Rohith Vemula suicide: Scratched out paragraph raises questions

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

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

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

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

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

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 Later, the suspension was revoked but they were barred from accessing hostel facilities.

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

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

Over 30 injured in clashes during Imphal strike

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nine killed in Udhampur road accident

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

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

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

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

More IS attacks likely as group suffers setbacks: US general

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

Astronomers spot brightest supernova yet in distant galaxy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The findings were published in the journal Science.

Standing desks could make kids smarter: study

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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