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India -US proclaim 'Chalein Saath Saath: Forward
Together We Go'
WASHINGTON: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached the White House for the private dinner hosted by President Barack Obama, India and the US on Tuesday issued a vision statement "Chalein Saath Saath: Forward Together We Go" that called for a joint endeavour for prosperity and peace.
"As leaders of two great democratic nations with diverse traditions and faiths, we share a vision for a partnership in which the United States and India work together, not just for the benefit of both our nations, but for the benefit of the world," the White House said in a statement.
The vision statement said that US-India strategic partnership is a joint endeavour for prosperity and peace, and through intense consultations, joint exercises and shared technology, their security cooperation will make the region and world safe and secure.
"Together, we will combat terrorist threats and keep our homelands and citizens safe from attacks, while we respond expeditiously to humanitarian disasters and crises.
"We will prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction, and remain committed to reducing the salience of nuclear weapons, while promoting universal, verifiable, and non-discriminatory nuclear disarmament," it said.
Asserting that the US and India will have a transformative relationship as trusted partners in the 21st century, the White House said, "Our partnership will be a model for the rest of the world".
"Acknowledging that the two countries have vastly different histories, but both our founders sought to guarantee freedoms that allow our citizens to determine their own destiny and pursue their personal aspirations.
"Our strategic partnership rests on our shared mission to provide equal opportunity for our people through democracy and freedom," said the White House.
According to the vision statement, the two countries will support an open and inclusive rules-based global order, in which India assumes greater multilateral responsibility, including in a reformed United Nations Security Council.
Observing that climate change threatens both the countries, the vision statement said they will join together to mitigate its impact and adapt to the changing environment.
"We will address the consequences of unchecked pollution through cooperation by our governments, science and academic communities.
"We will partner to ensure that both countries have affordable, clean, reliable, and diverse sources of energy, including through our efforts to bring American-origin nuclear power technologies to India," the vision statement said.
The US and India commit to expand and deepen their strategic partnership in order to harness the inherent potential of the two democracies and the burgeoning ties between their people, economies, and businesses.
"Together we seek a reliable and enduring friendship that bolsters security and stability, contributes to the global economy, and advances peace and prosperity for our citizens and throughout the world.
"We will ensure that economic growth in both countries brings better livelihoods and welfare for all of our people.
Our citizens value education as a means to a better life, and our exchange of skills and knowledge will propel our countries forward. Even the poorest will share in the opportunities in both our countries," it said.
It said, "Joint research and collaboration in every aspect — ranging from particles of creation to outer space - will produce boundless innovation and high technology collaboration. Open markets, fair and transparent practises will allow trade in goods and services to flourish."
Underscoring that the currents of kinship and commerce, scholarship and science tie the two countries together, the joint vision statement said these areas of cooperation will allow India and the US to rise above differences by maintaining the long-term perspective.
"Every day, in myriad ways, our cooperation fortifies a relationship that matches the innumerable ties between our people, who have produced works of art and music, invented cutting-edge technology, and responded to crises across the globe," it said.
"The United States and India commit to expand and deepen our strategic partnership in order to harness the inherent potential of our two democracies and the burgeoning ties between our people, economies, and businesses.
"Together we seek a reliable and enduring friendship that bolsters security and stability, contributes to the global economy, and advances peace and prosperity for our citizens and throughout the world," the vision statement said.
"Our people will be healthier as we jointly counter infectious diseases, eliminate maternal and child deaths, and work to eradicate poverty for all. And they will be safer as we ensure the fullest empowerment of women in a secure environment," it said. –PTI
India's terrorism not homegrown: Modi
NEW YORK: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that terrorism in India was not "homegrown" and expressed regret that many countries have never understood the real danger of terrorism.
He said terrorism is a danger that needs to be taken very seriously and India's Muslims will not respond to Al Qaeda's call.
In a speech and later answering questions at the Council of Foreign Relations, a leading think tank, before leaving for Washington after two days in New York, Modi touched on relations between the US and India, which he likened to that between a husband and wife, "never 100 percent comfort", and also highlighted his government's policy of less government and more governance.
Taking a dig at the US, Modi said that in the 1990s when he would speak to US State Department officials about terrorism, they would dismiss it as India's law and order problem. But after 9/11 when he visited the US he was being sermonised about terrorism.
"That means that unless and until we have a bomb explosion we don't understand what terrorism is." "We are bothered by terrorism... it has been exported to our country, it is not homegrown. The Muslims in India, CNN had asked about it, India's Muslims will fail the Al Qaeda," he asserted.
Terrorism is the enemy of humanity and anyone who believes in humanity should come together to challenge the great danger of humanity, Modi said in answer to another question.
The prime minister said India has been suffering from the effects of terrorism for the past 40 years and also referred to the jihadist terror group Islamic State and the beheading of journalists.
"We have suffered for 40 years from the effects of terrorism, it is such a deformity that we can't imagine. And when we see it on TV when a journalist's throat is being slit, and that in the 21st century such a heinous crime is being committed in front of us... And still we don't challenge it... we have to believe in humankind, we have to go together, terrorism is the enemy of humanity and anyone who believes in humanity needs to come together to combat terrorism," he said.
He said all countries need to overcome their divisions to combat the challenge of terrorism, and for that there is only one way - that the world should understand the danger of terrorism and those who believe in humanity should join hands.
Modi also said there is no good terrorism and bad terrorism, and if we brand it like this then terrorism will take advantage of that. He gave the example of West Asia, saying the region was far ahead in prosperity, "but look at the situation now" - referring to the violence by the Islamic State and other groups.
He said that the world should believe in one mantra - for prosperity for everyone and encourage tourism - to encourage people-to-people contacts. Terrorism divides and tourism unites, and we want that we should meet and get to know each other," Modi said.-IANS
Kem cho, Obama asks Modi
WASHINGTON: "Kem Cho," said US President Barack Obama as he greeted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"The 'Kem cho' moment. Prez @BarackObama greets PM @narendramodi at doorstep of the White House," tweeted Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin on Tuesday.
'Kem cho' in Gujarati means how are you.
Modi is on a five-day visit to the US. He arrived at New York and then flew down to Washington.
At dinner by with Obama, Modi was accompanied among others by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh.-IANS
RSS raps BJP for breaking alliance, says Shiv Sena
MUMBAI: The RSS has criticised the state BJP for snapping the 25-year-old partnership with it last week, the Shiv Sena said in its party mouthpiece on Tuesday.
In a front-page revelation in 'Saamana', the Shiv Sena has said that three days after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) broke the alliance, a secret meeting was held in south Mumbai.
That evening, September 28, the BJP leaders sought the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) guidance on how to approach the electorate under the changed political scenario in Maharashtra where all the five major parties are now contesting independently.
"Did you consult us before breaking the alliance? Why is BJP running away form Hindutva? Or did you break it because of your selfish interests... This has created divisions among Hindus...," the Sena quoted RSS leaders as saying at the closed-door meeting.
"You are only bothered about your chair... With what face are you going to approach the electorate and seek votes?" the RSS leaders hit out, the 'Saamana' said quoting sources present at the meeting.
Another RSS leader made it clear to the BJP leaders not to "indulge in such strange experiments - The Shiv Sena is not a Nitish Kumar party, they are our true friends", they said.
Pulling up BJP leaders, the RSS seniors said they appeared least concerned about "serious issues like love jihad, land jihad, cow slaughter and (religious) conversions".
It also castigated the BJP over the move to admit several deserters from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to the party fold and even allotted them tickets for the forthcoming elections.
"(NCP president) Sharad Pawar has divided the Marathis and sabotaged Hindutva forces... Your decision to reward his men election tickets has weakened Hindutva," they said.
Among the BJP representatives present included Union Minister Ananth Kumar and state party leader Ravindra Bhusari.
This is the second expose the Sena has carried out in couple of days, causing major embarrassment to the BJP - barely a fortnight before the October 15 state assembly elections.
On Monday, it revealed how the BJP had tried to short-change the Republican Party of India (A)'s Ramdas Athawale, a former member of the six-party saffron Grand Alliance which collapsed last week.
After the break-up, the BJP went separate with the four other smaller partners, including RPI(A), while the Sena is wending its independent path.
Now, the Sena has also decided to quit the central government by withdrawing its sole MP Anant Geete who will resign after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's return from US this week. -IANS
Dalai Lama: At 79, living with values and hope
DHARAMSALA: Revered by the Tibetans as a 'living god' and idolised in both the Orient and the West, the Dalai Lama, known for his simplicity and typical jovial style, transcends all barriers of religion, language and even distances.
He stepped back from an adminstrative role almost three years back but is active like never before in his sermons, lectures and rubbing shoulders with world leaders.
As the Tibetan exile administration invites three fellow laureates here Oct 2 to mark the silver jubilee of the conferment of the Nobel Prize on the Dalai Lama, IANS looks at future plans of the globetrotting Tibetan spiritual leader - the global face of the Tibetan exile movement - his contributions, his yearnings, his regrets, the Tibetans without him, who will be the next Dalai Lama after him and his vision.
Promoting human values, non-violence and religious harmony are his commitments, say aides of the Dalai Lama.
"People of my age belong to the 20th century generation and the 20th century has passed, nobody can bring it back. Most of you belong to the 21st century, of which more than 80 years remain. The future is open and you have an opportunity, a responsibility, to make this a better, more peaceful century than has gone before," he often said in his remarks.
"His Holiness attaches great importance to educating Tibetan children. Whenever, wherever he gets an opportunity, he loves to interact with them. He wants to make them bold enough to face the world," Thubten Samphel, director of the Tibet Policy Institute, a think-tank under the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), told IANS.
Living in exile in India for over half a century, the longing to see his homeland is still fresh in the mind of the 79-year-old Dalai Lama.
"I remain optimistic that I will be able to return to Tibet. China is in the process of changing. Besides, I'm not seeking separation from China," the Dalai Lama wrote on his website (dalailama.com).
Ongoing self-immolations in Tibet in China are his regrets.
"These drastic actions are the symptom of a cause, which the Chinese authorities should investigate and take steps to resolve. The people who have taken these steps could just as well have harmed others, but chose instead only to harm themselves," a post on his website quoting the Dalai Lama said.
"One day you will hear that the Dalai Lama has passed away, but I will come back, even if the institution of Dalai Lama is no longer recognised. I will be back," says the Dalai Lama.
But Lobsang Sangay, the first democratically elected prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile, believes the Tibetan movement will remain strong as it ever was.
"After the spiritual leader handed over the reins of government to the elected leadership, everybody was apprehensive about the Tibetan movement being carried forward without the Dalai Lama at the helm." "But now, we are proud to say that with his blessing, the Tibetan movement is as strong as it ever was," said Sangay, whose post has acquired added stature with the Dalai Lama stepping down from diplomacy and politics.
The 46-year-old took over the reins of the government-in-exile in August 2011 from monk and scholar Samdhong Rinpoche, who held the post for 10 years but was overshadowed by the Dalai Lama.
But who is next after the Dalai Lama? "If useful, my successor could be female," the Dalai Lama was often quoted as saying.
But at the same time, he said, whether or not there is a next reincarnation will depend on the Tibetan people's wishes.
The globetrotting monk goes hi-tech to reach out to the ordinary Chinese.
"They (social media) are very important. They allow people to get a clearer view of reality. This is why we have to be objective and truthful, rather than manipulative, with the information we share," he opines.
The pontiff has been advising the Tibetans to reach out to Chinese people. "If they knew more about our 'middle-way approach', a majority of the Chinese people would support us." In 1989, the Dalai Lama won the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent struggle for Tibet. He was awarded the US Congressional Gold Medal in October 2007, even in the face of protests by China. Three Nobel laureates - Jody Williams of the US, Shirin Ebadi of Iran and Leymah Gbowee of Liberia - are participating to grace the Dalai Lama's Nobel silver jubilee anniversary celebrations.
The Dalai Lama now lives in exile along with some 140,000 Tibetans, over 100,000 of them in different parts of India. Over six million Tibetans live in Tibet. –IANS
Kong protests turn festive after tear gas chaos
HONG KONG: Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters have turned parts of Hong Kong into a massive street party, with the mood turning festive just a day after riot police fired tear gas in ugly clashes.
The huge crowds yesterday defied government calls to go home after Sunday's chaotic scenes, bringing key districts of the Asian financial hub to a standstill as they vowed to stay put until the Chinese government grants them free elections.
Sunday's violence saw riot police fire clouds of tear gas as they struggled to control the protesters, in one of the biggest ever challenges to Beijing's rule of the semi-autonomous city.
The anger gave way to a lighter atmosphere yesterday as riot police retreated, leaving huge masses of protesters in control of at least four major thoroughfares around the city.
But although there were few police on the scene, some protesters feared a repeat of Sunday's clashes, donning goggles and masks to protect themselves against tear gas.
"We can't relax too much," graphic designer Felix Kan told AFP. "This is still China - you never know what could happen." The festival atmosphere was tempered early today as protesters attempted to second guess what the next police move would be, an AFP reporter at the scene said.
Organisers also announced to the crowds that water and food supply stations had been targeted in attacks at some of the protest sites, but appealed for calm.
In Mongkok, a busy shopping hub, police were called after a car drove at high speed past crowds of protesters, though no one was reported injured.
The demonstrators are furious over last month's announcement by Beijing that while it will allow the city's next leader to be elected in 2017, it will insist on vetting the candidates, with critics branding the move a "fake democracy".
Public anger over rampant inequality is also at its highest in years in a city once renowned for its stability.
Cantonese pop music filled the air during the second day of what some are dubbing the "umbrella revolution", as protesters have been using the canopies as shields against tear gas and the scorching sun alike.
One British sympathiser won huge cheers as he set up a barbecue and began handing out hamburgers and sausages to the protesters. –Agencies
Modi, Obama write first joint editorial
WASHINGTON: After using technology successfully in their respective election campaigns, US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have for the first time interacted digitally to come out with a joint editorial.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson said both Prime Minister Modi and President Obama have written a joint editorial in a US newspaper to be published tomorrow.
Officials on both sides have been very secretive about the joint op-ed and have not even disclosed the name of the newspaper that will publish it.
Asked how the two leaders collaborated to write the joint editorial, he said both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Obama are great votaries of digital diplomacy and therefore, it is very easy to digitally interact and through electronic means and it (editorial) was only finalised just today after Prime Minister's arrival here.
Asked if both the leaders were so active digitally why there was no exchange between the two on cyber space, he said "wait and watch".
He also said that this was for the first time that an Indian leader has ventured on the path of a joint editorial.
Prime Minister wrote an editorial in Wall Street Journal before he headed to the US for his first visit since taking power in May. -PTI
Modi gifts Gandhi's Gita to Obama
WASHINGTON: Knowing President Barack Obama's admiration for Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted him a copy of Gita by the Mahatma and some memorabilia with the American civil rights leader.
Modi diligently got a special reprint of Gandhi's interpretation of the Gita made for Obama who keeps a statue of the Indian freedom leader in his office.
Similarly keeping Obama's great regard for King in mind he has brought an All India Radio recording of King's speech in India in 1958.
There is also a framed photograph of King at Rajghat besides a small video clip from his 1959 visit to India.
These are Modi's personal gifts to Obama, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said. He has also brought some official gifts that would be given at the official bilateral meeting on Tuesday. -IANS
No immediate relief for Jaya, bail plea adjourned to Oct 6
BANGALORE: AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa will have to remain in jail till October 6 with the Karnataka High Court adjourning her plea seeking bail and challenging her conviction in the disproportionate assets case.
As the matter came up, G Bhavani Singh, who was the Special Public Prosecutor in the Special Court on the disproportionate assets case, told the judge that he had not yet received any official notification appointing him as the SPP for the criminal appeal filed in the High Court.
Singh sought more time, at which point vacation bench judge Justice Rathnakala posted the matter for hearing on October 6.
In her petitions seeking immediate bail and challenging her sentence, Jayalalithaa has maintained that the charges of amassing wealth against her were false and that she had acquired property through legal means.
Jayalalitha has also contended that the trial court has overlooked several judgements and has not considered the binding nature of various income tax orders and decisions of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, which had accepted the income and the level of expenditure pleaded by her.
The former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's aide Sasikala, her relatives V N Sudhakaran, disowned son of the former Chief Minister, and Ilavarasi have also moved the High Court seeking bail and challenging their conviction.
In the verdict that cost Jayalalithaa the Chief Minister's job and disqualified her from being an MLA, the judge had also slapped a staggering fine of Rs 100 crore on her and Rs 10 crore each on the three other accused persons.
In her appeal, Jayalalithaa pleaded for suspension of the conviction and the sentence and also refused to pay the Rs 100 crore fine imposed on her.
The hearing came up before the vacation bench as the High Court is on Dasara holidays from September 29 to October 6.
Mary in final, Sarita robbed of win at Asian Games
INCHEON: Controversy hit the Asian Games boxing competition after India's L Sarita Devi (60kg) had to settle for a bronze medal despite dominating her semifinal bout even as M C Mary Kom (51kg) continued her winning run to enter the summit clash of the mega-event here on Tuesday.
The Indian woman boxer in fray, Pooja Rani (75kg), also had to settle for a bronze after losing a closely-contested semifinal bout to China's Li Qian.
But what triggered massive outrage was Sarita's loss which left the Manipuri in tears. Up against home favourite Jina Park, Sarita, the Commonwealth Games silver-medallist, went down 0-3 despite clearly being the better boxer.
Sarita simply pummelled her rival with her flurry of quicksilver blows -- at times raining four to her rival's one.
But shockingly, Park was not given a single standing count by the Algerian referee Hammadi Yakoub Kheira despite looking rocked back by Sarita's blows to her chin.
In the end, all three ringside judges ruled in favour of the Korean by identical 39-37 margins.
The ringside judges were Braham Mohamad of Tunisia, Albino Foti of Italy and Mariusz Josef Gorny of Poland.
Immediately after the bout, a tearful Sarita broke down while talking to journalists.
"All my hard work has come to nought. It has happened to me but kindly see that this kind of injustice is not meted out to anyone else in the competition. I request you," she said tearfully with folded hands.
"If they wanted to award the bout to her, then why allow us to fight in the first place," she added.
Her husband and former footballer Thoiba Singh was even more furious and shouted obscenities at the ring officials, saying it was a clear case of cheating.
"You are killing boxing," he shouted repeatedly and even went to the extent of trying to enter the ring again to cry out at the injustice but was prevented by the security officials.
India's long-time Cuban coach B I Fernandez also called it a clear case of cheating, but said no purpose would be served by lodging a protest that will cost the Indian contingent USD 500 and will be forfeited if the appeal was lost.
"There's no point. It was pre-decided, the 3-0 verdict is a clear cut indication. The Korean deserved to have been given many standing counts, going by what happened in the ring, and the bout should have been stopped," he said.
"Sarita was a clear-cut winner but money has talked here and the judges deserve to be thrown out. It happened in Seoul during the 1988 Olympic Games, it's happening now again.
Nothing seems to have changed. The new rules have made no difference," he fumed.
Prior to the action-charged and scandalous bout, India's best medal hope and former five-time world champion M C Mary Kom scored a convincing 3-0 victory over her taller Vietnamese opponent Ler Thi Bang.
Two of the ringside judges adjudged her the winner by giving her 40-36 score in the four rounds combined while the third put her 39-37 ahead on points.
Mary was a clear winner even though she was the shorter of the two southpaws, she easily came inside the Vietnamese boxer's territory to score with jabs and rights to the face.
Mary, who won a bronze in the 2010 Asian Games and the 2012 Olympic Games before taking a break from the sport, is now assured of at least a silver medal.
However, Sarita's shock defeat also left her with mixed emotions.
"I am shocked and disappointed. Sarita was the clear winner. This should not have happened," she said.
She will now fight against Zhaina Shekerbekova of Kazakhstan who earned a 3-0 verdict over N Myagmardulam of Mongolia in the other semifinal bout.
"I will keep my focus because a gold has to be won for the country," she said.
Later, Pooja put a spirited performance against Qian but eventually lost the bout 2-1 to finish a bronze-medallist.
-PTI
An apple a day keeps obesity-related disorders away
WASHINGTON: Want a healthy life? Eat an apple daily as certain compounds present in a specific variety of the fruit may help prevent disorders associated with obesity.
Scientists from the Washington State University discovered that the Granny Smith apple variety is abundant in non-digestible compounds.
"The non-digestible compounds in the Granny Smith apples actually changed the proportions of faecal bacteria from obese mice to be similar to that of lean mice," said food scientist Giuliana Noratto, the study's lead researcher.
The tart-green Granny Smith apples benefit the growth of friendly bacteria in the colon due to their high content of non-digestible compounds, including dietary fibre and polyphenols and low content of carbohydrates.
Despite being subjected to chewing, stomach acid and digestive enzymes, these compounds remain intact when they reach the colon.
Once there, they are fermented by bacteria in the colon which benefits the growth of friendly bacteria in the gut.
"Re-establishing a healthy balance of bacteria in the colon stabilises metabolic processes that influence inflammation and the sensation of feeling satisfied, or satiety," Noratto added.
The discovery could help prevent some of the disorders associated with obesity such as low-grade, chronic inflammation that can lead to diabetes.
The study appeared in the journal Food Chemistry. –IANS
PDP MLA Iftikhar Hussain Ansari passes away
SRINAGAR: Opposition PDP MLA in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and prominent Shia cleric, Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari died here today following prolonged illness.
He was 74.
"Mouvli Iftikhar Ansari died in the wee hours today after battling an ailment for more than a year," a relative of the deceased PDP leader said.
The four-time MLA from Pattan Assembly segment, Ansari has a huge following amongst Shias in the state. He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.
Born on April 26, 1940, he studied Islamic theology in Iran, Egypt and Iraq.
Starting his political career in 1960s, Ansari was nominated as an MLC in 1973 on Congress ticket but switched to Janata Party in 1977.
He returned to Congress in 1980s and was chosen as leader of the Legislature party in the State Assembly from 1983 to 1987.
He was again elected to the state legislative assembly in 1996 on a Congress ticket and became a minister in the National Conference (NC) government headed by Farooq Abdullah.
Ansari joined the NC in 2002 and was elected from Pattan Assembly segment later that year but quit the party in 2006 to join the PDP. He lost the by-election.
The Shia cleric won the election in 2008 on a PDP ticket and was nominated as the party candidate for the forthcoming assembly elections scheduled to be held later this year.
Upon hearing the news of his death, thousands of Ansari's supporters thronged his residence at Qammarwari in the city.
The huge influx of mourners led the authorities to divert traffic between Bemina and Parimpora crossings, causing massive traffic snarls.
Many areas, dominated by Shias, shutdown as a mark of respect to the departed leader. -PTI
Indian boxing contingent files protest against Sarita's loss
INCHEON: An outraged Indian boxing contingent today lodged a protest and demanded a review of L Sarita Devi's semifinal bout in the Asian Games after the veteran was adjudged to have lost despite a dominating performance against home favourite Jina Park.
The Indian boxing contingent lodged a protest after paying a USD 500 fee, which would not be refunded if the review upholds the original decision.
"A protest has been lodged against the decision," a member of the contingent told PTI.
The 32-year-old Indian was left in tears after losing a bout in which she matched Park blow for blow in the opening round and was markedly more aggressive and precise thereafter.
Sarita (60kg), a former Asian champion, fell behind after a rather bizarre turn of events in which Park ended up being the judges' choice despite barely managing to stay in the fight.
Such was the Indian's ferocity that Park resorted to holding to slow down the pace of the bout after being left with a bloodied nose.
But Sarita's precision and her brilliant ring craft failed to find favour with the judges in the third and fourth rounds which went to the home favourite, who was struggling to stand up to the onslaught of punches from the Manipuri.
Meanwhile, Sarita found support from India's long-time Cuban coach B I Fernandes and fellow boxer M C Mary Kom, who advanced to the final.
"It was pre-decided, the 3-0 verdict is a clear cut indication. The Korean deserved to have been given many standing counts, going by what happened in the ring, and the bout should have been stopped," Fernandes said.
"Sarita was a clear-cut winner but money has talked here and the judges deserve to be thrown out. It happened in Seoul during the 1988 Olympic Games, it's happening now again.
Nothing seems to have changed. The new rules have made no difference," he fumed.
Mary also expressed her disappointment.
"I am shocked and disappointed. Sarita was the clear winner. This should not have happened," she said. -PTI
ISIS releases third video featuring British hostage John Cantlie
LONDON: The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has released a third video featuring British journalist, John Cantlie, in a series of videos released by it with an aim to explain the ISIS philosophy to the world and to condemn the military build-up in the region.
The five-and-a-half minute video titled “Lend me your ears” was released on Monday night and showed the 43-year-old hostage reading from a prepared script, reported The Guardian. Cantlie, dressed in an orange outfit, described himself as a “long-term prisoner” and went on to criticize United States President Barack Obama's air strategy to take on the ISIS.
The report said that it was unclear when the video was made but added that it appeared to be well-produced with good quality sound and lighting.
Cantlie had made it clear in the previous video released on Tuesday last week that he was making the videos under duress. He was captured almost two years ago by the ISIS. –Agencies
Indian
hockey team in Asiad final
INCHEON: Akashdeep Singh scored a brilliant field goal to help a spirited India beat hosts Korea 1-0 and enter the final of the men's hockey competition of the 17th Asian Games for the first time 12 years, here today.
After a barren opening half, it took a gem of a goal from Akashdeep to break the deadlock in the 44th minute of the match.
Indian men's hockey team, which last made it to the final of the Asiad way back in 2002 Busan Games, will now face the winner of the other semifinal between arch-rivals Pakistan and Malaysia in the summit clash on Thursday.
The Indians were by far the dominant side in the entire 60 minutes and controlled the proceedings from the word go.
The Koreans played catch-up hockey throughout the match but failed to break the resolute Indian
defence.
There was hardly any clear scoring opportunity for the Koreans, whereas India threatened the opponent goal throughout the encounter.
India had the first shave at the goal in the fifth minute of the game from a counter-attack but Dharamvir Singh missed a sitter as he overrun a pass from S V Sunil with only the Korean goalkeeper Myungho Lee to beat.
Three minutes into the second quarter, India earned two back-to-back penalty corners but Korean custodian Lee made a fantastic save to his right to deny V R Raghunath a goal.
After a goalless half time, India kept up the pressure and mounted numerous raids on the Korean citadel only to be disappointed by the misfiring forwardline.
Ramandeep Singh and Gurvinder Singh Chandi once again proved to be a big let down upfront.
The Indian defense, which had a habit of breaking down under pressure, had a fantastic outing today. The likes of Birendra Lakra, Raghunath, Manpreet Singh and Rupinderpal Singh stood like a rock to thwart any danger to their goal.
-PTI
Glaciers flowed through the Grand Canyon of Mars?
WASHINGTON: Scientists have identified what could be the first mineralogical evidence of past glaciers as they flowed through the Grand Canyon of Mars.
For decades, planetary geologists have speculated that glaciers might once have crept through Valles Marineris, the 3,218-kilometre-long chasm that constitutes the Grand Canyon of Mars.
Using satellite images, researchers have identified features that might have been carved by past glaciers as they flowed through the canyons; however, these observations have remained highly controversial and contested.
Now, a joint team from Bryn Mawr College in the US and the Freie Universitaet Berlin has identified what could be the first mineralogical evidence of past glaciers within the Valles Marineris: a layer of mixed sulphate minerals halfway up the 4.8km high cliffs of Ius Chasma at the western end of the canyon system.
The team - including Selby Cull, Patrick McGuire and Christoph Gross, and Bryn Mawr undergraduate student researchers Jenna Myers and Nina Shmorhun - mapped the acid-sulfate mineral jarosite along the canyon wall.
They speculate that it may have formed via a mechanism similar to one observed at glaciers in the Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, on Earth.
"Atmospheric sulphur becomes trapped in the ice, is warmed by the sun, and reacts with the water to produce highly acidic sulfate minerals like jarosite along the margins of the glacier," researchers said.
The study was published in the journal of Geological Society of America. -PTI
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