Sunday, November 30, 2014

Another cricketer dies after being struck by ball

Israeli cricket umpire dies 
Nov 30,
In Israel, Hillel Oscar, 55, an umpire and former captain of Israel's national cricket team died yesterday after being hit in the jaw by a ball in the southern port city of Ashdod, the country's cricket association said.

His death comes just two days after Australian batsman Phillip Hughes died of a severe head injury after being hit by a bouncer in a New South Wales match in Sydney.

Israeli police ruled out foul play in the incident that led to the death of the umpire. He was an international umpire.

First Cricket Test at Brisbane postponed

First Cricket Test between India & Australia postponed due to demise of Phillip Hughes
Nov 29,
The first test match between India and Australia, scheduled to start in Brisbane next Thursday has been postponed. This announcement was made by Cricket Australia on its official website. The postponement of the test match comes in the backdrop of demise of 25 year old Australian batsman Phillip Hughes.

Cricket Australia reports that funeral arrangements for Hughes has been confirmed for next Wednesday afternoon and it is neither feasible nor fair to begin the test match as originally planned on next day.

Anirban finishes joint second at King Cup


Nov 30,
Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri has finished joint second behind Thailand's Thaworn Wiratchant in the 500,000 US Dollar King's Cup tournament. At Khon Kaen in Thailand, Lahiri, who was one shot ahead of Wiratchant going into the final round today, carded a two-under 70 for a four-day total of 270. Lahiri settled for a share of second place with Australia's Andrew Dodt and missed out on a third Asian Tour title of the season. A win today would have meant more world ranking points for 27-year old Lahiri and allowed him to close the gap on Order of Merit leader David Lipsky of the United States.

Wiratchant rewrote the record books by winning an unprecedented 18th Asian Tour title after he closed with a five-under-par 67 at the Singha Park Khon Kaen Golf Club. With his second victory on the region's premier Tour this season, the Thai veteran also completed his royal collection having won the Queen's Cup twice in 2012 and 2014 when it was staged as an Asian Tour event.

Sindhu bags Macau Open Grand Prix Gold Badminton Title



Two-time World Badminton Championship bronze medallist P V Sindhu has lifted her first title of the season. At Macau today, the World Number Eleven successfully defended the 120,000 US dollar Macau Grand Prix Gold trophy. In the summit clash of the women's singles, she prevailed over 91st ranked Kim Hyo Min of Korea in straight games 21-12 21-17.

Modi: Tourism necessary for development of Manipur



PM says tourism necessary for development of Manipur
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday stressed the need to augment road connectivity and other infrastructure in Manipur so that tourism could flourish in the state and bring development along with it. 

Addressing a mammoth gathering at the concluding day of 'Sangai Manipur Tourism Festival' in Imphal on Sunday afternoon, Modi said the state needed road connectivity and other communication infrastructure system should be developed so that tourists were able to travel to the state.

He said north eastern states was an 'enchanting' place and all efforts should be made to develop the region.

Dwarka in Gujarat was liked by tourists not because of its religious connection but because it was developed, the Prime Minister said in his 15-minute speech. 

Likewise, the north eastern region, which is full of natural beauties, could be developed, said Modi, who was the chief guest of the 'Sangai Manipur Tourism Festival' in Imphal 

'Sangai Manipur Tourism Festival', the biggest tourism festival in the state, is named after 'Sangai', the brow -antlered deer, available only in Keibul Lamjao National Park in Manipur's Bishenpur district.

Besides tourism, the Prime Minister also mentioned the role of sports in the development of the state. 

Stating that a sports university would be set up in Manipur, he said the state's youth has lots of talent in various sports.

Petrol prices cut by 91 paise per litre; Diesel by 84 paise

Nov 30,





















Petrol price has been cut by 91 paise per litre and diesel by 84 paise including VAT. The new rate will come into force from midnight tonight. Now, Petrol will cost 63 rupees and 33 paise per litre in Delhi, 70 rupees and 73 paise in Kolkata, 70 rupees 95 paise in Mumbai and in Chennai it will be 66 rupees and 5 paise per litre.

For Diesel, people will have to pay, 52 rupees and 51 paise a litre in Delhi, 57 rupees and 08 paise in Kolkata, 60 rupees and 11 paise in Mumbai and 55 rupees and 93 paise in Chennai.

In a statement, Indian Oil Corporation said that the decision has been taken in view of continued downtrend in the international prices of both Petrol and Diesel.

Pope, Patriarch demand end to IS attacks


Pope, Patriarch demand end to IS attacks
Pope Francis and the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians demanded an end to the violent persecution of Christians in Syria and Iraq on Sunday and called for dialogue with Muslims, capping Francis' three-day visit to Turkey with a show of unity. 

Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I issued a joint declaration urging leaders in the region to intensify help to victims of the Islamic State group, and especially to allow Christians who have had a presence in the region for 2,000 years to remain on their native lands. 

"The terrible situation of Christians and all those who are suffering in the Middle East calls not only for our constant prayer but also for an appropriate response on the part of the international community," they wrote. 

The statement was issued at the end of Francis' first trip to Turkey during which he prayed in one of Istanbul's most important mosques. 

He was also set to meet with a few of the 1.6 million refugees who have crossed into Turkey to flee the IS assault in neighbouring Syria and Iraq. 

Francis, who represents the 1.2 billion-strong Catholic Church, and Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of the world's 300 million Orthodox Christians, called for "constructive dialogue" with Islam "based on mutual respect and friendship." 

"Inspired by common values and strengthened by genuine fraternal sentiments, Muslims and Christians are called to work together for the sake of justice, peace and respect for the dignity and rights of every person, especially in those regions where they once lived for centuries in peaceful coexistence and now tragically suffer together the horrors of war," they said. 

Later today, Francis was to meet with a few dozen young refugees who are being educated by the Salesian religious order. 

The Vatican had downplayed the meeting, perhaps because of organisational glitches or to not distract from Francis' ecumenical activities which were the main reason for the visit. 

But just before the trip began, the Vatican revealed that he would indeed deliver a speech to the youths. 

Francis kicked off his final day in Turkey with a liturgy alongside Bartholomew in the Orthodox Church of St George, where incense mingled with hypnotic chants on an important feast day for the Orthodox Church. 

The Catholic and Orthodox churches split in 1054 over differences on the primacy of the papacy, and there was a time when patriarchs had to kiss popes' feet. 

At the end of a joint prayer service yesterday evening, Francis bowed to Bartholomew and asked for his blessing "for me and the Church of Rome," a remarkable display of papal deference to an Orthodox patriarch that underscored Francis' hope to end the schism.
Rangpuri demolitions : Centre, LG protecting guilty officials, including chief secy
From: Media Cell AAP  Sun, 30 Nov '14 3:35p
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Show full Headers
                          November 30, 2014 (Sunday)

The BJP’s central government and the Delhi administration are protecting the officials, including the chief secretary, who are guilty of having ordered illegal and targeted demolitions at Rangpuri Pahari in Vasant Kunj, South Delhi.
Delhi administration’s silence of guilt cannot hide its illegal action and it will have to answer whether the demolitions were carried out despite an advisory from the union poverty alleviation ministry based on a Supreme Court directive that such drives should not be carried out during winters.
Can the BJP’s central government, which is also ruling Delhi through the back door allow such a chief secretary to continue who has shown utter disregard for the Supreme Court’s directive ?
The union home ministry must in the first place answer the question why it chose to appoint an individual of doubtful integrity as Delhi chief secretary, against whom the CBI has recently recommended strict action and imposition of major penalty for his involvement in the Rs 100 crore CNG fitness scam of 2002 during the Sheila Dikshit regime ?
The nine-month old President’s rule will be remembered as a dark chapter in Delhi’s history, during which an unresponsive administration run by the BJP in connivance with the Congress, appointed a compromised lot of top officials who unleashed their whims and fancies to heap miseries on the people.
The mysterious silence of the entire BJP top brass on the Rangpuri Pahari demolitions and turning of the blind eye by the Congress on the appointment of a chief secretary indicted by the CBI in a corruption scam which took place during its tenure, makes the connivance complete and beyond doubt.      
It is shocking that nearly a week after the inhuman and insensitive demolition was carried out under pressure of the local BJP MLA SP Rana, no answers have been provided by the Delhi administration on what was the reason for throwing out poor people of their homes in biting cold.
The Aam Aadmi Party demands that heads must roll to send out a strong signal that residents in the national capital can lead their lives without fear and politically motivated officials will not be allowed to work with a vindictive and biased mindset to please their political masters, who are protecting their act of omission and commission.
The AAP challenges the BJP’s central government and Delhi administration break their silence on following questions :
1)       Is it not a fact that the CBI has recently sent a report to the union home ministry and Delhi’s department of vigilance asking for departmental action and further inquiries against three top bureaucrats, including the present chief secretary ?
2)       Was the home ministry aware of the ongoing probe when it appointed the current chief secretary to the post in August this year ?
3)        Is it not a fact that the former Sheila Dikshit government had tried to scuttle a probe into this scam by the Anti-Corruption Branch citing an order from the LG that no inquiry was required ?
4)       Is it not a fact that the contract for giving CNG fitness certificates to commercial vehicles was fraudulently awarded to a company in 2002 despite it having lost in the tendering process ?
5)       Is it not a fact that the LG gave a clean chit to officers against whom the Delhi ACB had registered an FIR in 2012 ?
6)       Is it not a fact that the LG ignored the ACB opinion that a case under Prevention of Corruption was made out against these officers and chose to close the probe ?
(ENDS)


Regards.
AAP Media Cell
 Haryana CM is ill-informed about water release for Delhi
From: Media Cell AAP  Sun, 30 Nov '14 2:14p
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Show full Headers
                             November 30, 2014 (Sunday)
·         Haryana CM is ill-informed about release of water for Delhi
·         Mr Khattar’s statement on Munak Canal is irresponsible
·         It is not a matter of option or discretion of the Haryana govt
·         Mr Khattar’s govt is legally bound to release 80 million gallons everyday
·         BJP is trying to complicate the water issue and postpone release of water for Delhi


New Haryana chief minister Mr Manohar Lal Khattar appears unaware of the fact that his state government is legally bound to release 80 million gallons of water into the Munak Canal for Delhi everyday, according to the memorandum of understanding signed between two states in 1993.
Mr Khattar’s irresponsible statement on Saturday that his government cannot release water for Delhi and would be able to do so only if other neighbouring states also help, clearly shows he still does not know about the legal obligations of his state government.
The Aam Aadmi Party clearly states that Haryana chief minister should take a proper briefing about facts particularly on issues concerning relations with other states, since his ill informed statements could have serious repercussions for relations between the two states.
 It is not a matter of option or discretion for the Haryana government, it is mandatory for it to release water for Delhi in accordance with the terms of the 1993 MoU. Mr Khattar would do well to go through the Delhi High Court order of Thursday in which Haryana government has been directed to release water for Delhi.
The Haryana chief minister’s attempts to shift the onus on the central government is misplaced, since the release of water can no longer be postponed and the BJP attempts to complicate the issue will be strongly rebuffed.
 Delhi government has spent Rs 400 crore on the construction of Munak Canal over the last two decades and any attempt to scuttle water supply for the national capital will be resisted.
The BJP is trying to follow in the footsteps of the Congress by confusing the matter, and its designs will be thoroughly exposed.
The terms and conditions of the 1993 MoU between Haryana and Delhi are absolutely clear and Delhi government has honoured all its commitments, including bearing more than 80% cost for the construction of the canal. The BJP now should not try to test the patience of the residents of the national capital.
Delhi administration should strongly oppose any move to postpone immediate release of water for the national capital.
The AAP will take all possible steps, including recourse to legal action once its government is formed again in Delhi after the assembly elections, in case Haryana government does not honour its legal commitment to release water into the Munak Canal.
Nearly 40 lakh residents of South, Southwest, West and Northwest Delhi, including areas of Sangam Vihar and Dwarka are reeling under acute water shortage.
Further, water treatment plants at Bawana, Dwarka and Okhla are still unused due to water shortage. (ENDS) 

Regards.
AAP Media Cell

Modi’s Land Slide Win, SIT for $150m – $1.5b With Yadav S.

Sunita Narain Shamed Us Again – Lame Duck NGT Orders


November30, 2014 (C) Ravinder Singh ravinderinvent@gmail.com

Sunita Narain & Bhure Lal had shamed India again in procuring Lame
Duck NGT Orders and have caused ‘More Degradation of Environment’ –
they had failed in 15 years and must be replaced. Even Worst were
Sunita’s Lunatic Campaign of ‘RWH in Buildings, Than Capture 7 BCM
Yamuna Monsoon Waters’ in DAMS on Yamuna But Favoring Sharda-Yamuna
Link – Most Lunatic of All, Failed Sewage Treatment etc.

When Electric BUSES or Trams were required on Delhi’s Main Highways in
2000 both Compromised/Favored Bus Manufacturers recommending CNG
vehicles, Buses & Taxis – LPG vehicles could have been equally
effective, cheaper and fast to roll out. Later Private Cars were
allowed to draw CNG and most inefficient MARCOPOLO Buses were
introduced which effectively burn 3 times more CNG per passenger
served than standard buses, their larger size meant half the DTC
FEEDER routes were withdrawn.
Delhi BRT is WORST COPY of BOGOTA BRT - 1254 Large + 516 Feeders Buses.

Delhi Metro is performing well serving 2.7m Trips but could have done
5.0m – There is no Feeder Bus service nor GoNCT approved E-Rickshaws
till date to provide last mile connectivity to DM Stations. CNG autos
charge Rs.25-30 for last mile.

Parking was available for 2 million Motor Vehicles but GoNCT allowed
over 8m MV. There is No PARKING tax for using Road Side Public Space,
Shop Owners park Vehicles all day in front of their Shops or Parking
Lots for Shoppers & BRT, Cars continue to Block Streets even around
Underground Parking.

It is Scandalous to ask Old Private Vehicle Owners to JUNK them, as
New Registration of PV is and buy new ones even as GoNCT had not
improved PUBLIC TRANSPORT, and let SUVs and other Large Private
Vehicles run freely on city roads.

SUVs & Large Cars burn 10 times more FUEL than a Motorcycles, Occupy
ten times more space. NGT didn’t Ban or Restrict their registration or
use at Peak Hours.

When Nepal allows Cars on road on alternate days, on Even-Odd basis
why can’t Delhi follow this and BAN Movements of Worst Polluting SUVs
and Large Cars during 7-11AM and 5-9PM and Ban all Cars for 8-10AM and
6-8PM on week days.

BAKER STREET in London has Banned Entry Of All Vehicles for 40 years,
Why can’t MARKET Zones be Free of Cars and SUVs? Most of the Shops in
Lajpat Nagar have come up on main roads illegally in Residential
Buildings? Supreme Court of India was unsuccessful in Demolishing
Commercial Building on residential plots on main roads.

Burning of Leaves

Over 95% of Trees are owned by GoNCT and it is 100% CIVIC
responsibility to Maintain trees in SAFE condition and Collect all the
Leaves for safe disposal along with garbage.

There is more than enough Cleaning Staff engaged By GoNCT to Clear All
Leaves & Garbage. But they show up once a month. It is Better to Burn
Leaves in Special PORTABLE Furnaces than composting which releases
Methane Gas much more Environmental Hazard than Carbon Dioxide.

Ravinder Singh, Inventor & Consultant, INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES AND PROJECTS
Y-77, Hauz Khas, New Delhi-110016, India. Ph; 091- 9718280435, 9650421857
Ravinder Singh* is a WIPO awarded inventor specializing in Power,
Transportation, Water, Energy Saving, Agriculture, Manufacturing,
Technologies and Projects.
Bahrain voters cast ballots in runoff election 
Bahrain voters cast ballots in runoff election
Bahraini voters are returning to the polls for a runoff election being boycotted by the opposition for the country's first new parliament since widespread Arab Spring-inspired protests nearly four years ago. 

Saturday's election follows a first-round vote last weekend and is for 34 seats in the 40-seat lower house of parliament where no candidate won a majority. 

Bahraini authorities say more than half of registered voters cast ballots last weekend, though leading Shiite opposition group al-Wefaq disputes that figure. 

It estimated turnout at closer to 30 percent. Bahrain hosts the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet and is part of the US-led coalition striking the Islamic State group. 

It continues to face street clashes and other low-level unrest as its majority Shiites push for greater political freedoms from the Sunni monarchy. 

A terror attack in China's Xinjiang

 
15 killed, 14 injured in terror attack in China
Fifteen people, including 11 "mobsters" have been killed and 14 others injured in a terrorist attack in China's restive Xinjiang province on Saturday. 

The attack occurred Shache County in the northwestern province, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. 

Tianshan news website said that the attackers used vehicles, knives and explosives in the assault. 

It also claimed that the dead included 11 of the attackers branded as "mobsters" by state media. 

Xinjiang, home to ethnic Uygur Muslims, has been restive for several years due to conflicts between locals and migrant Han Chinese from other provinces. 

The region has experienced a spate of violent attacks in the last few years which China blames on the al-Qaeda-backed East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM). 

The violence in Xinjiang and some parts of the country have resulted in scores of deaths. 

Egypt court acquits Mubarak,

Egypt court acquits Mubarak, his commanders of murder charge
Ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was on Saturday acquitted by a court which found him not guilty in the killing of hundreds of protesters during the 2011 revolution that toppled his nearly three decades-long rule, overturning an earlier ruling.


Judge Mahmud Kamel al-Rashidi also acquitted Mubarak of corruption charges for exporting gas to Israel. 

The court ruled that Mubarak's seven former security commanders, including his former interior minister Habib al-Adly, were "innocent" in the killing of anti-government protesters during the 2011 revolution. 

The 86-year-old, dressed in his trademark shades and wearing the blue clothes of a convict, was wheeled into the caged dock on an upright stretcher.

His two sons were also acquitted from all corruption charges. 

Mubarak and his co-defendants were found guilty in June 2012 and sentenced to life imprisonment. 

The initial verdict was appealed successfully and a retrial began in April 2013. 

He is serving a separate three-year prison term for embezzlement of public funds.

120 dead in Nigeria mosque suicide attack

At least 120 dead in Nigeria mosque suicide attack
At least 120 people have been killed and 270 others wounded on Friday when two suicide bombers blew themselves up and gunmen opened fire during weekly prayers at the mosque of one of Nigeria's top Islamic leaders. 

The attack at the Grand Mosque in Kano, the biggest city in the mainly Muslim north of the country, came just as Friday prayers had started. 

The mosque is attached to the palace of the Emir of Kano Muhammad Sanusi II, Nigeria's second most senior Muslim cleric, who last week urged civilians to take up arms against Boko Haram. 

The blasts came after a bomb attack was foiled against a mosque in the northeastern city of Maiduguri earlier in the day, five days after two female suicide bombers killed over 45 people in the city. 

National police spokesman Emmanuel Ojukwu said that the bombers blew themselves up in quick succession then "gunmen opened fire on those who were trying to escape". 

Ojukwu said he did not know whether the suicide bombers were male or female, after a spate of attacks by women in recent months, and did not give an exact figure on the number of gunmen. 

But he said an angry mob killed four of the shooters in the chaotic aftermath. 

Witnesses in the city said they were set on fire. 

An agency reporter at the Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital morgue counted 92 bodies, most of them men and boys with blast injuries and severe burns. 

As night fell, hundreds of people were desperately trying to use the lights on their mobile phones to identify loved ones. 

But a senior rescue official said later that there were at least 120 dead and 270 wounded. 

Emergency workers were still trying to visit all hospitals, he added. 

The Emir of Kano last week told worshippers at the same mosque that northerners should take up arms against Boko Haram, which has been fighting for a hardline Islamic state since 2009. 

He also cast doubt on Nigerian troops' ability to protect civilians and end the insurgency, in rare public comments by a cleric on political and military affairs. 

The emir, who is currently thought to be out of the country, is a hugely influential figure in Nigeria, which is home to more than 80 million Muslims, most of whom live in the north. 

Jiang Yi-huah, Taiwan premier resigns over party's landslide poll defeat


Taiwan premier resigns over party
Taiwan's premier resigned Saturday after his Beijing-friendly ruling party suffered a landslide defeat at the island's biggest ever local elections, as public fears grow over China's increasing influence.


In a brief resignation speech, Jiang Yi-huah said that he took "political responsibility" for the heavy losses suffered by the Kuomintang (KMT) party. 

The polls are seen as an important test ahead of the 2016 presidential race, with China policy a key issue. 

Official results showed the ruling KMT had lost in five out of Taiwan's six large municipalities -- the most hotly contested seats. Prior to the vote they had held four of them. 

Taiwan and China split in 1949 at the end of a civil war, but Beijing still claims the island as part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary. 

Under the KMT, previously frosty ties between Beijing and Taipei have warmed, but there is public anxiety over the closer relationship. 

A proposed trade pact with the mainland sparked mass student-led protests and a three-week occupation of Taiwan's parliament earlier this year, reflecting frustration over what were seen as under-the-table negotiations and a lack of benefits for the general public from the deal. 

The government has also been struggling with a slowing economy and a string of food scandals. 

"I think the outcome surprised both parties -- it is a landslide defeat for the KMT as it did poorly even in areas it was expected to win," said George Tsai, a political scientist at the Chinese Culture University in Taipei. 

"It sent a very clear warning signal to the KMT that if it does not make fundamental policy adjustments to be more transparent and more responsive, it could face defeat in 2016." 

Embattled President Ma Ying-jeou, who came to power in 2008 on a Beijing-friendly platform, must step down at the end of his second four-year term. 

The opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has traditionally been skeptical over closer ties with Beijing and has criticised the KMT for lack of transparency over trade deals with China. 

"Ma is going to face stronger opposition from the DPP when pushing for China policies in his remaining year in office," Tsai said. 

The president was "lacking caution" in his handling of growing ties with China, said Ding Shuh-fan, politics professor at the National Chengchi University in Taipei. 

"This is a setback for Ma's China policy," he added. 

ISIS 'recruit' sent to NIA custody till Dec 8

A special NIA court on Saturday remanded alleged ISIS 'recruit' Arif Majeed in the probe agency's custody till December 8, observing that his custodial interrogation was necessary. 


The NIA told the court that they want to unearth the entire conspiracy from Majeed's 'recruitment' to the role played by him in the 'war' (for an Islamic state). The agency also told special NIA judge P R Deshmukh that three other youths, who had joined the UN banned terror outfit, along with Majeed are shown as wanted in the case.

"We also want to investigate the kind of training that Majeed was imparted before joining the ISIS forces," NIA's prosecutor told the court.

In the court, when asked by the judge, Majeed told his name and replied in the negative when asked whether he had any complainants against the NIA.

The 23-year-old youth from neighbouring landed in Mumbai yesterday following which he was immediately detained by the security agencies, and later arrested.

A case under sections of Unlawful Assembly Prevention Act (UAPA) and section 125 of IPC which deals with waging war against any Asiatic country which has friendly ties with India, was registered against ISIS, Majeed and other three other youngsters. 

According to police, the four engineering students flew to Baghdad on May 23 as part of a group of 22 pilgrims to visit religious shrines in Iraq. The next day Arif had called his family from Baghdad and apologised for having left without informing them.

Upon returning to India, other pilgrims had told police that Arif, Fahad, Aman and Shaheen had hired a taxi to Fallujah, a city west of Baghdad which had emerged as the epicentre of Iraq's deadly insurgency.

On August 26, Shaheen Tanki called up Arif's family and told them that their son had become a 'martyr' claiming that the latter died fighting for ISIS in Syria Accordingly the next day, Arif's family performed 'Janaza-e-gayabana' (prayers for the departed soul in absence of the body) in Kalyan.

Recently, Arif's father Ejaz Majeed had reportedly met the NIA and told them his son had fled from the IS-controlled areas to Turkey after fighting for the militant group for nearly three months and wants to return to India.

Competitiveness, climate, security Finn’s priorities Ministry of Finance release Finnish road map of EU presidency. Finland is set ...