Year: 2015

  • Facebook sets up safety check for Paris friends

    Facebook sets up safety check for Paris friends

    SAN FRANCISCO (TIP): Facebook launched a check-in feature to let people know that friends in Paris were safe after a series of bombings and shootings in the French capital killed at least 120 people on Friday.

    The “Paris Terror Attacks” safety check let people signal whether they were out of harm’s way, then notified all those they know at the leading social network.

    “Quickly find and connect with friends in the area,” a message at the Facebook Safety Check page read. “Mark them safe if you know they’re OK.”

    The feature also allowed people to check which friends listed as being in Paris had not yet checked in as safe.

    “We are shocked and saddened by the events unfolding in Paris,” a Facebook spokesman told AFP.

    “Communication is critical in these moments both for people there and for their friends and families anxious for news.”

    The death toll in the “unprecedented” series of attacks across Paris climbed through the night.

    Police said around 100 people were killed at the Bataclan music venue in eastern Paris alone, where one witness said an attacker yelled “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest). (Source :AFP)

  • RAJNATH TO VISIT CHINA, BORDER INCURSIONS ON AGENDA

    RAJNATH TO VISIT CHINA, BORDER INCURSIONS ON AGENDA

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Home minister Rajnath Singh will undertake a five-day visit to China starting November 19 to discuss border irritants, terror concerns and security liaisoning. Singh, who will be touring Beijing and Shanghai, is likely to enlist the Chinese government’s cooperation to choke illegal supply of arms to insurgent groups operating in India’s north-east.

    As per the schedule drawn up for Singh’s maiden visit to China as home minister, he will reach Beijing on November 18 and hold bilateral discussions over the next two days with his Chinese counterpart and others. The deliberations may seek to resolve the recurring issue of incursions by PLA troops into what India perceives as its side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Singh is expected to emphasize on the Chinese side to follow the laid-down mechanism for addressing border disagreements, including holding timely flag meetings between commanders on the ground.

    Singh, incidentally, has been taking a firm line on border incursions, apart from insisting on going ahead with the plan to build border roads in Ladakh as well as in the north-east. He had recently spent a night at an ITBP forward post in Ladakh.

    The home minister will spend two days in Shanghai, attending meetings on November 22 and 23. He will head back to Delhi on November 24.

    Singh will look to strengthen security liaisoning, seeking timely sharing of intelligence and follow-up action on leads between the two countries. He is expected to take up the issue of funding and sale of illegal arms to north-east insurgent groups.

    The issue of terror concerns is likely to come up during Singh’s deliberations with the Chinese government. China faces heightened threat from the Uighurs of its Xingjiang province, with some hardliners among them reportedly having joined the Islamic State (IS). India too is dealing with select instances of its youth being drawn towards violent extremism perpetrated by IS. The two sides are expected to exchanges notes on measures to deal with such threats.

  • This Rs 7 crore buffalo earns Rs 50 lakh per year

    This Rs 7 crore buffalo earns Rs 50 lakh per year

    NEW DELHI (TIP): With cow and cow protection hog the headlines these days it’s the buffalo which faces discrimination. In the Annual Buffalo Carnival in Hyderabad there’s a Murrah buffalo ‘Yuvraj’ which needs a special mention.

    This Murrah buffalo worth whopping 7 crore. Which means you can get two Audi R8 LMX  for the price of this buffalo and can still save money.

    Yuvraj is a handsome animal with oiled backward-curving horns, a smooth grey-black coat and a slim, bushy tail. It weighs 450kg, is 10ft long and 5ft 8in tall.

    Kurukshetra-based Karamvir Singh’s Murrah buffalo ‘Yuvraj’, has proven to be a cash cow for him as the bull’s semen is in great demand across north India.

    Yuvraj’s semen is now possibly the most expensive in India, sold at Rs.350 per dose. The earnings from the sale of this buffalo’s semem corss Rs. 50 lakh per year.

    This Murrah buffalo is the star attraction at the Sardar Utsav Mela in Hyderabad. It was brought from Haryana to participate in a buffalo carnival known as Dunnapothula panduga celebrated on the second day after Diwali.

    Sardar Utsav Mela the buffaloes are decorated with garlands of flowers, painted horns, and paraded among public.

  • SGPC set the precedent to appont killer as jathedar

    SGPC set the precedent to appont killer as jathedar

    CHANDIGARH: It is not for the first time that a convicted killer has been ‘appointed’ as jathedar of the highest temporal body of Sikhs — the Akal Takht. Ironically, it was the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which is now facing a similar situation, that had set the dangerous precedent in 1990.

    Serving life sentence for the murder of Nirankari sect leader Gurbachan Singh in 1980, Ranjit Singh was appointed as the Akal Takht jathedar in 1990 by the Shiromani Akali Dal-backed SGPC, then led by Gurcharan Singh Tohra. Though Parkash Singh Badal and Tohra were then on the same side, it was Tohra who had masterminded the move to get Akalis to group around him by proving his Jagtar Singh Hawara far-right credentials. In a curious replay of the earlier situation, former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh’s assassin Jagtar Singh Hawara has been declared as the Akal Takht “jathedar” by the radicals during their recent Sarbat Khalsa. Hawara, like Ranjit Singh then, is lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail and is serving a life sentence after his death penalty was commuted to life sentence by the Punjab and Haryana high court in October 2010. After appointing him as jathedar, Tohra, backed by the SAD and BJP, had lobbied hard for the release of Ranjit Singh and a petition seeking remission of his sentence was sent to then President KR Narayanan, who later signed the order commuting the remainder of Ranjit Singh’s sentence in November 1997 during the IK Gujral government at the Centre.

    Now, it’s the release of “jathedar Hawara” that is being sought by over 20,000 people through an online petition on the White House website seeking help of US President Barack Obama. The petition has been launched by US-based separatist group, Sikhs For Justice. However, unlike the 1990 precedent, now it is the SGPC which is at the receiving end of radicals’ religio-political move.

    Ranjit Singh was released after serving 13 years for murdering the Nirankari sect leader over a violent clash on Baisakhi day in 1978, when individuals at a Nirankari gathering in Amritsar had opened fire on protesters belonging to the fundamentalist Damdami Taksal led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and the Akhand Kirtani Jatha led by Fauja Singh.

  • Giani Pinderpal Singh ‘approached’ to head Akal Takht

    Giani Pinderpal Singh ‘approached’ to head Akal Takht

    The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) is contemplating to pick eminent Sikh kathavachak (preacher) Giani Pinderpal Singh (49) as the Akal Takht jathedar to replace the beleaguered Giani Gurbachan Singh.

    The development comes in the backdrop of the controversial decision taken at the radicals’ Sarbat Khalsa to ‘appoint’ former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh’s assassin Jagtar Singh Hawara as the Akal Takht jathedar.

    As per reports, speculation is rife in Sikh circles that a person like Pinderpal would be acceptable to Sikhs in India as well as abroad, be it moderate or hardliners, to head the highest temporal seat of the community.

    “A person like him (Pinderpal) can certainly help bring the Sikh community out of the current crisis, but it remains to be seen whether he would accept the post of the Akal Takht head or not,” said SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar, adding that it was premature to reach any conclusion.

    Pinderpal, who hails from Tharwa Majra village in Karnal (Haryana), lives in Ludhiana. Sources say he is being persuaded by the SGPC and other Sikh bodies to head the Akal Takht.

    In August 2008, he was approached by the SGPC to take over as the Akal Takht jathedar after the ouster of then jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, but he refused the offer.

    Talking to HT on the phone, Pinderpal said, “In the current situation, there is an acute deficit of trust and faith among the Sikhs. No Sikh believes in the other. Moreover, when there are two jathedars (one appointed by the SGPC, the other by the ‘Sarbat Khalsa’), it is very difficult for both to prove who is the real one.”

    Evading queries on being approached to head the Akal Takht, he said a priest could not be a leader.

    Pinderpal, a product of Gurmat Missionary College, Rupnagar, is known to focus on Gurbani rather than criticising the political set-up in Sikh institutions. Considered to be in the league of preacher Sant Singh Maskeen, he has a popular slot on a Punjabi TV channel for performing ‘katha’ daily at 9am.

    He got upset with the SGPC when he was told late last month to wind up his scheduled 10-day ‘katha’ on the fourth day because of his comments on the Panthic crisis, made at Manji Sahib on the premises of the Golden Temple.

  • Sedition case slapped on Sarbat Khalsa organisers

    Sedition case slapped on Sarbat Khalsa organisers

    AMRITSAR (TIP): Police registered a case of sedition on November 13 against the organisers of Sarbat Khalsa, or congregation of the Sikh faithful, in Punjab’s Chabha village on November 10 where controversial resolutions were adopted to replace the religious chain of command.

    The new Takht jathedars appointed at the event were also booked along with the key speakers under charges of sedition, promoting enmity between different groups, and sending offensive messages through communication services. The tough police action could fuel further unrest in the state.

    “A case has been registered as various anti-national and anti-social speeches were made during the function,” a senior official said confirming that an FIR was registered at the Chattiwind police station.

    Sikh hardliners SAD (Amritsar) chief Simranjit Singh Mann and United Akali Dal chief Mohkam Singh were the key organisers of the event where Giani Dhiyan Singh Mand, Bhai Amrik Singh Ajnala and Bhai Baljit Singh Daduwal were announced as interim jathedars of the Akal Takht, Takht Kesgarh Sahib and Takht Damdama Sahib, respectively.

    All of them, except Mann, are already behind bars as they were picked up by police for preventive detention soon after the event. Mann was also taken into preventive custody but was released later.

    Police are going through the contents of the speeches made at the event for further action, officials said.

  • Tipu row: tension grips parts of Karnataka

    Tipu row: tension grips parts of Karnataka

    BENGALURU (TIP): Three days after a VHP sympathizer was killed during violence in Madikeri, right-wing groups blocked roads in several parts of Karnataka and blocked traffic as part of a statewide protest. Skirmishes and stabbings were reported from several parts of the state on November 13.

    Chief minister Siddaramaiah ordered a magisterial inquiry by Mysuru deputy commissioner C Shikha into Tuesday’s violence that left two persons dead. AM Kunjappa, the stand-in Mysuru regional commissioner, had earlier been asked to probe the violence. Since a regional commissioner doesn’t have magisterial powers, the Mysuru DC, who is also a district magistrate, will conduct the investigation.

    Two stabbings were reported on Friday night from Mogaveerapatna and Ullal in Dakshina Kannada. The two persons injured in the attacks are stable. Police have arrested four persons for stoning a place of worship at Bunder. They have been identified as Manju, Sushanth, Guru and Nitin Shetty.

    Traffic on the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway was thrown out of gear as activists blocked it at different points. Protests were simultaneously held in Mandya, Srirangapatna, Maddur and other places. VHP and Bajrang Dal supporters disrupted traffic for an hour in Mysuru, Mangaluru, Tumakuru, Chitra durga, Shivamogga and Hassan districts, police said.

    Most parts of Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan and Dakshina Kannada districts came to a standstill. Bike-riding miscreants stabbed a youth on his back and hands at Golithottu in the Uppinangady police limits around 3pm. His condition is said to be stable. The victim was returning home after offering prayers when he came under attack, police super intending SD Sharanappa said. A sub-inspector reportedly suffered injuries in a stone-throwing incident at Puttur. Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner AB Ibrahim declared a holiday for schools and colleges on Saturday too, and extended the ban orders till 10pm on November 15. In Hassan, Sri Rama Sena chief Pramod Muthalik was arrested hours after a dozen people were injured in stone-throwing incidents in the town late Thursday night. The district administration has clamped prohibitory orders on Hassan town for four days.

    Forests minister B Ramanath Rai announced a Rs 5-lakh compensation to the kin of Harish, a resident of Sarapady, near Bantwal, who was killed by a car-borne gang on Thursday. In Bengaluru, rightwing groups staged a protest in front of Town Hall to protest the CM’s decision to celebrate Tipu Jayanti from this year. The celebration was held on November 10.

    The state BJP rejected the magisterial probe ordered by the CM. The opposition party demanded a CBI inquiry into the Madikeri violence, and a ban on Popular Front of India and Karnataka Forum for Dignity. The party said activists of these outfits were allegedly involved in the violence. “We will take up this issue in the legislature session starting next week,” said Jagadish Shettar. The CM blamed the BJP and RSS for the escalation of tension, and spiked suggestions of Kerala hitmen’s alleged involvement in the Madikeri violence.

    The current weather is a perfect foil to tourism in Kodagu, Chikkamagalur and Hassan, but tourists are having second thoughts on travel plans. Industry sources blamed it on Madikeri violence and traffic disruption.

  • Charlie Kay Chakkar Mein – MOVIE REVIEW

    Charlie Kay Chakkar Mein – MOVIE REVIEW

    STORY: Few mysterious killings lead the cops to a drug deal gone awry. The only way for the investigative officer (Naseeruddin Shah) to nab the culprits is by examining a found footage featuring those dead, shot days before the event.

    Charlie Kay Chakkar MeinMOVIE REVIEW: The video replays the incidents as they happened. As things begin to unfold, the cops realise there’s more to the aforesaid crime than meets the eye. They trace down a witness, who can solve the jigsaw puzzle but he fabricates his story. Who is the mastermind? Though the ‘whodunit thriller’ manages to hold your attention, solely for maintaining the suspense quotient, various factors go against it. For instance, non-linear narration, found-footage photography and inconsequential banter among the youngsters. Also too many characters make the plot convoluted.

    While a twist in the tale adds to the fun, excess of it, makes the film look tedious and far-fetched. While deceitful confessions and shocking revelations keep the tension mounting, an overdose of it kills the joy.

    Naseeruddin’s Shah clever (as always) acting, ably supported by Amit Sial and Anand Tiwari, makes this crime mystery gripping, despite the flaws. If you can keep a tab on the multiple characters and their ulterior motives, this one is quite unpredictable and keeps you guessing.

    A big delivery of ‘charlie’ is hijacked, and the ‘bhai-log’ behind it want their ‘powder’ and the people whodunit. Naseer plays the investigating cop, as he and his colleagues sift through some incriminating ‘found footage’ of a bunch of young people (Tiwari, Sial, Rachh, Arora and co) sniping at each other in some kind of an underground den with graffiti scrawled on it, and bodies sprawled in it.

    The film swings rapidly between the mobsters and the guys and gals being targeted by them, as well as the cops trying to unravel the mystery. Equally rapidly, you stop taking any of it seriously because the characters are busy acting away: even Anand Tiwari, who’s usually reliable, is reduced to mouthing lines, and Sial, who was so effective in ‘Titli’, becomes a blur of mannerisms.

    Matching the general tone, Naseer vamps away happily, nodding sagely and blowing smoke rings. He gets to be massaged by a luscious half-naked lovely, and spout some hilarious lines. One of them turns out to describe the film perfectly : ‘poori ki poori film chhod gaye hain, phir bhi samajh mein nahin aa raha kahaani kya hai.”

  • DEEPIKA, RANBIR GET PLAYFUL ON DIWALI DATE IN DELHI

    DEEPIKA, RANBIR GET PLAYFUL ON DIWALI DATE IN DELHI

    They lit up sparklers with childlike joy, added colour to a rangoli, tried their luck at cards and gorged on food — Bollywood stars Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone were in a festive and playful mood for Diwali.

    The Tamasha actors were in the capital on the eve of Diwali on Tuesday night to celebrate an evening of fun, frolic and festivity with select mediapersons. Deepika looked elegant in a beige and red sari by designer Payal Jain, while Ranbir sported a dashing look in a maroon kurta pyjama with a black printed Nehru jacket by Rohit Bal.

    They looked relaxed and were all smiles to light up diyas and ‘phool jhadis’; tried their luck at a game of cards and wished everyone a happy and prosperous Diwali. On Diwali day, Deepika said she will be with her family members in Bengaluru, and then be back in Mumbai in time to attend the annual party hosted by megastar Amitabh Bachchan.

    Ranbir too is excited about the festival, and said he would follow his family’s annual customs which involves going to the R.K. Studios and conducting a puja. He too will attend Big B’s bash at night.

    The actors are caught in the midst of promoting their forthcoming film Tamasha, directed by Imtiaz Ali. Interestingly, despite their split, the off screen chemistry between Deepika and Ranbir continues to be as amazing as their on screen camaraderie.

  • NO NOSY QUESTIONS FOR ANUSHKA SHARMA

    NO NOSY QUESTIONS FOR ANUSHKA SHARMA

    Her personal life is always under public scrutiny, be it her relationship status or marriage plans, but actress Anushka Sharma says she doesn’t like to open up about her personal life and “nosy questions” irk her.

    During a live Twitter chat session, when one Twitter user asked the actress about “one question you are tired answering in interviews”, she said she doesn’t like to be snooped around.

    The PK actress posted: “Don’t like nosy questions about personal life #6MillionAnushkaholics”.

    Recently, the actress had to release a statement to clarify that there’s no truth to news stories surrounding her
    “impending marriage” as she is in a happy place professionally. It was reported that she was planning to get married to India cricketer Virat Kohli. The actress, who is busy shooting for Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, also shared that NH 10 was the toughest movie of her career.

    She posted: “But it was equally rewarding too because of the appreciation it received from you guys.” It has been a mixed year for Anushka, who faced failure with Bombay Velvet and success with Dil Dhadakne Do. And the actress says she doesn’t regret doing any of the films in her career.

    “In life I only do things if I’m completely sure. Proud of all my films. taught me a lot,” Anushka said.

  • JULIA ROBERTS SUGGESTS KISSING FOR HAPPILY EVER AFTER

    JULIA ROBERTS SUGGESTS KISSING FOR HAPPILY EVER AFTER

    Actress Julia Roberts says the secret to a successful marriage is kissing.

    The 48-year-old spoke about her marriage of 13 years to cinematographer Danny Moder, 46, during an appearance on TV show Extra, reports dailymail.co.uk.

    The Eat Pray Love star discussed her married life when she sat down with Extra host Mario Lopez to talk about her film Secret In Their Eye.

    When Lopez asked relationship advice ‘for other… entertainment couples’ from the actress, Roberts made sure to clarity that her tip wasn’t just for “entertainment couples”.

    She eventually shared a simple advice: “I don’t know. Probably kissing, right?”

    Secret In Their Eyes is a film about an investigator who’s sudden case is her own daughter’s death, featuring Roberts as the lead.

  • ANGELINA JOLIE LACKS SLEEP

    ANGELINA JOLIE LACKS SLEEP

    Actress Angelina Jolie is happy to take a step back from acting to focus on her family, but admits she is lacking in sleep.

    The By the Sea star is happy to have taken more of a step back from acting in order to raise her six children with partner Brad Pitt and says the only thing missing from her life is a good rest, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

    “The children are so much a part of my life and Brad’s that we don’t worry or stress ourselves about not working more often.

    Brad still enjoys acting as much as he always has, and I’m fully supportive of him.

    “Acting is just not as important in my life as it once was and I’m very happy to be able to spend most of my time looking after our children.

    As her kids, Maddox, 14, Pax, 11, Zahara, 10, Shiloh, nine, and seven-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne, get older, Jolie is fascinated watching them growing and changing, and tries to spend as much quality time with them as possible.

    She told Britain’s OK! magazine: “It keeps getting more interesting watching them grow up and develop their personalities.”

    “They ask more and more questions and have such a great curiosity about life. It’s so beautiful to be a part of that. It takes up a lot of your time to look after a big family but I try and spend time with all the children every day. Spending time alone with each of them is important too,” she added.

  • Krishna Mehta wins suit against Kamlesh Mehta

    Krishna Mehta wins suit against Kamlesh Mehta

    HICKSVILLE, NY (TIP): Justice  Roy S Mahon of Supreme Court of State of New York handed out a verdict, November 11, 2015, in the case filed by Krishna Mehta, a Long Island CPA against Kamlesh Mehta, a former employee of Nassau County for recovery of the loan amount.

    The Judge ordered Kamlesh Mehta to pay$227, 606.40, plus interest, costs and disbursements.

    The Court  did not see any independent admissible evidence from Kamlesh Mehta on the collaterals and payments he said he had made to  Krishna Mehta.

    Krishna Mehta had sued Kamlesh Mehta for failing to repay a loan of $227, 606, for transactions dating back to the late 1990s.

    Kamlesh Mehta, a close associate of indicted Bethpage restaurateur Harendra Singh,, had recently resigned as Nassau County’s director of business and economic development, amid an examination by Newsday of his role in the county administration.

  • 7.0-magnitude quake hits off southwestern Japan, small tsunami reported

    TOKYO (TIP): A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Kyushu in southwestern Japan on Nov 14, triggering a minor tsunami in the southern part of Kagoshima prefecture, Xinhua reported.

    The strong earthquake jolted about 160 km southwest of Makurazaki, Kagoshima, at 5:51 a.m. local time (20:51 GMT on Friday) at a depth of about 10 km, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

    A 30-cm tsunami was observed on the Nakanoshima Island about an hour after the quake. A tsunami warning issued after the quake was lifted.

    The Nuclear Regulation Authority said no abnormalities were detected at the Sendai nuclear power plant in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima.

    The earthquake was reported as 6.7 on the Richter scale by the US Geological Survey.

    The JMA said that aftershocks with the seismic intensity of 3 on the JMA scale might happen in the following week.

  • German police find seven dead babies in apartment

    BERLIN (TIP): The bodies of seven dead babies have been found in an apartment in the southern German state of Bavaria, police said, adding that they wanted to question a 45-year-old woman who was the previous tenant of the property.

    Police were alerted by another woman who found the body of a baby in the apartment in the town of Wallenfels near the border with the Czech Republic on Thursday afternoon, they said in a statement.

    Police found six more bodies in the flat after a search.

    Investigators will hold a news conference on the incident later on Nov 13.

    “Forensic examinations have been carried out on the infant bodies since the morning,” the statement said, adding that the bodies were in an advanced state of decomposition. The results of forensic tests are expected early next week.

  • London’s iconic monuments light up in tricolour

    LONDON (TIP): The iconic monuments in the British capital bathed in the tricolour of India as a “unique tribute” to celebrate Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s maiden visit to the country.

    “A unique tribute to a unique relationship. Iconic London monuments bathed in the colours of India,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Vikas Swarup tweeted.

    The London Bridge and the giant ferris wheel on the south bank of the River Thames were illuminated with saffron, white and green colours as Modi and Cameron visited the river bank.

    Modi arrived here Nov 12 on his much-anticipated maiden three-day visit that started with talks with Cameron.

  • Indian-origin barrister sworn in as Judge in UK

    LONDON (TIP): Kalyani Kaul, a prominent barrister of Indian-origin who has handled high-profile cases, has been sworn in as a Circuit Judge in the UK.

    54-year-old Kalyani, who has spent much of the past 32 years defending serious and high-profile cases, is known for her extensive and wide-ranging experience in heavy-weight criminal defence work.

    She was called to the Bar in 1983 and became a Recorder in 2009. As a Recorder she prepared cases for trial and presided over hearings in county courts.

    She took Silk in 2011 — in order to “take silk” a lawyer usually has to serve as a barrister or a Scottish advocate for at least 10 years.

    Kalyani was sworn in as a Circuit Judge on Monday and will be sitting at Snaresbrook Crown Court with immediate effect.

    In the last 10 years, she has prosecuted offences of murder, manslaughter, serious sexual offences and fraud.

    Kalyani was the third highest-paid barrister in terms of legal aid payments in 2005. She studied law from the London School of Economics (LSE).

  • Indian-origin father killed wife, twins over family row in UK

    LONDON: An Indian-origin father who was found hanging here earlier this year strangled his wife and twin teenage daughters before committing suicide following a violent row over his in-laws allegedly “cheating” him out of money, a UK court has been told. Rethish Pullarkattil Kunjunny murdered wife Shighi Padmanabhan and his 13-year-old daughters Niya and Neha at their family home in Essex, north-east of London, in May. Two days later, the 44-year-old’s body was found near a reservoir in east London with a note which said: “My mother in-law cheated me.”

    During an inquest last week at Walthamstow Coroners Court, it emerged that in the week before the murders Kunjunny attacked 37-year-old Shighi following a dispute about a property in India. Detective Sergeant John Logan, who investigated the deaths, said: “She (Shighi) had been punched and kicked and she had done the same back in retaliation.”

    Then on the day of the murders, May 10, a friend went round to the family home in the afternoon when Shighi said the “marriage was over” and they would be getting a divorce. “During that visit Kunjunny said words to the effect of ‘if she wants a divorce that is what she can have’.

  • ‘Far better’ if Jihadi John faced trial than killed: CORBYN

    ‘Far better’ if Jihadi John faced trial than killed: CORBYN

    LONDON (TIP): With Islamic State executioner Jihadi John reportedly killed in a drone strike, UK’s leader of opposition Jeremy Corbyn today said it would have been “far better” if he had been held to account in a court of law.

    The American military was 99 per cent certain that Mohammed Emwazi, known as Jihadi John, had been killed in a drone strike in Syria.

    Downing Street and UK Ministry of Defence sources were marginally less certain in their response to the reports of his death than US sources, but added there was a “high degree of certainty that he has been killed”.

    Reacting to the reports, Labour Party leader Corbyn said, “We await identification of the person targeted in last night’s US air attack in Syria. It appears Mohammed Emwazi has been held to account for his callous and brutal crimes.” “However, it would have been far better for us all if he had been held to account in a court of law. These events only underline the necessity of accelerating international efforts, under the auspices of the UN, to bring an end to the Syrian conflict as part of a comprehensive regional settlement,” he was quoted as saying by The Independent. Emwazi, who speaks English and is believed to be born in Kuwait, was frequently seen in hooded hostage videos carrying out violent beheadings, including that of Britons. The UK government was notified of the operation and notified families whose kin was executed by Emwazi. Corbyn in the past has come under fire for his statements.

    He faced criticism for saying it was a “tragedy” that Osama bin Laden was killed by the United States rather than being put on trial.

    He had made the remarks shortly after the special forces raid on the al-Qaeda chief’s Pakistan compound in 2011. (Source: PTI)

  • UK’s Prince William and wife Kate to visit India next year

    UK’s Prince William and wife Kate to visit India next year

    LONDON (TIP): Prince William and his wife Kate will undertake their maiden visit to India next year, Kensington Palace announced on Nov 13.

    “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit #India in the spring of 2016, at the request of HM’s Government,” Kensington Palace said in a tweet.

    “It will be the first time The Duke and Duchess have visited the country. Further #RoyalVisitIndia details will be announced early next year!” it said.

    The royal couple, both aged 33, are likely to travel without their two children Prince George and Princess Charlotte on the trip, media reports said.

    The visit is set to be their first official overseas tour together since their three-day tour of New York in December 2014.

    It will be the first time William and Kate have visited the region, and as such they will undertake a broad range of engagements during their time in India, reports said.

    Although Prince William has never visited India before, his father Prince Charles has carried out eight official royal tours to the nation, the most recent being a nine-day tour of Dehradun, New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Kochi in November 2013.

    William’s mother Diana, Princess of Wales also visited India in 1992.

    Meanwhile other British royals to tour the region include Sophie Wessex, Prince Andrew and Queen Elizabeth II, who last travelled to India in 1997.

    The tour announcement came after the 89-year-old monarch met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for lunch at Buckingham Palace. (Source: PTI)

  • Use of torture for forced confessions still ‘rampant’ in China, claims Amnesty International

    Use of torture for forced confessions still ‘rampant’ in China, claims Amnesty International

    GUNEVA(TIP): Using torture techniques to extract confessions from suspects is still
    “entrenched” in pre-trial detention in China, a report has warned.

    Additionally, when lawyers have attempted to protest, defend or raise the issue of the torture of their clients, they have endured torture themselves.

    The report No End in Sight by Amnesty International revealed the widespread use of torture in the country.

    The human rights organisation interviewed 37 lawyers and analysed a sample of 590 court decisions to reach their conclusion.

    The report details various methods of pre-trial torture used, including beatings by police or other detainees on officer’s orders.

    According to Amnesty, ‘confessions’ form the basis of most convictions in China so there is “an almost irresistible incentive for law enforcement agencies to obtain them by any means necessary”.

    Legal experts are quoted saying how getting confessions through these methods are “entrenched” in pre-trial detention, most often in cases involving dissidents, ethnic minorities or those involved with religious activities.

    Torture techniques used, dubbed ‘medieval’ by The Guardian, are said to include iron restraint chairs, sleep deprivation, denial of food and water as well as ‘tiger benches’ —where an individual’s legs are bound to a bench and bricks are gradually added under their feet, forcing their legs backwards.

    Allegedly, when lawyers have tried to raise these issues it has resulted in them being threatened, harassed, detained or even tortured themselves.

    One former lawyer, Tang Jitian from Beijing told Amnesty when he attempted to investigate alleged torture at a detention facility in north-east China he was tortured.

    He said: “I was strapped to an iron chair, slapped in the face, kicked on my left and hit so hard over the head with a plastic bottle filled with water that I passed out.”

    These revelations have come despite supposedly promising steps from China in cleaning up their torture record.

    In 1988, China ratified the UN convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment of Punishment.

    However Amnesty claims they have “failed to bring domestic legislation in line with the obligations of the treaty.”

    Additionally, measures were introduced in 2010 to reform the country’s criminal justice system.

    According to Associated Press, despite the various reports and accounts, Chinese authorities maintain the practice of torture is declining.

    Following a previous report by Human Rights Watch in May, which found similar findings, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told the media Chinese law prohibits torture during interrogations and that anyone who had done so would be punished.

    Patrick Poon, China Researcher at Amnesty said: “In a system where even lawyers can end up being tortured by the police, what hope can ordinary defendants have?” “The government seem more concerned about the potential embarrassment wrongful convictions can cause than about curbing torture in detention.” He added: “If the government is serious about improving human rights it must start by holding law enforcement agencies to account when they commit abuses.” The report was released to coincide with a UN Committee Against Torture meeting which will review and scrutinise China’s practice of torture in Geneva next week.

  • Kurdish Iraqis enter Sinjar in push to oust IS fighters

    SINJAR(IRAQ) (TIP): Iraqi Kurdish militias battling to take back Sinjar from Islamic State militants raised a Kurdish flag and fired off celebratory gunfire in the center of town Nov 13, though US and Kurdish officials cautioned that it was too soon to declare victory in a major offensive to retake the strategic community.

    The Kurdish forces encountered little resistance, at least initially, suggesting that many of the IS fighters may have pulled back in anticipation of Friday’s advance. It was also possible that they could be biding their time before striking back.

    Kurdish militia fighters known as peshmerga launched a major offensive to retake Sinjar and succeeded in cutting a key nearby highway on Thursday. U.S.-led coalition airstrikes supported the offensive, dubbed Operation Free Sinjar.

    Peshmerga Maj. Ghazi Ali, who oversees one of the units involved in the offensive, said thousands of Kurdish fighters entered the town from three directions Friday morning. Associated Press journalists saw them raise a flag over a building in the center of the city.

    They encountered minimal resistance during Friday’s push, Ali said.

    “No one was fighting back. They placed some IEDs and had some snipers in position, but there were no clashes,” he said, using the abbreviation for improvised explosive devices, a military term for homemade roadside bombs.

    Gunfire fell silent as peshmerga fighters marched into the town. He described the situation in the city as still dangerous, however, and warned that it was too soon to declare victory.

    “I can’t say the operation is complete because there are still threats remaining inside Sinjar,” he said. The risks include ambushes from suicide bombers, roadside bombs and booby-trapped houses, he added.

    Iraq’s highest Shiite religious authority, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, praised peshmerga fighters in his Friday sermon for their efforts to capture Sinjar from the Sunni militant group.

    Col. Steven Warren, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition, confirmed only that peshmerga fighters raised their flag on grain silos in the eastern part of the town. He said they had not fully retaken Sinjar.

    There is reason for officials’ caution. An earlier attempt to wrest back control of the town, at the foot of Sinjar Mountain about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Syrian border, stalled in December. Militants have since been reinforcing their ranks.

    The fight to dislodge IS militants from the Kurdish town of Kobani in northern Syria, meanwhile, took about four months _ despite hundreds of U.S. airstrikes in support of the Kurdish fighters.

    Islamic State extremists overran Sinjar as they rampaged across Iraq in August 2014, leading to the killing, enslavement and flight of thousands of people from the minority Yazidi community. Its members follow an ancient faith that the Islamic State group considers heretical.

    The U.S. later launched an air campaign against the Islamic State militants, also known as ISIL, ISIS and, in Arabic, as Daesh.

    Hundreds of pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles carrying Kurdish fighters were seen gathering at the entrance of Sinjar earlier Friday ahead of a planned push into the town center.

    Diar Namo, the 26-year-old deputy commander of the peshmerga unit stationed there, said the skies above Sinjar were largely quiet overnight following intense coalition airstrikes on Thursday.

    From his frontline observation post, he said he saw little movement inside the city before Kurdish forces moved in.

    “We saw more than 50 Daesh (fighters) flee overnight,” Namo said, using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group, “Before there were only 200 to 300 in the city.”

    Officials with the U.S.-led coalition estimated there were between 400 and 550 IS fighters inside Sinjar before the offensive began Thursday.

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    Southeast of Sinjar, in the village of Soulag, four peshmerga fighters were killed when a homemade bomb targeting their truck exploded, according to fighters in their unit.

    Homemade roadside bombs and explosives-laden cars targeting peshmerga convoys significantly slowed Thursday’s advance through Sinjar’s eastern and western fringe.

    The blasts continued Friday. Just an hour after the first Kurdish forces entered Sinjar, an Associated Press team saw an explosion 700 meters (yards) from the northern edge of town.

    Ali said he will only consider the operation a success once Sinjar is completely free of land mines and homemade bombs.

    “We are waiting on the engineering team,” he said, referring to the teams of peshmerga who specialize in diffusing explosives. “Right now, it depends on them.”

  • PERIYAR TIGER SANCTUARY

    PERIYAR TIGER SANCTUARY

    Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, locating in Thekkady is the perfect example of nature’s bounty with great scenic beauty and rich biodiversity. In this astounding location of Kerala, the Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is considered as the most protected area for the elephants and the tigers. One of the most renowned national parks in South India, the Periyar National Park is set high at the Western Ghat ranges. The protected area is widespread along the area of 925 sq km (357 sq mi). The rest of 350 sq km (140 sq mi) of the core zone was declared as the Periyar National Park in the year 1982.

    The park is being adorned with a picturesque lake at the heart of the sanctuary which is an artificial 100 years old lake at Thekkady and is basically known for its wild elephants and thickly established Western Ghats forests. Many of the intense valleys of Periyar contain tropical evergreen forest with extremely thick tree cover with hardly any sun-rays to get penetrated. These trees are fully grown at the amazing heights of up to 130-140 feet. Some of the areas in the park contain marshy grasslands near the edges of the lake and other water bodies. Spread out across the park are also patches of semi-evergreen forest used as important cover by many of the animal species.

    History

    Earlier was under the reign of the Pandayas in 12th century a dam named Mullaperiyar was constructed across the west flowing river Periyar. As a result, it created an artificial lake in the area which today stands at the centre of the sanctuary, enhancing its beauty to greater extents. With the creation of this lake, the landscape and the features of the valley changed drastically.

    During the 18th and 19th centuries, the reserve was the hunting ground of the Travancore kings, which is today the part of most of the Southern Kerala. In 1899, the area was declared as a forest reserve called the Periyar Lake Reserve with an intention of protecting the hunting areas of the kings from the encroachment of tea plantations. Further, in 1934, the lake reserve was converted into a game sanctuary, the Nellikkampatty Game Sanctuary. The Game Sanctuary covered an area of about 500 sq km. In 1950, some more area was added to create the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. In 1978, the sanctuary was included in the Central Government initiative to be known as the Project Tiger and was renamed as

    In 1992, the reserve also became a part of Project Elephant when it was launched by the Central Ministry of Environment and Forests to protect the free ranging populations of wild Asian elephants in various states of India.

    Wildlife in Periyar

    PERIYAR1Apart from Elephants, the other animals can be found in the Periyar Sanctuary are, Wild Pigs, Sambar, Gaur, Mouse Deer, Dole or Barking Deer, Indian Wild Dog and Tiger. There are, now estimated counts of 40 tigers in the Periyar National Park. The major four species of primates are also found at Periyar – the rare lion-tailed macaque, the Nigiri Langur, Gee’s Golden Langur, Common Langur and Bonnet Macaque. Periyar is also being considered as the habitat of the elusive Nilgiri Tahr, which can rarely be seen but commends its presence.

    Flora

    The Periyar Tiger Reserve consists of tropical evergreen, semi- evergreen and moist deciduous forests. Its legal status as a National Park is still pending and only one notification has been issued. It was declared as Project Tiger Reserve in 1978 and the first research for its status was tracked in 1991. The research followed 49 species of mammals, 246 species of birds, 28 species of reptiles, 8 species of amphibians, 22 species of fishes and 112 species of butterflies.

    The terrain of Periyar ripples with lofty peaks of over 1700 meters bordering the north and east. Towards the west, it merges into an extensive table-land of Mount Plateau with an average elevation of 1200 meters. From the edge of this plateau, the land falls steeply to the thickly forested tracts of Sabarimala hills in the Pamba River basin.

    Attractions

    The wildlife lovers and the tourists can enjoy excursion at the zone of the sanctuary and can visit Cradomom Hills and Pandalom Hills that bring the most splendid Kerala’s natural beauty along with visiting the town of Kumily which is a growing town to fetch the spice trades in Kerala, which is the major occupation of its residents. Besides, these two fascinations the tourists can also enjoy boat cruising at the famous Periyar Lake. With boat cruising, the tourists can get to visit the wilds of Periyar Wild Sanctuary by the water’s edge.

    Tourist Places

    Periyar LakePeriyar Lake – the Periyar Lake is situated at the sanctuary area and the reserve is named after this lake only. The tourists can enjoy the full scenario of the sanctuary by boating around this lake.

    Kumily

    A small town near Thekkady and Periyar which is best known for cardamom hills located in the district of Idukki in Kerala. Due to the abundance of presence of holy temples this place attracts both the nature lovers as well as the spiritual people.

    Mangla Devi Temple – the Mangla Devi Temple is located at the distance of 15 kms from the region of Thekkady. With ancient Pandian type architecture at the height of 1337 m on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, the temple attracts many pilgrims. Prayers are conducted in this 2000 years old temple only once in a year on a full moon day in between the month of April and May

    Pullumedu

    Located at the distance of 43 kms from Thekkady, Pullumedu is the area famous for wildlife sanctuaries and greeneries. Besides, tourists can also get to visit Shri Ayappa Temple and the Makara Jyothi temple at this region.

    Safari 

    In Periyar one can find tremendous ways to catch the wilderness of the sanctuary. The availability of Jeep Safari, elephant safari, and most charming boat cruises at Periyar Lake will bring the wildlife experience more rewarding. Find the best part of the Boat Cruises here:

    PERIYAR2Boat cruises calls the best option to check out the wilds of Periyar Sanctuary. Today the Periyar Lake is adorned with an excellent boating spot for the tourists. Although it is unusual to see many animals from the boats, still you spot a family of Elephants, Wild Boar, and Sambar Deer by the water’s edge along with some water-bodies. The upper deck is best for wildlife viewing when taking a boat cruise, but better turn up half an hour early to get the best seat. To maximize the chances of sighting, the tourists can also take the 7.00 am boat. Besides, they can also book for their own boat (on renting).

  • CHHATH POOJA

    CHHATH POOJA

    Chhath is a Hindu festival celebrated each year by the people very eagerly. This is very antique festival of the Hindu religion dedicated to the God of energy, also known as Dala Chhath or Surya Shashti. People celebrate this festival to offer thanks to the Lord Surya for blessing the life on the earth as ever. People worship the God Sun very enthusiastically and pray for the well-being, success and progress of their family members, friends, and elders. According to the Hinduism, Sun worship is related to the cure of a range of diseases such as leprosy, etc.

    The rituals at this day is to wake up early in the morning, take a holy bath in the Gange and keep fast for whole day, even people do not drink water and they keep themselves standing in the water for a long time. They offer prasad and aragh to the rising sun. It is celebrated in the various states of India like Bihar, UP, Jharkhand and Nepal. According to the Hindu calendar, it is celebrated at 6th day of the month of Kartika (month of October or November).

    At some places, Chaiti Chhath is also celebrated in the month of Chaitra (March or April) few days after Holi. It is named as chhath because it is celebrated at the 6th day of the month of Kartika. Chhat puja is very famous in the Dehri-On-Sone, Patna, Dev and Gaya. Now, it is celebrated all over the country.

    History and Origin

    Chhath puja has a great significant in the Hindu religion and it is assumed that the oldest Purohits were requested by the kings to come and perform the traditional puja of the Lord Sun. They chant the ancient Rigveda texts and a variety of hymns for worshiping the Sun. In the ancient, Chhath puja were celebrated by Draupadi and Pandavas of Hastinapur
    (New Delhi) for solving their instant problem and regaining their lost kingdom.

    It is also assumed that the Chhath puja was first started by the Surya Putra Karna. He was a great warrior and had ruled over the Anga Desh (Munger district of Bihar) during the Mahabharata period.

    Worship of Chhathi Maiya (consort of the Lord Surya) is held at Chhath puja, Chhathi Maiya is also known as Usha in the Vedas. Usha means dawn (the first light of the day). People pray to Chhathi Maiya to overcome their troubles as well as to get the Moksha or liberation.

    Another history behind celebrating the Chhath puja is the story of Lord Rama. It is considered that Lord Rama and Mata Sita had kept fast and offer puja to the Lord Sun in the month of Kartik in Shukla Paksh during their coronation after returning to the Ayodhya after 14 years of exile. From that time, chhath puja became the significant and traditional festival in the Hindu religion and started celebrating every year at the same date.

    Chhath Puja Katha

    A long year ago, there was a king named, Priyabrat and his wife Malini. They were living very happily but there was a big unhappiness in their life as they have no child. They decided to make a big Yagya by the help of Maharishi Kashyap in order to be blessed with a child. His wife became pregnant because of the effect of Yagya. But she had given birth to a dead child after nine months. King was very sad and decided to suicide. Suddenly, there came a Goddess in front of him while suicide. Goddess said that, I am a Goddess Khashti, if someone would offer puja to me with pure mind and soul, he would definitely get a child. The king, Priyabrat did the same and blessed with a very beautiful and cute child. Since then, people started celebrating the chhath puja.

    Rituals and Traditions 

    It is believed that worshipers of the Chhath take holy bath and follows a period of abstinence and become separate for 4 days from the main family. Throughout the period he is believed as the pure spirit and sleep on the floor having single blanket. There is a normal belief that once a family begins Chhatt Puja, he has to perform it yearly as well as pass it to his next generations and it can only be skipped when there is a death of any person in the family that year.

    Devotees offer prasad to Sun at the Chhath such as sweets, Kheer, Thekua and fruits included in a small bamboo tokari. The prasad should be cooked without salt, onions or garlic with maintained purity. It is a four days festival which includes:

    On the first day, devotees take bathe early in the morning in the holy water of Gange and bring some water to their home to prepare the offerings. The home and its surroundings should be cleaned at this day. They take only one meal a day known as kaddu-bhat cooked only by using the bronze or soil utensils and mango woods over the soil stove.

    On the second day (the day before Chhath), Panchami, devotees keeps fast for whole day and break their fast in the evening after sunset after the worship of Sun. They offer Rasiao-kheer, puris, fruits in the puja. After taking meal in the evening, they go on a fast without water for the next 36 hours.

    On the third day (day of Chhath) they offer the Sanjhiya Arghya at the ghat of riverbank. After Arghya, they wear the single saree of turmeric color. Other family members are waiting for getting the blessings from worshiper. At the night of Chhath a vibrant event of Kosi is celebrated by lighting the lamps of clay diyas under the covering of five sugarcane sticks. The five sugarcane sticks indicate the Panchatattva
    (earth, water, fire, air and space) that human body made of Panchatattva.

    On the early morning of the fourth day (Paarun), devotees along with their family and friends offer Bihaniya Aragh at the ghat of riverbank of Gange. Devotees end their festival through breaking the fast by having the Chhath prashad.

    Stages of Chhath Puja

    There are six great stages of the Chhath puja which are:

    • The belief of fast and cleanliness of body on the festival identify the detoxification of the body and mind in order to set up the body and mind to accept the cosmic solar energy.
    • Standing in water with half of the body inside the water diminishes the escape of energy as well as facilitates the prana to elevate to the sushumna.
    • Then the entrance of cosmic solar energy takes place in the pineal, pituitary and hypothalamus glands (known as the Triveni complex) by the retina and optic nerves.
    • In the 4th stage Triveni complex gets activated.
    • After activation of the Triveni complex, spine gets polarized and body of devotee gets transformed into a cosmic powerhouse and gets the Kundalini Shakti.
    • At this stage the devotee is fully able to conduct, recycle and pass on the energy into entire universe.

    Benefits of Chhath Puja

    • Devotee of the Chhath puja can improve the immunity of body.
    • A variety of skin infections can be cured through the safe radiations of sunlight.
    • It increases the fighting power of blood by improving the performance of WBC.
    • Solar energy provides the power to control the secretion of hormones.
    • Daily sun meditation relaxes the body and mind. Pranayam, yoga, meditation are also the way to improve the control on body and mind. Pilgrims comes at Varanasi for a peaceful yoga and meditation at the bank of river Ganga.

    Significance of Chhath Puja

    Chhath puja has a special significance during the Sunrise and Sunset periods. The Sunrise and sunset are the most important periods of the day during which a human body can safely get the solar energy without any harm. That’s why there is a myth of offering the Sanjhiya Arghya and Bihaniya Arghya to the Sun at the Chhath festival. During this period the solar energy has low level of ultraviolet radiations so it is safe for the human body. People perform the Chhath puja in order to thank the Lord Sun for continuing the life on the earth as well as to get blessings.

  • BJP VETERANS REVOLT AGAINST MODI, SHAH AFTER BIHAR ELECTION DEBACLE

    NEW DELHI (TIP): n the first major political repercussion from the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) debacle in the Bihar assembly election, a quartet of veteran party stalwarts came out openly against the BJP leadership on Tuesday, calling for a “thorough review” of the influence being wielded by what they called “a handful”.

    Former deputy prime minister L.K. Advani, former education minister Murli Manohar Joshi, former finance minister Yashwant Sinha and former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Shanta Kumar said the Bihar election result showed that no lesson has been learnt from the “fiasco in Delhi”—a reference to the February Delhi assembly election, where the BJP won only three out of 70 seats.

    The statement, which named no names, was clearly directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah who led the party’s campaign in Bihar. Advani, Joshi and Sinha have in the past, too, been critical of the party leadership.

    “To say that everyone is responsible for the defeat in Bihar is to ensure that no one is held responsible. It shows that those who would have appropriated credit if the Party had won are bent on shrugging off responsibility for the disastrous showing in Bihar,” the four leaders said in a letter circulated to the press.

    The four leaders said the main reason for the Bihar drubbing “is the way the Party has been emasculated in the last year”.

    “A thorough review must be done of the reasons for the defeat as well as of the way the Party is being forced to kow-tow to a handful, and how its consensual character has been destroyed.”

    Without naming anyone, they said, “This review must not be done by the very persons who have managed and who have been responsible for the campaign in Bihar.”

    Sinha signed the letter on behalf of the four.

    The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance managed to win only 53 seats in the 243-member Bihar assembly, as the Grand Alliance of the Janata Dal United, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress party swept to a two-thirds majority. Following the defeat, Bihar BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha complained that the BJP’s election campaign sought to exclude local leaders like him.

    Throughout the campaign, the BJP failed to name its chief ministerial candidate, leaving Prime Minister Modi to lead the campaign. The Prime Minister addressed no less than 30 election rallies and BJP president Amit Shah 76 in the course of the campaign.