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VOL. 15, THE CONTACT WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ISSUE - 753, 9 - 15 JANUARY, 2018 PH: (905) 671 - 4761

Liberals relaunch family reunification lottery despite angry backlash

By Kathleen Harris The Liberal government has relaunched a lottery system to reunite immigrant families, despite a backlash from frustrated sponsors who called its random selection process “cruel,” “heartless” and a “fiasco.”

A one-month period opened this week inviting entries to an online draw that gives people a chance at one of 10,000 spots that allow them to apply to sponsor their parents or grandparents.

The lottery system replaced the former first-come, first-served process last year.

This year’s version includes additional questions after widespread criticism that some people picked in the 2017 pool did not meet financial requirements or other qualifications.

The switch to a lottery drew a flurry of angry emails and letters to Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen, his predecessor John McCallum and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

In hundreds of pages of correspondence that were released through Access to Information and provided to CBC News, potential sponsors expressed anger, heartbreak and disbelief with what they described as a rushed and deeply flawed program that came without public consultation.

Immigration fiasco One email dated April 26, 2017 was fired off to Hussen under the subject line “immigration fiasco,” calling the lottery a “shambles of immigration justice.”

“This new system is based on unjust and unscientific means — a methodology of gambling with the lives of hard-working Canadians trying to unite with their loved ones,” the message reads.

“Previous to this lottery, my wife and I had just completed the whole immigration process file and were approved to begin… when you decided to change the entire system to a Vegas-like circus of random choice.”

“This is a highly unfair system for ones who previously immersed in the process only to be thrown back into a random ocean of applicants, disregarding the queue we were in.”

The change to a lottery system was announced Dec. 14, 2016, just weeks before applications were to be accepted under the first-come, first-served system.

The change aimed to make the system Continued on Page 4 more fair and

Breather for Indian Americans, US government may pull back move ending H-1B visa extensions

Continued on Page 4

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Washington The US government is likely to withdraw its move ending granting extensions to H-1B visa-holders who were waiting for permanent residency — the Green Card — which could have led to the deportation of at least 500,000 Indians.

An announcement is expected shortly from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which runs the program, according to Immigration Voice, an advocacy group that has been campaigning for a better deal for H-1B visa-holders from India, who have to wait the longest for their Green Card because of the system of annual country-cap.

“We are ECSTATIC to share this Breaking News,” Immigration Voice said in a post on its Facebook page Monday evening that it had succeeded “in protecting its members and getting USCIS to change its policy regarding H-1B renewal.”

It added: “USCIS has announced to us that it is retracting its policy to deny all H-1B visa through (beyond) year 6 based on section 104. This is a Continued on Page 4

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Ex-Iran prez held for inciting unrest Local media has reported now that Mahmoud was arrested on Dec 28 FORMER president of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been arrested for inciting unrest against the government, it was reported.

The ex-leader was apprehended during a visit to the western city of Busehehr on December 28, according to Al-Quds Al-Arabi.

The newspaper reported that Ahmadinejad said: “Some of the current leaders live detached from the problems and concerns of the people, and do not know anything about the reality of society.” It is also claimed he said Iran was suffering “mismanagement” and President Hassan Rouhani’s government “believes that they own the land and that the people are an ignorant society”. It comes after more than a week of unrest in Iran, as demonstrators took to the streets to protest against the government. Pro-government rallies were held in response with officials blaming the antigovernment unrest on foreign meddling. Authorities are now said to be seeking to place Ahmadinejad under house arrest.

The Iranian parliament on Sunday held a closed-door meeting to discuss the deadly protests that shook the country. The unrest was sparked by a hike in food prices amid soaring unemployment.

Recently, at least 21 people have been killed, and hundreds arrested.

In December, Ahmadinejad’s former deputy

Hamid Baghaie was sentenced to 15 years in prison on financial charges. Among his charges was reportedly “insulting judiciary officials” for which he was sentenced to two years and six months in prison. He was imprisoned for seven months in 2015 for reasons that were never made public, though he was previously investigated for irregularities during his time in office. On Sunday, Germany’s foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel said European Union will invite Iran’s foreign minister for talks about the recent protests.

“Together with the EU’s foreign policy chief (Federica Mogherini), we agreed to invite the Iranian foreign minister, if possible next week,” Gabriel told German public broadcaster ZDF, without giving further details. “We very quickly affirmed that we support the freedom to demonstrate and that the state should support this,” Gabriel said. At the same time, Gabriel said Berlin will not follow the lead of US President Donald Trump, who pledged to help Iranians take back their government. Trump also seized on the recent unrest to again slam a multiparty nuclear deal with Iran as deeply flawed. Germany, as well as France, has warned against attempts at instrumentalising the domestic conflicts in Iran, said Gabriel. The

US on Friday took the Iran protests to the UN Security Council, where deep divisions emerged over the issue, with Russia arguing the demonstrations posed no threat to international peace and security. Meanwhile, the head of CIA has denied his agency had any role in fomenting the recent anti-government protests in Iran but predicted “the violent unrest

is not behind us”. Mike Pompeo — named a year ago by President Donald Trump to head the intelligence agency — told Fox News Sunday that economic conditions in Iran are not good.

“That’s what caused the people to take to the streets,” he said.

He blamed what he called Tehran’s backward-looking regime for turning a deaf ear to the voices of the people. Asked about a claim

by Iran’s prosecutor general, Mohammad Javad Montazeri that a CIA official had coordinated with Israel and Saudi Arabia to work with exiled Iranian groups to stir dissent in Iran, Pompeo replied simply: “It’s false. This was the Iranian people — started by them, created by them, continued by them, demanding a better set of living conditions and a break from the theocratic regime.”

Russia ‘simulated shock campaign against NATO’ RUSSIA simulated a “large-scale military attack against Nato” in its war games in September, the commander of the Estonian defence forces has claimed. A massive programme of war games featuring tens of thousands of troops and codenamed “Zapad” took place near the Belarus capital Minsk in September. Estonian defence forces general Riho Terras has confirmed that the exercises were a simulation of a conflict with the USled Nato alliance. The war games, which occur every four

years, showed off Russia’s ability to build up its troops with very little notice in case of conflict, Terras said. At the time of the simulation, there were fears Moscow was using the training as a cover to station soldiers and equipment in the country. The simulations included artillery, tanks, rocket launches and simulated air and navy raids, were a dry-run for a “shock campaign” against Western European NATO members, including Germany and the Netherlands. Drills also

rehearsed the capture of the Baltic states — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — as well as Poland, Norway and the non-aligned states of Sweden and Finland, analysts said at the time. Gen Terras told German newspaper Bild of the drills: “Let me be clear: with the exercise Zapad 2017, Russia simulated a large-scale military attack against Nato. It was not targeted towards the Baltic states only, as it was a theatre-wide series of exercises spanning from high North to the Black Sea. The scale and extent of the entire exercise was far

greater than officially stated.” were purely defensive in nature Russia’s neighbours claimed at and were not aimed at targeting the time that the Kremlin was a third country or group of countries.

Two analysts previously told Bild that the drills were simulations against Nato during interviews in December. The unnamed experts said the drills imagined the invasion of the Sulwalki Gap, a small area of using the exercises as a NATO land that links Belarus with rehearsal for an occupation of a the Russian enclave of number of adjacent nations that Kaliningrad. A mock state on a were under Moscow’s rule before similar stretch of land was the Communist Soviet Union created during Zapad and named broke up in 1991. Moscow has “Veyshnoria” before it was repeatedly said the exercises, “invaded” as part of the war which began on September 14, games.

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Oprah speech has Democrats buzzing about possible 2020 run DES MOINES Oprah Winfrey’s impassioned call for “a brighter morning even in our darkest nights” at the Golden Globes has Democratic Party activists buzzing about the media superstar and the 2020 presidential race — even if it’s only a fantasy.

Even so, for Democrats in early voting states, and perhaps for a public that largely disapproves of President Donald Trump’s job performance, the notion of a popular media figure as a presidential candidate is not as strange as it once seemed, given the New York real estate mogul and reality TV star now in the White House.

“Look, it’s ridiculous — and I get that,” said Brad Anderson, Barack Obama’s 2012 Iowa campaign director. While he supports the idea of Winfrey running, it would also punctuate how Trump’s candidacy has altered political norms. “At the same time, politics is ridiculous right now.”

Winfrey’s speech as she accepted the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award on

Sunday touched on her humble upbringing and childhood wonder in civil rights heroes.

But it was her exhortation of the legions of women who have called out sexual harassers — and her dream of a day “when nobody has to say `me too’ again” — that got some political operatives, in early voting states such as Iowa and New Hampshire, thinking Winfrey might be just what the Democrats need.

“I think we need more role models like her that are speaking to young women and trying to restore some hope. The election of Donald Trump was a devastating setback for little girls,” said Liz Purdy, who led Democrat Hillary Clinton’s 2008 New Hampshire presidential primary campaign.

Trump’s job approval rating sat at just 32 percent in December, according to an Associated

Press-NORC poll. And though polls show his approval up slightly since, Trump is the least popular first-year president on record. He

highest office, though she noted that Trump’s victory made her rethink the requirements of the office.

has also been accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct, though he has vehemently denied the allegations.

Winfrey, in September and October, publicly dismissed the notion of seeking the nation’s

A representative for Winfrey did not reply to a request Monday for comment from The Associated Press. Winfrey’s longtime partner, Stedman Graham, told the Los Angeles Times that “it’s up to the people” whether she will be president,

adding, “She would absolutely do it.”

Winfrey, 64, has become a cultural phenomenon over the past 30-plus years, born into a poor home in Mississippi but breaking through as a television news and talk show personality in the 1980s. Over 30 years, she became the face of television talk shows, starred and produced feature films, and began her own network.

Trump himself has lavished praise on Winfrey over the years, including in 2015, when he said that he would consider her as a running mate on his Republican ticket. “I like Oprah,” Trump told ABC News in June 2015. “I think Oprah would be great. I’d love to have Oprah. I think we’d win easily, actually.”

It echoed comments Trump made in 1999, when he was weighing a presidential candidacy in the Reform Party. “If she’d do it, she’d be fantastic. I mean, she’s popular, she’s brilliant, she’s a wonderful woman,” Trump told CNN’s Larry King.

How can chiropractic care help after a car accident?

By Sunny Bains AnishaSahota (name changed) was on her way to a doctor’s appointment with her mother-inlaw when a drunk driver struck their SUV from behind. It was two years ago, and she was six months pregnant at the time.

Sahota had no visible injuries, but

the paramedics who attended the scene couldn’t hear baby’s heartbeat, so they took her to a hospital. She spent two hours in the emergency before doctors let her go.

A week after the accident, Sahota complained about stiffness in her upper and lower body. Her body and muscles were sore and achy, but she could not take any medicine or treatment due to her pregnancy.

Three months into the accident,

Sahota complained about stiffness in her tummy as well.

At the hospital, doctors performed a cesarean on her because baby’s blood had leaked into her blood stream leaving the child with very little oxygen. She gave birth to a boy who was 70 per cent brain dead.

Sanman, as he was named at the time of his burial, was extubated five hours after birth.

The Canadian Transportation Safety Board estimates that 160,000 car accidents occur each year in Canada and claim almost three thousand lives. According to the recent statistics on car accidents, most drivers are involved in at least two car accidents throughout their lifetime.

Sahota’s car accident left her with a dead baby, totaled SUV, shattered body, misaligned joints, physical aches and mental anguish.She constantly complained about severe pain and ache in her neck and back, abnormal tingling and numbness in her body and burning sensation under her skin, but her only treatment wasa very heavy dose of pain killers.

Sahotawas growing very frustrated and visited her family doctor for advice. As if her doctor had read her mind and understood her disenchantment with conventional medicine, he immediately recommended

seeing a chiropractor. “Pain medications are typically the ‘goto’ treatment for such things, but my family doctor knew I wasn’tgonna take surgeries or traditional medicine nonsense anymore, so he strongly suggested chiropractic care,” she said.

Sahota couldn’t care less what type of treatment she was getting as long as it was keeping her away from those “damn” pain killers. “You know, at that point in time in my life, all I wanted was to get pregnant again and hold my baby in my arms ASAP because I was emotionally numb,” she said.

Sahota visited Brampton Physio Care and Wellness Clinic for a check-up. A physiotherapist, Manny Dhaliwal, took some x-rays to determine if there were any serious injuries to her neck or spine. His assessment was that she had a pinched nerve.

He explained that nerves extend from a person’s brain and spinal cord, sending important messages throughout the body.

If you have a pinched nerve (nerve compression) your body may send you warning signals in form of pain.

Dhaliwal said that Sahota also had a herniated disc injury to her spine because of the stress put on her spinal column in the accident. “The best way to treat auto accident pain is to maintain the range of motion in the spine and to strengthen the back and neck muscles,” he said. “In general, active rehabilitation

programs like chiropractic care with physical therapy, plus time are the best treatments.”

He referred Sahota to his chiropractor colleague,Sunny Sandher, who used various methods to determine the exact spinal segments that required chiropractic adjustments.”Chiropractic is one of the best ways to treat and heal from these types of injuries. Chiropractic works by restoring the normal function of your spine, allowing the tissues to heal and become painfree,” Sandher explained.

Experts opine that while broken bones, cuts and bruises are easy to spot, conditions such as whiplash are not always apparent in the immediate aftermath of an accident.

In an accident, person’s adrenaline levels spike and disguise symptoms and pain.

As far as Sahota is concerned, she says that because of her chiropractic treatment she is a proud mom of a six-month-old daughter today. During her sessions with chiropractor Sandhershe also benefited from prenatal chiropractic care. “Chiropractic practitioners provide personalized care in a safe and efficient manner for the term of your pregnancy and after during the post-partum period,”Sahota says.

A comprehensive exam was necessary to establish a treatment plan that best suited to tackle her discomfort and prepare her body for pregnancy and childbirth.Sahota sayspostnatal chiropractic care can help realign the body and speed up the transition to a fit your postpregnancy body.

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Liberals relaunch family reunification lottery despite angry backlash continued from page 1 transparent after complaints the process was skewed by geography and an applicant’s ability to pay a lawyer or other representative to get to the head of the queue.

Increased intake It was also intended to avoid building a backlog that had ballooned in past years, as the Liberal government doubled the cap to 10,000 spots from the previous 5,000.

Despite the increased intake target many sponsors condemned the process, with one calling it “a complete mess.”

“The benefit of quota increase did not pass to genuine eligible applicants who have been waiting for years to reunite with their families… the entire lottery pool was hijacked by fake, ineligible and multiple entries,” the message read.

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Under the new lottery system, there are no requirements to prove eligibility on the online “Interest to Sponsor” form because it is not an actual application. But new questions have been added to this year’s form to ensure potential sponsors understand requirements and meet them before entering.

In addition to basic information such as birth date, country of origin, address, postal code and email address, the 2018 form includes questions about income and family size and requires the names of the parents or grandparents the person hopes to sponsor.

“This helps ensure that only eligible sponsors are selected to submit a complete application for sponsorship — meaning that available spaces under the 2018 Parent and Grandparent Program will go to those who will truly be able to sponsor their parents and grandparents,” said Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) spokesperson Rémi Larivière.

Many begged for the government to revert back to the former system, move to a merit-based selection, or jack up fees to narrow the pool of applicants. Some even asked the prime minister to personally

intervene. Confusion over requirements Some complaints were lodged about mass confusion around to which years the financial requirements were to be applied.

Others recalled how they were elated to receive an email informing they had been selected, only to get a second one just hours later advising they were actually not in the pool.

Parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents can also apply for a super visa, which allows them to extend a visit for up to two years after the initial entry into Canada.

A 10-year multiple-entry visa allows several visits of up to six months at a time.

Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel accused the Liberals of promising a high target for family reunification during the last election campaign without applying proper resources to deliver.

“I think the government is going to have to rethink it, simply because it’s not working and the perception is that it’s not fair,” she told CBC News.

NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan called the lottery a “colossal disaster,” and said

family reunification is vital for both the Canadian economy and for family, community and cultural cohesion.

She urged the government to lift, or at least increase, the cap and return it to a first-come, first-served model that expedites the process.

Based on luck “I reject the idea that your application should be based on luck,” she said. “The government should remove the cap and allow for the processing of applications and put the resources into it. If we can bring in 50,000 Syrian refugees we can actually process family reunifications for parents and grandparents.”

The online form is available until Feb. 1, when IRCC will remove duplicate submissions and randomly select potential sponsors, who will be invited to apply. In announcing plans to relaunch the lottery system, Hussen recently said the government is committed to family reunification. “Helping more people reunite with their parents and grandparents in Canada demonstrates the government’s commitment to keeping families together, leading to successful integration and stronger ties to Canada,” he said in a statement.

Breather for Indian Americans, US government may pull back move ending H-1B visa extensions continued from page 1 GREAT development. And we thank USCIS to make the right decision.”

A request sent by Hindustan Times to USCIS for confirmation, or denial, of this development was awaited, as was one sent to the White House, as sources had said discussions on the proposal had gone right up to the president for resolution. The proposal, in the form of an internal memo that had gone around the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees USCIS, had set out to end the provision of granting extensions to H-1B visa holders whose applications for permanent residency (Green Card) had been accepted.

An estimated 500,000 to 750,000 Indian H-1B visa holders could have been deported if the administration decided to go ahead with the proposal, which was

in line with President Donald Trump’s “Buy American, Hire American” vision to boost manufacturing and protect local jobs for American.

“If implemented this could lead to large scale deportations, mostly of Indians, throwing hundreds and thousands of families into crisis,” an official of Immigration Voice official had told Hindustan Times at the time of the earlier report.

The move had sent a wave of panic coursing through the community of H1B workers here from India, a large number of whom were employed with some of America’s top IT companies such as Microsoft, Facebook and Google and other sectors — Green Card sponsorship comes mostly, only actually, from US companies. Indian IT companies operating in the US — such

as Infosys, TCS and Wipro — do not typically sponsor their H-1B employees for Green Card. They send them back to India at the end of the maximum stipulated period of 6 years allowed on this visa type, given to foreigners hired

by American companies for specialty occupations.

An H-1B visa is granted for three years, with the provision of three more with one extension, after which visa-holders return to their countries. Or, if approved for Green Card, wait in the US, using extensions.

For Indians, that wait could stretch for years, given the massive backlog caused by the system of per-country annual cap on the number of permanent residencies — by one estimate it would take an Indian 70 years to get there, at today’s rate of clearance.

Austrian prez steps in after race abuse THE President of Austria has hit back at racist social media users who attacked a newborn baby for being Muslim. Asel Tamga became the first Austrian born in 2018. Her birth was celebrated in the local press with a photo of the happy family in which her mother wore a hijab. A deluge of racist and hateful comments followed on social media, forcing President Alexander Van der Bellen, 73, to step in. President Van der Bellen shared a Facebook post condemning the hateful attacks on Baby Asel, and added his own stern words of wisdom. After wishing Asel welcome to the world, he added, “All people are born free and equal to dignity and rights. Confidence and cohesion are greater than hatred and incitement.” Naime and Alper Tamga from Vienna welcomed daughter Asel at 00.47 on New Year’s Day, making her the first baby born in Austria in the new year. A

photo of the family was shared on Facebook and a rash of racist comments followed among the thousands of well

wishes. One social media user commented: “The next terrorist is born.”

Another person wrote: “Does the woman have cancer? Or why does she otherwise wear a headscarf?” The abuse was so severe that Facebook ended up removing

the post, local news reports. Austrian NGO Netpeace said the deluge of hateful comments is proof that online hatred is growing out of control as social media users even manage to turn a happy family picture into hate speech about religion and ethnicity. The NGO said it is remarkable that so many people are nowadays even posting such comments under their real name instead of using an alias. Netpeace spokeswoman Sabine Beck said: “We think that this present case shows that it is about time to take measures. “We urge the Federal Government to take extensive measures.

These range from media education in schools to reinforcement of public prosecutor’s offices.” The hateful messages come amid tensions in Austrian society over the migrant influx to Europe and Islam. The country’s new conservative Chancellor Sebastian Kurz’s coalition includes a far-right party

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HOW KUMAR LOST AAP’S VISHWAS & RAJYASABHA Inside story of rift & fallout with Kejriwal THE Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday nominated a Delhibased businessman with past links to the Congress and a veteran chartered accountant as its Rajya Sabha nominees apart from party leader Sanjay Singh.

But the decision prompted senior AAP leader Kumar Vishwas to go public with his battle against party chief and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, saying he has been “punished for speaking the truth”.

Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia declared the names of Sanjay Singh, chartered accountant ND Gupta and philanthropistbusinessman Sushil Gupta on Wednesday afternoon. The last two were fairly unknown till the announcement.

Social media went into a tizzy, questioning the background of the two unexpected names while congratulations poured in primarily for Sanjay Singh. People asked why founder-member Vishwas and an experienced former journalist, Ashutosh, were denied the opportunity. Sources close to Kumar Vishwas maintained he was angry and disappointed. Since the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, he was seen as a close associate of Kejriwal.

Sources said it was believed that he was assured by the AAP chief of a Rajya Sabha pick. However, over the past year, the friendship has developed cracks. Sources said while Vishwas harboured the ambition of becoming a Member of Parliament, Kejriwal was beginning to grow suspicious of him. Vishwas’s support to the Union government’s surgical strike and demonetisation move and his constant expression of personal views on controversial

issues did not go down well with the Party’s top leadership. The differences emerged in public when Vishwas was conspicuous by his absence during the Punjab assembly elections, where the poet was not invited to campaign for a single day. Not taking a stand against Delhi minister Kapil Mishra, who rebelled and was also accused of conspiring with the BJP, seemed like the final nail in the coffin for Vishwas, who got isolated from party leaders.

Sisodia, usually smiling through press briefings, had a solemn tone on Wednesday, often looking down to read through the credentials of the party’s two chosen candidates. Vishwas was one of the few members since the India Against Corruption (IAC) movement, who strolled into the Kejriwal camp from the Ramlila

‘Super blue blood moon’ to be visible on Jan 31 AT THE end of January, stargazers are set to witness a trio of lunar phenomena, all aligned to create an incredible view. The second full moon of the month will occur on January 31, marking the first of two ‘blue’ moons in 2018 – and, this will line up with a total lunar eclipse, which will turn the moon a striking red color for what’s known as the ‘Blood Moon’. Just one night earlier, the moon will reach its closest point to Earth, marking the second arrival of the supermoon this year. The total lunar eclipse on January 31 will be the first time an event of this kind has coincided with the Blue Moon in over 150 years, according to space.com.

Depending on where you’re observing from, it will happen either on the night of the 31, or the morning of February 1. Some have dubbed it a “Super Blue Blood-Moon”. In a blue moon, the moon doesn’t actually appear blue; instead, the name indicates that it is the second full moon in a particular month. On January 31, it will happen in the middle of the night, when the Pacific Ocean faces the moon. This means it favours the western US, Alaska, and Hawaii and British Columbia, NASA says, along with central and eastern Asia, Indonesia, New Zealand, and most of Australia.

These locations will be able to see the lunar eclipse from start to finish.

Ground straight into politics.

However, he did not always restrict his opinions to the party line. He maintained in public interactions that Arvind Kejriwal was a friend, not a boss, and his personal beliefs remained paramount.

When Vishwas walked out of his residence on Wednesday, he flashed a smile but the comments were scathing though sugarcoated with sarcasm. For the first time since the formation of the Aam Aadmi Party, Vishwas hit out openly at Kejriwal. “I have been punished for speaking the truth on various issues. I was told

by Arvind Kejriwal at a meeting that you have died, but we will not let you become a martyr,” he said.

“Today, I can say that I accept martyrdom, but want to add that every battle has a norm; do not dishonour the martyr’s body.”

Vishwas officially remains the party’s in-charge of the Rajasthan elections but likely will not work through the cadre, any more. The three AAP picks will file their nomination on Thursday and send out separate statements pledging support to support to the party’s ideals. “I am associated with health and education sector and manage charities. Delhi government schools and hospitals are giving their private counterparts a run for their money.

In the upper house, I am going to relay the party’s ideology and concerns of Delhi citizens,” said Sushil. Chartered accountant ND Gupta, said, “I will raise the major issues which the nation is facing today, like the after-effects of demonetisation and the faulty implementation of GST. Every businessman is troubled because

of these, and it is impacting their businesses negatively. This has led to reduction in job opportunities and inflated unemployment. I will strongly raise these issues in the Rajya Sabha.”

Spinning ice stage draws thousands to Chinese city THIS is the mesmerising moment a giant disc of ice started floating on its own in a Chinese city.

Hundreds of tourists have flocked to see the rare sight of a floating ice disk in the middle of the frozen Liao River in north-eastern China’s Liaoning. The large ice disc could be seen spinning like a record in the middle of the river after it became separated from the frozen surface on New Year’s Day in Faku County. Locals have been visiting the disc to stand on it before it disappears. Images being shared on social media shows people bringing their pets along too. Social media users are continuing to debate how the ice

disc might have been made, with experts yet to weigh in on the phenomenon. One leading theory suggested that the chunk of ice has been slowly “carved” into the perfect circle while spinning in the middle of the river. However, experts have said this theory is not true, Metro.co.uk reported.

The phenomenon is often seen in the Arctic, as well as Scandinavia and Northern Canada, but is very rarely seen elsewhere. Physicists from the University of Liege in Belgium said it is caused by temperature in the water rising and becoming more dense. When the water around the edge of the disc

begins to melt, it begins to twist and create a vertical vortex, similar to how a plughole is formed. The ice then grinds around the surrounding ice forming a perfect circle.

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North, South Korea start first official talks in two years SEOUL North and South Korea began their first official talks in more than two years on Tuesday, focussing on the forthcoming Winter Olympics after months of tensions over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program.

The talks in Panmunjom, the truce village in the Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula, came after the North’s leader Kim Jong-Un indicated in his New Year’s speech that he could send a delegation to next month’s Games in Pyeongchang in the South.

Seoul responded with an offer of a high-level dialogue, and last week the hotline between the neighbours was restored after being suspended for almost two years.

Seoul’s five-member

delegation travelled to Panmunjom in a convoy of vehicles, passing a group of well-wishers holding a banner at a checkpoint leading towards the DMZ. Before leaving Seoul the delegation’s leader, Unification Minister Cho Myung-Gyun, said the two sides would focus on the North’s participation in the Pyeongchang Games but the agenda would also include ways to thaw frosty ties.

“We will do our best to ensure that the Pyeongchang Olympics and Paralympics will take place as a peace festival and that this meeting will serve as the first step for improving South-North ties”, he added.

The Unification Ministry

Handshake banned in Northern Ireland churches over Aussie flu Belfast A Catholic diocese in Northern Ireland has suspended the ‘sign of peace’ handshake in its masses due to the risk of infection from a strain of a flu first discovered in Australia, a media report said on Saturday.At least 170,000 cases were confirmed at the end of the Australian winter, more than twice as many as in 2016. According to health officials, there 72 flurelated deaths, the Guardian report said.

The H3N2 virus, which is also referred to as Australian flu or Aussie flu, has spread across the UK and Ireland.A statement form the office of bishop Noel Treanor said: “Having received medical advice concerning the increasing risk and impact of Australian flu, the diocese of Down and Connor has decided to reactivate precautionary measures originally established by the diocese in response to the swine flu epidemic in 2009.“The customary sign of peace handshake exchanged during mass is suspended until the risk of infection is significantly reduced...

Other provisions will be made for those who suffer from a coeliac condition, such as separate chalices.”

The diocese’s statement also paid tribute to those working within the medical field, acknowledging that “hospitals across Northern Ireland are currently

experiencing high numbers of patient admissions of those suffering from respiratory illnesses directly linked to the flu virus”, reports the Guardian.UK health secretary Jeremy Hunt said the H3N2 virus is straining resources at the National Health Services.

“It’s too early to say whether we are going to experience what they experienced in Australia.

But that has undoubtedly created extra pressures on the system.”

said the North’s delegation crossed the Military Demarcation Line at Panmunjom on foot for the talks, which are being

held in the Peace House, a building on the southern side of the zone.

Looking businesslike, Cho and Ri shook hands at the entrance to the Peace House and again across the table before starting their talks, pictures showed.

In accordance with standard practice in the North, Ri wore a badge on his left lapel bearing an image of the country’s founding father Kim Il-Sung and his son and successor Kim Jong-Il. Cho also wore a lapel badge, depicting the South Korean flag.

Seoul has been keen to proclaim the Games in Pyeongchang, just 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of the DMZ, as a “peace Olympics” in the wake of missile and nuclear tests by the North - but it needs Pyongyang

Price rise and new tax taking a toll on Saudis, king orders monthly allowance

to attend to make the description meaningful.

If the North agrees, one of the top agenda items will be whether the two

Koreas’ sportspeople make joint entrances to the opening and closing ceremonies, as they did for Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and the 2006 Winter Games in Turin.

The size and membership of the North Korean delegation and their accommodation - widely expected to be paid for by Seoul - will also be discussed.

The group may stay on a cruise ship in Sokcho, about an hour’s drive from the Olympic venue - which would enable their movements to be closely monitored and controlled.

With only two winter sports athletes qualified, North Korea is likely to bolster its presence by sending significant numbers of cheerleaders to the Pyeongchang Games, which run from February 9 to 25, analysts say.

Riyadh Saudi Arabia’s King Salman on Saturday ordered a monthly payment of 1,000 riyals ($267) to state employees over the next year in compensation for rising cost of living after the government hiked domestic gas prices and introduced value-added tax (VAT).In a royal decree published by state news media, the king also ordered the payment of 5,000 riyals to military personnel serving at the front lines with Yemen where the kingdom is fighting a nearly three-yearold war.Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, roughly doubled gasoline prices on Monday as part of a broad reform initiative aimed at diversifying its economy. A 5% VAT on a broad range of goods and services came into effect on the same day.

The new payment orders were an acknowledgment of “the increased burdens for some segments of the population following from the necessary measures which the state took to restructure the economy,” according to the decree.

King Salman directed the state to bear the burden of

VAT in some situations, including special health and education services as well as the first purchase of a house that is valued at up to 850,000 riyals ($226,660). Allowances for students, retirees and social security recipients were also boosted.

The decree did not reveal the total cost of the new allowances, but it appeared to be considerably smaller than some past handouts

by Saudi kings, and therefore unlikely to have much impact on economic growth or the state budget deficit.About 1.18 million Saudis are employed in the government sector and there are more than 1.23 million pensioners and beneficiaries of pension payments, the central bank says. That suggests a total package cost of about 23 billion riyals, according to Reuters calculations.

That compares to a projected 2018 deficit of billion riyals, according to a budget plan released last month. A package of handouts marking King Salman’s accession to the throne in early 2015 was estimated to cost more than 100 billion riyals.

Issue - 753 (8)

9 - 15 Jan., 2018

Top tech lobby joins legal battle to keep ‘net neutrality’

Washington The lobby group for some of the most powerful US tech firms said it would join the legal challenge to the planned rollback of “net neutrality” rules requiring internet service providers to treat all online traffic equally.

The Internet Association--a group which includes Google, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft, among others-announced it would support legal efforts to block the rollback voted last month by the Federal Communications Commission.

The association gave no specifics but suggested it would seek to intervene in lawsuits expected by several attorneys general, including from Washington and New York states.

Internet Association president Michael Beckerman said the FCC action voted December 14 “defies the will of a bipartisan majority of Americans and fails to preserve a free and open internet”.He said the association “intends to act as an intervener in judicial action against this order and, along with our member companies, will continue our push to restore strong, enforceable net neutrality protections through a legislative solution”.Last month’s vote capped a heated partisan debate

and is just the latest twist in a battle over more than a decade on rules governing internet service providers.

FCC chairman Ajit Pai, who pushed the latest effort, has argued that the neutrality rule enacted in 2015 served to stifle investment and innovation in a fast-evolving sector.

But net neutrality backers have argued that clear rules are needed to prevent internet service providers from blocking or throttling services or websites for competitive reasons, and that the rollback would increase the power of a few dominant providers to control what users see online.

Lawsuits could not be filed until the FCC’s order was published, which occurred this week. Some lawmakers have also begun efforts to invalidate the FCC’s action.

The battle over net neutrality has raged for over a decade in the FCC and the courts, with both sides contending they represent “internet freedom”.

The 2015 net neutrality rules were backed by then-president Barack Obama and endorsed by a 3-2 Democratic majority at the time. But the election of President Donald Trump reversed the FCC party majority and it quickly reversed course.

Meghan Markle’s future sister-in-law arrested Actress Meghan Markles half-brother Thomas Markles fiancee Darlene Blount has been arrested for assaulting her partner. Blount was arrested in Oregon on December 31 after a “boozefueled altercation”, the police said, reports tmz.com. Blount was booked for fourth degree assault about four hours into 2018.

Meghan, who is set to marry Prince Harry in May, and Thomas have the same father, but are not close to each other anymore. Thomas said he has not seen Meghan since 2011 when she moved to take her role in “Suits”.

Hookworms suck out 22 litres of boy’s blood IT’S a tale reminiscent of vampire sagas like True Blood and Twilight. Doctors at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH) say they have cured a 14-year-old boy, whose 22 litres of blood was gulped down over the last two years by hookworms hiding in his small intestine. Rahul Kumar (name changed) was down with acute anemia and had to undergo 55 units (22 litres) of blood transfusion over the two years.

As a result, he suffered major weight loss and stunted growth.

Rahul hails from Haldwani in Uttarakhand where doctors could not detect the reasons for his blood loss. He was later referred to Delhi for treatment. This unique case has now been published in the latest issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases and Therapy.

The findings suggest that hookworm manifestation if not diagnosed timely can not only lead to their multiplication but also significant blood loss and complications. “A young boy of 14 years was referred to SGRH a few months ago with two episodes of passage of blood in stools. The child was suffering from iron deficiency anaemia for the last two years. He had received 50 units (22 litres) of blood transfusions and this is really an unusual case. His diagnosis could not be established even after repeated tests. His haemoglobin was low at 5.86,” Dr Anil Arora , chairperson of the department of gastroenterology at SGRH, told this paper. Hookworms are parasites that live off other living things. They affect a person’s lungs and small intestine.

Humans contract hookworms through roundworm eggs and larvae found in dirt contaminated by faeces.

Doctors performed dedicated abdominal tests including EGD (an endoscopy test), colonoscopy and radiographic studies of intestines; the results were normal. “In view of the child’s obscure (unknown origin) gastrointestinal bleeding, we conducted capsule endoscopy. The results shocked us. We could see multiple hookworms buried in small intestine and were seen actively sucking blood with

Apple to issue fix for chip flaw on iPhones, Macs San Francisco Apple will release a patch for Safari browser on its iPhones, iPads and Macs within days, it said on Thursday, after major chipmakers disclosed flaws that leave nearly every modern computing device vulnerable to hackers.

Browser makers Google, Microsoft Corp and Mozilla Corp’s Firefox all confirmed to Reuters that the patches they currently have in place do not protect iOS users. With Safari and virtually all other popular

browsers not patched, hundreds of millions of iPhone and iPad

users may have no secure

means of browsing the web until Apple issues its patch.

Apple stressed that there were no known instances of hackers taking advantage of the flaw to date.

On Wednesday, Alphabet Inc’s Google and other security researchers disclosed two major chip flaws: Meltdown affecting only Intel Corp chips and Spectre affecting nearly all computer chips made in last decade. The news sparked a sell-off in Intel’s stock as investors tried to gauge the costs to the chipmaker.

dancing movements,” said Dr Arora, adding that the sucked blood could be seen in the cavities of the hookworms, giving them a tint of red. The white hookworms that had not yet sucked blood were seen lying quietly in the small bowel, he said. Capsule endoscopy is a procedure that uses a tiny

wireless camera to take pictures of a person’s digestive tract. A capsule endoscopy camera sits inside a vitamin-size capsule that the patient swallows. The capsule costs about `50,000 which can provide at least 70,000 images (two images per second) as soon as the capsule dissolves inside the stomach.

Zuckerberg’s New Year resolution: Fix hate on FB San Francisco Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s personal challenge for 2018 is to “fix Facebook” when it comes to dealing with abuse and hate, fake news or interference by nation-states on the platform.

In a post late Thursday, Zuckerberg said the world feels anxious and divided and Facebook has a lot of work to do when it comes to protecting its over 2 billionstrong community.

“My personal challenge for 2018 is to focus on fixing these important issues. We won’t prevent all mistakes or abuse, but we currently make too many errors enforcing our policies and preventing misuse of our tools. If we’re successful this year, then we’ll end 2018 on a much better trajectory,” he posted. Facebook last year told US lawmakers that 126 million of its users might have seen content produced and circulated by Russian operatives during the 2016 US election.

Facebook, along with Twitter,

has also been warned of sanctions if it fails to provide all the necessary information to a British parliamentary committee investigating Russian interference in the European Union referendum.

Facebook has time until January 18 to hand over information the committee has

requested.

According to Zuckerberg, the current issues touch on questions of history, civics, political philosophy, media, government and technology.

“I’m looking forward to bringing groups of experts together to discuss and help work through these topics,” he said.

Issue - 753 (9)

9 - 15 Jan., 2018

Passenger Smears Poop All Over Washroom, United Airlines Flight Makes Unscheduled Landing

THE LIONESSES OF SYRIA

Alaska A United Airlines flight had to make an unscheduled landing after a passenger on board smeared all the washrooms in the flight with is poop. The passenger also removed his shirt and tried to push it down the toilet of the Chicago-to-Hong Kong flight which forced the crew to ask for an unscheduled landing.

The airlines, however, had to cancel the flight after due to “operational difficulties”.

“The man spread human waste in the lavatories before the flight was diverted to Anchorage,” airport police Lt. Joe Gamache said. The passenger was taken

in by FBI agents and Alaska’s Ted Stevens International Airport police for questioning in the incident.

The passenger, according to the reports, was shirtless when the officials met him on the flight.

The passenger has been sent to a Providence Hospital for a mental health checkup. He has not been arrested. The man had a Vietnamese passport and a US permanent resident ID card.

Most of what he said was unintelligible, a police officer said.

While the man was taken in for questioning, the other 245 passengers were provided accommodation.

Transgender inmate seeks rare transfer to female prison A 26-year-old transgender Chicago woman serving a 10-year sentence for burglary is seeking a transfer from a male to a female prison where she says she’ll be less vulnerable to abuse.

A federal judge will hear testimony Friday on Deon “Strawberry” Hampton’s transfer request.She says guards single her out for regular sexual abuse, taunting and beatings at the high-security men’s prison she’s at now in southern Illinois.

H-1B Visa Row: US-India Business Council Opposes Proposal to Introduce Stricter Norms

Washington The move to end extension of H-1B visas would be a “bad policy” and is contrary to the goal of a merit-based immigration system, the US Chamber of Commerce said on Saturday, a

“It would be tremendously bad policy to tell highly skilled individuals who are applying for permanent residency and have been working in the US for several years that they are no longer welcome,” a US

week after the Trump administration’s reported plan that could result in selfdeportation of around 7,00,000 Indians.

In the United States, the H-1B programme offers temporary US visas that allow companies to hire highly skilled foreign professionals working in areas with shortages of qualified American workers.

Days after taking office last January, President Donald Trump has been cracking down on the scheme.

The proposal to end H-1B visa extensions which was part of Trump’s ‘Buy American, Hire American’ initiative that he vowed to launch during his election campaign trail, is being drafted by the Department of Homeland Security, reports said.

Chambers of Commerce spokesperson said.

“This policy would harm American business, our economy, and the country.

Further, it is inconsistent with the goals of a more merit-based immigration system,” the spokesperson said.

He was responding to reports that the administration is discussing a move to curb extensions to H-1B visa holders who have completed their twothree years of H-1B visa terms and have been receiving extensions because of their pending Green Card application status. Such a move would

impact some 5,00,000 to 7,50,000 highly skilled Indian technology professionals, academicians and research scholars in the US and result in their moving back to India.

Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi hoped the administration “immediately rejects” the proposal.

“I fully support efforts to reform the H-1B system, and while our priority must continue to be improving advanced training for our domestic workforce, ending H-1B visa extensions would kneecap our economy and encourage companies to further offshore jobs, instead of making those investments here. It would also tear families apart and hurt businesses here. I hope the administration immediately rejects this proposal,” he said.

The US is currently facing a skills gap of over six million jobs, and companies are struggling to find talent to fill these open positions, Krishnamoorthi said.

“Educators and employers need to be working together to ensure that we are developing the skills at home in America to fill the job openings domestically, both today and in the coming years.

My bill to reauthorise career and technical education programmes would help to close this skills gap, and the Senate needs to take up this bill that passed the House unanimously last June,” he said.

Largest Prime Number With More Than 23 Million Digits Discovered

Nikki harbouring presidential ambitions, claims book Washington Indian-American politician Nikki Haley is harbouring presidential ambitions and many in President Donald Trump’s inner circle fear that she could be the heir to the presidency, Michael Wolff’s new book about the White House has revealed.

In the book ‘Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House’ which hit the book stores on Friday, author Michael Wolff, claims that Haley has an eye on the presidency and Trump is seen to be grooming her for a national political future.

The move, however, was not liked by fired Steve Bannon, who once held the powerful position of White House Chief Strategist.

There was no immediate reaction from US Ambassador to the UN Haley, who according to the book by October concluded that Trump at the most was a one-time President.

Haley, 45, is the first-ever Indian-

American appointed to a Cabinet-level position by any President.

She is currently US Ambassador to the United Nations, which is a Cabinet-level position.

In the last one year, the two-term

Governor from South Carolina has emerged as a close confident of Trump and has been strongly pushing for Trump’s foreign policy agenda at the United Nations,

attracting frequent praise from Trump himself.

However, the book, which has been dismissed by Trump and the White House, but has dogged the media limelight for the past few days portrays Haley in a

negative light says that the Indian-American has a presidential ambition and does not has a good view of the President.

“By October, however, many on the President’s staff took particular notice of one of the few remaining Trump opportunists: Nikki Haley, the UN ambassador,” the book said.

New York The largest prime number which has over 23 million digits has been discovered by mathematicians. Known as M77232917 (Mersenne prime), the largest prime number was discovered by calculating two to the power of 77,232,917 and subtracting one from it. The calculation left a prime number with 23,249,425 digits.

The new prime number has one million more digits than the last one, discovered in January 2016 and would take nearly 9,000 pages if printed out and would be 118 kilometres long if stretched out. “I’m very surprised it was found this quickly; we expected it to take longer. It’s like finding dead cats on the road. You don’t expect to find two so close to one another,” Chris

Caldwell, a professor of mathematics at the University of Tennessee at Martin, said.

The discovery of the largest prime number took a total of six days and non-stop working on a computer owned by a 51-yearold electrical engineer from Germantown Jonathan Pace.

Four more computers with different hardware and software were also set on the task for verification of the discovered number. Taking 34 to 82 hours each, all the computers confirmed that M77232917 was indeed the largest prime number.

On being asked why such discoveries fascinate the mathematicians, Chris Caldwell said, “They are exciting to those of us who are interested in them.

It’s like asking why do you climb a mountain.”

Issue - 753 (10)

Jat Sikh family seek a suitable match for their daughter, Canadian born, 27 yrs. old, 5'-8" tall, B.Com., working as a teacher, beautiful, family oriented. The boy should be Canadian, professionally educated & employed only serious inquiries. Please send your bio-data & recent picture to : cmangat12@gmail.com or call :-647-570-5047 ***753*** Wanted a suitable match for Ramgarhia (Virdi and Manku) boy, clean-shaven, DOB, Dec. 03.1992, 6' tall, grade 12 from India, in USA sicce 2013, presently working as a cook in Deli Restaurant in Connecticut (USA), issuless divorcee. The girl should be American citizen/ green card holder, family oriented and of similar age group. Please email recent pictures and biodata with phone number. Caste no bar.

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9 - 15 Jan., 2018

resident living in CA. Please send your bio-data &recent p i c t u r e s to: kksdp15@gmail.com or call: 1-805-405-8721 ***753*** Jatt Sikh Gill parents seek a suitable match for their daughter, 26 yrs. old, 5'-4" tall, American citizen, RN. The boy should be jatt Sikh from Canada / US. Please send your bio-data &recent picture to: gillfamily203@gmail.com or call: 1- 203-981-9213 ***753*** Jat Sikh family seek a suitable match for their daughter, January, 1991 born, 5'-3" tall, B.Sc. Nursing, working as a nurse in hospital. The boy should be well settled, educated, Canadian/American immigrant or citizen, family oriented.

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Issue - 753 (11)

9 - 15 Jan., 2018

Murder rate rises in Baltimore, Maryland

US courts to seek sexual THE LIONESSES OF SYRIA harassment protections

WASHINGTON New York, Chicago and Washington all experienced significant declines in homicides in 2017, though the murder rate rose in Baltimore, Maryland amid drug problems and lingering racial tensions.And while its number of murders was down, Washington saw some particularly brutal killings, including a gruesome decapitation blamed on a gang, and authorities in every city said they still had much work to do.

The homicide decline was dramatic in New York, which experienced 2,245 killings as recently as 1990 but just 286 in 2017 as of December 27, according to the New York Times.That was down from 334 in 2016 and represented the city’s lowest number of murders since the 1950s.Every major category of crime declined there, from rape to car theft, the Times reported. Indeed, violent crime in the city has declined for 27 straight years.Chicago, which in 2016 suffered through its deadliest year in two decades with 754 killings, saw its murder total drop last year to 650, the largest year-to-year decline since 2004, the Chicago Tribune reported.Anti-police sentiment there fueled a surge in violence after the 2016 release of a video showing a white police officer fatally shooting a black teenager.President Donald Trump has repeatedly castigated Chicago authorities for letting violence run “out of control.”

But police superintendent Eddie

Johnson told the Tribune that new technology and tactics, the hiring of 1,000 additional police officers, and efforts to improve police-community relations had helped lower total shootings.

Arrests for gun crimes were up by 27 percent.“None of us are satisfied,” Johnson said in a statement, promising in 2018 to “build on the progress we made last year.”Homicides fell in Washington from 135 in 2016 to 116 in 2017. That returns the city to a level seen before a spike two years ago.Mayor Muriel Bowser said her city had stepped up efforts to mediate disputes and prevent retaliation after shootings, while working with non-police agencies to help calm neighborhoods.But there have been some vicious killings of area teens. One boy was shot in an apparent robbery of his Air Jordan sneakers; a 17-year-old girl was fatally attacked by a stranger as she walked to a mosque during Ramadan; and a teen in suburban Maryland was brutally stabbed and decapitated, allegedly by members of the MS13 gang.And Baltimore, which experienced violent riots after the 2015 death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray while in police custody, had at least 343 homicides last year, up from 318 killings the year before, the Baltimore Sun reported.That left the drugplagued city of 620,000 with more murders last year - per capita - than New York experienced with its 8.4 million residents

WASHINGTON Chief Justice John Roberts unveiled a plan Sunday to help shield US court employees from sexual harassment, acknowledging the judicial branch is “not immune” after a powerful appellate judge retired over misconduct allegations.

The top US Supreme Court justice has already tasked Administrative Office of US Courts chief James Duff to review procedures to protect court employees from sexual misconduct, according to a memo released Wednesday that also spelled out existing recourse.

Duff said he was setting up a working group that would provide a report and recommendations

by May 1.

The memo came just days after Alex Kozinski stepped down from his post at the influential San Francisco-based US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit after he was accused of inappropriate behavior by at least 15 former clerks and staffers.

The Romanian-born Kozinski is the highest-ranking judiciary official ensnared in a swirling nationwide reckoning on sexual harassment and abuse, which has toppled a number of powerful men in entertainment, politics, business and the media.

And nearly 700 current and former law clerks had sent Roberts a letter seeking action to better handle sexual harassment in the workplace.

“Events in recent months have illuminated the depth of the problem of sexual harassment in the workplace, and events in the past few weeks have made clear that the judicial branch is not immune,” Roberts wrote in his 2017 State of the Judiciary Report.

“The judiciary will begin 2018 by undertaking a careful evaluation of whether its standards of

Child mummy in Italy had hepatitis, not smallpox MIAMI A child mummy in Italy was thought to display the oldest medieval evidence of smallpox, but a new DNA analysis shows the disease was actually hepatitis B, researchers said Thursday.The small child was buried in the Basilica of Saint Domenico Maggiore in Naples, Italy during the 16th century, according to the study in the journal PLOS Pathogens.An apparent facial rash led experts to believe, initially, that the child had smallpox, also known as variola virus.Researchers at McMaster University took a second look, using small tissue samples of skin and bone to identify fragments of DNA. Their genomic analysis showed

the virus was hepatitis B, which attacks the liver and can also cause a rash.The discovery confirms that hepatitis B has been around for centuries, and

has changed little in the past 450 years, said Hendrik Poinar, an evolutionary geneticist with the McMaster Ancient DNA Center.

“These data emphasize the importance of molecular approaches to help identify the presence of key pathogens in the past, enabling us to better constrain the time they may have infected humans,” he said.

“The more we understand about the behavior of past pandemics and outbreaks, the greater our understanding of how modern pathogens might work and spread, and this information will ultimately help in their control.”

Today, hepatitis B infects about 350 million people worldwide and kills about one million people each year.

conduct and its procedures for investigating and correcting inappropriate behavior are adequate to ensure an exemplary workplace for every judge and every court employee.”

especially come under scrutiny, and because the chambers operate under strict confidentiality rules, there is concern that harassment goes unreported.

Roberts said he expected Duff’s working group to “consider whether changes are needed in our codes of conduct, our guidance to employees including law clerks - on issues of confidentiality and reporting of instances of misconduct, our educational programs, and our rules for investigating and processing misconduct complaints.”

“These concerns warrant serious attention from all quarters of the judicial branch,” he added.

Relationships between judges and their law clerks have

In their letter to Roberts, the current and former law clerks and law professors wrote that they believe “significant changes are necessary to address the potential for harassment of employees who work in the federal court system.”

They warned that there was a risk that “confidentiality provisions can be used to shield, if not enable, harassment.”

When the letter was first sent to Roberts on December 20, there were 695 signatories. By December 28, 844 people had signed the letter.

US suspends $2 billion security aid to Pakistan until it takes action against terrorists Washington The US has suspended nearly $2 billion in security-related aid for Pakistan until it takes decisive action against terrorists operating from its soil, chiefly the Haqqani Network and Afghan Taliban, reflecting the growing mistrust between the former allies in the war on terror.

The US has not publicly specified the actions Pakistan needs to take to earn back the assistance, mostly extended to enable Islamabad to bolster its countterrorism capabilities, including military hardware purchases with American funding.Though the move to suspend the aid announced on Thursday was aimed at nudging Pakistan to act against the Taliban and Haqqani Network, a state department official said the US also has concerns about anti-India groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. Late on Friday night, an unnamed White House official was quoted by news agencies as saying that up to $2 billion in aid to Pakistan has been suspended.The specific assistance impacted includes $255 million for fiscal 2016 under Foreign Military Funding (FMF), which provides Pakistan loans for defence purchases from the US,

other unspent FMF funds from previous fiscal years and $900 million for fiscal 2017 from the Coalition Support Fund (CSF), which is reimbursement for supporting coalition forces in Afghanistan.Civilian aid, which was worth $11 billion of the total of $33 billion since 2002, will continue unaffected.The freezing of security assistance on Thursday followed President Donald Trump’s New Year’s Day tweet that accused Pakistan of “lies and deceit” in the war on terror despite getting $33 billion in aid since 2002. “The bottom line is that we can’t continue to have a relationship that has business as usual with Pakistan,” a state department official said during a background briefing.“There have been concerns about Pakistan’s…I focused on the issue of sanctuaries for the Haqqani Network and the Taliban, but we have concerns about their nuclear program, we have concerns about the ability of antiIndia groups like Lashkar-e Taiba and Jaish-e Mohammed to fundraise and operate, and Hafiz Saeed, the head of Lashkar-e Tayyiba, who was recently released from house arrest,” the official added.

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Trump faces new crisis with book questioning his fitness for office WASHINGTON US President Donald Trump faced a new public relations crisis Friday with the publication of a tell-all book that depicts him as mentally unstable and in over his head, after his lawyers failed to block its release.

Publishers responded to a cease-and-desist letter from Trump by moving forward by four days the release of “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House” - an expose by author and political muckraker Michael Wolff that quotes key Trump aides expressing serious doubt about his fitness for office.

“I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that don’t exist,” Trump tweeted Thursday.

“Look at this guy’s past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!” Trump wrote - a possible reference to Steve Bannon, his former chief strategist, or Steve Rubin, the

publisher of Wolff’s book.

The book - which paints Trump as mentally unstable and far out

of his depth - includes extensive quotes from Bannon, who also received a “cease and desist” order from Trump’s attorneys.

“Your publication of the false/ baseless statements about Mr. Trump gives rise to, among other claims, defamation by libel,

defamation by libel per se, false light invasion of privacy, tortious interference with contractual relations, and inducement of breach of contract,” Trump’s lawyers said in the letter to Wolff.

The author of the bombshell book defended his scathing portrayal of the US president and said “one hundred percent” of those around him questioned his fitness for office.

Michael Wolff, the author of “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House” said he spent three hours with Trump during the presidential campaign and in the White House, rebutting Trump’s claim he never spoke with the writer for the book.

Wolff said his account was drawn from interviews with those in close contact with Trump and all described him in the same terms.

“They all say he is like a child.

And what they mean by that is he has a need for immediate gratification. It’s all about him,” Wolff told NBC’s “Today” show.

“Let me put a marker in the sand

here. One hundred percent of the people around him” question Trump’s fitness for office, Wolff continued.

In the book, excerpts of which were published this week, Bannon is quoted accusing Trump’s eldest son Don Jr of “treasonous” contacts with a Kremlin-connected lawyer, and saying the president’s daughter Ivanka, who imagines running for president one day, is “dumb as a brick.”

But it is Trump himself who is cast in the most unfavorable light by a series of his top aides.

The book claims that for “Steve Mnuchin and Reince Priebus, the president was an ‘idiot.’ For Gary Cohn, he was ‘dumb as shit.’ For H.R. McMaster, he was a ‘dope.’ The list went on.”

White House issued a scorchedearth dismissal of the book, its author and his sources.

“I don’t think (Americans) really care about some trash that an author that no one had ever heard of until today, or a fired employee, wants to peddle,” said White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, calling the book “complete fantasy.”

Mexicans polish off massive king cake MEXICO CITY Mexico City’s giant plaza was girdled with king cake late Friday as part of the capital’s traditional Three Kings Day celebration.

Some 250,000 people turned out to the main plaza known as the Zocalo to devour the enormous brioche-style king cake, known as “Rosca de Reyes.” Some 2,142 bakers helped make the rosca which measured 1.44 kilometers and weighed 9.375 tonnes - for the city’s annual Epiphany eve feast. “This rosca is so delicious!” exclaimed Dolores Rodriguez, who at 84 years old was attending the party for the first time. Mexico City’s government emphasized that this year a portion of the delicacy traditionally adorned with candied fruits - was made without sugar, so people avoiding sweets could still partake. Mexican families eat the confection in the runup to Epiphany on January 6, the day Christians believe the Three Wise Men brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh for the baby Jesus.A baby Jesus figurine is hidden in the cake and the person who finds it must make tamales - a corn dumpling - on February 2, the Day of the Candles, for those who ate a piece.

US keeping all options in dealing with Pakistan: White House Washington US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Republican members of the Senate about immigration at the White House in Washington, DC, on January 4, 2018.

The US is keeping “all options” on the table apart from suspending about USD 2 billion in security aid to Pakistan to put pressure on it to take decisive action against the Taliban and the Haqqani network and eliminate their safe havens, the White House warned on?Friday.

The US yesterday suspended about USD 2 billion in security aid to Pakistan over it failure to crack down on militants.The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan comes after President Donald Trump in a New Year’s Day tweet accused the country of giving nothing to the US but “lies and deceit” and providing “safe haven” to terrorists in return for USD 33 billion aid over the last 15 years.“The US does have a range of tools that we’re looking at beyond just the security assistance issue to deal with Pakistan and to try to convince it to crack down on the Taliban and Haqqani network,” a senior Trump administration official told reporters.“Certainly no one should doubt the US resolve to address this threat and all options I would say will be on the table,” said the official on condition of anonymity.

The suspended amount include USD 255 million in the Foreign Military Funding (FMF) for the fiscal year 2016 as mandated by Congress.It also includes USD 900 million in the Coalition Support Funds (CSF) money to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017. In addition, the Department of Defence has suspended other unspent money from previous fiscal years.While some policy makers have been

specific steps at this time. But nobody should doubt our resolve in trying to address these threats.

We’re looking at all options. We hope that we can cooperate with Pakistan. But we do have options that we’re considering,” the official said.

The US wants action against the existing safe havens of the Taliban and the Haqqani network and demolish its ability to carry out

that for the future of the region, Pakistan needs to crack down on these terrorist elements. Unless they take a comprehensive approach to the terrorism problem it is going to threaten US interests and everybody’s interests including Pakistan’s,” the official said.He said the announcement of the suspension of the security assistance to Pakistan clearly reflected the US’ frustration over

asking the White House to revoke the non-NATO ally status of Pakistan and put pressure on the country through multilateral institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations, Pentagon generals have indicated unilateral actions.

However, the official refrained from divulging any of the options that the administration is considering against Pakistan.

“I’m not able to comment on

strikes across the border in Afghanistan, the Official said and expressed hope that Pakistan would take actions that the US was seeking.“....that will allow the relationship to return to a more positive trajectory,” the official said.In August, while unveiling his new South Asia strategy, Trump had accused Pakistan of giving “safe haven to agents of chaos, violence, and terror,” and said the time had come “for Pakistan to demonstrate its commitment to civilisation, order, and to peace”.

Trump’s new policy, the official said, is driven by the his desire to have a successful strategy in Afghanistan.“We firmly believes

Pakistan’s failure to crack down on all terrorists who find shelter on its territory.“There has been ample time for Pakistan to show it is taking our request seriously.

Unfortunately, we have not seen the kind of meaningful action that we were seeking,” the White House official rued.Responding to a question, the official said US has “a number of tools in its toolkit” and can “take unilateral” steps.But at this time, the US prefers to cooperate with Pakistan and is hopeful about it, the official said.“And we want to indicate Pakistan our seriousness about the issue of dealing with safe havens,” the

official said.Meanwhile, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said the US would restore the suspended security assistance to Pakistan if it takes action against terrorist groups.“We would restore the aid if we see decisive movements against the terrorists, who are as much of a threat against Pakistan as they are against us,” Mattis told reporters.

The US is still working with Pakistan, he said, but refrained from going into details.

“The specific individual things we’re doing are best handled in private, to ensure that we can be most productive. And that’s what we’re working now,” he said.

Mattis had travelled to Pakistan last month for talks with the top Pakistani leadership.

“There’s a campaign plan now that starts regionally. So we started thinking about India and Pakistan and Afghanistan. We reinforced some of our forces there, because we found some forces didn’t have the American advisers they needed, and the ones with advisers seemed to always win. The ones without them did not fare so well,” he said.The New York Times said Pakistan had played a double game by accepting American funding while backing militants who protect Pakistani interests in Afghanistan and Kashmir, but Trump administration cannot afford to walk away from the country.“Mr Trump is not the first to call a spade a spade...But President Trump cannot afford to walk away from Pakistan, which has often provided vital intelligence and has the world’s fastest-growing nuclear arsenal.

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Russian court rejects appeal against poll ban

MOSCOW Russia’s Supreme Court on Saturday turned down an appeal by opposition politician Alexei Navalny to overturn a controversial ruling barring him from running in the March presidential election against Vladimir Putin.On December 31, the Supreme Court upheld the Central Election Commission’s decision that Navalny cannot register as a candidate due to an embezzlement conviction which the opposition politician says is politically motivated.

Opposed only by token candidates, Putin is widely expected to win a fourth presidential term in the March election, making him he longest serving Russian leader since dictator Josef Stalin.

Russian agencies said Navalny’s campaign team will continue to seek a reversal of the ban. “We will appeal today’s Supreme Court ruling at the Presidium but also at Russia’s

Constitutional Court,” Navalny’s representative Ivan Zhdanov told Interfax news agency.

“In theory, Navalny still has a chance of taking part in the election, but in reality they are negligible,” he added.

Navalny, who has campaigned across Russia in recent months, argued earlier in front of the Central Election Commission banning him from participation would make the election illegitimate.

The ban prompted the 41 yearold protest leader to call for a poll boycott.

Navalny, who has built a sizeable campaign through his blog and YouTube on an anti-corruption platform, has called several mass rallies across Russia last year that saw a high number of young people participate.

He has called on his supporters to take to the streets again on January 28.Putin and other top Russian officials to not refer to Navalny by name.

Humans identify infected peers from a photo PARIS Human beings can spot a sick person, on a photo, a mere two hours after he or she was infected by a germ, researchers said Wednesday. Such an ability to detect infection early, and from the subtlest of facial clues, has never been demonstrated before, but is presumed to be part of a crucial survival skill called “disease avoidance”, they wrote.

“An ability to detect sick people would allow people to avoid being close to sick people, and hence minimise the risk of becoming sick if the person is a carrier of contagious disease,” study coauthor John Axelsson of Stockholm University told AFP..

The research team experimented with 16 healthy volunteers, all Caucasian. Each was given a shot of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) molecules taken from bacteria.

The LPS molecules are sterile, meaning that no live bacteria is injected. But they cause a strong immune response and flu-like symptoms that lasts a few hours - mimicking someone who is “acutely sick” and fighting off infection.

It is a method commonly used to cause infections in humans and people for experimentation purposes.

On a second occasion, each participant received a placebo or “dummy” injection.

The volunteers had their photo taken about two hours after each shot - thus once in a healthy state after receiving the placebo, and once “sick”.

Donald Trump is a world leader, Twitter won’t block him San Francisco Sidestepping once again whether Donald Trump’s tweets violates its terms of service, the micro-blogging platform has clarified that it will not block the US President’s tweets because he is a world leader.

In a blog post called “World Leaders on Twitter”, the company said on Friday that there has been a lot of discussion about political figures and world leaders on the platform.

“Blocking a world leader from Twitter or removing their controversial tweets would hide important information people should be able to see and debate,” the company said.

“It would also not silence that

leader, but it would certainly hamper necessary discussion around their words and actions.”

Twitter was not blocking Trump for his “nuclear button” tweet that stormed the social media, and many thought raised prospect of nuclear war with North Korea.

Trump declared that his nuclear button was “much bigger” and “more powerful” than North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s after the latter threatened the US about Pyongyang’s nuclear capabilities.

A number of users reported to the tweet, TechCrunch reported, with the expectation that threatening a war one is capable of starting should violate Twitter’s revised “Terms of Service”, given

the company’s recent crackdown on violent threats.

In December, Twitter began enforcing new rules around violent and hateful content posted to its platform to reduce the amount of online abuse, hate speech, violent threats and harassment associated with its service.“You may not make specific threats of violence or wish for the serious physical harm, death, or disease of an individual or group of people,” as per Twitter’s rule about violent threats.In response to Trump’s threat on Twitter, the company earlier said that it had reviewed the case and “found that there was no violation of the Twitter rules against abusive behaviour”.

Moreover, the rules do not apply to whatever Trump posts because of who he is and the “newsworthiness” of his statements, Twitter added.

In the latest blog post, the company said it reviews tweets by leaders within the political context that defines them, and enforce its rules accordingly.

“No one person’s account drives Twitter’s growth, or influences these decisions. We work hard to remain unbiased with the public interest in mind.”

After the LPS shot, some of the participants “felt very sick and others did not feel much sick at all” when their photo was taken, Axelsson explained.

Both pictures, healthy and sick, of all participants were then showed to a different group of

shortly after infection. There was thus no sneezing, coughing or other overt symptoms of sickness on display.

The results suggested that “humans have the ability to detect signs of illness in an early phase after exposure to

people, which had to rate whether the person was sick or healthy.

“The raters could correctly discriminate 13 out of 16 individuals (81 percent) as being sick,” said the study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. This was at a rate higher than predicted by pure chance alone.

Previous research had used photos of “obviously sick people” to induce disgust, anxiety and even an immune response in people, but the participants in the latest study were photographed with neutral expressions and very

infectious stimuli,” the study authors concluded. Sick individuals were rated by observers as having paler lips and skin, a more swollen face, droopier mouth corners and eyelids, redder eyes, and duller, patchier skin. The finding could “help medical doctors and computer software to better detect sick people,” said Axelsson - a potentially valuable diagnostic tool in a disease outbreak.Further study is needed to determine whether levels of infection detection are similar across diseases and ethnic groups.

Malaysia approves new search for missing flight MH370

Kuala Lumpur The Malaysian government has approved a new attempt to find the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in the Indian Ocean, the Transport Minister said Saturday.

A US based company early this week dispatched the search vessel Seabed Constructor to look for debris in the southern Indian Ocean, 3 years after the Boeing 777 disappeared on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 227 passengers and 12 crew.

The governments of Malaysia, China and Australia called off the 1,046-day official search on Jan 17 last year without solving the mystery. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s final report on the search conceded that authorities were no closer to knowing the reasons for the plane’s disappearance, or its

exact location.

“The basis of the offer from Ocean Infinity is based on no cure, no fee,” Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said Saturday. It means that payment will be made only if the company finds the wreckage.“That means they are willing to search the area of 25,000 square kilometers pointed out by the expert group near the Australian waters,” he said.However, he said, “I don’t want to give too much hope … to the (next of kin).” He said his government was committed to continue with the search.

He did not offer other details.

Ocean Infinity said in this week’s statement that the vessel, which left the South African port of Durban on Tuesday, was taking advantage of favorable weather to move toward “the vicinity of the possible search zone.”

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ISIS takes on Hamas

THE Egyptian branch of ISIS has declared war on Palestinian terrorist group Hamas for failing to stop Donald Trump from declaring Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. In a brutal propaganda video — purporting to show the execution of a Hamas affiliate — the jihadi group declared war on the Palestinian terror group, which controls much of the Gaza Strip.

Tensions between the rival terrorist organisations have spiralled since 2015, when ISIS released a video saying it would overthrow Gaza’s ‘tyrants’ for their apparent lack of religious fundamentalism. ISIS’ most recent video released on Wednesday shows the man, accused of selling weapons to Hamas, on his knees in an orange jumpsuit. In the footage the group says it had also declared war on Hamas for its crackdown on small ultra-conservative Sunni Muslim Salafi groups in Gaza. According to Site, a US monitoring agency that keeps track of jihadi platforms, the 22-minute video shows a man,

identified as Abu Kazem alMaqdisi, urging Islamic followers in Gaza to mount attacks on Hamas. Maqdisi, who is originally from Gaza but now preaches hate in Sinai, says in the footage: “(Hamas) uses its smuggled weapons to empower that which was not revealed by God. “It also fights supporters of the Islamic State in Gaza and the Sinai and prevents the migration of these supporters from Gaza to the Sinai.” Towards the end of the recording, the narrator identifies the Hamas collaborator as Musa Abu Zamat. Zamat is then shot in the back of his head at pointblank range by an Islamist hold ing a pistol, reports the International Business Times. One militant steps forward, saying: “Never surrender to them. Use explosives, silenced pistols and sticky bombs. Bomb their courts and their security locations, for these are the pillars of tyranny that prop up its throne.” The propaganda

video cuts to images of Khaled Meshaal, the former Hamas leader who stepped down in April this year, alongside Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has publicly backed the Palestinian group in recent years, providing it with missiles and funding its extensive tunnel network it uses to enter Israeli territory, reports Newsweek. Hamas has fought three wars with Israel, the last of which was in 2014. While some thought Donald Trump’s December decision to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would ignite a fourth war Hamas’ response has been muted. Jerusalem is contested ground and hosts holy shrines valuable to both Islam and Judaism. Both the US and the European Union have designated Hamas as an extremist organisation. Israel’s far-right often compares the group to ISIS for its radical interpretation of Islam. However, the group stops short of calling for Sharia law. But like ISIS, the group has carried out public execution on the streets of Gaza. It claims it only does to punish those who collaborate with its nemesis Israel. The development comes two days after a man wearing an ISIS face scarf uploaded a chilling selfie outside New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art with the caption: ‘We are in your home’.

Hafiz Saeed Slaps Rs 100 Million Defamation Notice on Pak Defence Minister Islamabad Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed has served a Rs 100 million legal notice to Pakistan’s defence minister Khurram Dastgir for ‘defamation’.

The move comes days after

proceedings under section 500 of Pakistan Penal Code punishable for two years will initiated against you,” said the notice by lawyer AK Dogar who served it on behalf of Mumbai attack

the government banned the JuD from collecting donations following US President Donald Trump’s outburst against Islamabad’s sheltering of terrorists.

“I call upon you (minister Khurram Dastgir) to send a written apology to my client (Saeed) within 14 days and seek his forgiveness and promise to be careful in future, failing which criminal

mastermind Saeed.

Pakistan banned JuD and FIF and other organisations from collecting donations on Monday, after Trump accused Islamabad of giving nothing to the US but “lies and deceit” and providing “safe haven” to terrorists.

Dastgir had said that action against JuD, Falahi-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) and other organisations

had been taken so that “terrorists cannot open fire on schoolchildren anymore”.

Dogar claimed the JuD has no nexus with Lashkar-eTaiba and the UN resolution against it is “illegal”. He alleged the minister had caused “immense damage” to the “reputation” of Saeed and JuD by issuing an “irresponsible” statement.

Dastgir had also said that Pakistan did not act against JuD and FIF under “pressure” from the US but after “serious deliberations”.

The government has banned companies and individuals from making donations to the JuD, the FIF and other organisations on the UN Security Council’s sanctions list.

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) also issued a notification prohibiting the collection of donations by the JuD, the front organisation of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, as well as several other such groups named in a list of outfits banned by the UN Security Council.

World’s hairiest girl weds the love of her life

A TEENAGER once named ‘The World’s Hairiest Girl’ has revealed that she has married the “love of her life” and now chooses to shave her face. Supatra ‘Natty’ Susuphan, 17, from the Thai capital Bangkok, has been showing off her newly hair-free face on social media in loved-up photos with her new husband.

She suffers from an extremely rare genetic condition called Ambras Syndrome, also known as Werewolf Syndrome, which is a form of hypertrichosis which causes excessive body-hair growth. Susuphan, who was named the hairiest girl in the world by Guinness World Records in 2010, has thick hair growing over her face, ears, arms, legs and back. Even laser treatment has failed to completely stop the hair growth, and she now regularly shaves her body, her father told local media. Her social media feed suggests she has found

happiness with her unnamed husband after she posted: “You’re not just my first love, you’re the love of my life.”

Susuphan is one of a few dozen known sufferers of Ambras Syndrome to be documented since the Middle Ages. Before the disease was understood, sufferers were branded ‘werewolves’, and to this day some are shunned by their communities. But while Susuphan revealed that her condition had sometimes seen her called names including Wolf Girl and Chewbacca at school, her family and friends always had her back. She previously told the Guinness World Records: “I don’t feel any different to anyone else, and I’ve got lots of friends at school... Being hairy makes me special. “There were a few people who used to tease me and call me monkey face but they don’t do it any more. “I’m very used to this condition.

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Morality thriller

R Chakravorty IDLEY Scott is back with a new film, and that makes the first Friday of 2018 special for the buffs. The man, who has routinely redefined Hollywood entertainment across genres over the decades, is out with a crime thriller that borrows its plot from one of the most intriguing kidnap sagas in real life. All The Money In The World accounts the kidnapping of teenager John Paul Getty III, which made headlines the world over in 1973.

The bizarre aspect of the incident lay in the fact that John’s grandfather J. Paul Getty was the richest man in the world at that time, and literally had all the money in the world to pay the ransom, but he refused. Getty senior’s adamant stance complicated matters, leading to a gripping end to the saga. Scott’s film recreates the drama credibly, mixing noir ingredients with newage thriller spunk. At the core of the story is Gail

Vinayak Chakravorty By

All The Money In The World Cast: Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer, Mark Wahlberg, Romain Duris, Charlie Plummer, Marco Leonardi, Timothy Hutton, Andrew Buchan, Charlie Shotwell, Giuseppe Bonifati, Kit Cranston, Maya Kelly Direction: Ridley Scott

Harris, the boy’s determined mother, played effectively by Michelle Williams. Flashbacks reveal Gail is divorced from John Paul’s father and that she rejected alimony in favour of complete custody of her children, as divorce settlement. Which means Gail has no money to afford the huge ransom when her son is kidnapped in Rome. She rushes to the Getty estate and pleads with her ex-

Quickies Short film round-up

Pressure Cooker Cast: Pallavi Joshi, Mukul Chadda, Rahul Bagga Direction: Heena D’Souza

HEENA D’Souza’s short film runs a little under 16 minutes and subtly lays bare the nuances of marital relationship. The setting is the nineties, when life in urban India was yet to be dictated by the winds of globalisation. Swati, a middle-aged homemaker (Pallavi Joshi), leads a mundane life, juggling between a marriage that does not seem to have much excitement anymore and cooking in a

father-in-law J. Paul Getty (Christopher Plummer) for the amount, but the billionaire flatly denies. It is up to Gail now, along with the enigmatic negotiator Fletcher Chace (Mark Wahlberg) to rescue the boy. David Scarpa’s writing keeps the narrative real, which lets director Scott play with characters as well as individual sequences while setting up suspense and drama. The film benefits from its rich cast. Plummer, who stepped in to essay a role originally penned for Kevin Spacey, is brilliant in exuding the coldness he imparts in order to underline how unlimited wealth can dehumanise a person.

Wahlberg gets the nuances of his role just right performances, while French actor Romain Duris is unforgettable as one of the kidnappers who protects the boy. The film works as a morality play and a taut thriller.

It kicks off the movie addicts’ year on a high note.

pressure cooker that does not function smoothly. Swati decides to get a new pressure cooker, and the gadget itself becomes a symbol of her existence, particularly her marital equation. The film puts across its story simply and is credible in the way it execute its undercurrent comment.

Pallavi Joshi is a delight to watch.

Lift Cast: Pavail Gulati, Ananya Sharma Direction: Ida Ali IMTIAZ Ali’s daughter Ida makes her debut as writerdirector with this unusual love story that runs for about 12 minutes and 30 seconds.

The story of two teenagers, Arjun (Pavail Gulati) and Tanya (Ananya Sharma), unfolds through several encounters the duo has in just one location — the lift of the apartment building where they are neighbours. Through a series of sequences in the lift, we see Arjun and Tanya meet for the first time, how they turn from friends to lovers, and what happens to the two post-separation. Then, a chance incident helps them understand their true feelings for each other.

Lift is an unconventional film, though it tends to become predictable after a while.

— Vinayak Chakravorty

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Bright Sequel With Dustin Hoffman ‘Overstepped’ During Will Smith In Works Kramer Vs Kramer Scene: Meryl Streep Bright got mixed reviews when it opened on December 22.

Ayer picked up a story with modern-day sensibilities but added mythological characters to give it a fantastical touch — while addressing real issues.

The action-thriller, which takes place in an alternate, present-day Los Angeles, tells the story of two police officers, one human, the other an orc, who get thrown in together but bond and get to know each other during a rough night. There are racial undertones, a focus on diversity as well as the class divide.

Smith along with Edgerton, Noomi Rapace and Ayer came to India to promote the film. When IANS asked about plans to helm a sequel, Ayer

said he was willing to come back to the universe of “Bright”.

“It is a big world and it was the

best experience in my career making this and if the audience want more after they see it, I definitely see myself coming back,” said the director.

Veteran actress Meryl Streep feels that her “Kramer vs Kramer” co-star Dustin Hoffman “overstepped” when he slapped her for real during a scene for the 1979 Oscar-winning film. In an interview with the New York Times, Streep said that it is tricky for an actor when it comes to shooting scenes because “you have to feel free”.

On Streep’s first day on the sets of “Kramer vs. Kramer”, the actor shot a physical scene with Hoffman where he slapped her.

When asked about the infamous incident, Streep said, “This is tricky because when you’re an actor, you’re in a scene, you have to feel free. I’m sure that I have inadvertently hurt people in physical scenes. But there’s a certain amount of forgiveness in that. But this was my first movie, and it was my first take in my first movie, and he just slapped me. And you see it in the movie.

It was overstepping.”

Cate Blanchett To Head Cannes Film Festival’s Jury

Hollywood star Cate Blanchett, a double Oscar-winner, will preside over the Cannes Film Festival’s jury this year.

Blanchett follows Pedro Almodovar, who headed the jury for the 70th edition of the

festival. “I am humbled by the privilege and responsibility of presiding over this year’s jury,” Blanchett said in a statement.

“This festival plays a pivotal role in bringing the world together to celebrate story; that strange and

Britney Spears’ California Home Sold For USD 8.1 Million

Singer Britney Spears’ former house in Calabasas, California, was sold for USD 8.1 million the most expensive property sold in the exclusive enclave in 2017.

The pop star never owned the property, instead leasing the estate, which boasts 10,000 square feet of living space, a twostorey library and a glass-bottom swimming pool. The seller was producer David Broome, who reportedly purchased the estate in 2013 for about USD 5.4 million.The second most expensive home in the enclave also has celebrity ties. The 15,000-square-foot-spread belongs to 20-year-old YouTuber Jake Paul.

vital endeavour that all peoples share, understand and crave.”

Pierre Lescure, Festival de Cannes President and Thierry Fremaux, General Delegate, said Blanchett was a “rare and unique artist” whose talent has enriched both screen and stage.

Blanchett, 48, is looking forward to attend the festival solely to watch films. “I have been to Cannes in many guises over the years; as an actress, producer, in the marketplace, the Galasphere and in Competition but never solely for the sheer pleasure of watching the cornucopia of films this great festival harbours.” Blanchett won the 2014 Oscar for best actress for her performance in Woody Allen’s “Blue Jasmine”. She had already won the best supporting actress for Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator.

“But I think those things are being corrected in this moment.

And they’re not politically corrected; they’re fixed. They will be fixed, because people won’t accept it anymore. So that’s a good thing,” Streep said. In the wake of Harvey Weinstein scandal, Hoffman was one of the actors to be accused of sexual

harassment and misconduct by women he worked with.

In an article written for The Hollywood Reporter last month, author Anna Graham Hunter opened up about her encounter with Hoffman when she was a minor. Since then more women have come forward and narrated their encounters with Hoffman.

Jessica Chastain Inspired

By The Kardashians For Molly’s Game Role

Jessica Chastain has said she based her character in Molly’s Game on reality TV personality Kim Kardashian West. The 40year-old actor took inspiration from the entrepreneur and her sisters to prep for the title role in the Aaron Sorkin-directorial debut film. “To play Molly Bloom, I thought about what women have to become in order to find power in a society where men are

making all of the rules. I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh - the Kardashians are an incredible example of women who have their own sense of entrepreneurial power.’

“And in real life, Molly looked a lot like them. For research, I actually watched Kim’s tutorial on face shading and contouring,” Chastain said, according to Contactmusic.

Johnny Galecki Says The Big Bang Theory Likely To End After 12 Seasons As ‘The Big Bang Theory’ coming to an end, Johnny Galecki says everybody’s comfortable with the show concluding after 12 seasons. During an appearance at the Television Critics Association winter press tour in Pasadena, California, Galecki said that the sitcom was most likely going to end in season 12. “The only manner in which the cast has discussed wrapping (the show) has been that we are all going to be sad when that day comes. But I think at this point, everyone’s comfortable with 12 seasons being a good time to go home and see our families,” Galecki said.

The show, which is currently in its 11th season, also stars Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco and Mayim Bialik.

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Aditi Rao Hydari To Perform At A Fundraiser In Malaysia

Aditi Rao Hydari started her acting career in 2007 with the Tamil film Sringaram. She enjoys a massive fan following in the south. In a bid to give back to the industry, the actor will raise funds for the Nadigar Sangam (also known as South Indian Artistes’ Association) building. In April last year, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan laid the foundation stone for the new building after the old headquarters was demolished in 2011. The actor will be performing at a fundraiser event in Malaysia today, which has been organised by the Nadigar

Sangam.

“When the association approached me to perform, there was no way I’d miss the opportunity,” says Hydari.

“The south industry has supported and welcomed me so warmly that I am glad I could be part of this noble initiative. I am looking forward to it,” she adds.

The estimated budget for the building that is expected to come up by September this year is R26 crore. A series of events are being held in Kuala Lumpur to collect funds for its construction.

Salman Khan On His Talent Management Firm: Will Give People A Fair Chance Months after reports of his apparent decision to launch a talent management firm hit headlines, Salman Khan tells mid-day he is indeed creating a “talent pool” for aspiring artistes.

The actor’s decision to part ways from a manager of nine years had fuelled speculation that he was venturing into creating a firm of his own. And now, referring to the rumours, Khan says, “Hiring new talent is necessary. There are so many people who come to the city and still don’t get a chance to work in films.

Sometimes, even if they do land a film, they aren’t noticed enough. The idea is to create a talent pool and give everyone a fair chance to make it big in this world.”

Among Khan’s first finds will be a female actor for his brother-inlaw Aayush Sharma’s Bollywood debut. A source says, “Salman plans to launch a female lead opposite Aayush for his debut venture, Loveratri. In order to get the work started, he has introduced an audition section on his app, BeingInTouch, where people can send videos showcasing their talents.”

Casting director Mukesh Chhabra, says the source, will play a vital role in this venture,

even taking the “final call” on giving the nod to aspirants.

“There will also be seasoned casting veterans on board, who will spot talent and hone their skills.” In order to connect with a wider audience, the team will encourage responses from social media platforms as well, says the source. Apart from scouting acting talent, Khan will also encourage works by musicians. “He will curate a music bank comprising works of aspiring composers. He may decide to use those songs in his forthcoming projects.”

Senior members of Khan’s production house, Salman Khan Films, will share their expertise

to enhance this venture. “The team is finalising a location for the creation of an office where members of SKF will take charge of the company’s new wing.

Salman will overlook the day-today affairs.”

Given that Khan has played a vital role behind launching successful faces like Katrina Kaif and Sonakshi Sinha, this new venture comes as a natural progression.

“As a superstar, he wants to create a new line-up of stars for the industry.” This development comes close on the heels of the actor’s decision to open the doors of his production house to writers and directors, who wish to venture into tele production.

Arbaaz Khan: There Are Only Advantages Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi Actress Payal Ghosh Is Making Organic Soaps Now Of Being Salman’s Brother He is born to veteran screenwriter Salim Khan and has superstar Salman Khan as his big brother, but Arbaaz Khan says the stardom of his kin has not overshadowed his career. The 50year-old actor-director said getting recognised as Salman’s brother does not bother him and it only acts as an advantage. “I don’t think (it has bothered me) ever. There are only advantages of being Salim Khan’s son, Salman Khan’s brother and coming from a known family,” Arbaaz told PTI. The actor said, ”The fact that I could never make it to the level that I should have was because I was under pressure or under the shadow of my father or brother. I think those are just excuses.” Arbaaz said he is aware that there is a certain baggage of expectations when a person comes a famous family but he has taken it in his stride. “There is a pressure. People look at you differently. But you’ve got to move on. I look at all that has happened to me because of my family as an advantage rather

than the disadvantage. It has more pros than cons.”

After an acting career of more than a decade, Arbaaz ventured into film production between 2009 and 2014. He took a sabbatical from acting as he produced films like Dabangg, Dabangg 2 - which he also directed - and Dolly Ki Doli.

He, however, said acting is something he enjoys the most. “For me, acting is something I am passionate about. I am someone who wants to be known for who I am. If I wanted to just make money, I would’ve chosen some other profession. I know there are insecurities in being an actor. There are certain compromises you need to make, but they are all worth it.

The perks of being recognised are something else,” he said. Arbaaz is currently awaiting the release of his next Nirdosh, in which he plays a cop investigating a murder. The thriller, directed by Pradeep Rangwani and Subroto Paul, also features Manjari Fadnis, Ashmit Patel, Maheck Chahal and Mukul Dev. Nirdosh is scheduled to be released on January 19.

Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi (2017) actor Payal Ghosh has a new hobby - making organic soaps. She happened to stumble upon a website, which explained the process in quick, easy steps.

What began as a lark has now turned into a profitable venture.

The actor uses herbs, flowers, clays and essential oils to make soaps. She began by gifting the handmade soaps to family members and is now widening her reach.

Saif Ali Khan To Face A Clash With Steven Spielberg And Tom Hanks Actor Saif Ali Khan will face a clash with Hollywood actor Tom Hanks.

Both their films will be releasing in India on the same date i.e 12th January 2018. Saif Ali Khan’s next release Kaalakandi will face a clash with Tom Hanks starrer ‘The Post’.

Steven Spielberg’s next directorial ‘The Post’ is releasing in India on 12th January 2018 which has Tom Hanks in lead role.

‘The Post’ is a thrilling drama about the unlikely partnership of

Katharine Graham (Streep), the first female publisher of The Washington Post, and its driven editor Ben Bradlee (Hanks), as they race to catch up with The New York Times to expose a massive cover-up of government secrets that spanned three decades and four U.S. Presidents. Saif Ali Khan is known for his offbeat roles in his films, the actor had given a power-packed performance in his previous acclaimed black comedy

film ‘Being Cyrus’ and now his next release Kaalakaandi is again a Bollywood Black Comedy written and directed by Akshat Verma.

On the other hand, Tom Hanks is one of the biggest global stars and is known for his performances in his films, he is all set to amaze the audience with ‘The Post’. The Post has already opened to phenomenal reviews in the USA where the film was released.

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MURDER MOST FOUL CCTV footage shows young Rajkot professor taking his ailing mother to the building rooftop, where police say he may have pushed her over

IN a shocking incident, a Rajkot college professor reportedly pushed his mother to death in cold blood from the fourth floor of their apartment building. The incident took place on September 27, but the son and his wife passed off her death as suicide.

Following an anonymous call, the police re-examined the CCTV footage collected from the building at the time of incident, which is when the gruesome act of murder came to light. Sandeep Nathwani, about 40 years old, is now accused of murdering his 63-year-old mother, Jayshree, by pushing her off the terrace of their fourstorey residence building, Rameshwar Park. The motive of the murder is being cited as the fights he and his wife were having over the nursing care Jayshree needed after suffering a brain hemorrhage, which left her partially paralysed. Her

mobility was restricted and she needed assistance for her ablutions as well. One of her leg was completely paralysed and she needed assistance to move about. On the ill-fated day, Sandeep dragged his mother on to the terrace and pushed her over a 4-ft wall. Images captured in the CCTV show Sandeep and his mother calmly leaving the flat and his wife closing the door behind them. A few minutes later, Sandeep returns home, opens the door of his flat, and closes it. A few seconds later, neighbours are heard informing the Nathwani family that their mother has fallen down. Although the son immediately rushed down, his wife emerged several minutes later. This, and the fact that the wife closed the door after the son and the mother left, has also put her in the net of doubt. “We believe it was a wellplanned

cold blooded murder. The CCTV footage is incriminating. Sandeep has been admitted in hospital with chest pain. We will soon take him in custody and interrogate him for further understanding of how he planned the murder and if his wife or anyone else was involved,” deputy commissioner of police, Rajkot, Karanraj Vaghela said. “At the moment he has said she was not aware of the plan. She could not come out immediately after the incident because she was taking care of their two-year-old child,” Vaghela added.

Vaghela further said that they could not explain how an aged woman, who was completely immobile, could climb a 4-ft high parapet to commit suicide. “Sandeep said he used to take his mother to the terrace to do suryanamaskar. That day after taking her, he had come down to get

a glass of water. In that time, his mother has jumped off. But the CCTV footage did not show him coming down for water. It only showed him come down alone after the mother had fallen down as we checked the time on the CCTV closely,” Vaghela explained. Neighbours and friends told INDIA TODAY TV that loud arguments and bitter fights were a regular feature in the Nathwani household. “Even after the incident, the fights continued. We do believe it was a very well-planned murder because it must have taken him a lot of effort to take her up and throw her down,” a neighbour, who did not wish to be named, told INDIA TODAY TV. “Generally one would have lost his nerve going around with such intent. But he did not lose it,” the neighbour added.

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Lure Of Murthal Parants Kills Powerlifters Five athletes dead and another injured in car crash while on the way to a dhaba to celebrate the birthday of a victim

AN intended birthday celebration ended in tragedy on Sunday as five powerlifters from a northwest Delhi neighbourhood died while another was injured in a car crash at the border with Haryana. Among those killed was Saksham Yadav, who won

Bitcoin illegal, says Egypt’s grand mufti EGYPT’S grand mufti Shawqi Allam has declared the trading of the digital currency Bitcoin unlawful — issuing an official fatwa and warning it could be used by terrorists. The theological leader, who is the country’s official interpreter for the religion, issued the fatwa because the trading of it could be used for criminal exchanges. Allam added that it could provide ‘stable and secure financial resources for terrorists and criminal groups’. Bitcoin, launched in 2009 and based on a peer-topeer payment system, poses “high risks to individuals and states”, Allam said in a published ruling. Suggesting his decision to declare a fatwa was based on discussions with economic experts, he concluded bitcoin is not permissible as it undermines the state — a central feature in Islamic sharia. Minting and issuing currency is an “absolute right” of monetary institutions and “one of the most specific functions of the state,” said the country’s official interpreter of Islamic law. Bitcoin is a virtual currency created from computer code. It and other virtual currencies use blockchain, which records transactions that are updated in real time on an online ledger and maintained by a network of computers.

a gold medal for India at the World Championship in Moscow last year. The men were on their way to a dhaba at Murthal village in Haryana’s Sonepat district in search of paranthas. Sources say the Maruti Swift Dzire sedan they were travelling in was going at 130kmph when the driver lost control. Officials at the Alipur police station believe a deadly cocktail of speed, alcohol and fog on the highway triggered the crash. Apart from Saksham, those killed have been identified as Tikamchand, Yogesh, Harish, and Saurabh. While the

others died on the spot, Saksham was taken to AIIMS where he succumbed to his injuries. Another person injured, identified as Rohit, is also in critical condition and admitted at Satyawadi Raja Harish Chandra Hospital in Narela.

All the victims were close friends and practised together.

“It was Tikamchand’s birthday on Saturday and they wanted to celebrate the occasion. They had a liquor party in Delhi for the entire night and then decided to go to Murthal to make the birthday a memorable one,” said

an investigating officer in the case. The car crashed into the pavement of Delhi-Chandigarh national highway (GT Road). The bonnet hit the ground and the roof struck three steel pillars and the vehicle tumbled over at least six times before coming to a stop. A police team reached the spot about half an hour after the accident around 4am. The impact of the crash was such that body parts of some of the victims and the car were strewn all over the area. All of them were first taken to the hospital in Narela and then referred to Max hospital in Shalimar Bagh and AIIMS. “The victims are residents of Timarpur’s Sanjay Basti and Saksham Yadav was a prominent powerlifter with international fame. The others participated in amateur events,” the investigating official said.

The area is notorious for such accidents involving patrons of the paranthas. Four allegedly drunk teenagers returning from Murthal were injured on November 7 last year after their car rammed into a road divider.

They had gone to have the famed paranthas of the Haryana locality, about 50 km from Delhi.

On June 4, 2016, six friends travelling in an SUV rammed into a stationary truck from behind early in the morning at GT Road in another fatal crash. A trip with four friends to Murthal to eat the paranthas on his birthday proved to be the last trip for 22-year-old businessman Rajesh Bhatia on January 21, 2012. The car they were travelling in crashed into a roadside tree in outer Delhi’s Narela. “I was informed about the accident at 6 in the morning through a call made by the police. As all of them (victims) are residents of the same lane, the shockwave spread like a flash,” said Rakesh Kumar, Harish’s cousin. He added that Harish was practising hard to participate in a state-level powerlifting champion ship. “Saurabh was the sole earner of the family. He was running the house after his father died five years ago and his elder brother separated from the family,” said Saurabh’s mother Chanchal Kashyap.

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Painting the town

black!

21

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MELANIA WAS IN TEARS First lady fiercely denies claims that she wept when Trump swept to victory as sensational new book says the couple sleeps in separate bedrooms and that he demanded a lock on his door THE first lady’s spokeswoman is forcefully pushing back at author Michael Wolff’s account of Melania Trump’s reaction to her husband winning the

presidency. In excerpts from Wolff ‘s dishy new book “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House”, then future FLOTUS was visibly upset on election night as things turned around for the Trump campaign. “Melania was in tears — and not of joy,”

Wolff wrote. The author also noted that it looked like Donald Trump “had seen a ghost”, according to the excerpt published by New York

Magazine. According to Wolff, the idea was that Trump would win by losing. “Once he lost, Trump would be both insanely famous and a martyr to crooked Hillary,” the author wrote. And it wouldn’t work out well just for Trump. His daughter Ivanka and

her husband Jared Kushner would be “international celebrities” after the campaign, while his campaign’s chief strategist Steve Bannon would become “the de facto head of the tea-party movement”. Kellyanne Conway, Trump’s campaign manager, would go on to be a “cable-news star”, Wolff wrote.

“Melania Trump, who had been assured by her husband that he wouldn’t become president, could return to inconspicuously lunching,” Wolff said. The women of the Trump White House pushed back against many of the book’s assertions, including that Melania Trump had cried. ‘MELANIA “The book is clearly going to be sold in the bargain fiction section,” began the first lady’s communications director Stephanie Grisham.

“Mrs Trump supported her husband’s decision to run for president and in fact, encouraged him to do so,”

Has Imran married again, this time his spiritual guide?

PAKISTANI opposition leader Imran khan has married for the third time at a secret ceremony on the night of new year’s day in Lahore, TheNews.com.pk has reported. It says that the former cricket star tied the knot with his spiritual guide, who has not been named. The report has been strenuously denied by member of Khan’s PTI party. The covert wedding ceremony was reported to have been carried out by Mufti Saeed, a member of the core committee of Khan’s PTI party.

He also conducted the wedding of Khan to former BBC weather lady Reham Khan in January 2015. The News report says the ceremony took place in Sector

Y of Defence Housing Authority, Lahore, at the residence of a close confidante of the bride who also happens to be a friend of a PTI leader. However senior members of the PTI insist the newspaper’s report is untrue and that Khan remains a single man following his divorce from Reham Khan in October 2015. The party’s chief whip Shireen Mazari termed the report “ridiculous” and “pathetic”, accusing Khan’s “detractors” of making up stories about his marriage now that they could not accuse him of corruption.

Khan was last month cleared by

the Supreme Court of Pakistan of failing to declare his assets.

The PTI’s political secretary Awn Chaudhry also took to Twitter to vehemently deny the report, saying that he had “categorically denied the veracity of this planted gossip”. Chaudhry was alleged by The News to have attended the wedding ceremony, information which it says has been confirmed by multiple sources. The paper says that the man who presided over the marriage, Mufti Saeed, was “more hesitant to issue any denial”. “The News first approached him on Thursday night to confirm the veracity of information,” it reports. “I will not say anything on this matter. Please accept my apology,’ it quoted him as saying accusing him of parroting the same line he did when approached after Imran’s marriage with Reham Khan”. Imran Khan first tied the knot with Jemima Khan in May 1995. But that ended in divorce after nine years in June 2004.

His second marriage to Reham Khan lasted only 10 months.

Grisham said in a statement put out Wednesday. “She was confident he would win and was very happy when he did.” The book also says Melania Trump seemed “on the verge of tears” during her husband’s inauguration. More broadly, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the tome was “filled with false and misleading accounts from individuals who have no access or influence with the White House”. “Participating in a book that can only be described as trashy tabloid fiction exposes their sad desperate attempts at relevancy,” Huckabee Sanders said of Wolff’s sources. Melania Trump delayed moving to Washington in 2017 until son Barron was out of school for the summer and since taking over

the role of first lady has participated sporadically in public events. The book also insinuates that the president and first lady have separate bedrooms, being the first, first couple to do so since John and Jackie Kennedy. Trump, Wolff said, wanted a lock for his room, much to the chagrin of the Secret Service. One of the key sources for the book was former Bannon, who the president is now “furious” and “disgusted” by, according to Huckabee Sanders. The press secretary also suggested that Bannon would no longer be invited socially to the White House.

“Since those are controlled by the first lady, I think her statement is pretty clear on her position as well,” Huckabee Sanders said.

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THERESA May’s hopes of a Brexit trade deal with the US could be wrecked if Donald Trump is not invited to the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, author of Fire and Fury Michael Wolff on the president has warned. Trump will only honour the special relationship if he “gets what he wants” — and would resent a royal wedding snub, according to Wolff wrote. He also claimed Trump would abuse his planned state visit to Britain by “Trumpalising” the Queen, hogging the limelight and treating her as though she is on one of his reality TV shows. The comments were made by Wolff in his first British newspaper interview since Trump reacted with rage to the book. Speaking to The Mail on Sunday, Wolff made fresh astonishing claims about the president’s mental state, saying some officials believed the 71-year-old had learning disabilities or even dementia. Others thought he could have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, a mental disorder often associated with children.

Wolff revealed how Trump is so ignorant about the UK that he “had no idea what Brexit was’”as late as two weeks before the referendum in 2016.

And he stood by his account of Tony Blair’s secret visit to the White House – first revealed by this newspaper in March last year. He dismissed Blair’s denial last week that he told Mr Trump MI6 may have spied on him.

Wolff said the allegation came from Trump himself, and claimed the former PM had been trying to “curry favour” with the new president. Award-winning political writer Wolff, 64, said he had been “astounded” by the global impact of his book, which was based on months inside the White House West Wing and interviews with more than 200 people, including Trump and his

former chief strategist Steve Bannon. The White House has described the book as “complete fantasy”. After a failed last-ditch

legal bid to ban its publication, Trump on Saturday maintained his Twitter war of words with Wolff, branding him a “total loser”. But a defiant Wolff stuck to his guns in an interview with The Mail on Sunday. He warned May’s controversial offer of a state visit to Britain, made weeks after Trump was elected, could backfire. It was seen as a bid to woo him into giving Britain a lucrative post Brexit Anglo-US trade deal. But Wolff claimed Trump sees it purely as an opportunity to show off and outshine the Queen: “He sees the Queen in reality TV show

terms. That’s the Trump modus operandi. He will try to ‘Trumpalise’ the Queen and Buckingham Palace.” And there could be more trouble if he is not on the guest list for the royal wedding in May. “He doesn’t like being snubbed and wants to be the centre of attention all the time,” said Wolff. “Trump’s foreign policy doctrine is simple: you Brits suck up to him and enlist in whatever geopolitical fantasy he has going, he’ll give you what you want – though only if it doesn’t hurt him. It is not so much vengeance, rather ‘you flatter me and I’ll flatter you.” However, it is thought to be unlikely that Trump will be invited to the wedding, not least because Prince Harry recently conducted a fawning interview with Barack Obama.

Markle is also a big fan of Trump’s defeated rival Hillary Clinton. Wolff revealed how the US President had little regard for the much-vaunted special relationship between the two nations: “If the Brits give him what he wants he will value Brits.”

‘IQ and not looks attracts 1 in 10 youths’ IT seems that, for some, looks and personality really don’t matter. Nearly one in ten people find intelligence to be the most attractive feature in a partner — a trait known as sapiosexuality. This is according to a new study that found men are just as likely as women to identify as sapiosexual, and an IQ of 120 was found to be the ideal level of intelligence. Researchers from the University of Western Australia (UWA) looked at the romantic and sexual preferences of 383 people, aged between 18 and 35.

While most showed no significant sexual inkling towards intelligence, a small group of people responded strongly to the trait. The author of the study, Dr Gilles Gignac from the school of Psychological Science at UWA,

believes this suggests sapiosexualism is a genuine sexual orientation that exists in a small subset of the population. Dr Gignac said in the study: “The emergence of the popular culture notion of a sapiosexual, an individual who finds high levels of intelligence (IQ) the most sexually attractive characteristic in a person, suggests that a high IQ may be a genuinely sexually attractive trait, at least for some people.” The participants were asked to rate, on a scale of one to five, how sexually arousing they found certain statements.

“Listening to someone speak very intelligently arouses me sexually” and “It would excite me sexually to have an intellectually stimulating conversation with a potential partner” were two of the statements.

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It’s best to look at new directions, be open to fresh opportunities and be ready to restructure plans. Business projects suddenly take a turn as new situations develop. Ego stands should be avoided as they only bring trouble and conflict. Do not be afraid to make changes even if they look scary. Rescheduling routines can bring fresh energy and interest. You may feel vulnerable and sensitive emotionally so be gentle and caring about yourself and others. Relationships with children change as they grow up and make independent decisions. Personal relationships are transformed beyond your expectations.

You make important professional decisions in the work area with your experience, wisdom and understanding. You gain respect and trust of people who matter. You bring order and neatness in chaotic spaces and situations this week. Your wisdom is tested when you make important decisions for the family and break through negative emotional patterns in personal or family relationships. An important decision can affect your future happiness and loving relationship. You are ready to be yourself and follow your own truth rather than fulfil expectations of others.

Your light attitude and sense of humour creates a happy mood wherever you go. Unexpected events, surprises and visitors are on the cards! It’s important to make quick decisions when new opportunities come your way; procrastination or delay may be disastrous at this time. You may need to hasten and complete old jobs or commitments in order to prepare for new projects and opportunities. You are likely to hear some good news especially if you are waiting for it. Drop whatever is already gone from your life as new opportunities come out of the blue. Meditate to find real harmony and bliss.

Looking at who is important in your life and what is meaningful in your work will make it easier to make decisions and take a stand. It is time for some clear thinking about business and professional matters or there might be confusion and chaos. You are likely to flow into the new current for the future and take a definite step towards new commitments. Your way to approach your goals may be different and differ from others but don’t be too concerned, as following your own heart and listening to your inner wisdom brings success. You grow through this time of change.

Fine tune energies to remain balanced, centered and achieve a healthy state of mind, body and spirit. You feel depleted after putting out tremendous energy towards conflicts and resolutions. Some social obligations have to be met. You can stop feeling guilty or unworthy rather regain self-esteem and dignity; the transformation will help you to be yourself, relaxed and natural without any political, complicated games to play. It’s best not to give into depression or a feeling of insecurity as situations and difficult relationships change by themselves, given a bit of time and space.

Your heart Chakra is energized and there is a feeling of goodwill, luxury, love and friendship around you. However, don’t delude yourself about certain professional situations. Old fears don’t get you and you are more adventurous and free. You have the time and inclination to be involved in artistic or aesthetic ventures. Good fortune takes you where you want to go and what you do is enhanced in a positive way. You may get a bit bored with routines and schedules so take frequent breaks and meditate on your priorities and preferences. A loved one can inspire you to take a courageous step.

You are likely to get back to fitness routines and diet programs to enhance health and energy. A media splash or coverage enhances your public image. You can attempt difficult tasks, resolve complicated issues and connect with unapproachable people. A vain and presumptuous person can disrupt plans, be aware! Like the waves in the ocean you go through ups and downs in life, which are both to be experienced and celebrated. You express true feelings, ideas and plans without being afraid of consequences. You have so much to give and share that you naturally draw others towards you.

You support people, values and causes with loyalty and zeal. You can be stressed while meeting family’s expectations and approval. Your strong spirit supports you through changes. You stand up for justice and honesty to gain respect and admiration. Don’t be afraid to use your authority and position of power, however, remain receptive and flexible to maintain partnerships and collaborations. An established personal relationship flowers and grows as you find freedom and balance therein. The body needs to be aware as old health problems or addictions can get you again. Be in touch with your sense of humour.

Professional power and authority is vested in you to organize and achieve important targets and goals. You attract the right people and opportunities to move forward in business. You socialize with glitterati, important and interesting people. You are compassionate and generous with family, friends and associates, drawing respect and sometimes envy from them.

Sharing and enjoying the little joys of life is as important as achieving great professional success to retain balance and harmony in your life. New beginnings are on the cards as attitudes, priorities and situations change!

It’s time to take a gamble or quantum leap as Lady Luck is with you.

Unexpected happenings can throw you temporarily but prove to be gainful in the long run.

You are able to make breakthroughs in ongoing conflicts and repetitive patterns at work. Your focus and thinking change and you update systems and machinery. One has to flow with the river of life as it is taking you where it has to. You get away from restrictions and limitations to move into new ventures and relationships. Centre within and watch this development of positive and gainful changes in personal and professional aspects.

You have an opportunity this week to share your love, joy and laughter with others and feel even more fulfilled than you were. Everything seems to be coming together now in loving relationships and creative activity as you integrate inner resources and outer forces. You are blessed as you deal with negativity and other bad elements with a firm and just stance. Since you are centered and strong you are now in a formidable position of power and authority this week. You look at all aspects of your life to energize and bring back fresh vitality. Take important decisions and begin new ventures.

The Body brings your awareness and focus to health, fitness and diet this week. It’s time to look at old patterns, habits or attitudes and make a breakthrough. Resolve financial and legal matters with advice and support from professionals and specialists. You need to value and respect established relationships and business partnerships as they stand by you in times of stress and trouble. You may have to play the role of consultant and advisor or the father figure for people other than your own children for some time. It’s time to act upon your feelings and express your creativity.

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Technology BSNL launches Aadhaar-based India’s first bitcoin online SIM verification service trading app launched for NRIs, elderly: How it works

New Delhi State-run telecom firm BSNL on Thursday rolled out Aadhaarbased online verification of mobile connections for nonresident Indians, senior citizens above 70 years and physically challenged persons.

“Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has introduced simplified reverification process for...NRI, senior citizens and physically challenged persons.

This web based application can be used from the comfort of

home...,” the company said in a statement.

The service can be used by senior citizens above 70 years as on January 1, 2018, physically challenged people and non- resident Indians (NRI) who do not have Aadhaar number or have the biometric ID but their mobile number is not registered with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).

How it works The BSNL customer in the

eligible category can reverify his mobile number through the company’s website where the link for the process is given.

They need to sign in or sign up and fill up the details and upload required documents.

“To link up and accept the details submitted by you, it is mandatory that the details submitted are to be confirmed by a trustee to complete the task,” BSNL says on its website.

You can enter your existing mobile number and then the one-time password sent on that number.

Once the online process is complete, the entered details will be sent for verification to the local circle administration.

If the circle administrator verifies or approves the details, an SMS will be sent to the customer about successful completion of re-verification process, as per the details available on BSNL website.

New Delhi At a time when bitcoins are in focus for all the wrong reasons, cryptocurrency dealer Pluto Exchange on Thursday announced the launch of India‘s first mobile application for transacting in the virtual currency.

At a press conference here, Pluto Exchange Founder and Chief Executive Bharat Verma said that his company is all set to launch the country‘s first app-based wallet that enables bitcoin transactions using a mobile number.

“The Pluto Exchange mobile app offers a solution to the coordination problem between payment processors, financial gateways and banks,” Verma said.

“All other apps already in the market do transactions using bitcoin addresses, which are long and prone to error while copying. Pluto Exchange will change this scenario by enabling

transactions using mobile numbers only, which are just 10 digits,” he said.

Until now using a four-digit personal identification number (PIN), users could buy, sell, store and spend bitcoins via a mobile number, Verma added.

Elaborating, he said the app

would permit a range of transactions, including payments, remittances, business-to-business commerce, supply chain finance, asset management and trading.

He also said that the Reserve Bank of India was concerned about the use of cash for dealing in virtual currencies, whose values have turned volatile of late.

Whatsapp no longer Soon, you can share Instagram working on these phones Stories as WhatsApp Status

New Delhi Popular messaging platform WhatsApp has withdrawn support from certain platforms from December 31. WhatsApp has now stopped working for people using BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry 10, Windows Phone 8.0 and older.

WhatsApp has said that it will not work on ‘Nokia S40‘ after December 2018. Also, Android OS version 2.3.7 and older will also stop functioning after February 1, 2020.

WhatsApp wrote in a blog, “These platforms don’t offer the kind of capabilities we need to expand our app’s features in the future. If you use one of these affected mobile devices, we recommend upgrading to a newer OS version, or to a newer Android running OS 4.0+, iPhone running iOS 7+, or

Windows Phone 8.1+ so that you can continue using WhatsApp.” “Once you have one of these devices, simply install WhatsApp and verify your phone number on the new device. Keep in mind that WhatsApp can only be activated with one phone number on one device at a time,” it added.

WhatsApp said that there is currently no option to transfer your chat history between platforms. However, it will provide the option to send your chat history attached to an email.

The following platforms are no longer supported: Android versions older than 2.3.3 Windows Phone 7 iPhone 3GS/iOS 6 Nokia Symbian S60

New Delhi Facebook is conducting a small test of a new feature that will allow users to post their Instagram “Stories” directly as WhatsApp Status. As the concept of ‘Stories’ works, these posts including photos, videos and GIFs will disappear after 24 hours.

“An Instagram Story posted as a WhatsApp Status also becomes encrypted like the rest of WhatsApp,” TechCrunchreported on Wednesday.

“We are always testing ways to improve the experience on Instagram and make it easier to share any moment with the people who matter to you,” a Facebook spokesperson was quoted as saying.

The latest test comes shortly after Facebook updated its Stories feature on its platform, allowing users to shareInstagram Stories directly to Facebook Stories. The option to syndicate Instagram Stories to Facebook Stories is available for US users and will be officially rolled out for everyone around the world.

Integration of Instagram Stories

with WhatsApp Status could be another blow to Snapchat which has been struggling to compete with Facebook.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced that ‘Instagram Stories’ and ‘WhatsApp Status’ both now have 300 million daily active users.

The features, which are the clones of rival app Snapchat, now boast numbers almost

twice the size of Snapchat that has 173 million daily active users.

Late last month, Instagram rolled out a new feature that showed “recommended posts” to users. While some users criticised the feature, Instagram said that these posts are based on “posts liked by accounts you follow. You can choose to temporarily hide Recommended for You posts.”

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Baba hits the rocks with ‘fake’ letters

SCORES of letters confiscated at the ashram run by Baba Virendra Dev Dixit have come under the scanner of the Delhi High Court (HC). The court was informed that the letters — written with a motive to shield the accused from any action taken by authorities concerned — made allegations of sexual harassment levelled by ashram inmates against own relatives.

Even the inspection committee formed by the Delhi HC, comprising Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal, and advocates Ajay Verma and Nandita Rao, admitted that the language and pattern of writing in the letters were almost identical. The bench of acting Chief Justice Geeta Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar observed: “It is difficult,

if not impossible, to believe scores of women living under one roof levelling similar allegations — all against close relatives. The fact that these complaints have all been bunched up, and were under the control and possession of the ashram casts doubt on their veracity.” The members of the inspection committee told the court that these complaints might have been lodged to prevent people from getting any trace of their relatives in the ashram. The HC has also given the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) a month’s time to find out the whereabouts of Virendra Dev Dixit. The court said that while it will not interfere in any genuine, legitimate and honest spiritual activity, it will also “not

countenance any fraudulent or illegal activity”. On Thursday, both the counsel for the ashram and the alleged close aide of Dixit, Deepak d’Silva, refused to have any knowledge about the whereabouts of the accused.

The bench also said that the entire organisation was run and managed by Dixit and arguments to the contrary by

cases in connection with the alleged illegal confinement of girls and women, and rape at an ashram run by self-styled godman Virendra Dev Dixit in the Capital’s Rohini area. The two cases against Dixit were of alleged rape and criminal intimidation, while one case is against unidentified people for allegedly obstructing the work of

the ashram’s lawyer were “falsified” by information on the website as well as YouTube videos. DCW chief Maliwal told the court that during the inspection at five other ashrams across Delhi, the team had found some literature that had objectionable contents. The CBI on Wednesday registered three

an HCappointed committee, which went to the ashram on December 19 last year. The court was hearing a PIL filed by NGO Foundation for Social Empowerment that informed the court that several minors and women were allegedly illegally confined at Rohini’s ‘spiritual university’.

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China tightens North Korea trade limits under UN sanctions Beijing China on Friday tightened limits on critically important energy supplies to North Korea and stepped up other trade restrictions under intensified UN nuclear sanctions.

Beijing said it will limit exports

of crude oil and refined petroleum to the North. Previous curbs didn’t apply to crude oil, which makes up the bulk of China’s energy exports to the North.

China accounts for nearly all of Pyongyang’s energy supplies and trade, making its enforcement key to sanctions aimed at discouraging leader Kim Jong Un from pursuing nuclear and missile technology.

The Security Council tightened sanctions on the North following its ballistic missile test on Nov. 29.Beijing was long Pyongyang’s diplomatic protector but has supported the UN sanctions out of frustration with what Chinese leaders see as their neighbour’s increasingly reckless behaviour.Despite the loss of almost all trade, the impoverished North has pressed ahead with weapons development that Kim’s regime sees as necessary for its survival

in the face of US pressure.

China has steadily increased economic pressure on Pyongyang while calling for dialogue to defuse the increasingly acrimonious dispute with US President Donald Trump’s government.

On Friday, a foreign ministry spokesman applauded news of possible talks between the North and South Korea’s government.

“We welcome the recent positive turn of events in the peninsular situation,” said spokesman Geng Shuang at a regular briefing held before the latest trade curbs were announced.Geng expressed hope “all relevant parties” would take advantage of the upcoming Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, to “bring the issue back to the correct track of peaceful settlement through dialogue and consultation.”In the same briefing, Geng said China’s government would “deal seriously” with violators of U.N. sanctions on North Korea after a South Korean newspaper said Chinese-owned ships registered abroad regularly traded oil to the North.

Analysts see North Korea’s need

Sikh group in UK seeks to ban Indian govt officials from entering gurdwaras

London A prominent Sikh group in the UK wants to ban Indian officials from entering gurdwaras in the country, alleging that they are “interfering” in the internal matters of the Sikh community.

“Sikhs in the diaspora are fed up with Indian government officials and their agents increasingly interfering in our institutions and Sikh affairs, undermining of Sikh campaigns for greater rights and internal matters of the Sikh community,” said Bhai Amrik Singh, the chair of the Sikh

Federation (UK).

Indian authorities also target Sikhs from the diaspora when they visit India, Singh said, citing the case of UK national Jagtar Singh Johal who was arrested for his alleged role in targeted killings in Punjab.Johal, who got married last month, was apprehended from Jalandhar in connection with the target killing.The draft declaration by the UK’s Sikh Federation states that anyone in their personal capacity can pay their respects to the Sikh holy scriptures.

for Chinese oil as the most powerful economic leverage against Pyongyang. But Chinese leaders have warned against taking drastic measures that might destabilize Kim’s government or send a wave of refugees fleeing into China.

Chinese leaders have resisted previous US demands for an outright oil embargo but went along with the latest limits.

Under the new restrictions, Chinese companies will be allowed to export no more than 4 million barrels of oil and 500,000 barrels of refined petroleum products per year.

They are barred from supplying the North’s military or weapons programs.

The new measures also ban sales of steel, industrial machinery and vehicles. The Commerce Ministry said imports of North Korean food, machinery and some other goods will be banned.

In September, North Korean businesses in China were ordered to close by this month, cutting off an important supply of foreign currency. Most North Koreans who work in factories and other Chinese businesses have been sent home.

Chinese officials complain their country bears the cost of enforcement, which they say has hurt businesses in its northeast.

Previous sanctions banned sales of natural gas to North Korea and purchases of the North’s textile exports, another key revenue source. China also has banned imports of North Korean coal, iron and lead ore and seafood since early September.

Indian arrested for sexually assaulting passenger on US flight

Washington A 34-year-old Indian national has been arrested in the US for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman sitting next to him while on a flight from Las Vegas to Detroit, according to a media report.Prabhu Ramamoorthy was charged with aggravated sexual abuse and held without bail after an appearance in federal court in Michigan on Thursday, Washington Post reported.

Ramamoorthy is accused of abusing a 22-year-old sitting in a window seat next to him, while his wife was on his other side, on a flight from Las Vegas to Detroit on Wednesday.

The victim told investigators that she woke up to find her pants and shirt unbuttoned and the man’s hand inside her pants.

The victim went to the back of the plane to report the incident to a flight attendant, the criminal complaint was quoted as saying by the report.

Ramamoorthy was arrested after the plane landed, according to court documents.

He said in a written statement that he had taken a pill and fallen

into a deep sleep, and that he hadn’t done anything.

Magistrate Judge R Steven Whalen, who said it was a “very unusual case”, ordered Ramamoorthy to be held pending trial after the Federal prosecutor successfully argued that he was a flight risk and a potential danger to others around him.

The prosecutor said that Ramamoorthy’s wife, who was also living in the United States on a temporary visa, would not make a suitable custodian for him.

“It seems that she’s either colluding with the defendant to cover up his actions or she’s completely oblivious to what he did,” the prosecutor argued.

Ramamoorthy’s lawyer, Richard O’ Neill, had offered to turn over his client’s passport. He said Ramamoorthy had worked as a project manager at a technology group for about two and a half years.

Stephen Schuler, a spokesman for Spirit Airlines, said that it was cooperating with law enforcement on the incident.

Mother sues dentist son to repay tuition TAIPEI Taiwan’s top court has ordered a man to pay his mother almost $1m for raising him and funding his dentistry training.

The mother signed a contract with her son in 1997, when he was 20 years old, stating he would pay her 60% of his monthly income after qualifying.

She took him to court after he refused to pay her for several years.The son argued it was wrong to demand a financial return for raising a child, but the court ruled the contract valid. He has been ordered to make back payments, as well as interest, to his mother. The mother, identified only by her surname Luo, raised both her sons after she and her husband divorced.

Ms Luo said she had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars funding both her sons through dentistry school, but became worried they would be unwilling to care for her in old age.

Subsequently, she signed a contract with both of them stipulating they would pay her a portion of their earnings as repayments for the school fees, up to a total of $1.7m.

The elder son reached an

agreement with his mother and settled the contract for a smaller amount, local media report.

However, the younger son, identified by his last name Chu, argued that he was very young

clinic for years after graduating and had helped her make more than the amount he was now ordered to pay her.

A Supreme Court spokeswoman told the BBC the judges had

when he signed the agreement, and the contract should be considered invalid.

Mr Chu also argued that he had worked in his mother’s dental

reached their decision mainly because they thought the contract was valid since the son was an adult when he signed it and was not forced to do so.

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France to put phones in prison cells in bold shift PARIS France plans to install landline phones in prison cells across the country in an ambitious bid to improve rehabilitation rates - and cut down on rampant cellphone trafficking behind bars.

The justice ministry said Tuesday that it had called for

bids to operate the new service after “successful tests of this experiment” at one prison since 2016.

But the new freedom to call up to four pre-approved numbers at any time of the day won’t come cheap, with one prisoner advocacy group warning that calls could cost up to 80 euro cents ($0.97) a minute.

Like other countries, France has struggled against the smuggling of cellphones into prisons, with more than 19,000 handsets and accessories seized in the first half of 2017, for an overall prisoner population of about 70,000.

“There have always been call boxes in prisons, but the inmates need to be accompanied by personnel, which requires time and availability. It gets complicated,” the justice ministry said.

“Sometimes, an inmate will have four people in line in front of him for the phone in the hall. But when it’s his turn, it’s time to be back in the cell. Things get tense,” said Christopher Dorangeville, head of the CGT Penitentiaries labour union.

In July 2016 the prison at

Montmedy in northeast France put phones in every cell, which led to a 31 percent drop in illicit cellphone seizures in the first half of last year compared with the same period a year earlier.

“The phones have eased tensions inside the prison,” the ministry said. “It helps with civil reintegration, by maintaining family ties,” it added, saying the goal is to “cut cellphone trafficking.”

Newspaper Le Monde reported that telecom operators will place bids in the coming days to install the phones in 50,000 cells at 178 prisons across France starting at the end of the year.

The operator must finance the installation costs, then make its money by charging prisoners for calls.

The International Prison Observatory, a French advocacy group, welcomed the move.

Six countries enter UN Security Council

UNITED NATIONS Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kuwait, Peru, Poland and the Netherlands formally joined the ranks of the non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday “to make a difference,” the body’s president said.“Peace and security are difficult to achieve,” Kazakh envoy Kairat Umarov, who took the rotating presidency in January, told council members at a special ceremony. “You are going to have a real chance to make a difference.”

One after the other, ambassadors representing the council’s six new member countries - five men and a woman, Polish envoy Joanna Wronecka - placed their

flag among those of the body’s nine other members.

The UN Security Council has 15 members, including five with permanent seats who have the power to veto resolutions Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.

Three women and 12 men are among the 15 ambassadors who will soon be seated at the Ushaped table in the center of the Security Council’s chamber.

In addition to Wronecka and US envoy Nikki Haley, Karen Pierce will take her seat later this month as Britain’s new ambassador.

The six countries who left the UN Security Council on December 31 are Egypt, Italy, Japan, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay.

“A phone in each cell allows a degree of intimacy when speaking with family members,” said the NGO’s Francois Bes. “More important, the fact that you can call when you want can let them speak with children after school,” Bes added. “The problem is the high cost of talking. Currently a call costs about 80 euro cents a minute.”

Even after the cost was renegotiated at Montmedy down to about 65 cents, “that’s still way too expensive for most inmates.”

A prisoner at Reau, southeast of Paris, calculated that calling his family for a few minutes each day would cost around 150 euros a month, an amount he would never have even if he qualified for some of the jobs available to inmates.

The system has also raised concerns among prison guards who warn that the number of inmates authorised to call will need to be vetted and calls monitored.

And in cells holding more than one person, there might be a risk of fighting over phone time.

“With several people in a cell, how are we going to manage any conflicts over access?” asked Jean-Francois Forget of the UfapUnsa Justice union, the largest among prison guards.

Cocaine worth $2.5 million washes up on Philippine seashore

Manila Millions of dollars of cocaine packed in a plastic drum has washed up on a seashore in the eastern Philippines, an antinarcotics official said on Friday.

A local fisherman in the town of Matnog found the drum on Wednesday and reported it to authorities, not knowing what was inside, said Christian Frivaldo, a regional director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

Inside the drum, anti-drug agents found about 24 kilograms (53 pounds) of cocaine bricks wrapped in plastic, he told AFP. Frivaldo estimated the value of the cocaine at about 125 million pesos ($2.5 million).

The source of the cocaine found in Matnog -- about 403 kilometres southeast of the capital Manila -- might be a Taiwan-flagged cargo vessel that

was hit by huge waves off the eastern Philippines a day before the cocaine was found, he said.

Nine Chinese, Hong Kong and Taiwanese crewmen are under the custody of the local government after they were rescued from their damaged ship, he added.

“They are under investigation.

We are checking their vessel (to see) if there is additional evidence inside. But it is difficult because it is half-submerged,” Frivaldo said.The seizure comes as Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte wages a bloody war on drugs that has resulted in nearly 4,000 “drug personalities” killed by police while thousands of others have been murdered under mysterious circumstances.This has led rights groups to warn the president may be orchestrating crimes against humanity.

Japan’s historic Tsukiji market holds final New Year auction TOKYO Tokyo’s world-famous Tsukiji fish market held its last pre-dawn New Year’s auction on Friday before closing down for relocation, with the highest bidder paying more than $320,000 for a giant tuna. After more than 80 years in operation, the world’s biggest fish market, a popular tourist attraction in an area packed with restaurants and shops, will move to Toyosu, a former gas plant a bit further east, on October 11. The market, which opened in 1935, is best known for its pre-dawn daily auctions of tuna, caught from all corners of the ocean, for use by everyone from top Michelin-star sushi chefs to ordinary grocery stores.Before dawn, buyers in rubber boots inspected the quality of the giant fresh and frozen tunas by examining the neatly cut tail end with flashlights and rubbing slices between their fingers.At 5:30 am, auctioneers rang handbells to signal the start of the auction and buyers began a flurry of bidding with hand signals for their preferred tunas.

“We have to continue the Tsukiji brand and establish a new brand” at the new site, Shigeo Yokota, the representative of buyers at Tsukiji, said in his New Year speech.

“I’m proud to be standing here at this historic moment,” he added.

The highest bidder paid 36.5 million yen for a bluefin tuna —

a threatened species — weighing more than 400 kilogrammes (880 pounds) caught off northern Aomori prefecture, according to the market.“It’s the best feeling,” Akifumi Sakagami, head chef at a sushi restaurant in the Ginza

snapped up a 190-kilogramme fish at Friday’s auction for around 30 million yen, the highest price per kilogramme.

Kimura has built his successful Sushizanmai chain into a national brand by paying big money at Tsukiji’s first auction

shopping district which paid for the tuna, told AFP after the giant fish was sliced into several pieces for delivery.“We wanted to get the number-one tuna at the first auction of the year at Tsukiji... because this is the last New Year auction,” he said, adding that the restaurant owner had a budget of 100 million yen ($886,000).“Tsukiji is the world’s number-one fish market. It’s in a very convenient location. It’s sad that it will be closed down,” Sakagami said.Kiyoshi Kimura, known as Japan’s self-styled “Tuna King” who in 2013 paid a record $1.8 million for a bluefin,

every year.At the first auction of 2017, he paid more than $600,000 for a 212-kilo bluefin tuna.The Tsukiji market handles 480 kinds of seafood worth $14 million daily — as well as 270 types of fruits and vegetables — and has fed Japan’s hunger for fresh seafood since its opening.

But in recent years the antiquated facility has prompted its users, such as seafood wholesalers, to voice concerns about its earthquake resistance, sanitation and fire safety, as well as the structure’s use of asbestos and its crumbling walls.

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S African tourist killed in Egypt balloon crash CAIRO A South African tourist was killed and 12 other people were injured when a hot air balloon crashed near Egypt’s ancient city of

Luxor on Friday, a health ministry official said. Sharif Wadie, the assistant health minister in charge of emergency services, told AFP there were no other casualties but did not elaborate on the extent of the passengers’ injuries. The nationalities of the injured were not immediately clear.Egypt’s civil aviation ministry said 21 hot air balloons had taken off and landed with no

incident on Friday but the one that crashed had landed too forcefully. Twenty people had been on board, it said, adding that weather conditions had

conformed to flight standards.

Tourists often take early morning hot air balloon rides over the city and the ancient Egyptian temples and relics in neighbouring areas.

One of the main attractions is the Karnak temple, which dates back thousands of years.

The hot air balloons also offer views of the Valley of the Kings, where pharaonic nobility were

Girl, fiance shot dead for talking to each other before marriage in Pak

Karachi A girl and her fiance were gunned down on Thursday, allegedly by the girl’s maternal uncle after spotting them chatting in Pakistan’s Sindh province, in the latest case of honour killing, a media report said.

The girl, identified as Nazeeran, was speaking with her husbandto-be Shahid in Nayi Wahi village in the suburbs of Ghotki town when her uncle spotted them.

The uncle opened fire on them out of anger, Express News reported.

According to police, the victims were each other’s cousins and the incident was a case of ‘honour killing’.

Two suspects, both of whom happen to be the girl’s uncles, have been arrested so far.Honour killings are pandemic in Pakistan, and women are its

predominant victims.

An angry Pakistani youth allegedly shot dead his sister and her husband in Rawalpindi last month for marrying without the family’s consent.

In November, a newly-wed couple in Sindh province who married without the consent of their elders were killed allegedly on the orders of a jirga (village elders).

More Pakistani women are murdered at the hands of close family members for supposed immoral behaviour than Pakistani civilians are killed by terrorism, the report said.The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has reported an average of 650 honour killings annually over the past decade.

But since most go unreported, the real number is likely to be much higher, the report said.

buried.

Hot air balloon companies in Luxor offer the tours usually starting at sunrise.

The government had previously suspended the rides after two crashes in four years. In 2009, 13 tourists were injured when their hot air balloon struck a communications mast in Luxor and crashed.

In 2013, a hot air balloon caught fire in mid-flight over Luxor, killing 19 tourists.

A fact-finding committee later found that the accident was probably caused by a gas leak near the burner, sparking a blaze that spread throughout the balloon. The tourists, from Britain, France, Hong Kong, Hungary and Japan, died when the balloon plummeted to the ground after catching fire.

The pilot and one tourist survived by jumping from the balloon, officials said at the time.

Friday’s accident comes as the government tries to woo back tourists following years of unrest that drove them away.

A jihadist insurgency led by the Islamic State group has targeted tourists, including the bombing of a Russian airliner carrying holidaymakers from an Egyptian resort in 2015 that killed all 224 people on board.

UK attack ‘hero’ admits stealing from victims

LONDON A homeless man hailed as a hero for apparently coming to the aid of victims of the Manchester Arena terror attack last year admitted on Wednesday he had instead robbed them.CCTV footage played in court showed Chris Parker wandering between victims bleeding on the floor after the bombing outside a pop concert in the northern English city in which 22 people were killed.Parker, 33, was seen in the footage taking a purse from the handbag of Pauline Healey, whose 14-year-old granddaughter lay dying nearby, and he later used her bank card at a local McDonald’s, the court heard. He was interviewed by British media in the aftermath of the attack carried out by Salman Abedi, saying he had

been begging outside the concert arena when the bomb went off.A tearful Parker told the Press Association news agency at the time: “I heard a bang and within a split second I saw a white flash, then smoke and then I heard screaming.”“It knocked me to the floor and then I got up and instead of running away my gut instinct was to run back and try and help,” he said. “There was people lying on the floor everywhere,” he recounted, adding that a woman had died in his arms and he had come to the rescue of a little girl whose mother had been killed.

Parker was also accused of stealing a mobile phone from a teenage girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, at the scene of the explosion.

Ukraine baby’s tragic death exposes religious rift KIEV The death of a baby crushed by a drunk man who committed suicide by jumping out of an eighth-floor apartment in Ukraine has exposed the religious divide in the Orthodox Christian country.

A Moscow-led church in the central city of Zaporizhia refused to bury the one-year-old boy killed on New Year’s Eve because he was christened by a rival church overseen by Kiev.

Local media reported that the boy’s bereaved father punched the priest in anger in an incident that has sparked a new war of words between the two branches of Ukraine’s main faith.

The Ukrainian Church splintered into Moscow- and Kiev-led branches when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

The bad blood between the two has been heightened by the war between Russian- and Kievbacked sides in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 10,000 people in nearly four years.

The Moscow-led denomination is much larger and also the dominant one in Zaporizhia - a city of over 700,000 people that was founded more than 1,000 years ago and is now an industrial hub.The family of the boy, killed as he was being led out of the apartment building by his father, belongs to the Kiev Patriarchate.

His father, Roman Polishchuk, said the priest of the Moscowled church they turned to told the family he could not perform the burial ceremony.

“The priest said our baby was

the rules of his faith.

“I am very sorry. I feel for those people,” he told Forpost. “But there are certain lines I cannot cross. A child christened by the Kiev Patriarchate remains

unchristened and our church was a sham,” Polishchuk told the local Forpost news site.

“My wife cried and threw herself before him on her knees, but this did not help.”

Priest Yevgen Molchanov said the father then punched him and a small brawl broke out inside the church before the family was forced to leave.

The parents eventually took the baby’s body to the church where he was christened to perform the burial rights.

Priest Molchanov said he had no choice because those were

unchristened,” Molchanov said.

“And the Kiev Church itself is a hoax.”

A spokesman for the Kiev Patriarchate said such incidents had happened before and only fed frustrations among the faithful in Ukraine.

“There is no official document from the Moscow Patriarchate saying this must be the case,” Yevstratiy Zorya wrote on Facebook.

“This is all completely arbitrary and based on some verbal orders that are issued under the guise of secret ‘canons’.”

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Palestinian teen granted bail in ‘slap video’ case RAMALLAH Israel on Friday released a Palestinian woman on bail after

she was charged with assaulting an Israeli soldier in the occupied West Bank following a viral video of the incident.

Nour Tamimi, 20, was released early on Friday from a military prison after a court rejected the prosecution’s appeal against her release, her father Naji Tamimi told AFP. Her cousin Ahed Tamimi, 16, and Ahed’s mother Nariman Tamimi remain in custody, after they were also charged following the video of the cousins slapping and kicking two soldiers last month.

Nour was allowed to return to her home in the village of Nabi Saleh in the Israeli-occupied West

Bank after posting a bail of 5,000 shekels ($1,450, 1,200 euros).

A guarantor vouched she would

show up for her court proceedings, set to begin on February 12, her lawyer Gaby Lasky told AFP. The military appeals court ruled Nour would also have to sign in at an Israeli police station every Friday at noon.

On Sunday, a military court charged Nour with aggravated assault of a soldier and disturbing soldiers carry out their duties.

Ahed’s family says the December 15 incident that led to the charges occurred in the yard of their home in Nabi Saleh, near Ramallah.

Israel’s military said the soldiers

were in the area to prevent Palestinians from throwing stones at Israeli motorists nearby.

A video that was shared widely on social media shows the cousins approaching two Israeli soldiers and telling them to leave before shoving, kicking and slapping them.

The heavily armed soldiers do not respond in the face of what appears to be an attempt to provoke rather than seriously harm them.

They then move backwards after Ahed’s mother Nariman becomes involved.

On Monday, Ahed was charged with 12 counts, including assault. Her mother faces five charges, including incitement.

Ahed has been lauded as a hero

by Palestinians who see her as bravely standing up to Israel’s 50-year occupation of the West Bank.She has been involved in a series of previous confrontations, leading Israelis to accuse her family of using her as a pawn in staged provocations.

Palestinians however say she is engaged in legitimate resistance.Ahed and her mother are to remain in custody until at least Monday, when they will face another hearing.

India limits visitors to save Taj Mahal AGRA India is to restrict the number of daily visitors to the Taj Mahal in an attempt to preserve the iconic 17th-century monument to love, its biggest tourist attraction.

Millions of mostly Indian tourists visit the Taj Mahal every year and

their numbers are increasing steadily as domestic travel becomes easier. Experts say the vast crowds increase wear and tear on the white marble tomb, which already must undergo regular cleaning to stop it turning yellow from polluted air, and could put pressure on its foundations. In future only 40,000 local tourists will be allowed to enter the historic complex per day, authorities said

Wednesday. “We have to ensure the safety of the monument and visitors as well. Crowd management was emerging as a big challenge for us,” an official with the Archeological Survey of India - which controls the monument - told AFP on

condition of anonymity. The restrictions will not apply to foreigners, who pay 1,000 rupees ($16) to enter.Indian visitors normally pay just 40 rupees, but will be able to buy the more expensive ticket if they want to get around the limit.The Taj Mahal was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth in 1631.

Anyone wanting to see the main

crypt, which houses the couple’s spectacular marble graves inlaid with semi-precious stones, will also have to pay for the pricier ticket.

The graves also date back to the 17th century but do not actually contain the bodies of the royal couple, who are buried under a separate lower chamber.

Visitors to the UNESCO World Heritage site already have to contend with lengthy queues and heavy security.

The plan to restrict visitors comes after five people were injured in a crush on the last day of the year, which often attracts large crowds.“It’s a welcome move because the last time we came here it was very chaotic,” Seema Sarkar, a tourist from the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, told AFP.Local tourist police inspector R.B. Pandey said it was a much needed step.

“It’s priceless heritage and if we don’t cap the tourist numbers it will be lost for future generations,” he said.

“You just cannot control such huge crowds.”

Daily visitors to the Taj Mahal average 10,000-15,000 but can be much higher at weekends, going up to around 70,000.

Nearly 6.5 million visited the monument in 2016, according to government figures.

China offers 10-year visas to high end talent

CHINA China is issuing long-term visas to lure highly skilled people from abroad to work in the country.

The multi-entry visas will be valid for between five and 10 years, according to state media.

Technology leaders, entrepreneurs and scientists from in-demand sectors are among those eligible to apply.China has set out goals for its economic and social development, and sees recruiting experts from abroad as key to achieving that. When plans for the scheme were first considered, China said at least 50,000 foreigners would benefit.

Nobel Prize winners welcome Applications for the visas can be made online, are free of charge and will be processed quickly, the

Chinese government said. Visa holders will be allowed to remain in the country for up to 180 days at a time, and will be eligible to bring partners and children.In 2016 China introduced a ranking system for expatriates, aimed at identifying the skills it wanted to attract while reducing the number of lower-skilled foreigners coming into the country.

According to a document from the Chinese government, those classed as “high-end foreign talent” included Nobel Prize winners, successful Olympic athletes and directors of “world famous colleges of music fine arts and arts”.Top scientists, heads of major financial institutions and professors of “overseas high-level universities” also fit the bill.

Indian Muslim man beaten to death over New Year music

New Delhi A Muslim has been beaten to death in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand after reportedly asking a group to stop playing loud music on New Year’s Day, BBC reported Tuesday.

The incident happened in Mandar, a town close to the state capital, Ranchi. People blocked the national motorway on Tuesday to demand the arrest of suspects but the blockade was eventually cleared by police.

Extra security personnel have been deployed in the area to keep the peace between Muslim and Hindu communities. Waseem Ansari, 19, worked as a daily wage labourer in Pune and had returned to his village a couple of days ago. A senior police officer gave BBC Hindi an account of the incident: “Preliminary inquiry suggests that a group was playing loud music to celebrate New Year’s Day. “Waseem Ansari and two

of his friends approached the group and told them to stop playing loud music. This led to an argument and Waseem was attacked by the group. It seems he was hit by one of the sharp instruments used in cooking.

“We have requested the two communities maintain peace.

The suspects will be arrested soon.”

Hasibul Ansari, who lives in the same village as the victim, told BBC Hindi: “These people were partying near a Muslim graveyard. When Waseem told them to stop, they killed him.

“His friends were lucky that they managed to escape in time. I am very sure they would have been killed too if they had not escaped.”

Correspondents say there are fears that communal and religious divisions are widening in India, with minorities feeling they are not sufficiently protected.

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Indian foods that help with weight loss Love your desi food? Can't trade up ghee for olive oil? Well, here's good news - you don't need to! Indian food can be tasty and healthy at the same time. Make sure you include these ingredients in your daily diet and you'll find yourself on the path to good health in no time at all.

Cardamom

Garlic Garlic has long been used in cooking, for both its full-bodied flavor and its healthy properties. Garlic has strong anti-bacterial effects, helps reduce LDL (bad cholesterol) and unhealthy fat levels in the body. Now there's a good reason why the ubiquitous ginger-garlic paste is found in dishes across every region in India.

Cardamom aids the digestive process, helping the body break down and assimilate nutrients. It is also known to boost metabolism and burn body fat, aiding with weight-loss. Toss in a few cloves of cardamom into your evening chai for a steamy cup of good health.

Buttermilk Buttermilk is a drink full of good health, and easy to make at home. It provides the body with essential nutrients and is very low on fat and calorie content. Chop up from fresh coriander and green chillies to it, add a little salt and pepper, and you have a refreshing, healthy homemade drink.

Cabbage Cabbage is a great antioxidant, and makes a great accompaniment to heavy meat dishes. It also slows down the conversion of carbs and sugar into fat, so makes for a great aid to your weight loss plan. Eat it raw or cooked, but make sure it's a part of your meal.

Chillies

Cinnamon and cloves

Chillies are another great ingredient to ramp up your metabolic rate and burn that excess fat. The component capsaicin generates heat and boosts metabolism, helping burn calories for upto 20 minutes after your meal. So slice 'em up and toss 'em in!

Both these spices aid the production of insulin and help control blood sugar levels in the body. Highly beneficial to people with type 2 diabtetes, it is recommended to sprinkle cinnamon powder into your cup of tea of coffee, and include cloves when you make rice or dal.

Curry leaves Curry leaves help reduce LDL levels in the body and are a great way to detox.

They also help reduce fat deposits in the body, a great aid to any weight-loss program. So add a few curry leaves into your curry or dal for a dose of great flavor and good health.

Honey A spoonful of honey with warm water is a great way to start your mornings.

Honey helps burn fat and is a widely used home-remedy for obesity.

Millets

Moong dal

Coarser grains like millets, jowar, ragi and bajra are high on fibre-content and great for controlling cholesterol and melting fat.

Moong dal brings you your required dose of vitamins and minerals. Rich in Vitamin A, B, C, and E, as well as calcium, iron and potassium, it is a great source of protein and fibre, with very low fat content.

Moong dal helps lower cholesterol, and control blood sugar levels in the body. A cup of dal to accompany your rotis is a great way to plan dinner.

Mustard oil Mustard oil is one of the healthiest oils to cook in, as it contains lower levels of saturated fat. It also provides antioxidants and essential vitamins to the body, lowering cholesterol levels and improving heart health. Switch to mustard oil today!

Turmeric Turmeric contains curcumin, a constituent that protects the heart. It helps reduce the levels of bad cholesterol (LDL), bring down high blood pressure, prevent clotting and reduce the risk of heart attacks. Include a sprinkle of turmeric in your meats and masalas; it will bring you a host of good health.

Saudi minister ‘resumes work’ after graft detention RIYADH A Saudi minister who was detained in a sweeping antigovernment probe at a Riyadh hotel attended a cabinet meeting on Tuesday after he was “proven innocent”, media reported.The official Saudi Press Agency posted on its Twitter account pictures of Saudi King Salman,

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the minister, Ibrahim Assaf, at the meeting.Saudi newspaper Sabq, which is close to the government, said that Assaf “resumed work” on Tuesday after being “recently proven innocent and leaving the RitzCarlton”.Assaf, a minister of state and ex-finance minister, was

among more than 200 princes,

ministers and businessmen rounded up in November in a anti-

corruption purge. Most of those detained were held at the palatial Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh, which has turned into a luxury prison. The purge came as Prince Mohammed, heir to the powerful throne, consolidated his grip on the Gulf kingdom.Saudi Arabia’s attorney general has said most of those detained struck monetary

settlements in exchange for their freedom.The most high-profile target of the crackdown was billionaire Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, dubbed the Warren Buffett of Saudi Arabia.Authorities insist the purge aimed to target endemic corruption as Saudi Arabia seeks to diversify its oil-dependent economy.

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Infant’s DNA tells of ‘first Americans’ PARIS A baby girl who died in Alaska some 11,500 years ago belonged to a formerly-unknown population group whose

discovery has shed light on the peopling of the Americas, a study of her genome has revealed.

By decoding the child’s genetic fingerprint, scientists could look back on the history of the first people to conquer the New World, and conclude they likely arrived from Siberia some 20,000 years ago. “The study provides the first direct genomic evidence that all Native American ancestry

can be traced back to the same source population during the last Ice Age,” researcher Ben Potter of the University of Alaska told AFP. Potter and a team

analysed the DNA of an infant whose remains were unearthed at the Upward Sun River archaeological site in Alaska in 2013. She was named Xach’itee’aanenh T’eede Gaay (Sunrise Girlchild) by the indigenous community, and her genome “provided an unprecedented window into the history of her people”, said Potter.The team had expected

Outrage in Turkey over child marriage green light

ANKARA Turkey’s religious affairs state agency came under heavy criticism on Thursday from the main opposition party after it reportedly said girls as young as nine could marry under Islamic law. The Diyanet religious affairs directorate said on Tuesday the minimum age for girls to marry was nine, while for boys it was 12, according to Turkish media including Hurriyet daily quoting the agency’s official website.

The post, which took the form of an explanatory statement on Islamic law, has since been taken down, after a backlash from the opposition and women’s rights groups. The head of the High Commission of Religious Affairs Ekrem Keles on Thursday told Hurriyet that the earliest age for a girl to marry is 17 and 18 for a boy.

“Forget a nine or a 10 year old child marrying, a child at 15 should not marry and should not

be married,” he said.

The legal age to get married in Turkey is 18. But Turkish law says that in an extraordinary circumstance, a judge can give permission for a male and female aged 16 to marry. The controversy touched a nerve in Turkey, where child marriages are not uncommon and the fight continues to raise girls’ level of education.

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) lawmaker Gaye Usluer accused the government of being “more interested in how to marry children at a young age when there needs to be talk on children’s education, health”.

Meanwhile CHP lawmaker Murat Bakan on Twitter said child marriages “violates children’s rights, women’s rights and human rights”, adding that the party had called for a parliamentary investigation into child marriages.

the girl’s genetic profile to match that of known Native American groups. Instead, it showed she belonged to a completely new group, which they named Ancient Beringians.“Prior to this study, we did not know that this Ancient Beringian population existed,” said Potter.Critically, the girl’s genome also revealed the identity of a common ancestor her people shared with Native Americans.

This common forebear or “source population”, which the team dubbed Ancestral Native Americans, emerged some 36,000 years ago in what is Russia today, splitting from East Asians, whose progeny include the Han Chinese.

The common ancestor stuck around on the Asian continent for several thousand years, with genetic evidence that it interbred with its East Asian cousins.

This likely stopped due to “brutal changes in the climate” at the height of the last Ice Age, which may have isolated the ancestral group.Around 20,000 years ago, it split into two groups - one of them the Ancient Beringians - the gene data showed.

English vicar slaps £100 fine on brides running late for wedding

London Fed up with repeated delays to wedding services because of brides arriving late, an English vicar is imposing £100 fines for a delay of more than 10 minutes, The Times reported on Friday.

Church of England vicar John Corbyn said he had introduced the policy at his two churches, Holy Cross in Bearsted and St Mary the Virgin in Thurnham, after two delayed weddings in a row.

“My team was feeling a bit illused... We worried that it was going to become normal practice,” he said.

Couples are asked to present the vicar with a £100 (•110, $135) cheque before the service, which he gets to keep if the bride is late and distribute to the organist, bellringers and choristers kept waiting.

The only exception to the fine is for delays caused by traffic jams or genuine mishaps, the paper said.

Corbyn said the fine was proving a success, pointing out that brides were now arriving 10 minutes early.

“It has had the desired effect,” he said.

Indian man ‘kidnapped’ for marriage NEW DELHI Allegations a young engineer was kidnapped and made to marry at gunpoint are being investigated by police in one of India’s poorest states, which has a history of forced marriage of men.

Video footage apparently showing Vinod Kumar being forced to go through with a wedding by his bride’s family sparked the probe, police in the eastern state of Bihar said Friday.‘Pakadua Vivah’ (forced marriage) is a practice specific to Bihar and surrounding areas, and is mainly carried out by poor families who cannot afford a dowry - still a widespread expectation in India. A video circulated on social media shows the engineer being manhandled and forced to dress for the wedding as he pleads for freedom.

“We are only performing your wedding, not hanging you,” one man is heard to shout as Kumar begs to be released.

Another video shows Kumar sitting beside his bride crying while a woman, apparently an in-law, tries to console him.

Lalan Mohan Prasad, a local

officer, told AFP police had contacted Kumar and offered their help but he had not formally

them carry out abductions and forced marriages.

Local social scientist Saibal

complained.

Local media quoted the engineer as saying one of the bride’s relatives had pointed a pistol at him after they met at a mutual friend’s wedding and ordered him to marry her.

Since the incident, he has reportedly escaped and returned to his home in neighbouring Jharkhand state.

Bihar has a long-held reputation for lawlessness and gang violence, with families thought to enlist organised criminals to help

Gupta said such marriages enjoyed widespread acceptance and tended to endure, given the stigma of divorce.

“The frequency of such kidnappings has come down, but certainly not stopped.

Poverty is still rampant,” he told AFP. Official figures show police received nearly 3,000 complaints of groom kidnapping in 2016. None of the marriages were annulled.

Ex-Indian army officer kills six with iron rod NEW DELHI A former army lieutenant bludgeoned six people to death with an iron rod Tuesday in a killing spree that sparked panic in a northern Indian city.

Naresh Dhankar, 45, began his murder rampage in a hospital in Palwal then walked the city’s streets picking victims at random, police said. Three watchmen were among those

who died in the attacks.“He attacked a woman at a hospital first. We rushed there and as we were scanning the CCTV footage we got to know that more bodies had been found,” said police spokesman Sanjay Kumar.

“The accused has been arrested and is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital,” the spokesman told AFP. A TV grab showed Dhankar, wearing a blue

pullover, walking with an iron rod in his hands. As news of the attacks spread on social media, police appealed to residents of the city in Haryana state not to panic.

Kumar quoted Dhankar’s wife as saying he had been “mentally disturbed” for the past few days.

“We are investigating to find out the exact motive behind the killings,” the spokesman said.

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Can you foresee the death of a loved one... and choose the exact moment you die?

These accounts from an intensive care nurse will astonish you Four years ago, children’s author Shelley E. Parker suddenly had a strong premonition that her fiancé was about to die. This made no sense at all. If anyone was going to die, it was more likely to be Shelley herself, as she was seriously ill with cancer. But that night in hospital, her premonition was reinforced by a bizarre dream in which she met God. She recalled every moment of it when she woke: how God had told her that it was time for Steven to go, and turned down her plea to take her instead.At noon the next day, Steven, who was a helicopter pilot, was killed in a crash. ‘I now wonder whether I could have stopped him dying if I’d told him,’ says Shelley, 41, who lives in Farnworth, Lancashire. ‘But I don’t think I could have.’

There was no doubt in Shelley’s mind that she’d somehow tuned in to the future. Ten years before, she’d had another premonition - this time about a little girl. The healthy three-year-old was the child of friends and Shelley had seen her only a few times. One night, she had a ‘very vivid’ dream about her. ‘I was walking along a path and in front of me was this little girl with her auntie,’ Shelley recalled. ‘I’m not sure how accurate the image of the auntie was, as I’d never met her or seen photographs of her - I just knew that she’d died about 20 years previously. ‘She smiled and telepathically told me all

was well’ ‘The aunt said she was there to take the little girl to heaven. The child was dressed in pink and had a pink bucket and spade and glitter make-up on the side of her face. She

was very happy and dancing around.’I woke up the next day and felt really unsettled. I thought about phoning the little girl’s father but then thought better of it, trying to rationalise that it was just a dream. That feeling of anxiety lasted all day.’

That evening, Shelley went to dinner with relatives. At one point, she glanced at her watch. It was 10.10pm.

‘Suddenly, all of the unsettled feeling and anxiety just fell away and I thought: at last I’m starting to relax.’ The next day, she learned that the little girl had died the night before soon after 10pm. The cause of her death was a mystery. Should we dismiss Shelley’s premonitions - and many others I’ve been told - as macabre coincidences?

Or could they be a genuine phenomenon, experienced far more than people

imagine? Consider the case of Janice Wright, a British woman who was visiting friends in Virginia, USA. In the middle of the night, she told me, she’d suddenly snapped wide

awake. In her bedroom was her childhood nanny, whom she hadn’t seen in years, though they still corresponded.’In real life, she was well over 80,’ said Janice. ‘But in the vision, she was ageless and surrounded by an immensely bright light. She smiled at me, put her hand out and telepathically told me all was well. ‘I was shocked and stayed awake. The next morning, I told my hosts I thought my old nanny had died.

‘Later that day, a cousin called from England to tell me that’s exactly what had happened.’How can we explain such accurate premonitions? Sadly, science has not even begun to find answers.

Similarly, no scientific theory has yet come close to explaining why a few people have near-death

experiences - which can include visions of tunnels, bright lights and meetings with dead relatives.

Indeed, that was one of the problems facing me when I embarked on a PhD on the subject. Throughout my research, I was also working as a nurse in the intensive care ward of a British hospital. I was therefore able to learn at firsthand about some of the seemingly inexplicable events that can occur just before death.

To my mind, however, it’s too easy to label these as paranormal or supernatural.

Instead, I’m increasingly open to the possibility that our brains are separate from our consciousness. In other words, the brain may be channelling what some people call the soul, rather than responsible for creating it. As a theory, it deserves scientific investigation. If proved, it would explain, for instance, why enhanced consciousness can be experienced separately from the body. And it would also help account for the extraordinary phenomenon known as ‘shared death experience’.

This is admittedly rare, but two separate cases have been reported to me by relatives who were present at a deathbed.

‘I saw this tall man reach out to embrace mum’ The first took place in 2004 in the north of England. A dying woman in her 70s was unconscious in a hospital, with her family around her bed.

Feeling sad?

Then hit the shops... it really works! Buying something makes people three times happier It is the news that will strike fear into the hearts of those who pay off the family credit cards every month.

New research has found that retail therapy - far from

Previous studies have shown that shoppers enjoy positive feelings when reflecting on their most recent purchase, when that shopping had

being empty and superficial - can be an ‘effective way to minimise sadness.’ It can even help a person feel more in control of their environment, researchers claim. Generations of consumers have been urged to satisfy their desire to keep abreast of the latest fashion by simply browsing in store and window shopping.

But researchers from the University of Michigan claim ‘retail therapy’ should no longer be dismissed as it could help people overcome melancholy. The study carried out three experiments to investigate whether shopping restored a sense of control in people to combat feelings of sadness. The research found that buying something was up to 40 times more effective at giving people a sense of control and they were three times happier than those who only browsed.

been motivated by a desire to repair mood.

Others said they were less likely to experience sadness while shopping than immediately before setting out on a buying spree.

However, researchers said until now it had remained unclear whether shopping conveys benefits beyond those produced merely by distraction, or the passage of time. They said: ‘Our work suggests that making shopping choices can help to restore a sense of personal control over one’s environment and reduce sadness. ‘Retail therapy shopping that is motivated by distress - is often said to be ineffective, wasteful and a dark side of consumer behaviour, but we propose that retail therapy has been viewed too negatively, and that shopping may be an effective way to minimise sadness.’

The great LED lightbulb rip-off One in four expensive ‘long-life’ bulbs doesn’t last anything like as long as the makers claim

Many energy-efficient LED light bulbs failed before their advertised lifespan, tests have found.

Some did not even reach the EU’s new minimum of 6,000 hours which comes into force in March. LED bulbs from Ikea and Technical Consumer Products (TCP) performed worst,

according to Which? The consumer watchdog and European partners tested five samples of 46 types of bulb. New EU regulations say that from March 1, 90 per cent of any batch of LED (light emitting diode) bulbs should last at least 6,000 hours. The bulbs were switched on for 165 minutes, then switched off

for 15 minutes, in a continuous cycle until they failed. Five types of bulb, some costing more than £10, stopped working before 6,000 hours in the majority of samples tested. Another five failed before 10,000 hours for the majority of samples tested, despite claiming lifespans of at least 25,000 hours. In total, 66 of the 230 samples failed before 10,000 hours, though all claimed to last at least 15,000.

Bulbs from TCP and Ikea were the only ones sold in the UK. Both

companies said the types of bulbs tested have now been discontinued.

Ikea said the bulb had passed its own tests and those in a third-party laboratory. It said it was looking into why the bulb failed the Which? test and has removed it from sale in countries where it was still available.

TCP said it was already aware of the problem with its bulb, which is why it was withdrawn from sale.

It said it no longer dealt with the bulb’s supplier and now makes its LED bulbs in-house.It is estimated

that five million LED light bulbs were sold in the UK in the past year. Which? researcher Matt Clear said: ‘LED light bulbs have a tendency to make grand claims about their lifespan - it’s common to see manufacturers promise bulbs will last 25,000 or even 50,000 hours. But we’ve found many failing well before this.

‘One of the attractions of LED light bulbs is that they’re supposed to last a long time. So if you’re shelling out for these bulbs - typically more expensive than other types of light

bulb - you’ll want to be sure that they’ll live up to those claims.’ LEDs create light by passing electricity through a semiconductor. They can fail if they are made from poor quality materials, and are also more prone to burn-out from power surges.

They are also liable to fail due to over-heating if the heat from the light emitting diodes is not dissipated efficiently.

Brighter LED bulbs with a greater lumen power are particularly prone to this problem.

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UK ‘faces build-up of plastic waste’ London The UK’s recycling industry says it doesn’t know how to cope with a Chinese ban on imports of plastic waste.

Britain has been shipping up to 500,000 tonnes of plastic for recycling in China every year, but now the trade has been stopped.

At the moment the UK cannot deal with much of that waste, says the UK Recycling Association.Its chief executive, Simon Ellin, told the BBC he had no idea how the problem would be solved in the short term.

“It’s a huge blow for us... a game-changer for our industry,” he said. “We’ve relied on China so long for our waste… 55% of paper, 25% plus of plastics.

“We simply don’t have the markets in the UK. It’s going to mean big changes in our industry.”

China has introduced the ban from this month on “foreign garbage” as part of a move to upgrade its industries.

Other Asian nations will take some of the plastic, but there will still be a lot left.

Seven charts that explain the plastic pollution problem Simple ways to cut back on plastic Curb ‘devastating’ waste MPs say. Environment Secretary

Michael Gove has admitted that he was slow to spot the problem coming. The UK organisation Recoup, which recycles plastics, said the imports ban would lead to stock-piling of plastic waste and a move towards incineration and landfill.

Peter Fleming, from the Local Government Association, told the BBC: “Clearly there’s a part to play for incineration but not all parts of the country have incinerators. “It’s a challenge but mostly in the short term… and we will cope. In the longer term we need a much more intelligent waste strategy.”

Any move towards burning more plastic waste, though, would be

‘Bin Laden’s grandson died in air strike on Af-Pak border’ THE 12-year-old grandson of 9/ 11 mastermind Osama Bin Laden was killed in an airstrike, it has been claimed. The child, named Osama like his grandfather, is believed to have died along the AfghanistanPakistan border last year. He was praised for his “martyrdom” by father Hamza Bin Laden, whom the jihadis have hailed as the “heir” to the leadership of al-Qaeda.

A letter written by Hamza, whose father was shot dead by a US Navy Seal team in 2011, mourned the death of the “hero cub” and described his eldest son as “the grandson of bravery” —adding that he liked to playact scenes of martyrdom. Further details of his death — including the location of the apparent airstrike — were revealed by the Pan-Arab news website Arabi 21, which cited jihadi sources. But there have been conflicting reports, with some saying he died of illness. The note called “Letter From Sheikh Mujahid Hamza Bin Laden”, was published by AlQaeda’s propaganda arm, the Global Islamic Media Front,

along with a picture image of a young Osama and addressed to the Bin Laden family. It said: “We console ourselves and you on the martyrdom on the hero cub... the grandson of bravery... our son Osama, may Allah have mercy on him.” The note says that young Osama often play-acted scenes of martyrdom while playing with other children — but it is not known where he lived. In November, Osama bin Laden’s ‘favourite’ son called on Muslims around the world to launch terror attacks on the US for killing his father.

In an audio message, Hamza bin Laden, believed to be around 28, urged Muslims to “to take revenge on the Americans, the murderers of the Shaykh [Osama bin Laden], specifically on those who participated in this heinous crime.”

It came just days after Hamza’s wedding video was released, showing the ‘Crown Prince of Terror’ as an adult for the first time.

This was released by the CIA as part of a trove of material recovered during the May 2011 raid that killed the terror group leader at his compound in Pakistan.

met with fierce resistance from environmental groups. Louise Edge, from Greenpeace, told the BBC: “The government has got us into this mess by continually putting off decisions and passing the buck.

“Incineration is the wrong answer - it’s a high-carbon nonrenewable form of generating electricity. It also creates toxic chemicals and heavy metals.

“If you build incinerators it creates a market for the next 20 years for single-use plastics, which is the very thing we need to be reducing right now.”

The government is consulting with industry over a tax on singleuse plastics and a deposit scheme for bottles.

Reduce and simplify Mr Gove told the BBC his longterm goals were to reduce the amount of plastic in the economy overall, reduce the number of different plastics, simplify local authority rules so people can easily judge what’s recyclable and what isn’t as well as increase the rate of recycling.

The UK must, he said, “stop offshoring its dirt”. The Commons Environmental Audit Committee said Britain should introduce a sliding scale tax on plastic packaging with the hardest to recycle being charge most and the easiest to recycle being charged least.

There is broad agreement over much of that agenda, but it is not yet clear how the UK will achieve that long-term goal - or how it will solve its short-term China crisis.

Israel finds 2,700-year-old ‘governor of Jerusalem’ seal

JERUSALEM Israeli archaeologists unveiled on Monday a 2,700-year-old clay seal imprinted with images and Hebrew words that may have belonged to a biblical governor of Jerusalem.

The round button-sized seal was found in a building in Jerusalem’s Old City near the Western Wall and dates back to the 7th century BC, from the time of the First Jewish Temple, said the Israel Antiquities Authority.

The artefact bears an engraving showing two men wearing robes and facing each other in a mirrorlike manner. Below them is an inscription in ancient Hebrew that reads “to the governor of the city”, or mayor.“It’s a very rare find,” said Shlomit WekslerBdolah, excavator of the Western Wall plaza for the Israel Antiquities Authority.

“The find’s great importance is that until now, we only know the expression of city governor (of Jerusalem) from the Bible,” she told AFP.

“This is the first time we find it in the archaeological context, in an archaeological dig of a structure from the seventh century BC,” she added.

The seal does not mention the name of the governor or the city of Jerusalem, but WekslerBdolah said she believed it referred to the Holy City.

She said a scientific examination of the seal would be conducted soon and was expected to corroborate its link to Jerusalem.

According to her, the seal was apparently attached to an object to be delivered to someone on behalf of the governor of the city.

News of the discovery comes as tensions swirl around Jerusalem after US President Donald Trump designated the city as Israel’s capital.

Jerusalem’s status is perhaps the most sensitive issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel sees the entire city as its capital, while the Palestinians want the eastern sector as the capital of their future state.

Germany starts enforcing hate speech law GERMANY Germany is set to start enforcing a law that demands social media sites move quickly to remove hate speech, fake news and illegal material.

Sites that do not remove “obviously illegal” posts could face fines of up to 50m euro (£44.3m).

The law gives the networks 24 hours to act after they have been told about law-breaking material.

Social networks and media sites with more than two million members will fall under the law’s provisions.Facebook, Twitter and YouTube will be the law’s main focus but it is also likely to be applied to Reddit, Tumblr and Russian social network VK. Other sites such as Vimeo and Flickr could also be caught up in its provisions.

The Netzwerkdurchsetzungsgesetz (NetzDG) law was passed at the end of June 2017 and came into force in early October.

The social networks were given until the end of 2017 to prepare themselves for the arrival of NetzDG. The call to police social media sites more effectively arose after several high-profile cases in which fake news and racist material was being spread via the

German arms of prominent social media firms.

Germany’s justice ministry said it would make forms available on its site, which concerned citizens could use to report content that violates NetzDG or has not been taken down in time.As well as

controversial in Germany with some saying it could lead to inadvertent censorship or curtail free speech.

The German law is the most extreme example of efforts by governments and regulators to rein in social media firms.

forcing social media firms to act quickly, NetzDG requires them to put in place a comprehensive complaints structure so that posts can quickly be reported to staff. Twitter recently updated the guidelines it follows when tackling hate speech. Most material will have to be removed within 24 hours but networks will have a week to act on “complex cases”.

Facebook has reportedly recruited several hundred staff in Germany to deal with reports about content that breaks the NetzDG and to do a better job of monitoring what people post.The law has been

Many of them have come under much greater scrutiny this year as information about how they are used to spread propaganda and other sensitive material has come to light. In the UK, politicians have been sharply critical of social sites, calling them a “disgrace” and saying they were “shamefully far” from doing a good job of policing hate speech and other offensive content.

The European Commission also published guidelines calling on social media sites to act faster to spot and remove hateful content.

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Taking 20 wickets of little value if we don’t bat well: Virat Kohli

CAPE TOWN His bowlers set it up nicely by taking 20 South African wickets but a dejected India captain Virat Kohli said that it would be of little consequence if the batsmen don’t put up a better show in the upcoming matches. India’s star-studded batting line-up scored 209 and 135 in both essays in their 72run defeat in the first Test.

“Taking 20 wickets to win a Test match is the priority. But if your batsmen don’t bat well, then it doesn’t matter. If you are not getting close to their total, it doesn’t matter if you have taken 20 wickets or not. We needed to bat better than what we did,” Kohli didn’t beat around the bush after yet another humiliating defeat outside the sub-continent. The skipper felt for his bowling attack which dismissed South Africa for 130 in the second innings and kept the victory target at a gettable 208. “Definitely, we feel for the

bowlers because they bowled their hearts out. A guy like Jasprit (Bumrah) bowled beautifully in his first Test match, he troubled the batsmen a lot this morning. Mohammed Shami bowled his heart out, Bhuvi was good as well and not having done the job, they will also be gutted about it,” the disappointment was palpable in skipper’s voice.

“At the same time as I said they know that can repeat that performance and if we get a lively wicket again, we can exploit those conditions,” said Kohli.

He was all praise for Hardik Pandya for his all-round effort in this Test match.

“Hardik Pandya showed great character in the first innings to get us to that total. We needed if not one big partnership, then every wicket adding 30-35 would have done the job for us. We needed to show more character with the bat there is no question about it,” he added.

Kohli spoke about the intent that is needed to be shown with perfect blend of defence and attack while batting on these adverse conditions, which are completely different from the belters on Indian subcontinent.

“We lost four wickets in four overs. If you do that, it is very tough for you to come back and win Test matches from there.

You want their bowlers to come back for second and third spells. We failed to do that and need to apply ourselves better.

“At the same time, we need to have intent because the kind of bowling attack they have. You can’t even be in a zone of not having intent and see off 35-40 overs. You need to find the perfect balance to do well in South Africa especially where there is more bounce. You cannot be casual at the same time you cannot have loose shots also,” he observed.

Kohli did not pay much heed to the criticism about going into the Test match without any warm-up game.

“We were very well-prepared. I don’t think we felt any lack of preparation. Even they got out for 130 in the second innings and they play here all the time.

It was a wicket where things were happening every day. We let ourselves down with the bat, that’s for sure.”

Kohli was all praise for man of the match Vernon Philander, who took career-best 6 for 42 to dismantle India.

India needed tour game to adjust to bounce in SA: Gavaskar

India’s new ball bowlers have seldom bowled as splendidly as they did at the Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town. Sure, the conditions suited them perfectly as the covering of the pitch and rains throughout the third day’s play meant that the grass wasn’t mowed off as it is every morning before the start of play. There was also a bit of cloud cover which helped the ball to move a bit more and had the Proteas batsmen in trouble. Only the classy AB de Villiers looked in any sense of ease. India’s catching also was superb and Kohli’s field placements spot on.

The sun coming out after lunch would have dried the pitch somewhat but also made it (pitch) harder for the bigger taller South African bowlers to get more bounce. That’s what got the batsmen in trouble. Dhawan has been troubled by the short ball in South Africa as well as Australia, and he perished again, this time attempting a half-fend, half-pull shot. Pujara also got one that bounced more than he anticipated and was taken by Quinton de Kock. On

the bouncier pitches, if a batsman does not use the back foot or the depth of the crease, he is not going to find it easy.

That is the reason there should be practice games where batsmen will get the chance to get used to the ball bouncing towards the shoulders. No amount of practice against your quick bowlers, even if they are bowling from 18 yards, will give the same feeling as playing local bowlers who are more than 6 feet tall. Shami was back to his best, bowling with speed and hostility, and with both Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowling tight line and lengths, there was no escape for the Proteas batsmen. Hardik Pandya is getting better every game and, most importantly, is recognising situations and playing accordingly.

Losing the first Test in a threematch series means that the losing team is playing catch up, and for a touring team with modern day schedules of no practice games in between matches, it generally means catching just thin air.

‘Losing wkts in a heap cost us the game’ HIS bowlers set it up nicely by taking 20 South African wickets but a dejected India captain Virat Kohli said that it would be of little consequence if the batsmen don’t put up a better show in the upcoming matches. India’s star-studded batting line-up scored 209 and 135 in both essays in their 72-run defeat in the first Test. “Taking 20 wickets to win a Test match is the priority.

But if your batsmen don’t bat well, then it doesn’t matter. If you are not getting close to their total, it doesn’t matter if you have taken 20 wickets or not. We needed to bat better than what we did,” Kohli said. Kohli didn’t beat around the bush after yet another humiliating defeat outside the subcontinent. The skipper felt for his bowling attack which dismissed South Africa for 130 in the second innings and kept the victory target at a gettable 208.

“Definitely, we feel for the bowlers because they bowled their hearts out. A guy like Jasprit (Bumrah) bowled beautifully in his first Test match, he troubled the batsmen a lot this morning. Mohammed Shami bowled his heart out, Bhuvi was good as well and not having done the job, they will also be gutted about it.” The disappointment was palpable in skipper’s voice. “At the same time as I said they know that can repeat that performance and if we get a lively wicket again, we can exploit those conditions,” said Kohli. He was all praise for Hardik Pandya for his all-round effort in this Test match.

“Hardik Pandya showed great character in the first innings to get us to that total. We needed if not one big partnership, then every wicket adding 30-35 would have done the job for us. We needed to show more character with the bat there is

no question about it,” he added.

Kohli spoke about the intent that is needed to be shown with perfect blend of defence and attack while batting on these adverse conditions, which are completely different from the belters on Indian subcontinent.

“We lost four wickets in four overs. If you do that, it is very tough for you to come back and win Test matches from there. You want their bowlers to come back for second and third spells. We failed to do that and need to apply ourselves better. At the same time, we need to have intent because the kind of bowling attack they have.

You can’t even be in a zone of not having intent and see off 35-40 overs.

You need to find the perfect balance to do well in South Africa especially where there is more bounce. You cannot be casual at the same time you cannot have loose shots also,” added Kohli.

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Brigitte’s small heart Guards slam France’s first lady for making them stand in heavy rain; one disciplined for taking cover in police car FRANCE’S first lady Brigitte Macron has come under fire from her own bodyguards who have been forced to endure the worst of the winter weather standing outside her seaside villa. The UNSA police union has issued a scathing attack on the glamourous grandmother about their hostile work conditions as they maintain a 24-hour watch over the Macrons’ second home in Le Touquet, a channel tourist spot.

The furious CRS officers complain they are forced to stand in torrential rain for hours at a time, have nowhere to go to the loo and are calling for shelters to be built to house them during their security vigil.

One body guard who took shelter in his police car during a particular fierce rain storm is now facing a disciplinary charge for leaving his post. In a carefully written tweet issued on 27 December they wrote: “We all know the difficult conditions at the pace of Calais but the hierarchy of the CRS 41 is not inclined to take into account this geographical and seasonal data. “A static officer [on guard] in front of the house of the guarded person in Le TouquetParisPlage sheltered in his vehicle during a heavy rain storm. His commanding officer did not appreciate this initiative, yet legitimate, and ask him to establish a report that may lead

to a penalty.” The 40-strong ‘half-company’ of specially drafted CRS riot police say they have no problem with keeping a 24-hour watch on Mrs Macron’s family home, as guarding the French leader’ second home is part of their responsibility.

However, the tough officers have complained they have literally been left out in the cold — and wet — in one of the most inclement parts of the France, the Pas de Calais, which is renowned for its driving wind and rain. The union added: “For the sake of hygiene and safety as well as to avoid this type of problem in the future, we urgently request the instillation of a static cabin at command points. “These temporary shelters are often used by some police services that provide a

Hong Kong flight diverted as man smears faeces in washrooms A UNITED Airlines flight from Chicago to Hong Kong was diverted to Alaska after the flight crew reported a man on board had vandalised two airplane bathrooms by spreading human waste, airport police said on Friday. “We received a report of a passenger who had messed up the bathrooms with his own feces,” Anchorage Airport Police Lieutenant Joe Gamache said. The man, a 22-year-old Vietnamese passport holder with U.S. residency, was escorted off the plane in handcuffs on Thursday night and met by law enforcement in the terminal. The passenger sitting next to the man said his family was sending him to Vietnam in an effort to help him stay out of “trouble”, KTVA reports. Tri Nguyen told KTVA: “He just was out of control and I tried to calm him down as much as I

could.” After being interviewed by authorities through a translator, he was transported to an Anchorage hospital for a mental evaluation. The young man made no threats and did not try to interfere with the flight crew, Gamache said, adding that no charges have been filed. Other antics of the man, according to the witnesses on the flight, were his shaking of the seats and pouring beverages on the ground. One passenger described the excrement-filled scene to KTVA: “He had crap everywhere...He was stuffing his shirt in the toilet then wiping it on the walls.” The passenger, BJ Canup, added that the passenger was “shirtless”. After the incident, families and children sitting around him were moved and replaced with “some really big guys” to sit around him.

The move was done without incident, witnesses said. “I was just asked to help out and was ready to do what I could,” said one such man, who was 7feet-tall.

warm and dry place to work from.” The UNSA police union said: “The living conditions of the CRS officers in front of the Macron villa have been revealed. “The UNSA police union condemns these conditions as winter settles in.

The mayor [of Le Touquet] does not say no to our requests, but we are waiting for our top brass [for a decision].” Union spokesman Denis Hurth added: “The police have always kept guard over the second homes of the presidents, but give us the means to do so in Le Touquet.” Brigitte, then Trogneux, set up home in Le Touquet, an upmarket seaside resort often referred to as ‘Paris Plage’, following the collapse of her marriage to banker Andre Louis Auziere due to her romance with pupil Emmanuel

Macron. The 64-year-old grandmother has surrounded herself with her children from her first marriage in the coastal town, where her wealthy Trogneux family had always had a holiday home. And Le Touquet was where Brigitte and Emmanuel Macron married in 2007, in the town hall, opposite the villa Monejan, that stands at the centre of this latest scandal. In August 2016, the Macron protection detail in Le Touquet were ordered not to patrol with their firearms visible, so as not to worry the neighbours and tourists. The bodyguards were allowed to take up their arms again in October, once the tourist season was over. The Elysse Palace, the office of President Macron, have declined on comment on the issue.

7 Russian warplanes destroyed by Islamists RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin lost at least seven planes when so-called radical Islamists attacked a Syrian airbase, it has been claimed. If confirmed, it would be the single biggest loss of military hardware for the Kremlin strongman since he began supporting Syria’s president Bashar alAssad. The planes were destroyed on the New Year’s Eve when rebel shelling rained down on the Hmeymim air base, according to a Russian daily newspaper. Russia’s defence ministry dismissed parts of the report as “fake” but acknowledged the attack in Latakia Province had occurred and that two servicemen had died.

Russian daily newspaper the Kommersant reported the incident late on Wednesday, stating that more than

10 servicemen were wounded in the assault. It was the most potent attack on Putin’s arsenal since an air strike back in 2015, it said. At least four Su24 bombers, two Su35S fighters and an An72 transport plane, as well as an ammunition depot, were destroyed by the shelling, Kommersant said on its website, citing two “militarydiplomatic” sources.

Russia’s defence ministry on Thursday said two servicemen had been killed in the mortar attack by Islamist militants in Syria on New Year’s Eve, but denied reports about the seven military planes being destroyed. “The Hmeimim air base was subjected to sudden mortar shelling from a mobile group of militants. Two servicemen were killed,” the ministry confirmed.

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Health Childhood asthma, food allergy may up anxiety disorder risk

Toronto If your child is suffering from chronic illness such as asthma or food allergy, he or she is more likely to develop anxiety or other mental health disorders, finds a study The findings showed that anxiety disorders were most common, including separation anxiety, generalised anxiety and phobias, in kids with chronic illness such as asthma, food allergy, epilepsy, diabetes or juvenile arthritis. For the study, detailed in the journal BMJ Open, the team from the University of Waterloo surveyed children between the age of six and 16.

According to parents’ responses to a standardised interview, 58 per cent of children screened positive

for at least one mental disorder.

Six months after diagnosis, the number of kids showing signs of a mental disorder dipped slightly to 42 per cent. “These findings show that risk for mental disorder is relatively the same among children with different physical conditions,” said Mark Ferro, Professor at Waterloo.

“Regardless of their condition, children with physical and mental health problems experience a significant decline in their quality life within the first six months after receiving their diagnosis, indicating a need for mental health services early on,” Ferro added The researchers found that age and gender had no impact on the results.

Eating foods with choline in pregnancy may boost baby’s brain New York Consuming foods such as egg yolks, lean red meat, fish, poultry, legumes, nuts and cruciferous vegetables - that are rich in nutrient choline during pregnancy may boost your baby’s brain, a study has found.

Researchers from the Cornell University in the US used a rigorous study design to show cognitive benefits in the offspring of pregnant women who daily consumed close to twice the currently recommended amount of choline during their last trimester.

“In animal models using rodents, there’s widespread agreement that supplementing the maternal diet with additional amounts of this single nutrient has lifelong benefits on offspring cognitive function,” said Marie Caudill, from the Cornell University in the US. “Our study provides some evidence that a similar result is found in humans,” Caudill said.

The finding is important because choline is in high demand during pregnancy yet most women consume less than the recommended 450 milligrammes per day.

For the study published in The FASEB Journal, 26 women were randomly divided into two groups and all the women consumed exactly the same diet. Intake of choline and other nutrients were tightly controlled, which was important since the metabolism of choline and its functions can overlap with such nutrients as vitamin B12, folic acid and vitamin B6.

Common birth control drug may up risk of HIV

Johannesburg Taking a popular injectable contraceptive drug is likely to increase the risk of developing HIV infection by 40 per cent, claims a study.

The contraceptive depotmedroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) is an injectables birth control shot that works by releasing the hormone progestin into the body which prevents the ovaries from releasing eggs and thickens the mucous layer around the cervix to block sperm from getting through.

In the study, researchers from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, examined animal,

cell and biochemical research on the form of progestin used in DMPA — medroxprogesterone acetate, or MPA. Their analysis, published in the journal Endocrine Reviews, revealed that MPA acts differently than other forms of progestin used in contraceptives.

MPA behaves like the stress hormone cortisol in the cells of the genital tract that can come in contact with HIV. Other reasons include decreased immune function and the protective barrier function of the female genital tract, said lead author, Janet P. Hapgood, Professor at the varsity

“Studying the biology of MPA helps us understand what may be driving the increased rate of HIV infection seen in human research,” she said.

“Increasing availability of contraceptives that use a different form of the female hormone progestin than the one found in DMPA could help reduce the risk of HIV transmission,” Hapgood added.

In 2016, there were 36.7 million people worldwide were living with HIV, according to UNAIDS — Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. AIDS is the most advanced stage of HIV infection.

In 2015, India had approved the use of DMPA and recommended its inclusion in the national family planning programme and administered free of cost once every three months, usually on the upper arm or the buttocks.

Previously, the use of DMPA have been associated with many health problems in women including menstrual irregularity, demineralisation of bones, abdominal bloating and discomfort, mood changes, decreased sex drive, etc.

The researchers tested infant information processing speed and visuospatial memory at 4, 7, 10 and 13 months of age.

They timed how long each infant took to look toward an image on the periphery of a computer screen, a measure of the time it takes for a cue to produce a motor response. The test has been shown to correlate with IQ in childhood.

The results show that infants who demonstrate fast processing speeds when young typically continue to be fast as they age.

While offspring in both groups showed cognitive benefits, information processing speeds were significantly faster for the group of expectant mothers who consumed 930 mg/day when compared with the group that took 480 mg/day over the same period.

Girls’ camouflage skills may delay autism diagnosis New York As girls with autism seem to struggle more than boys while performing routine tasks like getting dressed or making small

talk, it may delay or prevent autism diagnosis among them, a study has revealed.

The findings add to the growing evidence that girls with autism may show symptoms differently than boys and that some of the social difficulties experienced by females with autism may be masked during clinical assessments. “Based on our research criteria, parents report that the girls with autism seem to have a more difficult time with day-to-day skills than the boys,”

said lead author of the study, Allison Ratto.

“This could mean that girls who meet the same clinical criteria as boys actually are more severely affected by ongoing social and adaptive skill deficits that we don’t capture in current clinical measures, and that autistic girls, in general, may be camouflaging these types of autism deficits during direct assessments,” Ratto added.

The study, published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, used an age and IQmatched sample of school-aged youth diagnosed with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to assess sex differences according to the standard clinical tests, including parent reported autistic traits and adaptive skills.

“Though today’s clinical tools do a really good job identifying boys at a young age with a wide range of symptom severity, they do it less effectively for girls,” said Lauren Kenworthy, Director of the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders.

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Excess fat disrupts heart cell’s energy system, says study

Washington Excess fat in the heart may contribute to the two-to five-fold increased risk of heart failure in people with diabetes, a study has found.

The heart is the most energyhungry organ in the body. Just like a combustion engine burning fuel to power the pistons, healthy heart cells consume fuel molecules to create the necessary energy to keep the heart pumping.

This essential energy production takes place inside mitochondria, the self-contained “powerplant” organelles inside cells.

Although mitochondria in a healthy heart primarily use fatty acids as fuel, they can easily adapt to use other fuel molecules as needed, including glucose, lactate, and ketone bodies.

Diabetes, however, reduces the heart muscle?s metabolic adaptability and causes heart

cells to overuse fat as a metabolic fuel.

The study, published in the journal Circulation Research, found this cardiac lipid overload leads to numerous small, misshapen mitochondria that don’t produce energy as efficiently as normal mitochondria.

“Diabetes, which affects almost 30 million Americans, significantly increases the risk of heart failure, and one of the cardinal manifestations of the hearts of people with diabetes is the tendency to overuse fat as a metabolic fuel, which ultimately leads to mitochondrial and cardiac damage,” said E Dale Abel, from the University of Iowa in the US. “We have demonstrated and detected how increasing the amount of fat (lipid) that the heart consumes leads to dramatic changes in the structure and

Breast size dissatisfaction affects self-examination

Washington DC A study has recently revealed that women who are unhappy with the size of their breasts are less likely to carry out regular self-examinations to screen for breast cancer.

The findings also show that these women were less confident about detecting a change in their breasts and more likely to delay seeing their doctor if they did detect a change. The research was carried out by Viren Swami of Anglia Ruskin University in in Cambridge, England and Professor Adrian Furnham from the University College London.

The team examined 384 British women. The results indicated that majority of participants reported some degree of breast size dissatisfaction, with 31 percent wanting smaller breasts and 44 percent wanting larger breasts, while a third of the women (33

percent) in the study admitted they rarely or never engaged in breast self-examination.

If they were to detect a change in their breasts, 55 percent said they would see their doctor immediately or as soon as possible. However, one in 10 admitted they would either delay for as long as possible (8 percent) or not see their doctor at all (2 percent).

Their advice states that if women have a greater understanding of how their breasts look and feel normally, they are better able to detect any changes. Lead author Swami said that the findings suggest that greater breast size dissatisfaction is significantly associated with less frequent breast self-examination, lower confidence in detecting breast change and greater delay in seeing a doctor following breast change.

function of the mitochondria in the heart,” Abel said.

“These studies provide a new window into how these changes to mitochondria could occur in the lipid-overloaded heart,” he said.

To investigate the consequences of cardiac lipid overload on mitochondria, the team used genetically modified mice that mimic the increased fatty acid uptake (lipid overload) that characterises diabetes.

In the mouse model, lipid uptake to heart is doubled. This modest increase resulted in mitochondria that became thinner and more twisted than mitochondria in healthy heart cells.

These structural changes (almost like a noodle snaking through the heart) lead to an appearance of mitochondrial fragmentation when imaged by conventional electron microscopy.

The study also revealed the molecular cause of the change in mitochondrial structure.

Prolonged lipid overload leads to increased levels of damaging substances called reactive oxygen species (ROS).

The findings suggest that cardiac lipid overload disrupts normal mitochondrial structure, which may impair energy production and compromise heart function.

Sleeping less than 8 hours a night can lead to depression

New York Are you in the habit sleeping less than eight hours a night? Beware, you may be at risk of suffering from depression and anxiety, according to a study.

Regular sleep disruptions can increase the difficulty in shifting attention away from negative thoughts. While other people may be able to move on from their negative thoughts, people low on sleep can have trouble ignoring it.

This means that inadequate sleep is part of what makes negative intrusive thoughts stick around and interfere with people’s lives, the researchers said.

“We found that people have some tendencies to have thoughts get stuck in their heads, and their elevated negative thinking makes it difficult for them to disengage with the negative stimuli that we exposed them to,” said Meredith Coles, Professor at the Binghamton University.

“These negative thoughts are

believed to leave people vulnerable to different types of psychological disorders, such as anxiety or depression,” Coles added.

For the study, published in the journal ScienceDirect, the team assessed the timing and duration of sleep in individuals with moderate to high levels of repetitive negative thoughts (e.g., worry and rumination).

The participants were exposed to different pictures intended to trigger an emotional response, and researchers tracked their attention through their eye movements. The timing and duration of sleep may also contribute to the development or maintenance of psychological disorders, a finding that could potentially allow psychologists to treat anxiety and depression by shifting patients’ sleep cycles to a healthier time or making it more likely a patient will sleep when they get in bed, the researchers said.

Feeling stressed out? Simply smell your partner’s shirt New Delhi If you’re looking for effective stress-busters, especially if you’re married or in a relationship, then your search ends right here.

A study has suggested that your partner’s mere scent – even without their physical presence – is good and powerful enough to help you reduce your stress.

While being exposed to a stranger’s scent had the opposite effect and raised levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, researchers said.

“Many people wear their partner’s shirt or sleep on their partner’s side of the bed when their partner is away, but may not realize why they engage in these behaviors,” said Marlise Hofer, from the University of British Columbia in Canada.

“Our findings suggest that a partner’s scent alone, even without their physical presence, can be a powerful tool to help reduce stress,” Hofer said.

For the study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the researchers recruited 96 opposite-sex couples.

Men were given a clean T-shirt to wear for 24 hours and were told to refrain from using deodorant and scented body

products, smoking and eating certain foods that could affect their scent. The T-shirts were then frozen to preserve the scent. The women were randomly assigned to smell a Tshirt that was either unworn or had been worn by their partner or a stranger.

They were not told which one they had been given. The women underwent a stress test that involved a mock job interview and a mental math task, and also answered questions about their stress levels and provided saliva samples used to measure their cortisol levels. The researchers asked women to act as the

“smellers” because they tend to have a better sense of smell than men. They found that women who had smelled their partner’s shirt felt less stressed both before and after the stress test.

Those who both smelled their partner’s shirt and also correctly identified the scent also had lower levels of cortisol, suggesting that the stressreducing benefits of a partner’s scent are strongest when women know what they are smelling.

Meanwhile, women who had smelled a stranger’s scent had higher cortisol levels throughout the stress test.

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Justin’s Hoosier Daddy Chili

Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef 1 medium onion, chopped 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon ground cumin 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth

1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes 5 tablespoons chili powder 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon salt 2 (15.5 ounce) cans pinto beans, drained (optional) cayenne pepper to taste Directions: Crumble the ground beef into a soup pot over medium-high heat.

Cook and stir until evenly browned.

Drain off most of the grease. Add onion, red pepper flakes, and half of the cumin; cook and stir until onion is tender. Pour in the tomato soup, chicken broth, and crushed tomatoes. Season with chili powder, salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes. Pour in the beans, and season with remaining cumin and cayenne pepper; simmer for another 30 minutes. Now enjoy.

Twelve Minute Pasta Toss Ingredients: 16 ounces rotini pasta 4 tablespoons olive oil 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite size pieces 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/4 teaspoons salt 1 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder 1 1/4 teaspoons dried basil 1 1/4 teaspoons dried oregano 1 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese Directions: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook rotini at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes; drain.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.

Saute chicken, garlic, salt, garlic powder, basil, and oregano in hot oil until chicken is no longer pink in the middle, 5 to 10 minutes. Add sundried tomatoes and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour pasta

Grilled Cilantro Salmon

Ingredients: 1 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 cups honey juice from one lime 4 salmon steaks salt and pepper to taste Directions: In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together cilantro, garlic, honey, and lime juice.

Heat until the honey is easily stirred, about 5

minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool slightly.

Place salmon steaks in a baking dish, and season with salt and pepper.

Pour marinade over salmon, cover, and refrigerate 10 minutes. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon steaks on grill, cook 5 minutes on each side, or until fish is easily flaked with a fork.

Quick Black Beans and Rice into pot and toss with chicken until combined.

Top with Parmesan cheese.

Mushroom Lentil Barley Stew Ingredients: 2 quarts vegetable broth 2 cups sliced fresh button mushrooms 1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, torn into pieces 3/4 cup uncooked pearl barley 3/4 cup dry lentils 1/4 cup dried onion flakes 2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 teaspoons dried summer savory 3 bay leaves 1 teaspoon dried basil 2 teaspoons ground black pepper salt to taste Directions: In a slow cooker, mix the broth, button mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, barley, lentils, onion flakes, garlic, savory, bay leaves, basil, pepper, and salt. Cover, and cook 4 to 6 hours on High or 10 to 12 hours on Low. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, undrained 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1 1/2 cups uncooked instant brown rice

Directions: In large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion, cook and stir until tender. Add beans, tomatoes, oregano and garlic powder.

Bring to a boil; stir in rice.

Cover; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Issue 753 (40)

9 - 15 Jan., 2018

Hindu activist hacked to death in Karnataka

THE dust has not yet settled after the mysterious death of Paresh Mesta in Honnavar and yet another Hindu activist has been hacked to death in Katipalla, a small town near Surathkal. It is alleged that the victim identified as Deepak Rao, 28, a resident of Katipalla Kaikamba, was riding his motorbike when he was waylaid by a car whose occupants then attacked him at about 1.30 pm on Wednesday. A resident identified as Majid rushed to the spot after he heard Deepak’s screams, but by the time he reached, it was too late. The local police are yet to reveal the motive behind this gory murder, but senior leaders belonging to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) have condemned this murder and want the police to initiate a probe immediately.

Rajesh Padmar, Karnataka RSS spokesperson, claimed that workers belonging to the Sangh Parivar have been repeatedly targeted in Karnataka and especially Mangaluru by Jihadi radical

elements and no action has been taken against them by the police. “If somebody has a problem, they should talk it out and not resort to murders like this,” he told INDIA TODAY. The Bajrang Dal told India Today that the deceased used to take part in all Hindu functions as an audience and squarely put the blame on the Popular Front of India (PFI) activists. Likewise, Jagadish Shenova, president, VHP (Mangaluru district) says Deepak was murdered just because he was a Hindu.

“We will protest all over the district if the police do not nab the culprits as soon as possible,” Shenova added. Shobha Karandlaje, senior BJP leader and MP, wrote on Twitter that the Jihadi mindsets is growing in the coastal parts of the state and that innocent Hindus are being killed.

She took on CM Siddaramaiah, asking him where he was when Jihadi forces are operating without any fear in the state.

Soon after the death was reported on social media, shops, schools and colleges were shut in anticipation of trouble in the town.

Activists belonging to various Sangh groups also assembled in large numbers outside the private hospital where he was shifted for treatment and declared dead. The police have beefed up security in the town to thwart any chances of protests or communal flareups. But this did not stop the local residents from declaring a bandh and this also led to some stonepelting. The Surathkal police acting immediately detained four individuals at Mijaru near Moodabidri. According to sources, the police chased the accused in a filmy style and also fired at them. One of the accused received a bullet injury in the leg. Surathkal police have now taken the accused to the Commissioner’s office in Mangaluru. It was in the month of December that Union minister Ananth Kumar Hegde had urged the Centre to take over all investigations of cases involving Hindu activists in the state. He had alleged that the state government run by the Congress party was only trying to cover up all these murders that were more than 20-odd in number.

Soldier beheads ISIS terrorist with spade AN SAS ( Special Air Service) soldier decapitated an ISIS terrorist using only a spade after their unit was ambushed by militants during a patrol in eastern Afghanistan. The veteran sergeant is said to have cutoff the gunman’s head in one swoop after running out of ammunition during a fierce six-hour gun battle. After killing him, the elite soldier then used the jihadist’s own weapon to kill more ISIS henchmen. The deadly battle took place six weeks ago following a meeting between the SAS and former Taliban members now on the side of the Afghan government, the Daily Star reports. When the special forces unit was ambushed by the ISIS gunmen, the Brits were forced to take refuge in a farm, picking off the attackers while under heavy fire. But despite their skilled field combat the soldiers began to run low on bullets, leaving them sitting ducks. The soldiers radioed their base calling for air support but could not tell whether the message was received. Fearing that their time was up, the soldiers made a pact to fight until the death instead of being captured and tortured on camera before a public execution.

Some of the English speaking jihadists taunted the Brits warning they would send their decapitated heads back to their wives. Our source said: “The SAS thought they had seen their last day. “They made a pact that they wouldn’t be taken alive and vowed to fight to the death. “Capture would mean torture and a filmed execution and they weren’t prepared to let that happen. “They made every bullet count and when they ran low on ammo they waited for the jihadis to get close enough so they could be killed with grenades or using rifles as clubs – that was when one of the SAS managed to kill a man with a spade.”

But just as it seemed the brave SAS soldiers were going to be overwhelmed by the ISIS terrorists, two US Apache helicopter gunships appeared, forcing the insurgents to withdraw. A US Chinook followed and rescued them.

By the time they arrived half the SAS unit had no ammunition left.

Israel tells African migrants: Leave or face jail ISRAEL said it would pay thousands of country to leave, threatening them with jail African migrants living illegally in the if they are caught after the end of March.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in public remarks at a cabinet meeting on the payment programme, called the migrants’ presence a threat to Israel’s social fabric and Jewish character, and one government minister has referred to them as ‘a cancer’.

Some 60,000 have crossed into Israel from nations such as Eritrea and Sudan, many fleeing war and persecution as well as economic hardship. The plan launched this week offers African migrants a $3,500 (`2,22,000) payment from the Israeli government and a free air ticket to return home or go to

‘third countries’, which rights groups identified as Rwanda and Uganda.

Netanyahu said: “We have expelled about 20,000 and now the mission is to get the rest out.” An immigration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there are some 38,000 migrants living illegally in Israel, and some 1,420 are being held in two detention centres.

“Beyond the end of March, those who leave voluntarily will receive a significantly smaller payment that will shrink even more with time, and enforcement measures will begin,” the official said, referring to incarceration.

Some have lived for years in Israel and work in low-paying jobs that many Israelis shun. Israel has granted asylum to fewer than one percent of those who have applied and has a years-long backlog of applicants. Rights groups have accused Israel of being slow to process African

migrants’ asylum requests as a matter of policy and denying legitimate claims to the status. Teklit Michael, a 29-asylum seeker from Eritrea living in Tel Aviv, said in response to the Israeli plan that paying money to other governments to take in Africans was akin to ‘human trafficking and smuggling’. “We don’t know what is waiting for us (in Rwanda and Uganda),” he told Reuters by telephone.

“They prefer now to stay in prison (in Israel) instead.” In his remarks, Netanyahu cited the large presence of African migrants in Tel Aviv’s poorer neighbourhoods, where he said ‘veteran residents’ — a reference to Israelis — no longer feel safe. “So today, we are keeping our promise to restore calm, a sense of personal security and law and order to the residents of south Tel Aviv and those in many other neighbourhoods,” he said.