Heavy rain leads to traffic snarls in national capital

NEW DELHI: Heavy rain lashed the national capital on Tuesday, throwing traffic out of gear in many parts of the city due to waterlogging. The met department has predicted more rain and thunderstorm in the capital throughout the day. The rain gauges measured 1.8 mm of rainfall for a period of 24 hours till 8 am. The rains, which started late on Monday night, continued this morning. Vehicular movement was affected in several areas, including ITO, Vikas Marg and South Extension due to low visibility and waterlogging. Commuters at Andrew Ganj, Mahipalpur, Hari Nagar, IIT crossing to Adchini, Yusuf Sarai Market, Munirka flyover, Badarpur border, Wazirpur industrial area, Ashok Vihar, Laxmi Nagar, Mahipalpur and Lala Lajpat Rai Marg suffered due to waterlogging. The minimum temperature was recorded at 11.7 degrees Celsius, three notches above normal but the windchill factor added to the chill in the air. The maximum temperature in the last 24 hours was recorded at 19.3 degrees Celsius, which is three degrees below normal. The met department said cloudy weather condition is likely to continue for the next couple of days.

Heavy rain leads to traffic snarls in national capital

NEW DELHI: Heavy rain lashed the national capital on Tuesday, throwing traffic out of gear in many parts of the city due to waterlogging. The met department has predicted more rain and thunderstorm in the capital throughout the day. The rain gauges measured 1.8 mm of rainfall for a period of 24 hours till 8 am. The rains, which started late on Monday night, continued this morning. Vehicular movement was affected in several areas, including ITO, Vikas Marg and South Extension due to low visibility and waterlogging. Commuters at Andrew Ganj, Mahipalpur, Hari Nagar, IIT crossing to Adchini, Yusuf Sarai Market, Munirka flyover, Badarpur border, Wazirpur industrial area, Ashok Vihar, Laxmi Nagar, Mahipalpur and Lala Lajpat Rai Marg suffered due to waterlogging. The minimum temperature was recorded at 11.7 degrees Celsius, three notches above normal but the windchill factor added to the chill in the air. The maximum temperature in the last 24 hours was recorded at 19.3 degrees Celsius, which is three degrees below normal. The met department said cloudy weather condition is likely to continue for the next couple of days.

A day after fatwa, Kashmir's all-girl band calls it quits

SRINAGAR: Kashmir lost its only all-girls rock band on Monday as its three teenage members decided to call it quits, a day after the Grand Mufti issued a fatwa terming singing as un-Islamic and asked them to abandon it. Although the girls have maintained silence over the issue, sources close to them said, they have decided to quit singing and music. The girls had defied convention by stepping into the male-dominated field but faced online threats and abuses from conservative sections of the society. The Grand Mufti Bashiruddin Ahmad on Sunday issued a decree terming singing un-Islamic. "I have said, singing is not in accordance with Islamic teachings," Ahmad told. He said, he has advised the members of the first all-girls rock band of Kashmir to abandon singing as "it is against Islamic teachings and will not help them in playing any constructive role in the society." Chief minister Omar Abdullah was among large number of people who came out in support of the girls. Omar even reportedly dismissed the decree on his Twitter page but removed the Tweet later. The teenage girls who came to limelight in December last year after their scintillating performance at the annual 'Battle of the Bands' competition here, received online threats and absurd comments, forcing them to keep a low profile. Though there are dozens of bands currently playing popular music of different genres in the valley, the girls - vocalist-guitarist Noma Nazir, drummer Farah Deeba and guitarist Aneeka Khalid (all students of 10th standard) - formed the first all-girls rock band by the name of " Pragaash" (light) and won the best performance award in their first public appearance.

A day after fatwa, Kashmir's all-girl band calls it quits

SRINAGAR: Kashmir lost its only all-girls rock band on Monday as its three teenage members decided to call it quits, a day after the Grand Mufti issued a fatwa terming singing as un-Islamic and asked them to abandon it. Although the girls have maintained silence over the issue, sources close to them said, they have decided to quit singing and music. The girls had defied convention by stepping into the male-dominated field but faced online threats and abuses from conservative sections of the society. The Grand Mufti Bashiruddin Ahmad on Sunday issued a decree terming singing un-Islamic. "I have said, singing is not in accordance with Islamic teachings," Ahmad told. He said, he has advised the members of the first all-girls rock band of Kashmir to abandon singing as "it is against Islamic teachings and will not help them in playing any constructive role in the society." Chief minister Omar Abdullah was among large number of people who came out in support of the girls. Omar even reportedly dismissed the decree on his Twitter page but removed the Tweet later. The teenage girls who came to limelight in December last year after their scintillating performance at the annual 'Battle of the Bands' competition here, received online threats and absurd comments, forcing them to keep a low profile. Though there are dozens of bands currently playing popular music of different genres in the valley, the girls - vocalist-guitarist Noma Nazir, drummer Farah Deeba and guitarist Aneeka Khalid (all students of 10th standard) - formed the first all-girls rock band by the name of " Pragaash" (light) and won the best performance award in their first public appearance.

England King Richard III's remains found in Leicester

LEICESTER: A skeleton with a cleaved skull and a curved spine entombed under a car park is that of Richard III, scientific tests confirmed, solving a 500-year-old mystery about the final resting place of the last English king to die in battle.

Richard, depicted by William Shakespeare as a monstrous tyrant who murdered two princes in the Tower of London, was killed fighting his eventual successor Henry Tudor at the Battle of Bosworth Field in central England in 1485.

In one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of recent times, a team from the University of Leicester said evidence showed that a skeleton found last year during excavations of a mediaeval friary under a parking lot in the city was indeed that of Richard.

After a detailed academic presentation focusing on the life, wounds and physique of Richard III, the lead archaeologist on the project, Richard Buckley, announced his conclusion to cheers and applause.

"It's the academic conclusion of the University of Leicester that beyond reasonable doubt the individual exhumed at Grey Friars in September 2012 is indeed Richard III, the last Plantagenet king of England," Buckley said.

Academics said DNA taken from the body matched that of Michael Ibsen, a Canadian-born furniture maker in London who genealogists said was the direct descendant of Richard's sister, Anne of York.

The skeleton showed signs of injuries consistent with wounds received in battle; a bladed implement appeared to have cleaved part of the rear of the skull while a barbed metal arrowhead was found between vertebrae of the skeleton's upper back.

While the findings may solve one riddle about Richard, the last Plantagenet king of England remains a complex figure whose life, made famous by Shakespeare's history play, deeply divides opinion among historians in Britain and abroad.

England King Richard III's remains found in Leicester

LEICESTER: A skeleton with a cleaved skull and a curved spine entombed under a car park is that of Richard III, scientific tests confirmed, solving a 500-year-old mystery about the final resting place of the last English king to die in battle.

Richard, depicted by William Shakespeare as a monstrous tyrant who murdered two princes in the Tower of London, was killed fighting his eventual successor Henry Tudor at the Battle of Bosworth Field in central England in 1485.

In one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of recent times, a team from the University of Leicester said evidence showed that a skeleton found last year during excavations of a mediaeval friary under a parking lot in the city was indeed that of Richard.

After a detailed academic presentation focusing on the life, wounds and physique of Richard III, the lead archaeologist on the project, Richard Buckley, announced his conclusion to cheers and applause.

"It's the academic conclusion of the University of Leicester that beyond reasonable doubt the individual exhumed at Grey Friars in September 2012 is indeed Richard III, the last Plantagenet king of England," Buckley said.

Academics said DNA taken from the body matched that of Michael Ibsen, a Canadian-born furniture maker in London who genealogists said was the direct descendant of Richard's sister, Anne of York.

The skeleton showed signs of injuries consistent with wounds received in battle; a bladed implement appeared to have cleaved part of the rear of the skull while a barbed metal arrowhead was found between vertebrae of the skeleton's upper back.

While the findings may solve one riddle about Richard, the last Plantagenet king of England remains a complex figure whose life, made famous by Shakespeare's history play, deeply divides opinion among historians in Britain and abroad.

Sensex down 88 points in early trade

MUMBAI: The BSE benchmark Sensex on Tuesday declined by over 88 points in early trade, extending losses for the fourth straight session, as funds and retail investors engaged booking profit amid a weak trend in global markets.

The 30-share barometer fell by 88.49 points, or 0.44 per cent, to 19,662.70. The index had lost nearly 254 points in the past three sessions.

Stocks of realty, capital goods, metal, auto, power and banking sectors declined due to profit-booking.

Similarly, the wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty fell by 39.35 points, or 0.65 per cent, to 5,947.90.

In the Asian region, Japan’s Nikkei Index was down 1.27 per cent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index shed 1.66 per cent in early trade.

The US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.93 per cent down in Monday’s trade.

Sensex down 88 points in early trade

MUMBAI: The BSE benchmark Sensex on Tuesday declined by over 88 points in early trade, extending losses for the fourth straight session, as funds and retail investors engaged booking profit amid a weak trend in global markets.

The 30-share barometer fell by 88.49 points, or 0.44 per cent, to 19,662.70. The index had lost nearly 254 points in the past three sessions.

Stocks of realty, capital goods, metal, auto, power and banking sectors declined due to profit-booking.

Similarly, the wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty fell by 39.35 points, or 0.65 per cent, to 5,947.90.

In the Asian region, Japan’s Nikkei Index was down 1.27 per cent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index shed 1.66 per cent in early trade.

The US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.93 per cent down in Monday’s trade.

Azharuddin expresses desire to coach Team India

LONDON: Former captain Mohammad Azharuddin has expressed his desire to coach the India cricket team in future if the BCCI approaches him with an offer.

"Whatever little cricket I have played, I have learnt a lot and I would like to impart those skills to young players. It is up to the board (BCCI) to use me in the best way. I would certainly like to be involved with Indian cricket," Azhar said.

"It is the board's prerogative to decide on that (coaching the Indian team), but I am available in any capacity for the benefit of Indian cricket," added Azhar, who was the chief guest at an India-Pakistan students' friendly match at Lord's stadium as part of the London School of Economics annual India Week.

In November last year, the Andhra Pradesh High Court had lifted the life ban on Azharuddin imposed by the BCCI for his alleged involvement in match-fixing.

The 49-year-old Congress MP from Moradabad said it's high time to inject fresh blood in the side to prepare the team for the future.

"The team needs some new blood. It is important that young players are given the chance to play. The IPL format has been good for the game in that sense, as it has thrown up some very good players.

"Being able to play across all formats requires a lot of skill and there are some very talented players coming up. It is time to inject them into the team," he said.

Azhar said he heaved a sigh of relief when the High Court overturned the life ban imposed on him.

"I am just happy to be cleared. I now look forward to helping people as a cricketer and politician. I entered the field of politics to be able to do some good," he said.

Azharuddin expresses desire to coach Team India

LONDON: Former captain Mohammad Azharuddin has expressed his desire to coach the India cricket team in future if the BCCI approaches him with an offer.

"Whatever little cricket I have played, I have learnt a lot and I would like to impart those skills to young players. It is up to the board (BCCI) to use me in the best way. I would certainly like to be involved with Indian cricket," Azhar said.

"It is the board's prerogative to decide on that (coaching the Indian team), but I am available in any capacity for the benefit of Indian cricket," added Azhar, who was the chief guest at an India-Pakistan students' friendly match at Lord's stadium as part of the London School of Economics annual India Week.

In November last year, the Andhra Pradesh High Court had lifted the life ban on Azharuddin imposed by the BCCI for his alleged involvement in match-fixing.

The 49-year-old Congress MP from Moradabad said it's high time to inject fresh blood in the side to prepare the team for the future.

"The team needs some new blood. It is important that young players are given the chance to play. The IPL format has been good for the game in that sense, as it has thrown up some very good players.

"Being able to play across all formats requires a lot of skill and there are some very talented players coming up. It is time to inject them into the team," he said.

Azhar said he heaved a sigh of relief when the High Court overturned the life ban imposed on him.

"I am just happy to be cleared. I now look forward to helping people as a cricketer and politician. I entered the field of politics to be able to do some good," he said.