January 2018

JANUARY 2018 

US suspends 

$2-bn aid to 

Pak until it 

sees action 

on terror 

WASHINGTON: The US 

has suspended nearly $2 billion 

in security-related aid for 

Pakistan until it takes decisive 

action against terrorists operating 

from its soil, chiefly the 

Haqqani network and Afghan 

Taliban, reflecting the growing 

mistrust between the former 

allies in the war on terror. 

The US has not publicly 

specified the actions Pakistan 

needs to take to earn back the 

assistance, mostly extended to 

enable Islamabad to bolster its 

counterterrorism capabilities, 

including military hardware 

purchases with American funding. 

Though the move to suspend 

the aid announced on 

Thursday was aimed at nudging 

Pakistan to act against the 

Taliban and Haqqani network, 

a state department official said 

the US also has concerns about 

anti-India groups such as 

Lashkar-eTaiba and Jaish-e- 

Mohammed. 

Late on Friday night, an 

unnamed White House official 

was quoted by news agencies 

as saying that about $1.9 billion 

in aid to Pakistan has been 

suspended. Civilian aid, which 

was worth $11 billion of the 

total of $33 billion since 2002, 

will continue unaffected. 

Lalu gets 3.5 

yrs in jail for 

fodder scam 

Rs. 10L FINE Family cries conspiracy, says will challenge order 

RANCHI: A Ranchi court on 

Saturday sentenced former Bihar 

chief minister Lalu Prasad to 

three-and-a-half years in jail and 

fined him ~10 lakh in a fodder 

scam case relating to fraudulent 

withdrawal of ~89.27 lakh from a 

government treasury 21 years 

ago. Special CBI judge Shivpal 

Singh pronounced the quantum 

of punishment to Rashtriya 

Janata Dal (RJD) chief Prasad 

and 15 more convicts in the case 

through video conference, after 

the court convicted them on 

December 23 last year. Prasad is 

lodged in Ranchi’s Birsa Munda 

Central Jail since his conviction. 

The jail terms for the convicts 

range from three-and-a-half years 

to seven years, and fines between 

~5 and ~10 lakh. The fraud was 

part of the fodder scam that came 

to light in 1996, and a CBI probe 

allegedly found that more than 

~900 crore had been siphoned off 

from several local treasuries by 

showing spends for fictitious 

medicines and fodder for cattle. 

Prasad didn’t speak throughout 

the sentencing, but a tweet 

from his Twitter handle targeted 

the BJP. “Rather than practising 

BJP’s Simple Rule — “Follow us 

or We will Fix you”. I will die 

happily fixing myself for Social 

justice, harmony & equality,” 

read the post shortly after the verdict. 

Prasad’s younger son, 

Tejashwi Yadav, said in Patna 

that the special CBI court’s verdict 

will be challenged in the 

Jharkhand high court. He also 

accused the BJP and chief minister 

Nitish Kumar of conspiring 

against his father, saying his 

“mass appeal and courage to take 

on communal forces have left his 

detractors insecure”. “Lalu is not 

the name of a person but of an 

ideology. We, his followers, will 

not be cowed,” said the 28-yearold 

former Bihar deputy chief 

minister. 

Economic growth 

set to hit 4-yr low 

NEWDELHI: The Indian 

economy is expected to expand at 

6.5% in 2017-18, the slowest pace 

in four years, although the first 

advance estimates released by the 

Central Statistics Office indicates 

that the economy may be on the 

path of recovery and faster 

growth. In the first six months of 

the year, between April 

1, 2017 and September 

30, 2017, the economy 

expanded by 6%, 

which means it is 

expected to grow by 

7% in the second half 

of the year. Economic 

affairs secretary 

Subhash Chandra Garg tweeted to 

the same effect: “GDP growth of 

6.5% for 2017-18 implies growth 

of 7% for the second half. 

Confirms strong turnaround of the 

economy. Investment growth of 

almost twice of last year’s indicate 

investment reviving.” 

This is the lowest growth seen 

in any year since the government 

took charge in May 2014. 

Demonetisation of high-value 

notes in November 2016 disrupted 

supply chains in the informal 

economy, affecting growth in the 

first few months of the financial 

year, the move to a new indirect 

tax regime under the unified 

goods and services tax, and the 

teething trouble associated with 

this, including delays in refunds to 

exporters, may have resulted in a 

AT 6.5% 

Agriculture, 

manufacturing 

sectors bear the 

brunt in current 

fiscal 

temporary dip in manufacturing. 

At least one expert said the estimate 

may be too bullish. Former 

chairman of the National 

Statistical Commission Pronab 

Sen said though the 6.5% GDP 

growth may be an over-estimation 

based on growth rate in indirect 

taxes assumed in the budget. “The 

buoyancy in indirect 

taxes including GST is 

unlikely to be that high 

as assumed in the 

Budget. GDP growth 

for FY18 may settle 

down at 6.3%,” he 

added. 

However, Aditi 

Nayar, principal economist at 

ICRA Ltd said since the advance 

estimates for the full year have 

been based on limited data for different 

sectors, they are not fully 

factoring in the expected pickup in 

growth in the later months of 

2017-18, related to a favourable 

base effect. She said her firm 

expects GDP growth in 2017-18 

to be 6.7%, “higher than the 

advance estimate” of 6.5% 

released on Friday. The nominal 

GDP, or gross domestic product at 

market prices, is expected to grow 

at 9.5% against 11.75% assumed 

in the 2017-18 budget presented 

last year. The nominal GDP will 

be used as the benchmark for most 

indices in Union Budget 2018 to 

be presented by finance minister 

Arun Jaitley on 1 February. 

Indian jewels worth 

millions of euros stolen 

ROME: Thieves on Wednesday stole precious 

Indian jewels from the famed Al Thani Collection 

that were on show in a Venetian palace, making off 

with a brooch and a 

pair of earrings by 

mixing in with the 

crowd on the final day 

of the exhibition, 

police said.The stolen 

jewels were not the 

top highlights of the 

Al Thani Collection, 

which includes gems 

dating from the time 

of the Mughal Empire. 

But police said they 

were made of gold, platinum and diamonds and 

news reports estimated their value in the millions 

of euros. 

Venice police said the security alarm went off at 

around 10am at Venice’s Doge’s Palace and police 

immediately sealed the area. But the thieves had 

already made their escape from the museum, 

known as the Palazzo Ducale and one of Venice’s 

top tourist destinations 

on the edge of St Mark’s 

Square. Venice police 

chief Vito Gagliardi told 

the ANSA news agency 

the thieves managed to 

delay the triggering of 

the alarm system, allowing 

them to escape. The 

Al Thani Collection is a 

renowned collection of 

270 pieces of Indian and 

Indianinspired jewellery 

and precious stones, spanning 400 years from the 

Mughal period to the present and assembled by 

Qatar’s Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani. 

Forbes magazine has said “there is no comparable 

collection on the planet.” 

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UNITED KINGDOM 

2 JANUARY 2018 

www.theasianindependent.co.uk 

Annual return 

deadline imminent 

Less than 28 days to go before 

charities with financial years ending 

31 March 2017 must submit their 

annual return. Charities with financial 

years ending on 31 March 2017 have 

less than four weeks to go before the 

final deadline to file their annual 

return. By law, these charities must 

submit a return by 31 January 2018, 

no later than 10 months after the end 

of their financial year. Thousands of 

charities have already filed their 

returns but there are still many that 

have not. 

They run the risk of trying to file 

nearer to deadline day without the correct 

documentation or, crucially, the 

password they need to access the 

online service and then going into 

default. To avoid the possibility of this 

happening, please either file your 

annual return for 2017 now, if you 

know what you need to submit, have a 

current working password, know your 

charity number and have kept your 

charities details, such as email and 

contact address and current trustees up 

to date. Alternatively, please make 

sure you know where your password 

is, or apply for a new one (please note 

this will take at least 24 hours and can 

only be sent to the email address we 

have on file). Then update your charity’s 

detailsbefore reading our detailed 

guide into how to prepare your annual 

return, including what you need to 

submit, based on your charity’s chosen 

structure. 

Six held over suspected links to 

banned terrorist group in Britain 

London, Five men and a 

woman were arrested in Britain 

on Wednesday on suspicion of 

belonging to banned far-right 

terrorist group National Action. 

Britain’s West Midlands 

Police said the suspects, aged 

between 21 and 37, were 

detained under Section 41 of the 

Terrorism Act, Xinhua news 

agency reported. 

The arrests were pre-planned 

and intelligence-led with no 

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Editor-in-chief 

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Columnists 

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PM : Thousands have saved 

money already thanks to 

Government’s stamp duty cut 

The Prime Minister will be in 

Wokingham, Berkshire, today 

[Wednesday 3 January] to meet 

one of the estimated 16,000 people 

who have already benefited from 

changes to stamp duty announced 

by the Government in the Autumn 

Budget. The stamp duty changes 

will mean a saving 

of up to £5,000 for 

first-time buyers in 

Wokingham. 

The Government 

has abolished stamp 

duty altogether for 

first-time buyer 

purchases up to 

£300,000, and 

made this relief 

available for the 

first £300,000 of 

properties worth up to £500,000, 

providing help for people in higher 

value areas. The changes mean 

a stamp duty cut for 95% of all 

first-time buyers who pay it and 

no stamp duty at all for 80% of 

first time buyers, with savings of 

up to £5,000.Over 16,000 firsttime 

buyers are estimated to have 

already saved thousands of pounds 

since the changes took effect in 

threat to the public’s safety, the 

police said. 

They are the latest in a wave 

British Defence Secretary visits 

Kuwait and calls on HH the 

Amir and senior Kuwaiti officials. 

British Secretary of State 

for Defence Gavin Williamson 

visits Kuwait today, Wednesday 

3 January 2018, for the first time 

since his 

appointment in 

November 

2017. During 

his visit he 

called on His 

Highness the 

Amir Sheikh 

November, with over a million 

first-time buyers set to benefit in 

total over the next five years. 

Ahead of the visit, Prime 

Minister Theresa May said: I have 

made it my personal mission to 

build the homes this country needs 

so we can restore the dream of 

home ownership for people up and 

down the UK. 

In the Autumn we set out ambitious 

plans to fix the broken housing 

market and make sure young 

people have the same opportunities 

as their parents’ generation to 

own their own home. 

This has had an immediate 

impact, with thousands of people 

already making savings thanks to 

of arrests of alleged National 

Action members since the group 

was made a proscribed terrorist 

organisation in December 2016. 

It is the first extreme rightwing 

group to be outlawed in 

Britain. Founded in 2013, 

National Action became the first 

British neo-Nazi group to be 

banned after British Home 

Secretary Amber Rudd said it 

was promoting violence and acts 

of terrorism. 

British Defence Secretary Gavin 

Williamson visits Kuwait 

Sabah Al- 

Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and 

the Prime Minister His Highness 

Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al- 

Hamad Al-Sabah. He also called 

on the First Deputy Prime 

Minister and Defence Minister 

Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmed 

Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and congratulated 

him on his recent appointment. 

This visit is an important 

opportunity to build on the 

excellent defence co-operation 

between the State of Kuwait and 

the United Kingdom as part of 

the close and cordial bilateral 

relations 

which exist 

between our 

two countries. 

The United 

Kingdom welcomes 

the 

important role 

which Kuwait 

is playing in the region – as a key 

partner in the Counter-Daesh 

Coalition, as a major humanitarian 

donor and as a mediator in 

regional disputes – and more 

widely as Kuwait joins the 

United Nations Security Council 

for 2018-2019 

our stamp duty cut, and over a million 

first-time buyers over the next 

5 years are expected to save 

money that they can put towards a 

deposit, solicitors’ fees or furniture. 

We are building a Britain that 

is fit for the future and our message 

to the next generation is this 

– getting on – and climbing 

up – the housing ladder 

is not just a dream of 

your parents’ past, but a 

reality for your future. 

The stamp duty change 

builds on the steps 

already taken to help 

young people enter the 

housing market – including 

the successful Help to 

Buy scheme and introduction 

of Lifetime ISAs. 

At the Autumn Budget the 

Government announced the UK 

will deliver an average 300,000 

additional homes each year by the 

mid-2020s through targeted new 

financial support and reforms to 

the planning system. These measures 

mean that we are on track to 

raise annual housing supply by the 

end of the Parliament to its highest 

level since 1970. 

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International Trade Secretary 

Dr Fox visits China 

International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox, travels 

to China today (Tuesday 2 January), in his first international 

visit of the new year to advance the UK’s trade 

and investment relationship. In a 2-stage visit to 

Beijing and Shenzhen, Dr Fox will meet the Chinese 

Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan and the chairman 

of one of the world’s largest insurance companies, Ma 

Mingzhe from Ping An. He will also promote the government-backed 

GREAT ‘Festival of Innovation’ taking 

place in Hong Kong later this year to showcase the 

latest technology from the UK and Asia. China is the 

UK’s fifth largest trading partner in the world, with 

trade between the countries worth £59.3 billion in 2016 

based on the latest figures. In the same period the UK 

exported £16.8 billion of goods and services, making 

China the UK’s eighth largest export market. The 

Department for International Trade has also just 

announced up to £25 billion in financial support – 

including loan guarantees – for UK businesses operating 

along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The initiative, 

set up by the Chinese government, aims to 

increase economic cooperation with countries around 

the world along key transport routes. International 

Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox said: China as a world 

leading economy and the UK’s fifth largest trading 

partner is an important market for British companies as 

we look to build independent trading relationships 

across the world. 

As an international economic department, we want 

2018 to be the year of exporting with businesses across 

the UK seizing the opportunities that the world provides. 

That’s why we’re determined to make exporting 

even easier, and we have announced we’re making up 

to £25 billion of funding available for UK exporters 

and buyers of UK goods and services along the Belt 

and Road Initiative so that no viable export fails for a 

lack of funding. The Trade Secretary’s visit follows the 

Economic Financial Dialogue in Chinalast month 

(December 2017) where more than £1.4 billion of trade 

and investment was agreed in Beijing.




FABO UK demands dismissal of Union minister, Hegde 

Dear Prime Minister, Sri Narinder 

Modi ji, 

We, the Ambedkarites and Buddhists 

in the UK, wish to express our deep concern 

about the remarks made by of one 

of your Council of Ministers, Sri Anant 

Kumar Hegde on 25 December 2017, 

that Bhartya Janata Party had come to 

power to change the Constitution and it 

would do so in the future. Sri Hegde’s 

statement is disturbing communal harmony. 

He has described ‘secular people’ 

as those who do not have an identity of 

their parental blood and they should 

identify themselves with their religion 

and caste. 

Our forefathers built India on the 

principles of equality, liberty and fraternity 

giving equal opportunity to all irrespective 

of their religion, colour, caste or 

gender. The Constitution brings unity in 

Big Lottery Fund and Big 

Society Capital will distribute 

cash to initiatives tackling a 

number of societal challenges 

These include housing vulnerable 

people, helping disadvantaged 

young people into work and 

dealing with problem debt By 

2020 the total distribution from 

dormant accounts to good causes 

will reach over half a billion 

pounds Up to £330 million from 

dormant bank and building society 

accounts will be used to help 

the homeless, disadvantaged 

young people, local charities and 

other good causes in the UK over 

the next four years, Tracey 

Crouch, Minister for Sport and 

Civil Society, announced today. 

Around £280 million will be allocated 

to initiatives across England 

to help disadvantaged young people 

into work, provide housing for 

families and vulnerable people, 

and tackle problem debt. 

Of this, up to £135 million 

will be used by Big Society 

Capital (BSC) to fund stable and 

long-term accommodation for 

vulnerable groups such as homeless 

people and those suffering 

with mental health issues, as 

well as to provide support for 

local charities and social enterprises. 

This allocation meets 

existing funding commitments to 

Big Society Capital, who will 

use it to leverage substantial private 

co-investment, to maximise 

the impact of these funds. 

Around £90 million will also 

be invested in support of projects 

that help disadvantaged young 

people into employment. These 

initiatives will be jointly 

designed by the Department for 

Digital, Culture, Media and 

Sport, the Department for 

Education and Big Lottery Fund 

with input from young people. 

The remaining £55 million is 

set to be awarded to financial 

inclusion and capability initiatives 

which will tackle issues 

such as problem debt, as well as 

improving access to financial 

products and services for those 

on lower incomes. 

Out of the £330 million, up to 

£50 million will be made available 

for good causes in 

Scotland, Wales and Northern 

Ireland and will be distributed 

by the Big Lottery Fund. Each 

diversity. Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao 

Ambedkar, father of our Constitution 

declared, “I do not want that our loyalty 

as Indian should be in the slightest way 

affected by any competitive loyalty 

whether that loyalty arises out of our 

religion, out of our culture or out of our 

language. 

I want all people to be Indian first, 

Indian last and nothing else but Indian.” 

By uttering such divisive words, Sri 

Hegde is clearly denigrating Babasaheb 

Dr Ambedkar. 

We have seen political upheavals in 

our neighbouring countries where governments 

had been toppled by armies 

and they are unable to establish whether 

they want democracy or dictatorship. In 

India, the governments have changed 

peacefully through ballot boxes without 

any bloodshed. India is the largest working 

democracy in the world today. This 

status has enhanced the prestige of India 

around the world. This democracy has 

its basis, our Constitution. It has unified 

and strengthened India. . 

Indian Constitution is pro-poor and 

has enabled social and economic development 

lifting millions out of poverty. 

Babasaheb Dr Ambedkar is the man of 

millennium for social justice and his 

ideas reflected in the Constitution translate 

into equal treatment of all citizens 

without any social distinction based on 

caste, colour, race, religion or gender. 

India is a multi-cultural and multi-religious 

country. It must remain so. The 

Constitution gives protection to all citizens 

of India. 

Speaking in parliament to mark Dr 

Ambedkar’s 125th birth anniversary in 

India, you asserted your commitment to 

GC contributes to special edition of international journal 

The Government Chemist has 

been invited to contribute to a 

special edition on food allergen 

analysis in the highly respected 

journal of the AOAC INTER- 

NATIONAL AOAC INTERNA- 

TIONAL (formerly Association 

of Official Analytical Chemists) 

is a not-for-profit association 

founded in 1884 as a forum for 

microbiological and chemical 

standard methods used globally 

to promote trade and to facilitate 

public health and safety. 

The J AOAC Int special 

edition on food allergens 

has been guest edited 

by Bert Popping and 

Carmen Diaz-Amigo and 

contains three papers 

from the Government 

Chemist. Michael 

Walker, Malcolm Burns 

and colleagues describe 

the science behind the 

ground breaking analysis for 

allergens by ELISA, Molecular 

Biology, and Protein Mass 

Spectrometry during the investigation 

of the almond and 

mahaleb incidents in 2015. 

Government unlocking £330 

million from dormant accounts 

to build a fairer society 

devolved administration will 

then decide how these funds are 

used. Tracey Crouch, Minister 

for Sport and Civil Society, said: 

By unlocking millions of pounds 

from dormant accounts for a 

range of good causes, we can 

make a real difference to lives 

and communities across the 

country. This is part of the 

Government’s commitment to 

building a fairer society and 

tackling the social injustices that 

hold people back from achieving 

their full potential. I am grateful 

to the banks and building societies, 

as well as Reclaim Fund 

Ltd, for their work to free up 

these funds for good causes. 

Working in close partnership 

with the financial sector and 

civil society, we are determined 

to help create a country that 

works for everyone and build a 

Britain fit for the future. 

Michael and co-authors Hazel 

Gowland and John Points discuss 

managing food allergens in 

the UK retail supply chain in a 

second paper. 

Milena Quaglia, Kate Groves 

and Adam Cryar assess recovery 

of food allergens from solid 

processed matrices applying SI 

(International System of Units) 

traceably quantified milk protein 

solutions and a novel extraction 

method in a third paper in the 

special edition. 

the Constitution by declaring that the 

religion of the Government was ‘India 

first’ and the Constitution its ‘holy 

book’. On 8 June, 2016, in your address 

to a joint session of the US Congress, 

you again reiterated your faith in India’s 

pluralism enshrined in the constitution 

by declaring that ‘India lives as one; 

India grows as one and India celebrates 

as one. For my government, the constitution 

is its real holy book. And in that 

holy book, freedom of faith, speech, 

franchise and equality of all citizens, 

regardless of background, are enshrined 

as fundamental rights”. 

In the past there had been isolated 

remarks from Bhartya Janata Party 

members against the secular nature of 

India’s Constitution and these were dismissed 

as being their personal opinion. 

But no action was taken against them by 

3 

the BJP and as result more BJP members 

are talking in similar tones. Now a statement 

coming from a union minster to 

alter the Constitution sends a wrong signal. 

It creates a suspicion that perhaps 

there is a hidden agenda of BJP to 

change the Constitution in the future. 

Sri Hegde has since apologised for his 

statement but this is not enough. He 

must be dismissed from the Council of 

Ministers for his irresponsible, divisive 

and unsettling statement. It will definitely 

convey a strong message to others and 

they will be constrained to make such 

statements. It would also confirm the 

government’s commitment to the farsighted 

and remarkable Constitution. We 

look forward to prompt action being 

taken against Sri Anant Kumar Hegde. 

Arun Kumar 

General Secretary 

Sean Dennehey awarded CBE 

The IPO’s Deputy Chief Executive receives award in New 

Year’s Honours list Sean Dennehey, the IPO’s Deputy Chief 

Executive, received a CBE(Commander of the Order of the British 

Empire) for services to intellectual property in the New Year’s 

Honours list. Sean first joined the IPO as a patent examiner in 1978, 

when the office was based in London. He then moved to Newport 

in 1991 when the department transferred to its present South Wales 

base. Sean became Director of Patents in 2004 and Deputy Chief 

Executive in 2007. He also served as Chief Executive on several 

occasions, most recently when John Alty left in 2016. 

Sean had this to say: I feel very privileged to be awarded a CBE 

for my services to intellectual property. This a great honour for me, 

but I genuinely believe it is also a recognition of the fantastic work 

done by everyone here at the IPO.




£60 million boost to UK 

children’s television 

The development of a new 

multi-million pound pilot fund 

to help increase the range of 

children’s television in the UK 

has been announced by 

Culture Secretary Karen 

Bradley 

The Government’s 

response to the consultation on 

the Contestable Fund, sets out 

proposals for up to £60 million 

to be made available for content 

creators to receive up to 

50 per cent of the production 

and distribution costs of original 

TV shows. 

The fund is still in development, 

but would be available 

for content broadcast on commercial 

Public Service 

Broadcasters (PSBs), as well as 

for other free and widely available 

channels and on-demand 

platforms, and potentially also 

online. Over the past decade the 

output of children’s television 

from PSBs in the UK has been in 

decline, with spending falling by 

£55m. This investment will aim 

to help reverse that trend and is 

the first of its kind to specifically 

focus on children’s television. 

The pilot is also aimed at 

stimulating greater variety in a 

market where the BBC is often 

the dominant buyer and broadcaster 

of children’s content. In 

2016, the BBC accounted for 

87% of all first run UK originated 

children’s programming by 

PSBs. The pilot is intended to 

complement other measures 

taken by government in this area, 

including the introduction of a 

children’s TV tax break and new 

powers given to Ofcom. 

Culture Secretary Karen 

Bradley said: High quality children’s 

television is not only 

entertaining but plays a vital role 

in stimulating learning and giving 

young people a greater 

understanding of the world 

around them. This significant 

investment will give our worldrenowned 

television production 

sector the boost it needs to create 

innovative content for a wider 

audience that would otherwise 

not be made. Anna Home OBE, 

Chair of the Children’s Media 

Foundation said: The Children’s 

Media Foundation welcomes the 

confirmation that the new 

Contestable Content Fund will 

focus on the children’s audience. 

It’s a much-needed stimulus for 

the UK’s children’s media makers 

and we hope it will bring 

new and exciting content for 

children of all ages that could 

not otherwise have been commissioned. 

John McVay, 

Chief Executive of PACT 

said: Pact has long campaigned 

for increased investment 

in original children’s 

content to incentivise new 

entrants to the market. This 

along with the introduction of 

the PSB criteria through the 

Digital Economy Act, will 

encourage the commercial 

PSBs back to the table and 

foster new talent. The cash 

will be distributed over three 

years as part of a pilot starting in 

2019. Programmes from new 

and diverse backgrounds, and 

those made in the nations and 

regions, will be a particular 

focus. The funding for the pilot 

has been made available as a 

result of unspent funds from the 

previous licence fee settlement. 

The BFI has been provisionally 

appointed as administrator 

for the fund, and will 

work with government on its 

final design, including whether 

the fund should include other 

genres in its scope. 

Environment Agency uncovers 

landscape with laser mapping 

The Environment Agency has 

announced plans to map England’s 

entire landscape by 2020, using 

the data to assess flood risk and 

inform conservation work. The 

Environment Agency has 

announced plans to map England’s 

entire landscape by 2020, using 

the data to assess flood risk and 

inform conservation work. Using 

aircraft equipped with laser scanners, 

the Environment Agency will 

map all 130,000km2 of the country, 

including rivers, fields and 

national parks – equivalent to 32 

million football pitches. As well as 

being used to understand flood 

risk, the data will also be made 

available for free to the public and 

industry to be used by archaeologists, 

environmental and urban 

planners, and even gamers to 

make accurate 3D models of the 

landscape. Currently about 75 per 

cent of the country is mapped but 

with only sporadic coverage of 

upland areas. The new project, 

beginning over winter, will cover 

all of England’s national parks, 

areas of outstanding natural beauty 

(AONBs) and sites of special 

scientific interest (SSSIs) such as 

the Peak District and the Yorkshire 

Dales. Sir James Bevan, Chief 

Executive of the Environment 

Agency, said: This ambitious project 

will enhance our understanding 

of England’s unique natural 

features and landscape, helping us 

to better understand flood risk, 

plan effective defences and fight 

waste crime. 

I’m pleased we are able to 

gather, use and share such valuable 

data to contribute to environmental 

improvements and 

conservation. It’s just one of the 

many ways the Environment 

Agency is using technology to 

help people and wildlife.


Prince Harry, Markle 

to marry on May 19 

London : Britain’s Prince Harry and US actress Meghan Markle 

will marry on May 19 at 

St George’s Chapel in 

Windsor Castle near 

London, Kensington 

Palace said on Friday. 

“His Royal Highness 

Prince Henry of Wales 

and Ms Meghan Markle 

will marry on 19th May, 

2018,” the couple’s official 

residence said in a 

statement. 

Royal officials last 

month announced 33- 

year-old Harry’s engagement 

to the 36-year-old 

divorcee, who is best 

known for her starring 

role as a lawyer in the hit 

television show Suits. 

Markle is planning to get 

baptised in the Church of England ahead of her marriage and will 

apply for British citizenship. The couple are living in Harry’s cottage 

on the grounds of Kensington Palace with Markle’s beagle 

Guy. St George’s Chapel is where Harry was baptised and has been 

the scene of numerous royal marriages, particularly in the 19th century. 

Markle will also spend Christmas with the British royal family 

at Queen Elizabeth II’s private Sandringham estate — the first 

fiancee invited to Christmas by the royals. 

Virendra Sharma MP attends parliamentary 

reception for Cancer52 

Virendra Sharma MP attended a parliamentary reception organised 

by charity Cancer52, an alliance of nearly 100 charities united 

by their vision of a better future for everyone affected by rare and 

less common cancers. The reception[i] was hosted by Chairman of 

the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer (APPGC)[ii] John 

Baron MP. The reception's key objective was to raise awareness of 

rare and less common cancers amongst MPs. These cancers together 

account for more than half of all UK cancer deaths – more than 

the ‘big four’ (breast, prostate, lung and bowel cancer).[iii] 

MPs met constituents affected by cancer and Cancer52 Chair 

Jonathan Pearce, Chair of Cancer52. 

Jane Lyons, CEO of Cancer52, said: "It was great that Virendra 

Sharma MP managed to take time out of their busy schedule to join 

us. I hope that, as a result, they will support our work by ensuring 

decision makers remember the rare and less common cancers when 

writing policies or allocating funds. "We’re enormously grateful to 

John Baron MP for his work with cancer charities in parliament, 

and to Steve Brine MP, the Minister responsible for cancer, who 

sent a video message of support." Mr Sharma said, "It was a pleasure 

to join Cancer52 at their reception and hear more about such an 

important issue. The worrying increase in the number of people 

dying from rare cancers cannot be ignored and it is important that 

we do more to address that." 

LONDON NRI HONOURED BY THE QUEEN 

A London magistrate and councillor, 

Ranjit Dheer has been honoured 

earlier completed an M.A. degree 

from the English department of 

by the Queen with the pres- 

Punjab University in 1963. 

tigious award of an OBE in the 

New Year Honours list for 2018. 

The official government publication, 

Subsequently, he also completed 

an M.A. from London University 

(Kings College, 1984 ). Councillor 

The London Gazette 

Ranjit Dheer is the son of Sri 

announced today Councillor Ranjit 

Dheer's appointment as an "Officer 

of the Order of the British Empire" 

(OBE ) for services to local government. 

Councillor Ranjit Dheer 

was first elected as a councillor in 

Ealing in 1982; and, has won eight 

local government elections in the 

past 35 years. During this long 

period, he has served the borough 

as a chair of many committees, 

elected to this post in 2005. 

Currently, he is also Ealing's cabinet 

portfolio holder for community 

services and safety. 

Councillor Ranjit Dheer has a 

distinguished record of public 

service in other areas also. He has 

served as a Justice of the Peace ( 

Magistrate ) and as a member 

Kishore Chand Dheer and Srimati 

Isra Devi Dheer of Moga, although 

the family originally belong to the 

village of Bhagta Bhai Ka in 

Bathinda district in Punjab. 

Councillor Ranjit Dheer is a 

well known Punjabi author and 

ha’s written four books in 

Punjabi. He was the President of 

the first ever World Punjabi 

Writers' Conference that was 

school boards and public bodies as judge of the Employment organised in Britain in 1980. 

well as a Deputy Mayor and 

Mayor. He is the longest serving 

Deputy Leader of the Council in 

the whole of UK , having been first 

Tribunals. He was a Lecturer in 

English at Government college, 

Muktsar, India, when he decided to 

migrate to Britain in 1966. He had 

Councillor Ranjit Dheer has 

been invited to Buckingham 

Palace to receive his OBE award 

from the Queen. 


5 


Defence Secretary praises UK efforts as 

RAF operations against Daesh continue 

In a visit to Kuwait, Iraq and 

Cyprus, Defence Secretary 

Gavin Williamson commended 

UK personnel deployed in the 

fight against Daesh. In his first 

visit to Iraq, Defence Secretary 

Gavin Williamson praised UK 

service personnel as British 

airstrikes continue to wipe out 

Daesh. Eliminating the threat 

from terrorism is critical to our 

security at home and abroad. Our 

brave Armed Forces are working 

tirelessly, day and night, to 

defeat Daesh after helping to 

recover significant territory in 

Iraq. Only by defeating this evil 

and barbaric group for good will 

we reduce the deadly threat they 

pose to us, which is why we 

won’t stop until their global network 

is destroyed. RAF aircraft 

have carried out over 1,700 

strikes against Daesh in Iraq and 

Syria since 2014 and in his first 

visit to Cyprus, Defence 

Secretary Gavin Williamson also 

met the crews who are playing a 

vital role in the coalition campaign 

to totally defeat Daesh. 

Fast jets flying out of RAF 

Akrotiri in Cyprus and remotely 

piloted Reaper aircraft continue 

to provide support to the SDF on 

the ground who are clearing the 

last remaining pockets of Daesh 

Top Buckinghamshire Property 

Developer win Five-Star accolade 

at The UK Property Awards, leading to award 

for UK Best Residential Development 

Landmark Group have won a Five- 

Star award within the Residential 

Development category for the project 

Fulmer Drive at theUK Property 

Awards 2017-2018, one of the most 

prestigious industry events in the 

region. 

Presented at Royal Lancaster Hotel 

London on 27th October, companies 

received awards for categories ranging 

across property development, real 

estate, interior design and architecture 

categories. Chosen from over 200 

entries spread across the UK 

regionsLandmark Grouphave proved 

themselves to be the very best in the 

residential development sector. The 

PARLIAMENTARY PUB CHEF OF THE 

YEAR FINALISTS ANNOUNCED 

Local pub chef Ben Morgan of The Plough Inn, 

Ealing, has been shortlisted as one of just four 

national finalists in the Parliamentary Pub Chef of 

the Year competition, in the under 30’s Young 

Chef category. The prestigious award, in its second 

year, sought nominations from MPs across 

the country in the search for the most skilled and 

talented pub chefs. Chef Ben was nominated by 

his MP Virendra Sharma of Ealing and Southall 

and shortlisted after a rigorous judging panel 

selected the best entries from more than 130 nominations. 

The competition is run by the British Beer & 

Pub Association and the All Party Parliamentary 

Beer Group’s in partnership with Nestlé 

Professional. Eight finalists, four from the 

Parliamentary Pub chef and four from the Young 

Parliamentary Pub Chef categories, will go on to 

battle it out for the title of Parliamentary (Pub 

Chef or Young Pub Chef of 2018) at a cook-off 

event in Hospitality House, a bespoke training 

venue in London, on 24th January. They will cook 

terrorists in Eastern Syria. 

Typhoons, Tornados and 

Reapers worked closely with 

coalition partners, offering vital 

intelligence and close air support 

throughout December, destroying 

Daesh targets near Abu 

Kamal, Abu Hardub and Abu 

Hammam. He also visited UK 

personnel in Taji and Baghdad, 

as well as Kuwait, praising their 

efforts as part of the UK’s contribution 

to the global coalition 

fight Daesh. In Kuwait, he met 

with US Lieutenant General Paul 

Funk the Commanding General 

of the global coalition as well as 

Major General Felix Gedney, 

Deputy Commander-Strategy 

and Support and the most senior 

UK officer in the military campaign 

against Daesh. He also visited 

UK troops stationed in Taji 

who, along with over 600 British 

soldiers on the ground in Iraq, 

are helping to train that country’s 

forces. UK troops have so far 

helped train around 60,000 Iraqi 

Security Forces in battle-winning 

infantry, counter-IED, engineering 

and combat medical skills. In 

addition to personnel on the 

ground in Iraq, the UK has provided 

over 1,400 military personnel 

from all three Services as part 

of its three year involvement. 

UK Awards are part of the 

International Property Awards that 

include the regions of Asia Pacific, 

Africa & Arabia, The Americas and 

Europe. The awards celebrate the very 

best projects and professionals in the 

industry. The top winners in the UK 

region were automatically entered into 

the overall international awards, culminating 

in a glittering awards ceremony, 

held at the Savoy Hotel, London 

on the 4th December. An International 

Property Award is a world-renowned 

mark of excellence. Landmark Group 

were awarded the top accolade within 

the categories for "Best Residential 

Development in the UK". 

for judges before winners are announced at an 

award ceremony in the House of Commons on 

Wednesday 7th February 2018. Chef Ben said: ”I 

am very excited to be put through to the final four 

of the competition and it’s a privilege to represent 

The Plough Inn and Fuller’s as a pub company 

and what Fuller’s food stands for.” 

Virendra Sharma MP said: “The Plough is a 

fantastic pub and I am not in the least bit surprised 

that Ben has been chosen to participate in the Big 

Cook Off in January. Myself, his team and the 

local community are behind him 100%, wishing 

him all the very best of luck.” Brigid Simmonds, 

BBPA Chief Executive, commented: “Last year’s 

nominees were of a high standard but this year 

really has seen a step up in quality. The entries 

showed the breadth of talent on display in our 

pubs and I am excited to see what our finalists 

produce in the cook off.” Judge Andrej Prokes, 

Executive Chef at Nestlé Professional commented: 

"The standard of entries for this year's competition 

was extremely high.


ASIA 


Pak releases fresh Jadhav video, 

India calls it propaganda 

NEWDELHI/ISLAMABAD: 

Pakistan on Thursday released a new 

video of death row prisoner Kulbhushan 

Jadhav, prompting India to dismiss it as 

another “propagandistic” episode in a 

long-running diplomatic spat between 

the two countries that has spiked tensions 

in recent weeks. In the video, 

shown at the weekly briefing at the 

Foreign Office in Islamabad, Jadhav is 

seen asking why India was denying he 

was an intelligence agent and that he 

was being treated well. The video, more 

than two minutes long, was apparently 

shot on December 25, the day Jadhav 

met his wife and mother. He is heard 

saying at the start of the footage that he 

had met his mother “today”. “I have to 

Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die 

New Delhi : The Rajya 

Sabha was adjourned sine 

die on Friday as the delayed 

winter session, which commenced 

from December 15 

last year, came to an end. 

The upper House held 13 sittings 

in all and sat for more 

than 41 hours. It passed nine 

government bills – the 

Companies (Amendment) 

Bill; the Indian Institutes of 

Management Bill; the Indian 

Forest (Amendment) Bill; the 

Indian Institute of Petroleum and 

Energy Bill; the National Capital 

Territory of Delhi Laws (Special 

Provisions) 

Second 

(Amendment) Bill; the 

Repealing and Amending Bill; 

the Repealing and Amending 

(Second) Bill; the Insolvency 

and Bankruptcy Code 

Star India eyes 700 million viewers 

during upcoming IPL season 

NEWDELHI: Driven by a regional language 

push and live streaming, broadcaster Star India 

Pvt. Ltd aims to reach over 700 million people in 

the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League 

(IPL) across its 10 sports channels and streaming 

service Hotstar. 

“IPL will bring to the fore the power of sports 

and the power of technology in 2018. This is the 

biggest content property on TV 

and other screens. It has been 

built well over the last decade 

and has grown dramatically. We 

believe IPL can be re-imagined 

completely to grow even faster 

and more dramatically over the 

next five years as Star takes 

charge of it. The scale of investment 

and ambition is being put behind making IPL 

work in different languages for different consumers,” 

said Sanjay Gupta, managing director, 

Star India. 

The broadcaster, which won the television, digital, 

Indian and global media rights to IPL for the 

next five seasons for Rs. 16,347.50 crore in 

September, will do so through local content feeds 

in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Bengali across TV 

and digital, besides Hindi and English. Star India 

say one thing very 

important here for the 

Indian public… and 

the Indian government 

and the people in the 

navy — that my commission 

is not gone. I 

am a commissioned 

officer of the Indian 

Navy,” he said in the 

video, which is replete 

with sudden edits and 

jump cuts between sentences. 

New Delhi dismissed 

it as a 

“coerced” statement 

with no credibility. An 

external affairs ministry spokesperson 

(Amendment) Bill and the 

National Bank for Agriculture 

and Rural Development 

(Amendment) Bill. During the 

session, 210 Starred Questions 

and 2,239 Unstarred Questions 

were admitted and answered. Of 

these, 46 Starred Questions were 

orally answered. There were 51 

Special Mentions on matters of 

public importance 

which were made/laid 

in the House and 51 

matters were raised 

with the Chair’s permission. 

The House 

discussed for about 

six hours issues of 

excessively high levels 

of air pollution in 

Delhi and the state of 

economy, investment 

climate and job creation 

in the country and the need 

to address the challenge of rising 

unemployment. During the session, 

19 private members’ bills 

were introduced and one private 

member bill – the Constitution 

(Amendment) Bill, 2016 (insertion 

of new article 16A) was discussed 

but the motion for its 

consideration negated. 

will have seven different live feeds for IPL both on 

TV and digital each. There will be six language 

feeds and a Super Fan Feed on Star Sports Select in 

English. 

“One of the things that we have learnt over the 

past decade or so as we moved from Hindi entertainment 

to regional entertainment is the power of 

language and localisation in the business. That is 

something that has helped Star 

and kept Star in very good 

stead. We have become a much 

larger organisation as we started 

investing in making our drama 

content local in many languages 

beyond Hindi. We want to apply 

the same learning and thinking 

to sports,” Gupta said. Star 

India has doubled its viewership share on the back 

of regional content in both dramas and movies. It 

has also seen similar success with Pro Kabaddi 

League, in which Star India is a principal owner. 

“It’s been one of the biggest drivers of share gain 

in Star India over the last 8-9 years,” he added. Star 

India aims to become a regional sports network in 

the next 6 months. The company has already started 

ad sale conversations with brands for IPL 11, 

which starts in April 2018. 

said “the absurdity of a 

captive under duress 

cerviding tifying his 

own welfare” did not 

merit a comment. “This 

does not come as a surprise. 

Pakistan is simply 

continuing its practice 

of putting out coerced 

statements on video. It is 

time for them to realise 

that such propagandistic 

exercises simply carry 

no credibility,” the 

spokesperson said, 

adding Pakistan should 

instead fulfil its international 

obligations, including proconsular 

access to Jadhav and stopping the 

violating of his human rights. Pakistan 

insists Jadhav is a serving naval officer 

but India has maintained he had left the 

service and was running a 

Centre assures Rs. 400 cr to 

state for smart cities, tourism 

CHANDIGARH: The Centre has assured financial 

assistance of Rs. 400 crore to the state government 

for developing tourism and smart cities. 

State local bodies and tourism minister Navjot 

Singh Sidhu, who met Union finance minister 

Arun Jaitley, tourism minister KJ Alphons and 

minister of state for housing and urban affairs 

Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday, said the centre 

will give Rs. 300 crore for developing Amritsar, 

Jalandhar and Ludhiana under as smart cities. The 

state government will contribute Rs. 50 crore for 

No credibility 

in such 

‘exercises’, 

says New 

Delhi 

business in the Iranian 

port of Chabahar when he 

was kidnapped by 

Pakistani intelligence in 

2016. Sentenced to death 

last year by a military 

court for alleged involvement 

in spying, Jadhav 

also said in the video that 

he was grateful to the 

Pakistan government for arranging the 

meeting with his wife and mother. But 

he added: “I saw fear in the eyes of my 

mother and my wife. Why should there 

be fear? Whatever has happened has 

happened. There shouldn’t be fear in the 

eyes of my mother and my wife.” 

WASHINGTON: The US 

on Thursday put Pakistan 

on a “special watch list” for 

“severe violations” of religious 

freedom. 

Secretary of state Rex 

Tillerson also “re-designated” 

Myanmar, China, 

Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, 

Sudan, Saudi Arabia, 

Tajikistan, Turkmenistan 

and Uzbekistan as “countries of particular 

concern” for their handling of religious 

freedom. 

the project, Sidhu said. The Union ministers also 

assured support for developing religious and heritage 

sites and memorials in the state at cost of Rs. 

100 crore. The project will cover Anandpur Sahib, 

Fatehgarh Sahib, Chamkaur Sahib, Jallianwala 

Bagh, Hussainiwala and Khatkar Kalan. 

Sidhu said that Puri will meet Punjab chief minister 

Captain Amarinder Singh on January 6. A 

team of officials from the Union housing ministry 

will reach Chandigarh on January 1 and interact 

with state officials, said Sidhu.


ASIA 


7 

Dr B. R. Ambedkar - A World Hero 

Dr Ambedkar, Chief Architect of India Constitution, is well known not only as a Constitutionalist and 

Parliamentarian, but also as a scholar and active reformer all over the world. As a champion of the downtrodden, 

he waged a relentless struggle against the oppressive features of Hindu society. Throughout his life, he strove for 

establishment of a new social order based on the principles of liberty, equality, justice, and universal brotherhood. 

Historical records assert 

that almost all Hindu 

organizations created 

unsurmountable hurdles in 

the path of Dr Ambedkar 

Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar (1891- 

1956) is known to the world as the 

Chief Architect of the Indian 

Constitution, an eminent educationist, 

a legal luminary, an economist, and a 

sociologist. The government of India 

in 1990on the birth anniversary (14th 

April) conferred the highest Civilian 

Award `Bharat Ratna` on Dr 

Ambedkar. A life-size painting of Dr 

Ambedkar was also installed in the 

Central Hall of the Parliament House 

on 11th April, 1990. The house where 

Dr Ambedkar stayed during his student 

days in London has been procured 

by the government of India and 

is preserved as an international memorial( 

10, King Henry Road, London). 

Thousands of people from all over the 

world feel excited to visit the house 

where their Baba Sahib once lived and 

studied & bow their heads to this great 

hero of the world. The followers of Dr. 

Ambedkar called him 'Baba Sahib' 

respectfully. Dr. Ambedkar was born 

in a very poor family. He gained the 

highest education. He studied in 

London and Germany. Dr Ambedkar is 

a leader of 21st century. S. B . 

Chavan, Chief Minister of 

Maharashtra in his forward to volume 

3 & 4 of Dr Ambedkar` Writings and 

Speeches, has observed as under: 

Dr Ambedkar, Chief Architect of 

India Constitution, is well known not 

only as a Constitutionalist and 

Parliamentarian, but also as a scholar 

and active reformer all over the world. 

As a champion of the downtrodden, 

he waged a relentless struggle against 

the oppressive features of Hindu society. 

Throughout his life, he strove for 

establishment of a new social order 

based on the principles of liberty, 

equality, justice, and universal brotherhood. 

Lord Mountbatten wrote about Dr 

Ambedkar in the following words: 

All in all, it was a refreshing experience 

to know this clear sighted brave 

fighter, who has an immortal niche in 

the history of India. 

In praise of Dr Ambedkar, Keith 

Yaz , Member of Parliament of the 

British Government said : Dr. 

Ambedkar`s influence is till felt today, 

not only in India, where the 

Constitution which he worked so hard 

to draft remains in force, but throughout 

the world. 

In the words of Jawaharlal Nehru: 

Dr Ambedkar will be remembered 

mostly as the symbol of revolt against 

all the oppressing features of Hindu 

society. His virulent opposition to 

these oppressive features had kept 

people`s minds awake. Although he 

was a highly controversial figure, he 

played a very constructive role in 

making the constitution of India and 

Hindu Law Reform. He revolted 

against something which everybody 

should revolt against. 

Dr Ambedkar`s social 

idea was based on 

Liberty, Equality, and 

Fraternity. For the establishment 

of such a social 

order, a complete change 

in the fundamental 

notions of life would also 

be necessary. He looked 

into three practical possibilities 

for the same: 

`Annihilation of the caste 

system`, introduction of 

inter-caste-dining` and 

`inter-caste marriage. Dr Ambedker 

believed that a well-structured social 

order is necessary for a democratic 

free state. He always stressed upon 

self-dignity and self-respect. Dr 

Ambedkar`s economic thoughts were 

based on some moral values. The values 

intended for the welfare of people. 

India has been struggling with 

socio-economic inequalities since 

centuries hence there is always a 

social& economic unrest. Several 

studies indicate that respective governments 

at the centre and at the state 

paid a lip service to the welfare of the 

downtrodden. After the departure of 

Dr Ambedkar, the Hindu organisations 

and Hindu leaders did not allow 

the society to bring about radical 

changes which Dr Ambedkar envisaged. 

Ignorant and uneducated people 

of India are religiously confounded by 

fakeHindu Babas(priests)and 

Matas(priestess) across India. Natural 

calamities such as flood, famine, hurricane, 

pestilence if occur in India 

these fake Babas and Matas validate 

vehemently the `Scourge of God` 

among the ignorant. 

These fake Hindu priests plunder in 

the name of deathless and ageless subterranean 

Gods. As a matter of fact, 

they are the predators. They feel no 

guilt or shame in orchestrating 

plunder in the 

name of religion. India 

is a paradise for these 

fake Hindu Babas and 

Matas. Millions of poor 

people die out of hunger 

every day in India but 

these fake Babas and 

Matas eat a variety of 

food in five star hotels. 

Those who dare to criticize 

or try to defy their 

superstition they are 

proclaimed heretics or outlaws. These 

fake Babas and Matas are found, without 

shame, abusing their 

Rahul Kumar 

privileges under the 

nose of the saffron 

party. These fake 

Hindu Babas 

and Matas are 

compulsively 

immoral. 

Hinduism 

is a 

weapon of 

treachery 

for these 

fake Hindu 

Babas and 

Matas 

Baba Ramdev, 

in his priestly robe, 

bearded 51- year old 

owner of Patanjali 

Ayurveda Ltd become a business 

tycoon under the benevolence of the 

Saffron party. The state government in 

Uttar Pradesh is selling prime land to 

Baba at a throw away price to build 

factories. He is the same Baba who 

garnered votes for the BJP in 2014 by 

In 

the words of 

Jawaharlal Nehru : 

Dr Ambedkar will be remembered 

mostly as the symbol of revolt 

against all the oppressing features of 

Hindu society. His virulent opposition to 

these oppressive features had kept people`s 

minds awake. Although he was a highly 

controversial figure, he played a very constructive 

role in making the constitution 

of India and Hindu Law Reform. He 

revolted against something 

which everybody should 

revolt against. 

fooling the country men and women 

to weed out corruption and bring back 

black money to the country. After 

winning the 2014 elections, Baba has 

never raised this issue at any public 

function or television debate. It suggests 

that if you are a Hindu you can 

achieve money, power, and fame. 

The people of India must understand 

that these fake Hindu Babas and 

Matas steal money from your pocket 

in the name of invisible God; time and 

energy from your body and mind consequently 

full mental and intellectual 

development is slowed down.The proliferation 

of superstition got impetus 

under the saffron party in India and 

ambitiously supported by a gang of 

RSS leaders. 

The flagrant naked greed of the 

Hindu Babas and Matas further 

corroded the social 

foundation of the 

Indian society to a 

level 

degradation. 

Injustices 

a n d 

hypocrisies 

are inbuilt in 

their living. 

Hindu Babas 

and Matas 

have spread 

their wings and 

opened shops in 

the Western 

world and found 

selling superstition 

among the Diasporic 

Indians. Every day we come 

across news where we noticed that 

these Hindu Babas and Matas are convicted 

in molestation case. A recent 

example of Bikram Choudhury Yoga 

Inc. in the USA brought a bad name to 

India by filing bankruptcy (HT 12 

Nov,2017). He has been accused of 

sexual assault. 

Having mammoth treasure of 

wealth and political resources, these 

fake Hindu Babas and Matas have the 

access to the electronic and print 

media to spread their superstition. The 

idea of inter-caste marriages and interdining 

as suggested by Dr Ambedkar 

could not flourish and sustainin India 

because the Hindu Babas and Matas 

preach sophism to the gullible masses 

written in the Hindu Scriptures- 

Vedas and Upanishad which are, of 

course, anti- human, anti- scientific 

anti-progress, anti- nation. The Hindu 

Scriptures expound inequality 

between various caste groups. The 

downfall of Buddhism in India 

demonstrated the vicious propaganda 

unleashed by the fake Hindu Babas 

and Matas consistently against it. And 

they succeeded so well in their mission 

that Buddhism partially disappeared 

from the land of Buddha. 

6th December 1956 - A Fateful 

Day On this fateful day, Dr. 

Ambedkar fell to a sudden death 

leaving behind flood of tears in the 

eyes of the millions of the downtrodden 

for whom he fought assiduously 

to gain social and economic dignity. 

A great fighter had left an indelible 

mark on the world.When Dr 

Ambedkar was alive not a single 

Hindu organizations lent a support to 

him to fight the evil of untouchability. 

Gandhi made a millions of rupees 

in the name of untouchability but 

never changed his Satanic outlook. 

He never wanted to annihilate the 

caste system. His thought was to 

prune it without touching the root. 

Historical records assert that almost 

all Hindu organizations created 

unsurmountable hurdles in the path 

of Dr Ambedkar. Similarly, the issue 

of `Reservation` was abundantly and 

fiercely criticized by the Hindu leaders 

inside as well outside the parliament 

of India. But Dr Ambedkar 

never faltered and emerged as a victorious 

leader of the third world. 

Dr. Ambedkar, left India with a 

hope to fulfill a duty to revolt against 

injustice and oppression; to fight for 

absolute and uncontested rule. It is 

emphasized that every Dalit, poor or 

rich must contribute to fulfill the 

wishes of our reverend Dr 

Ambedkar.Every citizen of India 

must get themselves free from the 

evil clutches of pseudo divine beings. 

Every citizen of India must dissuade 

himself or herself from a belief 

in reincarnation.Every citizen of 

India should save India from being 

destroyed by the licentiousness of the 

prelates. India can become world 

power only if people develop scientific 

outlook and lay the foundation 

for inclusive growth without the evils 

of the caste system. 

Every citizen of India must stop 

the Brahmins who are determined to 

enforce `Hindutva` on the minorities 

even by the sword if necessary which 

is absolutely against the ideals of 

democracy.


ASIA 


Outside court, ex-CJ touches 

feet of rape-accused Asaram 

JODHPUR : A man in cyan-blue 

jacket bent to touch the feet of Asaram 

outside a court in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur 

Saturday. 

Asaram later told reporters in the 

court the man was Surendra Nath 

Bhargava, former chief justice of 

Sikkim high court. The self-styled 

spiritual leader has been in the 

Jodhpur central jail since August 31, 

2013, after he was arrested for raping 

a teenage girl in Manai village. On 

Saturday, as Asaram was getting 

inside the court of metropolitan magistrate 

number 3, which is hearing a 

case under the Information 

Technology Act, Bhargava walked 

Retired Sikkim High 

Court Chief Justice SN 

Bhargava touched rape 

accused Asaram's feet 

while the latter was 

being produced in 

Jodhpur court in the sexual 

assault case. 

towards him and touched his feet. 

The I-T Act case pertains to a caricature 

of a judge hearing the sexual 

assault case which was allegedly 

made by a follower of Asaram and 

God’s own country likely to 

get a holy tourism circuit 

widely circulated. “Despite being in a 

high position, Bhargava came for my 

‘darshan’,” Asaram boasted before the 

reporters inside the court. Asked 

about his presence in the city, 

Bhargava said he came to Jodhpur to 

attend a private function. “I happened 

to be here. Socha chalo bapu aaye 

hain to darshan kar lein,” he said. He 

said he has known Asaram since 

1983-84. “After I became a judge, 

bapu ke darshan durlabh ho gaye,” he 

said, adding that the judiciary will 

deliver justice in rape cases against 

Asaram. “Nyaypalika jo karegi wo 

nyay hoga (whatever decision the 

judiciary takes will be justice).” 

KOTTAYAM : A group of pilgrims 

from Goa kneel before the tomb of St 

Alphonsa in Kerala’s Kottayam. After 

prayers, a priest guides them through the 

sprawling church complex, packed with pilgrims 

from across the country. The 20th 

century religious figure, who became the 

first woman of Indian origin to be canonised 

in 2008, is one of three Christian figures 

who are fast becoming a big draw in the 

state. The other two are 19th-century priests 

Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Saint 

Euprasia Eluvathingal. The church of Kerala 

now plans to connect the villages of all three 

—Alphonsa’s Bharaninganam,Chavara’s 

Manannam and Euprasia’s Ollur – to make 

up a holy tourism circuit in the state. The 

three villages are all in a 150-km radius. 

India has only six Christian saints, and the 

last five have come in the past decade. The 

first saint was a Eurasian, Gonsalo Garcia in 

1862, but the next saint took 146 years - 

Alphonsa was canonised in 2008. In 2014, 

Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Euprasia were 

canonised. In 2016, Mother Teresa was 

declared a saint. 

“For the state, it is the fruit of faith and 

sacrifice. Our saints are symbols of hope 

and sacrifice. They lead us to light always. 

In Kerala, Christian values and traditions 

blended perfectly so it has every right to 

become the land of saints,” said Syro- 

Malabar church spokesman Father Mathew 

Chandrankunnel who is also managing 

affairs of the St Alphonsa shrine in 

Bharaninganam. Many in the community 

were dissatisfied earlier this month when 

the supreme head of the Catholic Church, 

Pope Francis, visited Myanmar and 

Bangladesh but not India. “Look at the size 

of Bangladesh and Myanmar. The Pope 

should have been here first,” a believer busy 

with her prayers at the Alphonsa shrine 

lamented. “Sainthood is a long process. 

Some miracles are also associated with it. In 

earlier days, historical compilation was also 

tiresome,” said Father Scria Ethirett, director 

of the Chavara pilgrim centre 

(Kottayam). Both Alphonsa and Euprasia 

were canonised for their “suffering and perseverance” 

Chavara was made a saint for 

his social work. He initiated social reforms, 

founded the first Sanskrit school in 1846 

and encouraged women’s education. 

Urdu poets enthral at Ferozepur mushaira 

FEROZEPUR: Poets enthralled the audience at the 10th All India Mushaira, the concluding 

event of Mohan Lal Bhaskar Art and Theatre Festival 2017, here on Saturday night. The 

arena had guests from different spheres, ranging from the military to bureaucracy, besides 

youth.The stage had poets including Nafas Ambalvi,Tarkash Pardeep, Vipul Kumar, Nadeem 

Shaad, Nashir Naqvi, Altamash Abbas, Adil Rashid, Ahmad Alvi, Ritaz Maini, Musaver 

Firozpuri, Tarif Faraz and Shiv Sharan Bandhu. Mohinder Ashq received a standing ovation. 

The event was organised in the memory of former “spy” Mohan Lal Bhaskar, who was 

awarded death sentence by a Pakistani court, but a higher court reduced it to 14 years.

www.theasianindependent.co.uk ASIA JANUARY 2018 9 

Padmavati gets nod for 

release but as Padmavat 

MUMBAI/NEWDELHI/ 

JAIPUR: The censor board on 

Saturday said it would clear controversial 

the film in which a Ghoomar 

dance is performed. 

The censor board’s certificate 

by Viacom18. A meeting is 

reportedly on the cards between 

the filmmakers and censor board 

chief Prasoon Joshi said. The 

board took the decision after its 

examining committee and a spe- 

Bollywood film will be issued once these officials in January. “This was an cial advisory panel met on 

Padmavati after suggesting five changes are made and the movie unprecedented and tough situation. 

December 28 to review the film 

major modifications, including re-examined.Joshi reportedly 

I am glad that following a featuring actor Deepika 

changing the title to Padmavat, 

but the move failed to pacify 

said that filmmakers had agreed 

to the CBFC’s suggestions, but 

balanced approach we resolved 

the task at hand in a pragmatic 

Padukone as Rajput queen 

Padmavati. 

Rajput groups that allege the no official comment was issued and positive manner,” CBFC The film is based on 

movie distorts history. 

A fringe group warned of 

vandalising cinema halls if the 

~150crore movie was released 

and Vishvaraj Singh, a descendent 

of the royal family of 

Mewar, called the Central Board 

of Film Certification (CBFC) 

“ignoble and unprofessional”. 

The CBFC agreed to clear 

Padmavat, a 16th-century poem 

written by Sufi poet Malik 

Muhammad Jayasi, who gives 

an account of a Rajput queen of 

Chittor who chooses to kill herself 

rather than be captured by 

Delhi ruler Alauddin Khilji. 

Historians are divided about 

whether the queen existed, but 

many Rajputs believe she did 

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 

and accuse Bhansali of portraying 

Padmavati with a U/A certificate 

and asked the filmmakers to put 

in a disclaimer that the movie 

does not claim historical accuracy 

and does not in any way subscribe 

to or seek to glorify 

Jauhar — the banned practice of 

a widow throwing herself on to 

her husband’s funeral pyre. The 

suggestions also included changing 

any incorrect and misleading 

reference to historical places, 

and modifications to a song in 

her in a bad light. Rajput 

groups were angry that the 

movie allegedly contained a 

romantic scene between the 

queen and Khilji, who had 

attacked the Mewar capital of 

Chittorgarh. 

The Shri Rajput Karni Sena, a 

fringe outfit that made dire 

threats against the film’s cast and 

disrupted shooting in January, 

reacted with caution to the censor 

board’s decision. 

Rajya Sabha 

disrupted over 

Maharashtra violence 

ArrayNew Delhi. The Rajya Sabha was repeatedly disrupted 

and adjourned till 2 p.m. on Wednesday after the opposition created 

a ruckus over the violence in Maharashtra. 

The first adjournment came minutes after the House met for 

the day. As the opposition members raised the issue and sought a 

discussion during Zero Hour, Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu 

adjourned it till 12 noon. 

As soon as the House met again, the opposition members 

protested again -- against the anti-Dalit violence. The Chair then 

adjourned the House till 2. 

For a second time in this session, the Rajya Sabha TV suspended 

live telecast on Naidu's instructions. 

The riots in Koregaon-Bhima in Pune district on Monday led 

to the death of a 28-year-old, Rahul Fatangale. 

The Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party blamed the 

BJP-Shiv Sena government in the state for security lapses that 

led to the violence. 

As India struggles against Pak in ‘war of 

flags’, questions over cost of nationalism 

The Tricolour at the Attari-Wagah checkpost 

could not withstand high-velocity winds.Even as a 

Pakistani flag hoisted at 400 feet across the border 

on the Attari-Wagah checkpost continues to flutter, 

the Indian Tricolour remains missing atop the 360 

feet pole on this side since April. 

While the Pakistani flag is made of stronger 

material, the Tricolour is made only of the khadi 

fabric as per norms. It was initially hoisted in 

March, but was taken off in May and the district 

administration decided not to hoist it till a permanent 

solution to the problem was found. It had to be 

replaced at least four times in April alone. This cost 

the government Rs 6 lakh. The project — a dream 

of Punjab’s then minister Anil Joshi of the BJP — 

had cost Rs 3.5 crore. Then, ahead of 

Independence celebrations on both sides of the 

border in August , the flag was back, and taken 

down two days later due 

to the same reason. 

At the time, India had 

managed to pip Pakistan 

which unveiled its taller 

flag to mark 

Independence Day too. 

What now? Rajiv Sekhri, 

executive engineer of 

Amritsar Improvement 

Trust that is the custodian 

of the project, told 

HT, “So far the flag was 

made of khadi, which could not withstand highvelocity 

winds. In future, we will use fabric that is 

used to make parachutes, as rules have been 

amended for monumental flags.” 

The trust is now hiring a contractor. “who will 

Interpol won’t issue Red Corner 

Notice against Naik 

MUMBAI/NEWDELHI: In a setback to Indian 

agencies, the Interpol has refused to issue a Red 

Corner Notice (RCN) against controversial Islamic 

preacher Zakir Naik, citing lack of formal charge 

sheet against the Mumbai-based televangelist 

when the request was submitted. 

The agency has also instructed all related 

bureaus and member countries to delete the data 

file of Naik from its records. According to reports, 

Naik took refuge in Malaysia after obtaining permanent 

residency there. The 51-year-old televangelist, 

through a video message, said, “I am 

relieved after the order of the Interpol for cancellation 

of the notice. However, I would be much more 

relieved if my own government and Indian agencies 

give me justice and clear me of all charges.” 

He further went on to say that “truth has a fantastic 

way of coming out. It came out internationally 

and it would be out soon in India too”. The decision 

to not issue an RCN against Naik was taken by 

the Interpol’s Commission in its 102nd session 

held on 24-27 October 2017. 

He has been accused of spreading hatred 

through his provocative speeches, funding terrorists 

and laundering several crores of rupees over 

the years. Following the charges, the National 

Investigation Agency (NIA) in November last year 

registered a criminal case against him. 

look after the flag for a 

year”, Sekhri added. 

Visitors to the evening 

retreat ceremony show a 

desire to see the Indian flag 

at that monumental height 

too. “We had heard about 

the tallest Indian flag, but 

found nothing except a 

pole. 

On the other side, the 

Pak flag was fluttering. 

Naturally, this hurts the 

patriotic sentiments of Indians,” said Tajinder 

Singh, a visitor. Gurbhej Singh, an Amritsar-based 

social worker, added, “The flag is the honour of 

our country, and politicians should not have used it 

for political motives. Still, if they wanted to hoist 

such a flag, they should have addressed its technical 

aspects first.” The 360-feet project was carried 

out despite the fact that a project of installing a flag 

at 170 feet in Ranjit Avenue in Amritsar on 

National Highway-1 leading to the border had 

proved a failure. The flag there too has had to be 

replaced 14 times. “This is nothing but foolishness,” 

said Ramesh Yadav, an India-Pak peace 

activist and president of Folklore Research 

Academy. “We should not indulge in such a practice 

which is nothing but blind nationalism. We 

already knew that Pakistan will compete with us in 

this. Instead of spending crores on this project, we 

should get high-standard schools established in the 

border area,” he added. Sekhri, meanwhile, said, “ 

We are floating tenders to hire a company for 

maintenance. The flag will be hoisted again within 

the month of December.” 

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112 Green Lane Road, 

Leicester, LE5 3TJ 

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523 Foleshill Rd, Coventry, 

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86 Great Hampton St, B’ham, 

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183 Holyhead Road, 

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123 Evington Road, Leicester 

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Birmingham Rd, Birmingham 

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193 High St, Harborne, B’ham, 

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122 Green Lane Road, Leicester 

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122 Green Lane Road, Leicester 

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16 Tollgate Shopping Precinct, 


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122 Green Lane Road, 

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91-793 Stratford Rd, 

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48, Queen St, Wolverhampton 

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113, Holyhead Road, 

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125 Hill Top, West Bromwich, 

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70 Lodge Rd, West Bromwich, 

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113 Holyhead Rd, Birmingham 

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75 Bridge St, Wednesbury, 

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225 Holyhead Rd, B’ham 

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BUSINESS 


Nearly Rs 2 lakh cr investment proposed 

for 90 smart cities: Minister 

New Delhi, An investment of Rs 

1,91,155 crore has been proposed for 

the 90 cities under the Smart Cities 

project, Urban Development Minister 

Hardeep Puri said on Monday, a day 

after Congress President 

Rahul Gandhi said only 

seven per cent of funds for 

the project had been used. 

An official statement 

issued on Monday quoted 

the Minister’s address to a 

meeting of the 

Parliamentary consultative 

committee attached to the 

Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs 

on December 28, which said projects 

worth Rs.1,35,459 crore in 2,855 projects 

were in various stages of implementation. 

While 147 projects worth 

Rs.1,872 crore have been completed 

and 396 projects with a cost of 

Rs.14,672 core are currently under 

implementation, further tendering has 

started for 283 projects at a cost of 

India’s manufacturing sector’s 

activity rose in Dec: PMI 

Mumbai, India’s manufacturing 

sector’s activity expanded exponentially 

in December 2017 due to accelerated 

increase in output and new orders, 

key macro-economic data showed on 

Tuesday. Consequently, the Nikkei 

India Manufacturing Purchasing 

Managers’ Index (PMI), a composite 

indicator of manufacturing performance, 

increased to 54.7 in December 

2017 from 52.6 reported for November. 

An index reading of above 50 indicates 

an overall increase in economic 

activity and below 50 an overall 

decrease. According to the PMI, the 

manufacturing sector ended 2017 on a 

positive note, with “operating conditions 

improving at the strongest rate in 

five years”. As per the PMI data, the 

overall upturn was supported by the 

sharpest increase in output and new 

orders since December 2012 and 

October 2016, respectively. 

Commenting on the PMI data, Aashna 

Dodhia, Economist at IHS Markit and 

CBI nabs Mumbai IT 

officer taking bribe 

Mumbai, The Central Bureau of 

Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested 

an income-tax officer here for demanding 

and taking a bribe of Rs 100,000 from a 

complainant, an official said. 

According to the complainant, IT officer 

Ulhas Lokhande, posted at Ward 34(1), had 

demanded a bribe for completing an 

assessment of income of the complainant’s 

sister for financial year 2009-2010. 

Lokhande had summoned the complainant 

and his sister to his officer in this 

connection on December 29 last year and 

demanded Rs 125,000 for giving a 

favourable assessment Order. After negotiations, 

he settled for Rs 100,000 and fell 

into the CBI trap while accepting the 

amount. The CBI also conducted searches 

at his office and residential premises and 

other investigations before producing him 

in the Special CBI Court on Thursday. 

Rs.16,549 and detailed project reports 

are being prepared for 2,029 projects 

worth Rs.1,02,366 crore. In a tweet, 

Rahul Gandhi said the government 

utilised only 7 per cent of the Rs 9,860 

crore allotted for the Smart 

Cities scheme. “Dear Modi 

bhakts, Out of 9,860 crores for 

the Smart Cities only 7% has 

been used. China is out competing 

us while your master gives 

us empty slogans,” Rahul 

Gandhi said in a tweet. Puri also 

said that so far 77 Smart Cities, 

including 11 of the Round 3 

cities, had formed their Special Purpose 

Vehicle (SPV). 

The implementation of the Smart 

Cities Mission will be done by an SPV, 

to be set up at city level in the form of a 

limited company under the Companies 

Act, 2013, and is to be promoted by the 

state or Union Territory and the Urban 

Local Body (ULB) jointly, with both 

having 50:50 equity shareholding. 

Apple rolls out $29 battery swap 

offer for select iPhones 

an Francisco, Apple has already made available 

its promised $29 battery replacement offer for older 

iPhones it deliberately slowed down — about a 

month earlier than expected, media reports said. 

After apologising for slowing down ageing iPhone 

models, Apple reduced the price of an out-of-warranty 

iPhone battery replacement by $50 — from $79 to 

$29 — for anyone with an iPhone 6 or later whose 

battery needs to be replaced. 

The Cupertino, California-headquartered company 

initially said that the batteries would be available at 

the discounted price from late January through 

December 2018. But Apple ended the wait for the 

customers sooner than promised, The Verge reported 

on Saturday. “We expected to need more time to be 

ready, but we are happy to offer our customers the 

lower pricing right away. Initial supplies of some 

replacement batteries may be limited,” CNN quoted 

an Apple spokesperson as saying. The slowing down 

issue affects older models, including iPhone 6, 

iPhone 6s, iPhone SE and iPhone 7. 

the author of the report, said: “Strong 

business performance was underpinned 

by the fastest expansions in output and 

new orders since December 2012 and 

October 2016, respectively. “Anecdotal 

evidence pointed to stronger market 

demand from home and international 

markets. “However, the sector continues 

to face some turbulence as delayed 

customer payments contributed to 

greater volumes of outstanding work. 

On the price front.” “July’s Goods and 

Services Tax (GST) continued to lead 

to greater raw material costs, with input 

cost inflation accelerating to the 

sharpest since April,” Dodhia said. 

Audi 

India’s 

2017 sales 

up 2% 

Mumbai, Luxury car manufacturer Audi India on Wednesday reported a rise of two 

per cent in its 2017 sales in India. According to the company, its sales in the Indian market 

for 2017 increased to 7,876 units. “Audi completed ten years in India in 2017 and we are 

delighted that within this short span, it has become one of the most preferred luxury car 

brands for enthusiasts in the country,” Rahil Ansari, Head, Audi India was quoted as saying 

in a statement. “With 7,876 deliveries to customers in 2017, we have increased our 

sales by 2 per cent while earning a profitable growth for our dealer partners.” “We are 

now looking forward to the launch of our trendsetting and immensely popular Audi Q5 in 

its new generation in January 2018.” 

Over Rs 6.5 lakh in fake 

currency seized in 

Bengal, two arrested 

Kolkata, personnel seized 

Fake Indian Currency Notes of 

the face value of Rs. 6.5 lakh and 

arrested two smugglers, including 

a woman, in West Bengal’s 

Malda district 

on Sunday, the 

last day of the 

year, a BSF 

official said. 

Acting on a 

tip off, the 

Border Security 

Force (BSF) 

troopers from 

Malda district 

headquarter laid a special 

ambush in Kaliachak and 

Baliyadanga crossing and apprehended 

the two smugglers on 

Sunday morning. “Two smugglers 

named Ainul Haque, 39, 

Parekh excited to 

lead Infosys as CEO 

Bengaluru - Software veteran 

Salil S. Parekh, who took over as the 

CEO and MD of Infosys on Tuesday, 

said he was excited to lead the IT 

major on its path of helping clients 

digitally reinvent themselves. “I am 

excited to lead the company on its path 

of helping clients digitally reinvent 

themselves for sustained 

growth,” said 

Parekh in his maiden 

address to nearly 2 lakh 

Infosys techies operating 

at its development 

centres the world over. 

Admitting that 2018 

got off to a great start 

for him as he began his journey as 

CEO of an iconic company, he told the 

Infocions that each of them had an 

important role to play in the world of 

continuous technology disruptions. 

Earlier, Parekh took charge as the new 

CEO and MD as senior executives, 

and Renu Mondal, 40, travelling 

on a motor cycle, were apprehended 

at around 5.45 a.m.. The 

trooper seized 325 fake Rs 2,000 

notes of the face value of Rs 6.5 

lakh from the 

arrested 

woman. 

“The apprehended 

smugglers 

and the 

seized FICN 

have been 

handed over to 

M a l d a ’ s 

Kaliachak 

police station for further legal 

actions,” he added. The BSF’s 

South Bengal frontier has seized 

FICN of the face value of Rs 

62.38 lakh and arrested 11 FICN 

racketeers so far in 2017. 

including Chief Operating Officer 

U.B. Pravin Rao, welcomed and greeted 

him at the company’s corporate 

office in the Electronics City on the 

city’s outskirts. “Soon after the senior 

management briefed Parekh about the 

company’s activities and made a presentation 

on its current business, he 

addressed the employees 

through video-conference,” 

a company official 

told IANS. 

The Infosys Board on 

December 2 appointed 

Parekh, 53, for the top 

executive post for five 

years with effect from 

January 2 to December 31, 2022. 

Parekh is the second non-founder 

executive of the $10-billion firm after 

the exit of the first non-promoter CEO 

Vishal Sikka in August following a 

spat with its co-founders over governance 

issues last year. 

PROFIT BOOKING 

subdues equity indices 

Mumbai, The key indices of the Indian equity market 

closed Wednesday’s trade session on a flat note after 

investors booked profit in automobile, healthcare and 

oil and gas stocks. According to market analysts, profit 

booking pared the initial gains made on the back of positive 

Asian markets. 

Consequently, the 30-scrip S&P BSE Sensex, which 

had ended the previous session at 33,812.26 points, provisionally 

closed at 33,793.38 points, down a mere 

18.88 points or 0.06 per cent. 

At 3.30 p.m., the National Stock Exchange’s (NSE) 

Nifty50 was quoted at 10,443.20 points, inching up by 

1 point or 0.01 per cent. 

On Tuesday also, both the key indices closed on a 

flat note after volatility was induced due to caution 

ahead of upcoming quarterly earning results as well as 

profit booking. Consequently, the S&P BSE Sensex 

closed flat at 33,812.26 points, while NSE Nifty50 

closed on a flat note at 10,442.20 points, up by a mere 

6.65 points or 0.06 per cent.


Bengaluru : As many as 900 fowls 

were culled after the avian influenza 

virus was detected in a dead bird here, 

civic officials said on Wednesday. 

“A chicken was found dead on 

December 29 at a chicken shop in (suburban) 

Dasarahalli area and it was confirmed 

after lab tests that the bird was 

infected with the H5N1 avian influenza 

virus,” Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara 

Palike (BBMP) Joint Commissioner S. 

Nagaraju told IANS. Samples from the 

dead bird were sent to the National 

Institute of High Security Animal 

Diseases in Bhopal and had tested positive, 

he said. “On orders from the 

Animal Husbandry Department, we 

have culled a total of 900 birds so far 

within the region where the infected 

bird was found,” he said. 

H5N1 virus-infected birds spread the 

virus through their saliva, mucus and 

faeces. Although the virus does not usually 

infect people, it can cause fever, 

diarrhoea, respiratory illnesses in some 

affected people. The Animal Husbandry 

Department had on Tuesday declared an 

area of 1km radius from where the bird 

was found dead as the “infected zone” 

and an area of 10km radius as the “surveillance” 

zone. It also ordered meat 

shops in the infected region to be shut 

down. 

“Meat-selling outlets within 1 km 

radius from the site where the infected 

bird was found have all been sealed and 

we are also inspecting the area in a 10 

km radius for any possible virus-infected 

birds,” Principal Secretary, Animal 

Husbandry and Fisheries Rajkumar 

Khatri told IANS. 

Authorities have also put a check on 

New York, For people suffering 

from tuberculosis (TB), 

including foods rich in Vitamin 

C such as bell peppers, dark 

leafy greens, broccoli, kiwifruit, 

berries and oranges in the diet 

along with regular medication 

can enhance treatment and 

enable a faster recovery, suggests 

a study. 

TB is one of the world’s deadliest 

diseases, with one third of 

the global population infected. 

In 2016, it affected 10.4 million 

people around the world and 

caused 1.7 million deaths. 

The study conducted on mice 

and on tissue cultures suggest 

that giving Vitamin C — a powerful 

antioxidant that reduces 

oxidative stress to the body and 

also lowers cancer risk — with 

TB drugs could reduce the 

unusually long time it takes 

these drugs to eradicate this 

HEALTH 

the sale of eggs in Dasarahalli to prevent 

the spread of the virus. 

“We are following all the government 

procedures while culling (requiring 

the fowls to be culled in the same 

region where the infection was detected) 

to make sure there is no spreading of 

the virus,” Khatri said. 

pathogen. “Our study shows that 

the addition of Vitamin C to TB 

drug treatment potentiates the 

killing of bacterium 

Mycobacterium tuberculosis 

(MTB) and could shorten TB 

chemotherapy,” said lead investigator 

William R. Jacobs, from 

The civic officials have also issued 

an advisory to Bengaluru citizens to 

avoid consuming uncooked chicken and 

eggs as a precautionary measure. 

“We will be following up and holding 

inspections until we’re 100 per cent 

sure that we have eliminated the virus 

completely,” said Khatri. 


900 fowls culled in Bengaluru to contain bird flu 

Ways to counter 

winter chill 

New Delhi, Common cold is 

pretty much around in winter, 

but it can be countered easily. 

Simple steps such as getting 

enough sleep, drinking plenty of 

water or a mug of lemon tea with 

a teaspoon of honey can help 

you keep cold at bay, suggest 

experts. Amarjeet Bhatia, Chief 

Medical Officer at Doctor Insta, 

Prashant Bhatt, Consultant 

Internal Medicine, Columbia 

Asia Hospital, Patiala, and 

Mehar Rajput, Nutritionist and 

Dietician at Fitpass, have listed 

down some tips: 

* Gloomy weather can induce 

your sugary and stodgy food 

intake, but try to balance it by 

including seasonal fruits and 

green vegetables in the diet. 

Also, do not overlook the benefits 

of adding jaggery in your 

daily meal as it makes your 

immunity stronger to fight daily 

health issues during winter. 

* Vitamin D ingestion is vital 

in winter to feel energised. 

Soaking in the sun for half an 

hour daily can solve your purpose, 

but those who don’t have 

time for this can add eggs and 

fish in their meal to consume 

their dosage of Vitamin D. 

* To beat winter blues, exercising 

is really important. It will 

not only help you stay active, but 

will also keep a check on your 

weight gain during winter. 

* It is important to cover up. 

Go for multiple layers instead of 

one heavy jacket; synthetic fabrics 

and wool are better insulators. 

Take special care of areas 

like hands and feet, and head and 

neck. 

* Add some spices to your 

daily diet. Spices tend to make a 

person feel warm and also provide 

strength to the immune system 

to fight against bacteria. You 

can add different spices like cinnamon, 

ginger, black pepper, 

cloves, cardamom, bay leaf and 

turmeric in teas, soups and hot 

chocolate. 

13 

Swine flu alert in 

Rajasthan 

Jaipur, Rajasthan government on 

Thursday declared a red alert across 

the state in the 

wake of a large 

number of 

patients being 

reported positive 

for swine flu. 

According to 

health officials, 85 new cases have 

tested positive for swine flu in last 

three days. The dip in temperature has 

activated the Michigan virus which is 

affecting a large number of patients 

and has become a big cause of concern 

in the state. Around 3,619 cases of 

swine flu were reported in 2017 out of 

which 279 lost their lives. Some 417 

persons tested positive in the month of 

December alone. The health department 

has sounded the alert to ensure 

that the flu is checked and deaths are 

prevented. Health Minister Kalicharan 

Saraf said that swine flu, this year, has 

gone aggressive quite early. He added 

that all chief medical and health officers 

and principal medical officers 

have been directed to follow the directions 

issued by the health department 

for preventing the spread of swine flu. 

Vitamin C can enhance tuberculosis treatment 

New York : Smoke emitting 

from the traditional cookstove, 

widely used in the rural parts of 

India with cheap biofuels — 

such as crop chaff or dung — 

causes detrimental impact on 

the country’s environment and 

people’s health, finds a study, 

led by one of Indian-origin professors. 

The findings showed that the 

traditional cookstove may be 

producing much higher levels 

of particulate emissions than 

earlier thought. 

“Our project findings quantitatively 

show that particulate 

emissions from cookstoves in 

India have been underestimated,” 

said Rajan Chakrabarty, 

Assistant Professor at the 

Washington 

University in St. 

Louis. 

In some cases, 

more than twice 

the emission levels 

were detected 

when compared 

to the previous 

findings, the 

researchers said. 

“Traditional 

cookstove burning 

is one of the 

largest source of pollutants in 

India. We found it’s a really big 

problem; this is revising what 

people knew for decades,” 

Chakrabarty said. 

The results, published in 

Atmospheric Chemistry and 

Physics, are based on the series 

of tests conducted in Raipur — 

where more than three-quarters 

of the families use cookstoves 

to prepare their meals. 

In December 2015, 

researchers, including those 

the Albert Einstein College of 

Medicine in New York. 

That’s important because 

treatment of drug susceptible TB 

takes six months, “resulting in 

some treatment mismanagement, 

potentially leading to the emergence 

and spread of drug-resistant 

TB”, Jacobs added. 

In the study, published in the 

journal Antimicrobial Agents 

and Chemotherapy, the team 

treated MTB-infected mice with 

anti-TB drugs or vitamin C 

alone, or the drugs and vitamin C 

together. Vitamin C had no activity 

by itself, but in two independent 

experiments, the combination 

of Vitamin C with the 

first-line TB drugs, isoniazid and 

rifampicin, reduced the organ 

burdens faster than the two drugs 

without vitamin C, said 

Catherine J. Vilcheze, at the varsity. 

Experiments in infected tissue 

cultures demonstrated similar 

results, shortening the time to 

sterilisation of the tissue culture 

by seven days.“Vitamin C is 

known to be safe and our current 

mouse studies suggest that 

Vitamin C could enhance TB 

chemotherapy,” Jacobs said. 

Cookstoves in India cause more pollution : Study 

from Pandit Ravishankar 

Shukla University in Raipur 

and the Indian Institute of 

Tropical Metrology in Pune, 

burned a wide variety of biofuels 

acquired from different parts 

of India, cooked different meals 

in a number of varying ventilation 

situations. 

They then recorded the 

resulting emission levels using 

high-tech particle measurement 

devices. While further investigation 

is needed to evaluate the 

exact effect of cookstove emissions 

on the climate and health, 

the researchers noted that their 

work lays the foundation for 

further improving the process 

by which those effects are evaluated 

and measured.


HEALTH 


Diabetes drug can also cure 

Alzheimer’s disease 

London, Scientists have found that a drug 

developed for diabetes could be used to treat 

Alzheimer’s disease through a triple method of 

action. The drug, originally created to treat type 2 

diabetes, “significantly reversed memory loss” in 

mice, a paper published in the journal Brain 

Research, said. Type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for 

Alzheimer’s and has been implicated in the progression 

of the disease. According to lead 

researcher Professor Christian Holscher of 

Lancaster University, the treatment “holds clear 

promise of being developed into a new treatment 

for chronic neurodegenerative disorders such as 

Alzheimer’s disease”. Alzheimer’s disease is the 

most common cause of dementia. As per 

Alzheimer’s Society — a care and research charity 

for people with dementia and their carers — the 

numbers are expected to rise to two million people 

in Britain by 2051. “With no new treatments in 

nearly 15 years, we need to find new ways of tackling 

Alzheimer’s,” Dr Doug Brown, Director of 

Research and Development at Alzheimer’s 

Society, was quoted as saying. “It’s imperative that 

we explore whether drugs developed to treat other 

conditions can benefit people with Alzheimer’s 

and other forms of dementia. This approach to 

research could make it much quicker to get promising 

new drugs to the people who need them,” 

Brown added. In a maze test, learning and memory 

formation were much improved by the drug. 

It also enhanced the levels of a brain growth 

factor which protects nerve cell functioning, 

reduced the amount of amyloid plaques in the 

brain linked with Alzheimer’s, chronic inflammation 

and oxidative stress. The drug also slowed 

down the rate of nerve cell loss. 

Caffeine level in blood may 

predict Parkinson’s disease 

Tokyo, The way your body 

metabolises your cup of coffee 

each morning may determine 

your chances of developing 

Parkinson’s disease, according 

to a study. 

The findings showed that 

people with Parkinson’s disease 

had significantly lower levels of 

caffeine in their blood than people 

without the disease, even if 

they consumed the same amount 

of caffeine. Thus, testing the 

level of caffeine in the blood 

may provide a simple way to aid 

the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, 

the researchers said. 

“Previous studies have shown 

a link between caffeine and a 

lower risk of developing 

Parkinson’s disease, but we 

haven’t known much about how 

caffeine metabolises within the 

people with the disease,” said 

Shinji Saiki, MD at the Juntendo 

University School of Medicine 

in Tokyo. “If these results can be 

confirmed, they would point to 

an easy test for early diagnosis 

of Parkinson’s, possibly even 

before symptoms are appearing,” 

added David G. Munoz, 

MD, at the University of 

Toronto. “This is important 

because Parkinson’s disease is 

difficult to diagnose, especially 

at the early stages,” Munoz 

noted. For the study, published 

in the journal Neurology, the 

team involved 108 people who 

had Parkinson’s disease for an 

average of about six years and 

31 people of the same age who 

did not have the disease and consumed 

about two cups of coffee 

per day. Their blood was tested 

for caffeine and for 11 byproducts 

the body makes as it 

metabolises caffeine. They were 

“This is important 

because 

Parkinson’s disease 

is difficult to diagnose, 

especially at 

the early stages,” 

Munoz noted. For 

the study, published 

in the journal 

Neurology, the 

team involved 108 

people who had 

Parkinson’s disease 

for an average of 

about six years and 

31 people of the 

same age who did 

not have the disease 

and consumed 

about two cups of 

coffee per day. 

also tested for mutations in 

genes that can affect caffeine 

metabolism. 

The caffeine level was an 

average of 79 picomoles per 10 

microliters for people without 

Parkinson’s disease, compared 

to 24 picomoles per 10 microliters 

for people with the disease. 

However, there were no differences 

found in the caffeinerelated 

genes between the two 

groups.


SPORTS 


15 

CSK retains Dhoni, Raina; KKR 

releases Gambhir for IPL-2018 

New Delhi, Former India skipper 

Mahendra Singh Dhoni will once again 

be seen in his favourite yellow jersey in 

the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) 2018 

season as the Chennai Super Kings 

retained the Ranchi stumper along with 

Suresh Raina and all-rounder Ravindra 

Jadeja. Dhoni has been retained for Rs 

15 crore while Raina and Jadeja were 

kept for Rs 11 crore and Rs 7 crore, 

respectively. The CSK franchise, back 

into the IPL fold after serving a twoyear 

ban, has two Right-to-Match 

options left, which they can use during 

the IPL auction on January 27 and 28. 

Rajasthan Royals, the other franchise 

to return after a two-year ban, has 

retained Australia skipper Steve Smith 

(Rs 12 crore) and surprisingly pushed 

the likes of star batsman Ajinkya 

Rahane back into the auction pool. 

The other surprise came in the form 

of Gautam Gambhir, who was sent into 

the auction pool despite guiding the 

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to lifting 

the silverware twice (2012 and 2014). 

The Shah Rukh Khan-co-owned 

franchise retained the West Indian duo 

Bhambri loses in Tata Open 

MAHARASHTRA TENNIS 

Pune, India’s hopes in 

the singles competition of 

the Tata Open Maharashtra 

tennis tournament took 

another blow on 

Wednesday as Yuki 

Bhambri lost to France’s 

Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4, 

3-6, 4-6 in the second 

round here. In what was the 

toughest test for Bhambri 

so far in the tournament, 

the World no.118 failed to 

capitalise on his start where 

he won the first set 6-4 

against one of the best 

players at this year’s tournament 

in Pierre-Hugues 

Herbert. Bhambri looked 

confident from the start but 

after winning the first set 

comfortably, the 25-yearold 

Indian seemed to have lost 

his touch as Herbert fought back 

into the match at the Mhalunge 

Balewadi Stadium. With a total 

of 13 aces in the match, Herbert 

did well in making the most of 

his serving, but it was Bhambri 

who had the momentum going 

into the second set as the crowd 

was also cheering him on. 

Only 20 per cent of 

Bhambri’s total points in the second 

set came off the returns and 

it looked like he had lost his 

rhythm as well. However, credit 

went to the eighth-seed Herbert 

who produced some great serves 

to fight back and win the second 

and the third sets and make his 

way through to the quarterfinals. 

The win for world No.81 

Herbert means that the 

Frenchman might end up facing 

top-seed Marin Cilic in the quarter-finals 

but the former will be 

hoping that India’s Ramkumar 

Ramanathan can produce an 

upset in his second round clash 

against Cilic, which would make 

it an easier tie for Herbert. 

In the other men’s singles second 

round matches, it was 

of Sunil Narine (Rs 8.5 crore) and 

Andre Russell (Rs 7 crore). 

Similarly, Royal Challengers 

Bangalore (RCB) released West 

Indian power-hitter Chris Gayle 

while retaining India skipper 

Virat Kohli (Rs 17 crore), South 

African AB de Villiers (Rs 11 

crore) and young Sarfraz Khan 

(Rs 1.75 crore). 

Delhi Daredevils expectedly 

retained the young Indian duo of 

Rishabh Pant (Rs 8 crore) and 

Shreyas Iyer (Rs 7 crore) along 

with South African all-rounder 

Chris Morris (Rs 7.1 crore). 

Mumbai Indians also went 

along expected lines retaining 

their three-time IPL winning 

skipper Rohit Sharma (Rs 15 

crore) along with all-rounder 

Hardik Pandya (Rs 11 crore) and 

death-overs bowling specialist 

Jasprit Bumrah (Rs 7 crore). 

Rohit guided the Mumbai franchise 

to IPL titles in 2013, 2015 and 2017. 

Sunrisers Hyderabad also sprang a 

surprise by releasing India opener 

Shikhar Dhawan and Afghanistan spin 

sensation Rashid Khan but retained 

Australian David Warner (Rs 12 crore) 

along with pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar 

(Rs 8 crore). 

After another dismal 2017 season, 

Kings XI Punjab retained just left-arm 

spinner Axar Patel (Rs 6.75 crore) for 

the next season. 

fourth-seed Benoit Paire who 

defeated Marton Fucsovics 6-4, 

6-7, 7-6 in a very close 

encounter which lasted more 

than three hours, to make it 

through to the quarter-finals. 

Fifth-seed Robin Haase also 

had to graft in his second round 

encounter against Nicolas Jarry 

after the latter won the first set 6- 

3. World No.42 Haase revived 

his game in the second set and 

came from behind to continue 

his fine form as he won the 

match in three sets 3-6, 7-6, 7-5 

to advance to the quarter-finals. 

Smith elated to be back with 

Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2018 

New Delhi, Australia skipper Steve Smith on Thursday expressed his delight 

after being retained by the Rajasthan Royals franchise for 

the 2018 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). 

Smith, the No.1 Test batsman, was the sole player 

retained by the Royals, who are back into the IPL fold 

after serving a two-year ban. 

Smith, who had been part of the Royals team for two 

seasons in 2014 and 2015, guided the team to the playoffs 

in 2015 before the franchise was banned following corruption 

controversies. 

“I am really excited to be standing by the Rajasthan 

Royals in this season of the IPL. It’s a great franchise with 

great people around. “I loved playing for them in the past 

and I am looking forward to once again joining the team and making a big difference 

in the IPL this year,” the Australian said. Chennai Super Kings, the other 

team to be back after serving a ban, retained the Indian trio of former India skipper 

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja. Expressing his 

delight, Raina said: “Good to be back to CSK after 2 years. Looking forward to 

play in front of my beautiful and knowledgeable crowd whom I missed the last 

two years. See you out there in Chepauk Stadium.” Also elated were the trio of 

Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah after the Mumbai Indians 

retained them for the 11th edition of the league. 

“Excited to be part of this wonderful franchise again. This team is what it is 

today because of its wonderful fans, people who work hard behind the scenes and 

it’s passionate owners. I look forward to the season ahead,” said Rohit, who guided 

Mumbai to the title in 2013, 2015 and 2017. Pandya on his part tweeted: 

“Mumbai Indians is where I began my successful journey in cricket. I am privileged 

to continue being a part of the MI family.” Death bowling specialist 

Bumrah felt that the best is yet to come as he tweeted: “The best is yet to come. 

Looking forward to represent this colour once again with utmost happiness!” 

Meanwhile the Delhi Daredevils, who also unveiled Australia legend Ricky 

Ponting as their new coach, retained the trio of Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer and 

South African Chris Morris.


SPORTS 


Cricket series unlikely till Pak 

stops terrorism: Sushma Swaraj 

NEWDELHI: External Affairs Minister 

Sushma Swaraj has hinted that any bilateral cricket 

series between India and Pakistan is unlikely till 

Pakistan stops terrorism and cross-border firing. 

Swaraj said at a parliament consultative committee 

meeting on external affairs. Responding to 

a query on India-Pakistan cricket series at a neutral 

venue, Swaraj hinted that it seemed unlikely until 

Pakistan stopped cross-border terrorism and firing, 

a member present at the meeting said. She clarified 

New Delhi, Former India 

cricketer Ajay Jadeja on 

Thursday hoped that the Indian 

blind cricket team returns with 

the silverware as the Ajay 

Kumar Reddy-led side ventures 

out to play in the fifth ODI 

World Cup, starting from 

January 8 in Pakistan and the 

United Arab Emirates. 

Jadeja, who was in the city to 

bid adieu to the Indian blind 

cricket squad, said the team has 

all the potential to lift the trophy 

in the final, which will be held 

on January 19 in Lahore or 

January 21 in Sharjah (if the 

Indian team reaches the final). 

The schedule has been made, 

keeping in mind the Indian government’s 

opposition to play in 

Pakistan due to the ongoing 

political tensions between the 

arch rivals. Reddy, however, felt 

that as players they are open to 

playing in any country besides 

hoping that the Board of Control 

for Cricket in India (BCCI) 

finally recognises their governing 

body — Cricket Association 

for the Blind in India (CABI). 

“As players we don’t mind 

playing anywhere. The board is 

there to take care of our safety 

and security. As players our main 

focus is on the World Cup and 

winning it handsomely,” Reddy 

told IANS here. Jadeja echoed 

similar sentiments, saying the 

players can only play wherever 

their board wants them to play. 

Recalling his feud with the 

BCCI, Jadeja, however, said that 

he felt sad with the functioning 

of the current set up in the 

national cricket board. “I have 

had my own battles with the 

BCCI but feel sad that during the 

last couple of years we don’t 

know who is BCCI. Anything 

that goes wrong, we go back to 

all the old people who were part 

of this organisation and anything 

good probably goes to somebody 

who has just come a few 

days/months ago. “It’s an organisation 

that’s been around for a 

very long time, where mostly 

that terrorism and cricket can’t go hand in hand, 

the member added. 

India and Pakistan last played a bilateral series 

in 2012-13, when the hosted their neighbours for 

three ODIs and two T20s. The two teams have not 

played in a Test series since 2007-08, when 

Pakistan toured India. India won the three-Test 

series 1-0. In the last five years, the teams have 

met only in ICC tournaments. India beat Pakistan 

int he group stage of the 2015 World Cup in 

Jadeja wishes Indian blind 

cricket team for fifth ODI World Cup 

good things have been done and 

that’s the reason where we have 

our cricket today. It’s unfortunate 

that they have become the 

punching bags in the last few 

years,” he said. He further said: 

“It is nobody’s personal fiefdom 

than the players who play. If they 

were so wrong, the game should 

have been at the bottom in this 

country. “I still think they have 

many good things and other federations 

should be learning from 

them. I don’t think there is a better 

sporting body in the country 

than BCCI. “Yes, there is a lot of 

things that needs to change, 

many things they could have 

done better. That doesn’t mean 

they are the worst in the country,” 

he added. 

Mohun Bagan appoint Shankarlal 

Chakraborty as head coach 

Kolkata, City football 

giants Mohun Bagan on 

Wednesday announced the 

appointment of Shankarlal 

Chakraborty as the head 

coach for the rest of the I- 

League season after the 

previous incumbent, 

Sanjoy Sen, resigned on 

Tuesday night. 

Chakraborty was 

anointed from the assistant 

coach’s job to take the 

reins of the team struggling at fifth position in the 

points table after four games without a win. 

“The club management have decided to elevate 

Mr. Sankarlal Chakraborty, as the Head Coach for 

the remainder of the 2017-18 season. Mr. 

Chakraborty has been there with the team since 

July 2014,” a statement from the club said. 

Chakraborty was at the helm of affairs during 

Mohun Bagan’s Calcutta Football League (CFL) 

campaign as well. The green 

and maroon brigade finished 

second to arch-rivals East 

Bengal, who went on to win 

their record eighth title. 

Currently in the I-League, 

East Bengal lead the charts 

under coach Khalid Jamil 

and the challenge for 

Chakraborty would be to 

arrest the freefall his club is 

witnessing at the moment. 

Sen, who helped Mohun 

Bagan win the I-League in the 2014-15 season, 

stepped down from his position after Tuesday’s 

harrowing 1-2 defeat at the hands of lowly Chennai 

City FC. Despite having the numerical advantage 

for close to an hour, Mohun Bagan failed to score 

and were lacklustre to say the least in the second 

half. In the previous three home games also, 

Mohun Bagan have been winless, managing three 

back-to-back draws. 

Australia, going on to reach the semifinals. India, 

as hosts of the 2016 World T20, defeated Pakistan 

in a crucial group game with Virat Kohli scoring a 

brilliant, unbeaten 55. 

The teams last met in the 2017 ICC Champions 

Trophy. India defeated Pakistan in the group stage, 

but the defending champions were upstaged in the 

final. Pakistan cricket bosses have repeatedly complained 

about India not playing bilateral games 

despite an agreement for multiple series. 

Kolkata, Struggling 

Indian Super League 

(ISL) franchise NorthEast 

United FC have sacked 

their Portuguese coach 

Joao de Deus Pires, a day 

after fellow ISL club 

Kerala Blasters parted 

ways with Rene 

Meulensteen. “He and his 

assistant coach (Joao 

Pinho) have been shown 

the door. They are expected 

to come to Mumbai on 

Wednesday and do the 

final settlement with 

(owner) John Abraham,” 

an ISL official told IANS. 

Goalkeeping coach Joseph 

Siddy is slated to take charge. 

The club had appointed Joao 

de Deus Pires in July last year in 

INDIA AND PAKISTAN 

LAST PLAYED A BILATER- 

AL SERIES IN 2012-13, 

WHEN INDIA WERE 

HOSTS FOR THREE ODIS 

AND TWO T20S. 

NorthEast United sack coach de 

Deus, Siddy to take charge 

the hopes of overturning 

their fortunes 

this time around after 

failing to qualify for 

the knockout stages 

in the last three years 

since the tournament’s 

inception. 

This season, 

NorthEast have 

scored just twice in 

seven games and languish 

in ninth place. 

With only a win in 

their bag, the northeastern 

outfit once 

again look set to miss 

out on the top four 

unless they improve their form 

drastically.


JAN ‘18 NUMEROLOGY 

FORECAST 

MONTHLY MINDFULNESS WITH 

FARZANA SURI 

ENTERTAINMENT 

JANUARY 2018 17 

‘I DON’T FEEL ANYSENSE OF 

Fight for what’s yours in the first 

place. Be not bullied or bully. Stand 

tall in truth and the chances of victory 

are high. Logic and sharp thinking 

work better than fearful emotions. 

Step away from any toxic situation, if 

you feel overwhelmed. Tact and 

quiet assertiveness are recipes for 

peace in a relationship. 

Things may not seem all that great 

right now but yes, all will be well. The 

choices you make today are vital for 

that to happen. Family matters, property, 

inheritance traditions and conventions 

take precedence in love and 

business. You are on a journey that 

spells security, joy and prosperity. 

If regret or guilt due to missed opportunities 

is causing stress, it’s time to 

re-evaluate your priorities. Optimism 

will win over any situation. Count 

your blessings and reach out for support. 

It isn’t as bad as it seems. 

Prepare to let go, and move on. 

Relationships need extra care so 

don’t take love for granted. 

This month brings with it creativity, 

adventure, and excitement. Display 

courage and assertiveness to seize 

the opportunities coming your way. 

A new relationship or renewed energy 

in an existing one, is likely. 

Romance can spice up things. Pack 

your bags for unexpected travels. 

ACTOR VIDYA BALAN FEELS 

‘THE MOST ALIVE’ WHEN SHE’S 

ON A FILM SET. HOWEVER, SHE HAS A 

FRESH APPROACH FOR EVERY 

NEW FILM 

ENTITLEMENT’ 

It’s been nearly a month since Tumhari Sulu 

released, but the adulation for Vidya Balan’s performance 

just doesn’t seem to end. And if endless 

calls and congratulatory messages on social 

media weren’t enough, the actor recently 

bagged the Best Actor award for Tumhari 

Sulu and she calls it the ‘perfect’ icing on 

the cake.” 

Compliments from fans and appreciation 

from critics notwithstanding, 

Vidya says that getting an award is 

an entirely different feeling. “It’s 

gratifying, fulfilling, and humbling. 

I only dreamt of being an 

actor and I’m living that dream 

every single day of my life. 

When I look at these awards, 

I just feel gratitude,” says 

Vidya, who debuted with 

Parineeta in the year 2005. 

However, the 38-yearold, 

who is celebrating her 

5th anniversary with husband, 

producer Siddharth 

Roy Kapoor today, confesses 

that she doesn’t 

really get to see all her 

awards she has won in 

her 12-year career, regularly. “As I won most of 

these awards before I got married, they are all sitting 

at my family home. Sometimes, when I go 

there, my six-year-old niece and nephew ask me 

questions about them — if it’s made of gold or 

who the lady there is — that makes me smile, and 

of course, I feel grateful,” says Vidya. 

With several hits to her credit, such as The 

Dirty Picture (2011) and Kahaani (2012), one 

wonders if it ever made Vidya complacent. She 

reacts, “I’m the most alive when I am on a film set 

and that’s what I thrive on. I love creating another 

persona — living another person’s life, and when 

fans react to it in a positive way, it’s a joyous feeling. 

It makes you feel good, and yes, you feel that 

you are safe, [that] your belief has been validated, 

but I don’t think there is any sense of entitlement. 

When I step into another film, I will still approach 

it as a completely new one.” Asked if she has gotten 

used to success - from films and box office 

numbers to fans’ response and awards, Vidya says, 

“I don’t know if I have become used to, but every 

time, it’s a new feeling, a new experience, and 

each time, it’s a new something that you are presenting 

to people. Thus, the reaction to each film, 

each story, is different, but Tumhari Sulu has, in a 

way, hit the ball out of the park. And I feel that 

both success and failure push me equally.” 

Open yourself to the good fortune 

heading your way. Ask yourself, “Am 

I doing what I love?” You will be benefited 

when you do. Expand your 

abundance quotient by sharing your 

prosperity to create more. There is 

harmony and flow in giving and 

receiving. Love relationships are supportive 

and nurturing. 

A time to raise your head from the 

hard work you’ve been doing. Take 

stock of your goals and re-calibrate 

the plan for the future. Focus on what 

gives results. Patience and faith will 

be rewarding though frustrating. 

Work-life balance may bode well in 

strengthening your relationship or 

looking for a new one. 

Don’t lose out on the chance of love 

and happiness by being fearful of 

rejection. Act on your feelings and follow 

your heart. Keep your eyes open 

for opportunities that might be offered 

to you or come your way. Vet the 

options. Enjoy and leverage the phase 

of creative ideas. Intuition, compassion 

and diplomacy are your allies. 

The cup of joy overflows however, 

are you feeling fulfilled? Being in 

gratitude for the zillion things or people 

that create joy in your life, will 

help. Your thoughts veer around your 

family and the world per se. A fine 

time for new beginnings. Your relationship 

and money situation, could 

do with a new and creative outlook. 

A time to reinvent and start over in 

any aspect of your life that needs 

attention. Changing those rigid 

beliefs will help. The possibility of 

entering into a contract, is likely – 

job, business or marriage. Forgive 

and seek forgiveness. Rely on your 

judgment. A relationship which was 

over could be resurrected. 

Choices and an active and illusory 

imagination may add to confused 

decision-making. 

Pause and listen to your intuition. Be 

discerning and prioritise. Attachments 

may hurt, be it in relationship, ideas 

or money. Remember, what’s yours 

will always stay. Go with your intuition. 

New opportunities, projects and travel 

beckons. It could be the end of 

worries for those struggling with 

finances. An acquisition is on the 

cards. Balance the energies around 

you to remain secure and content. A 

relationship that is grounded in reality, 

is likely and, money may be an 

important consideration, here. 

Self-belief, confidence, passion, hard 

work, enthusiasm will place you in 

the limelight. 

Think and dream big, you have the 

ability to manifest it. An opportunity 

for a new project, job or a business 

venture, is likely. Take the lead in the 

area of love. Be bold but not forceful; 

timing is everything. 

‘Hollywood is setting fantastic 

precedent on sexual predators’ 

We never knew that we’d 

become actors, says Tabu 

Despite working with a number of co-stars in 

a career spanning two decades, actor Tabu’s 

closeness to and personal rapport with actor 

Ajay Devgn is widely known. The two recently 

teamed up one more time for Golmaal Again 

that released in October this year, and the actor 

can’t stop gushing about him. 

“Ajay and I go a really, really long way back, 

from the time we were 13 or 14. He is my brother’s 

childhood friend and because we all grew up 

together in a locality in Juhu, he was always a 

part of the whole boys’ gang while we were just 

giggling girls, hanging around and trying to get 

some attention (laughs),” recalls Tabu. “Then we 

worked together. For me, working with Ajay 

really defies so many other norms of working 

with different people. He’s one of the very few 

people, working with whom, work doesn’t feel 

like work. We’ve known each other since we 

were so young. We didn’t know we would 

Actor Dia Mirza has always spoken her heart 

out on major issues. In her usual straightforward 

manner, she says that the backlash against 

sexual predators is a “fantastic precedent”. The 

scandal over sexual harassment / assault that 

erupted in Hollywood, following a New York 

Times report, has felled huge names such as 

producer Harvey Weinstein and actor Kevin 

Spacey. Bollywood has not been untouched by 

the furore, with actors Priyanka Chopra, Kalki 

Koechlin, Vidya Balan, and producer Ekta 

Kapoor speaking up on this. 

Dia says that women speaking up against 

men who dared to violate them is “a very 

important and healthy thing”. She adds, “For 

too long, women have kept quiet about the way 

become actors — not me for sure,” the actor 

muses. Tabu and Ajay have shared screen space 

in films such as Vijaypath (1994), Haqeeqat 

(1995), Thakshak (1999), Drishyam (2015), and 

most recently in Golmaal Again — their seventh 

film together. “I remember when I did Drishyam, 

it had been 18 years since I [last] worked with 

him. And it made me realise how your journeys 

can take you to so many different directions, 

even away from the people who have been closest 

to you in our growing up years. We are in the 

same industry, we work with almost the same 

people but we never worked with each other. And 

then we came back to working together again. He 

is the co-star that I have done maximum films 

with. He is like family.” Looking back at her 

journey, Tabu feels that both she and Ajay have 

evolved as people and as actors over time. “Both 

of us have grown in our respective crafts, and in 

the films that we’ve done. 

they have been treated.” She also believes that 

Hollywood is “exemplifying” the punishment 

that sexual predators deserve. “Contracts are 

being terminated, people have stopped working 

with such people, which is a fantastic precedent!” 

she says. However, Dia points out that 

sexual harassment is allpervasive — “it’s not 

just about the film industry” — and men can be 

victimised, too. “I don’t believe this is a narrative 

reduced to one gender.” Besides being 

vocal about women’s rights, Dia has also been 

an environmental crusader. The actor is now the 

UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador for 

India. She says, “I’ve been working for environmental 

conservation for almost 11 years 

now... that qualifies me for the job.”


ENTERTAINMENT 


‘Important for artistes 

to have a personality’ 

Daler Mehndi is one of the singers 

who made bhangra look cool. The 

Punjabi singer with a powerful voice 

also gave fashion goals to many 

through his colourful turbans and 

matching jackets. He finds no reason 

to change as he believes in the importance 

of artistes having a personality. 

Since the 1990s, the audience has seen 

Daler wearing diamond-studded turbans 

in colours such as yellow, blue, 

green, red and orange. He completes 

the look with a shirt and trouser and a 

matching robe or jacket. 

Has he ever thought of changing 

his style? “It is very important for an 

artiste to have a personality of his 

own. Dressing style and looks matter a 

lot when you are entertaining the audience. 

Nowadays, young singers wear 

shorts and chappals to perform. I feel 

they should be taught how to dress up 

in front of their fans. Along with 

singing well, it is necessary to look 

good too,” said Daler. But he is open 

to experimenting with different genres 

of music. Earlier this year, he decided 

to take the spiritual path through Sikh 

Route, a set of inspirational videos. 

Was it because he got tired of being 

stereotyped? “Yes, to an extent. I have 

been doing dance numbers for almost 

20 years. One day, my wife suggested 

this idea to me. I accepted it immediately. 

We have spoken to people with 

immense knowledge and experience. 

Spirituality does not necessarily mean 

that if a person is a Muslim, he or she 

should follow Islam. Faith and belief 

go hand in hand,” he said. The voice 

behind foottapping numbers such as 

‘Bolo ta ra ra ra’, ‘Dardi rab rab and 

‘Ho jayegi balle balle’, Daler will now 

feature in an online show called 

Mixtape Punjabi. Talking about the 

project, he said: “It was great to work 

on this property. It’s a new concept for 

an artiste to explore iconic songs in a 

new avatar. I’m grateful that I got a 

chance to revive my chartbusters.” 

He explained why a compilation of 

Punjabi songs will “revive them with a 

Kajol is someone who is known for efficiently 

striking a balance between her professional and 

personal lives. She says that in order to achieve 

one’s goals, one needs to treat health as wealth. 

What’s more, a person also needs to decide at 

what pace they want to run this long race 

called life. That means taking care of the 

mind as well as the body. 

The actor stresses, “It’s important to 

give yourself time and realise that the 

pace the world demands of you, may 

not be the best pace for you. It’s like 

running a marathon and realising 

that the fastest people over there 

may be the fastest, but if you want 

to be the one who finishes the 

marathon, then you’re going to 

make sure that you reach the finishing 

line at your own time and 

speed, and not at anyone else’s 

new, live arrangement for today’s 

audience. Also, the party season 

is here, so what better 

way than to compile 

Punjabi dance songs this 

season?” he said. For his 

episode, he has clubbed 

‘Na na na re’ and ‘Kudiya 

shehar diyan’. He is not the 

only one giving a twist to his 

classic numbers. A few months 

ago, a metal version of his 1998 

track ‘Tunak tunak tun’ went viral 

on the internet. Is he happy that 

recreations are becoming popular? 

“Good music will never die. ‘Tunak 

tunak...’ is a more than 15year-old 

song and still it is played at all parties 

and weddings. I feel remakes 

are great if done in the right 

way, as the audience gets to 

hear them in a 

contemporary 

way as 

well,” he 

said. 

Women should have free access to sanitary napkins: Akshay 

Mumbai, National Award-winning 

actor Akshay Kumar, who is 

addressing the issue of menstrual 

hygiene in his forthcoming film “Pad 

Man”, says women should get sanitary 

napkins for free as it is a basic 

necessity for them. 

Asked if the “Toilet: Ek Prem 

Katha” actor wants to reach out to the 

government to cut down on GST rate 

of sanitary napkins, Akshay told 

media here on Thursday: “Why just 

cut down on GST? I think women 

should have free access to sanitary 

napkins. This is their basic necessity. 

It is about menstrual hygiene and not 

luxury.” “It is unfortunate and I am 

ashamed to say that 82 per cent 

women in this 

country have no 

access to sanitary 

pads and they are 

mistreated during 

those five days of 

their menstruation 

period. This is 

unfortunate,” he 

added. “Pad Man” 

is a biopic on 

Arunachalam 

Muruganantham, 

the inventor of a 

low-cost sanitary 

pad making machine in India. The 

subject of “Pad Man” is considered a 

taboo or a sensitive issue. So what are 

the elements that he 

has kept in mind 

while promoting 

the film? “Firstly, 

do not call it a sensitive 

issue. It is a 

natural process of a 

human body. It is 

time to get rid of 

those taboos 

attached to it. It is 

time to treat the 

issue maturely. 

Also from the 

women’s end, they 

should not shy away from talking 

about the issue, and certainly should 

not whisper about it,” he said. He 

feels that the way festivals like Holi 

and Diwali are celebrated, people 

should also “celebrate when a girl 

meets with her puberty”. 

“When you celebrate it, the girl 

who is already going through a physical 

and hormonal transition, will feel 

confident and secure. But we excluded 

our women from the normalcy of 

life during those five days. So from 

the first experience, women feel that 

period is something they should hide. 

So you know where we should start 

from,” he added. 

Produced by Akshay’s wife 

Twinkle Khanna and directed by R. 

Balki, “Pad Man” is slated to release 

on January 26. 

‘SET YOUR OWN PACE IN LIFE’ 

We can’t think of a time when actor Kajol played by any rules 

other than her own. She opens up on endurance and balance 

time and demand.” Now that’s the Kajol we know, the person 

who plays only by her own rules. 

That sort of confidence and chilled-out state of mind must 

be truly useful at a time when film actors, especially the 

women, are under so much public scrutiny — there’s pressure 

to always look perfect and sound smart, and one slip can 

bring forth a torrent of criticism. Speaking about mental 

health in these times of 24/7 perfection — at least that’s what 

is expected of celebs — Kajol says, “Actors coming out and 

talking about their mental issues makes a difference, because 

then you realise that someone that famous can also have the 

same problems that you face. Therefore, it’s not that big a 

deal, and you can talk about it. Also, sometimes in our heads, 

we build our problems up, and make them much bigger, but 

when we talk about them, we realise that it’s actually not that 

serious.” On her own mental health rules, the actor says, “You 

have to give yourself time to absorb everything happening 

around you. I have days when there are so many things to be 

done, and you can’t go to sleep, as your mind is still working. 

So, giving time to yourself and your mind is important.” 

Juhi’s kids not thinking 

of BOLLYWOOD 

New Delhi, Actress Juhi Chawla says her 

children, Arjun and Jahnavi, are not thinking 

about entering Bollywood at the moment. But 

she will be “thrilled” if they decide to get into 

showbiz. The actress is married to businessman 

Jai Mehta. “Jahnavi is academically 

inclined. She is extremely brilliant and a 

focused girl and is extremely hard-working. 

She topped History in India in her IGCSE 

(International General Certificate of 

Secondary Education) exams in 2017,” Juhi 

told IANS. “Arjun is an all-rounder. He is 

quite a clown. He is really fun and expressive 

and can do everything but I think he gets shy. 

I would be thrilled if my kids would like to 

join Bollywood. At this moment, I don’t think 

they are thinking of Bollywood,” added the 

actress. At the moment, she is enjoying her 

stint as a narrator on Epic channel’s TV show 

“Sharanam”. “I am enjoying doing this show 

because one learns something absolutely 

amazing and new about the places of worship 

which have been here for centuries,” she said. 

Swift wants ‘Shake it off’ 

copyright suit dismissed 

Los Angeles, Singer Taylor Swifts lawyers 

have asked a federal judge to dismiss the copyright 

lawsuit regarding her 2014 hit track 

“Shake it off”. According to the lawyers’ argument 

on Wednesday, the phrase “players 

gonna play and haters gonna hate” is a musical 

cliché that should be in the public domain, 

reports variety.com. In a footnote, they also 

cited numerous other references to “players” 

and “haters” in pop culture, including the 1977 

song “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac, which 

includes the lyric — “Players only love you 

when they are playing”, and “Playa hater”, the 

1997 Notorious B.I.G. song. 

Swift was sued in September, 2017 by 

songwriters Sean Hall and Nathan Butler. 

They have also co-penned “Playas gon’ play” 

for the girl group 3LW in 2001. The chorus of 

that song includes the phrase, “Playas, they 

gonna play, and haters, they gonna hate”. 

Streep wants Melania, 

Ivanka to speak up 

Los Angeles, Veteran actress Meryl Streep 

says she is still waiting to hear Melania and 

Ivanka Trump speak up about sexual harassment 

allegations in both Hollywood and politics. 

The actress discussed the recent wave of 

sexual harassment allegations in both 

Hollywood and politics in a New York Times 

interview, reports variety.com. “I want to hear 

about the silence of (US First Lady) Melania 

Trump. I want to hear from her. She has so 

much that’s valuable to say. And so does 

(President Donald Trump’s daughter) Ivanka. I 

want her to speak now,” Streep said.


Microsoft issues emergency Windows 

update for Intel chip bug 

San Francisco, After chip-maker Intel confirmed 

a potential security flaw in its chips, 

Microsoft on Thursday issued emergency updates 

to supported versions of Windows. 

The security bug, if used for malicious purposes, 

has the potential to improperly gather sensitive 

data from computing devices. 

According to a report in The Verge, the software 

update was part of a number of fixes that 

would protect against the processor bug in Intel 

as well as AMD and ARM chipsets. 

“We’re aware of this industry-wide issue and 

have been working closely with chip manufacturers 

to develop and test mitigations to protect our 

customers,” Microsoft said in a statement to The 

Verge. “We are in the process of deploying mitigations 

to cloud services and have also released 

security updates to protect Windows customers 

against vulnerabilities affecting supported hardware 

chips from Intel, ARM, and AMD,” it 

added. Amazon and Google were also reportedly 

working on security updates to their Cloud services 

and other products. 

Earlier, Intel Corp confirmed a report about a 

potential security flaw in its Chips that is vulnerable 

to hacking and promised to fix the bug as 

soon as possible. Intel said that the vulnerability, 

discovered by a British tech website, the Register, 

is not unique to Intel products, Xinhua news 

agency reported. “Recent reports that these 

exploits are caused by a ‘bug’ or a ‘flaw’ and are 

unique to Intel products are incorrect,” Intel was 

quoted as saying. It argued that “many types of 

computing devices — with many different vendors’ 

processors and operating systems — are 

susceptible to these exploits.” However, Intel said 

it was working with its tech partners such as 

AMD, ARM Holdings and several operating system 

vendors, to develop an industry-wide 

approach to resolve this issue “promptly and constructively”. 

“Intel has begun providing software 

and firmware updates to mitigate these exploits,” 

it said. 

Why Twitter did not block Trump 

after ‘nuclear button’ threat 

San Francisco, Twitter is not blocking US 

President Donald Trump 

for his “nuclear button” 

tweet that stormed the 

social media, and many 

thought raised prospect of 

nuclear war with North 

Korea. Trump declared 

that his nuclear button was 

“much bigger” and “more 

powerful” than North Korean leader Kim Jongun’s 

after the latter threatened the US about 

Pyongyang’s nuclear capabilities. “North Korean 

leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the ‘nuclear 

button is on his desk at all times.’ Will someone 

from his depleted and food-starved regime please 

inform him that I too have a nuclear button, but it 

is a much bigger and more powerful one than his, 

and my Button works!” Trump tweeted on 

Tuesday. A number of users reported the tweet to 

Twitter, with the expectation that threatening a 

war one is capable of starting should violate 

Twitter’s revised “Terms of Service”, given the 

company’s recent crackdown on violent threats, 

TechCrunch reported on Wednesday. In 

December, Twitter began enforcing new rules 

around violent and hateful content posted to its 

platform to reduce the amount of online abuse, 

hate speech, violent threats, and harassment associated 

with its service. “You may not make specific 

threats of violence or wish for the serious 

physical harm, death, or disease of an individual 

or group of people,” as per Twitter’s rule about 

violent threats. 

But in response to Trump’s threat on Twitter, 

the company said that it reviewed the case and 

“found that there was no violation of the Twitter 

Rules against abusive behaviour.” 

TECH 

December 2017 

19 

Dell announces redesigned 

XPS 13 laptop at $999 

New Delhi, Dell on Thursday 

announced a redesigned and more 

powerful XPS 13 laptop that will be 

available globally, starting at 

$999.99. Activated by voice, touch or 

facial recognition, the new XPS 13 

comes with narrower bezels, a new 

cooling system and white and rose 

gold options with a stain-resistant 

coating. 

XPS 13 is the world’s first laptop 

built with “GORE Thermal 

Insulation”, the same silica aerogels 

that have been used in high-tech science 

and extreme engineering environments 

to diffuse and dissipate 

heat. “If you get a pen mark or other 

stain on the white interior 

you can just wipe it 

off. And with a heat 

resistance superior to 

metal, woven glass fiber 

also stays cooler to facilitate 

longer performance,” 

Frank Azor, Vice 

President and GM, XPS, 

Alienware and Dell 

Gaming, said in a blog 

post. The device houses quad-core 

eighth-generation Intel processor and 

is available with an FHD non-touch 

or 4K touch display. 

It has Intel UHD 

Graphics 620 and supports 

up to 16GB of 

RAM and up to 1TB 

PCIe SSD. 

“Log in with a look 

or a touch with the 

infrared camera and 

optional fingerprint 

reader in the power button 

for Windows Hello, 

or talk to your device from across the 

room, with four integrated digital 

LG may supply OLED display 

for next Apple iPhone 

Seoul, Samsung may soon not 

be the only supplier of OLED 

displays for Apple. The iPhone 

maker is reportedly finalising 

talks with LG on an OLED supply 

deal which could see the latter 

provide its panels for this 

year’s iPhone with edge-to-edge 

display. “LG is likely to ship a 

relatively small number of panels 

— 15 to 16 million — in the second 

half of the year,” 

AppleInsider reported late on 

Wednesday. “Apple is said to 

have pumped $2.7 billion into 

LG as an advance payment for 

OLED panels. At the time it was 

thought that the order was for 

panels shipping in 2019,” the 

report added. This year’s iPhone 

is expected to be a mega-sized 

version of the iPhone X and 

could be purportedly named 

“iPhone X Plus”. The Cupertinobased 

giant is expected to launch 

a 5.8-inch device alongside a 6.5- 

inch iPhone with OLED displays. 

LG Display will supply Apple 

with the 6.5-inch OLED panels 

while Samsung will supply the 

5.8-inch or 6-inch OLED panels, 

according to MacRumors. The 

LCD panels which are currently 

being used in the iPhone 8 and 

iPhone 8 Plus are supplied by LG. 

However, its South Korean 

rival Samsung dominates supply 

of OLED displays for Apple’s 

flagship iPhone X. It is believed 

that Apple will switch to OLED 

displays for all of its iPhone 

releases in 2019. This is the reason 

Apple roped in LG to be its 

OLED display supplier when it 

already had Samsung — that 

owns 95 per cent market share of 

mobile OLED panels — in its 

league. It is not just Apple that is 

investing in LG OLED display. 

Google has also realised LG’s 

potential and invested $900 million 

in OLED production for its 

first OLED smartphone, an earlier 

Investor report said. 

microphones and Cortana voice 

recognition,” Azor added. The 13- 

inch laptop, first unveiled at the 2012 

Consumer Electronics Show (CES), 

is 30 per cent (3.4mm) thinner as well 

as lighter, starting at just 2.7 pounds. 

Powered by the latest Intel 8th 

Generation Quad Core processor, 

XPS 13 delivers superior mobile performance 

with fast booting SSDs up 

to 1TB. “While we made the system 

smaller and lighter, we were able to 

increase the performance by 2x, over 

the original XPS 13 launched in 

2015,” Azor said. 

BlackBerry joins Baidu to rev up 

autonomous vehicle technology 

Ontario, Software major BlackBerry and 

leading Chinese Internet search provider Baidu on 

Thursday announced a collaboration to accelerate 

the deployment of connected and autonomous 

vehicle technology for automotive original equipment 

manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers worldwide. 

As part of the deal, BlackBerry QNX’s 

industry-leading safety operating system (OS) 

will become the foundation for Baidu’s Apollo 

autonomous driving open platform. “By integrating 

the BlackBerry QNX OS with the Apollo platform, 

we will enable carmakers to leap from prototype 

to production systems. Together, we will 

work toward a technological and commercial 

ecosystem for autonomous driving, intelligent 

connectivity and intelligent traffic systems,” Li 

Zhenyu, General Manager of Intelligent Driving 

Group, Baidu, said in a statement. BlackBerry and 

Baidu will also work together to integrate Baidu’s 

“CarLife”, the leading smartphone integration 

software for connected cars in China, as well as its 

conversational AI system “DuerOS” and highdefinition 

maps to run on the BlackBerry “QNX 

Car (Infotainment) Platform”. 

India should have law on data 

privacy : Parliamentary panel 

New Delhi, As India moves 

towards growing digitisation of the 

economy against the backdrop of rising 

cyber crime, a parliamentary 

committee has suggested that the 

government should expeditiously 

bring in a legislation on data privacy. 

The recommendation was made 

by the Parliamentary Standing 

Committee on Finance, headed by 

Congress leader M. Veerappa Moily, 

in its report titled “Transformation 

Towards A Digital Economy”, which 

was tabled in both the Houses on 

Wednesday. 

“The country now urgently needs 

a data minimisation, data privacy and 

data residency law to ensure security 

of public and private data,” the report 

said. “The Committee would, therefore, 

urge upon the government to 

bring such a data protection legislation 

before Parliament at the earliest.” 

The report said that India should 

have a sound consumer privacy and 

data protection law “lest we become 

a digital colony with global entities 

having virtual control over data”. 

The committee said it found 

“rather disconcerting” that even as 

the country moves towards a digital 

economy, transactional hassles and 

grievances of users, including ATM 

card frauds like cloning, have been 

greatly on the rise. “Ordinary customers 

are then left high and dry, 

extremely helpless and clueless about 

the next course of action for a remedy 

and redressal of grievance,” it 

said. It suggested that customers 

should be provided with an “empowered 

and responsive” common 

helpline (SOS) number, for recourse 

whenever required. 

The committee also said that as 

cyber space expands and intensifies 

with implications for national security, 

monitoring and surveillance, protecting 

the national information infrastructure 

needs to be included in the 

national agenda on a priority basis. 

“The Committee, therefore, recommended 

due consultations with 

domain experts and industry and creation 

of a duly empowered coordinating 

authority, with status at par with 

the Space and Atomic Energy 

Departments with adequate budget, 

reporting directly to the PMO (Prime 

Minister’s Office),” the report said. 

Moreover, the report also 

expressed concern over lack of 

trained professionals to deal with the 

rising cyber challenges.


TECH 


Samsung to launch 

new Galaxy A in 

India on January 10 

New Delhi, South Korean tech 

giant Samsung is set to refresh its 

popular “A” series in India with the 

launch of 2018 edition device in the 

second week of January. 

Industry sources told IANS that 

the new device will be unveiled on 

January 10 and will be the first in the 

“A” series to be available only on an 

online platform. 

“Galaxy A8” (2018) and “Galaxy 

A8+” (2018) with flagship-like features 

made a global debut last month. 

However, only one variant will be 

introduced in India on Amazon.in, 

the sources added. 

The device will come with 

“Infinity Display” which was exclusive 

to the company’s flagship 

smartphones including Galaxy S8, 

S8+ and Note 8. 

“With the release of the Galaxy 

A8(2018) and A8+(2018), we’re 

bringing features from our flagship 

smartphones, such as the ‘Infinity 

Display’ and our first dual front camera 

with ‘Live Focus’,” Junho Park, 

Vice President of Global Product 

Planning, Mobile Communications 

Business, Samsung Electronics, said 

in a statement. 

Other features will include support 

for “Samsung Pay” — a mobile 

payment and digital wallet service 

(with MST), IP68 water-proofing, 

dust resistance and fast-charging 

with USB Type-C. 

Modi, Tendulkar 

most talked about 

parliamentarians 

New Delhi, While Prime 

Minister Narendra Modi was the 

most talked about Lok Sabha 

member and Sachin Tendulkar 

was the most popular Rajya 

Sabha member on Facebook in 

2017. 

The results appeared on 

Wednesday when Facebook 

released information on its topranked 

pages of government 

on FACEBOOK 

bodies, ministries and political 

parties in India for the January 1 

to December 31, 2017 period. 

Facebook categorised the 

information on its its top-ranked 

pages of government bodies 

under Parliament of India, Union 

Government, State Governments 

and Union Territories, and political 

parties. 

Among State Governments 

and Union Territories, Uttar 

Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi 

Adityanath was the most popular 

followed by his Rajasthan counterpart, 

Vasundhara Raje. 

Among political parties, the 

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 

emerged as the most popular. 

But surprisingly, the Indian 

National Congress came third as 

the the Aam Aadmi Party took 

the second spot in terms of 

Facebook popularity. 

Among apex bodies, PMO 

India was the most popular on 

Facebook followed by President 

of India, Ram Nath Kovind. 

Ministry of External Affairs 

topped among ministries. 

MyGov India was the most 

popular government initiative on 

Facebook while among the 

armed forces, the Indian Army 

was the most popular. 

Google Street View offers 

peek into US voting pattern 

San Francisco, Combining publicly available data from 

Google Street View with machine-learning methods, 

researchers have found a way to predict the voting behaviour of 

people in the US. If the number of sedans in a city is higher 

than the number of pickup trucks, that city is likely to vote for 

a Democrat in the next presidential election (88 per cent 

chance), showed the study published in the journal Proceedings 

of the National Academy of 

Sciences. Otherwise, the city is 

likely to vote for a Republican 

(82 per cent chance), the study 

said. Using machine learning, 

an approach to Artificial Intelligence (AI) in which computers 

“learn”, the researchers developed a model that showed that 

socioeconomic attributes such as income, education, and voting 

patterns can be inferred from cars detected in Google Street 

View images. “Our model works by discovering associations 

between cars and people,” the study said. 

In the study led by Timnit Gebru of Stanford University, the 

researchers presented a method that estimates socioeconomic 

characteristics of regions spanning 200 US cities by using 50 

million images of street scenes gathered with Google Street 

View cars. In order to get their AI algorithms to classify cars 

accurately, the researchers trained it by recruiting hundreds of 

people to identify vehicles in a sample of millions of pictures, 

TechCrunch reported on Tuesday. The researchers determined 

the make, model and year of all motor vehicles encountered in 

particular neighbourhoods. 

Data from this census of motor vehicles, which enumerated 

22 million automobiles in total (eight per cent of all automobiles 

in the US), were used to accurately estimate income, race, 

education, and voting patterns. The results showed that the 

number of sedans and pickup trucks encountered during a drive 

through a city could reveal how the city would vote in the next 

presidential election. To confirm the accuracy of their voter 

preference estimates, the researchers compared them with the 

voting results of the 2008 presidential election. 

The researchers found that the results confirmed the ability 

of their approach to accurately estimate voter behaviour.


WORLD 


21 

Widows too have right to 

live in happiness, 

SUSHMA JI 

Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother 

and wife were made to look like 

widow, said our external affairs 

Minister, Sushma Swaraj in parliament. 

She added that the 

Pakistani authorities actually 

asked them to remove their 

Mangalsutra, bindi and Sareeand 

wear simple salwarkameej, 

before meeting Jadhav in the Jail. for the very serious crimes, all 

It is humiliating, she said, forcing other people should be released as 

the married woman to look like good will gesture. Both India and 

widow. Many Parliamentarians 

were equally shocked. We would 

like to say here that we are disgusted 

with such PR exercises by 

both the governments in this case 

which has now grabbed international 

headlines without really 

Pakistan need to live accepting 

the realities of time. India and 

Pakistan will never grow and will 

allow the western powers to 

maneuver in the subcontinent if 

they continue to fight idiotically. 

There is no need to dig up history 

making any headway in the right now. Pakistan is a reality and so is 

direction. Pakistani authorities India and blame game must stop. 

were using their 'faithful' media Supporting terrorism of any kind 

to look more liberal in allowing on Indian soil must be stopped. 

the mother and wife duo to meet Pakistan must rein in on the 

a convict who has allegedly Islamic Jehadis who give open 

accepted committing crime call of violence against India and 

according to Pakistani law. its vast population. Kashmir and 

The matter is also in the Islam are the pet projects in 

International Court of Justice but Pakistan to instigate people and 

more than that it has become a their Sanghi counterparts in India 

kind of war of words and perception 

between the two nations. The cise which is unable to counter 

are only engaged in similar exer- 

media on both the side of the border 

has become absolutely farci- 

using it to activists, writers, dis- 

Pakistan diplomatically but only 

cal and a complete joke playing senters and peaceniks to strengthen 

their poll prospectus by polar- 

with sentiments of their respective 

countrymen and cooking up izing the people which threaten 

stories. Both India and Pakistan the very integrity and communal 

has been indulged in this perception 

building exercise for years. Treatment to Kulbhushan 

harmony of the country. 

As far as India is concern, it is Jadhav is a matter of concern in 

complete failure of foreign policy the very similar way as we treat 

and need to be seriously introspected. 

We definitely would like We can only suggest to the gov- 

many of the Pakistani prisoners. 

both India and Pakistan to allow ernment that they should make 

their prisoners to meet their families 

every effort to get Kulbhushan 

as well as provide them full 

legal aid. There are hundreds of 

innocent citizens languishing in 

released but that would only be 

possible when the government 

allow the diplomacy to do its 

the jails of both the countries and task independently and not use 

a special court should be formed the material to appease their 

in both the countries to look after domestic constituency. 

the cases and their nature. Except Diplomacy is not the street tutu 

Will they bring a law where husbands leave their wives without giving them a divorce? 

Will they bring laws where widows, single women are not harassed because of their status 

and if they are not positive to someone, do not face character assassination, being Dayan, 

witch or kulta which happens everywhere. Most of the cases of witchcraft are committed 

on women who are either widows or single and face the wrath of the society. 

main main that we have most of 

the time but a serious issue to 

protect our national interests. So 

nothing wrong for the government 

to do its best to get 

Kulbhushan out but so far it has 

failed miserably. 

The saddest part of the government's 

policy failure was to 

make this issue look similar as 

the Pakistani did as a PR exercise 

for their domestic constituency. 

Government of India 

might have realized it later that 

Pakistanis are equally expert in 

doing these theatrics as we are 

doing after all we hail from the 

same family not more than 70 

years back. They shamelessly 

asked the mother and wife of 

Kulbhushan to put off their religious 

signs of Bindi, chappals 

and Mangalsutra in the name of 

'security concern'. I am not sure 

how wearing Bindi or 

Mangalsutra become a security 

threat for the Pakistanis. 

Unfortunately, the way 

SushmaSwaraj referred to the 

issue in Parliament made it more 

theatric like the Pakistanis. ' It is 

sad that the Pakistan authorities 

forced the wife and mother of 

KulbhushanJadhav to appear 

before him as widow'. Now this 

is a serious and very disturbing 

statement by a Minister who is 

considered to be very articulate 

and speak measuredly. How 

does not wearing a Mangal Sutra 

and Bindi make a woman widow 

or look like her. What does 

Sushamaji want widows to look 

like. Wear the white and don't do 

any make up, don't smile, don't 

keep happy. It is sad that 

SushmaSwaraj has lifelong promoted 

those filthy brahmanical 

ideals against which all Indians 

should struggle and fight. Do 

widows have right to life and 

live with dignity or not. 

But then those who know 

SushmaSwaraj and her antics 

would remember what she 

threatened to do when UPA-1 

came to power in 2004 and 

Sonia Gandhi , in all, likelihood 

was to become the Prime 

Minister of India. Sushma 

threatened to tonsure her head 

and live 'like' a widow. In fact, I 

wrote an article that time too 

castigating Sushma. I have seen 

my mother living a life of a 

widow for long. Smile from her 

face had gone off and she lived 

an extraordinarily simple life. 

She would sit on the floor even 

if young boys of our age would 

come to home. She tried to be 

away from all the make ups and 

other things. We know and have 

seen in many parts of 

Poorvanchal that widows cant 

even perform Kanyadaan of her 

daughter in the marriage ceremony 

and are kept away from all 

the auspicious occasions. Life of 

'widowhood' according to brahmanical 

traditions is a curse and 

Sushmaji must have known it. 

Rather than condemning such 

codes of conduct that Gita Press 

Gorakhpur made so popular that 

the life of a widow in a traditional 

Hindu society became 

curse. It is that curse and miseries 

attached to the lives of 

widow that forced people to 

commit Sati or murder their 

widows for the fear of 

living a life of 

hell. 

We know 

these are the 

times when 

Sushmaji's 

atrocious 

statement 

would not 

attract any 

criticism by 

media or 

even the feminists 

and human 

rights defenders. We 

have not seen any statement 

so far on their part as why 

SushmaSwaraj bring these 

issues into picture and why she 

has so much of fascination for 

widows look like recluse, 

dejected and totally isolated. 

The fact and dirty reality is that 

what SushmaSwaraj said was a 

reality of our lives. Thousands 

of widows are forced to live in 

horrific conditions in many of 

the 'holy' places including 

Brindavan and Varansi. I have 

seen them from close quarters. 

These days,brahmanicalideologues 

are providing them 'freedom' 

such as 'allowing' them to 

play holy and put colour on each 

other's face while the other one 

want them to put sindoor over 

their head in the name of looking 

good. 

Looking good and attractive 

is no issue for any one as it is 

individual choice. Sindoor and 

Mangal Sutra never protected 

women and are actually symbol 

of their slavery. 

Why should women's life be 

guided by those symbols which 

take her right to choice particularly 

in relation to food habits, 

wearing cloths and even opting 

for a partner or remarriage which 

years ago Jyoti Ba Phule, Savitri 

Bai Phule, Baba 

SahebAmbedkar, Periyar and 

Ram Mohan Roy actually supported, 

encouraged and promoted 

when all of them talked about 

widow remarriages as well as 

education for all women. If 

Sindoor and Mangalsutra are 

sign of married women then why 

are they taken away from them if 

their husbands passaway? It 

indicate thatSushmaji, want 

women to be happy 

Government 

of India might have 

realized it later that 

Pakistanis are equally 

expert in doing these theatrics 

as we are doing 

after all we hail from the 

same family not more 

than 70 years 

back. 

only when husband 

is around and 

then lead a life 

of recluse and 

dejection 

once he is 

no more. Is 

this the idea 

where the 

Hindu right 

make marriage 

laws so 

rigid that no 

woman would ever 

dare to go for a remarriage 

even if she wishes to 

because 'widowhood' cant be a 

permanent condition to live in. 

The condition of widows all over 

the country is terrible because of 

various taboos attached to them. 

Social environment need to be 

developed where remarriages 

must be encouraged and even if 

they don't wish to enter into 

marital relationship, they must 

be allowed to live in happiness 

on their own. But if a Minister 

and that too a woman minister 

fancy widow living with tonsure 

head, sleeping on floor, eating 

spice less food and wearing colorless 

cloths lifelong then she 

need to change her attitude. She 

could become a big ambassador 

towards the rights of widows 

when on the Teej day she can 

make a beginning by asking 

women who have lost their 

husbands to be part of the celebrations. 

The violence against women 

and girls does not happen all of 

a sudden. It is because of the 

social environ that has been created 

by the feudal brahmanical 

order which is being glorified 

day and night by the 

SanghParivar and its ideologues. 

They are worried about 

Muslim women and want to fill 

the Indian jails with more 

Muslim men now in the name of 

triple talaq but there is no interest, 

no demand by these champions 

of Hinduism to make their 

atrocious value system more 

equitable towards women where 

they can live with dignity. Will 

they bring a law where husbands 

leave their wives without 

giving them a divorce? Will 

they bring laws where widows, 

single women are not harassed 

because of their status and if 

they are not positive to someone, 

do not face character assassination, 

being Dayan, witch or 

kulta which happens everywhere. 

Most of the cases of 

witchcraft are committed on 

women who are either widows 

or single and face the wrath of 

the society. There are no laws 

for the protection of these 

women in our society. 

Manusmriti has been the worst 

code book as far as women and 

shudras are concern but the 

Sangh Parivar and its various 

offshoots glorify it. We don't 

know whether they glorify 

Manu's law or miseries of 

women so that their feudal den 

is safe and protected. 

We hope Sushmaji and her 

other colleagues in the Ministry 

will seriously introspect and not 

make such statement that further 

isolate women who have lost 

their husbands. Making widowhood 

a permanent position is to 

ensure that women live in desperate 

and helpless circumstances 

blaming themselves for 

the wrongs that happened to 

their husbands without ever 

thinking or even imagining of 

another person in their lives. We 

don't say that they must do it but 

that option should be with the 

women and even if you don't 

want to suggest such things saying 

that the woman loved her 

husband too much, why do such 

code to live a life of recluse 

after losing their husbands. 

We hope Sushmaji and her 

other colleagues in the 

Ministry will seriously 

introspect and not make 

such statement that further 

isolate women who 

have lost their husbands. 

Making widowhood a permanent 

position is to ensure 

that women live in desperate 

and helpless circumstances blaming themselves 

for the wrongs that happened to their 

husbands without ever thinking or even 

imagining of another person in their lives. See on Page 22


WORLD 


Dalits stage angry protests 

across Maharashtra over Pune 

violence, CM orders probe 

Mumbai : Angry Dalits staged rail 

and road blockades and took out processions 

in Mumbai and carried out 

agitations in different parts of 

Maharashtra on Tuesday to protest 

against violence in Pune a day ago 

which left one youth dead. The 

Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh, a Dalit 

party headed by Prakash Ambedkar - 

the grandson of Bharat Ratna B.R. 

Ambedkar, called for a 'peaceful 

Maharashtra shutdown' on Wednesday 

to express anger over the Pune incidents. 

On Tuesday afternoon, thousands 

of Dalits took to the streets in 

Chembur, Mankhurd, Ghatkopar, 

Bhandup and other strongholds in 

north-eastern parts of the city demanding 

action against the perpetrators of 

the Pune riots. 

Scores of Dalit youth blocked the 

Harbor Line of Central Railway near 

Chembur on Tuesday afternoon, leading 

to stoppage of the local train services 

for hours. Several lakhs of commuters 

were stranded on stations or in 

stationary trains and many preferred to 

walk on the railway tracks to their destinations. 

Similarly, hundreds of 

youths swooped onto the roads in eastern 

suburbs asking shops, restaurants 

and commercial establishments to 

down shutters, and staged road blocks. 

However, police intervened and 

traffic movement resumed, though it 

resulted in massive vehicular snarls all 

over the city, some several kilometres 

long. Protests and violent incidents 

were witnessed in other parts of the 

state, including Ahmednagar, Jalgaon, 

Dhule, Beed, Nashik, Pune, Solapur, 

Thane and Palghar as Dalits expressed 

their ire over Monday's incidents in 

Koregaon-Bhima in Pune district. 

At least 25 buses of the Maharashtra 

State Road Transport Corporation, 

besides private luxury buses and other 

vehicles, were damaged in stone pelting 

by riotous mobs. Chief Minister 

Devendra Fadnavis announced a judicial 

probe by a sitting High Court 

judge and a CID investigation into 

Monday's violence in Koregaon- 

Bhima. The disturbances erupted in the 

village of Koregaon-Bhima on January 

1 during the 200th anniversary celebrations 

of the Anglo-Maratha War 

between the army of Peshwa Bajirao II 

with a small force of the East India 

Company that comprised a large number 

of Dalits. Several lakhs of Dalits 

had congregated around the Victory 

Pillar (Vijay Stambh) erected by the 

British in Sanaswadi village when suddenly 

stone pelting started, allegedly 

by some right-wing groups carrying 

saffron flags. 

In the clashes that ensued between 

the two groups, more than 30 vehicles, 

including buses, police vans and private 

vehicles, were torched or damaged 

and one youth, Rahul Fatangale, 

28 of Nanded lost his life. 

The police fired tear gas to control 

the mobs and prohibitory orders were 

imposed in the entire Pune district, 

with the situation reported tense but 

calm on Tuesday. On Tuesday in most 

districts, protesters staged road blockades 

stopping traffic and enforced 

shutdown of shops and commercial 

establishments even as additional 

police forces were deployed. 

Nationalist Congress Party President 

Sharad Pawar blamed the state government 

for "lapses" that resulted in the 

Monday violence. 

"Why did the administration not 

take adequate precautions for this 

event which has been celebrated 

peacefully for 200 years? Due to its 

lapses, there was confusion and 

rumour-mongering, resulting in the 

violence," Pawar demanded. Shiv Sena 

Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on 

Tuesday hinted at a "big conspiracy" in 

the recent spurt in sporadic caste-related 

violence that has been erupting in 

the state, which needs to be thoroughly 

investigated and "the hidden hand" 

must be exposed. 

On his part, Ambedkar appealed to 

his supporters to ensure that 

Wednesday's shutdown call in the state 

passes off peacefully without inconveniencing 

the public and demanded 

action against those responsible for the 

Koregaon-Bhima incident. 

US state rings in 2018 with a whiff of marijuana 

LOS ANGELES: The arrival of 

the new year in California brought 

with it broad legalisation of marijuana, 

a much-anticipated change 

that comes two decades after the 

state was the first to allow pot for 

medical use. 

The most populous state of the 

US joins a growing list of other 

states, and the nation’s capital, 

where so-called recreational marijuana 

is permitted even though the 

federal government continues to 

classify pot as a controlled substance, 

like heroin and LSD. 

Pot is now legal in California 

for adults 21 and older, and individuals 

can grow up to six plants 

and possess as much as an ounce 

of the drug. But finding a retail 

outlet to buy non-medical pot in 

California won’t be easy, at least 

initially. Only about 90 businesses 

received state licenses to open on 

New Year’s Day. They are concentrated 

in San Diego, Santa Cruz, 

the San Francisco Bay Area and 

the Palm Springs area. 

Los Angeles and San Francisco 

are among the many cities where 

recreational pot will not be available 

right away because local regulations 

were not approved in time 

to start issuing city licenses needed 

to get state permits. Meanwhile, 

Fresno, Bakersfield and Riverside 

are among the communities that 

have adopted laws forbidding 

recreational marijuana sales. For 

those who worked for this day, the 

shift offered joyful relief. “We’re 

thrilled,” said Khalil Moutawakkil, 

founder of KindPeoples, which 

grows and sells weed in Santa 

Cruz. “We can talk about the good, 

the bad and the ugly of the specific 

regulations, but at the end of the 

day it’s a giant step forward.” 

(Continue from 22 Page) 

Widows too have right... 

Should women not contribute to 

nation building or do they lose right 

to citizenship or their capacities to 

govern or lead once they become 

widow? I hope she has not forgotten 

that Indira Gandhi was one of the 

most powerful prime ministers of 

the country, a leader which people 

still remember as prime minister 

even today in Modi era in many 

parts of India. Hope the intellectuals 

of SanghParivar will look into 

these aspects and provide ideas to 

the government. In the meanwhile, 

we can say no government in the 

world would be able to serve their 

citizens if they are guided and surrounded 

by the religious fanatics 

whether in India, Pakistan or any 

other country. Constitutional values 

must uphold dignity of individuals 

and equal opportunities to all which 

the religious laws have never granted. 

Political governments can't 

impose religious values and therefore 

we expect government to think 

about these issues. Will 

Sushmaji ever learnt that her 

theatrics damages the cause 

of women in India particularly 

those who lose their husband 

and want to live life in dignity and 

contribute towards making our 

society better and humane. 

Baba Saheb Ambedkar developed 

Hindu Code Bill in the greater 

interest of the Hindu women which 

gave her right to divorce and right in 

property too and was thoroughly 

opposed by the Bharatiya Jan Sangh 

and the Hindutva ideologues like 

Shayama Prasad Mukherjee as well 

as many conservative elements in 

the Congress party including the 

then president DrRajendra Prasad. 

Will the government promote 

widow remarriages and their honorable 

rehabilitation so that they 

too can feel part of our life and 

share their happiness and sorrows 

like any other citizen so that they 

are not compelled to live life in 

dejection in various bhajanashrams 

of Brindavan and Varanasi ? May 

be, Sushmaji can start the process.


20 killed in 

Kabul suicide 

bombing 

Kabul, At least 20 persons 

have been killed and 30 others 

injured here in a suicide bombing 

claimed by the Islamic 

State terror group, an official 

said. The attack happened on 

Thursday night in Banaee area 

of Kabul where a group of 

police officers were handling a 

protest, the Interior Ministry 

said in a statement. 

A police official told Efe 

news that the suicide attacker 

was on foot and wore a vest 

loaded with explosives that he 

detonated near the policemen 

watching the demonstration. 

Earlier, the police said 11 

people, including five police 

personnel, were killed. The 

number of fatalities jumped to 

20 on Friday. 

The Islamic State took 

responsibility for the attack 

through its news outlet Amaq. 

It said a suicide attacker with 

an explosives vest had targeted 

“a gathering of Afghan intelligence 

and police”. 

Tawab Khan, a resident, 

said a large number of security 

personnel had gathered in the 

area for a crackdown on shopkeepers 

involved in trading 

illicit substances. 

Several shops and vehicles 

were also damaged in the area. 

When Sharif took cricket 

diplomacy to CHOGM 

LONDON: Cricket diplomacy took a back seat 

after former Pakistan president Zia-ul-Haq 

launched it in the tense backdrop of India’s 

Operation Brasstacks in February 1987, but as 

prime minister in 1991, Nawaz Sharif evidently 

made a success of it in Harare. 

Zia had surprised the Indian establishment by 

travelling to Jaipur to watch an India-Pakistan Test, 

days after India held one of its largest military exercises. 

Tensions eased after he met late prime minister 

Rajiv Gandhi during that visit. Newly released 

classified papers in the UK reveal that Sharif, who 

began his first prime ministerial innings in 

November 1990, suggested that a “Crickathon” be 

held during the Commonwealth Heads of 

Government Meeting in Harare, featuring leaders 

and cricketers. It was enthusiastically agreed to by 

Britain’s then cricket-loving prime minister, John 

Major, who believed that “after the English language 

and the common law, cricket is the third unifying 

thread of the Commonwealth”, the papers 

released by the National Archives show. The match 

was held on October 18 and featured the prime 

ministers of Pakistan (Sharif), Britain (Major), 

Australia (Bob Hawke) and Jamaica (Michael 

Manley). India was represented by former prime 

minister PV Narasimha Rao, but there is no record 

of his wielding the bat or the ball. 

WORLD 

SEOUL: Kim Jong Un on Monday warned the 

US that he has a “nuclear button” on his desk 

ready for use if North Korea is threatened, but 

offered an olive branch to South 

Korea, saying he was “open to dialogue” 

with Seoul. Pyongyang dramatically 

ramped up its efforts to become 

a nuclear power in 2017, despite a raft 

of sanctions. 

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un 

warned the United States on Monday 

he has a “nuclear button” on his table 

but offered an apparent olive branch to South 

Korea in a New Year message, saying he was prepared 

for talks and may send a team to the Winter 

Olympics there. Kim struck a generally defiant 

note after a year of rising tensions marked by the 

North’s multiple missile launches and its sixth and 

most powerful nuclear test -- purportedly of a 

hydrogen bomb. “We must mass-produce nuclear 

warheads and ballistic missiles and speed up their 


23 

90% Rohingya refugees in 

Bangladesh under-nourished: UN 

Dhaka, A new UN study has revealed 

that over 90 per cent of the recent 

Rohingya refugee arrivals in Bangladesh 

are under-nourished despite receiving 

emergency food assistance. 

The World Food Programme (WFP) 

Rohingya Emergency Vulnerability 

Assessment and food security sector partners 

study in November and December 

2017 raised concerns over limited access 

to a well diversified and balanced diet, 

deputy UN spokesman Farhan Haq 

announced on Friday. As a result, he said, 

the WFP will scale up its e-voucher programmes 

in 2018 to reach new arrivals in 

Cox’s Bazar district, reports Xinhua news 

agency. Some 90,000 people are enrolled 

in WFP’s e-voucher programmes where 

Erdogan: US, Israel meddling 

in Iran, Pakistan 

Massive stars are abundant in 

nearby galaxy than thought 

London, Astronomers have discovered an “astonishing” overabundance 

of massive stars in a neighbouring galaxy, to our own 

Milky Way which are more abundant than previously thought. 

Using the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) Very Large 

Telescope, the researchers discovered nearly 1,000 massive stars in 30 

Doradus — a gigantic stellar nursery in the Large Magellanic Cloud 

galaxy also known as the Tarantula nebula. “We were astonished when 

we realised that 30 Doradus has formed many more massive stars than 

expected,” said lead author Fabian Schneider, research student at the 

University of Oxford. The team used detailed analyses of about 250 

stars with masses between 15 and 200 times the mass of our Sun to 

determine the distribution of massive stars born in 30 Doradus – the socalled 

initial mass function (IMF). With the dicovery in 30 Doradus, 

the scientists derived the most accurate high-mass segment of the IMF 

to date, and showed that massive stars are much more abundant than 

previously thought. Until recently, the existence of stars up to 200 solar 

masses was highly disputed, and the study shows that a maximum birth 

mass of stars of 200-300 solar masses appears likely. “We have not 

only been surprised by the sheer number of massive stars, but also that 

their IMF is densely sampled up to 200 solar masses,” added co-author 

Hugues Sana from the University of Leuven in Belgium. The discovery, 

published in the journal Science, has “far-reaching” consequences 

for our understanding of how stars transformed the pristine Universe 

into the one we live in today, the researchers said. 

NUCLEAR LAUNCH BUTTON 

ALWAYS ON MY DESK : KIM 

Ankara, Turkish President Recep 

Tayyip Erdogan on Friday blasted the US 

and Israel for their “meddling” in the 

internal affairs of Iran and Pakistan. 

Since protests broke out across Iran 

last week, US President Donald 

Trump has voiced his support 

for the demonstrators, while 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 

Netanyahu has praised them for 

taking to the streets to protest 

against the government, Xinhua 

news agency reported. Trump 

also lashed out at Pakistan for 

“lying” and not rendering 

enough help to hunt down terrorists. 

While addressing the press in 

Istanbul before leaving for France for a 

visit, the Turkish President said the same 

intervention was also seen in countries 

like Iraq, Syria, Libya, Tunisia, Sudan 

and Chad. 

“Look, all these countries are Islamic 

countries and their peoples are all 

Muslims,” he said. Erdogan also urged 

Washington to reconsider “its sense of 

justice” as a Turkish banker was convicted 

in a US court for helping Iran evade 

sanctions. “If this is the US understanding 

of justice, then the world is doomed,” 

said the Turkish leader. Mehmet Hakan 

Atilla, deputy Chief Executive Officer at 

Turkey’s Halkbank, was 

accused of several charges 

including bank fraud and conspiracy 

to violate US sanctions 

law, in a New York federal 

court on Wednesday. 

Erdogan claimed that 

Washington had been operating 

a process that includes “a 

serious chain of plots” against 

Ankara. “Not only in law but 

also in economy as well,” Erdogan said, 

warning that bilateral legal accords with 

the US were “losing validity”. Turkey- 

US ties have been strained over an array 

of issues, including Washington’s military 

support to Syrian Kurdish militia, 

whom Ankara listed as terrorists, and its 

refusal to extradite Fethullah Gulen, a 

US-based Turkish cleric who allegedly 

masterminded the failed coup in Turkey 

in July 2016. 

they receive a monthly amount on a prepaid 

debit card which can be used in allocated 

shops to buy 19 different foods, 

including rice, lentils, fresh vegetables, 

eggs and dry fish, Haq said. The e-programmes 

contrast with WFP’s food distribution 

program for new arrivals which 

include rice, vegetable oil and lentils. It’s 

an emergency ration designed to provide 

basic calories, but lacking in dietary diversity, 

the spokesman said. The study also 

recommends the scaling up of a livelihood 

support programme within host communities 

prioritising especially women who 

have no income, he said, adding that the 

WFP is providing food and food vouchers 

to more than 700,000 refugees. 

More than 650,000 Rohingyas have 

fled Myanmar for Bangladesh since 

August 25, 2017, when rebel Rohingya 

militia launched deadly attacks against 

security forces in Myanmar’s Rakhine 

state. The action allegedly triggered retaliation 

attacks by Myanmar vigilantes and 

government troops, forcing Rohingyas to 

flee into Bangladesh. There already were 

about 300,000 Rohingyas who had fled 

earlier into the neighbouring country. 

deployment,” he said in his annual televised 

address to the nation. He reiterated his claim that 

his country had achieved its goal of becoming a 

nuclear state but insisted the expansion 

of the weapons programme was a 

defensive measure. “We should always 

keep readiness to take immediate 

nuclear counter-attacks against the 

enemy’s scheme for a nuclear war.” 

The North claims it needs nuclear 

weapons to protect itself from a hostile 

Washington and has st of targeting the 

US mainland with an atomic warhead. 

US President Donald Trump has responded to 

each test with his own amplified declarations, 

threatening to “totally destroy” Pyongyang and 

taunting Kim, saying he was on “a suicide mission”. 

But far from persuading Kim to give up his 

nuclear drive, analysts say Trump’s tough talk may 

have prompted the North Korean leader to push 

through with his dangerous quest. 

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WORLD 


US added 

148,000 jobs in 

December, unemployment 

at 4.1% 

Washington, The US economy added 

148,000 jobs in 

December after a 

year of steady hiring, 

according to the figures 

released on 

Friday by the Labour 

Department on hiring 

and unemployment. 

The jobless rate stayed at 4.1 per cent 

last month, the lowest point since 2001, with 

healthcare and professional services driving 

much of the past year’s gains. 

In a Twitter post on Wednesday, US 

President Donald Trump pointed to the 4.1 per 

cent unemployment rate as evidence that the 

economy was “only getting better!”. When he 

took office last January, the rate was 4.8 per 

cent. Wages continued their slow climb, rising 

by 9 cents. That’s a 2.5 per cent increase since 

December 2016 (and still below pre-recession 

levels), the Washington Post reported, citing 

the figures. Retail lost 20,000 jobs in 

December, according to an estimate by the 

Bureau of Labour Statistics, capping a year of 

shrinkage in the sector. About 67,000 positions 

vanished from stores in 2017, compared a 

stretch of growth (203,000 jobs) in 2016. 

Manufacturing, though, saw strong gains 

(25,000). The industry added 196,000 jobs last 

year, compared to a loss of 16,000 positions in 

2016. “There’s almost one job open for every 

unemployed person,” said Dan North, chief 

economist at Euler Hermes North America, a 

credit insurance firm. There are now six million 

vacancies in the US and 6.6 million unemployed 

people. From January to November, the 

economy added 1.9 million jobs. On Friday, 

the government unveiled its estimate for the 

year: 2.1 million new jobs arrived in 2017, a 

slight drop from 2.2 million in 2016. 

The US jobless rate dropped faster in 2017, 

though, and it’s expected to keep shrinking. 

UN releases $50 million to meet 

humanitarian needs in Yemen 

United Nations, The United 

Nations has approved $50 million to 

meet the humanitarian needs in Yemen, 

said a UN spokesman on Friday. The 

money is the largest ever allocation by 

the Central Emergency Response Fund, 

Xinhua quoted Farhan Haq as saying. 

UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian 

affairs and emergency relief 

coordinator, Mark Lowcock, who 

approved the allocation on Friday, said 

there must be reduction both in fighting 

on the ground and airstrikes, which 

have greatly intensified in recent 

weeks. He also stressed the need to 

have all ports open without interruption 

so that humanitarian supplies can be 

shipped into Yemen. 

Lowcock said he remained deeply 

concerned by the deterioration in the 

humanitarian situation in the country 

although there has been progress in the 

past month in opening Yemen’s critical 

Red Sea ports to commercial fuel and 

food shipments, as well as the resumption 

of humanitarian shipments and 

Republicans ask for 

criminal probe into 

author of Trump dossier 

flights. Lowcock stressed that the 

Yemeni people need an end to the conflict 

so that they can begin to rebuild 

their lives. 

For this to happen, the parties to the 

conflict must cease hostilities and 

engage meaningfully with the United 

Nations to achieve a lasting political 

settlement. The Saudi-led military 

coalition, which is launching airstrikes 

against Houthi rebels in Yemen, sealed 

off Yemen after Saudi Arabia intercepted 

a ballistic missile launched by 

Houthi rebels toward the Saudi capital 

city of Riyadh in early November. The 

blockade was later partially lifted. 

Two Hindu 

traders shot 

dead in 

Pakistan 

Islamabad, Two Hindu grain 

traders were shot dead by robbers 

in Sindh province of 

Pakistan on Friday. The victims 

were brothers and identified as 

Dileep Kumar and Chandar 

Maheshwari. The incident took 

place when they opened their 

shop in the grain market in 

Tharparkar district, the Express 

Tribune reported. According to 

the police, the robbers came on a 

bike and tried to snatch the 

money from the brothers. When 

they resisted, the robbers shot 

them dead. “Thar is the only 

peaceful place in Pakistan where 

no theft and dacoit incident take 

place. This is first such incident,” 

the daily quoted a resident as 

saying. Traders shut their business 

in the Hindu-dominated 

areas in the district in protest. 

People blocked all main roads 

and staged sit-ins, the daily said. 

Ocean’s average temperature is 3.5 degree Celsius 

New York, The modern ocean’s 

average temperature is 3.5 degrees 

Celsius, says a study that identified a 

new way to measure the average temperature 

of the ocean. “The reason 

this study is so exciting is that previous 

methods of reconstructing ocean 

heat content have very large age 

uncertainties, (which) smooths out the 

more subtle features of the record,” 

said co-author Sarah Shackleton from 

Scripps Institution of Oceanography 

at the University of California San 

Diego. “Our precision is about 0.2 

degree Celsius now, and the warming 

of the past 50 years is 

only about 0.1 degree 

Celsius,” said Jeff 

Severinghaus, geoscientist 

at Scripps 

Oceanography. 

Severinghaus said 

advanced equipment 

can provide more precise 

measurements, 

allowing scientists to 

use this technique to track the current 

warming trend in the world’s oceans. 

Determining changes in the average 

temperature of the entire world’s 

ocean has proven to be a nearly 

impossible task due to the distribution 

of different water masses. Each layer 

of water can have drastically different 

temperatures, so determining the 

average over the entirety of the 

ocean’s surface and depths presents a 

challenge. Severinghaus and colleagues 

were able to bypass these 

obstacles by determining the value 

indirectly, according to the study published 

in the journal Nature. Instead of 

measuring water temperature, they 

determined the ratio of noble gases in 

the atmosphere, which are in direct 

relation to the ocean’s temperature. 

“This method is a radically new way 

to measure change in total ocean 

heat,” said Severinghaus. 

Washington, Two US 

Republican senators have asked 

the Justice Department and FBI 

for a criminal probe into 

Christopher Steele, the author of 

a controversial 

book on President 

Donald Trump. 

Senators Chuck 

Grassley and 

Lindsey Graham 

referred Steele, a 

former British 

intelligence agent, 

for allegedly making 

false statements 

to federal 

investigators, 

Xinhua reported. 

It is the first 

known criminal 

referral from the 

congressional investigations into 

Russia’s interference in US presidential 

elections in 2016. “I 

don’t take lightly making a referral 

for criminal investigation. 

But, as I would with any credible 

evidence of a crime unearthed in 

the course of our investigations, 

I feel obliged to pass that information 

along to the Justice 

Department for appropriate 

review,” Grassley was quoted as 

saying. 

“After reviewing how Steele 

conducted himself in distributing 

information contained in the 

dossier and how many stop signs 

the DOJ ignored in its use of the 

dossier, I believe that a special 

counsel needs to review this 

matter,” Graham said, 

adding that the referral 

“is not intended to be an 

allegation of a crime.” 

Grassley is the chairman 

of the Senate 

Judiciary Committee, 

which has been conducting 

an investigation running 

parallel to special 

counsel Robert Mueller’s 

probe into Trump’s 

alleged ties to Russia. 

The referral, which 

was made on Thursday 

but revealed on Friday, 

comes days after the latest 

public back-and-forth 

between Grassley and research 

firm Fusion GPS that hired 

Steele to compile the controversial 

dossier.

January 2018

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