Will Be Tough To Play Role Of Azhar"s Wife On Screen: Prachi Desai

Prachi Desai to play Azharuddin’s wife in biopic Azhar

© NDTV

Bollywood actor Prachi Desai of Rock On fame is essaying the role of former cricket captain Mohammed Azharuddin’s first wife Naureen in Emraan Hashmi-starrer Azhar. She feels it’s going to be a tough task.

Asked how challenging would it be to play Azharuddin’s first wife, Prachi said: “It will be quite challenging as I don’t think anybody knows(much) about Naureen yet. We know about her, but we don’t know her.

“It will be challenging because it’s for the first time that somebody is putting a face on her onscreen.”

The actress said the team of Azhar has already begun shooting the on-field portions in London and she is looking forward to joining the team soon.

Azharuddin had separated from his first wife Naureen, and married actress Sangeeta Bijlani, but later separated from her too. The film, produced by Ekta Kapoor and directed by Tony D’Souza, is scheduled to release on May 13, next year.

Micromax"s Yu Yureka Plus Review: Small Tweaks Make a Good Phone Better

At the beginning of 2015, Micromax launched the new Yu brand and series of smartphones. These devices are only available online but offer great specifications at low prices, focusing on the increased customisation options offered by the CyanogenMod operating system that Yu preloads onto its devices. The Yureka (Review | Pictures) and Yuphoria (Review | Pictures) both offer the benefits of customisability and great specifications at competitive prices, and have enjoyed some success.

Yu’s third product is the Yureka Plus. At Rs. 9,999, it’s Rs. 1,000 more expensive than the Yureka, and adds a bit to the spec sheet to justify the price hike. The two big changes are a higher-resolution full-HD screen and a new camera sensor that should improve photo quality by a bit. We go into the details to find out what the Yureka Plus is all about.

Look and Feel
The Yureka Plus has inherited its predecessor’s nomenclature for a reason; it looks and feels exactly like the Yu Yureka. There is not a single thing different, and you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the Yureka and Yureka Plus if both were to be placed side-by-side. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, since we quite liked the way the Yureka was designed. From the minimalist look in front to the textured ‘moonstone grey’ back panel, the phone is still attractive and feels great to hold.

Most of the rest of the device design remains the same as well. The primary SIM and microSD slots are only accessible by removing the battery, while the second SIM slot is hot-swappable and doesn’t need the phone to be switched off. Power and volume controls remain in the same places as before, while the only marking on the front is a circle that denotes the home button. The three soft keys light up when the screen is on, and the phone lets you set any or all of the keys to wake the device with a double tap.

The only difference you’ll perceive is a visibly sharper and more detailed full-HD screen. We were happy with the Yureka’s 720p screen at the time of reviewing it, but the market has changed a lot since then. With the spec war heating up, a 1080p screen in the sub-Rs. 10,000 segment isn’t impossible anymore. Yu has been smart, as the full-HD screen adds tremendous value to the package. It is sharp, detailed, and accurate with colours. Although it’s sufficiently bright indoors, outdoor visibility suffers a bit since it can’t get quite as bright as it needs to. However, it’s still a far better screen than we’re used to seeing at this price level.

Specifications and Software
When the Yu Yureka first broke onto the scene, its specifications list was impressive to say the least. At a time when the vast majority of budget phones were using lower-cost MediaTek  SoCs, the Yureka used the then-new Snapdragon 615. Apart from that there was also 16GB of internal storage and 2GB of RAM, along with 4G compatibility and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity.

These specifications remain the same on the Yureka Plus, and unfortunately don’t quite have the same shock value anymore since a long list of devices in this price bracket have matched them. However, it’s still a competitive set of components for the price and will remain competitive for a long time to come.

Yu has stuck to Cyanogen 12 OS for the Yureka Plus, although the system is based on Android 5.0.2 out of the box, an upgrade over the Yureka which came with Android 4.4.4. We’re big fans of the operating system, since it offers a host of customisability options that let you set your phone up exactly how you want it. From button functions to the lockscreen; from the status and pull-down bar to the notification drawer; everything is customisable and can be adjusted to your liking. Above all, it’s a quick and efficient system that is a pleasure to use. Very little is different from what the Yureka offers.

There’s also very little bloatware on the system, and the handful of apps that are present are actually incredibly useful. AudioFX is a system-wide audio equaliser and controller, while Screencast lets you record video of your phone’s screen. Perhaps the only app we didn’t care much for was the Yuniverse Opera-based browser. Fortunately it could be uninstalled and was out of our way within seconds.

Camera
The second thing that has changed in going from Yureka to Yureka Plus is the camera module. While the Yureka used the older Sony IMX135 sensor, the Yureka Plus has the newer IMX214 sensor. Although both are 13-megapixel sensors, the IMX214 has small technical tweaks that promise better photography and videography, including improved support for HDR stills and video.

In practice, the camera is at least as impressive as the one on the Yureka. Pictures are detailed, sharp and have colours that are vibrant and truly pop. You have to zoom really far in on a desktop monitor to reveal any flaws in the images, and whites have the proper colour tone. However, there are definite issues in the handling of low-light situations, with dark zones in images appearing too dark to be able to spot any detail.

(Click for full-size image)

HDR mode offered excellent results, with the already great colour handling improving dramatically. We generally preferred to shoot in HDR mode, as the effect was subtle, yet visible. Video was usually good, as were close up shots. With the exception of the slight problems with low-light shooting, the camera on the Yureka Plus is slightly improved over the one on the Yureka. The front camera takes acceptable shots, although it also suffers from the same tendency to underperform with low-light shots.

The camera app is minimalistic and easy to use, with settings icons occupying only a small part of the screen, keeping most of it for the viewfinder. There are buttons for quick video, photo and panorama shots, along with a flash selector, the camera switcher and a shortcut to the various modes. It’s well designed and makes camera use easy. We had some issues with the speed of the autofocus on the Yureka which have been fixed with the Yureka Plus; autofocus is usually quick and effortless.

(Click for full-size image)

Performance
The Yu Yureka Plus is a capable device in terms of performance, thanks to the combination of a good SoC, strong specifications, and an excellent operating system. Our collection of test videos loaded and ran well, including the most heavily encoded clips. Even with apps and games, the phone ran fairly well most of the time, with graphics slowing down only slightly on rare occasions.

Benchmark tests showed excellent numbers for a phone using the Snapdragon 615 SoC, and all scores were slightly higher than those recorded on the Yu Yureka. AnTuTu and Quadrant returned commendable scores of 34,457 and 24,116 respectively, while GFXBench and 3DMark recorded scores of 14fps and 5,477 each. All of this confirms that the Yureka Plus is a good performer, and offers excellent returns for the price.

Call and speaker quality are both decent, and network reception gave us no reason to complain. Battery life on the Yureka was underwhelming, but this seems to have been improved considerably on the Yureka Plus, despite the higher-resolution screen. Our video loop test drained the battery in 10 hours, 5 minutes, which is a huge improvement over the Yureka. In day to day use, the battery drains as quickly as any Android smartphone, and so it should comfortably last a full day with normal use.

Verdict
Yu has made it a point to keep the fact that it’s owned by Micromax as low-key as possible. This has helped the brand establish itself as an independent entity with its own appeal, which has worked well. The Yu Yuphoria’s popularity is proof of that, and can also be seen as a sign of things to come.

The Yu Yureka was a groundbreaking product when it launched. It showed just what a budget smartphone was capable of, and set the stage for what have proven to be fun times in the smartphone price wars. It also showed the world just how important a good operating system is to the smartphone experience.

The Yu Yureka Plus is an intelligent way to strengthen the company’s first product now that the competition has had some time to catch up. It has improved just enough to give it a sense of freshness, while retaining all the qualities that made it stand out in the first place. This is what keeps the phone and the company relevant, and we have no issues with recommending the Yu Yureka Plus if you’re shopping for a smartphone under Rs. 10,000.

The Ashes: England Ban Joe Root From Celebrating at Walkabout Bar

This image was posted by Joe Root on his instagram account @joeroot30.

© Instagram

Birmingham: England captain Alastair Cook said Joe Root had been banned from celebrating the team’s eight-wicket win in the third Ashes Test at Birmingham’s Walkabout bar. (Third Test in Pics)

Root, who made 38 not out on Friday, was punched by Australia opener David Warner in the Aussie-themed venue after England beat their arch-rivals at Edgbaston during the 2013 Champions Trophy one-day tournament. (David Warner Lifts Lid On Walkabout Bar Run-In With England’s Joe Root)

Asked whether Root and Warner might meet up at the Walkabout again after a win that gave England a 2-1 lead in the five-match series, a smiling Cook said: “The one thing (about our celebrations) is Joe Root is banned from going to Walkabout.”

England paceman Stuart Broad echoed the theme by posting on Twitter a picture of Root in the home dressing room at Edgbaston, complete with the caption: “Don’t worry people, I’ll keep him out the Walkabout tonight.”

Don’t worry people, I’ll keep him out the Walkabout tonight…. pic.twitter.com/fpuwH38PfW

— Stuart Broad (@StuartBroad8) July 31, 2015

Real Estate Developer Shot Dead in Jamshedpur

Jamshedpur:  A well-known real estate developer of the steel city was shot dead by unidentified assailants near Jubilee Park gate in Bistupur area in Jamshedpur today, a senior police officer said.

Ramsakal Prasad along with a friend, went to the Park for morning walk when four unidentified assailants intercepted him near the park gate and shot at him, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Jacinta Kerketta said.



 

She said critically injured Mr Prasad was rushed to Tata Main Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

 

Mr Prasad, a resident of Bagbera, was a contractor engaged in construction sector in Odisha as well as Jamshedpur. He also owned buses.

 

The culprits escaped in two motorcycles after committing the crime according to eyewitnesses, she said.

 

The incident took place at a time when the district administration was busy making arrangements to receive Jharkhand Governor Draupadi Murmu, who was likely to make a stopover on way to Odisha, today.

UN Chief Ban Ki-Moon Condoles President APJ Abdul Kalam"s Death

New York:  Describing former President APJ Abdul Kalam as a “great statesman”, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that the outpouring of grief around the world following his death is a testament of the respect and inspiration he has garnered during and after his Presidency.

In a special gesture, the UN Chief visited the Permanent Mission of India to the UN in New York yesterday to sign the condolence book placed following the death of the 11th President of India and an accomplished scientist.

The book has been opened over the last couple of days to Ambassadors of all member state to express their condolences.

Ban expressed his deepest condolences on the passing of the former Indian President in his message. “The outpouring of grief around the world is a testament of the respect and inspiration he has garnered during and after his Presidency. The UN joins the people of India in sending our deepest condolences for this great statesman. May he rest in peace and eternity,” Ban said in his message.

Dr Kalam died on July 27 following a cardiac arrest at the age of 83. He was in Shillong to deliver a lecture at the prestigious Indian Institute of Management (IIM) and collapsed on stage just a few minutes into his speech.

Shashi Tharoor Says Will Not "Confirm or Deny" Letter to Sonia Gandhi

Thiruvananthapuram:  Congress lawmaker Shashi Tharoor has refused to confirm or deny that he has written a letter to party president Sonia Gandhi after she upbraided him about his comments at a party meeting being reported in the press.

“I am not going to say anything which can legitimise your line of enquiry by denying or confirming,” Mr Tharoor told reporters on Friday in Thiruvananthapuram, his Lok Sabha constituency.

The two-page letter, apparently an email addressed to Mrs Gandhi, seems to confirm the Congress President’s rare outburst against Mr Tharoor. It says he was “dismayed, indeed distressed, by our exchange at the morning meeting,” and that the “press leaks” were part of an agenda “maliciously aimed” at portraying him as isolated in the party.

Shashi Tharoor had last week told a session of Congress MPs that he disagreed with the strategy to disrupt Parliament and prevent it from functioning to pressure the BJP-led government into sacking three top leaders.

Mr Tharoor’s note of dissent was widely reported in the media, provoking Mrs Gandhi to reportedly say to him angrily, “You always do this.”

Why on earth would I have spoken to the media to undermine myself and my standing within the party?” the letter says, alleging that the “leakers” have convinced Mrs Gandhi that Mr Tharoor has been speaking to the press against the party’s interests.

He assures Mrs Gandhi that he has kept away from the press “ever since my personal tragedy and the ghoulish attention I have received,” an apparent reference to the death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar last year.

And that when he has spoken to the media, it has been on record. “Leaking is the habit of conspirators and cowards; I am neither,” the letter says, and seeks to assure the Congress chief that Mr Tharoor has served the party’s interests “with sincerity and to best of my ability, while often feeling that this has neither been seen nor appreciated.”

Shashi Tharoor Says Will Not "Confirm or Deny" Letter to Sonia Gandhi

Thiruvananthapuram:  Congress lawmaker Shashi Tharoor has refused to confirm or deny that he has written a letter to party president Sonia Gandhi after she upbraided him about his comments at a party meeting being reported in the press.

“I am not going to say anything which can legitimise your line of enquiry by denying or confirming,” Mr Tharoor told reporters on Friday in Thiruvananthapuram, his Lok Sabha constituency.

The two-page letter, apparently an email addressed to Mrs Gandhi, seems to confirm the Congress President’s rare outburst against Mr Tharoor. It says he was “dismayed, indeed distressed, by our exchange at the morning meeting,” and that the “press leaks” were part of an agenda “maliciously aimed” at portraying him as isolated in the party.

Shashi Tharoor had last week told a session of Congress MPs that he disagreed with the strategy to disrupt Parliament and prevent it from functioning to pressure the BJP-led government into sacking three top leaders.

Mr Tharoor’s note of dissent was widely reported in the media, provoking Mrs Gandhi to reportedly say to him angrily, “You always do this.”

Why on earth would I have spoken to the media to undermine myself and my standing within the party?” the letter says, alleging that the “leakers” have convinced Mrs Gandhi that Mr Tharoor has been speaking to the press against the party’s interests.

He assures Mrs Gandhi that he has kept away from the press “ever since my personal tragedy and the ghoulish attention I have received,” an apparent reference to the death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar last year.

And that when he has spoken to the media, it has been on record. “Leaking is the habit of conspirators and cowards; I am neither,” the letter says, and seeks to assure the Congress chief that Mr Tharoor has served the party’s interests “with sincerity and to best of my ability, while often feeling that this has neither been seen nor appreciated.”

Teen Alleges Gang-Rape in Hotel, 5 Arrested

Maninagar, Gujarat:  A 17-year-old girl has accused five men of gang-raping her at a hotel in Maninagar in Ahmedabad. All five have been arrested.

In her complaint, the teen has alleged that she was taken to a local hotel by her friend who later called four others who then gang-raped her.

More details are awaited.

Teen Alleges Gang-Rape in Hotel, 5 Arrested

Maninagar, Gujarat:  A 17-year-old girl has accused five men of gang-raping her at a hotel in Maninagar in Ahmedabad. All five have been arrested.

In her complaint, the teen has alleged that she was taken to a local hotel by her friend who later called four others who then gang-raped her.

More details are awaited.

37 Per Cent of India"s Minor Ports Defenceless: Parliamentary Panel Expresses "Shock"

New Delhi:  A Parliamentary committee has expressed its “shock” over a special report prepared by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) which found that about 37 per cent of minor ports in the country are absolutely defenceless.

A report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs (Coastal Security), tabled on Friday has said the IB report should serve as an “alarm bell” for the government, especially at those ports which are located along the coastline of Gujarat and Maharashtra.

The report noted that there are 203 non-major or minor ports, of which 45 are non-operational and 75 have no security force whatsoever. A number of the non-operational ports, 49 of them non-major ports, however were being used as landing points and jetties by fishermen.

“The committee takes a very serious note on the grave deficiencies highlighted in the security audit report of Intelligence Bureau (IB) and is of the view that this report of IB should act as an alarm bell for the government, particularly with reference to such ports in Gujarat and Maharashtra,” read the Standing Committee report.

The IB report had said that out of the 30 of the non-major ports in question were in Gujarat and Maharashtra alone, with the rest spread out across the other coastal regions in the country.

The report also noted that there were “several shortcomings” in the security arrangements at these ports, like the absence of x-ray scanners and non-maintenance of records of incoming or outgoing communications among others.

The Parliamentary Panel has recommended that the coastal states and Union Territories implement suggestions made by the IB to plug gaps in coastal security.

“The Ministry of Home Affairs should support states/UTs by providing any required technical and financial assistance as well as monitoring regularly the implementation of the recommendations given in the security audit report,” the panel said.

The IB has suggested that CCTV cameras, bomb disposal squads, x-ray scanners, watch towers and additional patrolling should be mounted in and around these areas for effective vigil.



 

Home Ministry Calls High-Level Meet Today Amid Worries Over IS Threat

New Delhi:  Attraction to radical ideologies such as those propagated by the Islamic State (IS) terror group and ways to prevent Indian youth from coming under the sway of extremist doctrines are on the agenda of a high-level meeting convened by the Home Ministry today.

The meeting, to be chaired by Union Home Secretary LC Goyal, will formalise a strategy for aiding the government’s efforts to neutralise extremist ideologies such as that espoused by IS, also sometimes referred to as ISIS or ISIL.

“Attraction towards radical ideology of any religion is a matter of concern. We will have to put in place a system as there are inputs that the Indian youth are attracted to different extremist ideologies, including the ‘Caliphate’ promoted by ISIS,” a Home Ministry official said.

“Counter-radicalisation efforts would include counseling of youth, convincing community elders to persuade the younger generation to not get influenced by any extremist ideology, monitoring of social media sites and taking preventive steps.

The focus would also be on how to quickly respond to any report of the younger generation planning to join terror groups like ISIS, the official said.

Home Secretaries and police chiefs of a dozen states – Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, Assam, Punjab, West Bengal and Delhi are to take part in the meeting, the official added.

According to an official estimate, around 25 youngsters have been identified across the country as having been attracted to the idea of IS and wanting to join the group.

In Telangana, 17 people have been prevented from traveling to Syria and, recently, four from Maharashtra were also stopped from traveling to the Middle-East.

Sources said that although none of them were arrested, they were kept under surveillance. They went through counseling and are living normal lives.

Maharashtra and Telangana have already put in place a model for dealing with IS-related cases. While there have been arrests in some cases, agencies realised that arrest should not be the first option.

Monitoring of social media has already begun, sources, meanwhile, said, adding that efforts would be made to gain the confidence of the Muslim community.

Till now, 11 Indians who have joined IS have been identified, of whom five are reportedly dead.



 

Home Ministry Calls High-Level Meet Today Amid Rising "IS" Threat

New Delhi:  Attraction to radical ideologies such as those propagated by the ISIS and ways to prevent the Indian youth from coming under the sway of extremist doctrines would be deliberated threadbare at a high-level meeting convened by the Home Ministry today.

The meeting, to be chaired by Union Home Secretary LC Goyal, will formalise a strategy for aiding the government’s efforts to neutralise extremist ideologies such as that espoused by ISIS, which has influenced thousands around the world.

“Attraction towards radical ideology of any religion is a matter of concern. We will have to put in place a system as there are inputs that the Indian youth are attracted to different extremist ideologies, including the ‘Caliphate’ promoted by ISIS,” a Home Ministry official said.

Counter-radicalisation efforts would include counselling of the youth, convincing community elders to persuade the younger generation to not get influenced by any extremist ideology, monitoring of social media sites and taking preventive steps.

The focus would also be on how to quickly respond to any report of the younger generation planning to join terror groups like ISIS, the official said.

Director General of Police or DGPs and Home Secretaries of a dozen states — Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, Assam, Punjab, West Bengal and Delhi (Commissioner of Police) will take part in the meeting, the official added.

According to an official estimate, around 25 youngsters have been identified across the country as having been attracted to the idea of ISIS and wanting to join the group.

In Telangana, 17 people have been prevented from travelling to Syria and, recently, four from Maharashtra were also stopped from travelling to the Middle-East.

Sources said that although none of them were arrested, they were kept under surveillance. They went through counselling and are living normal lives.

Maharashtra and Telangana have already put in place a model for dealing with ISIS-related cases. While there have been arrests in some cases, agencies realised that arrest should not be the first option.

Monitoring of social media has already begun, sources, meanwhile, said, adding that efforts would be made to gain the confidence of the Muslim community.

Till now, 11 Indians have been identified who joined ISIS, of whom five are reportedly dead.

Awareness, Family Planning Key to Addressing Population Rise

Delhi:  A mother of three children, 32-year-old Ankita Verma lies helpless on a bed of a government clinic. She aborted her fourth this week and has now come to get herself sterilised. When NDTV asked her if she ever told her husband about not wanting any more children, she says, “I did, but he beat me every time I said so.”

Her husband has eloped with another woman, putting the economic burden on her to raise the three children, working as a domestic help. Ankita’s case underscores the problem of unplanned pregnancies that result from a lack of education, and family planning.

“Population can be controlled with proper family planning and giving women sexual rights. We need to give our women sexual rights which they have not got in the last 65 years and incentive to have lesser children,” says Sreedharan Nair of the Family Planning Association of India.

A recent UN report has projected that India would surpass China to become the world’s most populous country in seven years. Lack of general awareness and family planning options, emphasis on only women for family planning, and higher life expectancy have added to India’s rising population.

“India’s population is projected to continue growing for several decades to 1.5 billion in 2030 and 1.7 billion in 2050, while the population of China is expected to remain fairly constant until the 2030s, after which it is expected to slightly decrease,” reads a report from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

India’s increasing population will also put a greater stress on its resources. The problem of family planning has been further deepened as many states often divert its finances from health to other areas, according to family planning experts.



 

37 Per Cent of India"s Minor Ports Defenceless: Parliamentary Panel Expresses "Shock"

New Delhi:  A Parliamentary committee has expressed its “shock” over a special report prepared by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) which found that about 37 per cent of minor ports in the country are absolutely defenceless.

A report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs (Coastal Security), tabled on Friday has said the IB report should serve as an “alarm bell” for the government, especially at those ports which are located along the coastline of Gujarat and Maharashtra.

The report noted that there are 203 non-major or minor ports, of which 45 are non-operational and 75 have no security force whatsoever. A number of the non-operational ports, 49 of them non-major ports, however were being used as landing points and jetties by fishermen.

“The committee takes a very serious note on the grave deficiencies highlighted in the security audit report of Intelligence Bureau (IB) and is of the view that this report of IB should act as an alarm bell for the government, particularly with reference to such ports in Gujarat and Maharashtra,” read the Standing Committee report.

The IB report had said that out of the 30 of the non-major ports in question were in Gujarat and Maharashtra alone, with the rest spread out across the other coastal regions in the country.

The report also noted that there were “several shortcomings” in the security arrangements at these ports, like the absence of x-ray scanners and non-maintenance of records of incoming or outgoing communications among others.

The Parliamentary Panel has recommended that the coastal states and Union Territories implement suggestions made by the IB to plug gaps in coastal security.

“The Ministry of Home Affairs should support states/UTs by providing any required technical and financial assistance as well as monitoring regularly the implementation of the recommendations given in the security audit report,” the panel said.

The IB has suggested that CCTV cameras, bomb disposal squads, x-ray scanners, watch towers and additional patrolling should be mounted in and around these areas for effective vigil.



 

PM Narendra Modi Convenes Meeting to Discuss Sugar Sector Crisis

New Delhi:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi has convened a meeting to discuss long-term measures to address the concerns of cash-starved sugar mills and expedite payment of cane arrears of over Rs 14,000 crore to farmers.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley, Food minister Ram Vilas Paswan, Agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh and Commerce minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be part of the meeting.

The food ministry has proposed various short and long term measures to overcome the crisis that includes mandatory higher exports, increased ethanol blending with petrol and expansion of co-generation power capacity.

“The PM’s meeting on sugar is scheduled for today. The food minister will make presentation on the sugar sector,” sources said.

In order to address the crisis faced by the industry, the food ministry is believed to have proposed allowing compulsory export of upto four million tonnes of sugar till prices stabilise to a certain level, sources said.

The losses, incurred by sugar mills in exports if any, would be borne by the government by raising the sugar cess from the existing level of 24 paise per kg, they added.

As part of a long term solution, the ministry has proposed increased compulsory ethanol blending with petrol to six per cent from the current five per cent and eventually achieve 10 per cent blending over the next five years.

It has also proposed continuing all existing schemes that promote use of molasses for ethanol production, besides suggesting to increase the capacity of power co-generation.

The sugar industry — which owes about Rs 14,398 crore to cane farmers — is unable to make the payment as it is facing a severe liquidity crunch on account of surplus production that has resulted in low prices of sugar in the domestic markets.

Ex-mill sugar prices have fallen below Rs 20/kg in the country, while the cost of production is over Rs 30/kg. There is still a surplus stock of 10 million tonnes in the country.

Sugar production of India, the world’s second largest producer and biggest consumer, is estimated at record 28.3 million tonnes in 2014-15 marketing year (October-September), as against 24.3 million tonnes in the previous year. The total annual demand is pegged at 24.5 million tonnes.

"Once in a Blue Moon" Happened on Friday

In a delight for skywatchers, the second full moon of July made its appearance on Friday evening. The rare phenomenon – the sighting of second full moon – is referred to as Blue Moon.

The first full moon of the month had appeared on July 2. Usually, in a calendar year, only one full moon is visible every month.

In addition to those 12 full lunar cycles, each calendar year contains an excess of roughly 11 days due to the difference between lunar and solar years. These extra days accumulate, and every two or three years, there is an extra full moon.

The last time the event occurred in August 2012. The next time it will occur in January 2018.

Osama bin Laden Relatives Killed in Private Jet Crash in Britain: Reports

London:  A private jet crashed in southern England on Friday, killing four people on board, a spokesman for Britain’s Hampshire police service said, and Saudi and British media said the passengers were relatives of deceased al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.

A spokeswoman for the British police told Reuters: “There were no survivors, unfortunately. There were four people onboard including the pilot”, but she did not provide their identities.

Without confirming the identities of the victims, the Saudi Ambassador to Britain, Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf Al Saud, offered condolences on the embassy’s official Twitter account to the bin Laden family, a prominent Saudi Arabia clan with vast business interests.

“His royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdul Aziz, the ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the United Kingdom, offered his condolences to the sons of the late Mohammed bin Laden and their relations for the grave incident of the crash of the plane carrying members of the family at Balckbushe airport,” he said in the tweet.

The Saudi embassy said it was working with British authorities to investigate the incident and to ensure the speedy handover of the bodies for funerals and burials in the kingdom.

The Saudi-owned al-Hayat newspaper, citing a statement by the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), said on its website that the Embraer Phenom 300 with three passengers and the pilot crashed during takeoff from Blackbushe airport.

The statement did not identify the victims, but some Saudi media suggested on social media or on their websites that they were relatives of Osama bin Laden, who was shot dead by U.S. forces in Pakistan in 2011.

It was not immediately possible to confirm the reports.

British media, including the Daily Mail website, said the plane had been carrying relatives of Osama Bin Laden. It said the plane was registered in Saudi Arabia and had originated in Milan, Italy.

The Hampshire police service spokesman said an investigation into the causes of the incident had been launched.

© Thomson Reuters 2015

47-Year-Old Brain Dead Gives "Lease of Life" to 3

Jaipur:  47-year-old Jagan Singh who was declared brain dead, gave the lease of life to three men, who were transplanted with his liver and kidneys.

Mr Singh, a resident of Alwar district was admitted to SMS hospital here with head injuries and was declared brain-dead on Wednesday.

With his family’s consent, it was decided that Singh’s liver and kidneys will be transplanted into three persons.

While the kidneys were transplanted to two patients in Jaipur, Mr Singh’s liver was sent to Delhi.

A special arrangement of a ‘green corridor’ was made with the help of police forces of three states to transport the liver to Delhi as soon as possible.

“The ambulance carrying the liver was escorted by a police jeep which cleared the way. The green corridor was made in coordination by Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi police,” a hospital official said.

Dr Manprakash, Superintendent of the SMS hospital said that the liver was transported to the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) in Delhi yesterday.

"Green Corridor" Helps Transport Human Liver in "Record Time"

New Delhi:  Delhi Traffic Police created a 12-km-long ‘green corridor’ last night to enable a human liver donated by the family of a road accident victim in Jaipur reach a city hospital in “record time”.

The distance between the toll plaza area in Gurgaon and the Vasant Kunj-based Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences was covered in 10 minutes in the wee hours, police said.

“It was the liver of a road accident victim in Jaipur. The distance was crossed in record 10 minutes flat between 12.47 AM and 12.57 AM due to the ‘green corridor’,” said Additional Commissioner Traffic (Operations), Sharad Agarwal.

He said the liver was brought from Sawai Man Singh Medical College of Jaipur and travelled till Gurgaon before taking the ‘green corridor’ via National Highway 8, Mahipalpur crossing, Masoodpur and Vasant Kunj road before reaching the hospital.

“We ensured there was no obstruction or traffic jams on the route by regulating the movement of vehicles, especially trucks, since it was past midnight,” said Mr Agarwal.

Smriti Irani Orders FIR as Forged Letter to UP Varsity Comes to Light

New Delhi:  The Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry has directed that an FIR be lodged after it came to light that a communication was received by a private varsity in Moradabad on a forged letterhead of Union Minister Smriti Irani directing it to reinstate a sacked faculty member.

The ministry has sought an action taken report regarding the issue from the Moradabad based Institute of Foreign Trade and Management (IFTM) which had terminated the services of three faculty members on grounds of indiscipline and fake degrees earlier this year.

The issue came to light when the institute sent a communication to the HRD ministry on June 10 with the letter attached directing for reinstatement of the faculty members, ministry officials said.

The minister’s letterhead as well as signature was forged, baffling the ministry, they said.

IFTM is a private university set up under the Uttar Pradesh Government 2010 Act and is recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

“The institute became apprehensive on receiving the communication directly from the minister about reinstatement of one of the three faculty members and sought the ministry’s direction in this regard,” officials in the HRD ministry said.

“On receiving the letter, we got into the act asking the institute to file an FIR on the forged letter and the action taken report,” they added.

The forged letter dated March 25 purportedly noted the “grave and disgraceful matter about the IFTM University” and objected to the “unjustifiable dismissal” of a particular applicant.

The letter “directed” the university that the “applicant be taken back into service with immediate effect” and that he be paid his salary from May 31, 2014 when he was dismissed.

IFTM’s pro vice-chancellor Mohit Dubey said that an FIR will be lodged in this connection this week.

“We found it to very strange that the minister herself would step in directly on such an issue and hence decided to check with the HRD ministry. As directed to us, the university will lodge an FIR in the matter this week,” he said.



 

Train Passengers Can Dial 138 for Medical Emergency

New Delhi:  Train passengers can contact helpline number 138 through their mobile phones in case of medical emergency, Rajya Sabha was told on Friday.

All passengers trains are provided with First Aid Boxes containing essential drugs and dressing materials, Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha said in a written reply.

“In case of medical emergency, passenger can contact helpline number 138 through their mobile phones or inform on-board Ticket Checker for arranging medical assistance,” according to the reply.

In addition, augmented First Aid Boxes with wide range of medicines, disposable medical materials have been provided with the Train Superintendents of Rajdhani / Shatabdi Express trains and Guards of other nominated trains, He said the front line staff deployed on trains is trained in rendering First Aid. Trains can also make unscheduled halts, if necessary, at the stations en-route in emergencies.

The Station Masters have details of doctors, clinics and hospitals, both Government and Private, in the vicinity of the station, so that their services could also be availed, in emergencies.



 

Crowds Cheer Bangladesh-India Land Swap After 70 Years in Limbo

Dashiar Chhara, Bangladesh:  Jubilant crowds celebrated Saturday as Bangladesh and India swapped tiny islands of land, ending one of the world’s most intractable border disputes that has kept thousands in stateless limbo for nearly seven decades.

As the clock struck one minute past midnight (1801 GMT Friday), thousands of people who have been living without schools, clinics or power for a generation erupted in cheers of celebration at their newfound citizenship.

“We have been in dark for 68 years,” said Russel Khandaker, 20, as he danced with friends in the Dashiar Chhara enclave, which belonged to India but has now became part of Bangladesh.

“We’ve finally seen the light,” he told AFP.

A total of 162 tiny islands of land – 111 in Bangladesh and 51 in India – were officially handed over to the countries surrounding them on Saturday after Dhaka and New Delhi struck a border agreement in June.

The land-swap means some 50,000 people who have been living without a state to call their own since 1947 will now become part of the countries that surround their homes.

In Dashiar Chhara, thousands of people defied monsoon rains to celebrate, marching through rain-soaked muddy roads singing the Bangladeshi national anthem and shouting: “My country, your country. Bangladesh! Bangladesh!”

Others lit 68 candles to mark the end of “68 years of endless pain and indignity”.

Sharifa Akter, 20, held a candle in her hand and smiled. “I can now fulfil my dream to be a top government bureaucrat,” she told AFP.

Maidul Islam, 18, said the handover meant “we’re now human beings with full human rights.”

Officials from Bangladesh and India are set to hoist their respective national flags over their new territories on Saturday morning in formal ceremonies.

‘Oh what a joy!’

The enclaves date back to ownership arrangements made centuries ago between local princes.

The parcels of land survived partition of the subcontinent in 1947 after British rule and Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence with Pakistan.

Bangladesh endorsed a deal with India in 1974 in a bid to dissolve the pockets, but India only signed a final agreement in June when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Dhaka.

In the final hours before the handover, villagers held special feasts and joined prayers in mosques and temples to usher in the new era.

Prodeep Kumar Barman sang a devotional song praising Lord Krishna as he led his troupe near a temple at the main bazaar in Dashiar Chhara, singing: “Oh what a joy, what a joy!”

“This is the biggest celebration of my life. I can’t describe how I feel today,” said Parul Khatun, 35, a resident of the Indian enclave of Kot Bajni.

Both India and Bangladesh conducted surveys this month asking enclave residents to choose a nation.

The overwhelming majority of people living in Indian enclaves in Bangladesh opted for Bangladeshi citizenship, but nearly 1,000 people on the Bangladesh side opted to keep their Indian nationalities.

They now have to leave their homes by November for India where they will be resettled in the state of West Bengal.

"Not Aware of Any Will Left by APJ Abdul Kalam," Says Nephew

Rameswaram:  Late former President APJ Abdul Kalam may not have left behind any will and had asked his elder brother to take care of a small piece of property he owned.

“I am not aware of any will left behind by my uncle (Dr Kalam). One by one, several of our properties were sold. What remains is the ancestral house and a small site near the house which Dr Kalam’s father Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen had left for him,” the late former president’s nephew Jainulabdeen told PTI.

Dr Kalam had asked his elder brother Muthu Meeran Labbai Marakier to take care of his properties.

“We have been taking care of that,” Dr Kalam’s elder brother’s son added.

Dr Kalam’s ancestors once had commercial interests and vast property. They also operated ferry services to transport pilgrims coming to Pamban by boats centuries ago, when there was no bridge between the mainland and this island, he said.

This was what got them the family title ‘Mara Kalam’ (wooden boat) Iyakkivers — which over the years came to be called Marakier.

Their commercial interests involved transporting groceries from the mainland for sale to people in Rameswaram, as well as Sri Lanka. But their fortunes took a nosedive when the bridge was laid across the sea connecting the mainland to the island.

“Though they initially had enormous property in the island, they all had to be sold to maintain the family as well the Mohaindeen Andavar mosque, housed in the street where Dr Kalam’s ancestral property is located,” Mr Jainulabdeen said.

Dr Kalam’s ancestral house too is unique. The first floor houses a museum, while the family runs a small business on the second floor where Mr Jainulabdeen sells articles like conchs as souvenirs for a small income.

A member of Jamath said Dr Kalam used to send Rs 1.10 lakh every year for the “Porridge” (porridge given in the Mosque during Ramzan).

This year prior to Ramzan, Dr Kalam had sent money to all his family members from his pension, a family member said.



 

Frequent Monsoon and Drought Years in Coming Decades: Scientists

Kochi, Kerala:  The rapid warming of the equatorial Indian Ocean region and cooling of atmosphere over the Eurasian continent centered around China would lead to frequent monsoon and drought years in the coming decades, according to scientists.

“The emission of sulphate aerosols owing to the human actions causes the cooling of atmosphere in the region and this phenomenon directly affects the monsoon in India,” said P V Joseph, Scientist at Nansen Environmental Research Centre- India (NERCI), while delivering a keynote address at the Indo-EU joint workshop here.

The workshop was jointly organized by Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) and NERCI under the INDO-EU MARICLIM project.

“We are going to face difficult times in the future. The cooler upper tropospheric temperature in the Tibetan plateau region and the regions to the north (Central China) was associated with frequent monsoon droughts over India during the three decades from 1961 to 1990.

“The temperature of this region is having strong decreasing linear trend from 1950 that is feared to cause frequent monsoon drought years in the country in the coming decades”, said Joseph, the former Director of Meteorological Department, said.

Joseph, who undertook a study on the monsoon variability under the INDO-EU MARICLIM project, also said that the moisture content of the atmosphere over the Arabian sea has been continuously decreasing for the last 50 years.

The study is based on the collaborative research initiatives between the European Union and India.

The other two major areas included in the project other than monsoon variability are marine ecosystem and coastal zone management.

Meanwhile,the Indo-EU joint workshop on Marine Ecosystem has proposed to undertake advanced research initiatives in various issues faced by marine ecology, in collaboration with the related research institutions in the country.

The proposed areas identified for the research activities include Indian Ocean warming and its impact on Monsoon, understanding of regional sea level variations, coastal zone management and influence of monsoons and climate on the biology of the Indian Ocean.

The workshop which concluded here also proposed to conduct training and exchange programmes to improve expertise in the areas of remote sensing, ocean modelling, and taxonomy.

Establishment of a database of indigenous traditional knowledge (ITK) possessed by the local fisher communities also recommended at the plenary session of the workshop.

The experts and oceanographers who participated in the workshop demanded to strengthen the research initiatives extending the works into more areas under the Indo-EU MARICLIM project, under which the two-day workshop was organised.



 

Pakistan Cricket Board Hits Out as BCCI, Says India Not Keen to Revive Ties

India and Pakistan fans

© Getty Images

Karachi: Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt has said that the present PCB set-up should stop wasting its time trying to organise a series against India as “it would never happen”.

“It is a waste of time. It is never going to happen because the Indian board is not interested in playing against us. They use the excuse of their government’s permission all the time to not play us,” Butt told PTI on Friday.(Ganguly Backs BCCI)

Butt, a former Test batsman and a controversial figure in Pakistan cricket particularly when he was PCB chairman from 2008 to 2012, was clear in his mind that the Indian board, BCCI, would not play Pakistan in December.(Cricket and Terror Cannot go Hand in Hand: BCCI)

“The Indians playing us at an offshore venue is out of the question. The truth is they don’t want to play us. When I was chairman we even offered to play our home series in India if we got to keep the revenues but they flatly refused,” he recalled.

Butt said that the Indian board’s decision to not play Pakistan was due to the seething relations and bad blood between the two countries since independence.

“We may talk about friendship all the time, the fact is the Indian cricket officials have always tried to hurt us in every way possible. Ethically they owe us at least two home series but they will not play even now,” Butt said.

He noted that for no other series does the BCCI needs to involve its government except for Pakistan.

“It is nothing but a delaying tool and our board should not waste their energy and time. Pakistan cricket has shown despite so many problems since the last few years that it can stand and survive on its own feet.”

The former PCB chief pointed out that the Indians had shown their true feelings about Pakistan cricket and players by constantly ignoring them in the IPL since 2008.

“There have been so many incidents in recent times where the Indians have treated our sportsmen or women unjustly and been violent but we have tolerated and we still talk about revival of bilateral series. It is a waste of time.”

He advised the PCB to be clear about its stance on relations with India.

“The Indians always wanted to control world cricket and now they are doing that with the help of Australia and England in the ICC. They control the finances now. Which is why despite everything N Srinivasan remains the chairman of the world body.”

Butt, in whose tenure the 2010 spot fixing scandal took place and militants attacked the Sri Lankan team in Lahore, also ruled out the chances of the PCB launching the Pakistan Super League T20 event.

“The PSL is a very costly project and you can only hope to recover the money if the top players of the world come to play in the PSL and I don’t see that happening for many reasons. So I don’t see the league being held.”

Doctors Start Abortion Procedure on Teenage Rape Survivor in Gujarat

Ahmedabad:  Doctors on Friday started the medical procedure to abort a 25-week pregnancy of a minor rape victim after Supreme Court intervened in the girl’s favour, in what might be a first of its kind case in the Indian medico-legal history.

The procedure being conducted by a team of five doctors at the civil hospital here to remove the foetus from the 14-year-old girl is expected to take about 24 to 36 hours, doctors said.

“A team of five doctors today started the medical procedure to terminate the 25-weeks pregnancy on the girl. The process, which doctors call as the medical termination of pregnancy, will be conducted like a normal delivery and it is likely to take around 24-36 hours to remove the foetus,” Dr MM Prabhakar, Superintendent of Civil Hospital–where the girl is hospitalised, told reporters.

“If this procedure of medical termination of pregnancy will not work until tomorrow, then the doctors will perform a surgery on the girl after that,” added Dr Prabhakar.

Dr Prabhakar said the girl was given some drug that will increase the size of the uterus and thereafter the foetus can be removed.

He said the condition of the girl is good, but she is under severe trauma and that is affecting her mental state.

The law says that termination of pregnancy of above 20 weeks is not allowed. However, in a legal intervention which came as a great relief to the 14-year-old girl and her family, the top court gave a go ahead for abortion of the 25-week foetus.

“Supreme Court usually does not give permission in such cases. Here they have given it on the peculiar facts of this case,” senior advocate in the Supreme Court Kamini Jaiswal, who appeared for the rape-victim, told PTI.

Ms Jaiswal was asked whether this case is the first of its kind of medical termination of pregnancy after court intervention in a case where the foetus exceeded 20 weeks

Father of the rape-victim, who was sitting outside the ward of the civil hospital, said he will be relieved once his daughter gets rid of the pain.

“We are praying that she be fine soon and will go back to our town to begin a new life. She is yet to complete her school studies,” he said.

The girl became pregnant after being allegedly raped by a doctor Jatin Mehta whom she had visited for treatment of typhoid earlier this year.

She and her family had to pass through a long drawn legal process for getting the order of termination of pregnancy in their favour as earlier Himmatnagar session court and later the Gujarat High Court had denied permission to abort the foetus as it was older than 20 weeks.

Recently, the Supreme Court had come to the rescue of the minor and said she can undergo abortion if medical experts allow it.

The Supreme Court bench of Justices AR Dave and Kurian Joseph had said it would ask the civil hospital here to get the girl examined by gynecologists and a clinical psychologist.

“If they say that she has to be operated upon then let them do it with the consent of the girl and her parents,” the top court had said.

The Supreme Court had also directed that in case of abortion, a DNA test of the foetus should be carried out which can help in the trial of the accused doctor.



 

India A v Australia A, Highlights: Virat Kohli Misses 50, Cheteshwar Pujara Fails Again

Abhinav Mukund and Shreyas Iyer in action vs Australia A.

© BCCI

India A managed a slender lead of 53 runs after the 3rd day. Catch all the highlights here.

(All times in IST)

17:40 And that’s it for the day. India A 267/6 with a lead of 53.

17:18 Naman Ojha departs after a well-made 30. India A 259/6.

16:55 Aussies looking for more inroads to expose the tail. India A 235/5.

16:27 WICKET! Mukund and Iyer fall in the space of four deliveries. India A 210/5.

16:13 Iyer and Mukund settling in well as they look to end the day on a good note. India A 182/3.

15:40: FIFTY! Abhinav Mukund completes his half-century with the help of two fours and a six. He took 135 balls to reach the landmark. India A 135, 165/3 (53.3 overs), trail Australia A by 49 runs.

Abhinav Mukund acknowledges the applaud after completing a fifty against Australia A.

© BCCI

15:03: TEA! That’s the end of session number two. Abhinav Mukund is batting solidly on 47 off 125 balls. Shreyas Iyer (2*) is the new man at the other end. India A 135, 140/3 (47 overs), trail Australia A by 74 runs.

14:55: WICKET! Karun Nair falls for 31. His knock off 34 balls has been ended by Gurinder Sandhu. He was caught by captain Usman Khawaja. India A 135, 134/3 (45.5 overs), trail Australia A 349 by 80.

13:44: WICKET! That’s a massive wicket for Australians. Stephen O’Keefe rattles Virat Kohli’s stumps as Indians lose their second wicket. Kohli faced 94 balls in his 45-run knock that included five fours and a six.

13:20: FIFTY PARTNERSHIP! Virat Kohli and Abhinav Mukund have added 57 runs for the second wicket. India A reach 76 for one in 30 overs.

12:03: LUNCH! That the end of first session on Day 3. Virat Kohli is batting on 26 off 45 balls and Abhinav Mukund is on 12 off 49 balls. India A reach 51 for one in 20 overs and trail by 163 runs.

Cheteshwar Pujara fails to make his ground vs Australia A.

© BCCI

10:55: WICKET! Cheteshwar Pujara fails to replicate his first match performance where he scored a half-century. He has been run out by Stephen O’Keefe on 11. India A 19/1 in 6.5 overs, trail by 195 runs.

10:20: Pragyan Ojha finishes with four for 107 as he gets the last man Andrew Fekete for 10. Australia A bowled out for 349 with a healthy lead of 214.

Baba Aparajith picked up a five-wicket haul.

© BCCI

You’re always playing catch-up when you get bowled out for just 135 in the first innings. India ‘A’ weren’t different. Aussie opener Bancroft looked in prime touch and along with skipper Usman Khawaja (33) gave the visitors a 111-run opening stand.

The fortunes of India ‘A’ looked in dire straits before Pragyan Ojha spun his magic. The left-arm spinner strike thrice and made a dent in the Aussie middle-order. Things would have turned even better for the Indians had their fielding not let them down.

India’s Test skipper Virat Kohli, who’s playing this match in order to get some game time under his belt, dropped two catches of Callum Ferguson.

Ferguson (54) paired up with Bancroft and added 107-runs. Bancroft played the spinners well and notched up a delightful 150 before falling to Aparajith. The young off-spinner then got on a roll and picked up four more to complete a five-wicket haul.

Australia ‘A’ ended the day of 329/9 – a lead of 194 runs. On Day 3, India ‘A’ would need the stalwarts Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli to stand up and deliver.

Government Starts Proposal for Building 4 Rail Lines Along China Border

New Delhi:  The government has said it has initiated the proposal for construction of 1,352 km long four strategic railway lines along the China border.

The Defence Ministry has identified four strategic lines along India-China border — Missamari-Tenga-Tawang (378 km), Bilaspur-Manali-Leh (498 km), Pasighat-Tezu-Rupai (227 km) and North Lakhimpur-Bame-Silapathar (249 km), Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

The Railway Ministry has requested the Defence Ministry to convey approval to carry out final location survey at an estimated cost of Rs 345 crore and provide the necessary funds.

Mr Sinha, however, said none of these projects has been sanctioned.

“The time of completion and cost cannot be ascertained till completion of the final location survey and detailed geo-technical studies, as all these projects pass through very difficult terrains of young Himalayas,” he said.



 

Army Vice Chief Lt Gen Philip Campose Retires

New Delhi:  Army Vice Chief Lt Gen Philip Campose retired on Friday after 40 years and seven months of service and will be replaced by Lt Gen MMS Rai.

Lt Gen Campose took over as the Vice Chief of Army Staff on August 1 last year, after commanding Army’s Western Command.

He is an alumnus of St Xavier’s School, Delhi, the National Defence Academy, Pune, and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.

He was commissioned into the 9th Gorkha Rifles Regiment of the Infantry in 1974 and later transferred to the Mechanised Infantry in 1982.

He did the Staff College Course at Wellington, the Higher Command Course at Mhow and the National Defence College Course at New Delhi.

Lt Gen Campose’s command assignments include command of an Independent Armoured Brigade, an Infantry Division on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, a Corps in the Western Deserts and the Western Command.

He did tenures in UN Peacekeeping in former Yugoslavia and in Northern Iraq, where he was the Head of Mission. He is also the Colonel of the Mechanised Infantry Regiment since Jun 1, 2013.

Lt Gen Rai, the Eastern Army Commander, will take over as the new Vice Chief.

Incidentally, Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag too was the Eastern Army Commander before taking over the top post.

Lt General Praveen Bakshi, who was serving as Chief of Staff, Northern Command, has been elevated as Army commander and moved to Eastern Command.



 

43.5 Per Cent School Children in Delhi Show Lung Function Reduction

New Delhi:  A study to assess long term impact of air pollution on children showed lung function reduction in 43.5 per cent schoolchildren in Delhi, Lok Sabha was informed on Friday.

The epidemiological study titled ‘Study on ambient air quality, respiratory symptom and lung function of children in Delhi’ was undertaken by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in association with Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata during 2003-05.

“The results showed lung function reduction in 43.5 per cent schoolchildren of Delhi as compared with 25.7 per cent in control group. The lung function reduction was more prevalent in girls than boys in both rural and urban settings,” Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said.

He said that to assess the long term impact of air pollution on human health, CPCB has sponsored two studies in Delhi – Epidemiological study on effect of air pollution on human health (adults) in Delhi in 2002-2005 and study on ambient air quality respiratory symptoms and lung functions of Children in Delhi in 2003-2005.

He said that the above studies indicate several pulmonary and systemic changes, altered immunity and damage to chromosomes and DNA and other health impairments associated with cumulative exposure to high level of particulate pollution that increases the risk of various respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

“However the results are indicative rather than conclusive because health effects of air pollution are synergistic and additive which includes a wide range of variations and depend on various factors like food habit, social economic status, medical history and others…,” he said.

The government has taken actions to minimise the impact of air pollution which include notification of national ambient air quality standards 2009, formation of regulations to address rising levels of air pollution, setting up of monitoring network for assessment of ambient air quality amongst others.

It has also taken up host of other measures like implementation of Bharat Stage IV norms in 63 cities, Bharat Stage III norms for rest of the country and launch of National Air Quality Index in ten cities.



 

Courts Disposed Over 2 Crore Cases Last Year; 3 Crore Still Pending

New Delhi:  The judiciary, including the Supreme Court and various subordinate courts, disposed of over 2 crore cases last year, and another 3 crore are still pending with them, Rajya Sabha was informed today.

Law Minister DV Sadananda Gowda said while the apex court settled 92,722 cases in 2014, the 24 High Courts disposed 17,34,542 cases in the last calendar year.

The subordinate courts settled 1,90,19658 cases in 2014, he said in a written reply.

But at the same time, 62,791 cases were pending in the Supreme Court in 2014. Similarly, 41,53,957 cases were pending in the various High Courts. In the subordinate courts, 264,88,405 were pending in 2014.

He blamed vacancies of judicial officers/judges in various courts as “one of the main factors affecting timely disposal of cases.”

Mr Gowda pointed out that the collegium system of judges appointing judges has ceased to exist following the coming into force of National Judicial Appointments Commission Act.

“However, constitutional validity of both the Acts — the NJAC Act and an accompanying Constitutional Amendment law –has been challenged in the Supreme Court and the matter is sub judice. Therefore, no appointments (in SC or HCs), except those ordered by the (apex) court are being made,” he said.

Responding to another, but a related question, the Law Minister said, a total of 382 vacancies exist in the 24 High Courts as on July 31 (today). The maximum vacancies of 83 judges are in the Allahabad High Court, followed by 31 in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.



 

Government to Infuse Additional Rs 800 Crore Into Air India

New Delhi:  The Finance Ministry has sought Parliament’s nod for making an additional equity infusion into Air India worth Rs 800 crore, less than half the amount sought by the Civil Aviation Ministry for the national carrier.

The amount sought for making investment in Air India is part of the first supplementary demands for grant presented in Parliament by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

Air India, which is grappling with tremendous financial stress, was allocated Rs 2,500 crore in the Union Budget 2015-16. However, this amount was well short of nearly Rs 4,300 crore sought by the Ministry for the national carrier.

To make up the shortfall, the Ministry had sought Rs 1,800 crore through supplementary demand for grants.

As per the supplementary demand for grants, the Civil Aviation Ministry is to be given additional Rs 820.25 crore, including Rs 800 crore equity infusion in Air India.

Besides, Rs 12.83 crore would be for providing remuneration to Flight Operations Inspectors deployed at the irectorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Rs 6.75 crore towards payment of service tax with respect to Flight Operations Inspectors and Rs 0.46 crore for funds related to minor works in the premises of DGCA.

Loss-making Air India, whose debt burden is about Rs 40,000 crore, is surviving on a bailout package approved in 2012.

In the last financial year, Air India reduced its losses to Rs 5,547.47 crore.

Air India has achieved the target set out in the Turn Around Plan (TAP), and has made substantial progress in both operational as well as financial areas, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Minister Mahesh Sharma informed the Lok Sabha earlier this week.

Since the implementation of TAP/ Financial Restructuring Plan (FRP), the operating loss has reduced from Rs 5,138.69 crore in the fiscal 2011-12 to Rs 2,171.40 crore in the year ended March 31, 2015. Net loss has come down to Rs 5,547.47 crore in 2014-15 from 7,559.74 crore in 2011-12, Sharma had said.

The erstwhile UPA dispensation had in April 2012 approved Air India’s turnaround plan and a financial restructuring plan, with a committed public funding of Rs 30,231 crore, staggered over a period of nine years, with some specific riders.



 

Family of Professor Who is Kidnapped by Islamic State Members Seek Centre"s Intervention

Hyderabad:  The family members of a teacher, who has been kidnapped in Libya, allegedly by Islamic State (IS) terror group, has sought the Centre’s urgent intervention to secure his release.

The brother of Mr Gopikrishna, a faculty member at the University of Sirte and among the four kidnapped Indians, said the his family got the information that he has been abducted in Libya.

“We got the information that Mr Gopikrishna has been kidnapped in Libya. We don’t know about his whereabouts,” his brother Muralikrishna said in Hyderabad.

“We request the Indian government to urgently intervene and help to secure his release,” he said.

Mr Gopikrishna, 39, has been working as an assistant professor at University of Sirte since 2007, he said.

“He (Gopikrishna) told me on July 29 that he would fly from Tripoli to Tunisia, after which he would fly to India. However, it seems he had a visa problem due to which he chose to go to Tunisia by road. Last night I received news of his abduction,” Mr Gopikrishna’s wife Kalyani said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Malkajgiri Zone) Rama Rajeswari R said, “Last evening, Gopikrishna’s family members approached the local police and informed that he had gone missing. Today morning they told police that they have received information that Gopikrishna had been abducted”.

“We have asked them to get in touch with embassy officials in Begumpet in Hyderabad. We are collecting details from family members,” the DCP told PTI, adding that a police team has also been deployed at their residence.



 

Suspended UP Police Officer Amitabh Thakur Moves Court Against Mulayam Singh Yadav

Lucknow:  Suspended police officer Amitabh Thakur has moved an application before a court in Lucknow for registering an FIR against Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav for allegedly threatening him with dire consequences on phone on July 10.

Chief Judicial Magistrate Som Prabha Mishra got the complaint registered and called for a report from Hazratganj police station and fixed the next date of hearing on August 4.

According to Mr Thakur’s activist-wife Nutan Thakur, he moved an application through his counsel Akhilesh Awasthi under section 156(3) CrPC.

Mr Thakur had presented the complaint to Inspector of Hazratganj Vijay Pal Singh Yadav on July 11 and to SSP Lucknow, Rajesh Pandey on July 23 when the Hazratganj police refused to register the FIR.

Nutan Thakur claimed that the Inspector Hazratganj intimated Mr Thakur through a letter dated July 17 that his complaint has been inquired into and has been found to be not true.

Terming the inquiry illegal, Mr Thakur presented the application before the CJM for registration of an FIR.

In the complaint, Mr Thakur said the SP chief had telephoned him on July 10 and criminally intimidated him.

Mr Thakur, who is locked in a tussle with the state government, was served a 200-page charge sheet and a vigilance inquiry initiated against him.

The IG-rank officer had triggered a political storm by releasing the text and audio of the conversation purportedly carrying Mulayam Singh Yadav’s voice.



 

In Ultrasound, Baby Gave a Facebook "Like", Says Zuckerberg

Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg took to the social networking site on Friday to announce that the couple are expecting a baby girl.

“Priscilla and I have some exciting news: we’re expecting a baby girl,” Zuckerberg wrote while posting a picture of the couple on Facebook. “This will be a new chapter in our lives. We’ve already been so fortunate for the opportunity to touch people’s lives around the world – Cilla as a doctor and educator, and me through this community and philanthropy. Now we’ll focus on making the world a better place for our child and the next generation,” he added.

The Facebook CEO then went to talk about the problems the couple have had conceiving, opening up to the fact that they’ve had to live with three miscarriages in a couple of years. Zuckerberg added that the current pregnancy “is now far enough along that the risk of loss is very low and we are very hopeful.”

“Cilla and our child are both healthy, I’m extremely excited to meet her and our dog Beast has no idea what’s coming,” Zuckerberg wrote. “In our ultrasound, she even gave me a thumbs up “like” with her hand, so I’m already convinced she takes after me.”

Here’s the note posted by the Facebook CEO in full:

Priscilla and I have some exciting news: we’re expecting a baby girl!

This will be a new chapter in our lives. We’ve already been so fortunate for the opportunity to touch people’s lives around the world – Cilla as a doctor and educator, and me through this community and philanthropy. Now we’ll focus on making the world a better place for our child and the next generation.

We want to share one experience to start. We’ve been trying to have a child for a couple of years and have had three miscarriages along the way.

You feel so hopeful when you learn you’re going to have a child. You start imagining who they’ll become and dreaming of hopes for their future. You start making plans, and then they’re gone. It’s a lonely experience. Most people don’t discuss miscarriages because you worry your problems will distance you or reflect upon you – as if you’re defective or did something to cause this. So you struggle on your own.

In today’s open and connected world, discussing these issues doesn’t distance us; it brings us together. It creates understanding and tolerance, and it gives us hope.

When we started talking to our friends, we realized how frequently this happened – that many people we knew had similar issues and that nearly all had healthy children after all.

We hope that sharing our experience will give more people the same hope we felt and will help more people feel comfortable sharing their stories as well.

Our good news is that our pregnancy is now far enough along that the risk of loss is very low and we are very hopeful.

Cilla and our child are both healthy, I’m extremely excited to meet her and our dog Beast has no idea what’s coming. In our ultrasound, she even gave me a thumbs up “like” with her hand, so I’m already convinced she takes after me.

We’re looking forward to welcoming her into the world and sharing more soon when she’s ready to come out and meet everyone!

Deadlock Continues, Rajya Sabha Fails to Transact Any Business

New Delhi:  Rajya Sabha failed to transact any business today as stalemate continued with the opposition persisting with its demand for resignation of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj over Lalit Modi issue and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan over the Vyapam Scam.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad moved a motion that proceedings of the House be adjourned and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should come to the House and tell what action he has taken to ensure Mr Chouhan’s resignation in the Vyapam scam.

Rejecting Mr Azad’s demand, the government ruled out any resignations and said the opposition members were disrupting the proceedings every day on the same issue even though the ruling side is ready for a discussion.

The deadlock led to repeated adjournments before the final one at around 2.35 PM.

The House could not function during Zero Hour at 11 am, during Question Hour at 12 pm and when it met at 2.30 pm for Private Members’ Business, Mr Azad suggested that if all sides agree, the Private Members’ Resolutions could be taken up in the next session.

D Raja of CPI, who had moved one of the resolutions, supported Mr Azad. Leader of House Arun Jaitley too gave his consent and the list of business regarding Private Members’ Resolutions was postponed to the next session.

Minister for Culture Mahesh Sharma then moved for leave to withdraw the National Commission for Heritage Sites Bill 2009. The motion was adopted.

Soon after, opposition re-started protests leading to ruckus.

Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien, who was in the Chair, kept telling both sides that attempt should be made for consensus and the treasury benches and the opposition should find some solution for the stalement.

Mr Azad said a solution could be found but government should respond on the content of resolutions of the opposition.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi replied saying that the opposition did not seem ready for a discussion on the issues.

He added that the government was not affected by slogans of opposition but was in fact trying to make it a partner in the country’s progress.

Responding to Mr Naqvi, Mr Azad said the government should take action, after which there will be discussion. He also emphasised that there should not be a just “dry discussion.”

The Deputy Chairman observed that the interaction between both sides on Friday was good and he hoped that a solution would emerge so that the House can conduct proceedings in the next meeting.

In the meanwhile, Kurien momentarily lost his cool after an opposition member left his seat and was interrupting him.

However, as neither side appeared willing to budge from their positions, he adjourned the House till Monday.

Earlier in the day also, the House witnessed uproarious scenes with opposition and treasury benches trading charges against each other, leading to two adjournments during the Zero Hour and the Question Hour.

Soon after the House assembled for the day and obituary references were made, Congress members stood in the aisle and raised slogans seeking action against Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje for allegedly helping controversial former IPL head Lalit Modi and Shivraj Chouhan over the Vyapam scam.

Similar scenes were witnessed when the House met again for the Question Hour as there was no let up in the Congress demand for the resignations which was rejected by government.

Mr Azad moved a motion which read: “The business of the House should be adjourned and the Prime Minister should come to the House and tell us what action he has taken for resignation of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister in the Vyapam scam. If Prime Minister comes and announces resignation, then we will listen,” he said.

Mr Naqvi rejected the demand, saying “nobody will resign, we have said it many times. The Modi government will not act on baseless allegations.”



 

Ashes: England Thrash Australia in Three Days to Grab Series Lead

Ian Bell scored fifties in both innings!

© AFP

Birmingham: Ian Bell delighted a capacity crowd at his Warwickshire home ground with a sparkling unbeaten fifty as England beat Australia by eight wickets to win the third Test at Edgbaston on Friday. (SCORECARD)

Victory, achieved with more than two days to spare, saw England go 2-1 up in the five-match Ashes series. (Australia’s Batting Pathetic: Boycott)

England, set a modest victory target of 121, finished on 124 for two after lunch on Friday’s third day.

Bell was 65 not out and Joe Root, who struck the winning boundary off Mitchell Marsh, 38 not out. (Mark Waugh Credits Coach Bayliss for England’s Revival)

There was a moment of concern for England when captain Alastair Cook (seven) was bowled by a superb swinging delivery from left-arm paceman Mitchell Starc to leave the hosts seven for one.

But Bell, roared on by England fans in a sun-drenched crowd, then took charge with a flurry of four fours in seven balls off Starc, including one down the ground and a classic cover-drive.

Bell, arguably England’s most elegant batsman, then late cut off-spinner Nathan Lyon to the third man rope.

He was, however, given a reprieve on 20 when, with England 35 for one, he edged Starc to second slip only for Australia captain Michael Clarke to drop the two-handed catch.

It summed up a miserable match for Clarke, whose run of low scores in Tests continued with innings of 10 and three at Edgbaston.

England opener Adam Lyth has also been struggling with the bat and when he was lbw to Josh Hazlewood’s inswinger for 12, it meant the hosts were now 51 for two.

Root, Lyth’s Yorkshire team-mate, showed few signs of nerves, however, in cutting his first ball, from Hazlewood, for four.

Bell’s late-cut boundary off Starc saw him to his second fifty of the match, off 68 balls with seven fours.

It was a fine performance by the 33-year-old Bell, who came into this match — his 113th Test — with a question mark against his place after several meagre innings.

Meanwhile there was mass barracking of fast bowler Mitchell Johnson, repeatedly taunted with a derogatory song regarding his accuracy that became commonplace during England’s 2010/11 Ashes series win in Australia.

It appeared to get to the left-arm quick, who aborted his run-up for one delivery and then bowled from well behind the crease before he was taken off.

– Turnaround –

Steven Finn celebrates one of his six wickets against Australia.

© AFP

This match represented a remarkable turnaround from England’s humiliating 405-run defeat in the second Test at Lord’s which saw Australia level the series at 1-1.

But whereas that clash had taken place on a largely placid pitch, the course of this Test owed much to Clarke’s decision to bat first on a seaming surface offering sideways movement.

James Anderson, England’s all-time most successful Test bowler but wicketless at Lord’s, led the way with an Ashes-best six for 47 as Australia were dismissed for just 136 in their first innings.

However, come Friday, he had been ruled out of both the remainder of this match and next week’s fourth Test at Trent Bridge with a side strain suffered while bowling on Thursday.

Australia resumed Friday on 168 for seven, 23 runs ahead and the two not out batsmen overnight, Peter Nevill and Starc, both went on to make fifties and shared an eighth-wicket stand of 64 that boosted Australia’s second innings total to 265 all out.

England fast bowler Steven Finn, recalled for his first Test in two years following an injury to Mark Wood, led the attack with his best figures at this level of six for 79.

Nevill’s leg-glanced boundary off Finn saw him to a maiden Test fifty, in only his second match, in 126 balls with six fours.

Having survived one appeal for a catch down the legside on 53 by opposing wicket-keeper Jos Buttler, Nevill eventually fell in similar fashion when the diving England gloveman held a stunning one-handed chance, high to his left, off Finn.

Starc’s straight six off spinner Moeen Ali saw him to an 83-ball fifty, including six fours.

It also gave Australia a lead of 100 before Ali ended the innings when he had Starc caught in the covers.

Government Seeks Parliament Nod for Rs 25,500 Crore Additional Spending

New Delhi:  The government has sought Parliament’s nod to spend an additional Rs 25,500 crore in the current fiscal, nearly half of which will be spent on capital infusion into state-owned banks to help them overcome the high bad loans situation.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in the first supplementary demands for grant presented in Parliament, sought approval for gross spending of Rs 40,821.88 crore. Net cash expenditure would however be lower at Rs 25,495.24 crore after accounting for savings or enhanced receipts/recoveries of Rs 15,325.62 crore. This spending would be on top of Rs 17.77 lakh crore expenditure provided in the annual Union Budget for 2015-16.

The ministry plans to infuse Rs 12,110 crore as capital in state-owned banks struggling with highest levels of bad debts in 13 years. This is on top of Rs 7,940 crore provided by Mr Jaitley in the Budget for 2015-16.

“Bank recapitalisation plan is comprehensive. We have put in four years plan to push growth and tackle NPA,” he said.

The allocations compare to Rs 6,990 crore of 2014-15, the lowest total since at least 2009.

“Rs 20,000 crore (capital infusion) would happen as early as possible. It can happen by September after we get approval from Parliament,” Financial Services Secretary Hasmukh Adhia told reporters.

The Finance Ministry in a statement said public sector banks (PSBs) as of now are “adequately capitalized” but would need Rs 1,80,000 crore extra capital over the next four years (up to FY 2019). Of this, the government plans to provide Rs 70,000 crore through budgetary support – Rs 25,000 crore each in current and next fiscal and Rs 10,000 crore each in 2017-18 and 2018-19.

Banks would be required to raise the remaining amount from the market, the statement said.

Besides, the government has sought Parliament’s nod for injecting Rs 800 crore as equity in state-owned Air India and an additional Rs 4,000 crore towards Integrated Child Development Scheme and other programmes of the Ministry of Women and child development.

The Finance Ministry has also sought a token Rs 100 crore for establishment of MUDRA Bank, according to the supplementary demands for grants tabled in Parliament.

An additional Rs 2,685 crore has been sought for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet project Swachh Bharat Mission and other schemes of Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.

An allocation of Rs 1,153 crore has been sought for buying crude oil to fill the nation’s maiden strategic crude oil reserve built at Visakhapatnam by Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd (ISPRL).

Another Rs 1,000 crore has been sought for development of Chennai and Bangalore Metro Projects and Rs 400 crore for clearing the pending subsidy claims towards import of edible oil, sugar mills and interest subvention.

As regards capital infusion in PSU banks, of the total amount of Rs 20,000 crore, Rs 10,000 crore would be provided to weak state-owned banks.

Adhia further said that third tranche of capital infusion will come in the last quarter of current fiscal which will be given to banks which will show improvement in their performance in the nine month period.