying to look for her for the success of her subsequent world, and the pain of the breasts suddenly broke down, the hands and feet ... I'm frozen, breathing, I can not shy away from my arms, I can not shake my arms, the nerves come in the dark, Fills, Someone ran over to me and poured me a little bit of water. I knew it ... I'm traveling ... to my beloved's grasp ... The last trip ... I have no idea that you are no other than a god. Do not hesitate to forget the love that our loved ones give to our loved ones ... So that we may not be with them tomorrow and try to give them their little lusts. That's the ending pain we're making. Ali Akbar Tuttha Posted by kunhahammed kv on Monday, November 26, 2018 [ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com]

New options spur Saudi women to join workforce

JEDDAH: Only in a few years ago women in Saudi Arabia were still restricted to working in what we can call the “wrong professions.” When the Saudi government decided to allow women to work in lingerie shops two years ago, conservatives opposed the decision. The government, however, stuck to its plan and went ahead with the pro-women decision, making sure women can take up jobs of their choice in a suitable working environment that is appropriate for the local culture. The past two years have brought huge changes. People are no longer shocked to see women working in retails shops. Indeed, it is now commonplace to see Saudi women working as cashiers in shopping malls and taking up jobs that used to be male-dominated areas, such as jewelry shops, electronics stores and in cafes, where their work as waitresses has helped to challenge the negative perceptions of this profession. [ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com]

Bahrain praises Saudi Arabia’s leadership in supporting Arab, Islamic nations

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] DUBAI: Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed praised Saudi Arabia’s leading role in supporting Arab and Islamic nations, Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday. The foreign minister said Bahrain continued to stand with Saudi Arabia under King Salman’s leadership and the Kingdom’s role in improving security and stability in the region. His comments came as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visits Bahrain on his tour of the Arab region which began earlier this week. The prince landed in Manama on Sunday for the second leg of his tour after visiting the UAE. The Bahraini king said relations between the two countries would be engraved in Bahrain’s history.

Intel India opens design house costing Rs 1,100 cr at Bengaluru

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] BENGALURU: Marking its 20th anniversary, Intel India Thursday announced the inauguration of its latest state-of-the-art design house at its campus here, built with an investment of approximately Rs 1,100 crore. The newest facility located at Intel's 44-acre campuson Sarjapur Ring Road, has 620,000 sq. ft. of space including 100,000 sq. ft. of world-class lab infrastructure, the company said in a release. Extending Intel's R&D presence in India, it will house technologists who work on cutting-edge engineering across hardware and software, it said. Intel said, the state-of-the-art design facility was inaugurated by Minister of State (IC) for Communications and Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha and CFO and interim CEO of Intel Corporation Bob Swan in the presence of many other delegates from the government, industry and academia. "The inauguration of the new research and development (R&D) facility reinforces our commitment to India. We haverobust collaborations with the vibrant and mature technologyecosystem in India and look forward to the next 20 years ofinnovation," Intel Corporation CFO and interim CEO Bob Swansaid. Over the last 20 years, Intel said it has investedover Rs 30,000 crore in India. In an effort to accelerate innovation and research, Intel India in collaboration with the Government of India is instituting national-level awards named in honor of former President of India and eminent scientist, the late APJ Abdul Kalam. The annual awards have been introduced with the intent to recognise and celebrate the pioneering work and contributions made by distinguished scientists and innovators across three categories: Product Innovation, Technology Advancement and Research, the company said. T

Sabarimala: Tripti Desai lands in Kochi, faces protests at airport

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] KOCHI: Bhumata brigade leader Tripti Desai landed at the Kochi International Airport to visit the Sabarimala Temple. She arrived by an Indigo flight at 4.30 am at Nedumbassery International Airport from Pune. A six-member women team has accompanied Desai. However, she has not been able to come out of the airport as protestors did not permit them. Meanwhile, BJP and RSS protesters are sitting in protest outside the airport. They said that she will not be allowed to leave the airport. They are sitting there and singing hymns of the lord. Meantime, prepaid taxi operators have refused to take her citing security reasons. Desai said that she would not return without the darshan. Most probably she may stay at a hotel in Kochi and leave for Sabarimala tomorrow morning. She said the police had assured to provide her security.

I will not return without visiting Lord Ayyapa, says Tripti

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS KOCHI: Bhumata brigade leader Tripti Desai said that she will not return without visiting Sabarimala even after online, private taxi operators refused to take her. She along with six other women who arrived by an Indigo flight at the Kochi International Airport Friday morning at 4.30 am amid strong protests by Hindu activists are stuck at the airport. Protestors including old women are protesting outside the airport chanting ayyappa mantras. The protestors’ said they will not allow her to get out of the airport. The police tried to bring her out of the airport. Meantime, the BJP has decided to intensity their agitation if she gets out of the airport. Hindu Aikya Vedi leader R V Babu told reporters that they don’t wish to create a situation but if our stand is ignored, a strong stand will be taken. Efforts are being taken to make her convince about the present situation. We are trying to contact her, but she is not picking up the phone, he said. In the meanwhile, police said a decision has not been taken in providing her security. Police had informed her that security would be provided if she arranges a cab on her own to go to the hotel from the airport. Things turned worse when online taxi operators refused to take her. Meantime, state police chief Loknath Behra said they will examine on giving security to Desai. He said that will react after holding talks with police officials on duty in Sabarimala. [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com]

Take the spider wheel into the army ...

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] ROM: There may be no one who does not see the spider wearing the wings to feed the spider? The spider completes his mission exactly how precious and accurate it is. The same technique can be used for human use. A group of researchers at the Trendo University in Italy are in such a preparation. With the help of spider, the aim is to build a nicely balanced net to bear a man's weight by carbon production of a carbon.

For those who have lost their Seniority

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] For those who have lost their Seniority (Registration Identity Card issued from 10/97 to 08/2018 for renewal due to renewal due to registration), SR can be done by GO (RT) 1279/2018 / LBR from 15.11.2010 to 31.12.2018. യഥാസമയം രജിസ്ട്രേഷൻ പുതുക്കാത്തതിനാൽ സീനിയോറിറ്റി നഷ്ടമായവർക്ക് (രജിസ്ട്രേഷൻ ഐഡന്റിറ്റി കാർഡിൽ പുതുക്കേണ്ടുന്ന മാസം 10/97 മുതൽ 08/2018 വരെ രേഖപ്പെടുത്തിയിട്ടുള്ളവർക്ക്) 15.11.2018 മുതൽ 31.12.2018വരെ GO(RT) 1279/2018/LBR പ്രകാരം SRചെയ്യാവുന്നതാണ്

Special Renewal'18

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] Special Renewal'18 For renewals due from 01-01-98 to 31-10-18 Apply between 15-11-18 and 31-12-18 new2

The Official Website of the Employment Department, Govt. of Kerala Registration - Renewal

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] The Official Website of the Employment Department, Govt. of Kerala Registration - Renewal As per the rules now in existence and as per the machinery now available, the candidate has to report in person to get his name registered in the Employment Exchange. But in future, when the provision for online registration comes into effect, the candidate can register his name from any computer that has an internet connection. But the certificates, in original, are to be produced in the Employment Exchange with in the specified time for verification to avail seniority from the date of registration. The minimum age limit for registration is 14 years. No maximum age limit has been prescribed. A candidate can register his name only with the Employment Exchange under whose jurisdiction he resides. Dual registration is looked upon as a penal offence. The punishment will amount to forfeiture of registration. But a person possessing Professional and Executive qualifications can register their names in the Professional and Executive Employment Office, Thiruvananthapuram or the Regional Professional and Executive Employment Exchanges at Ernakulam or Kozhikkode, under whose jurisdiction he resides as the case may be, and retain his registration in the local exchange also. However the registration, at the local exchange would be treated as secondary only for considering them against vacancies requiring lower qualification. Like wise the ex-service personnel too can maintain primary registration in the Zilla Zainik Board and the secondary registration in the local employment exchange also. More over if that ex-service candidate has a professional degree or a minimum second class post graduation; he can have registration at the Professional & Executive Employment exchange also. Literacy is the minimum qualification required to register in the Employment Exchange. 6 digit N C O Code is used for the classification of occupation and any number of A O cards are permitted. Documents to be produced in original at the time of Registration for Verification a) Certificate to prove the place of residence b) Certificate to prove age. c) Certificate to prove caste if they belong to reservation communities. d) Certificates and mark list to prove educational qualification/experience. e) In case of disabled persons, Medical Certificates to prove Disability, f) Certificates to prove marital status to claim benefits given to Widows/divorced/ Unmarried and over 35 years of age, inter caste marriage etc. Certificates to be produced to prove the place of residence 1. School/College Certificates 2. Ration Card 3. Electors Photo Identity Card (in own name/ fathers/mothers/wives or husbands name) 4. Copy of the Electoral Roll Extract 5. Passport (in own name/ fathers/mothers/wives or husbands name) 6. Residential Certificate from Revenue Authorities 7. Residential Certificate from Local Body Authorities 8. Nativity Certificate issued by Village Officer 9. Non-Creamy Layer Certificate issued by Tahsildar 10. Driving License 11. Identity Card issued to physically handicapped persons by Social Welfare Department 12. Employment Certificate issued by the employer to father /mother /wife/husband of the candidate. No fee is levied for registration. The job seekers are provided with a printed form which can be had from the Employment Exchange free of cost. All the services rendered now are free. The job seekers are given an identity card after registration. Addition of Qualification Qualifications achieved after registering the name in the Employment Exchange can be added to the registration record as and when it is acquired. The selection from the Employment Exchange is based on the seniority on first come first served basis. So it is desirable to add the certificate as soon as they are obtained to gain maximum possible seniority. If the certificates pertain to educational qualification, they can be produced before the Employment Officer along with the registration identity card. They may not wait for the next renewal time for this. They can add the certificate immediately on getting the same so that they will get the seniority of the day on which they add the new certificate. They will not lose any of the previous seniority they have achieved for any of the qualifications previously added. All the lower qualifications should be added before adding the higher qualification. If they get an experience certificate from a private employer, they will have to produce the same duly countersigned by the concerned labour officer/inspector of boilers/ITI instructors etc as the case of field of experience. If the experience is a discharged one, the experience certificate should be produced with in 90 days of the date of discharge, other wise the whole seniority will be lost. If the candidate has left the job at his own request, the whole seniority will be lost. If the experience certificate is of a continuing nature, the employee has to produce no objection certificate from the employer. Note: For the purpose of the experience certificate there is an approved prescribed format which is available with the Employment Exchange. Registration Renewal The registration is valid for a period of 3 years. The registrants are to renew their registration in the renewal month of the 3rd year of registration to save it from being cancelled. However they are normally given a grace period of 2 months. The Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe candidates are given a grace period of one year. The Physically Handicapped candidates shall be intimated of the date on which the registration lapses. As per the existing rules the candidates may appear in person or by messenger at the Employment Exchange with the identity card for the renewal of registration. The candidates can renew the registration by post as well. For this they should send reply paid post card incorporating the details of registration in the card. They should not however send their original registration card by post. When the facility for online renewal is implemented in future, the registrant can renew the registration from a computer anywhere that has an internet connection and can take the printout of the renewed identity card. Lapsed Registration Those persons who could not renew their registration but still want the services of the Employment Department can register afresh with the seniority of the date of re-registration. Even if they do so, sometimes it may happen, that according to the special orders from the Government they may get their previous seniority restored if they apply with in the time limit prescribed in such Government Orders. A candidate who has lost seniority of registration for want of timely renewal, due to the following reasons, can get restoration of his seniority by applying to the Director of Employment. a) Illness, delivery, miscarriage: Application to be submitted to the Director of Employment enclosing the photocopy of the registration identity card and along with a Medical Certificate with OP No/IP No from a Government Doctor or from an A Class Medical Practitioner stating that the candidate was under his treatment and he was not able to appear before the Employment Exchange for renewal. b) Illness of close relatives: candidates father/mother/ husband / wife / son / daughter / sister and brothers, being hospitalized, a medical certificate from the physician should be produced with I.P No. This benefit (a & b) is allowed only if the treatment occurred either in the month of renewal or in between the grace period of 2 months or 2 months before the months due for renewal provided they apply with in six months completing treatment. c) Other cases such as: a. Arrest under preventive detention laws. b. Natural calamities like earth quake, flood, fire etc. c. Armed conflict with a foreign country. d. Severe internal disturbances necessitating imposition of curfew etc. Candidates should produce an affidavit from the Tahsildar concerned stating the reason thereof for restoring seniority. All such relaxation are restricted to the job seekers whose registration lapsed after July 93. (d) More over Government may issue orders allowing the candidates to renew their lapsed registration at certain intervals. Note: The candidates who have got restored their old seniority on the above reasons are no way eligible for Unemployment Allowance for the above period. Registration Transfer a) Change of address within the jurisdiction: If the change of address is within the jurisdiction of the same Exchange, the address will be changed in the registration record by the Employment Officer if an application is given. (b) Transfer with in the state: If the shifting of residence is to another area which comes under the jurisdiction of another Exchange within the State, the candidate should submit a request for transfer along with the identity card and proof of the change of residence to the Employment officer of the Exchange to which he is registered. (c) Transfer out of the state: If the request is for transfer outside Kerala only an application is sufficient along with the surrender of registration identity card. cmlm.jpg Services Registration-Renewal Submission-Placements Employment Market Information Unemployment Allowance Self Employment Scheme CNV Act Implementation Peripatetic Survey Programme Vocational Guidance Educational Guidance Occupational Research Special Assistance to PH Special Assistance to SC ST Employability Centre Career Development Centre Gallery career exs.gif Employer Help Desk Vacancy Notification Return Submission ERI ERII Orders and Circulars Orders Circulars Downloads Forms Reports and Documents Support Grievance Redressal FAQ Feed Back Citizen Call Centre Tel No 155300 Employees Corner News System Support System Administrators

Harikumar offered flowers on his son's grave before committing suicide

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] KALLAMBALAM: DySP Harikumar, main accused in the Neyyattinkara murder case had offered flowers on his son's grave before hanging himself to death. Harikumar's brother Madhavan Nair was crying as he was pointing the flowers to people. Harikumar's son Akhil Hari had passed away after suffering from a tumor 12 years ago and Harikumar was disturbed by this. He had organized an annual football tournament commemorating Akhil in the police quarters. Harikumar committed suicide because of the media scrutiny and self-pity, said his relatives. Meantime, CMP general secretary C P John said that a judicial inquiry is required in Harikumar's suicide. "LDF leaders and Harikumar were very close following Vincent MLA's arrest. It is unbelievable that his location could not be identified by the police. A judicial inquiry is needed to know the last call details of Harikumar", said C P John.

All-party meet to be held on Thursday, Panthalam royal family and tantri family will participate

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government is moving to adjudicate the issue at Sabarimala in the pilgrimage season following clashes during the monthly poojas of Thulam and Chithira Aatta Visesham. The government has called for an all-party meet on Thursday at 3 pm. The arrangements to be made in the pilgrimage season will be decided on the basis of this meeting. Panthalam royal family and tantri family who had stayed away from the previous meeting have agreed to participate in the all-party meet on Thursday. They will demand the government not to implement women entry at Sabarimala during this pilgrimage season. However, BJP state president Sreedharan Pillai has clarified that the decision to participate in the all-party meet will be taken only after discussing the matter in the NDA meet. The government is not ready to provide justice to devotees and they failed to get the support of devotees, alleged Pillai. It has also been hinted that all parties including Congress will demand the government not to take a hasty decision and that they should wait for the final verdict. Meantime, the government will decide the invitees for the all-party meet on Monday. It has been informed that many parties including those who do not have a representation in the assembly and several caste-based organizations will be invited for the meet.

Devaswom board president expresses good hope in all-party meet

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Devaswom board president A Padmakumar has clarified that he has high hopes in the all-party meet called by the government to discuss Sabarimala women entry. "We cannot move forward with disputes and clashes. I hope that all issues will get settled tomorrow after the all-party meet. Devaswom board has sough a legal opinion in the supreme court decision. A final decision will be taken tomorrow", he clarified. Meantime, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala demanded that the government should take a soft approach in the Sabarimala issue. "They should not make Sabarimala as a land of disputes by implementing women entry. The chief minister should not be stubborn in this issue. UDF will participate in the all-party meet tomorrow. Government should have called the meeting earlier. Everyone should utilize the meeting to settle the issue", said Ramesh Chennithala.

Sabarimala women entry: SC denies to stay verdict till Jan 22

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to stay its verdict allowing entry of women of all age groups into the Sabarimala temple till January 22 when the court is set to hear the review pleas in an open court. Matthew Nedumbara had moved the court seeking to stay the verdict and the bench did not even hear an argument for two-minutes. The review petitions against the September 28 verdict were taken up 'in-chamber' by a bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra. "All the Review Petitions along with all pending applications will be heard in Open Court on 22nd January, 2019 before the appropriate Bench. We make it clear that there is no stay of the judgment and order of this Court dated 28th September, 2018 passed in Writ Petition (Civil) No.373 of 2006 (Indian Young Lawyers Association & Ors. vs. The State of Kerala & Ors)," the order said. In the in-chamber proceedings, the judges examine the review petitions by circulation and lawyers are not present. There are around 48 petitions seeking review of the judgment. Earlier in the day, the top court had made it clear that fresh pleas related to the Sabarimala Temple will be heard only after it decides the earlier petitions seeking review of the judgment allowing entry of women of all age groups into the shrine in Kerala. The bench stated this while hearing the three fresh petitions filed by G Vijaya Kumar, S Jaya Rajkumar and Shailaja Vijayan challenging its September 28 verdict. On September 28, a five-judge constitution bench headed by then Chief Justice Dipak Misra, in its 4:1 verdict, had paved the way for entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala Temple saying the ban amounted to gender discrimination. The top court had on October 9 declined an urgent hearing on the review plea filed by an association which had contended that the five-judge Constitution bench's verdict lifting the ban was "absolutely untenable and irrational". A plea filed by the National Ayyappa Devotees Association (NADA), which has sought review of the verdict, had said: "The notion that the judgment under review is revolutionary, one which removes the stigma or the concept of dirt or pollution associated with menstruation, is unfounded. "It is a judgment welcomed by hypocrites who were aspiring for media headlines. On the merits of the case, as well, the said judgment is absolutely untenable and irrational, if not perverse." Besides the association, several other petitions, including one by the Nair Service Society (NSS), have been filed against the apex court verdict. The NSS had said in the plea that as the deity is a 'Naistika Brahmachari', females below the age of 10 and after the age of 50 years are eligible to worship him and there is no practice of excluding worship by females. "Hence, the delay or wait for 40 years to worship cannot be considered as exclusionary and it is an error of law on the face of the judgement," the plea had said.

Wind respite may help Southern California wildfire fight

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] THOUSAND OAKS, California: Firefighters hope a narrow window of calm will give them a chance to block Southern California wildfires that are marching on a path of destruction toward the sea. Winds that drove the flames through bone-dry hills and canyons north and west of downtown Los Angeles are expected to die down Saturday. But forecasters expect them to build up again Sunday, reaching 35 mph or higher. Officials say the respite may give firefighters a chance to attack the edges of two fires that in just two days have destroyed more than 150 homes and prompted evacuation orders for more than a quarter-million residents. The fires that erupted Thursday hit especially hard in Thousand Oaks, the Ventura County town still reeling from a deadly attack this week on a local bar that left a dozen people and the gunman dead. Even as residents grieve, the mayor says most of the town has emptied.

After Daesh, Damascus suburb residents blocked from going home

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] DAMASCUS: Abu Mohammed thought he could finally go home after terrorists were expelled from his Damascus suburb, but he says Syrian authorities have blocked his return by wrongly classifying his dwelling as unfit to live in. In May, regime forces turfed the Daesh group out of a chunk of the capital’s southern Tadamun neighborhood with a campaign of air strikes and shelling. For the first time in six years that meant full government control was restored over the area, bringing with it a calm that sparked hopes of a homecoming. But instead, Abu Mohammed and others from Tadamun complain, the authorities have deemed many residences unfit, and are blocking their owners from returning ahead of a controversial redevelopment plan. Five months after Daesh was forced out, regime barrages impede access to the former terrorists stronghold now under tight security, and an AFP team was unable to enter. At the last checkpoint, rubble blocked the road. The floors of a nearby building lay pancaked one on top of the other, and a hole was blown in the minaret of a mosque. Abu Mohammed said he managed to see his home before the state inspectors arrived — and insisted it was still fine to live in despite the official ruling. “There wasn’t even a bullet hole. It had just been pillaged,” he said, giving a pseudonym to avoid reprisals. “It’s so unfair for citizens who have waited for years (to return) and always stood by the state.” Another would-be returnee Othman Al-Ayssami, 55, was indignant. “Why can’t I and thousands of other residents go home?” asked the lawyer. “After the military operations ended, I entered the neighborhood expecting huge damage,” he said. But in his four-floor home, “only the windows were broken,” said Ayssami, without specifying if his residence had been deemed unfit. The neighborhood of Tadamun has long been in a grey zone. Once orchards, it has been populated since the late 1960s by people who fled the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights or flooded into Damascus from the countryside, often without official permission to build there. But today its fate seems particularly uncertain after provincial authorities last month announced it would be affected by a controversial development law. The law, known as Decree 10, allows the government to seize private property to create zoned developments, compensating owners with shares of the new projects. If their land is selected, owners inevitably lose their property and must apply to receive shares in exchange. Construction is not set to start in Tadamun for several years, but officials have already been dispatched to inspect its homes. A provincial commission has been charged with evaluating damage and rating whether around 25,000 residential units are fit for human habitation. Even if their homes are declared up to standard, no resident can move back until further notice. When they realized that a large number of the homes marked as unfit had in fact not been damaged in fighting, members of the community held several meetings with the commission. To vent their frustration, they set up a Facebook page named “The Tadamun Exiles.” “It’s our right to go home,” wrote one displaced resident. The commission has split up the neighborhood into three sectors, the last covering the area that IS once controlled. Commission head Faisal Srour told AFP that in the first two sectors inspectors “have visited 10,000 homes until now, of which 2,500 are fit for living in and 1,000 are not.” The remainder were still being classified, he said, but most units in the former terrorist sector were likely to be rated as unfit. “That’s where the fighting happened,” he said. Tadamun was overrun by rebels in 2012, then part of it fell three years later to the terrorists of Daesh. Over the years, most residents were forced to flee their homes, and just 65,000 people live there today, compared to 250,000 before the outbreak of the war in 2011. Homes that are declared fit for habitation are given a serial number and sealed with red wax and officials insist that the owners can reclaim them easily. A resident can “get (their house) back normally after proving ownership,” Tadamun mayor Ahmed Iskandar told AFP, talking by a portrait of President Bashar Assad in military uniform and sunglasses. But because Tadamun is an informal neighborhood, only 10 percent of the homes have officially registered property deeds — and that is if they have not been lost during the war. Most of the others from the area only have semi-official papers showing residency. Even for those who do manage to return, the respite appears only temporary. Eventually reconstruction, set to start in four to five years, should see the whole area razed to the ground. Then too, no more than a tenth of the suburb’s population will ever be able to present property deeds to receive shares in the reconstruction project. But inspection commission head Srour said those who could not prove ownership — likely at least 90 percent of residents — would not be made homeless. “We won’t throw people out into the street, but provide them with compensation or alternative housing,” he said.

Saudi border guards thwart attempts to smuggle more than half a ton of hashish during the month of zero

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s border guards managed to thwart several attempts to smuggle a total of 600 kilograms of cannabis and arrested 44 people, since Oct 12. Those arrested included 13 Saudis, 16 Yemenis, 13 Ethiopians, one Afghan and one Somali, after they were monitored crossing the Kingdom’s southern border, including the areas of Jazan, Najran and Asir. Border guards spokesperson, Col. Saher Al-Harbi, said that the suspects and narcotics seized were handed over to the competent authorities, stressing that the border guards will continue to carry out their duties with determination to protect the country’s borders and its younger generations.

Suicide car bombers kill at least 22 in Somalia

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] MOGADISHU: Suicide attackers set off two car bombs at a hotel in Mogadishu on Friday, killing at least 22 people, police said. The militant extremist group Al-Shabab, linked to Al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attack on the Hotel Sahafi, which is near the headquarters of Somalia’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID). Hotel guards and CID officers opened fire after the blasts, police added. Then, about 20 minutes later, a third explosion from a bomb placed in a three-wheeled “tuk-tuk” vehicle near the hotel hit the busy street, witnesses said. Some of the victims were burned beyond recognition when one car bomb exploded next to a minibus, said a police official. The scene following twin car bombs that exploded within moments of each other in the Somali capital Mogadishu on November 9, 2018. (AFP) “Four militants who attempted to enter the hotel were shot dead by our police and the hotel guards,” police captain Mohamed Ahmed told Reuters. “Two other militants were suicide car bombers who were blown up by their car bombs. The third car was remotely detonated. So in total 28 people died, including the six militants.” Abdifatah Abdirashid, who took over the Sahafi from his father after he was killed in a militant attack in 2015, was among those who died in Friday’s attack, said Mohamed Abdiqani, a witness at the hotel. “The militants who entered the hotel compound faced heavy gunfire from the hotel guards. Abdifatah Abdirashid, the hotel owner, and three of his bodyguards died,” Abdiqani said. “Although they failed to access the hotel, the blasts outside the hotel killed many people,” the police official said. “The street was crowded with people and cars, bodies were everywhere,” said Hussein Nur, a shopkeeper who suffered light shrapnel injuries on his right hand. “Gunfire killed several people, too.” A Reuters photographer at the scene saw 20 bodies of civilians and burnt-out minibuses, motorbikes and cars. Somali security officers run from the scene of an explosion in Mogadishu, Somalia November 9, 2018. (Reuters) Abdiasisi Abu Musab, Al-Shabab’s spokesman for military operations, said the group had singled out the Sahafi for attack because of its association with the government the extremists want to overthrow. “We targeted it because it acts as government base. Government officials and security forces are always in the hotel,” he told Reuters. Somalia has been engulfed by violence and lawlessness since dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was toppled in the early 1990s. View image on Twitter

Post Khashoggi killing, US stops re-fueling Saudi warplanes in Yemen war

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] WASHINGTON: The United States is halting refueling of aircraft from the Saudi-led coalition engaged in Yemen, the United States and Saudi Arabia said on Friday, ending one of the most divisive aspects of US assistance to the Saudi war effort. Saudi Arabia, in a statement released by its embassy in Washington, said it had decided to request an end to US aerial refueling for its operations in Yemen because it could now handle it by itself. US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis backed the decision and said the US government was consulted. The move comes at a time of international outrage over the murder of US-based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and after Democratic and Republican lawmakers threatened to take action in Congress next week over the refueling operations. Critics of the Saudi campaign - including Democrats who won control of the House of Representatives in elections on Tuesday - have long questioned US involvement in the war, which has killed more than 10,000 people, displaced more than 2 million and led to widespread famine in Yemen since it began in 2015. "I've been calling for this for over three years," said Representative Ted Lieu, a Democrat from California. "We shouldn't be supporting coalition war crimes and I look forward to continuing to scrutinize the US's role in Yemen when we're in the majority next Congress." Even as President Donald Trump's administration has condemned Khashoggi's murder, the White House has sought to preserve its relationship with Saudi Arabia. A coordinated decision by Washington and Riyadh to halt the refueling could be an attempt by both countries to forestall further action by Congress. Senators Todd Young, a Republican, and Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat, had warned the Trump administration was running out of time to act. "If the administration does not take immediate steps... we are prepared to take additional action when the Senate comes back into session," Young and Shaheen said. Beyond refueling, the United States provides limited intelligence support to the Saudi-led coalition and sells it weaponry used in Yemen's war. Mattis said the United States would play a continuing role to help the Saudi-led coalition and Yemeni forces minimize civilian casualties and expand humanitarian efforts. He also suggested plans to build up Yemeni troops. "The US and the Coalition are planning to collaborate on building up legitimate Yemeni forces to defend the Yemeni people, secure their country's borders, and contribute to counter Al Qaeda and ISIS efforts in Yemen and the region," Mattis said in a statement. Earlier this year, Mattis had defended US military support to Saudi-led coalition forces in Yemen, when lawmakers weighed forcing the Pentagon to end Washington's involvement. Mattis argued that halting US military support could increase civilian casualties, since US refueling had given pilots more time to select their targets. He told them cutting off support could jeopardize cooperation on counter-terrorism and reduce American influence with Saudi Arabia. Mattis also argued it would embolden the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, who have fired missiles at Saudi Arabia and targeted commercial and military vessels off Yemen's coast. Still, a halt to refueling could by itself have little practical effect on the war. US officials told Reuters only a fifth of Saudi-led coalition aircraft require in-air refueling from the United States. In recent weeks, Mattis has appeared to voice a growing sense of urgency toward ending the conflict. At the end of October, Mattis joined US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in calling for a ceasefire. United Nations Yemen envoy Martin Griffiths is aiming to convene the country's warring parties for peace talks by the end of the year. Saudi Arabia, in its statement, said its coalition was hopeful that UN-sponsored negotiations would lead to a negotiated settlement and "an end to the aggression by the Iranian backed Houthi militias' against the Yemeni people and countries in the region."

Policemen who betrayed Kevin meet with accident; Condition of one person serious

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] KOTTAYAM: The car in which policemen who were accused in Kevin murder case were travelling met with an accident recently. Kevin case was one of the topics vigorously discussed by Malayalis for all the apathy and cruelty shown by certain policemen involved in the incident. In connection with the case, the police had dismissed Gandhi Nagar SI T M Biju and police driver M N Ajay kumar’s three-year incentives were also cancelled. The above two policemen were travelling in the car that met with accident on Wednesday morning at Koothattukulam. Both have been admitted to the Intensive Care unit of Kottayam Medical College Surgery department. Among them, the injury of Biju is very serious. Biju had been removed from the service for taking Rs 2000 bribe from Kevin case accused Sanu Chacko. A share of this amout was given to police driver Ajay Kumar.

EGYPT Dress codes

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] Two MPs propose a ban on full-face veils being worn in public places, reports Gamal Essam El-Din Parliament’s Proposals and Complaints Committee will discuss two proposals next week that seek to prevent women from wearing full-face veils (niqab) in public buildings and work places. “On 18 October, the prime minister of Algeria issued a decree banning women from wearing the niqab at work due to problems of identification and associated security reasons,” said Mohamed Abu Hamed, the independent MP from Cairo behind one of the proposals. “We should do the same in Egypt, and for the same reasons.” Abu Hamed told Al-Ahram Weekly that following the uprising against former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in June 2013 he had released a public statement asking the government to ban the niqab in public offices, hospitals and schools. “That call followed the recommendation of many moderate Islamic scholars, including the former grand mufti Ali Gomaa and late grand imam of Al-Azhar Mohamed Sayed Tantawi, that the niqab is not part of Islamic Sharia. The ban is necessary to prevent extremist and jihadist militant groups from using women wearing the niqab to carry out terrorist attacks or kidnap children.” Abu Hamed insists the ban does not violate personal rights or the freedoms enshrined in Egypt’s constitution. “All it requires is an executive order from the prime minister, as was the case in Algeria,” said Abu Hamed. The first step towards banning the niqab came when Minister of Higher Education Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar ruled that students in Egyptian universities should not wear full-face veils. “France imposed a similar ban after judging the niqab posed a threat to security,” says Abu Hamed. “A number of terrorist groups have used women wearing the niqab to kidnap children and assassinate public figures.” Meanwhile, Ghada Agami, deputy chairman of parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, has drafted legislation which would ban the niqab in public places rather than depending on a prime ministerial decree. Agami claims the full-face veil represents an attempt “to change the moderate character of Islam in Egypt and reflects the extremist ideology of Salafist movements”. “It splits society into those who wear the niqab and those who do not.” Algeria imposed a ban on female civil servants. France issued a ban in 2010, after concluding it was necessary for security and to protect society from divisions, according to Agami. Denmark and the Netherlands also have limited bans on face-covering garments, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for similar legislation in Germany. Amna Nosseir, a professor of philosophy at Al-Azhar University and an appointed MP, told Al-Ahram Weekly she fully supports the ban in work places. “The niqab has its roots in Arab tribes before the advent of Prophet Mohamed,” said Nosseir. “When Islam came it refrained from imposing the niqab and simply urged women to wear conservative dress.” “Salafis, who believe in a strict version of Islam, are the ones who spread the niqab in Egypt. Many of them are influenced by the tribal culture of the Arabian Gulf and they have tried their best to spread it in Egypt,” says Nosseir. Under the constitution and parliamentary regulations laws proposed by MPs must first be discussed by the Proposals and Complaints Committee. If approved, they are then passed to the relevant parliamentary committee which, in the case of the proposed ban, will be the Religious Affairs Committee. Agami says her proposed law suggests that the ban on the niqab be imposed this month. “Women who like the niqab can wear it inside their homes, but in public places and official institutions citizens should reveal their faces,” she said.

Respite for Shaji; HC stays order that disqualified him

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] KOCHI: The Kerala high court has stayed the order that it passed earlier, disqualifying as MLA. The Kerala High Court on Friday morning had declared void the election of K M Shaji from the Azhikode constituency. The court passed the order on the plea filed by his opponent Nikesh Kumar. Nikesh approached the court against Shaji of communal polarization during the polls. The court ruled that Shaji cannot contest the elections for six years. Nikesh convinced the court that Muslim League candidate Shaji overturned votes through communal polarisation. The court, rejecting Nikesh Kumar’s demand to announce him winner ordered to conduct the polls again. Justice P D Rajan pronouncing the order asked Shaji to pay the court expenses of Rs 50,000 to Kumar. K M Shaji defeated LDF candidate Nikesh Kumar in Azhikode by 2462 votes. Meantime, Shaji said he would approach the Supreme Court against the verdict, if need be. "This verdict cannot stop my public work. This case was concocted badly by Nikesh Kumar," he said. What is more important is that the same bench that disqualified Shaji allowed the stay within hours.

High Court disqualifies K M Shaji

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] KOCHI: In a blow to the UDF, the Kerala High Court on Friday declared as void the election of K M Shaji from the Azhikode constituency. The court passed the order on the plea filed by his opponent Nikesh Kumar. Nikesh approached the court against Shaji of communal polarization during the polls. The court ruled that Shaji cannot contest the elections for six years. Nikesh convinced the court that Muslim League candidate Shaji overturned votes through communal polarisation. The court rejecting Nikesh Kumar’s demand to announce him winner ordered to conduct the polls again. Justice P D Rajan pronouncing the order asked Shaji to pay the court expenses of Rs 50,000 to Kumar. K M Shaji defeated LDF candidate Nikesh Kumar in Azhikode by 2462 votes. Meantime, Shaji said that he will file a plea seeking stay on the order and will approach the Supreme Court against the verdict. This verdict cannot stop my public work. This case was concocted badly by Nikesh Kumar, he said.

More than 80 people, mostly schoolchildren, kidnapped in Cameroon: Reports

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] CAMEROON: More than 80 people, mostly children, were kidnapped from a school in the city of Bamenda in western Cameroon early on Monday, government and military sources said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the abduction in the English-speaking region where separatists are fighting to form a breakaway state. The separatists have imposed curfews and closed down schools as part of their protest against President Paul Biya's French-speaking government. "In total 81 people were kidnapped including the [school] principal. They were taken to the bush," a military source told Reuters. A government spokesman said it was keeping track of an event but that it could not comment further. The separatist movement gathered pace in 2017 after a government crackdown on peaceful demonstrations. Many people have fled Bamenda and other centres to seek refuge in more peaceful Francophone regions.

JD-S, Congress lead in Karnataka bypolls

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] NEW DELHI: Karnataka's ruling coalition Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and Congress are leading in two seats each in the vote count for the three Lok Sabha and two assembly seats, a poll official said. According to early trends at 9.45 a.m., the Bharatiya Janata Party was expected to hold on to its Shimoga seat but might lose the Bellary seat where its trailing by over one lakh votes. The JD-S was leading over BJP in Ramanagara and Mandya, while the Congress was leading in Jamkhandi and Bellary, an Election Commission official told IANS here. Counting of votes began at 8 a.m. in Bellary (reserved), Mandya and Shimoga Lok Sabha seats and Jamkhandi and Ramanagara assembly seats for the polling held on November 3. Prior to the bypolls, the JD-S held Ramanagara and Mandya seats, while the Congress Jamakhandi and the BJP Bellary and Shimoga. Congress candidate for Jamkhandi assembly seat Anand Siddu Nyamagouda was leading over BJP's Shrikant Kulkarni by a margin of 16,516 votes, as per leads from EC website after nearly two hours. Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy's wife Anitha Kumaraswamy of JD-S was leading in Ramanagara assembly segment over BJP's L.A. Chandrashekar by a comdfortable margin of 34,995 votes. Chandrashekar had quit the BJP and re-joined the Congress just days ahead of the bypolls. His nomination, however, remained since he withdrew from the bye-election after the final date of withdrawal. While, Congress' V.S. Ugrappa from Bellary Lok Sabha (reserved) seat was leading over BJP's J.Shantha by a margin of 1,00,723 votes. From the Mandya Lok Sabha seat, L. Shivarame Gowda of the JD-S was leading over BJP's Siddaramaiah by a margin of 38,920 votes. In Shimoga parliamentary seat, BJP's state unit president and former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa's son B.Y. Raghavendra was leading over JD-S nominee Madhu Bangarappa, the son of former Chief Minister S. Bangarappa, by a margin of 9,665 votes, the EC trends showed. The vote counts were being conducted in the engineering and government colleges that have been taken up as counting centres. Around 66 per cent of the 54.5 lakh electorate have voted in the five bypolls.

Multiple explosions kill 6, wound several in Baghdad

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] BAGHDAD: Explosions in several Shiite-majority districts in Iraq’s capital late Sunday killed six people, most of them civilians, and wounded several others, police and medical sources said. In northern Baghdad’s Aden roundabout area, two civilians were killed and another six wounded by a blast near a bus stop, the sources told AFP. A bomb in the nearby Tarmiyah neighborhood targeted a military convoy, killing a soldier and wounding two others. A government employee was killed in the southwestern area of Al-Sahha when explosives attached under his car were detonated, according to a police officer and medical source. In the eastern district of Sadr City, two people were killed and four wounded in two explosions in the Shiite neighborhood. And two other blasts went off on buses in other parts of Baghdad’s northeast, wounding seven. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for any of the explosions. Sadr City is the former bastion of the Mahdi Army. Violence peaked in Iraq during 2006 and 2007, when sectarian tensions were at their highest. But it has fallen across Iraq and particularly Baghdad since the government declared victory over Daesh in December. Clandestine militant cells remain across the country and have waged guerrilla-type attacks against government posts. Separately, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry rejected recently what it called US interference in its affairs after the US Embassy issued a statement telling neighboring Iran to respect Iraq’s sovereignty. The US Embassy in Baghdad had posted a message on Twitter saying Tehran must “respect the sovereignty of the Iraqi government and permit the disarming, demobilization, and reintegration” of Shiite militias. It was one of several statements issued on the embassy’s Twitter account outlining US demands before new US sanctions on Iran’s oil and financial sector took effect on Nov. 4. The sanctions worry Iraq as it imports crucial supplies from Iran. Iraq’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement it “rejects interference in Iraq’s internal affairs, especially domestic security reform” and demanded the Twitter post be removed. Washington and Tehran have competed for influence in Iraq since the 2003 US invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. Iraq’s Shiite militias, which took part in a US-backed campaign to defeat Daesh, were formally included in the security forces this year. Some militias are backed by Iran, a majority Shiite nation. Washington wants them disarmed. The US has said it would grant Baghdad a waiver on Iranian gas and energy imports that feed Iraqi power stations, and vital food items, Iraqi officials said on Friday.

Crown Prince launches project to build Saudi Arabia’s first nuclear research reactor

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] JEDDAH: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched a project to build Saudi Arabia’s first nuclear research reactor on Monday. The project is one of seven cutting edge ventures in the fields of renewable energy, atomic energy, water desalination, genetic medicine and aircraft design that were inaugurated by the crown prince, Saudi Press Agency reported. The projects were discussed during his visit to King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). The new reactor will help Saudi Arabia conduct research develop technology for the country’s burgeoning nuclear industry. The Kingdom plans to build two full nuclear power reactors for energy and as many as 16 over the next 25 years. The design of the reactor has been developed by KACST scientists with the help of international experts. Construction of the reactor is already underway and expected to be completed by the end of next year. It will follow all the safety standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The reactor is designed to use uranium oxide fuel with 2.1 percent enrichment. One of the other projects reviewed by the Crown Prince is a center for the development of aircraft structures to be based at King Khalid International Airport. The center is one of the largest buildings for developing aircrafts in the Middle East with an area of 27,000 square meters with plans to expand it to 92,000 square meters. The center has the capacity to manufacture most aircraft structures, whether civilian or military. Another project is a genome laboratory for tackling genetic disease in the Kingdom. The National Laboratory of the Saudi Human Genome contains the latest technologies in the study of genetic code, and 100,000 samples which are being examined to create a medical database. The laboratory is equipped to diagnose a large number of genetic diseases, which cost more than SR4 billion a year to treat. During his tour of the KACST headquarters, Crown Prince Mohammed also reviewed two solar-powered water desalination plants. A plant in Al-Khafji will have a capacity of 60,000 cubic meters per day, while another in Yanbu will have a capacity of 5,200 cubic meters per day. He was also briefed on satellite projects, including the SaudiSat 5A and SaudiSat 5B satellites. Khalid Al-Falih, the energy minister and chairman of the KACST board, expressed his appreciation to the crown prince for his support and interest in the city. KACST targets investment and development in research, through the coordination of national scientific, technological and innovative policies and strategies

French ‘Daesh mothers’ held in Syria face terrible choice

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] PARIS: For dozens of French women detained in Syria, an impossible choice looms: Keeping their children in a war zone, or sending them home knowing they might never see each other again. Like other Western nations which experienced an extremist exodus to Iraq or Syria, France is grappling with how to handle citizens left in the war zone following heavy losses for Daesh. Last week, France announced plans to start repatriating an estimated 150 children, many of them being held alongside their mothers by Kurdish forces in Syria following Daesh defeats. But French officials made clear that the mothers themselves will not be welcomed home. A few days ago, Nadine — her name has been changed — got a phone call from her daughter-in-law in a Kurdish camp. The young mother was in tears. “Do I have to abandon my children in order for them to go back to France?” she sobbed. Nadim Houry, a senior Human Rights Watch official who regularly visits the Kurdish camps, said France’s announcement would “bring an end to an unbearable situation.” There are no schools or activities for children in the camps, where poor hygiene causes regular bouts of diarrhea, vomiting and skin infections. Lawyers for the mothers, pushing for the whole families to be repatriated, have complained for months of “deplorable” conditions in the camps. “My daughter-in-law gets sick a lot, like her children,” Nadine said. “She only weighs 45 kg.” Reluctant to bring extremists back onto home soil, France has so far insisted its captured nationals must go on trial locally. Some 260 adults and 80 minors have already returned to France from Syria or Iraq, and earlier this year French authorities estimated that more than 700 adults and 500 children were still in the war zone. Several French adults have already been tried in Iraq and their children repatriated. But in Syria, most of the remaining French nationals are being held in northern Syria in territory which, while under Kurdish control, does not constitute an internationally recognized state. Kurdish forces have repeatedly insisted they will not try foreign prisoners and have called on the extremists’ home countries to repatriate them. Houry said the idea that France could leave the Kurds to put its nationals on trial was “a fiction” that it was maintaining in a bid to avoid public alarm at a wave of impending terrorist returns. Lawyers for the mothers, meanwhile, say it is a travesty that a country which touts itself as a beacon of human rights would separate parents from children and leave its citizens in a war zone. William Bourdon, a lawyer for several of the women, insisted that “the vast majority have had no combat or active role in Daesh and have a right to a fair trial, which can only take place in France.” Nadine began sobbing at the thought of the choice facing her daughter-in-law. “Having to give away your children without knowing whether or not you’re going to see them again one day, or who will be looking after them — can you imagine doing that to someone?” Nadine said in a phone call. “My daughter-in-law is still breastfeeding the youngest, just eight months old. It’s an unspeakable cruelty.” Houry predicted that many of the mothers will refuse to separate from their children — an assessment shared by relatives in France. “It’s their comfort, their only reason for living,” said one resident in northern France, whose sister is still in Syria. “My daughter-in-law will not give up her little one like that, not even knowing what’s going to become of herself,” said Sarah, a pseudonym. Sarah’s son and his wife set off for Syria in 2016 and were arrested a year ago by the Kurds. The mother and son are both in a camp, fending off illness and chasing away mice from their tent, Sarah said. Like the families, child psychologist Serge Hefez believes separating the children from their parents can only bring more harm. “Keeping a link with a parent, even if it’s visits in prison, is essential for a child,” he said. Otherwise, he warned, the children run a greater risk of radicalization themselves — turning the absent parent “into a hero or a martyr.”

Amit Shah to visit Sabarimala during Mandalam season to intensify agitation

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Following his statement that he will directly be part of Sabarimala agitation, BJP National chief Amit Shah has said that he will be in Sabarimala during Mandala Season. Sources say that he held discussions in this regard with State BJP unit before returning to New Delhi. But the date of his visit to Sabarimala is not known. The BJP sees Sabarimala issue as a chance to gain stronghold in Kerala. After request from the State unit of the party, Shah reportedly agreed to take part in the valedictory function of Rath yatra to be held in the State by BJP from November 8 to 13. Thus he is supposed to attend the function to be organised in Pathanamthitta and also to have a darshan of Lord Ayyappa temple. However, Amit Shah has instructed the party men to hold the protest under the banner of NDA and not BJP.

Politics Former ISRO chairman Madhavan Nair, 4 others join BJP in Kerala

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] Politics Former ISRO chairman Madhavan Nair, 4 others join BJP in Kerala Former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) President and KPCC executive committee member G Raman Nair also joined the BJP. TNM Staff Sunday, October 28, 2018 - 10:21 The Bharatiya Janata Party welcomed five prominent personalities from Kerala into their party on Saturday night following BJP National President Amit Shah’s speech in Kannur. Former ISRO chairman Madhavan Nair and former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) President and KPCC executive committee member G Raman Nair are among the 5 people who joined the BJP. "I have been working for BJP for quite some time now but yesterday, Amit Shahji formally inducted me to the party. I am interested in Modiji's philosophy of developing India. That's why I want to work with BJP,” Madhavan Nair told TNM. The other prominent personalities from the state to have joined the BJP are former Women’s Commission member Dr Prameela Devi, JDS district vice-president Karakulam Divakaran Nair and Thomas John from the Malankara Church. As per reports, Amit Shah welcomed the members by felicitating them with a shawl during a conference held at Hotel Taj Vivanta in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday night. According to News18, G Raman Nair had earlier voiced his plans to join the BJP. He also said that the stand taken by the BJP in the Sabarimala issue is right, and that he would stand with the BJP. Pandalam palace executive committee president PG Sasikumar Varma and other representatives of various organisations who were part of protests at Sabarimala are also reported to have met Amit Shah. According to Mathrubhumi, a memorandum was given by the Pandalam palace to Amit Shah, explaining the incidents that took place in Sabarimala. Earlier on Saturday, during his speech in Kannur, BJP national president Amit Shah said that the BJP cadre will ‘uproot’ the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government in Kerala if it arrested more devotees who protested against women's entry into Sabarimala. Speaking at the inauguration of the BJP District Committee office in Kannur, Shah said that the BJP will stand with devotees across the country.

Saudi Arabia set for series of privatizations

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] RIYADH: Saudi Arabia plans a raft of privatizations across four key sectors by early next year, a panel at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) forum heard on Thursday. Economy Minister Mohammed Al-Tuwaijri said the state sell-off would span four sectors: Silos and grains, schools, health care and desalination. The minister was speaking on the final day of the Riyadh conference, in a panel session about the economic models for privatization. Saudi Arabia plans to sell a stake in oil firm Saudi Aramco, which could raise around $100 billion, plus a number of other privatizations worth as much as $200 billion. “Some sectors … are more ready than others,” Al-Tuwaijri told the FII discussion, which was moderated by Arab News business columnist Frank Kane. “Between now and first quarter of 2019, we are going to introduce … opportunities in silos and grains … We’re also going to introduce some assets for education (and) a couple of assets in health care … and also some desalination plants.” He added that there are several challenges to the pace of the privatization drive, including labor market policies and ”massive HR challenges.” Saudi oil giant Aramco is “absolutely ready” for its long-awaited IPO but several regulatory procedures remain, he added. Darren Davis, the acting CEO of Saudi Arabia’s largest mining company Ma’aden, said that privatizations can come in different forms. His own company, for example, is partly government-owned, and partly owned by private shareholders. “The Ma’aden case is an interesting example of the fact that privatization doesn’t come in one size, you need to be flexible in how you apply privatization,” he said. Fellow panelist Bassem Awadallah, CEO of consultancy Tomoh Advisory, agreed that there were different models to pursue when it comes to selling off state assets. “It is very healthy to have different models of privatization because countries need to develop their tailor-made solutions based on individual countries and sectors,” he said. “There is no model that fits all.” Awadallah pointed out that privatization programs had been partly tainted by perceptions of a lack of transparency and corruption in some other markets. “I think it is very important to explain to people what privatization is all about … People need to understand that this is not just another transfer of capital from the public sector to the private sector,” he said. “The more open, and the more transparent the governments are in terms of addressing these issues, and in explaining to people why we need to privatize … is really something that needs to be addressed.” Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, pointed to the sell-off of Russian assets. “We went through this painful privatization experience which we believe in the end was a success because now most of the successful private businesses emerged from those privatized entities,” he said.

18 dead as flash flood hits Jordan school trip

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] AMMAN: At least 18 people, mainly children and teachers on a school outing, were killed on Thursday in a flash flood near the Dead Sea in Jordan. Up to 34 people were rescued in a dramatic operation involving helicopters, marine divers, swimmers and boats, after a bus with 37 schoolchildren and seven teachers on a trip to a resort area of hot springs were swept into a valley by raging flood waters. Late on Thursday, 10 more children and a teacher were found and awaiting rescue. Many of those killed were children under 14. Families picnicking in the popular destination were also among the dead and injured. Hundreds of families and relatives converged on Southern Shounah hospital, a few kilometers from the resort area. Relatives sobbed and searched for details about the missing children. A doctor in the hospital emergency room said the “bodies kept on coming.” “Ambulances were coming and leaving, dropping dead people and dropping injured people of different ages. By 7 p.m., we had 10 bodies and 11 injured people,” he said.

Manjeswaram election results: HC asks Surendran whether he wants to move forward with case

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] KASARGOD: The High Court has asked K Surendran whether he wants to move forward with the Manjeswaram election case. The court has asked this following the demise of Manjeswaram MLA Abdul Razaq. Surendran informed the court that he will give a response within two days. The High Court on Thursday considered K Surendran’s plea seeking to cancel the election victory of Manjeswaram MLA P B Abdul Razaq. Surendran had approached the high court alleging that several people committed vote fraud during the election in Manjeswaram. The high court verdict will be crucial as the assembly is set to face a by-election following Abdul Razaq’s demise. 175 witnesses have been cross examined in the court and the court has sent summons to 67 witnesses. Meantime, election commission has clarified that a by-election cannot be declared before announcing the verdict of the case.

Researchers explain evolution of nervous system

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] placozoa A latest study has given an insight into how animal nervous systems evolved from simple structures to become the complex network transmitting signals between different parts of the body. As part of the study, researchers used simple multicellular organisms called Placozoa to reveal the beginnings of the nervous systems found in more complex animals. The international research team found that Placozoa can coordinate their movement and body shape, in the absence of a nervous system, by signaling with small peptides between cells. Professor Jekely, the lead researcher of the study, believes that a peptidergic signaling system allows a very high complexity of the behavioural organisation. The study is published in the journal of Current Biology. Jekely said, "Each peptide can be used individually as a different signal, but the peptides could also be used sequentially or together in different combinations which allow for very high numbers of unique signals between cells. This explains how Placozoans can coordinate sophisticated behavioural sequences such as feeding." Placozoans, the simplest of all animals, resembles a small, hairy disc about 1mm in size, with just three cell layers. Although they have no true nerve or muscle cells, they glide across surfaces in the ocean with apparent ease. The new study explored how this multicellular animal with no nervous system can coordinate all the cells in its body to perform the complex behaviour. They found that Placozoan cells contain a variety of small peptides, made up of 4-20 amino acids that are secreted from one cell and detected by neighboring cells as a means of communication. Crucially, this echoes how more complex organisms use similar peptides, known as neuropeptides, for signaling within the nervous system. Dirk Fasshauer, co-author of the study said, "These new findings show that outer appearances can be deceiving because cells that look the same are actually signaling with different molecules and are very likely to have different functions." Using synthetically constructed versions of the Placozoan signaling peptides, the researchers could tap into this hidden signaling system to understand the role of each peptide in coordinating movement and body shape. The experiments revealed that the peptides changed Placozoan behaviour within seconds. Each peptide had a unique effect, which in some cases was very dramatic. The main behavioural changes caused by the peptides included crinkling, turning, flattening, and internal churning, a behaviour associated with feeding. Dr. Frederique Varoqueaux, also from the University of Lausanne, added: "It might seem strange to use an animal with no neurons or synapses to study nervous system evolution, but although Placozoans are nerveless, you can still find within their cells the basic molecules needed for communication in complex nervous systems. "So studying Placozoans can tell us more about the origins of neurons and how they became the body's control system.

Setback for Dhinakaran as Madras HC upholds disqualification of 18 TN MLAs

[ PLEASE SEE ADS IN MY BLOGS [www.atozkerala.in , www.atozkerala.blogspot.com] CHENNAI: Justice M Sathyanarayanan, the Supreme Court-appointed third judge of Madras High Court, on Thursady upheld the validity of Tamil Nadu Speaker’s September 18, 2017, order disqualifying 18 AIADMK MLAs in Tamil Nadu. The Ruling faction of AIADMK, led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edapaddi K Palaniswami hailed the high court's decision, while Dhinkaran said that he would discuss further course of action with the 18 MLAs. In September last year, while the then Chief Justice of the Madras HC Indira Banerjee had declined to interfere with the order of the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal, owing to her allegiance to the sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran, the other judge on the two-judge Bench, Justice M Sundar, had set aside the Speaker's order on the ground that it was hit by "perversity, non-compliance with the principles of natural justice, malafides and violation of constitutional mandate". He had said that since there was a disagreement, the case should be transferred to a third judge. With Chief Justice herself involved in the matter, she was of the view that it would not be appropriate for her to nominate a third judge. Hence, the next senior-most judge Satyanarayana was named as the third judge. In June, the court had also said that till the case was finally decided, the interim order issued earlier that barred holding of by-elections and floor test in the Assembly continue to be valid. In the 234-member Assembly, the AIADMK has 116 members followed by the DMK with 89, Congress with 8, IUML with one, one independent, the Speaker and 18 vacant seats. Apart from this, there is also a nominated member. The case filed by the disqualified legislators against the Speaker's action is pending before the High Court since September 2017. The court had reserved the judgement on January 24. Last August, a total of 19 AIADMK legislators had submitted a letter to the then Governor CV Rao withdrawing support to Chief Minister Palaniswami. Following which Chief Government Whip S Rajendiran appealed before Speaker P Dhanapal to disqualify the MLAs, saying their actions amounted to voluntarily giving up their party membership. Dhanapal suspended the MLAs using his powers under Schedule 10 of the Constitution. Subsequently, one of the MLAs, STK Jakkaiyan, switched over to the Palaniswami camp and Dhanapal disqualified the remaining 18 lawmakers. The Opposition and Dhinkaran faction have been alleging that all these days a minority government was allowed to function taking all major policy decisions.