Big breakfast 'could boost fertility'

Eating the largest meal of the day in the morning rather than the evening boosted fertility among women with a common menstrual problem.

Studies have previously shown what the timing of our meals, and not just the total calorie intake, can affect our weight but the findings suggest it also affects insulin resistance and hormone levels.

As a result, it could increase the chance of people with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), a menstrual problem which affects 6-10 per cent of women of childbearing age, being able to have children, researchers said.

PCOS causes patients to become resistant to insulin, resulting in an increase in male sex hormones known as androgens and impairing their ability to conceive.

Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv University studied 60 patients with PCOS, who were aged between 25 and 39, over a 12-week period.

Each of the patients was told to eat about 1,800 calories per day, slightly below the recommended daily total for women, but with half having their main meal of the day at breakfast and the other half at dinner.

The findings, published in the Clinical Science journal, found that there were higher levels of ovulation in the group who ate their largest meal, typically measuring about 980 calories, in the morning.

Among the "big breakfast" group, glucose levels and insulin resistance decreased by eight per cent while levels of the androgen testosterone dropped by 50 per cent, while there was no change in those who ate their larger meal at dinner time.

Prof Oren Froy, who led the study, said: "The research clearly demonstrates that indeed the amount of calories we consume daily is very important, but the timing as to when we consume them is even more important."

Credits: telegraph.co.uk - Nick Collins

Manisha and Yuvraj talk about their fight against cancer

Tough times refine people's faith like no other. In Kolkata, Manisha Koirala and Yuvraj Singhspoke about how their fight against cancer moulded their lives. A brainchild of Rituparna Sengupta and Subroto Mukherjee, the event was a one-of-its-kind effort to raise awareness against the disease and reinstate their belief in one thing — cancer has an answer.

Subroto, who has lost his uncle to cancer this September, said, "We are doing our best to put up a fight." Manisha, a self-confessed cancer crusader, added, "I don't like it when people say I'm surviving. And I'll grab every possible opportunity to talk about embracing a healthy lifestyle." Yuvi, on his part, not only shared a video of his fight against the disease, but also said that it had been a "life-changing experience". The evening drew to a close with Usha Uthup rendering Manisha's fave song, Ekla cholo re. In this fight though, they are not alone.

New study suggests supervolcanoes erupted on ancient Mars

New images of the Red planet released by NASA suggest possible ancient supervolcanoes on Mars. The supervolcanoes are similar to the caldera that sits under Yellowstone National Park.

What's different about this supervolcano network is that it was found in the Martian northern highlands, a place not known to be active in the past.

The finding described in the issue of the journal Nature suggests that early Mars was more active than previously realized, and that such eruptions could have affected the red planet's climate and atmosphere.

Supervolcanoes, which can spew out thousands of times more magma than regular volcanoes, erupt with such force that they do not leave mountains of lava.

(With Agency inputs)

Mars spacecraft shipped out of Bangalore for mission

India's Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) spacecraft was shipped out of the city on Wednesday for the October 28 launch from the Sriharikota spaceport, setting the stage for final preparations for the odyssey to the red planet.

"It was put in a special container where we have the monitoring of the environment inside", an official of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) told PTI.

Accompanied by a convoy, the truck-trailer carrying the container is slated to reach Sriharikota today afternoon. Gandhi Jayanti day was chosen for the journey as traffic would be less.

A national committee of experts and pre-shipment review panel had earlier given their go-ahead for the Rs. 450 crore ambitious venture.

Primary objectives of the mission are to demonstrate India's technological capability to send a satellite to orbit around Mars and conduct meaningful experiments such as looking for signs of life, take pictures of the red planet and study Martian environment.

Bangalore-based ISRO said the Rs. 150-crore spacecraft would be launched on October 28 at 16 hours, 14 minutes and 45 seconds (4.15 pm), weather permitting.

Launch campaign has already commenced at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, about 90 km from Chennai, from where the 1,350-kg MOM spacecraft is slated to be launched by the Rs. 110 crore Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C25).

The first stage of the PSLV-C25 with strap-ons has already been assembled, with the rocket ready for satellite integration by October 10.

The satellite will carry compact science experiment instruments, totalling a mass of 15 kg. There will be five instruments to study Martian surface, atmosphere and mineralogy.

After leaving the earth's orbit, the spacecraft will cruise in deep space for about ten months using its own propulsion system and will reach Martian transfer trajectory in September 2014. The spacecraft subsequently is planned to enter into a 372 km by 80,000 km elliptical orbit around Mars.

The main theme of MOM appears to be to seek to reveal whether there is methane, considered a "precursor chemical" for life, on the red planet. Methane sensor, one of the five payloads (scientific instruments) on board the spacecraft, would look to detect the presence of Methane.

Credits: ndtv

The 241 at SCG is the one Tendulkar moment Lara can’t forget

The many heads totting the stands at the fortress-like Feroz Shah Kotla during the CLT20 matches in Delhi got more than their money’s worth as Brian Lara recalled Sachin Tendulkar’s masterpiece at the Sydney Cricket Ground even as the Indian walked back to the time the Trinidadian would have the best of bowlers at his mercy. It was a sight any cricket fan would die for as the two masters of modern-day cricket stood together for a few moments, literally leaving the the crowd at the Kotla in a state of ecstasy. “I remember the series against Australia when Sachin didn’t play a single cover drive till the time he reached the double century,”

 Lara said when he was asked about one Tendulkar moment he just couldn’t forget. Tendulkar went on to score 241 as the Test, which was Steve Waugh’s last. Getty Images Tendulkar went on to score 241 as the Test, which was Steve Waugh’s last, ended in a tame draw at the historic Sydney Cricket Ground a little over a decade ago. “Sachin was always different… The Indian team had many great batsmen like (Rahul) Dravid and (VVS) Laxman,” the 44-year-old Trinidadian who still holds the record for the highest score in Test and first-class cricket said, amid huge cheers from the packed stadium. Tendulkar was not left behind as he too, recalled the days when Lara would literally toy with the opposition bowling, saying they (opposition) would be left thinking which was the best place to land the ball while bowling to the left-handed batsman. The two greats met just before the Champions League Twenty20 match between Chennai Super Kings and Trinidad and Tobago. 

Lara also had a word of praise for young Sanju Samson, who has been a revelation of sorts for the Rajasthan Royals in the Champions League Twenty20. The West Indian legend made no bones about the fact that Twenty20 is not a format he would have fancied. “I don’t think I would have been too successful in T20 cricket as I was a batsman who needed time to settle down. I believe guys like Sachin, Ricky (Ponting) were suited to this format.” All in all, after the barrage of fours and sixes they witness from the blades of Rohit Sharma and Dwayne Smith, the coming together of the two legends on the same platform meant the Delhi crowd couldn’t have asked for more.

Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/sports/the-241-at-scg-is-the-one-tendulkar-moment-lara-cant-forget-1148743.html?utm_source=ref_article

Reasons that make Dhoni a role model for youngsters

Bengaluru: Mahendra Singh Dhoni is one of India’s most successful captains. His achievements on the field have won him a nation full of admirers and fans. Here are five reasons why he is worthy of being India’s role model:

Captain Cool: Dhoni is rightfully known as ‘Captain Cool’. Even in a tense situation, he remains calm, confident and most amazingly cheerful. This is a quality most lack. People tend to lose hope or worse, get aggressive and reckless, during difficult situations. This more often than not backfires, leaving the team to taste sour defeats when wins could have been possible. His calm and collected approach has brought the team rewards by the truckloads—from the ICC World Cup to the Champions Trophy.

Midas touch: Everything that Dhoni touches seems to be turning to gold. Ever since he became captain of the Indian cricket team, the team has soared higher and higher into greatness. Team India is, arguably, capable of vanquishing any opponent, no matter their stature.

Had he been wildly successful once or twice, it could’ve been disregarded as sheer luck. But then he has led the team to glory time and again, it is evident beyond doubt that the team is riding on his immense leadership skills.

Clean image: Repute of Indian Cricket is at its lowest. With BCCI transparently displaying the power struggle within, several cricketers being banned for spot fixing, and several others under the scanner for similar incidents, Dhoni is among the few cricketers (like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid) who has over the years kept themselves clear of scandals, allegations and lawsuits. With bookies on the lookout for ethically weak players, it is reassuring to know there are still players who stay away from trouble and work towards maintaining the sanctity of the sport.

Style icon: It is not just enough to be a good player with great stats and fantastic ethics. But to be a role model, the individual needs to keep abreast of the times. Dhoni, with his avid love for motorcycles and ever-changing hairstyles, has become a youth icon. From the days he sported long flowing hair to his recent decision to sport a mohawk, Dhoni’s hairstyles caught the nation’s attention and immediately became the primary topic of discussion.

A force on the field: Leadership skills, ethics and fashion sense aside, Dhoni is a force to be reckoned with on the field. He is one of the best wicketkeepers. His powerful strokes strike fear among all bowlers and his calm and collected tactics and strategy ensures the Indian cricket team utilises even the smallest of opportunities and punishes the opponent’s smallest of mistakes.

Credits: deccanchronicle

Srinivasan is an autocrat, wants all the power for himself: Shashank Manohar

Former BCCI president Shashank Manohar is used to carefully weighing his words before he speaks — a lawyer by profession, he rarely ever spoke to the media during his reign, kept a low profile and just concentrated on getting the job done. His way of functioning earned him the nickname BCCI’s Mr. Clean. But in an interview to Mumbai Mirror — Manohar has torn into N Srinivasan, who was recently re-elected for his third year as BCCI president. 

The former BCCI president was approached by Jagmohan Dalmiya amongst others, to contest against Srinivasan but the Tamil Nadu strongman found a loophole in the rules to get elected unopposed. Srinivasan with Manohar: Reuters “Srinivasan has no right to continue as president,” said Manohar said in the Mumbai Mirror interview. “If you had the slightest of conscience, self-esteem and care for the board, you ought to have put in your papers the moment your son-in-law was arrested. You did nothing and as a result the board’s reputation has taken a hit to the extent that the people have lost faith in this board.” So at least someone in the Board agrees that the Board’s reputation has taken a hit. 

Recently, even the Supreme Court observed “something is seriously wrong with the apex body controlling cricket.” However, Srinivasan has chosen to ignore the ignore the issue and has constantly maintained that his son-in-law’s wrong doings have nothing to do with him. In the Supreme Court, Srinivasan’s lawyer said on behalf of his client: “It’s my daughter who chose the son-in-law and not me.” The confidence that saw Srinivasan quickly rising up the BCCI ranks is quickly turning to arrogance. 

Manohar also mentioned how it has taken Srinivasan just four months to damage the reputation of the Board; a reputation that had taken years for past presidents like Dalmiya, AC Muttiah, Sharad Pawar, IS Bindra and Madhavrao Scindia to build up. The ‘enthusiastic’ defence that was put up by Srinivasan to protect himself from the controversy that surrounds Gurunath Meiyappan has came under fire from Manohar, who said: “There is a lot of evidence of Meiyappan being the team principal. 

The truth will come out. I don’t have to state this. It is a fact.” In his new book, Underneath The Southern Cross, Chennai Super Kings and former Australia batsman Michael Hussey has said that Srinivasan had ceded control of the team to his son-in-law and betting accused, Gurunath. “Our owner was Indian Cements, headed by Mr Srinivasan,” Hussey writes. “As he was also on the board of the BCCI, he gave control of the team to his son-in-law Mr Gurunath. He ran the team along with Kepler Wessels, who was coach.” So the players knew and the officials knew but no one was ready to break Omerta? Why? Why hasn’t Manohar or anyone else raised their voice before this? Australia’s Daily Telegraph has called Srinivasan “cricket’s most destructive figure.” 

South African papers are now describing the BCCI as a mafia — is that how Srinivasan and Indian cricket want to be remembered? Such scorn is usually reserved only for dictators and tyrants. But Manohar saved his most scathing remarks in the Mumbai Mirror interview for the end: “He is trying to shield everybody, his team included. He does not want to clean this mess. If my son was in Srinivasan’s position, I would have asked him to resign. Srinivasan is an autocrat and wants all the power for himself,” Manohar said. Abraham Lincoln once said, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” And clearly that is one test that Srinivasan has failed. You can read the entire Mumbai Mirror interview HERE

Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/sports/srinivasan-is-an-autocrat-wants-all-the-power-for-himself-shashank-manohar-1149477.html?utm_source=ref_article

Duryodhan gets his voice from Jackie Shroff

After searching far and wide, Jayantilal Gada has found the voice of his Duryodhan in an unlikely suspect-- Subhash Ghai's Ram! Jackie Shroffdubbed for Gada's ambitious animation film 'Mahabharat' two days back and the actor has lent his voice to Duryodhan.

It is mere coincidence that Jackie's co-star in Ram Lakhan (1989), Anil Kapoor, has voiced the dialogues of Karna, Duryodhan's friend. A few days back, Anil along with Manoj Bajpayee was spotted at Future Works Studio in Andheri recording for the star-studded animation film.

Manoj has lent his voice to Yudhishtir, the righteous eldest brother of the Pandavas. The others who have dubbed include Amitabh Bachchan (Bheeshma Pitamah), Vidya Balan (Draupadi),Sunny Deol (Bheem) and Ajay Devgn (Arjun).

Why Aishwarya Rai Bachchan won't do a film with hubby Abhishek Bachchan

Some very tempting offers, including Prahlad Kakkad’sHappy Anniversary, have come Aishwarya and Abhishek’s way. But audiences are unlikely to see them together in the near future.

And there’s a good reason for this: The couple’s bundle of joy, their daughter Aaradhya.

Mom Aishwarya’s top priority is her precious little girl. Everything else comes later. Though Aish is looking at scripts and would be  doing a comeback film soon, it won’t star Abhishek.

Says a source close to the family. “Aishwarya is a fully hands-on mother. She doesn’t let anyone take care of Aaradhya as long as she is around. And if Aishwarya has a commitment to attend to, Abhishek looks after the baby. 

Aaradhya too depends entirely on her mother. And if there’s anyone the little girl depends on after her mother, it is her father. It would therefore be foorlhardy for both Aishwarya and Abhishek to be shooting for the same film.

Aishwarya would like to do a film where her schedules don’t match with Abhishek’s so that one parent can be with Aaradhya when she is shooting.”

Hence, no film featuring the couple together at least until Aaradhya starts going to school.

Credits: dnaindia

1.2bn Facebook users' photos on a single page

Facebook has more than a billion users globally and though they all may be part of the same network, all members of the social network were never brought together. Until now.

A new project called The Faces of Facebook byfreelance designer Natalia Rojas brings together the photos of all Facebook members on the same canvas. Rojas says that no privacy rules have been violated by her project as it does not store any private information, photos or real names.

Microsoft investors push for Bill Gates to step down as chairman

Three of the top 20 investors in Microsoft Corp are lobbying the board to press for Bill Gates to step down as chairman of the software company he co-founded 38 years ago, according to people familiar with matter.

While Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer has been under pressure for years to improve the company's performance and share price, this appears to be the first time that major shareholders are taking aim at Gates, who remains one of the most respected and influential figures in technology.

A representative for Microsoft declined to comment on Tuesday.

There is no indication that Microsoft's board would heed the wishes of the three investors, who collectively hold more than 5 percent of the company's stock, according to the sources. They requested the identity of the investors be kept anonymous because the discussions were private.

Gates owns about 4.5 percent of the $277 billion company and is its largest individual shareholder.

The three investors are concerned that Gates' role as chairman effectively blocks the adoption of new strategies and would limit the power of a new chief executive to make substantial changes. In particular, they point to Gates' role on the special committee searching for Ballmer's successor.

They are also worried that Gates - who spends most of his time on his philanthropic foundation - wields power out of proportion to his declining shareholding.

Gates, who owned 49 percent of Microsoft before it went public in 1986, sells about 80 million Microsoft shares a year under a pre-set plan, which if continued would leave him with no financial stake in the company by 2018.

He lowered his profile at Microsoft after he handed the CEO role to Ballmer in 2000, giving up his day-to-day work there in 2008 to focus on the $38 billion Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

In August, Ballmer said he would retire within 12 months, amid pressure from activist fund manager ValueAct Capital Management.

Microsoft is now looking for a new CEO, though its board has said Ballmer's strategy will go forward. He has focused on making devices, such as the Surface tablet and Xbox gaming console, and turning key software into services provided over the Internet. Some investors say that a new chief should not be bound by that strategy.

News that some investors were pushing for Gates' ouster as chairman provoked mixed reactions from other shareholders.

"This is long overdue," said Todd Lowenstein, a portfolio manager at HighMark Capital Management, which owns Microsoft shares. "Replacing the old guard with some fresh eyes can provide the oxygen needed to properly evaluate their corporate strategy."

Kim Caughey Forrest, senior analyst at Fort Pitt Capital Group, suggested now was not the time for Microsoft to ditch Gates, and that he could even play a larger role.

"I've thought that the company has been missing a technology visionary," she said. "Bill (Gates) would fit the bill."

Microsoft is still one of the world's most valuable technology companies, making a net profit of $22 billion last fiscal year. But its core Windows computing operating system, and to a lesser extent the Office software suite, are under pressure from the decline in personal computers as smartphones and tablets grow more popular.

Shares of Microsoft have been essentially static for a decade, and the company has lost ground to Apple Inc and Google Inc in the move toward mobile computing.

One of the sources said Gates was one of the technology industry's greatest pioneers, but the investors felt he was more effective as chief executive than as chairman.

© Thomson Reuters 2013

Trade gap to see huge improvement on lower imports: Experts

India's Current Account Deficit is likely to narrow during 9 months (July-March) of the current fiscal to touch a low of 1.5 percent of GDP because of lower gold imports, higher overall exports and a drop in imports due to tapering domestic demand, analysts say. "CAD will be less than USD 10 billion in Q2 (July- September), which will be 1.5-1.7 percent of GDP, and for the whole year we maintain that CAD will be around 3.8 percent of GDP or USD 67-68 billion," a State Bank research report said today. 

CAD, which indicates imports of goods services and transfer are higher than their exports, widened to 4.9 percent of GDP, or USD 21.8 billion, in Q1 of FY14 as against 4 percent of GDP, or USD 16.9 billion, in the year-ago quarter. Also Read: Emerging market firms to reshape corporate world, says Report Widening of Q1 CAD was on account of rise in imports by 4.7 percent and decline in exports by 1.5 percent. "The current account gap will exhibit an improvement in the coming quarters due to the curbs on gold imports, a weak rupee benefiting exports and a sharp slowdown in domestic demand pulling down consumption and investment good imports." credit rating agency Crisil said. 

During July-August, exports grew 12.3 percent, while imports fell 3.6 percent, Crisil noted. Gold imports have already come down with July-August figure nearly 300 tonne lower over the first quarter, it said. "Nonetheless, indications are that the CAD shortfall has peaked and is poised to witness some improvement here on," DBS Bank said in a report. Analysts felt exports are likely to pick up as the US economy is expected to grow at 1.7 percent and there are signs of improvement in the European Union.

 "An increase in exports would be further aided by the recent rupee fall, which has enhanced export competitiveness of India's goods and services," India Ratings said. Crisil said narrowing CAD and higher capital inflows in the second half of the fiscal will help stabilise the rupee. "In the second half of the fiscal further easing of CAD and some pick-up in capital inflows - if the RBI and Government's measures at bringing in foreign capital yields fruit - could stabilise the rupee." The rupee fell to a life-time low of 68.85 against the US dollar on August 28. However, it has recovered more than 10 percent in September.

Read more at: http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/economy/trade-gap-to-see-huge-improvementlower-imports-experts_962153.html?utm_source=ref_article

Nobody in India can buy Airtel: Sunil Mittal

Asserting that there is nobody in India who can buy Airtel , Bharti group Chairman Sunil Mittal today said the telecom firm will look at opportunities to acquire another firm in India, provided that there is a clear merger and acquisition policy in place. "I don't think so that there is anybody in India who can buy us," Mittal told PTI here when asked about the new M&A norms in the works and as to whether his company would be the biggest buyer or the biggest seller. 

However, he added: "We will be looking at opportunities (for consolidation) but for that a clear M&A policy which has the objective of being an enabler for consolidation is required." Also Read: Airtel shareholders approve selling DCMS biz for Rs 177cr Airtel is India's largest telecom company with 192.22 million subscribers as of August-end. The company had a market capitalisation of Rs 1.28 lakh crore as on October 1. It is among the world's top five telecom firms and has operations in 20 countries in Asia and Africa with total subscriber base of over 275 million.

 Mittal also said its partner SingTel would like Airtel to be a consolidator in the market. "SingTel chairman was in India recently and he made a statement that we will like Airtel to be the consolidator in the market," he added. Mittal welcomed Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal's recent statement that the M&A policy would be announced by October 15. "We are very encouraged with the ministers statement that something would be coming out in October," he said. Telecom operators have been waiting for long to see the final guidelines of merger and acquisition (M&A). 

India has 13 mobile service providers with some of them expected to go in for consolidation once the final guidelines are in place. Although the telecom ministry had announced broad guidelines for M&As in February last year, the detailed norms are yet to be be unveiled. The guidelines that have been okayed in-principle include expeditious approval to merger proposals of telecom companies if their combined market share is up to 35 per cent. The ministry will seek telecom regulator Trai's recommendation in case the resultant entity has market share of 35 to 60 per cent.

Read more at: http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/nobodyindia-can-buy-airtel_962481.html?utm_source=ref_article

India tops global chart of remittances

India has topped the global chart of remittances with a whopping USD 71 billion in remittances in 2013, just short of three times the FDI it received in 2012, according to a revised World Bank forecast issued on Wednesday. Also read: Expect rupee to trade in range of 62-63/USD: Ashutosh Raina Top recipients of officially recorded remittances for 2013 are India (with an estimated USD 71 billion), China (USD 60 billion), the Philippines (USD 26 billion), Mexico (USD 22 billion), Nigeria (USD 21 billion), and Egypt (USD 20 billion), the report said. Other large recipients include Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Ukraine. 

As a percentage of GDP, the top recipients of remittances, in 2012, were Tajikistan (48 percent), Kyrgyz Republic (31 percent), Lesotho and Nepal (25 percent each) and Moldova (24 percent). "These latest estimates show the power of remittances," said Kaushik Basu, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist of the World Bank. "For a country like Tajikistan they constitute half the GDP. For Bangladesh remittances provide vital protection against poverty. In terms of volume, India, with USD 71 billion of remittances, tops the global chart.

 To put this in perspective, this is just short of three times the FDI it received in 2012," he said. "Remittances act as a major counter-balance when capital flows weaken as happened in the wake of the US Fed announcing its intention to reign in its liquidity injection programme. Also, when a nation's currency weakens, inward remittances rise and, as such, they act as an automatic stabiliser," Basu said. According to World Bank estimates, India and China alone will represent nearly a third of total remittances to the developing world this year. 

Remittance volumes to developing countries, as a whole, are projected to continue growing strongly over the medium term, averaging an annual growth rate of nine percent to reach USD 540 billion in 2016. Global remittances, including those to high-income countries, are estimated to touch USD 550 billion this year, and reach a record USD 707 billion by 2016, the Bank said. Remittances to the developing world are expected to grow by 6.3 percent this year to USD 414 billion and are projected to cross the half-trillion mark by 2016, the report said.

 "Remittances are the most tangible and least controversial link between migration and development," said Dilip Ratha, Manager of the Migration and Remittances Team at the Bank's Development Prospects Group. "Policymakers can do much more to maximise the positive impact of remittances by making them less costly and more productive for both the individual and the recipient country," Ratha said.

Read more at: http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/economy/india-tops-global-chartremittances_962295.html?utm_source=ref_article

Indian rupee up 31 paise to 62.15 vs dollar in early trade

The rupee was trading 31 paise up to 62.15 against the US dollar in early trade on Thursday at the Interbank Foreign Exchange after dollar weakened against other major overseas currencies.

The rupee had gained 14 paise to close at 62.46 against the dollar in previous session on Tuesday, supported by a better-than-expected current account deficit data.

The forex market remained closed yesterday on account of "Gandhi Jayanti".

Besides, increased dollar selling by exporters and a higher opening in the domestic equity market also supported the rupee, forex dealers said.

Meanwhile, the BSE benchmark Sensex rose by 156.43 points, or 0.80 per cent, to 19,673.58 in early trade on Thursday.

With PTI inputs

London top city in global university rankings

London colleges and Oxbridge are an elite "golden triangle" in global rankings

London has four universities in the top 40 of a global league table - more than any other individual city - although only one makes the top 10.

US universities are still the most dominant international force in the Times Higher Education rankings.

In top place, as last year, is the California Institute of Technology.

In the UK there are concerns that, outside Oxford, Cambridge and London colleges, many major universities are slipping down international rankings.

The so-called "golden triangle" of UK universities - Oxford, Cambridge and leading London institutions - is seen as a breakaway elite group, with these universities consolidating their international reputations.

Imperial College, University College London, LSE and King's College London are all in the top 40. London has more universities in this league table than all of Japan, although only Imperial College makes the top 10.

Clusters of excellence

Phil Baty, editor of the rankings, says this is part of a global pattern of clustering of "excellent universities". Boston in the US has eight universities in the top 200, more than entire countries such as China, Switzerland and Australia.

Continue reading the main story

UNIVERSITY TOP 20

1. California Institute of Technology

2. Harvard University

2. University of Oxford

4. Stanford University

5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

6. Princeton University

7. University of Cambridge

8. University of California, Berkeley

9. University of Chicago

10. Imperial College London

11. Yale University

12. University of California, Los Angeles

13. Columbia University

14. ETH Zurich - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich

15. Johns Hopkins University

16. University of Pennsylvania

17. Duke University

18. University of Michigan

19. Cornell University

20. University of Toronto

Source: Times Higher Education World University Rankings

But there are warnings from the rankings organisation that prominent UK regional universities are falling away.

Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol, Sheffield, Warwick, Southampton, Nottingham and Newcastle are all seen as going downwards against international rivals.

However the University of Leicester has risen sharply, which has been described as the "Richard III effect", after the high-profile research associated with the discovery of the body of the medieval king.

This is described by the Times Higher Education rankings as showing that "power is draining from the UK regions".

The top 20 still reflects the dominance of wealthy US university powerhouses, taking 15 of the top 20 places, with institutions such Harvard, MIT and Stanford in the leading pack behind the California Institute of Technology.

The highest UK university is Oxford and the highest ranked continental European university is ETH Zurich in Switzerland, which is also the only non-English speaking university in this top 40.

"No university can rest on its laurels. No-one is guaranteed to retain a top-200 place when the US, Far East and others are investing in research so heavily," said Sir David Bell, vice-chancellor of Reading University, which has fallen from 176th to 194th place.

"There are some dramatic year-on-year rises and falls this year, so we should be careful to read too much into a single set of figures."

"It is no surprise that a small number of UK universities at the very top end will remain more stable, with others more likely to fluctuate."

Sir Christopher Snowden, president of Universities UK, said the rankings showed that the UK had "the second-strongest university system in the world after the US".

"What is clear, however, is that the UK must continue to invest in higher education if we are to maintain this global competitiveness."

Credits: bbc

India’s top university: No, not IITs but Panjab University

No not the IITs but lesser known Panjab University has emerged as India’s top university, according to the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2013-14, announced in London, does not have a single Indian institute among the top 200. But Panjab University is the highest ranked Indian institution clubbed in the group of universities ranked between 226-250 ranks. According to the Rankings, Panjab University, a new entrant, is placed at 226 among 400 institutions worldwide while IIT Kharagpur has slipped from 226 to 250 and IIT Roorkee is placed in the 351-400 band. Reuters The two other new entrants are IIT Delhi and Kanpur, both in the 351-400 group.

 These four IITs and PU are the only five Indian institutes among the top 400, according to the Times rankings. “This means India now has an institution near the elite top 200. Panjab receives very good scores for citation impact, which means its academics are producing research widely used and valued by the academic community around the world,” Phil Baty, editor of British magazine Times Higher Education, which publishes the annual rankings, was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times. There were 21 participants from India but most of them failed to make the cut. 

Ironically, Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Pune University, universities of Bombay and Calcutta are conspicuously absent from this list. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings uses 13 separate performance indicators to examine a university’s strengths against all its core missions — teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook— and Panjab University has scored 84.7 on citations, 29.3 on international outlook, 28.4 on industry income, 25.8 on teaching and 14.0 on research, an Economic Times report said today.

 The rankings are powered by Thomson Reuters, which independently collects, analyses and verifies the data. According to THE, the improved engagement by India in the word-renowned rankings has seen it add three new entrants to the world top 400 list. Globally, California Institute of Technology has retained its world number one spot for the third consecutive year, while Harvard University tied with Oxford at second place, pushing Stanford University to fourth. The US continues to dominate, taking seven of the top 10 places. This year it has 77 institutions in the rankings.

 The UK remains the second best represented country behind the US with 11 institutions in the top 100 whilst the Netherlands boast eight. Europe has fared badly this year. While the UK’s number one, Oxford, holds on to second place in the table, almost across the board the continent’s top institutions have lost ground. Japan’s University of Tokyo maintained its status as Asia’s number one and moved up four places to 23rd.Peking University in China creeped up one place to 45th. However, University of Hong Kong is fell eight places to 43rd.

Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/business/indias-top-university-no-not-iits-but-panjab-university-1149481.html?utm_source=ref_article

Case Against Greek Far-Right Party Draws Critics

For over a year, 30 Kaisareias Street bustled with activity. Burly, black-clad members of the neo-fascist Golden Dawn party converted part of the nondescript white building into a headquarters, holding frequent meetings and fanning out for military-style neighborhood patrols armed with batons and heavy poles wrapped in the Greek flag.

Then, last week, the group disappeared overnight. A regular in the office, Giorgos Roupakias, was accused of killing an anti-fascist activist in a crime that shocked the nation, and the government began an effort to “eradicate” the group, as Prime Minister Antonis Samaras put it.

But already, serious questions have been raised about the planning and effectiveness of the crackdown, and whether it may actually boomerang against the government and end up generating sympathy for Golden Dawn, one of Europe’s most violent far-right groups.

“If it is not handled properly, you could get a kind of a bounce back of Golden Dawn,” said George Katrougalos, a constitutional law professor at the Democritus University of Thrace. “If they appear to be victims of the establishment, that may broaden their appeal.”

Questions are already being raised about the legality, even constitutionality, of the government’s methods.

On Wednesday, in a surprise decision, a magistrate ordered three prominent Golden Dawn lawmakers, among 35 people associated with the party who were arrested in a sweep last Saturday, to be released pending trial. After more than 17 hours of testimony, one of the men, the party’s spokesman, Ilias Kasidiaris, strode from the court, called reporters “bums” and pushed photographers out of his way.

However, a fourth Golden Dawn lawmaker, Yannis Lagos, was remanded to custody after the judicial authorities deemed that evidence linking him to criminal activities — including murder, attempted murder and blackmail — was strong.

The legal wrangling pointed to the rising conviction of the government and many others here that Golden Dawn has been run less as a political party than as a mafia. But it also underlined concerns that the government’s case might be riddled with legal holes and procedural missteps in the investigation. Golden Dawn’s supporters say the government is basing its case against party members in large part on wiretaps that lacked the required judicial approval.

Mr. Samaras has made it clear that he sees no place for Golden Dawn in the Greek political system. “We must do it within the context of our democratic Constitution,” he said in a speech in New York this week. “But we have to go all the way and do whatever it takes.”

Doing so will not be easy. Because the government cannot ban political parties, it is trying to undermine the group by dismantling its leadership and cutting its financing. Prosecutors are charging members with participating in a criminal organization, a move that would effectively outlaw the group.

In court testimony, the Golden Dawn spokesman, Mr. Kasidiaris, said his group was the victim of a politically motivated persecution aimed at discrediting the party before local elections next spring. He and the others denied the government’s accusations.

Golden Dawn’s popularity has slipped since Mr. Roupakias admitted to the killing of the activist, Pavlos Fyssas, a Greek rapper whose lyrics inveighed against rightist extremism. But questions have swirled around why the government is only now pursuing an organization whose violence and Nazi ideology have been well documented.

Included in the 31 charges are cases that have been pending for years, involving murder, extortion and money laundering — none of which were previously pursued by Mr. Samaras’s government. The Greek ombudsman cited nearly 300 cases of recent racist violence involving Golden Dawn members that also received no judicial attention.

“It is obvious that there was an inertia toward Golden Dawn by the state and other authorities until now,” Mr. Katrougalos, the law professor, said.

In the working-class neighborhood of Keratsini, where the killing took place, anti-fascist graffiti was scrawled on buildings near banners calling for rallies against Golden Dawn. Rap music thumped from cars, and groups of young people packed cafes on Tsaldari Street, where Mr. Fyssas was stabbed.

On the spot where he died, a makeshift shrine was erected with candles, red roses and a white cross. An anarchist symbol — the letter “A” enclosed in a circle — was spray painted on a doorway next to several scrawled homages, including one that read: “Safe travels my brother. Vengeance has already begun.”

At the Ouzo cafe in Nikaia, near the group’s shuttered offices, people were elated that Golden Dawn had scattered. “It’s already better,” said Giorgos, 61, a retiree who would give only his first name. “These people were like thugs, with their flags and poles, wearing their black shirts and army pants and boots. If you saw them up close, you’d be scared.”

He added that Mr. Roupakias was known in the neighborhood for attending Golden Dawn meetings, and had run the cafe in the group’s offices.

Many here were angered that Golden Dawn had come to the Keratsini neighborhood from Nikaia. “This is a working-class area that resisted the Nazis, who rounded up people and shot them,” said another retiree, Stavros, 56, as he sipped coffee. “The mass grave is still there. So it’s a disgrace that this neighborhood was then occupied by fascists.”

But no one thought Golden Dawn or the grievances that vaulted it to power would be easily overcome.

“They cut the head of Golden Dawn,” said Artemis Sarafoglou, 21, a resident who frequently encountered Golden Dawn members patrolling the streets. “But this may be like the Hydra, where something new can grow in its place.” He said that several of his friends had voted for Golden Dawn, helping it win 18 seats in Parliament last year, and that their support for the group had not wavered.

“The reasons why Golden Dawn came to power have not been erased,” Mr. Sarafoglou said, looking at a party banner that still fluttered from a balcony. “It’s truly possible that they could rise again.”

In Keratsini, Eleni Batziopoulou, 24, a philosophy student, said that she and her friends had no real hope that Golden Dawn would become truly enfeebled. Instead, the clampdown raised a more profound question.

“Is this the end of Golden Dawn, or is it really just the beginning?” she asked. “I want to believe it’s the end, because I want to have hope in the future. But if it’s not, then it’s the start of a wave of trouble.”

Credits: nytimes

Russian embassy in Libya attacked, no injuries among diplomats

Russia's embassy in the Libyan capital of Tripoli came under attack on Wednesday and gunmen tried to enter the compound, a spokesman for Russia's Foreign Ministry said. He said that according to preliminary reports no Russian diplomats were injured, but gave no further details. "In Tripoli ...a shooting occurred and there was an attempt to enter the territory of the Russian embassy in Libya," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich, speaking on Russian state television.

"According to the most preliminary information there were no injuries among members of the Russian diplomatic mission." Since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi two years ago, clan and tribal rivalries have flourished and security services, themselves factionalised, have struggled to maintain order. There have been a number of attacks on Western diplomatic missions, the worst being directed against the US consulate in Benghazi. Militants linked to al Qaeda affiliates attacked the US consulate and killed Christopher Stevens, the US ambassador to Libya, and three other Americans on September 11, 2012.

Western powers, using air power, led the military campaign that ultimately toppled Gaddafi. Russia, however, did not take part in the action and condemned what it called the West's abuse of a United Nations Security Council to intervene.

Pakistan bomb kills three troops in quake area

An improvised roadside bomb in the earthquake-hit Pakistani province of Balochistan has killed two soldiers and wounded three others working to help survivors, army officials have said.

The explosion near the army vehicle happened near the town of Mashkay.

The area was one of many parts of Balochistan hit by the 24 September quake which killed 400 people.

Baloch insurgents had warned of attacks on the military who they earlier accused of suppressing their movement.

The 7.7-magnitude earthquake affected more than 300,000 people.

Correspondents say that the attack late on Tuesday highlights the difficulties and dangers inherent in providing relief supplies to an area where separatists have been battling the army for years.

The vehicle hit by the bomb was carrying troops whose unit had been dispatched to the area to provide relief to disaster zone inhabitants.

No-one has claimed responsibility for the attack but correspondents say that suspicion has fallen on separatists.

Rockets were also launched against members of the paramilitary Frontier Corps delivering earthquake relief in the Awaran district of Balochistan, army officials said. There were no casualties.

Insurgents have launched several attacks on rescue teams, correspondents say, firing rockets at army helicopters and issuing threats.

The BBC's Shahzeb Jillani says that resentment against the army and the Frontier Corps runs deep in Balochistan, Pakistan's largest province in terms of area.

The province is renowned for being rich in resources while at the same time being one of Pakistan's most impoverished regions.

Thousands of Pakistani soldiers have been deployed there, and effectively control large parts of the province. The army says it is fighting for the territorial integrity of Pakistan. It says that the insurgents are being backed by foreign forces, namely India.

But our correspondent says that the army itself is viewed as an outsider force, largely composed of ethnic Punjabis and Pashtuns.

Troops are accused of carrying out large-scale enforced disappearances and custodial deaths of Baloch nationalists - charges they deny.

Credits: bbc

Assam to set up peace varsity in Mahatma Gandhi's memory

The state government will soon set up a peace and harmony university in honour ofMahatma Gandhi that will facilitate research work to find ways to resolve growing conflicts in society.

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi made the announcement on the occasion of Gandhiji's 144th birth anniversary here on Wednesday. Gogoi said the government would also take up a slew of measures aimed at disseminating Gandhiji's valuable philosophy, principles and belief in non-violence through education and public awareness. "Plans are afoot for installing Gandhiji's statue in every district and to make a film on him to inspire and motivate our youths."

"Throughout his entire life, Mahatma Gandhi propagated feelings of brotherhood , tolerance and love for fellow beings by transcending the barriers of caste, creed and religion. His teachings are relevant for all times to come. The university would propagate his ideals and philosophy among the young generation to promote peace and harmony. It would also carry out research with a view to resolve conflicts," said Gogoi.

The relevance of Gandhiji's teachings is not only being felt in India but the world over. "At a time when there are conflicts everywhere with terrorism rearing its ugly head, the world has realized the importance of Gandhiji's teachings," the chief minister said. "If we want to bring an end to violence and save the world, we have to follow in his footsteps by adopting ahimsa (non-violence)."

Gogoi unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi carved by acclaimed sculptor Dilip Sarma on the circuit house premises here.

In another function held at the Assam Khadi and Village Industries Board at Chandmari in the city, the chief minister asked the board to bring in new technology to make its products attractive and to diversify its business to make it economically vibrant. Gogoi extended government's support and help to strengthen the board in the coming days.

Along with the rest of the nation, Gandhi Jayanti was also celebrated at the Darbar Hall of the Raj Bhavan where governor Janaki Ballav Patnaik and his wife Jayanti Patnaik attended the function.

Credits: timesofindia

Pakistan attempting a second Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir?

The Indian Army is currently in the midst of one of the largest anti-infiltration operations in Jammu and Kashmir as they attempt to flush out around 30 to 40 militants who have occupied a ghost village along the Line of Control in Keran sector.

While infiltration attempts are not new for the Army, what’s worrying them this time is the fear that Pakistan, under Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, could be trying to do a second Kargil. This is because the Army suspects among the 40-odd men are members of the Pakistan Special Forces.

The Army claims it is in control of the situation in Keran where the operation, which has been on now for over a week, against militants has till now led to injuries being suffered by at least five Indian soldiers.

"We are in total control of the operation which was launched on September 24. The reports of our posts being captured by the infiltrators are absurd," General Officer Commanding of the Army's 15 Corps Lt General Gurmit Singh said on Wednesday.

The infiltration began just ahead of the crucial meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 29.

The issue that was focussed upon during the meeting was maintaining peace on the LoC.

It may be recalled that in May1999, Pakistani troops and militants were found to have occupied abandoned Indian Army posts in Kargil by shepherds. That infiltration had taken place in the winter of 1998-99.

When the Kargil war took place, the man in power in Pakistan was the same Sharif, and the Army was led by General Pervez Musharraf. The Kargil intrusion too was discovered just months after the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had gone to Lahore on a ‘’peace bus.

Suspecting the involvement of Pakistani special troops this time around too, Lt Gen Singh said, "From the operation that is going on till now and the strength (of infiltrators) and the multiple points they attempted (to infiltrate), give the indication that definitely there were some special troops. This is quite different from the trend we have seen in the earlier infiltration attempts”."

Lt Gen Singh said the operation was started on the basis of specific intelligence inputs about possible infiltration in Keran sector by militants from across the LoC.

Although the Army commander maintained it will be premature to say whether the Pakistan Army was involved in the infiltration of militants, he said there were definite indications that some special troops were part of it.


Credits: zeenews

Toilets first, temples later, says Narendra Modi

Speaking at a function organised here for the youth, Modi said he dared to say so even though his image as a Hindutva leader did not allow him.

Build toilets first and temples later, said Hindutva icon and BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Wednesday.

Speaking at a function organised here for the youth, Modi said he dared to say so even though his image as a Hindutva leader did not allow him.

"I am known to be a Hindutva leader. My image does not permit to say so, but I dare to say. My real thought is-- Pehle shauchalaya, phir devalaya' (toilets first,  temples later)," he said.

The Gujarat Chief Minister's comment could well stoke a controversy from within his party and sister organisations, which are keen to rake up the "temple issue" again ahead of next general elections.

A similar comment on toilets from Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh that the country needs more toilets than temples had stirred a row with a large number of women organisations and NGOs protesting against the remark.

Touting the slogan of development that could take the country on the path of speedy progress, Modi said lakhs of rupees were spent on temples in villages, but there were no toilets there.

Invoking Mahatma Gandhi's thoughts, he lamented that it was ironic that women in the country had to go in the open for easing themselves in the absence of toilets.

Modi said it was the quality of a real leader to have the strength to handle all problems and lead the way forward.
He said that for good governance and speedy progress, it was necessary for planners to focus on outlay, outcome and social audit.

Hyderabad to be Telangana capital?

A Union Cabinet note on bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh says Hyderabad will be the capital of Telangana, CNN IBN reported.

According to the news channel, sources said the note was prepared late last night and the Cabinet is likely to discuss the Telangana issue in a meeting on Thursday. The note leaves the option open for Andhra Pradesh, it said.

Earlier, AICC general secretary in-charge of Andhra Pradesh Digvijaya Singh had said the cabinet note would be ready by the first week of October.

On Wednesday, the Press Trust of India, however, reported that the Cabinet approval is likely to be delayed as the home ministry is yet to finalise the note.

Home minister Sushilkumar Shinde was yet to give a go-ahead to the draft prepared for presentation before the Cabinet, sources said.

Shinde was reportedly waiting for the recommendations of the high-level committee headed by defence minister AK Antony, which is hearing the concerns of all stakeholders in the wake of the Congress Working Committee’s decision on Telangana, they added.

After finalisation, the draft will be sent to the law ministry for legal vetting before being presented to the Cabinet.

The Cabinet, after giving its approval to the creation of Telangana, is expected to set up a Group of Ministers (GoM) to go threadbare into the issues arising out of the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

That is likely to be followed by a resolution being sent to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly regarding the formation of the new State.

After formation, Telangana will be the 29th State of India. The CWC, which met on July 30, passed a resolution requesting the Centre “to take steps in accordance with the Constitution to form a separate State of Telangana...within a definite timeframe”.

Credits: hindustantimes

Eight policemen injured in Srinagar gunfight

A senior police officer said eight policemen including an assistant sub-inspector were injured in the exchange of fire between a guerrilla and the security forces in Ahmad Nagar area, 10 kilometres from city centre Lal Chowk.



Eight policemen were injured in the nightlong gunfight between a holed up guerrilla and the security forces in outskirts of Srinagar Thursday.

A senior police officer said eight policemen including an assistant sub-inspector were injured in the exchange of fire between a guerrilla and the security forces in Ahmad Nagar area, 10 kilometres from city centre Lal Chowk.

"The holed up militant lobbed grenades and fired from an automatic rifle at the police after we zeroed on him in a residential house in Ahmad Nagar and challenged him to surrender," a senior police officer told IANS.

Police had a tough time ensuring that no civilian in the residential area gets injured because of the exchange of gunfire.

All the civilians from the house in which the guerrilla had taken shelter and adjoining houses were safely evacuated before the operation against the guerrilla was launched, the senior police officer said.

Intermittent firing exchanges continued during the night, but since morning no gunshots were heard in the area.

"We are searching the area right now", the officer said.

Credits: dnaindia

Sensex edges up, rupee moves higher to 62 levels

Indian stock markets rose in early trade in line with other global markets even as the US crisis dragged on. The Sensex was up 160 points at 19,677 while Nifty rose to 5,826, up 46 points.

Though the US shutdown dragged on with no end in sight, global share markets have remained calm, hoping that major central banks might now have to stay super-loose for longer.

The rupee inched higher close to 62 levels against the dollar as the US currency continued to weaken against other currencies. The US dollar hit a eight-month low against a basket of six major global currencies.

Sarvendra Srivastava, a market analyst, said a weak dollar will benefit the commodity stocks.

Asian markets were broadly higher, with MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan moving 0.8 percent higher, after a flat performance on Wednesday.

Japan's Nikkei recovered early losses to be steady on the day, while Australian shares added 0.7 percent.

Also helping sentiment was an upbeat survey on China's huge services sector, an antidote to a disappointing report on manufacturing earlier in the week.

In the US, a meeting between U.S. President Barack Obama and congressional leaders produced nothing but blame and counter-blame, dimming hopes of an early end to the budget impasse.

So far, investors have been wagering that a deal would be reached in time to avoid lasting damage to the economy, although another fight over the debt ceiling still looms. (With Reuters Inputs)

Movie Review: 'Besharam' , even Ranbir can't save this one

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Pallavi Sharda, Jaaved Jaffery, Amitosh Nagpal, Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Singh Kapoor, Himani Shivpuri

Director: Abhinav Kashyap

The Indian Express rating: *1/2

This is a film which pre-empts us from coming up with the classic line, "haaye, sharam nahin aati hai kya", because it is called'Besharam'. Which then frees it to indulge in every single "shameless" thing a Bollywood flick safely can, presumably because it has an A-list star. This is a film in which the hero is a self-confessed luchcha-lafanga: remember that phrase? The kind of thing that the villain used to do— be an illiterate lout, crack cheap jokes, harass the heroine, and pull at his crotch whenever possible — is now down to our hero. Not discreetly, that would be unbecoming of a 'besharam,' but loudly, accompanied by background music, with the kind of exaggeration that doesn't allow you to look anywhere else.

Orphans and best friends Babli (Ranbir Kapoor) and Titu (Nagpal) make a living by stealing cars. When Babli is not whacking hot wheels, he is line-maaroing Tara (Pallavi Sharda), or stuffing socks in places that need to bulge, to 'jamaao impression'. Warned you about the crotch aspect, didn't I? Remember how Abhinav Kashyap had underlined the region below the belt in his debut Dabangg? You couldn't go from one frame to another without Salman Khan and his cohorts calling attention to their pelvic region, thrusting one way , then the other, over and over and over again. It looks as if Kashyap's signature move, and this time it is the Kapoor lad who's thrusting his butt, crack distinctly visible, in our face.

You have to go looking for the plot with a microscope. Babli is given two sets of obstacles to overcome. One is his real-life parents as a reel-cop-couple, Bulbul and Chulbul Chautala (Neetu and Rishi). And the other is a Chandigarh-based baddie (Jaffery), who has a line in stolen cars and cash. The proceedings are interrupted by too many superfluous songs, and repetitive exchanges with a debutant leading lady (Sharada) whose ordinariness seems to be her only discernible quality. The first half goes by reasonably quickly, the second nosedives because by then everything has

Assam: 28 people killed, 10 injured as a truck rams into 2 mini buses; driver on the run

At least 28 people, including 13 children, were killed and 10 others injured when the two mini buses they were travelling in were hit by a truck on National Highway 35 in lower Assam's Barpeta district in the wee hours on Thursday. 

The two buses were going one behind the other when the truck from West Bengal rammed into first bus which was then hit from the rear side by the second at Doholapara, under Sorbhog Police Station, at about 4.30 am, police said. Both the buses overturned and 28 people died on the spot and 10 were injured. 

Assam: 28 people killed, 10 injured as a truck rams into 2 mini buses; driver on the run Many of the victims were going with families from Kholkholi in Dhubri district in the two mini buses to work in two brick kilns at Rangia in Kamrup district, police said. 

The injured were admitted to Barpeta Medical College Hospital and Bongaigaon Civil Hospital. Barpeta district administration has contacted its counterpart in Dhubri to inform the families of the deceased, they said. The driver of the truck was absconding, they added

Read more at: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/assam-28-people-killed-10-injured-as-a-truck-rams-into-2-mini-buses-driver-on-the-run/426061-3-251.html?utm_source=ref_article

Obama tells congressional leaders no negotiation on shutdown, debt

President Barack Obama stressed to congressional leaders on Wednesday that he will not negotiate with Republicans over a government shutdown or raising the U.S. debt limit, the White House said.

After more than an hour of talks at the White House that did not lead to a breakthrough, the White House issued a statement saying that Obama remains hopeful that "common sense will prevail" in the budget standoff.

"The president made clear to the leaders that he is not going to negotiate over the need for Congress to act to reopen the government or to raise the debt limit to pay the bills Congress has already incurred," the White House said.

Obama held talks in the Oval Office with the top U.S. Republican, House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, the Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, the top Democrat in Congress, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi.

It was their first face-to-face talks since a government shutdown began on Tuesday.

House Republicans have been demanding that Obama agree to cut funding or delay implementation of his signature healthcare law in exchange for their agreement to approve spending measures to reopen the government.

In addition to the government shutdown, the United States faces a historic debt default on Oct. 17 unless Congress agrees to raise the U.S. borrowing limit.

"The House could act today to reopen the government and stop the harm this shutdown is causing to the economy and families across the country," the White House said.

"The president remains hopeful that common sense will prevail, and that Congress will not only do its job to reopen the government, but also act to pay the bills it has racked up and spare the nation from a devastating default," it said.

Credits: Indianexpress

Fodder scam: Lalu Prasad to be sentenced today; will he be shown leniency?

The CBI court in Ranchi will announce the quantum of sentence to RJD chief Lalu Prasad and 34 of those convicted in the multi-crore fodder scam case through videoconferencing on Thursday.

On Monday, the court of special judge PK Singh had held Lalu and 44 others guilty of fraudulently withdrawing Rs. 37.70 crore from Chaibasa treasury between 1994 and 1995. Lalu also faces disqualification from Parliament as MP after his sentence.

Lalu’s counsel senior advocate Chitranjan Sinha said they will appeal for a lenient sentence for the RJD chief citing his stature as a former Union minister and health.

Senior advocate Surender Singh from Jabalpur high court will argue on Lalu’s behalf in the first half of the court session and the court will start pronouncing the statement at 2:30pm.

Former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra, also convicted in the case, is undergoing treatment at Ranchi’s Rajendra Prasad Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS). He will either be shifted to jail or produced before the court on Thursday as there is no videoconferencing facility in the hospital.

"The court may defer the date of pronouncement of sentences with respect to Mishra,” said senior advocate of high court BM Tripathy.

Out of the 45 people convicted, 34 -- including Lalu – are lodged at Jharkhand’s Birsa Munda Central Jail since Monday.

The court had released eight convicts on bail the same day as they were sentenced to three years imprisonment. The court had also issued arrest warrant against three convicts who failed to appear before the court.

Credits: hindustantimes

Narendra Modi says PM going back to ‘dialogue of 1980s’

A day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asked all secular forces to unite against him, BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Wednesday said Singh was chanting the "dialogue of the '80s", suggesting that the call would not find much support.
Addressing a youth conclave in the capital, Modi also made a fresh attempt to dispel apprehensions of the Muslims, saying he would abide by the constitution and arguing that a government has no religion.

 Sharing the stage with TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu for the first time, Modi projected himself as leader with novel ideas and decision-making prowess in contrast to the "indecisive" UPA government. Naidu, on his part, called for the defeat of the Congress. Both the leaders sat through the eight-hour long event organised by NGO Citizens for Accountable Governance.

While Naidu refrained from indicating who his party would support, amid speculation that the TDP may join hands with the BJP, he claimed that the United Front government and the NDA government had done a "very good job" during their terms. Naidu began his address by stating that "Modiji belongs to Gujarat, Gandhiji belongs to Gujarat."

Taking on the PM, Modi said, "What the PM has said yesterday, I am surprised. It is the dialogue of the '80s. This is the 21st century. The nation wants development. The country wants to move forward and people want to build their future... Some people want to fool the people, but the people will see through it."

He added that "for some people, secularism is a weapon to hoodwink the poor people". Modi, perhaps for the first time, argued that a government has no religion.
"My definition of secularism is nation first, India first... Koi apna paraya nahin ho sakta. No votebank politics. Justice for all and appeasement of none. Poor are poor, whether they go to a mandir, masjid or gurudwara. They have no religion," he said.

In Birsa Munda jail, a tiled toilet, TV and khaini for qaidi No. 3312 Lalu Prasad

RANCHI: From the uncrowned king of Bihar to "qaidi no 3312" at Birsa Munda Central Jail, it has been a steep descent for RJD chief Lalu Prasad. More worrying for him is the sentencing on Thursday as the CBI is seeking a minimum of three to a maximum of seven years imprisonment for the former CM held guilty in the animal husbandry fodder scam case. Also the conviction comes when the ordinance protecting convicted netas has been thrown out, and there will be no trappings for them in prison.

But Lalu loyalists are not prepared to accept his fall. He is being treated with reverence inside the jail too, said one RJD worker. "From tile-fitted attached bathroom to TV with cable connection, he has it all in the jail," he claimed. Jail officials and staff are bending over backwards paying obeisance to him. "Kabhi to woh log bhi Bihar mein rahen honge (many of them must have worked in Bihar when he was CM)," they said.

When reverence is so high, good food and a good life is not a big deal nor is "khaini or paan".

"Everybody visiting him is bringing him delicacies from top restaurants. Lalu is taking a bite from every packet - from 'sattu roti and baigan chokha' to a la carte," a visitor said. He is on a vegetarian diet and with the Navratras close, milk and fruit will be sufficiently available.

Lalu's first night was restless due to "change of place". "He is not in the habit of sleeping inside a mosquito net, so two liquid repellents were given to him," a visitor said. Besides, two convict are at his disposal.

In December 2001, when Lalu was in judicial custody in a camp jail here in the same case during the regime of then unfriendly BJP government, he had organized a transfer for himself to Beur jail in Bihar.

"Yahan jab sarkar hi apni hai, Bihar kyon jaana chahenge? (when it's his own government here, why should he want to go to Bihar?)" a loyalist when asked whether he would prefer Beur to Birsa Munda jail now. RJD with five MLAs is a coalition partner in Jharkhand with two ministers. Unconfirmed reports said jail superintendent Dharmendra Pandey was shifted for daring to lecture RJD minister Annapurna Devi on jail rules.

The Jail officials, however, are foxed about "billa no 3312" allotted to Lalu. "We haven't allotted any number to him," said Virendra Kumar, jail superintendent. On Wednesday, the stream of visitors was down to a trickle after Lalu asked his men to concentrate on Bihar Lok Sabha elections.

Hand forced by Rahul, govt withdraws 'nonsense' ordinance on convicted lawmakers

After days of high drama, the government on Wednesday decided to withdraw a controversial ordinance and a related bill seen as designed to shield convicted lawmakers.
 The fate of the ordinance cleared by the Union cabinet seemed sealed on September 27 after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi described it as “complete nonsense” and one that should be “torn up and thrown

'Union cabinet has unanimously decided to withdraw the ordinance as well as the bill' says Manish Tiwari,Congress to the reporters. ANI PHOTO

away”.

The decision to withdraw the ordinance came at a cabinet meeting — chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh — that began around 6pm and was over in barely 20 minutes.

“The Union cabinet unanimously decided that the Ordinance regarding certain aspects of the Representation of the People Act as well as the bill (pending in Parliament) should be withdrawn,” information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari said after the meeting.

The stage for the decision, however, was set in the morning when Gandhi met the PM.

According to reports, Gandhi explained his position to the PM, who was away in the US when the Congress vice-president publicly trashed the ordinance.

Soon after Gandhi met the PM, the Congress core group, which included home minister Sushilkumar Shinde and party president Sonia Gandhi’s political aide Ahmed Patel, met and decided against going through with the ordinance.

The Congress-led UPA’s allies including the Samajwadi Party, Nationalist Congress Party and the National Conference expressed displeasure in the run-up to the cabinet meeting.

Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary, however, said she was “sure that all our allies are on board”.

Shortly after the core group meeting, the PM called on President Pranab Mukherjee.

Gandhi’s outburst was preceded by Mukherjee’s reported reluctance to give his assent to the ordinance, which was cleared by the cabinet following a Supreme Court ruling on immediate disqualification of legislators convicted for at least two years.

Myanmar Town Locked Down After Violence; President Continues Trip

YANGON—Myanmar authorities stepped up security Wednesday in Thandwe, a town in troubled Rakhine state, in a bid to restore calm after four days of communal mob violence killed five Muslims in the latest flare-up of violence there.

Myanmar President Thein Sein delivers a speech on Wednesday in Sittwe, in western Myanmar's Rakhine state. Mr. Thein Sein continued his tour of the state and visited Thandwe, despite initial plans to cancel that part of the trip.

The violence comes as Myanmar President Thein Sein visits Rakhine state for the first time since bloody communal tension broke out more than a year ago. The president continued with his three-day visit to towns and camps in Rakhine, his spokesman said, despite initial plans to cancel his trip to Thandwe. Mr. Thein Sein hopes to calm tensions between majority Buddhists and Muslims that has killed more 150 people and displaced some 150,000 over the past year. The victims have overwhelmingly been Rohingya Muslims.

Soe Lwin, a senior Thandwe police officer, said more than 80 security personnel—including members of the military as well as additional policemen—were deployed Wednesday to keep order in the town and to identify and arrest perpetrators, reinforcing an increased police presence and curfews already put in place over recent months.

Thandwe, a coastal city close to the popular beach resort of Ngapali, is about 270 kilometers (170 miles) west of the country's largest city, Yangon. Violence broke out Saturday after a Buddhist taxi driver complained to police that he had been verbally attacked by a Muslim small-business owner while trying to park in front of his shop, authorities said. Police took the man in for questioning but released him and an angry mob later attacked his home.

Several houses were burned Sunday, and a curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. was imposed. On Tuesday, mobs armed with knives and sticks grew larger and began attacks in villages around the town, authorities said, and stabbed to death a 94-year-old Muslim woman. Four other Muslim men were also killed, according to police there.

Myanmar police stand guard near barricades in Thandwe, Rakhine state.

"More than 1,000 residents surrounded the Muslim homes and destroyed them," said Win Myaing, government spokesman for Rakhine state, estimating that more than 50 homes and a mosque were burned. The crowds dispersed after police fired gunshots in the air. In one village, 31 homes were burned, according to the village head. Muslims fled to surrounding fields to hide or took refuge in Buddhist monasteries.

Mr. Thein Sein is visiting the region for the first time since violence broke out more than a year ago, triggering what have become regular bouts of violence that have spread to other parts of the country, pitting the overwhelming Buddhist majority against minority Muslims, who account for about 4% of the nation's 60 million people, in what is the biggest challenge to stability since decades of military dictatorship ended three years ago. His visit was planned before the recent violence.

The Muslim population in Rakhine comprises mostly ethnic Rohingyas and accounts for about a quarter of the state's population. The government hasn't indicated that it plans to change laws that regard them as illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh—even though many have been in the country for generations.
The Muslims of Thandwe, which has a population of about 150,000, are mostly considered citizens of Myanmar, unlike the Rohingyas, who are concentrated in northern areas of the state.

The anti-Rohingya prejudice is "unique and somewhat distinct from anti-Muslim sentiment" in the rest of Myanmar and makes the situation there more tense, said Arvind Ramakrishnan, head for Asia at United Kingdom-based risk consultancy Maplecroft. "There is no compromise in the government's strategy of treating the Rohingya as Bengali who are not of Burmese origin," he said. "Discrimination against them will continue to be institutionalized."

Mr. Thein Sein arrived Tuesday in Rakhine's state capital, Sittwe, and on Wednesday afternoon traveled to Thandwe, meeting with both Muslim and Buddhist leaders in the tense area. Ye Htut, the president's spokesman, said that he has spoken to residents about the "need to accept the diversity in the state and understand that cooperation between the two communities is needed." He plans to visit camps of people displaced by the violence, mostly Muslim Rohingyas. The United Nations says that many are wholly dependent on humanitarian aid for their survival.

Myanmar's government has repeatedly said that it would severely penalize anyone stoking religious tensions and communal unrest. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin said the government is taking a "zero tolerance" stance and that authorities are cooperating with humanitarian agencies and interfaith groups to promote trust.

Many Buddhists have meanwhile complained that tensions and strict curfews imposed in the region have affected their businesses and livelihoods—and closed off border trade with Muslim-majority Bangladesh. The Buddhist and Muslim communities have become heavily segregated and policed in the past year.
This week's violence marks the second time violence has broken out in Thandwe in recent months, with mobs attacking a handful of Muslim homes in July, though no injuries were reported then.