The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Nearly 4,000 quizzed over Singapore riot

Singapore, December 11
Three more Indians were today charged for alleged rioting in Singapore's worst outbreak of violence in over 40 years, a day after 24 of their compatriots were remanded, as police grilled nearly 4,000 foreign workers in a major crackdown.

The three men were among eight arrested yesterday in connection with the riot in Little India, a precinct of Indian-origin businesses, eateries and pubs where most of the South Asian workers take their Sunday break, triggered by the death of an Indian in a road accident, police said today.

Rajendran Ranjan, 22, Moorthy Kabildev, 24, and Sathiyamoorthy Sivaraman, 36, were remanded for further investigations and will return to court on January 18.

All the three men are accused of being part of an unlawful assembly and attacking - with a dustbin, wooden stick, hardened concrete, bottles and a metal drain cover - a private bus, that fatally knocked down 33-year-old Sakthivel Kumaravelu at the junction of Tekka Lane and Race Course Road.

The three men appeared expressionless as a court interpreter read out their charges in Tamil. They face one rioting charge each, punishable by up to seven years in prison and caning. Yesterday, 24 Indians were remanded for a week to facilitate further investigations.

The police has interrogated about 3,700 foreign workers from 10 dormitories across the island so far. Of these, 176 had their statements taken at the Criminal Investigation Department, including those who were subsequently arrested. The Criminal Legal Aid Scheme was helping to secure lawyers for all the accused. The Indian High Commission in Singapore was working with Singapore to facilitate consular access to all the accused . — PTI

Three more Indians charged with rioting

Three more Indians on Wednesday were charged with attacking a private bus, that fatally knocked down Sakthivel Kumaravelu in Little India district.

About 400 South Asian migrant workers were involved in the Sunday rampage that left 39 police staff injured and 25 vehicles damaged.

Singapore previously witnessed violence of such scale during race riots in 1969.

Pak court stops airing of Indian, foreign films

Lahore, December 11
A Pakistani court has stopped the screening of foreign films, serials and television shows, especially Indian content, on the country's TV channels, triggering panic and outrage among exhibitors and viewers.

While staying the beaming of foreign content, Lahore High Court Justice Khalid Mahmood Khan yesterday ruled that Indian films and television serials were included in the “negative list” under the current bilateral trade regime.

He also directed the federal government and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to submit a detailed reply in this regard at the next hearing on December 12.

The order was issued in response to a petition filed last month by controversial TV talk show host Mubashir Lucman, a former film producer known for his anti-India stance. Lucman had contended that Indian films and TV serials were being imported in violation of Pakistani regulations.

He further claimed that under Pakistani rules, Indian movies that are shot completely in India and are sponsored by an Indian cannot be screened in the country.

Lucman's counsel argued that the government had allowed the import and exhibition of Indian and other foreign films and serials through a Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) issued in 2006.

“The impugned SRO is in clear violation of Pakistan’s import policy and the rules of PEMRA," the counsel claimed.

PEMRA fined televisions channels for violating regulations but this failed to stop them from airing foreign content, he said.

The judge remarked: "The Indian films and other material are included in the negative list which cannot be changed by issuing a SRO." The "Negative List" contains items that cannot be traded between India and Pakistan.

Despite the court's order, none of the Pakistani channels have stopped screening foreign content, including Indian and Turkish serials that are extremely popular in the country. — PTI

Indian films in ‘negative list’

Lahore High Court rules that Indian films and television serials are included in the “negative list” under the current bilateral trade regime.

The court direct the federal government and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority to submit a detailed reply on December 12

The order issued on a petition contending that under Pakistani rules, movies that are shot completely in India and are sponsored by an Indian cannot be screened in the country.

Visitors from Pak told to take polio vaccine

Islamabad, December 11
India today announced it would be mandatory for all persons - adults or children - travelling to the country from Pakistan to furnish proof of vaccination against polio from January 30 next year.

"The step is being taken to safeguard India's polio-free status attained after sustained efforts and investment," said a statement from the Indian High Commission here. "It is applicable to all travellers from all countries where polio is endemic or where cases of polio are reported," it said.

Travellers from Pakistan will be required to carry their vaccination record because evidence of polio vaccination will be requested for entry into India. — PTI

Obama, Cameron ‘selfie’ creates online stir

Soweto, December 11
US President Barack Obama may have moved the masses attending Nelson Mandela's memorial service with his stirring eulogy, but it was his grinning "selfie" with the Danish and British premiers that set social networks abuzz.

British Prime Minister David Cameron (left) and US President Barack Obama (right) pose for a picture with Denmark’s Prime Minister Helle Thorning Schmidt during the memorial service of former South African President Nelson Mandela at Johannesburg on Tuesday. AFP

In a candid moment captured by AFP photographer Roberto Schmidt, Denmark's Helle Thorning-Schmidt can be seen holding up her smartphone, with Obama lending a helping hand, as they pose for a picture with David Cameron, all three of them smiling broadly in their seats at Soweto's World Cup stadium.

First Lady Michelle Obama, sitting to the left of her husband, does not join in with the lightheartedness, keeping her eyes firmly trained on the podium where world leaders were paying tribute to South Africa's anti-apartheid hero Mandela, who died Thursday aged 95.

The so-called selfie -- short for self-portrait -- was quickly picked up by major international news outlets and went viral on social media sites, with many questioning whether the moment of mirth was appropriate for the occasion.

A photo of the leaders photographing themselves was featured on the front pages of British media such as The Times, The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mirror. — AFP

Indian-origin couple is Britain’s oldest; mark 88th anniversary

London, December 11
An Indian-origin husband and wife, both over 100 years old, became Britain’s oldest married couple as they celebrated their 88th wedding anniversary today. Karam Chand (108) and his wife Katari (101) were married in India still under the British rule back in 1925.

They moved to Bradford in northern England in 1965 and count their long marriage as a “real blessing” which has led to eight children, 27 grandchildren and 23 great- grandchildren.

“It's important to have no secrets, and not to argue,” the husband told the Daily Express when asked about the secret of their long and happy marriage.

“We are happy together, and it is a dream come true to celebrate another year of marriage. Being married for all these years is a real blessing. We are so proud of all of our family and we love celebrating with them all,” he added.

The Punjabi couple live with their youngest son Satpal and his wife and two of their four children.

Chand admits to smoking one cigarette a day before his evening meal and drinks a small measure of whiskey or brandy up to four times a week.

“Eat and drink what you want but in moderation. I have never held back from enjoying my life. Every day is a gift and we must cherish it,” he explains.

Chand is unable to walk much without assistance and needs more care than his wife, who still has her own teeth and remains active.

“When you get so old your eyesight and hearing starts to get weaker and you ache more when moving about. But considering our age and the hard work we have undertaken during our lives, we’re not doing so bad,” she said, as the couple prepared for their wedding anniversary celebrations surrounded by friends and family.

“We know that we are blessed and we are eternally grateful for God giving us this land and our lives, but we will be ready to go when it’s time as we have lived a very good life,” she added. - PTI

20,000 Indians for one-way trip to Mars

London, December 11
Over 2,00,000 people, including more than 20,000 Indians, have applied for a private mission that will send four men and women on a one-way trip to Mars in 2023 to establish a permanent space colony.

In the five-month application period, Mars One received interest from 2,02,586 people from around the world, with 10 per cent of the applicants from India alone. The foundation has announced that it has been able to secure lead suppliers for an unmanned mission launching in 2018, involving a robotic lander and a communications satellite.

The first round of the Mars One Astronaut Selection Programme has now closed for applications, the Dutch company said. Applicants come from 140 countries; largest from the US (24 per cent), India (10 per cent), China (6 per cent), Brazil (5 per cent), UK, Canada, Russia and Mexico (4 per cent), Philippines, Spain, Colombia and Argentina (2 per cent). - PTI

Myanmar frees 44 political prisoners

Yangon, December 11
Myanmar today freed 44 political detainees, a presidential adviser said, the latest in a series of prisoner amnesties by the country's reformist regime. “In total 44 political prisoners have been released around the country today,” Hla Maung Shwe said.

President Thein Sein has pledged to release all prisoners of conscience in Myanmar by the end of the year.

Under his leadership, the nation has undergone dramatic changes, including the election of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to Parliament. — AFP

Outrage over fake ‘signer’ at Mandela memorial

Johannesburg, December 11
A fake sign language interpreter took to the stage during the memorial for anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela, gesticulating gibberish before a global audience of millions and outraging deaf people across the world.

DeafSA, South Africa's leading deaf association, condemned the presence of the unknown man at the memorial, which was attended by scores of world leaders including U.S. President Barack Obama.

While dignitaries were addressing the crowd in the 95,000-seat Soccer City stadium, the young, suited man with an official security pass round his neck produced a series of hand signals that experts said meant absolutely nothing. — Reuters

Ukraine stares at ‘full-scale conflict’

Kiev, December 11
The powerful Ukrainian Orthodox Patriarch Filaret warned today that continued violence in Kiev could lead to a civil conflict and called on the government to sign a pact with the European Union.

"Force will only radicalise the protest and cause our country to slide into a full-scale civil conflict," the Patriarch said in a statement, calling for dialogue between the government, the opposition and society." The government's refusal to sign the Association Agreement with the European Union sparked the biggest protests in Ukraine since 2004 Orange Revolution. "Considering that putting off the signing of the EU Association Agreement was the reason for civic protests, the most reasonable exit from the crisis is a quick conclusion of negotiations," he said. —AFP

Those who consume alcohol regularly live longer: Study

London, December 11
People who drink regularly live longer than those who completely abstain from alcohol, a new study has found. Researchers found that those who did not consume any alcohol appeared to have a higher mortality rate, regardless of whether they were former heavy drinkers or not, than those who drank heavily.

The team led by Charles Holahan, a psychologist at the University of Texas, found moderate drinking - defined as one to three drinks per day - was associated with the lowest mortality rate, “The Independent” reported.

The study set out to examine the association between alcohol consumption and all-cause mortality over 20 years among 1,824 older adults.

The study found that controlling only for age and gender, compared to moderate drinkers, abstainers had a more than 2 times increased mortality risk, heavy drinkers had 70 per cent increased risk, and light drinkers had 23 per cent increased risk.

“A model controlling for former problem drinking status, existing health problems and key sociodemographic and social-behavioural factors, as well as for age and gender, substantially reduced the mortality effect for abstainers compared to moderate drinkers,” the authors noted in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. “However, even after adjusting for all covariates, abstainers and heavy drinkers continued to show increased mortality risks of 51 and 45 per cent, respectively, compared to moderate drinkers,” they said.

"Even after taking account of traditional and non-traditional covariates, moderate alcohol consumption continued to show a beneficial effect in predicting mortality risk," they concluded. — PTI

Key findings

Those who did not consume any alcohol appeared to have a higher mortality rate

Moderate drinking —defined as one to three drinks per day — was associated with the lowest mortality rate