WASHINGTON (TIP): US and Canadian air defenses were put on heightened alert on October 23 following a shooting in Canada’s parliament, and the American embassy in Ottawa was placed on lockdown, officials said. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) “is taking appropriate and prudent steps to ensure we are adequately postured to respond quickly to any incidents involving aviation in Canada,” said a US defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The move came as a precaution after a gunman suspected of killing a Canadian soldier guarding a war memorial in Ottawa stormed the Canadian parliament, before being shot dead by police. NORAD spokesman Captain Jeff Davis declined to provide details but said steps had been taken to ensure defenses were “adequately postured.” State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf confirmed the US embassy in the Canadian capital was on lockdown, and staff movements had been restricted.
Just outside the US capital at Arlington National Cemetery, military commanders “authorized additional security to be implemented at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier” as a precautionary measure.President Barack Obama spoke by telephone with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, while Secretary of State John Kerry was also briefed as he flew home from a visit to Germany. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families,” Harf said, adding all US embassy staff had been accounted for.
While the shooting incident in Ottawa raised fears of a potential link to extremists, NORAD’s Davis said there were no signs of possible hijackings or imminent threats to aviation.”We’re not aware of any current, specific threats against the aviation system,” he told AFP. US intelligence officials were not immediately available to comment as to whether there were any suspected links to extremists in the shooting in Canada. NORAD, founded during the Cold War, is a combined US and Canadian military command designed to safeguard the air space over the two countries, with its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado.
Year: 2014
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US, Canada air defences on alert after Ottawa shooting
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Rahul Gandhi held discussion with INOC, USA Chairman George Abraham
NEW YORK (TIP): George Abraham, Chairman of the Indian National Overseas Congress,USA met with Mr. Rahul Gandhi,Vice-President of the All India Congress Committee in New Delhi and briefed him on the perspectives from the Diaspora on the recent election reversals.Mr. Gandhi credited NRIs for their contributions over the years with ideas, skills and resources that have transformed India to a large extent and made it a respected member of the global family. Mr. Gandhi also promised further efforts to reconnect the Congress party with the Diaspora and to fight the forces of regressive policies and division that might erase the years of progress achieved under the successive Congress-led governments.
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DOCTOR IN NEW YORK CITY TESTS POSITIVE FOR EBOLA
NEW YORK (TIP): A doctor in New York City who recently returned from treating Ebola patients in Guinea tested positive for the Ebola virus on October 23, becoming the city’s first diagnosed case. The doctor, Craig Spencer, was rushed to Bellevue Hospital Center on Thursday and placed in isolation while health care workers spread out across the city to trace anyone he might have come into contact with in recent days.
A further test will be conducted by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to confirm the initial test. While officials have said they expected isolated cases of the disease to arrive in New York eventually, and had been preparing for this moment for months, the first case highlighted the challenges surrounding containment of the virus, especially in a crowded metropolis. Even as the authorities worked to confirm that Spencer was infected with Ebola, it emerged that he traveled from Manhattan to Brooklyn on the subway on Wednesday night, when he went to a bowling alley, and then took a taxi home.
The next morning, he reported having a temperature of 103 degrees, raising questions about his health while he was out in public. People infected with Ebola cannot spread the disease until they begin to display symptoms, and it cannot be spread through the air. As people become sicker, the viral load in the body builds, and they become more and more contagious. Dr Spencer’s travel history and the timing of the onset of his symptoms led health officials to dispatch disease detectives, who “immediately began to actively trace all of the patient’s contacts to identify anyone who may be at potential risk,” according to a statement released by the department.
It was unclear if the city was trying to find people who might have come into contact with Dr Spencer on the subway. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority directed all questions to the health department, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the issue. At Dr Spencer’s apartment in Harlem, his home was sealed off and workers distributed informational fliers about the disease. It was not clear if anyone was being quarantined. Health authorities declined to say how many people in total might have come into contact with Dr Spencer while he was symptomatic.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, speaking at a news conference Thursday evening before the diagnosis, said Dr Spencer has given health workers a detailed accounting of his activities over the last few days. “Our understanding is that very few people were in direct contact with him,” de Blasio said. Dr Spencer had been working with Doctors Without Borders in Guinea, treating Ebola patients, before returning to New York City on Oct. 14, according to a city official.
He told the authorities that he did not believe the protective gear he wore while working with Ebola patients had been breached but had been monitoring his own health.Doctors Without Borders, in a statement, said it provides guidelines for its staff members on their return from Ebola assignments, but did not elaborate on those protocols.”The individual engaged in regular health monitoring and reported this development immediately,” the group said in a statement.
Dr Spencer began to feel sluggish on Tuesday but did not develop a fever until Thursday morning, he told the authorities. At 11am, the doctor found that he had a 103- degree temperature and alerted the staff of Doctors Without Borders, according to the official. The staff of Doctors Without Borders called the city’s health department, which in turn called the fire department. Emergency medical workers, wearing full personal protective gear, rushed to Dr Spencer’s apartment, on West 147th Street. He was transported to Bellevue and arrived shortly after 1pm.
He was placed in a special isolation unit and is being seen by the pre-designated medical critical care team. They are in personal protective equipment with undergarment air ventilation systems. Bellevue doctors have prepared for an Ebola patient with numerous drills and tests using “test patients” as well as actual treatment of suspected cases that turned out to be false alarms. A health care worker at the hospital said that Dr Spencer seemed very sick, and it was unclear to the medical staff why he had not gone to the hospital earlier, since his fever was high.
Dr Spencer is a fellow of international emergency medicine at NewYork- Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, and an instructor in clinical medicine at Columbia University. “He is a committed and responsible physician who always puts his patients first,” the hospital said in a statement. “He has not been to work at our hospital and has not seen any patients at our hospital since his return from overseas.”Even before the diagnosis, the Centers for Disease Control dispatched a team of experts to assist in the case, before the test results were even known. More than 30 people have gone to city hospitals and raised suspicions of Ebola, but in all those cases, health workers were able to rule it out without a blood test. -
Modi spends first Diwali as PM with Army in freezing Siachen
Announces Rs 745 crore for flood-hit Kashmir
NEW DELHI/SRINAGAR (TIP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi spent his Diwali morning on October 23 at the Siachen glacier, lauding India’s armed forces and saying “125 crore Indians can celebrate Diwali today and go about their lives in comfort because the jawans guard the borders.” He also tweeted that he was wishing the entire country on the occasion “from the icy heights of the Siachen Glacier & with the brave Jawans & Officers.” This was the third time in less than a month that Modi was using a public holiday to connect with the people.
On October 2, that is Gandhi Jayanti, he launched the Swachh Bharat campaign, and on Dussera, he delivered his first radio speech on the government-run All India Radio. Modi made a day-long visit to Jammu & Kashmir which was hit by floods in September. Addressing troops at Siachen ahead of his visit to the state capital Srinagar, he said all of India was behind them. “As the country’s pradhan sewak, I have the opportunity to be with you here.
I have come to spend my first Diwali as prime minister with you,” he said. “The nation,” Modi said, “sleeps in peace because you are awake and prepared to make every sacrifice.” He said he had come unannounced to the glacier posts but “one does not need to announce arrival when coming to meet one’s own.” Pointing out that jawans had done exemplary work during the floods, the PM pointed to the inhospitable conditions at what has often been described as the world’s highest battlefield. “Till the time someone does not see these icy glaciers, he will not know the way our jawans work in the remotest parts of the country.
Many slept pulling over a white snow blanket. Someone’s body is recovered after 21 years. Don’t know how many such families are there, still waiting for their loved ones,” he said. The first PM in 10 years to visit Siachen, he then tweeted a series of pictures showing him mingling with jawans and sharing sweets and exchanging gifts with them.
In one tweet, he said, “Wished President Pranab Mukherjee a very happy Diwali from Siachen! I am sure this would be among the most unique greetings Pranab Da received.” Indian soldiers control almost all the dominating heights, ranging from 16,000 to 22,000 feet, in the Siachen glacier- Saltoro Ridge region, where more soldiers are killed due to harsh weather and avalanches than enemy fire. Around 900 Indian soldiers have been killed in the region since 1984, though casualties have come down drastically in recent years with India building better infrastructure there. Pakistan has lost even more soldiers in the region.
Arriving in Srinagar in the afternoon, the PM announced Rs 570 crore for repair of houses damaged during the September floods in the state and Rs 175 crore for renovation of six major hospitals which had also suffered damage. He said the financial help would be transferred directly to the bank accounts of the flood-hit. People of the state, he said, had demanded that the aid reach them directly, and he had assured them their demands would be considered.
Making a special mention of children who had lost their textbooks during the floods, Modi said he had directed the authorities to provide notebooks and other books immediately. “I met the locals, businessmen and other delegates and tried to take a closer look at issues pertaining to the flood-hit people,” he said. The J&K government had asked the Centre for financial assistance of Rs 44,000 crore for rehabilitation of the flood-hit.
In Srinagar, the PM met nearly a dozen delegations comprising representatives of political parties (among them the NC and PDP), flood victims and traders’ groups at the Raj Bhavan at Cheshmashahi.At the end of Modi’s visit to the state, home secretary Anil Goswami said the PM had stated that good governance, quick restoration of public infrastructure, revival of economic activity and creation of conducive environment for bringing tourists to the state was the key to bringing back normalcy.
The PM said his visit to Srinagar on the occasion of Deepawali will send out a signal that everything was fine in the valley and this would help promote tourism, Goswami said. The home secretary said the PM had reviewed work related to reconstruction and restoration of public infrastructure and held detailed discussions with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and J&K state officials to take stock of work on assessment of losses and steps taken for providing relief to the affected people particularly to meet the challenge of the impending harsh winter.
Goswami said the Rs 1,000 crore announced by the PM during his last visit to the valley had been released by the Central government. Meanwhile, the shutdown call given by various separatist leaders, including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, in the valley on October 23 received poor response. While private transport was plying as usual, public transport was partially off the roads. Shops and business establishments in areas such as Rawalpora and Airport Road were open.
No sweets offered by BSF to Pak Rangers on Diwali AMRITSAR (TIP):
In the wake of repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the LoC, the BSF has not offered sweets to the Pakistan Rangers here on Thursdsay on the occasion of Diwali festival. “In the light of present scenario with Pakistan, this time India has decided not to offer sweets to Pakistan on the eve of Diwali Festival,” BSF IG, Punjab Frontier, Ashok Kumar said. The step comes close on the heels of no sweets being offered on the eve of Eid festival by the Pakistani side. The message that India would not offer them sweets was already conveyed to Pakistan during the flag meeting at Indo-Pak Attari border on Wednesday evening, the IG said. There were repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistan along LoC as well as International Border in Jammu and Kashmir recently, he said, adding, therefore, offering of sweets to Pakistani counterparts was “totally out of question”. The two neighboring nations, for the past long time, on reciprocal basis, were following the custom of offering of sweets on various occasions like their Independence Day, besides on the occasion of their scared festivals.
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Bangalore rape: 3-yr-old told parents about ‘bad uncle’ in school
BANGALORE (TIP): When little Maya, 4, came home on October 21 afternoon, after Diwali celebrations, she was wearing her favourite ethnic outfit, and had tears in her eyes. She was feverish too. After lunch and a short nap, her mother sat her down and gently asked her what had happened. Haltingly,Maya (name changed) told her about a “bad uncle in school” who beat her. She showed marks of attacks on her body, but when she showed marks on her private parts, her parents realized things were serious.
Much more serious. During a meeting between parents and teachers at the school on Thursday, the girl’s class teacher repeatedly said the child was under her observation throughout the day, and denied such a thing could have happened. Maya had gone out of class twice, and was accompanied by a female caretaker both times, and all these things have been recorded on CCTV, she argued. However, at another meeting, when parents asked the school management if the teachers was aware of the girl’s whereabouts when the Diwali celebrations were on, there were no satisfactory answers.
They weren’t even sure if the student was in the classroom or play area at that time. This uncertainty raised suspicions that Maya was sexually assaulted during the celebrations. A police officer who was present during the proceedings, said officers at Jalahalli police station got information about the incident after they got a memo from another police station. After the parents took the girl to hospital, where sexual assault was confirmed, a memo was sent to the nearest police station, and then transferred to the jurisdictional police station. Police said the school has 77 teaching staff, of who 3 are male, besides 37 non-teaching staff. -
EC for e-postal ballot, proxy voting for NRIs
NEW DELHI (TIP): The Election Commission has told the Supreme Court that e-postal ballot and proxy voting options can be provided to nonresident Indian (NRIs). A committee set up by the poll panel to examine the feasibility of giving voting options to overseas voters submitted a report to the court this month. “The committee is of the view that e-postal ballot where blank postal ballot is transferred electronically to NRI and returned by post can be employed after validation of the process and pilot implementation in one or two constituencies and then scale up to Parliamentary elections if found feasible, practicable and meeting the objectives of free and fair elections,” the report said. The committee also recommended option of proxy voting to the electors overseas.
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India grounds entire Sukhoi-30 fleet
NEW DELHI (TIP): After the recent crash near Pune, India has grounded its entire fleet of Sukhoi-30 and each aircraft is undergoing a thorough technical check. Indian Air Force’s Wing Commander Simranpal Singh Birdi said: ‘The fleet has been grounded and is undergoing technical checks following the latest accident in Pune. It would be back in air only after a thorough check.’
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Black money: NDA moves to make names public, top politicians said to be on list
NEW DELHI (TIP): The NDA government has started filing charges against individuals having illicit accounts in overseas banks, clearing the way for disclosure of names of those who have stashed black money abroad, and triggering speculation that some prominent politicians may figure on the much-awaited list. Sources said that prosecution has been initiated against one foreign account holder, and will soon be extended to another 15-20 who are on the ‘HSBC Geneva list’.
Swiss authorities have confirmed the identities of the persons on the list. Launch of prosecution in these cases will meet the condition laid down by Swiss authorities that names of account holders can only be shared with courts after charges are framed. Prosecution proceedings by the income tax department triggered speculation about the identity of the foreign account holders, with political circles discussing names of a former Union minister and the son of another, a former MP with family links to a leading business house, and the scion of a political dynasty which is currently passing through a lean patch.
Significantly, finance minister Arun Jaitley did not deny the possibility of a former UPA minister being on the list. “I am neither confirming, nor denying. I am only smiling,” he said, attracting a hostile response from Congress. When pressed, Jaitley said, “If my opponent’s name is there, I will be very enthusiastic in declaring it.” Sources also said a fresh list of 19 persons having illegal accounts with Liechtenstein Bank will be shared with Supreme Court after Diwali.
This will be followed by another 20-odd names from the HSBC list. Launch of prosecution come amid resumed fight between BJP and Congress over black money. Congress latched on to the government’s stand in SC last week that it could not disclose the names of foreign account holders against whom charges were not framed to say that the Modi government had done a U-turn on the issue. BJP hit back, with Jaitley saying they were hamstrung by treaties signed by the UPA which forbade the government from disclosing names of those not facing charges. On October 21, Jaitley scaled up the retaliatory strike by saying that Congress would be embarrassed when the names came out.
The two sides traded fire again on October 22 with Jaitley saying, “In case charges are proved against some politician and he or she happens to be a member of a political party, the names will be made public.” It is learnt that the list shared by France of Indians having accounts in HSBC Bank, Geneva featured a few Congressmen and their scions with huge deposits at the time the list was leaked. Interestingly, a former UPA-2 minister, who was sent a notice to appear for questioning to explain his deposits, is believed to also have bank accounts in the UAE and later claimed that he had closed his Swiss accounts long ago.
The government has so far recovered Rs 200 crore by way of tax and penalty from the names shared by Germany and France that included account holders in LGT Bank in Liechtenstein and HSBC Bank, Geneva. The total assessed income in the two cases has gone over Rs 600 crore so far. While prosecution is being launched against many account holders in the HSBC case, the income tax department had filed cases against 18 persons in the LGT Bank case.
After the French government shared the HSBC Bank list having names of 700 Indians in 2011, the finance ministry had asked the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) to probe the case. DCI had questioned some top industrialists over deposits estimated to be upwards of Rs 800 crore. A few leading politicians, including the son of a former minister in UPA-2 and the son of an influential Maharashtra minister who faced a humiliating defeat in the recentlyconcluded assembly polls, were put on notice after their names figured on the list. The total tax and penalty in the LGT Bank case was estimated to go up to Rs 40- 45 crore, almost equivalent to the amount that had been spirited away by 19 Indians whose income has now been reassessed to Rs 40 crore, sources said. -
States get free hand in Clean India Mission
NEW DELHI (TIP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked officials to ensure as much freedom as possible for the states in the implementation of the Swacch Bharat mission he recently launched to make India clean by 2019. The move comes in the wake of failures of the Centre’s previous sanitation programmes ending in failure due to and alleged lack of flexibility given to the State governments, The Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) has been asked to make sure that the guidelines to be issued by it for implementation of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) should be ‘minimalist’, thus giving the State governments enough flexibility to tailor the programme to suit their local needs.
The SBM (Gramin) is the rural component of the programme the Union government launched on October 2 last to turn into reality the Prime Minister’s call to make India clean by the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in 2019. The MDWS has a target of constructing toilets in 11.11 crore rural households under the SBM (G) to make the country ‘Open Defecation Free’ by October 2, 2019.
This will cover 8.84 crore identified Below Poverty Line and Above Poverty Line households, which are eligible for incentives, 0.88 crore APL households and 1.39 crore households with dysfunctional toilets. The SBM (G) replaced the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA) programme which had been launched by the erstwhile UPA government after it restructured the Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) in 2012. The TSC itself had evolved from the Central Rural Sanitation Programme (CRSP) launched in 1986 and redesigned into demanddriven mode in 1999.
According to an internal note of the MDWS, the guidelines it would issue to the State Governments for implementation of the SBM (G) would only contain “certain minimum technical safeguards and financial best practices”. The State governments would be given flexibility to implement the programme through Panchayati Raj institutions, civil society organizations, community-based organizations and other nongovernment organisations. -
Gadkari says happy in Delhi; Stage set for Fadnavis as Maharashtra CM
NAGPUR (TIP): A potential crisis in Maharashtra BJP over the choice of leader for the post of chief minister seems to have blown over with Union minister Nitin Gadkari saying he has no differences with his colleague Devendra Fadnavis, considered as a front-runner for the post, and is happy in Delhi. “We have no differences. My political guru is Devendra’s father Ganghadharrao Fadnavis who was an MLC while I was instrumental in bringing Devendra into politics,” Gadkari said after Fadnavis called on him at his residence in Mahal area in the morning.
According to sources, the closed door meeting between Gadkari and Fadnavis apparently sealed the deal in favour of the latter. “I am happy in Delhi. Fadnavis is my colleague and came to meet me on Diwali,” Gadkari told reporters when asked whether he intends to return to state politics. Though Fadnavis has maintained that his meeting with Gadkari was to extend Diwali greetings, the duo met again at BJP’s regional office in Dhantoli area, with some BJP leaders and office-bearers in attendance, in late afternoon. The sources said that the central leadership wanted to nip the feud between the two leaders from Nagpur in bud and might have asked Fadnavis to visit Gadkari.
Though Gadkari had earlier clarified his stand about not returning to state politics, saying it was for the BJP’s central leadership to decide and that he would accept any responsibility given to him by the party, a group of 39 newly-elected BJP MLAs from Vidarbha region had met him here on Tuesday and pushed for him to be made the chief minister. Leaders present at the Dhantoli office,where Gadkari and Fadnavis stayed for some 15 minutes for Laxmi Pujan, said that they got clear indications that Fadnavis will emerge as a consensus choice for the coveted post.
Speculations about Fadnavis being the choice of the top party leadership for the CM’s chair started when Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during one of his rallies in run-up to state Assembly elections, had described Fadnavis “as Nagpur’s gift for Maharashtra”. After a group of 39 newly-elected BJP MLAs from Vidarbha region met Gadkari here on Tuesday and demanded that he be made the state’s CM, Nagpur-East MLA Krishna Khopde had yesterday offered to quit and vacate his seat to pave way for his mentor Gadkari.
Moreover, two more MLAs – Sudhakar Kolhe (Nagur-South) and Sameer Meghe (Hingana) – also offered to resign from their respective seats to pave way for the Union minister. Later, five independent MLAs -Vinayak Patil (Ahmednagar), Shirish Choudhary (Amalner), Ganpat Gaikwad (Kalyan-East), Mahesh Landge (Bhosari) and Ravi Rane (Badnera) – met both Gadkari and Fadanvis separately yesterday to offer support if the Chief Minister is chosen from Vidarbha region.
Though senior BJP leaders and Gadkari acolytes Sudhir Mungantiwar and Vinod Tawde had raised their pitch in favour of Gadkari, former national president of BJP, another senior leader Eknath Khadse expressed his displeasure over the “pressure tactics” of Gadkari. BJP has emerged as the single largest party in recently held Maharashtra elections pocketing 123 seats, including one won by its ally Rashtriya Samaj Paksha, but has fallen short of forming government of its own as it faces the shortfall of 22 MLAs in the 288-member House. -
16 cabin crew of Pak airline disappear in Canada
KARACHI (TIP): At least 16 cabin crew members of Pakistan’s national carrier have disappeared in the last five months in Canada after going there on international flights. Four cabin crew of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) last month failed to show up for their return flights after disappearing from the hotel in which the flight crew members were staying, Ary News channel reported. The channel said that a spokesman of the PIA had confirmed that in the last five months women cabin crew members had slipped away after flying to Canada on PIA flights.
“Disciplinary departmental action against those who have slipped away has been initiated by PIA while these staffers will also have to face action under international aviation laws,” the channel quoted the spokesman as saying. The cash-strapped airline has some 17,000 employees but just 36 aircraft, and 10 of them are grounded due to a lack of spare parts. Two Boeing 737-800 (180-seater) aircraft yesterday reached Karachi which have been acquired by the national airlines from Turkish airlines on a wet lease programme. Sources in the airlines said the slipping away of the PIA cabin crew highlighted the lack of discipline in the airlines and proper training. Last month, customs officials detained cabin crew members of the national airlines after they returned from an international flight and tried to smuggle new iPhone 6 models in their personnel baggage. -
Afghanistan captures two Haqqani commanders
KABUL (TIP): Afghan security forces said on Thursday they have captured two senior leaders of the feared Haqqani network, a hardline group behind sophisticated attacks on Afghan and Nato forces. Anas Haqqani, the son of the network’s founder Jalaluddin Haqqani, was arrested on late Tuesday along with Hafiz Rashid, another commander, by the National Directorate of Security (NDS), the Afghan intelligence agency, officials said. “We hope that these two arrests will have direct consequences on the network and their centre of command,” NDS spokesman Haseeb Sediqi told AFP. Anas played an important role in the network’s “strategic decision-making” and frequently travelled to Gulf states to get funding, Sediqi said. A statement from the NDS described Anas as having special computing skills and said he was “one of the masterminds of this network in making propaganda through social networks.” The Haqqanis have been blamed for spectacular attacks on Afghan government and Nato targets across Afghanistan as well as for kidnappings and murders.
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Nepal closes trekking route after 38 die in storm
KATMANDU (NEPAL) (TIP): Nepalese officials closed a section of a popular Himalayan trekking route on October 20 after rescuers, overwhelmed with last week’s snowstorms that killed 38 hikers, had to bring to safety new climbers who set out on the same mountain trails where the blizzards struck. The dead from the blizzards and avalanches that hit the upper section of the Annapurna Circuit in northern Nepal included foreign trekkers, local guides and villagers.
Most among the hundreds of trekkers who had been stuck in the snow have been brought to safety, and government official Yama Bahadur Chokhyal said rescue helicopters were winding down flights. As the weather cleared, new climbers were already making their way up the same trail despite obvious dangers, prompting the government to close the route, Chokhyal said. “Our rescuers and helicopters ended up having to bring down these new people while we were still trying to reach the ones who were stranded by the blizzard,” he said. “It was burdening and confusing the rescuers so they had to be stopped,” he said. The route was deemed unsafe and invisible in many sections because of the snow dumped by the blizzard.
The death toll from last week’s disaster — the worst in Nepal’s recent history — went up Saturday after a rescue helicopter spotted nine more bodies. Ram Chandra Sharma of the Trekking Agents Association of Nepal, who is also coordinating the rescue operation, said there were no immediate plans to retrieve the bodies believed to be of Nepalese porters at the Shanta pass area, located at an altitude of 5,100 meters (16,730 feet).
The steep terrain made it impossible for the helicopter to land to pick up the bodies, said Yadav Koirala from the Disaster Management Division in Katmandu. So far, 25 of the fatalities have been identified, including those from Canada, India, Israel, Slovakia, Poland and Japan. Eight of the dead were Nepalese. Thirteen others have not yet been identified, The snowstorms were whipped by the tail end of a cyclone that hit the Indian coast a few days earlier. The blizzards swept through the Annapurna trekking route and hikers were caught off-guard when the weather changed quickly. -
Madonna, queen of pop, opens school in Karachi
KARACHI (TIP): Queen of Pop Madonna’s school in Karachi has opened its gates to students. The 56-year-old “Material Girl” singer took to Twitter to announce that the Dream Model Street School has so far admitted 1,200 kids. Madonna tweeted: “The revolution of love continues in Pakistan! The Dream School is finally finished. 1200 kids attending. Knowledge…” Madonna announced last year that she was raising money to expand a school located in the outskirts of Karachi. The pop star also shared a photograph of girls studying in the classroom equipped with laptops. “Girls learning at the Dream School,” she captioned the picture.
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Robbers raid top Pakistan charity, steal $400,000
KARACHI (TIP): Armed robbers have raided one of Pakistan’s leading charities and stolen $400,000 in cash as well as five kilos of gold, police said on Monday. At least eight robbers struck at the Edhi Centre in the southern city of Karachi, taking several staff hostage and threatening the organizations’ revered founder Abdul Sattar Edhi at gunpoint.
Edhi, aged in his 80s, is one of Pakistan’s best-loved figures for his unstinting work providing ambulance services across the country and running shelters for women, children and the destitute. Police said the robbers broke into the centre, where Edhi also lives, on Sunday and took the mostly female staff hostage. Edhi, who has been on dialysis for the past year, was sleeping in his room and was woken at gunpoint by the robbers, who demanded the keys to the vaults. The philanthropist told the robbers he did not have the keys which were held by his wife.
The robbers then smashed the locks open. “Our investigation is going on but it seems that some insider was involved in the robbery,” Zahid Hussain, a police officer who is part of the investigation team, told AFP. The robbers made off with five kilograms (11 pounds) of gold ornaments and about $400,000 in cash, he said. The value of the gold has not yet been established. “The gold belonged to people who trust Edhi and gave it for safe keeping, while the dollars were kept to be paid by the charity on some account,” Anwer Kazmi, Edhi’s right-hand man, told mediaperson.
“It is a shameful act.” Edhi runs the largest network of ambulances in Pakistan and his charity organization provide shelter and food to thousands of orphans and homeless women. Always dressed in simple clothes of coarse black cloth, Edhi raises funds through donations from the affluent and through charitable drives during religious festivals. Last year both of his kidneys failed and he undergoes dialysis twice a week -
Sri Lanka military to return jewellery to Tamil civilians
COLOMBO: Sri Lankan military has identified 2,377 “legitimate claimants” to handback a considerable stock of gold and jewellery it seized in the final battle against the LTTE more than five years ago. Rejecting accusations levelled against it by the Tamil diaspora, the Lankan military on Tuesday said it has invited the rightful owners to contact the civil coordinating offices in the former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) regions to receive their items on verification of ownership. The military said a considerable stock of gold jewellery had been recovered from the Tamil Eelam Banks and Eelam Pawning Centres run by the LTTE.
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Pregnant Duchess Kate makes first public appearance
LONDON (TIP): Prince William’s wife Kate attended her first official royal engagement here on October 22 to greet the president of Singapore since it was announced that she is pregnant with her and the Duke of Cambridge’s second baby. The Duchess of Cambridge, who is just over 12 weeks pregnant, displayed her baby bump in a silver Alexander McQueen coat and Jane Taylor hat as she arrived at a central London hotel with her husband William as part of a historic state visit by Singaporean President Tony Tan Keng Yam.
She has been suffering from another bout of the rare form of morning sickness, hyperemesis gravidarum, and a series of royal engagements had been cancelled as she recuperated. Kensington Palace had issued a statement on Tuesday confirming that her second royal baby is due in April, 2015 and that the Duchess is now well enough to attend royal events again. Kate, along with William, second-in-line to the British throne, greeted the President and his wife Mary at the exclusive Royal Garden Hotel close to their Kensington Palace home, in central London, on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II.It is believed the last time the two couples met was in September, 2012 when the Duke and Duchess visited Singapore during their Diamond Jubilee tour of southeast Asia and the south Pacific.
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh also formally greeted the foreign leader and his wife at Horse Guards Parade. William alone will later join guests as the Queen hosts a private lunch at the Palace afterwards, followed by a tour of an exhibition of Singapore-related items, from the Royal Collection, in the palace picture gallery. It is the first time William and Kate have taken part in a state visit to this extent. The couple will not be at this evening’s state banquet, with the Duchess instead attending the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2014 awards at the Natural History Museum. Tan is the first Singaporean head of state to make a state visit to Britain and he will spend his four-day trip conducting a busy round of meetings, visits and hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister David Cameron. -
Canada to raise surveillance after attack on parliament
OTTAWA (TIP) : Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper pledged more surveillance and detention powers for security forces in Canada on october 23 after a gunman killed a soldier and rampaged through parliament before being shot dead. Addressing the house of commons just metres away from where the gunman, a reported convert to Islam, was shot dead on Wednesday, Harper said lawmakers would expedite new powers to counter the threat of radicals.
“The objective of these attacks was to instill fear and panic in our country,” Harper said. “Canadians will not be intimidated. We will be vigilant, but we will not run scared. We will be prudent but we will not panic.” Harper also pledged to speed up a plan already under way to bolster Canadian laws and police powers in the areas of “surveillance, detention and arrest.” The killing of the Canadian soldier was the second this week with a possible link to Islamist militants. A convert to Islam on Monday ran over two Canadian soldiers with his car, killing one, near Montreal, before being shot dead by police. US President Barack Obama has condemned the shootings and offered assistance.
“We are all shaken by it, but we’re going to do everything we can to make sure that we’re standing side by side with Canada during this difficult time,” he said. The attacks in Ottawa and Quebec took place as the Canadian government prepared to boost the powers of its spy agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. Public safety minister Stephen Blaney said last week the new legislation would let the agency track and investigate potential terrorists when they travel abroad and ultimately prosecute them.At the start of parliament’s session on Thursday, the guard credited with killing a gunman in Canada’s parliament received a prolonged standing ovation, reopening debate in the house of commons dressed in his usual ceremonial garb and struggling to maintain. -
4 more held for crash that killed Total CEO
MOSCOW (TIP): Russian investigators detained four more staff members on Thursday at the Moscow airport where the CEO of French oil giant Total died when his plane collided with a snow plough. Those detained include an intern air traffic controller, her supervisor, who was in charge of flights at the time, and the heads of the airport’s air traffic controllers and runway cleaners.Investigators had already detained the driver of the snow plough and a court hearing on Thursday was expected to sanction his arrest. Investigators named the detained intern as Svetlana Krivsun.
Russian media had reported earlier that the controller in charge of Christophe de Margerie’s plane was a trainee. “The investigation suggests that these people did not respect the norms of flight security and ground operations, which led to the tragedy,” the investigative committee in charge of the probe said. At the same time the Vnukovo airport announced the resignations of its general director and his deputy “due to the tragic event” after the management was accused of “criminal negligence” by investigators. Meanwhile, Neither of the two airport directors who resigned was detained by investigators, however.
Total on Wednesday named new bosses after an emergency meeting in Paris, bringing back Thierry Desmarest who was both chairman and chief executive at Total from 1995 to 2007 – as chairman of the group. afp Philippe Pouyanne, who currently heads the refining and chemicals division, was named as chief executive. In Moscow, French investigators joined a local team to probe the accident, which Russian experts said was caused by criminal negligence on the part of senior airport officials.
Three crew members were killed along with De Margerie. Investigators began analysing the jet’s black boxes, which record the flight history and conversations in the cockpit. Snowplough driver Vladimir Martynenko, accused by investigators of having been drunk on the job, arrived at a Moscow district court today for a hearing to decide whether to formally arrest him on the request of investigators. Martynenko told investigators in footage aired on Russian television that he had got lost. -
China slams US missile defence radar in Japan
BEIJING (TIP): The United States is damaging stability in the Asia-Pacific region by positioning a missile defence radar in Japan, China said on Thursday. Japan, an ally of the United States, has voiced growing anxiety over China’s more assertive posture in the East China Sea, where the neighbours are locked in a dispute over control of a group of uninhabited islets. North Korea has carried out a series of missile tests this year, including two medium-range missiles capable of hitting Japan.
Pyongyang has also threatened another nuclear test. Japan’s defence ministry has said an X-Band radar system was delivered on Tuesday to the US military’s communication facility in Kyoto in the western part of the country. It is scheduled to be fully operational by the end of the year. “Neighbouring countries pushing forward the deployment of antimissile systems in the Asia-Pacific and seeking unilateral security is not beneficial to strategic stability and mutual trust in the region,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular briefing.
“It is not beneficial to peace and stability in Northeast Asia.” Countries should not use “excuses to harm the security interests of other countries,” Hua added, describing the situation as “deeply concerning”. China has ratcheted up military spending in recent years, putting in place new submarines, surface ships and anti-ship ballistic missiles, which the US sees as a counter to its military presence in the region. US defence secretary Chuck Hagel has said two navy destroyers equipped with missile defence systems would be deployed to Japan by 2017 in response to provocations from North Korea. -
New Afghan president’s first foreign visit is to China
BEIJING (TIP): Afghanistan’s newly-elected President Ashraf Ghani has chosen China as his first destination abroad after taking over office, signifying Beijing’s influence in the war-torn country where the US troops are battling to control Taliban resurgence. “The visit by President Ghani to China is the first official visit since he took office. “It is also the first high-level visit between the two countries since the establishment of the new government of Afghanistan. The Chinese side attaches great importance to that,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chuying said on October 19.
Former world bank economist Ghani, who succeeded Hamid Karzai, will come to Beijing on a four-day visit starting October 28. Observers said that it is significant that Ghani chose the communist giant to be his first choice even as the US has significant military presence in the warravaged country, which shared a border with China’s restive Xinjiang province where the Islamic militants , stated to be trained in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s tribal areas, have been staging violent attacks for the past a few years. Ghani, 65, became president after clinching a power sharing deal with his poll rival Abdullah Abdullah who took over as Afghanistan’s chief executive. China, which is holding talks with neighboring countries India, Pakistan and Russia over the future course of action in the event of US troops leaving Afghanistan, is looking to expand its diplomatic engagement with Kabul by appointing a special envoy for Afghanistan. -
Britain warns citizens against proverbial Delhi belly this Diwali
LONDON: Britain has warned its citizens against the proverbial Delhi belly this Diwali. In an advice issued for travellers going to India to stay healthy during Diwali, Public Health England (PHE) and the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) said, “we would like to remind travellers from the UK visiting friends and relatives in the Indian subcontinent during the festivities of Diwali (23 October), to practice good food and water hygiene and to avoid insect bites.” PHE said visiting friends and relatives is still the most common reason for travel after taking holidays.
People who travel for this reason often travel for longer periods of time and usually stay within the family or friend’s home. They effectively become members of the local population while they are there and are consequently exposed to similar infectious risks. Dr Jane Jones, an expert in travel health at PHE, said, “We strongly advise all travellers to seek health advice before you travel, even if the country you are visiting is familiar to you or your family.
People who visit friends and family abroad are disproportionately affected by some preventable infectious disease such as enteric fever, hepatitis A and travellers’ diarrhoea.” The directions given to British cirizens are, “You should make sure you get the appropriate immunisations for your visit and you can reduce the risk of diarrhoea by following some basic food and water hygiene advice. Maintain good hand hygiene by washing hands after visiting the toilet, and always before preparing or eating food.
Use alcohol gel when handwashing facilities are not available avoid potentially risky foods such as salads, peeled fruit and vegetables, cold meats, ice cream, eggs and shellfish, avoid drinking tap water, including in ice.” Dr Dipti Patel, joint director at NaTHNaC, said, “Diseases spread by mosquitoes such as dengue fever and malaria may also be a risk. To reduce the risk of being bitten use recommended insect repellents and wear appropriate clothing – such as long sleeve tops and trousers to reduce the amount of skin being exposed. You should also check whether you need anti malarial tablets with your general practice, travel health clinic, or pharmacy.” -
Flights cancelled at UK’s Heathrow airport due to storm
LONDON (TIP): Air traffic in Britain was sent into a tizzy with UK’s largest airport cancelling over 100 flights due to stormy weather. The tail end of Hurricane Gonzalo, which caused damage in Bermuda this week, is set to arrive in Britain on Tuesday bringing gusts of up to 120 kilometres (75 miles) an hour in coastal areas. “There will be some cancellations, around 10 per cent of flights are affected at Heathrow,” a spokesman for the airport said.
“We do not know exactly how many passengers or flights that will have an impact on, although the cancellations are only expected for tomorrow.” British Airways said it had cancelled a number of flights and advised passengers to check their bookings online. Hurricane Gonzalo departed from Bermuda leaving power outages, downed trees, and damaged homes and buildings. NASA said recently that by October 20, posttropical storm Gonzalo was approaching the UK, sparking severe weather warnings.
Gonzalo is expected to affect Scotland on October 21 as an extra-tropical storm, packing heavy rains and gusty winds. The UK Meteorological Service issued a National Severe Weather Warning for the UK. “The remains of Hurricane Gonzalo are running across the Atlantic, reaching the UK on Monday night, bringing a period of strong winds to the UK.
The strongest winds are expected on Tuesday as the low pressure clears eastwards; some uncertainty remains in peak wind speeds but there remains the potential for disruption to travel, especially as the strongest winds coincide with the morning rush hour in places. Fallen leaves impeding drainage increases the risk of surface water affecting roads, while some damage to trees is possible, given that many are still in full leaf.” -
A Filmmaker and a Healer TIRLOK MALIK
Tirlok Malik is a film maker, to put it simply. “I am a student of cinema and I hope to continue telling immigrant stories”, said Malik speaking with me the other day. Let me be straight and direct. Malik’s films deal with the issues and conflicts, which come with the migration. He says, “Movies, which are thought provoking sometimes can provide the healing experience to the audience.”
On the location shooting of “On Golden Years”. With the photography director and two of his actors Indrajit Saluja and Lovllien KaurrLet me take you with Malik on his journey from “Lonely in America” to “On Golden Years”, his latest creation that is being premiered on November 1, 2014. As an immigrant, when we come in the search of American Dream, at times we find we are “Lonely in America.” After achieving and living the American Dream, we also realize if we want real “Khushiyaan” (meaning: happiness), we need to make time to visit our aging parents and family in India.
Now in “On Golden Years” (the time to retire), some of us have conflicts such as India vs America, contentedness vs regrets and places to retire etc. We need to come to terms with life as an immigrant: the retirement of the American Dream. Tirlok Malik (CEO of Apple Productions) is a New York Emmy Award nominated filmmaker. Apple Productions has produced many films since 1990 starting with its first pioneer film about Indian Americans, “Lonely in America.”
The film was shown in 74 countries as well as on HBO and participated in 37 film festivals, winning many Awards. Malik’s work as an actor and a filmmaker has been acclaimed in the international and national media, including The New York Times, Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Entertainment and other media. Apple Productions has line produced the USA portion of many Indian films starring actors such as Rajnikanth, Kamal Hassan, Surya, Sanjay Dutt, Manisha Koirala, Mithun Chakravarti, Raveena Tandon, Anupam Kher, Mammootty, Tamanna, Sunny Deol, and Kangana Ranaut and many more.
Malik’s medium is mainly visual. So, I will take readers of The Indian Panorama through a visual gallery of pictures to let them know the kind of people that he has been associated with in his long career in film making and theater. Incidentally, Malik is not only a film personality; he is a known and accomplished theater personality, too, having directed a number of plays and having acted in many more. He is a regular at Ramayana presentation at Metropolitan Museum of Art.
I saw him in the role of Bharat last year and was deeply impressed with his performance. He will be there again this year, on November 2, just a day after the premier of his latest film. Tirlok Malik has received a number of honors, appreciations and awards. He also received the Pride of India Gold Medal for his work as a filmmaker from the Indian Ambassador to the USA. In August 2007, Tirlok Malik was presented with the New York Citizens’ Award from the New York Mayor’s Office.
As an actor he has worked in many television series, and films. He has also done over 200 performances in New York theaters. Malik also founded the NRI TV Film Club, a platform for Indian and multicultural artists to create projects. Many local Indian American talents made their debut through his films. Malik’s dream is to create NRI-wood just like Hollywood and Bollywood. He invites everyone to join in his vision. Malik is also a restaurateur, bringing Ayurveda through his restaurant “Ayurveda Cafe” in Manhattan. Malik says, “I am a student of cinema and I hope to continue telling immigrant stories.”
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DEEPAVALI, THE ‘FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS’
Deepavali or Diwali period is celebrated universally by Indians residing globally. It has significance to all major religions of India.
Lord Rama’s return to Ayodhya from 14 years exile along with wife Sita, brother Lakshman, and devout Hanuman brought immense joy to the people who lighted lamps to illuminate the entire city
Lord Vishnu as Vaman avatar, rescued Lakshmi from the prison of King Bali who was banished to the underworld on this day
The Pandavas returned to Hastinapur after 12 years of banishment. Happy citizens lit earthen lamps in celebration
Bandi Chorr Devas, festival of Sikhs celebrates the release of their sixth guru – Guru Hargobind Singh from the Gwalior Fort along with 52 other Hindu princes in 1619
Foundation stone of Golden Temple was laid on the day of Diwali in 1577
Ashok Vijaydashmi celebrates the conversion of emperor Ashoka to Buddhism on this day with prayers and decoration of the monasteries
Diwali in Nepal is known as Tihar and celebrated with splendor
Lord Mahavira, the last of the Jain Tirthankar of the era, attained eternal bliss or release of the soul viz. Nirvana or Moksha on this day at Pavapuri on lunar Chaturdashi of Kartika on 15 October 527 BC.
According to the Kalpasutra by Archarya Bhadrabahu, 3rd century BC, many Gods were present there, illuminating the darkness with their divine light
Diwali marks the end of harvest season in most of India. Farmers pray for a good harvest for the year to come
Hindus pray to Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi to remove all the darkness and poverty from everyone’s lives, and to fill all our hearts with the sparkling golden light of peace, love, truth, and spiritual joy.
The illumination of homes with lights and the skies with firecrackers is an expression of obeisance to the heavens for the attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace and prosperity.
Deepavali delivers us from Darkness unto Light to commit ourselves to good deeds and thus approach divinity.
FIVE DAYS OF DEEPAV
DAY 1: Dhanteras/Dhanvantari Trayodashi Goddess Lakshmi is worshiped to provide prosperity and well being. Dhanvantri, physician of the Gods is remembered for health and hygiene.
DAY 2: Choti Deepawali / Narak Chaturdashi Naraka Chaturdasi marks the vanquishing of the demon Narakasur by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama. Narakasur and his mother Bhudevi or Mother Earth wished his death to be occasion for rejoicing, rather than mourning.
DAY 3: Main Deepawali / Lakshmi Puja Amavasya or new moon night marks the worship of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth in her most benevolent mood, fulfilling the wishes of her devotees. Lord Vishnu, in his dwarf’s incarnation, vanquished the tyrant Bali to rescue her. Bali was allowed to return to earth once a year, on this day to light millions of lamps to dispel darkness and ignorance, and spread the radiance of love and wisdom.
DAY 4: Pratipat / Padwa Puja / Govardhan Puja / Annakoot Mount Govardhan lifted by Lord Krishna on one finger formed an umbrella to protect people of Gokul from a deluge sent by Lord Indra. Annakoot means mountain of food. Prayers for plentiful are offered with obeisance to Lord Krishna on this day.
Day 5: Yama Dvitiya / Bhai Dooj Yamraj, the Lord of death visited and gave his sister Yamuna a boon that whosoever visits her on this day shall be liberated from all sins. Traditionally, brothers visit their sisters. Lord Mahavir, the founder of Jainism had attained nirvana, or heaven. His brother King Nandivardhan was very distressed, and was comforted by their sister Sudarshana. Sisters have been revered since, symbolized by Bhai Dooj. In India, respect for women is seen in every aspect of festivals and celebrations. The creator is shown as sublime, divine, feminine force of Shakti, venerated in several Goddess forms like Durga on a lioness, or Kali, the fiery dark Goddess of strength. The myriad Gods and Goddesses depict the undefinable and limitless dimensions and facets of eternal divinity
