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

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 With 2015 now the hottest year since records started being kept 135 years ago, Delhi, Mumbai and other Indian cities have heated up substantially since the 19th and 20th centuries, data from the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) reveal.

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

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



Finland, Spain experience greatest warming

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

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

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

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

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

Could El Nino play a role in global warming?

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

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

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

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

What could the warming lead to?

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

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

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

Pune teen burned alive for being Hindu: Right wing groups

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Speaking to the Indian Express, DCP Tushar Doshi said -

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

Savan's father told the Indian Express -

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

Further investigations are ongoing.

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

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

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

Rohith Vemula suicide: Scratched out paragraph raises questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Over 30 injured in clashes during Imphal strike

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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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New dates for talks with India soon: Pakistan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Indian baby put in foster care in US

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

Odd-even appeal rap on lawyer

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

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

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

US asks China to rein in North Korea

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

Turkey troops kill 17 militants in Iraq

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

Belgium finds Daesh bomb factory

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

Schools reopen tomorrow

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Mohammed Ibrahim

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

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

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

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

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

Monsoon floods hit north India, 200 villages under water

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Khaleej Times)

Istanbul is the headquarters of Muslim Brotherhood: Report

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The documents reproduced by the UAE-based Arabic daily Al Roya say that the relationship between Turkey and the Brotherhood has a “profound dimension”.

Documents of the Muslim Brotherhood meetings have revealed that its permanent headquarters is based in the Turkish city of Istanbul since 2006, an Arabic daily has reported.

The documents reproduced by the UAE-based Arabic daily Al Roya say that the relationship between Turkey and the Brotherhood has a “profound dimension”. They mirror the deep relationship between Turkey’s Justice and Development political party with the banned organisation.

The documents unearthed the deliberations and outcome of the International Muslim Brotherhood’s meetings from May 29 to June 3, 2008. The minutes of the meetings showed the magnitude of the role played by Istanbul groups in the organisation.

As per the documents, the last significant meeting held in Istanbul was its 29th meeting, dating back to September 2008, when representatives and members of the organisation from across the Arab countries were present.

According to the documents, following Egypt’s revolution that uprooted the Muslim Brotherhood and overthrew the then president Mohammed Mursi from power, Turkey “became the den” in hosting the camps of the organisation’s cadres in Europe and Egypt.

The unearthing of the documents coincides with the malicious Turkish media campaign against the UAE.

The organisation lost steam after the Egyptian interim government declared it a terrorist group, following which Arab countries, spearheaded by GCC countries, declared it as a terrorist group as well. The Turkish media launched a defamatory drive against the UAE after the country declared the organisation a terrorist group.

(Khaleej Times)

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait to abide by UN blacklisting of citizens

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Two of the blacklisted men were Saudis wanted by Riyadh for links to militants, while two others were Kuwaitis, including a prominent cleric accused of links to Nusra Front.. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait agreed to comply with a United Nations resolution aimed at stopping financing for Islamist militant groups in Syria and Iraq after four of their nationals were named among a group blacklisted by the international body. The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on Friday intended to weaken the Islamic State - an Al Qaeda splinter group that has seized swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria and declared a caliphate - and Al Qaeda’s Syrian wing, Nusra Front. Riyadh this year declared the Islamic State group and the Nusra Front terrorist organisations, imposing prison terms for giving them moral or material support, and has mobilised its clerics to preach against private donations to militants. The Islamic State has long been blacklisted by the Security Council, while Nusra Front was added earlier this year. Both groups are designated under the UN Al Qaeda sanctions regime. Gulf media said that two of the blacklisted men were Saudis wanted by Riyadh for links to militants, while two others were Kuwaitis, including Sheikh Hajjaj bin Fahd Al Ajmi, a prominent cleric accused of links to Syria’s Al Qaeda branch, the Nusra Front. “Kuwait will abide by the UN Resolution 2170 and implement all its terms,” Kuwait’s UN ambassador Mansour Ayyad Al Otaibi said in a statement carried by state news agency KUNA on Saturday. Under Friday’s resolution, the six people will be subject to an international travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo. It asks UN experts - charged with monitoring violations of the council’s Al Qaeda sanctions regime - to report in 90 days on the threat posed by Islamic State and Nusra Front, and on details of their recruitment and funding. The London-based Asharq Al Awsat said the two Saudis, Abdul Mohsen Abdallah Ibrahim Al Charekh and Abdelrahman Mouhamad Zafir al Jahani, were on two lists of wanted militants issued in 2009 and in 2011. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors casualties in fighting in Syria, has said that Charekh was killed near the Syrian coastal city of Latakia in March. Jahani was believed to be at large somewhere outside Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Abdullah Al Mualami, also said Riyadh was “committed to implementation” of the resolution. Both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have recently tightened laws aimed at preventing citizens from involvement in foreign conflicts and instructed mosque preachers to abide by government policies during their sermons. The Kuwaiti government last month ordered non-governmental public welfare associations to refrain from involvement in politics and shut down branches of some associations. In Saudi Arabia, Muslim Sharia courts have issued a series of verdicts jailing people for going to fight abroad or collecting funds for militants. (REUTERS)

India face humiliating loss against England

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Indian batting order collapsed like a pack of cards for 94 runs to lose the match by an innings and 244 runs, their third heaviest loss in history.

The Indian cricket team underwent a dramatic collapse to be bowled out for merely 94 runs in their second innings, suffering a humiliating consecutive innings defeat in only three days and lose the five-match Test series 1-3 to England at The Oval on Sunday.

The hosts put on 101 runs in the morning to take their total to 486 runs with a first innings lead of 338. In reply, the Indian batting order collapsed like a pack of cards for 94 runs to lose the match by an innings and 244 runs, their third heaviest loss in history.

Only three Indian batsmen reached double figures -- Cheteshwar Pujara (11), Virat Kohli (20) and Stuart Binny (25 not out). English medium pacer Chris Jordan, playing in only his fourth Test, achieved career-best figures of 4/18 in 4.2 overs while Man of the Series James Anderson took 2/16 from his eight. Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes chipped in with a wicket each.

India's woes continued in the morning as they failed to bowl out the hosts, who resumed at 385/7. The English lower order came out with the intent of scoring as many runs in the quickest time to plunder the ineffective Indian bowlers, who got hammered all over the ground.

Man of the match Joe Root (149 not out) started the day at 92 not out and brought up his fifth Test century. Post achieving his second hundred of the series, Root started accelerating and while doing so dragged an Ishant Sharma delivery to the stumps while batting on 110.

He was on his way to the pavilion when replays showed that Ishant's left foot was over the line, making the delivery illegal and Root was lucky to return to the crease.

The 23-year-old Yorkshireman took advantage of the situation and increased the scoring rate, suddenly raising his strike rate to a staggering 90.3. In total, he hammered 18 boundaries and a six in his 165-ball knock to bring up his third highest Test score.

He was given good support by left hander Stuart Broad who also played a quick cameo of 37 off just 21 balls to propel England to a strong total.

Night watchman Chris Jordan put on only one run on the board Sunday before getting out for 20 and last man in James Anderson also scored only one more run before being found leg before wicket by Ravichandran Ashwin.

England were bowled out shortly after an hour's play but not before taking a massive first innings lead.

Pacer Ishant was the pick of the Indian bowlers clinching 4/96 including two wickets on Sunday while offie Ashwin wrapped up the England innings to end with figures of 3/72.

After having been bowled out for a dismal 148 on Day 1 in their first outing, India started their second innings in disastrous fashion losing both openers Murali Vijay (2) and Gautam Gambhir (3) at the stroke of lunch.

After a brief rain delay and lunch, Pujara and Kohli then put together the Indian innings highest partnership of only 21 runs for the third wicket before Pujara was caught behind. Thereon, English pacers kept picking up wickets at regular intervals and it looked like the Indian batsmen had no resistance to offer.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has been India's second highest run-getter of the series, also got out for a duck after which it was only a matter of time before the hosts embarrassed the visitors even more.

(IANS)

VP: Make passengers smile with your service

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Shaikh Mohammed inspects Emirates’ Airbus A380 Concourse 3, , the world’s first dedicated facility at the Dubai International Airport that is home to the airline’s growing fleet of super jumbos.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, urged the staff at the Dubai International Airport to “show good conduct” and to leave the passengers with a smile of satisfaction on their faces, “reflecting genuine Arab generosity and hospitality”. This, he said, will elevate the UAE’s prominent standing in regional and international circles.

“Welcoming guests of the country with a sweet smile and pleasant words, and assisting whoever needs help — children, patients and the elderly — promotes the genuine essence of our hospitable people and contributes to attracting tourists to our country to know our heritage and culture,” Shaikh Mohammed affirmed.

Shaikh Mohammed made these comments on Sunday while inspecting the Emirates’ Airbus A380 Concourse 3, the world’s first dedicated facility at the Dubai International Airport that is home to the airline’s growing fleet of super jumbos.

Shaikh Mohammed, accompanied by Shaikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, and other senior officials, got a first hand look at the quality of world-class services and facilities provided by the airport authorities to inbound and outbound travellers at the Dubai airport.

Warm welcome

Shaikh Mohammed began his tour at the Departures Hall at Concourse 3, where he inspected Emirates’ check-in counters, baggage screening facilities and passport counters. He interacted with passport officers, urging them to “accord a warm welcome” to travellers.

He then took the internal monorail connecting Concourse 3 to Concourse A, where the passengers board the superjumbo Airbus A 380. He toured the different facilities there and expressed satisfaction at the services being provided for the convenience of travellers.

Shaikh Mohammed shuttled back to the Arrivals Hall at Concourse 3, where he inspected the baggage handling tracking system.

He expressed satisfaction at the level of existing coordination between the Emirates Group and the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA). The new smart travel system, which will be introduced early next year, will help travellers process departure procedures at Emirates’ counters without the need for any immigration counters or officers.

Acting Director-General of the GDRFA Major-General Obeid bin Muhair told Shaikh Mohammed that more than one million passengers passed through the Dubai Airport since the Eid Al Fitr holiday.

Concourse D

Shaikh Mohammed and his accompanying delegation also stopped at Concourse D, currently under construction as part of the airport’s latest expansion plans to increase capacity. Once operational by the fourth quarter of 2015, the terminal will leverage the airport capacity to accommodate 92 million passengers.

Shaikh Mohammed was briefed by Khalifa Al Zafeen, the CEO of Dubai Airports, about the design, components and state-of-the-art facilities of the terminal, which will have the capacity to welcome 18 million passengers and 17 planes (Boeing 777 and Airbus A-380).

The Dh4 billion Concourse D, Al Zafeen said, will be 700 metres long and 47 metres wide and will be connected with Terminal 1 via a 350-metre elevated rail link.

Shaikh Mohammed expressed satisfaction with the progress of work on the ambitious project, which he considers an extension of the airport’s modernisation plan.

He emphasised on the need to complete the project as scheduled, with a firm commitment to the highest standards of security, safety and provision of all forms of convenience to travellers of all nationalities.

(WAM)

Obama unveils actions to curb gun violence

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Wiping away tears, Obama recalled the Sandy Hook primary school shooting in 2012 where 20 children and six adults were killed.

US President Barack Obama on Tuesday unveiled some executive measures on gun control, including expanding background checks and calling for "a sense of urgency" about gun violence.
Obama on Tuesday presented a series of executive orders to help prevent some 30,000 people from getting shot to death every year.
His executive actions, without Congress' approval, widen background checks on potential gun buyers, the BBC reported.
Wiping away tears, Obama recalled the Sandy Hook primary school shooting in 2012 where 20 children and six adults were killed.

Muslim world facing grave dangers: Sartaj Aziz

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National interest will be given priority in context of the diplomatic row in the Middle East, he said.

Islamabad: Pakistan is concerned over recent tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran that spiralled after the execution of Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr Al Nimr, Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said in a policy statement he read before the National Assembly on Tuesday.
The Muslim world faces grave dangers in the situation that has arisen in wake of the Saudi-Iran standoff, Sartaj said.
He expressed concern that terrorists can use the diplomatic crisis in the Middle East to their advantage.
The statement follows criticism from opposition parties which lashed out at the government in the National Assembly for not coming up with a clear stance on the situation in the region because of the tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran and called for a parliamentary briefing on the issue.
Leader of the Opposition Khurshid Shah while commenting on Sartaj's statement regretted that the government has adopted a weak stance. He said Pakistan could play a proactive role and mobilise the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) to resolve the escalating crisis between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
In his statement, Sartaj maintained that Pakistan will continue to play its role to ease tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia and it advocates unity among the Muslim countries.
He said the National Assembly would be given an in-camera briefing on the Saudi-Iran tensions.
National interest will be given priority in context of the diplomatic row in the Middle East, he said.
Pakistan disapproved on Monday a mob attack on Saudi Arabia's embassy in Tehran, which sparked a diplomatic crisis between Iran and Arab countries, Dawn newspaper reported.
In response to rumours that Pakistan was also exploring options about downgrading its diplomatic relations with Iran, Foreign Office spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said, "I will not comment on rumours and speculations."
There have been protests in Pakistan against the execution of the Shia cleric. But the Foreign Office has avoided commenting on the development that led to escalation of tensions between the two rivals.
Pakistan is an ally of Saudi Arabia and the two countries share close economic and defence ties. A scheduled January 18 trip by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif to Tehran, according to a diplomatic source, has become uncertain following the tiff between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

"He knew he was leaving us", father of 4-yr-old

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Family outing ends in tragedy as four-year-old boy is killed.

It was almost as if four-year-old Abdullah Mohammed knew he was going to die as he and his family set out on a drive to Al Dhaid from Abu Dhabi to enjoy the pleasant weather on Sunday.
"My little one was very happy about the trip and it was like he knew he was going to leave us; he kept hugging and kissing me," said his father, Mohammed Salim, 37.
The family outing turned into a disaster for Salim, an Indian, after his four-year-old died in a rain-related traffic accident. Another eight-year-old son is battling for life, while six other family members - including a toddler - were discharged after being treated for minor injuries.
Their car flipped after Salim lost control on a rain-clogged road. The victims were rushed to Al Qasimi hospital. At the time of filing this report, preparations were under way to move Salim's eight-year-old son to Zayed Military hospital for a surgery.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Salim, who was born in Abu Dhabi and speaks Arabic fluently, said: "Since the school was closed for the holidays, my children and wife were pushing me to go to Al Dhaid to enjoy the weather."
Salim's children - Ahmed Mansad, 12; Mohammed Ameen, 10; Mohammed Saeed, 8; Mahmoud Mohammed, 6; and Abdullah Mohammed - prepared their bags with balls, skating shoes and toys, said the distressed father.
"Their mother, Fatima Alawi prepared food and snacks for the whole family," said Salim.
"We started our journey from Abu Dhabi at 10am. The weather was beautiful and it was raining. As we passed intersection 9 in Al Dhaid, our car passed through a large puddle and I lost control over it."
Due to the sudden bump, Abdullah was flung out of the car and landed five metres away. He died on the spot.
"I thought he would be fine, but came to know later that he passed away. But I thank God as my other children and wife are fine.
"It was a shocking news for my wife and she hasn't stopped crying since receiving the news. I pray to God to save my other son, Saeed. I request everyone to pray for him. I don't want to lose another son," said Salim, as he broke into tears.
The funeral of little Abdullah will be held in Abu Dhabi.

Emirates offers special rates - for limited time

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All-inclusive economy class fares from Dubai to Middle East and Asian destinations start at Dh615 to Muscat, Dh935 to Karachi, Dh1,025 to Mumbai, Dh2,205 to Manila and Dh2,245 to Kuala Lumpur.

Travellers, rejoice. Emirates airline is launching its global sale today. For a limited time, travellers can avail of special offers on business and economy class fares. Bookings can be made from today until January 18 for travel until November 18.
All-inclusive economy class fares from Dubai to Middle East and Asian destinations start at Dh615 to Muscat, Dh935 to Karachi, Dh1,025 to Mumbai, Dh2,205 to Manila and Dh2,245 to Kuala Lumpur.
Also read: Emirates, Etihad Airways among world's safest carriers
Also read: Ten best budget travel destinations of 2016
Economy class fares to European cities start at Dh2,625 to Munich, Barcelona at Dh2,815, Paris at Dh3,695 and fares to North and Central American cities like Los Angeles start at Dh4,945 and Panama City at Dh6,345.
"We know that many people have begun thinking about their travel plans and aspirations for 2016. We are pleased to add a little more inspiration and incentive to help turn those plans and dreams into reality," said Thierry Antinori, Emirates' executive vice-president and chief commercial officer.
See pictures: World's 20 safest airlines
"Our global destination network across six continents offers something for every traveller. We are combining that wide range of travel choices with special rates to offer would-be travellers an even more appealing value proposition."
- business@khaleejtimes.com

Amid falling flames of Address, they spent more than 20 hours

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The rescue team climbed the stairs up to 63 floors amid heavy smoke to ensure that no one is trapped

If it took only 20 minutes to evacuate the residents of The Address Hotel on that ill-fated night, the rescue team had to spend more than 20 hours at the fire scene. This includes, several officials who stayed back at the fire scene until the cooling work finished, giving proper guidance as well as leading them from the front.
Khaleej Times talked with a few top officials to know how they worked amid falling flames to rescue women, children and the elderly from the hotel.
Huge and medium flames from the falling debris fell on some of the rescuers including Major Ahmed Atiq Bu Rouqaiba, Acting Director of Rescue and Search Team of Operation Room of the Dubai Police, whose was injured.
Major-General Anas Al Matroushi, Director of Operations for Transport and Rescue of the Dubai Police, said that the evacuation process was an unforgettable humanitarian incident, as it involved number of children, women and elderly people.
He said that the rescue team had to calm them down until they got out of the hotel, which was engulfed by smoke and fire.
Interestingly, they had to wake up a woman who was in deep sleep, when the fire broke out and despite alarm bells ringing. She was the last person to rescue from the inferno.
He added that the Chairman of Disaster Committee Major General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina has spent more than 20 hours at the fire scene and he directed the entire operation.
"We expected him to leave in the morning, however, he continued until the cooling operation ensured that the site is safe."
Major Ahmed Atiq said: "I was on my annual leave and when I learnt about the fire and I headed to the fire scene to assist my colleagues and perform my national duty. While I was checking the building with Major General Anas Al Matroushi and Acting Director of Rescue Section Major Khaled Mohammed, huge explosion occurred and we saw three falling flames came towards us and the bigger one passed between me and Al Matroushi and the second passed over our heads and third one fell on my left hand, which needed a small surgery. Luckily, nothing fell on our head."
Khaled Mohammed said: "Our team climbed the stairs up to 63 floors amid heavy smoke to ensure that no one is trapped and the last person to evacuate was a woman who was sleeping when the fire erupted."
Al Matroushi attributed the successful rescue operation to coordinated work between the disaster and crisis teams and the drills carried out in high rise buildings, including the Burj Khalifa. He added that the rescuers and search team were at the site before the fire to ensure safety during the fire works planned for New Year's Eve. He said that the evacuation was done professionally, and they could finish the complicated job in minutes. Among the evacuees included 77 children, elderly, women and six people on wheel chairs. Al Matroushi said that they will consider the fire in the Address Hotel as a practical training.
Major Khaled said the Dubai Police and Civil Defense staff were so happy that the rescue team could help people get out of the burning hotel. He said: "Our role was to break into rooms, check whether someone is inside and then take them out down the stairs to get out of the fire. The exits at the hotel were designed in such a way that no smoke will enter there, which made the rescue work easier."
amira@khaleejtimes.com