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Dharavi's encyclopaedia - Rajesh Prabhakar

Written By Unknown on August 31, 2013 | 8/31/2013

People who know him have stopped using Google. "They just call me up," says Rajesh Prabhakar, breaking into a wide smile. The "researcher" is amused at how locals in Dharavi, where he was born and has spent most of his life, expect him to know minute details about train schedules or school admissions. His real expertise lies in guiding crews of international news and documentary films around in one of the world's largest slums. But to residents of the area, it may seem that a man who speaks flawless English and mingles with foreigners would, like the most popular search engine, have all the answers.

Having navigated Dharavi's tricky roads ever since he learned to walk, the 41-year-old can cover key areas of the 175-hectare slum in just two hours. Since 2006, he has worked with teams from television channels including BBC, Discovery, National Geographic, CNN, Channel 4 and Sky News. He arranges for transport, accommodation, meals and just about anything that an out-of-town crew might need to shoot a story. He also lines up interview subjects for international writers and journalists, who only have to approach him with an outline of what they are seeking. His connections stretch to countries including the US, Britain, Australia, South Africa, Russia, Colombia, China and Japan.

The mild-mannered man, usually stays in the background, is not used to being the centre of attention. Joseph Campana, editor of the recently-released Dharavi: A City Within, was generous in his praise of Prabhakar, saying "there would be no book without Rajesh. His inexhaustible knowledge of the place and the people was an inspiration to everyone who worked with him." After he found a mention in the book and some newspapers, Prabhakar's sister called to ask "What do you do really?" He was not sure how to explain then but seems to have figured a way since. "You could say I sell stories. It's a good job." He himself can't explain what his work is and opts for a simple 'researcher'.

He is strongly-built with a swarthy complexion and a proud moustache. In a black cotton shirt, blue jeans and tough brown boots, carrying a rain-proof rucksack, he looks like a plainclothes policeman.

Prabhakar can gain entry into areas that are off limits to most visitors, like the pottery workshops of the usually reticent families in Kumbharwada. Even those who have not interacted with him, know him as the muchchad who is often accompanied by foreigners. Nicknamed Dharavi's encyclopaedia, he can set up appointments with a variety of characters - a Tamil SMS-poet who is a celebrity on Mumbai-Chennai trains, a cobbler with an MA degree, a B-boy dancer from the bhangari community, which exchanges vessels for old clothes, or a member of the water mafia. Since he started working as a researcher in 2006, he has created a mental register of about 3,000 residents. "Everyone has a story. So Dharavi has a million stories."

The allure of poverty has led many outsiders to attempt decoding the slum. They are struck by the harmony of residences and industry, notes Prabhakar, adding that Indian filmmakers or reporters are not as interested in the state of affairs there. According to him, international TV units are also smaller, more efficient and time-conscious. Journalists and documentarians keep in touch from their countries. Prabhakar's knowledge is no longer limited to Dharavi. Recently, he assisted Emmy-winning Canadian documentarian Sturla Gunnarsson in filming the various moods of monsoons across India.

Unwittingly or intentionally, he has even featured in some of these documentaries. He didn't know he had been filmed while driving English TV presenter Daisy Donovan around Mumbai until a friend from Britain called him after the telecast. During the shooting of a show on India's obsession with fairness, when a shopkeeper simply could not understand what he was required to do, Prabhakar stepped in behind the counter and introduced the various creams to viewers. Almost every travel show doing a segment in Mumbai makes a stop at Dharavi and Prabhakar has assisted in nearly all of them.

His research is born from incessant ground-level investigation. When crews are filming in the area, his day starts before the sun is up and ends well after it has set. On free days, he walks about the slum, talking to locals and collecting experiences. To win their confidence, he solves problems or pays them small rewards. As a kind of disclaimer, he adds: "It is not out of any political aspirations. I just pay in return for their help." While we are in Kumbharwada, a potter asks if Prabhakar can enrol him in a part-time English-language course. Another points at a family member and jokes, "Rajesh bhai, isko America ya kidhar bhejo (Send him to America or somewhere)." A lot of his sources have featured in various documentaries. Apart from getting them remuneration for their part, he keeps tabs on them and the developments in their neighbourhood.

There are many who want to be like him. His advice is: be genuinely interested and always keep your eyes open. As if to demonstrate, he shows us a colourful mural on the shutter of a tiny shop on the extensive 90-feet road in Dharavi. "Look at that painting. On the way back I will locate the artist and find out more about his work." Getting people to confide in you is a long-drawn process that requires persistence, he says. He can speak 10 languages including chor bhasha, a code language used in Dharavi.

He was born in Dharavi to a chemical factory worker and a housewife. He grew up there at a time when Vardarajan Mudaliar's clout was at its peak and alcohol was brewed in the lanes right outside his home. While he can afford it, he does not want to move out of his 150-sq ft transit camp flat, which he shares with his mother. He divides his time between Dharavi and Thane, where his wife of six years stays with her family.

Prabhakar says he has always been a man of the arts. Some time in the late 1990s, the humanities graduate had worked as a commercial artist for companies in west Asia. His monthly salary then was equal to what he earns for a single day's work now. He is keen on photography, harbouring dreams of being a warzone photojournalist. He picked up the skill from his uncle and later joined the Photographic Society of India. When he struggled to land a role in Indian newspapers, he did odd jobs for a local TV channel and various NGOs, where he began guiding international donors and visitors. The contacts formed at the time have helped shape his current profession.

He plans to make a documentary on the slum soon, and experiences such as handling the costliest video camera, Red Epic, are bound to come in handy. All his creative instincts - with the camera, drawing and sound - are put to use now. "Plus, I am my own boss."

As we leave the slum, the human search engine that is Prabhakar too sets out into one of the many little lanes; his strides determined to gather more tales.

via http://www.business-standard.com

Over 8,000 Indians Apply for One-Way Trip to Red Planet; Where to Apply

The number of Indians, who have applied for one-way trip to Mars, has surged from 1,800 to 8,000, as the deadline for registration draws nearer.

The last date to apply for 'Mars One' mission is 31 August.

Mars One is a non-profit organisation which is operating to set up a human colony on the Red Planet by 2023.     

One can click HERE to apply for the one-way trip to mars.

India is the fourth country with highest number of applicants after US, China and Brazil.

The list of top 10 countries with number of participants are US (37,852), China (13,124), Brazil (8,686), India (8,107), Russia (7,138), Britain (6,999), Mexico (6,771), Canada (6,593), Spain (3,621) and Philippines (3,516) as on 22 August, Aashima Dogra of 'Mars One' told PTI.

As the last date to apply for the mission nears, the organisation has received applications from more than 1,65,000 people, but out of that only four will be able to leave for the Red planet in September 2022.

"The Mars One Application Program is turning out to be the most desired job vacancy in the world. People from over 140 countries are looking towards the final frontier and envisioning their life on another planet," she said.

Out of the thousands, only 40 of them will be selected for training and from that the organisation will select four people - two men and two women for the final trip, who are expected to land on the Red Planet in April 2023. Anyone above 18 years can apply for the project.

via http://www.ibtimes.co.in

Toyota's Camry Hybrid Launched; Priced at Rs.29.75 Lakh in India

Toyota Kirloskar Motors (TKM) on Wednesday launched India's first locally manufactured hybrid car Camry Hybrid in the country with a price of Rs.29.75 lakh.

The car, which is powered by the new hybrid exclusive 2.5 petrol engine with an electric motor, will be manufactured at TKM's local plant in Bidadi, Bangalore. Currently, the company has ten manufacturing units across the country and Bangalore will become its eleventh unit.

The Camry hybrid runs on Hybrid Synergy Drive which can sense and change the source of power from petrol engine to electric motor. It claims to offer a mileage of 19.16 kmpl. The car will be available in Grey Metallic, White Pearl Crystal Shine, Silver Metallic and Attitude Black colours.

"The Camry Hybrid is India's first locally manufactured hybrid vehicle...It is our endeavour to offer the best vehicles with most advanced technology to India. Toyota is a pioneer in hybrid technology and thus we were very keen to manufacture the all New Camry Hybrid in India as well. This is in line with Toyota's global philosophy to encourage the use of hybrid vehicles across the globe, for a greener tomorrow," said TKM Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Hiroshi Nakagawa.

Apart from the latest Camry hybrid, TKM also markets Prius car in India. The Prius, which is brought as completely built unit (CBU), attracts a custom duty of 100 percent.

Talking about the objectives of introducing hybrids cars in India, Sandeep Singh, deputy MD and COO, marketing and commercial, TKM said "Our main objective behind introducing this product in India is to further generate awareness on hybrid technology amongst Indian customers. The New Camry Hybrid is an ideal combination of a luxury sedan and hybrid technology. The new Camry Hybrid will definitely distinguish our customers as responsible citizens."

via http://www.ibtimes.co.in

Murphy baby married to Mandakini

Remember the iconic picture of a baby in the print ads of Murphy radio, way back in the 1970s and 1980s? Here's the real identity of the toddler. He is Kagyur Tulku Rinpoche and also happens to be the husband of the '80s star Mandakini. Rinpoche currently resides in Andheri, Mumbai.

While many remember his adorable picture, surprisingly Rinpoche admits he has no recollection of shooting for the ad anymore.

He says: "I was three-years-old and used to reside in Manali. Everyone in Manali knew about the ad. The makers wanted me in the ad, as the original Murphy baby who was a girl had died. They were looking for someone identical."

Incidentally, post the ad, Rinpoche moved to a monastery and became a monk for the next 20 years. He never pursued modelling as a career and after shifting to Delhi, got married to Mandakini.

He says, "It was such an iconic ad that even today when I tell some people they remember the baby and are surprised that it was me."

The two shifted to Mumbai 17 years ago. Rinpoche states that he and his wife are now in the process of co-directing a film titled The Lost Country.

Their aim is to take the issue of Tibet on an international level and they have even done research on it for the last three years.

He says, "We are casting for the film right now. Once that is done, we will take the film on the floors." 

via http://movies.ndtv.com

Japan's bad education

Under the current education system, Japanese students devote most of their effort to memorizing facts needed to pass exams. Even kindergarten students sometimes go to afterschool cram schools to prepare for elementary school entrance exams.

They have little opportunity to think critically or develop their own ideas. Faced with crushing stress and monotony, students often act out. While outside observers tend to think of Japanese schools as academically successful, the Japanese themselves have long understood their educational system's shortcomings and tried to fix them-albeit unsuccessfully.

In the early '70s the Japan Teachers Union, alarmed by a surge in classroom violence, bullying, truancy and suicides, began to push a new system known as yutori, or breathing space. It aimed to reduce school-related stress by giving students the freedom to freely exercise their imagination, develop intellectual curiosity and grow into valuable talent.

That was a noble goal, but the result was quite the opposite. Many teachers demonized competition, suppressed individuality, punished intellectual rigor and encouraged mediocrity in the name of egalitarianism. At school sports events, students who could sprint faster had to stop and wait so that everyone could cross the finish line hand-in-hand. Textbooks were dumbed down-the mathematical constant pi was reduced to just "3"-and classes trudged at turtle pace, adjusting to slow learners.

In order for the yutori reform to succeed, teachers needed to establish an environment where students could freely ask questions, express their opinions and explore new ideas. But many teachers failed to do so because they did not know how to encourage individuality while avoiding favoritism. Their solution: force everyone to act the same.

via http://newsonjapan.com

Mirror, mirror on the wall: Using the face to read one’s fate

Official poster for the upcoming film “The Face Reader”
Some people turn to psychics or crystal balls to learn their future, but many Koreans believe that all they need to see what lies in store is a mirror.

Fortune-telling has a longstanding history in Asia dating back thousands of years, yet it is not necessarily perceived as a pastime practice or mere hocus pocus folklore. Many methods of fortune-telling such as tarot card and palm reading are still a common practice in Korea ― not only among the elderly, but among young people as well.

However, aside from cards and palms, phrenological interpretation or fortune by face reading is a practice that not only determines one’s personality traits purely based on analyzing facial features: The complexities of one’s face are said to be able to determine one’s future.

“The Face Reader” is an upcoming Korean film set in the Joseon era (1392-1910) starring Song Kang-ho as Nae-gyeong, the son of a disgraced noble family, whose talents in physiognomy (known as “gwansang” in Korean) lands him in the middle of a Royal Court murder investigation. Nae-gyeong is asked to use his skills of reading people’s faces to catch the murderer as well as personally assist the king in identifying traitors.

Everyone’s face is unique. It is thought by some fortune-tellers that different aspects of the face cover different areas of the personality, and that race, culture and ethnicity are irrelevant in terms of the methods and the techniques of determining one’s fate.

In many Western cultures, there is a common perception that looking into one’s eyes can tell a lot about one’s character ― eyes are the windows to your soul. However, according to fortune-tellers in Korea, it is not the eyes, but rather the ears that actually tell the most about a person.

“Since you listen to others with your ears, you can tell through looking at the ears whether or not a person is spiteful or good-natured and if they are respectful to other’s opinions,” said Lee Heon, fortune-teller at the fortune-telling establishment Goonghap Story. “You can also tell whether they are strongly opinionated … even whether or not they have a good sex life.”

The nose, on the other hand, represents the self. For example, the nose is thought to represent a person’s ability to earn money. Therefore, the higher the bridge of one’s nose is, the more money they are expected to earn.

Contrary to popular belief, according to the practices of phrenological interpretation, one’s destiny is not set in stone and can be altered. But although some who find bad fortune may seek to change their future’s path by fixing their outer appearance, this has little to no effect on the core of one’s fortune, Lee said.

“Changing one’s outward appearance by surgery does not completely change a person’s fate, because just like trimming off a few leaves from a tree doesn’t have an effect on the roots itself, surgery is only changing the outside,” said Lee. “I have never in my career recommended anyone to get plastic surgery in order to change their fortune. One can always change their fate by personal effort.”

Unlike tarot card reading, which takes years of experience and study in the field in order to properly read someone’s fortune, anybody can learn the techniques of phrenological interpretation and be able to read a person’s face, according to fortune-teller Kim Moon-jeong.

“In face reading there is something called the ‘12 gung,’ which is a guide to how we tell one’s fortune and personality through different parts of the face,” said Kim.

For example, “myeong” is the space between the eyebrows and represents luck and hope while “nojogung” is the chin and represents what a person’s job is going to be, or what they will be doing when they are older.

“The central part of a person’s forehead represents the person’s relationship with their parents,” said Kim. “Right below the eyes, called the ‘namnyeogung,’ represents children, relationship between men and women and even one’s kidney health.

“The harmony of the features on one’s face is the most important for good fortune,” Kim explained. “Someone could have a very lucky nose, but if it is out of balance with the other features on their face, they can’t properly receive all of the blessings.”

There are no set guidelines or rules that clarify a certain-sized nose, a particular face shape, hairline or any facial features that are considered the most “ideal” or said to bring the greatest fortune to a person. But rather it is on an individual and case-by-case basis that is determined by the proportions and symmetry of one’s face that create a balance.

“I can often just look at a person’s expression, feel their energy, and gain the majority of information about them,” said the fortune teller. “The face is the ‘cave of the spirit’ and we can see what kind of life someone has lived just by looking at a person’s face.”

via http://www.koreaherald.com

"U.S. intervention in Syria will be a disaster for the region," Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
President Hassan Rohani's election victory in July was widely seen as an opening for improved relations between Iran and the United States. Rohani took a relatively moderate position on policy issues during his campaign, pledging to improve ties with the West and try a different approach in negotiations over Iran's contentious nuclear program.

That was welcomed by Iranian voters keen on seeing international economic sanctions lifted, and by many U.S. lawmakers open to talks that could prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

Patrick Clawson, director of research at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, says a U.S. intervention in Syria would considerably complicate such efforts.

"A military strike is likely to highlight the serious differences between the United States and Iran about developments in Syria," Clawson says. "That is more likely than not to complicate matters for reaching an agreement between the United States and its international partners with Iran about the nuclear impasse."

'A Disaster'

In turn, Iran's continued backing of the Syrian government, its main regional ally, could abruptly end any talk of lifting economic sanctions. This is because military intervention in Syria would be retaliation to a toxic gas attack the West believes was carried out by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

"It would be very difficult for the United States to agree to a lifting of sanctions on Iran if Iran is perceived as providing vital support to a regime that uses chemical weapons," Clawson says.

The Iranian leadership has denounced possible military action against the Assad government, which is also a lifeline for the militant Shi'ite group Hizballah, Iran's proxy in neighboring Lebanon.

"U.S. intervention will be a disaster for the region," Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in addressing Rohani's cabinet on August 28, according to state television. "The region is like a powder keg; its future cannot be predicted."

Any fallout from U.S. military action in Syria would depend on the extent of the intervention, Clawson says. The repercussions of surgical strikes against specific regime targets will complicate matters less than an ongoing U.S. campaign to oust Assad.

Especially Sensitive

Rohani has taken a more cautious approach. He has condemned the use of chemical weapons in Syria, without placing blame, while joining Russian President Vladimir Putin in an August 28 telephone call stressed the need for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

But in keeping with Iran's hard-line position, General Masoud Jazayeri, deputy in chief of Iran's armed forces, on August 26 warned that any U.S. intervention in Iran would be a "red line."

"The U.S. is aware of the limit of a red line in the Syrian front, and any crossing of the Syrian red line will have severe consequences for the White House," he was quoted as saying by Iran's Tasnim news agency.

Many observers doubt that such consequences would include military retaliation by Iran. The issue of chemical weapons hits close to home in Iran, who had forces and civilians gassed during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War, and the thinking is that Tehran would not respond with force to a brief and targeted strike.

But any military action would strengthen the position of Iran's hard-liners, who oppose talks with the United States and could drown out voices of moderation within Iran if Syria is attacked.

In order to protect its interests in Syria, Iran's leadership could opt to step up clandestine efforts in Syria by creating new proxies or calling upon existing groups such as Hizballah to fight for its interests.

"I would make it very difficult for him to call for greater relations with the West in the short term," Ghanem Nuseibeh, founder of the London-based political risk-analysis group Cornerstone Global Associates, says of the immediate political impact for Rohani.

"One of his main mandates, as far as international policy is concerned, becomes undermined as a result of really not being able to sell to the hard-liners in the government the importance of greater or closer relations with the West."

via Payvand News

Court on a bus in Taliban-hit Pakistan

Sweat pours down Judge Fazal Wadood’s back as he sits behind a desk inside a custom-built green bus that is the latest weapon in the battle against Taliban influence in Pakistan.

The $98,000 vehicle, whose striped awnings make it more reminiscent of a giant fast food van than an arm of the state, allows Judge Wadood to preside over Pakistan’s first mobile court.

Boasting a portrait of Pakistan founding father Muhammad Ali Jinnah — and an air conditioner that struggles to fend off the intense summer heat — the bus is designed to go directly to the people, resolving their daily disputes in some of the most remote and dangerous parts of the country.

The aim is to cut down the backlog of cases in ordinary courts dating back years — a situation that has bred frustration, fuelled support for the Taliban and increased calls for Islamic sharia law at the expense of the government.

It is part of a $15 million project — 25 percent bankrolled by the government in the northwest and the rest by international donors — to strengthen the judicial system and state institutions.

Musarat Shah, a 72-year-old widower locked in a five-year land dispute, is one of the first on board the bus, which has the white crescent and star of the Pakistani flag emblazoned on its side.

“Justice delayed is justice denied,” says Shah, furious with the slow pace of the regular court system.

“Multiple commissions were held. One commission finished and demanded another commission, and it was taking us nowhere.”

Wadood summons a group of mediators, who agree to go off and inspect her land, then sets another hearing for a week’s time.

Shah, exhausted and slightly baffled, appeared to reserve judgement on whether the new court would actually help.

The bus has been set up by the high court in the northwestern province Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where a six-year Taliban insurgency is concentrated, and the UN Development Programme.

“Strengthening the judicial system and the legitimacy of state institutions is one of the main ways to counter the influence of non-state actors,” Marc-Andre Franche, the head of UNDP in Pakistan, told AFP.

Eight judges and 18 lawyers have been trained in conflict resolution to find quick solutions in simple cases that risk dragging on for years, clogging up the creaking judicial system.

On one day — with the bus stationary in a car park in the Hayatabad suburb of Peshawar — Wadood together with a registrar and stenographer tapping away on a laptop, handled nearly 30 cases.

“Our work is speedy mediation between two parties in property conflict, family problems and other problems we face in daily life,” says Mohammed Osman Khan, chairman of the arbitration council.


But the mobile court faces major challenges if it is to succeed and authorities are to decide whether it is worth rolling out further courtroom buses.

One is the jirga system, traditional gatherings of tribal elders who typically mediate similar disputes at a local level.

Human rights organisations criticise their decisions as arbitrary which, for example, can include women being given away in marriage.

Hayat Ali Shah, director of the judicial academy in Peshawar, believes the two systems can operate side by side.

“A civil litigation in KPK (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) comes to the court only when jirga and all efforts have failed. So hopefully there will be no competition,” he told AFP.

He is hopeful that the bus initiative can take off.

“If you plant a beautiful tree in your lawn and it produces very fine fruits, so everybody living in the neighbourhood… will request a branch to plant in his lawn. So if this bus gives good results, I hope we will have many other buses,” says Shah.

But it remains unclear how many villagers will opt for the mobile bus rather than the traditional jirga system, and if so how quickly.

The other major complication is security. So far, the mobile court has limited its work to the suburbs of Peshawar. Even there, an armed police escort is necessary.

Taliban-led insurgents carry out near daily gun and bomb attacks in the northwest that have killed thousands in recent years.

The authorities are trying to agree on extra security precautions for when the bus travels to more dangerous parts of the northwest, away from the heavily protected city of Peshawar.

But Wadood, for one, is not afraid of death.

“The law and order situation in our country is the worst now but… there are also problems of security in the (normal) judicial complex, so we don’t fear to work here or there,” he said.

via http://tinyurl.com/p6b8lan

Darkest Day in Pakistan Hockey

Karachi: Pakistan s former hockey Olympian Shahnaz Sheikh said that Pakistan s exclusion from the World Cup on Friday, after the green-shirts lost to Korea 2-1 in Asia Cup semifinals in Malaysia, is the  Darkest Day  in Pakistan hockey history.

The green-shirts needed a title triumph in Asia Cup to salvage Pakistan s glorious past and secure a place in the World Cup. But a 2-1 defeat from Korea in semifinals, has dashed all hopes for Pakistan of reaching the World Cup. The World Cup 2014 edition will miss the green-shirts for the first time since its inception in 1971.

It is the  Darkest Day  in the history of Pakistan hockey. We have been the pioneer of the most important spectacle of hockey, where we reached the finals for six times and clinched it four times. It is very depressing for me to think of Pakistan not being the part of next year s World Cup,  Shahnaz Sheikh lamented.

Shahnaz said that the semifinal match against Korea exposed our team s poor planning and management.

Pakistan was favorite in the match because Korea has not been at its best. Korea started defensive but our team never took advantage of it as there were no proper planning and management,  Shahnaz said.

He further said that Pakistan had the possession of the ball of around 57 percent and yet they failed because the team played under pressure and they were not properly led.

Pakistan wasted their energy early in the match and Korean side exhausted our team. The management should have directed our players properly so that they could have put a proper show throughout the match,  he said.

Shahnaz recalled that the former Olympians raised a hue and cry after Pakistan ended at the bottom-rock 12th place in the 12-nation World Cup in 2010 but no one listened to them.

When we protested against the team s lowly performance in 2010, no one listened to us. And now, after three years, team s performance has fallen instead of improving, so it must be concluded that we had been right in our demands then,  Shahnaz said.

If we had been listened after 2010 World Cup debacle, then the whole nation didn t have to face this day,  he said.

via http://pakistan.onepakistan.com.pk

8 Issues to Think About Before Bombing Syria

There are eight main issues that the West should consider before bombing Syria:

1. What are the intervention goals?

All statements coming from Western leaders — particularly the U.S., Britain and France — suggest a narrow focus on chemical weapons rather than action designed to sway the overall trajectory of the conflict in Syria. Beyond a perceived sense of the need to "do something," the intention seems to be to send a signal on chemical weapons to deter further use in the Syria arena and reinforce a global norm alongside an apparent goal of restoring Western credibility. Washington, in particular, seems to have been convinced that if it takes no action on its own "red line" threat, it would be a sign of weakness and send a signal that it has replaced a gung-ho policy with a gun-shy one.

Less than 1 percent of casualties in Syria are even being attributed to chemical weapons claims. If there is a plan involving military action to reduce the suffering of Syrians and improve the situation, then presumably that would be aired irrespective of proof of chemical weapons use.

Nevertheless, any action will have consequences well beyond the chemical weapons issue, so any proposed action should also be measured against broader criteria of prospective implications for Syria and broader regional issues, including sectarian escalation, refugee flows and instability in Iraq and Lebanon, radicalization and diplomacy with Iran.

2. The chemical weapons dilemma

The West will try to influence the military balance in Syria if there is a strike, but there is a danger that the options under consideration could make the situation worse in Syria, in the region and for the prospects of crisis management diplomacy.

If chemical weapons have been used in Syria, preventing its further use doesn't suggest that Syrian casualties will be reduced, given that at least 99 percent of deaths are not attributable to chemical weapons.

3. The problem with evidence

Western powers may now be convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the Assad regime has deployed chemical weapons. Yet that determination has not been made in a sufficiently robust way. It must at least be taken seriously and acknowledged that there is a degree of conviction with which some non-Western actors are making a counter case — whether that be in Russia, China, Iran or elsewhere in the region and the world, notably on a who-benefits basis.

The suggested irrefutability of the Western claim is undermined by the fact that United Nations inspections have not had sufficient time to determine who might have used chemical weapons in Syria. It is worth remembering that the UN inspectors on the ground — a development that the West pushed for hard at the UN — are ostensibly in Syria to review claims of chemical weapons use from five months ago. Western leaders would therefore appear to be on shaky ground in claiming that an investigation of chemical weapons use from five days ago is too little, too late.

4. The legality challenge

In addition, the legality of military strikes against Syria in the absence of authorization by the UN Security Council is questionable at best. There does not appear to be any basis to claim that military action is being undertaken in self-defense. While the use of chemical weapons undoubtedly violates international law, this does not mean that a coalition of countries has the right to take punitive action without the authorization of the UN Security Council. Therefore, the only possible legal basis for action lies in the disputed notion of humanitarian intervention.

Whatever legal arguments are advanced, an attack on Syria would inevitably fuel the belief around the world that Western powers are willing to act outside the Security Council when they wish. Military action would help reinforce the international norm against the use of chemical weapons but arguably undermine the norm against the use of force without Security Council backing. Every time that Western countries bypass or act outside the Security Council, international legality and collective security is undermined.

5. The military dynamic of Western intervention

The signals from Western leaders suggest that any military action would be limited in scope and duration. But it will be difficult for Western powers to limit their strikes to being one-off. It can also be self-defeating if the goal is to deter and restore credibility.

What if Syria uses chemical weapons again? The Syrian opposition, whose main goal for a long time has been to draw in Western military intervention, would do everything to make claims of new atrocities and to provoke Assad.

6. Impact on the trajectory of the Syria conflict

The conflict can get worse for Syrians, even more destabilizing for the region and can generate new threats to Western security.

The regime has not yet unleashed all the firepower it has. The rebels will undoubtedly see this as an opening to a more extensive Western military intervention and will calibrate their actions and public relations efforts accordingly.

In terms of domestic opinion in Syria, the Assad regime does not benefit when U.S. missiles are dispatched from offshore locations and appear over their skies, especially if there are civilian casualties.

Finally, how will this impact the flow of refugees? There is already a devastating refugee crisis that is stretching the coping mechanisms of neighboring states. The possible impact on the refugee situation cannot be a secondary consideration.

7. Impact on the region

The current Western debate on Syria is taking place in the absence of a broader strategic conversation on prioritizing what matters most for Western interests in the Middle East. The default position is to place the emasculation of Iran as the top priority item, despite growing evidence that the greatest threat from the region is a cycle of sectarian escalation with Syria at its core. This sectarian violence is fueling radicalization, threatening to increase the level of anti-Western jihadism across the Greater Middle East.

An attempt to rethink Western powers' Middle East policy should therefore focus on a strategy, the center point of which should be regional de-escalation, requiring more, not less, diplomacy with those with whom the West disagrees, notably Iran and Russia. It is hard to see how a military escalation can serve this goal. But it is easy to see how it would further squeeze the space for sectarian de-escalation.

8. A diplomatic alternative

Until now, most Western policy debate has navigated between military-lite and diplomacy-lite options. Military-lite is what is under consideration now, but pushing harder on diplomacy is what the West should be doing.

In the immediate term, a diplomatic alternative might include working to expand the UN mandate for chemical weapons inspectors. Pushing Russia on this issue will play to an area in which Russia might be highly defensive about. Russia's position is stronger in opposing military force. The West should insist on obtaining clearer evidence on chemical weapon use in advance of further discussions at the Security Council. This would build on the positions that Russia, China and Iran have taken against chemical weapons use to push Assad on inspectors.

via: The Moscow Times

Northern Railway Line in Sri Lanka tested before next month`s opening

Sri Lanka Railways (SLR) authorities today conducted a test run on the Northern Railway Line which is currently being re-built from Vavuniya to Kankasanthurai, in Jaffna peninsula.

The train left the Omanthai railway station at 9.30 this morning and it reached Kilinochchi railway station at 10.10 a.m. Sri Lanka Railways sources said.

The train ran on the newly built track up to a speed of 100 km per hour.

The last passenger train on this line ran on January 19, 1985. Tamil Tiger terrorists bombed the Yal Devi train at Kokavil on that day killing 34 people and destroying the train tracks. The attack effectively ended the north-south rail transport.

Sri Lanka will officially launch the train service on the Northern Line up to the former rebel stronghold on September 14, Ministry of Transport announced.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa will launch the train service to Kilinochchi and he will also declare open the newly built Kilinochchi Railway Station.

Kilinochchi was the capital of the de facto state run by the Tamil Tiger terrorist outfit Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The Sri Lankan Army captured Kilinochchi in 2009.

Minister of Transport Kumar Welgama and other Ministers as well as the senior officials of Ministry and Sri Lanka Railway are to participate in the ceremony.

Sri Lanka`s Northern Line from Vavuniya to Kankasanthurai in the northernmost tip of the island was completely destroyed by the Tamil Tiger terrorists during the three-decade long war. The rebels uprooted the rail tracks to build reinforced underground bunkers.

The train line is now being reconstructed by the India Railway Construction International Ltd. (IRCON) with the assistance of the Indian government.

Currently the trains operate only to Omanthai, ten kilometers north of Vavuniya. The construction of the whole Northern Line up to Kankasanthurai would be completed by the end of 2014 and all the previous railway stations which were destroyed in the three decade war are to be reestablished, the Ministry says.

via http://www.lankanewspapers.com

Indian Government launches data website for public

On the lines of the USA and the UK, the union government on Thursday launched an open data website, where information on various sectors like health, transport, sanitation and agriculture was made available. The website, data.gov.in, has been developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC). Currently, it hosts over 3,500 data sets from 49 government departments which everybody is free to access and use.

Some of the released datasets include "State-wise recorded forest area of the country", "Gross irrigated area", "District-wise release of funds from centre share upto 31st March 2013" and more. Over 1,000 of the available datasets pertain to agriculture alone.

"Government is not the sole proprietor of data. All forms of data must be shared, barring those that are important for security. There is also a responsibility on those who use and interpret this data. They must realize that it is for development," said Kapil Sibal, union minister of communications and information technology, at the launch event. Sam Pitroda, who joined via videoconference, said this project could help implementation of services at district and panchayat level.

A contest organised by the NIC and the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) is in the offing too. Called the"#OpenDataApps Challenge", it invites entrepreneurs, start-ups, and people from civil society to create apps using this data. Participants can send in entries by August 20 to compete for three first prizes worth Rs. 1 lakh each and three second prizes of Rs 50,000 each.

Earlier this year, the Planning Commission had organized a hackathon in the country, inviting apps using similar data sets. Web developer Guneet Narula, who had participated and won in the hackathon, feels that this data.gov initiative is a "step in the right direction".

"The hackathon was just a starting point. This has a different objective. As a developer, I may not be able to see how two data sets relate. With a team where there are people who can analyse it that way, it may have useful results," says Narula.

Kantanu Kundu, CEO of a2z apps says he wishes the government would come up with an API (Application Programming Interface) as well. "That would excite app developers who want to use such data," he says.

A similar website called data.gov.uk shares UK government data with the public. It was launched in 2010. The US has had a data.gov website since 2009. 


via TOI

Botswana: Women Wearing Trousers Denied Access to Police Station

Gaborone, Botswana — Bokaa is a village located approximately 50 kilometres from Botswana's capital city, Gaborone. Like many other villages in Botswana, Bokaa has a chief commonly referred to in Setswana as Kgosi, and each chief has a traditional gathering place known as the Kgotla.

Traditionally, Setswana culture does not allow women and girls to enter the Kgotla wearing trousers or pants, and requires them to wear dresses and skirts. Most Batswana observe this rule with great respect and accept it as common cultural practice across the country.

I have been attending meetings at different Kgotlas around the country since I was ten-years-old. Having the utmost respect for Setswana culture, I can confidently say that I have never entered a Kgotla wearing trousers.

However, in Bokaa the chief's Kgotla and office are located in the same compound as Bokaa's only police post (station). Although there is a fence and independent gate separating the Kgotla from this station and other government offices, women are prohibited from visiting the premises wearing trousers, and are often sent back home if they are wearing anything other than a dress or skirt.

I was recently working on one of the Bokaa Westland farms assisting in building a pit latrine for an elderly woman. As anyone would expect, I was wearing overalls, the most practical attire for the somewhat arduous and grubby task. Due to my involvement in crime prevention initiatives in the area, Bokaa's Police Commander called me, requesting I come to his office for a brief meeting.

It was already dusk so I had to head straight to the police post, in order to return to the farm before dark. On arrival, Bokaa's Chief, Kgosi Sue Mosinyi, met me with disproval and was very upset to see me wearing trousers. I tried to explain to him that I was not going to the Kgotla, but instead on my way to the police post for a meeting with the Commander.

Chief Mosinyi remained indifferent, proceeded to ‘pardon' me and gave me a stern warning never to show up there again wearing trousers. I was shocked and incredulous, as I had never experienced such an unreasonable response from any other chief.

However, in Bokaa this has been an on-going contention. In a similar incident last month, I was part of an all-night patrol with the police and other volunteers, many of whom are women. The day before the patrol, we had a long debate with officials explaining it would be both impractical and too cold to patrol wearing dresses and skirts. Our reasoning was overruled and they forbade us from entering the premises wearing trousers.

This rule forces the female Cluster Police volunteers from Bokaa Police Post to carry out their daily duties wearing skirts and dresses, because they have to meet every day at that premises before dispersing into the village to patrol. However, Chief Mosinyi has made an exception for the official and permanent female police officers, by permitting them to enter the premises wearing trousers because “it is part of their uniform.”

Concerned about these restrictions, I had a meeting with Chief Mosinyi. I asked him why this rule, which traditionally applies only to the Kgotla, is problematically extended to public spaces and law enforcement offices that should be accessible to anyone at all times, regardless of their attire.

Although I emphasised that a fence clearly separates the offices from the Kgotla, he explained, “The Kgotla, his office and the police offices are one and the same thing”, adding that as the Chief it is his duty to preserve our culture and to ensure that females remain and behave like females.

He went on to explain that he also makes exceptions for women in emergencies, and other women recognised as outsiders, who do not reside in the village. Chief Mosinyi said he is especially strict with female villagers and sends them back home if they show up wearing trousers, because they are well aware of this practice in his village.

However, his justification is not only inadequate for me, but also problematic for many women who have the right to unrestricted access to the premises.

Firstly, the glaring problem is that it restricts women's access to Bokaa's only police post. This poses some serious problems in a country with high rates of domestic violence and rape, low rates of reporting, where victim blaming is rife and where domestic violence is often dismissed and trivialised as a ‘family issue'. Women residing in Bokaa are undoubtedly aware of this cultural practice, but are they aware of their constitutional rights, and that the undue extension of this practice impinges on these rights?

I hold the Kgotla in high regard, as I believe it is one of the oldest forms of democracy that maintains peace in my country. I can respect the rule that prohibits me from entering the Kgotla, but I cannot accept it when this rule is extended to public spaces, especially spaces that people seek out for security and protection. It is unreasonable, unjust and discriminatory.

Bokaa's Chief and others across the country need to recognise the physical boundary that separates the public offices from the Kgotla as well as the boundary of tradition. Either the premises allow for appropriate and equitable access, or the police and government offices must move elsewhere.

When custodians of culture impose their own biases, and when these practices disproportionately hinder the human rights of others, the meaning of our culture and democratic rights are undermined. This applies to many customary laws that persist across SADC solely in the name of tradition, but contribute to the persistence of gender inequality. A cultural practice that denies my equal rights, because I am a woman, is unconstitutional.

Gogontlejang Phaladi is a philanthropist, youth ambassador, motivational speaker, activist, writer and founder of the Pillar of Hope Project. This article is part of the Gender Links Opinion and Commentary Service, special series on celebrating Phenomenal Women, bringing you fresh views on everyday news.

via http://allafrica.com

Five Things You Should Know About Disappearances

Every year in dozens of countries around the world, thousands of men, women and children are detained by state authorities for no reason, never to be seen again. They are the "disappeared". In 2012 alone, Amnesty International documented such cases in 31 countries. Here are five facts you should know on International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, 30 August.

Since the beginning of the uprising that led to armed conflict in Syria two years ago, there's again been a dramatic increase in the authorities' use of enforced disappearances to silence opposition and sow fear among their friends and relatives. Thousands of people have been arrested, with many held incommunicado at unknown locations at which torture and other ill-treatment are reported to be rife. This adds to the some 17,000 people, mostly Islamists, who were disappeared in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the country.

In Sri Lanka, some 12,000 complaints of enforced disappearances have been submitted to the UN since the 1980s .But the actual number is much higher, with at least 30,000 cases alleged up to 1994 and many thousands reported after that.

In Mexico, more than 26,000 people were reported missing or disappeared between 2006 and 2012 - mainly in the context of the violence between drug cartels and security force deployments to combat organized crime. The security forces are responsible for some of these but investigations in almost all cases are so poor that victims are rarely found and virtually no one has been held to account.

More than a third of the countries where Amnesty International documented enforced disappearances in 2012 were in sub-Saharan Africa, in: Angola, Chad, Cรดte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria and South Sudan.

Despite constant requests by the relatives of the missing, the UN Interim Administration in Kosovo (UNMIK), responsible for the investigation and prosecution of crimes under international law, failed to investigate hundreds of the enforced disappearances and abductions that took place during the 1998-89 armed conflict in Kosovo, and in its aftermath.

STORIES

Syria

Syrian human rights lawyer Khalil Ma'touq, and his friend and assistant, Mohammad Thatha set off to Khalil Ma'touq's office on 2 October 2012 but never arrived there. It is believed that they were detained at a Syrian government security checkpoint at some point along the way.

In February 2013, in response to a request for information from a group of lawyers, a public prosecutor in Damascus denied that Khalil Ma'touq was being held. However, detainees released at that time from the State Security branch 285 in Kafr Soussa in Damascus reported seeing him held there.

In April, Khalil Ma'touq's lawyer told Amnesty International that a State Security officer had informed him of his client's transfer to an Air Force Intelligence branch in late March.

People close to the two men have received unofficial tip-offs over time suggesting that Khalil Ma'touq is in extremely bad health - he suffers from advanced lung disease and has severe breathing difficulties. He takes regular medication and must be under constant medical supervision.

Khalil Ma'touq has provided legal assistance to many victims of human rights abuses in Syria for many years. He has defended hundreds of political prisoners, journalists, and prisoners of conscience, including those tried by the Supreme State Security Court which fell far short of international standards of fair trial and was abolished in 2011.

Angola

Angolan war veterans Silva Alves Kamulingue and Isaรญas Sebastiรฃo Cassule have not been seen or heard from since they were abducted from the street in Luanda, the capital, on 27 and 29 May 2012 respectively. Their families have tried in vain to locate them and the Angolan authorities have repeatedly denied any knowledge of the men's whereabouts.

Silva was on his way to a protest he had helped organize to demand payments of pensions and salaries owed to them when, at about 3pm, he telephoned a journalist and told him he was being followed by a group of "well-built men" in civilian clothes similar in appearance to those who had been involved in the violent suppression of demonstrations in Luanda in previous months. He said he feared for his life and that he was running to a nearby hotel. According to the journalist, the line then dropped and he could not re-establish contact with Silva, who has not been seen or heard from since.

Isaรญas disappeared two days later, on 29 May 2012, at around 6.15pm. Four men abducted him in Luanda's Cazenga district where he was meeting a man who claimed to have a video recording of Silva's abduction. A friend who was with Isaรญas at the time said that, 15 minutes into the meeting, a car arrived, several well-built men got out of it and walked toward them. At this point he was afraid and ran away, leaving Isaรญas behind. Isaรญas has not been seen or heard from since.

Mexico

Armando del Bosque was detained by Mexican marines in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas state, on 3 August and hasn't been seen since.

Navy officials deny detaining him but eyewitnesses say they saw 33-year-old Armando driving his car in a town a few minutes from Nuevo Laredo, when marines stopped him, dragged him out of his vehicle, handcuffed him and took him away in a military vehicle.

He was then taken to the Navy's provisional compound on the outskirts of town. Armando's father went to the compound a few minutes later and a captain informed him that his son had been arrested and that he was being questioned. The captain promised to update him on his son's situation as it developed.

An hour later, the officer met Armando's father again and told him the captain denied that his son had been arrested and refused to provide any further information.

Relatives, supported by the statements of four eyewitnesses, filed a complaint with the Federal Attorney General's Office and the National Human Rights Commission. There is no evidence that an effective search for Armando del Bosque or an investigation into his apparent enforced disappearance has been conducted.

Kosovo

Petrija Piljeviฤ‡ was abducted from in front of her apartment in Prishtinรซ/Priลกtina on 28 June 1999 by three armed men in Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) uniform. A Kosovo Serb neighbour who attempted to help her was also abducted. Both were initially held in another apartment in the same building.

Neighbours who witnessed the abduction called a patrol from the Kosovo Force (KFOR) to the scene, but unable to speak English, they could not explain the situation to the soldiers. Instead a Kosovo Albanian neighbour spoke to the KFOR patrol leader, and subsequently the patrol left without taking any action. Shortly afterwards, Petrija Piljeviฤ‡ and her neighbour were taken outside by the men in KLA uniform and put in a car. Two gun shots were heard and the car drove away in an unknown direction.

In 2000, Petrija Piljeviฤ‡'s remains were exhumed and returned to her son. No one has been brought to justice.

In 2013 a Human Rights Advisory Panel established by UNMIK found that UN international police had failed to conduct a prompt, through and effective investigation into Petrija Piljeviฤ‡'s abduction, and had failed to inform her son when they suspended the investigation in 2003.

via http://allafrica.com

Common misspelt words in English

Written By Unknown on August 30, 2013 | 8/30/2013

Worm threats Jasmine cultivation in Tamilnadu

Written By Unknown on August 29, 2013 | 8/29/2013

Tamil Nadu is a leading producer of jasmine in the country. Major jasmine growing districts in Southern Tamil Nadu are Madurai, Dindigul, Virudhunagar, Tirunelveli and Ramanathapuram.

It is an ideal crop for small and marginal farmers, but insect pest bud worm attack poses a threat to jasmine cultivation.

 

Nature of damage

The larva bore into closed immature buds and feed on the inner floral structures during initial stage.

They come out through a small hole made in the buds for attacking another bud in the same shoot. In case of severe infestation, the larva makes a web like pattern among the adjacent buds and feed on petals.

Infested flowers

Infested flowers turn pale red in colour and they fall off from the plant. One larva attacks 2-3 buds in its life span.

The female moth lay the eggs singly on the unopened buds, calyx and bud stalk etc. Newly emerged larva is creamy yellow in colour whereas grown up caterpillar is greenish with pale body hairs and black head. Pupation takes place in soil and sometimes within the web also.

Adult is a small white moth with wavy lines on its wings and black colour patches on the wing margin.

Pest management

Collect and destroy infested flowers along with larvae at least once in a week.

Proper pruning and hygienic maintenance of the bushes helps to minimize the pest incidence.

Set up light trap to attract and kill the adult moths.

Spraying of neem seed kernal extract (NSKE) at 5 per cent level is found effective.

Spray any one of the follwing insecticides for controlling the pest viz., monocrotophos 36 SL at 2 ml or profenofos 50 EC at 1 ml or thiacloprid 240 SC at 1 ml per litre of water to check the pest population to minimize the economic loss.

(Dr. J. Ramkumar and Dr. R. Durai Singh, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Ramanathapuram - 623 503, E.mail: arsramnad@tnau.ac.in, Ph. No: 04567-230250)

via http://tinyurl.com/qeq8tna

Nigeria: Country May Soon Ban Fish Importation - Minister

Akinwumi Adesina
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Akinwumi Adesina, said on Tuesday that the Federal Government may soon place a total ban on the importation of fish and other aquatic consumables.

Mr. Adesina said this in Ado-Ekiti at the launch of the Special Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme for Fisheries and Aquaculture value chain.

He, however, said that the ban would be imposed, only if arrangements being put in place by the government to that effect worked as planned.

The minister, represented at the occasion by the Federal Director of Fisheries, Foluke Areola, stressed that Nigeria had no business importing fish given its huge natural and renewable resources.

He said it was in view of this that the ministry was promoting increased fish production through the Aquaculture Value Chain.

This is in pursuance of the goal of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA), he said.

"The Value Chains are to create an enabling environment for increased and sustainable production of over one million tonnes of fish within the next four years, generate employment and pursue gradual reduction of fish imports," he said.

Mr. Adesina said the Aquaculture Value Chain, under the four- year implementation plan, would increase the annual production of fingerlings in the country by 1.25 billion tonnes.

He said it would also produce 400,000 tonnes of fish feed, generate additional 250,000 tonnes of table fish and 100,000 tonnes of Value Added fish products.

"Fish farming is a business venture with lots of potential investment opportunities and a veritable tool for increased fish production, poverty alleviation and sustainable livelihoods," the minister said.

The minister noted that the Aquaculture Value Chain had already been included in the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme for 2013.

Under the scheme, inputs such as fish and other sea foods would be distributed to many Nigerian fish farmers, he said.

The minister commended President Goodluck Jonathan's initiative in transforming agriculture into a serious business venture as well as in ensuring adequate food security for Nigerians.

He announced that in an effort by government to protect local fish farmers operating in the country, measures had been put in place to curb illegal importation of fish.

Mr. Adesina said that the ministry was collaborating with officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service in this regard, adding that the Federal Department of Fisheries had also been directed to ensure the stoppage of importation of the banned fish inputs.

In his speech, Governor Kayode Fayemi, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Ganiyu Owolabi, thanked the Federal Government for its benevolence.

He said the state government would support its policies and programmes on agriculture.

via http://tinyurl.com/qb3byjy

Oil-Fueled Kazakhstan Sees Fast Growth in Mid-Term

Written By Unknown on August 28, 2013 | 8/28/2013

ASTANA — Kazakhstan's oil-driven economy is forecast to grow by between 6 and 7.1 percent in 2014-18 when the Kashagan oilfield is expected to come onstream, Kazakh Economy and Budget Planning Minister Yerbolat Dosayev said Wednesday.

The vast Central Asian nation of 17 million, which holds 3 percent of the world's recoverable oil reserves and is the second largest post-Soviet oil producer after Russia, forecasts its gross domestic product to expand by 6 percent this year.

Gross domestic product (GDP) growth slowed to 5 percent last year from 7.5 percent in 2011.
"Mid-term economic growth will be supported by rising investment in industrial innovation projects and infrastructure, as well as the start of oil production at the Kashagan deposit and rising internal consumption," Dosayev told a government meeting. He did not elaborate on the innovation projects.
Kashagan, which lies in the Caspian Sea off western Kazakhstan, is the world's largest oil find in more than four decades. It is expected to produce its first oil by October.

Kazakhstan, the world's ninth largest country by area, is also a major producer and exporter of grain, industrial metals and uranium.

Dosayev said higher oil output was expected to offset sluggish demand for other Kazakh commodities in the mid-term.

Kazakhstan's oil output is forecast to increase to 83 million tons in 2014 from 82 million tonnes this year and is set to reach 110 million tonnes in 2018, he said.

"This year's tempo of GDP and industrial output growth have so far been in line with all our plans," Dosayev said. He said industrial output growth was forecast to edge down to 3.4 percent in 2014 from this year's 3.8 percent.

Kazakhstan's National Fund, replenished by windfall oil revenues, is forecast to increase from $93.9 billion in 2014 to $122.1 billion by 2016, Dosayev said.

Kazakhstan, Central Asia's largest economy, sees its nominal GDP rising from 38.6 trillion tenge ($253 billion) next year to 65.9 trillion tenge in 2018. GDP stood at $200 billion in 2012 and will reach $226 billion this year, official data showed.

Per capita GDP is forecast to rise from $14,600 in 2014 to $24,000 by 2018.

Did Kremlin Arrange Snowden's Trip to Russia?

June 21 was the hottest day of the year in Hong Kong: a sweltering 34 degrees Celsius. But it was also a hot day for Edward Snowden, the leaker of U.S. secrets, hiding out in China's special administrative region.

On that day in Washington, U.S. federal prosecutors officially brought charges against Snowden for unauthorized communication of classified and national defense information, both of which fell under the U.S. Espionage Act.

On that day in Hong Kong, Snowden received a one-way ticket to Moscow on Aeroflot, Russia's state-controlled flag carrier. As Kommersant reported Monday, citing Russian sources, Snowden also celebrated his 30th birthday in the safety of his new refuge, the Russian consulate in Hong Kong.

Located on the 21st floor of a steel and glass skyscraper, the Russian consulate offered more than a stunning view of Victoria Harbor. It also offered Snowden refuge from a U.S. arrest warrant.

For two days, Snowden stayed at the 17-room Russian consulate before being whisked away by car in the early morning hours June 23 for the 10-hour Aeroflot flight to Moscow.

From the start of Snowden's saga, Russian officials have always claimed that they were surprised by Snowden's arrival June 23 at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport.

"It is true that Mr. Snowden arrived in Moscow, and it really came as a surprise to us," President Vladimir Putin told reporters in Finland on June 25. "Any accusations against Russia [of aiding him] are rubbish." Later, Putin called Snowden "an unwanted Christmas present."

Sources in Moscow differ on how Snowden ended up in Russia's care. Some say the Chinese wanted to get rid of him and suggested that he turn to the Russian consulate. Others say Russian officials themselves contacted Snowden at The Mira, the luxury hotel where he was staying in Hong Kong. Another version is that Snowden went to the consulate on his own.

Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, said June 24 that WikiLeaks paid Snowden's hotel bill in Hong Kong and bought the Aeroflot ticket for him with a Hong Kong-Moscow-Havana itinerary.

Assange has a special relationship with RT, the Kremlin-funded television channel. Last year, RT hired Assange to host a political talk show. The channel gives heavy and generously favorable coverage to Assange, Snowden and the other U.S. leaker in the news, Bradley Manning.

Kommersant and other Russian media dwelled on why Snowden never used the second half of his Aeroflot ticket, from Moscow to Havana. The Russian media said Moscow got stuck with Snowden because Washington pressured Havana to refuse him.

To be sure, Havana has been conspicuously quiet on the Snowden affair. Soviet-generation Russians remember Cuba as the nation that gave refuge to hijackers of U.S. airlines well into the 1980s.

But change comes even to Cuba, ruled for the last half century by the Castro brothers. In June, President Raul Castro turned 82. Apparently, Cuba's new generation wants a fresh start with Washington. For Havana, giving refuge to the United States' most-wanted man is a throwback to the 1960s.

Snowden spent almost six weeks in Sheremetyevo, Moscow's busiest international airport, reportedly in the transit area. Snowden's stay there was handled very professionally. There were no leaks, no e-mails to reporters and no late-night telephone calls to his parents or his girlfriend in Hawaii. About 3.5 million passengers flowed in and out of the airport during that time, and, amazingly, there were no credible Snowden sightings.

His legal limbo apparently dragged on because Alexander Bortnikov, director of the Federal Security Service, hinted to Washington that a spy trade might be possible..

The only time Snowden was sighted was July 12 during a carefully choreographed meeting with directors of several nongovernmental organizations, a few lawyers and pro-Kremlin politicians. Reporters were not invited.

Anatoly Kucherena was one of the lawyers invited to the meeting. Several days later, Kucherena announced that he was selected by Snowden to become his lawyer and spokesman. Kucherena advised Snowden to drop his 20 or so asylum requests to other countries and focus on Russia.

Kucherena has an interesting background. Two years ago, Putin picked Kucherena to serve on the Public Chamber, a pro-Kremlin government oversight body. Putin also chose Kucherena to serve on a board that oversees the FSB.

On the Snowden case, Kucherena's legal advice proved solid. On Aug. 1, Snowden was granted a year's temporary asylum in Russia. That day, he and Sarah Harrison, his WikiLeaks traveling companion, left the airport and have not  been seen in public since.

Within hours after Snowden's departure, WikiLeaks issued a statement thanking the Russian government. Assange added: "This is another victory in the fight against Obama's war on whistleblowers. This battle has been won, but the war continues."

Several days before Snowden arrived in Moscow, the South China Morning Post published an interview that had taken place earlier in Hong Kong. In the interview, Snowden said he joined Booz Allen Hamilton, the contractor with the National Security Agency, with the sole purpose of using his security clearance to steal the U.S. government's cyber spying secrets.

Now that Snowden and his four NSA laptop computers are in the safekeeping of the Kremlin, one question begs an answer: When exactly did the Kremlin enter Snowden's life?

Read more: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/did-kremlin-arrange-snowdens-trip-to-russia/485140.html#ixzz2dHn1PI8d
The Moscow Times

Asia Cup Hockey: Rupinderpal Singh, VR Raghunath score hat-tricks as India beat Bangladesh 9-1

Ipoh, Malaysia:  Penalty corner exponents Rupinderpal Singh and VR Raghunath slammed a hat-trick each as India mauled Bangladesh 9-1 to maintain their unbeaten run ahead of the semifinals in the ninth Asia Cup hockey tournament in Ipoh on Wednesday.

The Indians, who were through to the semifinals even before the match, led 5-1 at the half-time and pumped in four more goals in the second session to stamp their authority over their lowly opponents.

Rupinderpal (4th, 19th, 27th, 61st minutes) scored four goals in the match, out of which three came via penalty corners, while Raghunath (29th, 52nd, 59th) converted short corners to emerge as the joint top-scorer of the tournament with Jang Jong Hyun of South Korea on six goals apiece.

Nikkin Thimmaiah (25th) and Mandeep Singh (47th) were the other goal-getters for India.

Bangladesh's lone goal came from the stick of their skipper Md Mamunur Rahman Chayan (35th minute).

By virtue of this win, the Indians finished on top of Pool B with nine points from three games. Defending champions South Korea are second in this pool with six points.

India will now face Pool A runners-up and hosts Malaysia in the second semifinal on Friday, while South Korea will be up against Pool A toppers Pakistan.

The match between India and Bangladesh started nearly 40 minutes late as the first game of the day between Korea and Oman was delayed due to heavy downpour in the evening.

Playing under persistent drizzle and damp conditions, the Indians meant business from the beginning. Such was their dominance that they earned as many as 10 penalty corners in the match, out of which they utilised six.

The Indians were under no pressure as they played free-flowing hockey to put the Bangladeshi defence under constant pressure.

For the sparse crowd present at the Sultan Azlan Shah Stadium, there was excitement from the very beginning as it rained goals in the match.

via http://tinyurl.com/o4599vm

Sri Lanka rupee depreciates to a 'lowest ever' against the dollar

The Sri Lanka rupee today depreciated to its lowest level ever, against the US Dollar.
Information from the Foreign Exchange Market reveals that the rupee depreciated to close Rs. 135 against the dollar.

The dollar which was valued at Rs.133 and 20 to 30 cents Wednesday morning, had increased in value to close to Rs.135 rupees by afternoon.

Information from the Forex market reveals that this is the biggest daily depreciation that the rupee has ever undergone.

Prior to this, in mid last year, the rupee depreciated to Rs.134 rupees and 70 cents against the US dollar.

Reuters news agency reports that the depreciation of the rupee is being attributed to increased importer demand for the US dollar, the sale of government bonds by foreign investors and exporters holding on to their dollars.

via http://tinyurl.com/pf85yzw

Police dog wedding in Sri Lanka comes under heavy criticism

Police have come under severe criticism from cultural organizations as well as from the Minister of Culture and the Arts T. B. Ekanayake over a ceremony performed to wed police dogs.

The Police, as part of the Police Canine Breeding Program, held a wedding ceremony on a Poruwa, a structure used for traditional Sinhala weddings, yesterday at the Asgiriya Grounds in Kandy to wed pairs of police dogs belonging to the Asgiriya Police Kennels.

Nine pairs of dressed-up canines of different breeds were placed on the Poruwa and performed a ceremony after which the dogs were driven away for their `honeymoon` local media reported.

Veterinarians have presented `marriage certificates` to the dog couples certifying them suitable for breeding.

The Minister of Culture and the Arts, T.B. Ekanayake condemned the wedding ceremony as damaging to the country`s culture and requested the Inspector General of Police to conduct an immediate inquiry regarding the ceremony.

Several organizations including the Sihala Ravaya organization expressed condemnation saying that it was an insult to the culture of the country.

The Police Headquarters issuing a statement apologized for the event and said the Police Department had no intention of causing any insult to the Sri Lankan culture and expressed regret regarding any harm the activities of the inauguration ceremony of Police Canine Breeding Program may have caused to any cultural heritage or if it caused any person any discomfort.

Police Spokesman SP Buddhika Siriwardena told the local media the event was held to commence the new program to breed police dogs within the country to save the cost of purchasing them from other countries.

via http://tinyurl.com/ojmdo5t

Saudi to turn to India and Sri Lanka for maids

Saudi Arabia is considering turning to India and Sri Lanka to meet soaring local demand for domestic workers following labour disputes with the Philippines and Indonesia and a decision to suspend hiring maids from Ethiopia.

Indonesia and the Philippines, among the largest maid supplier to the Middle East, have temporarily halted the travel of their domestic workers to Saudi Arabia following disputes over payment, mistreatment of maids by employers and other issues.

Several rounds of negotiations have so far failed to break the deadlock despite concessions by the Gulf Kingdom, including higher salaries for maids.

Saudi Arabia, the largest Arab economy and the world’s top oil exporter, banned the recruitment of Ethiopian housemaids last month following a series of deadly attacks by those maids on their employers.

One maid who killed a little Syrian girl told police she had committed the crime because she “was told so by an occult power.”

“There is a shortage of around 30 per cent in the supply of foreign domestic workers to Saudi Arabia because of the suspension of the recruitment of housemaids from Ethiopia and other countries,” said Mutlaq Al Hazmi, a member of the expatriate labour hiring committee at the Jeddah chamber of commerce and industry.

“There are plans to open the door for hiring domestic workers from India and Sri Lanka. I believe that this will make hiring maids from Indonesia unnecessary,” he was quoted as saying by Saudi newspapers on Wednesday.

Nearly two million housemaids from Asia and Africa work in Saudi Arabia, the largest base for expatriate domestic workers in the Middle East. (Source: Emirates 24/7)

Railway authorities re-number trains

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Railway authorities have re-numbered many trains aimed at optimum utilisation of rakes. The Chennai Egmore-Mangalore Central-Chennai Daily Express (Train Nos.16107/16108) will be re-numbered as Train nos. 16859/16860 with effect from October 1.

Also, the Karaikal-Ernakulam-Karaikal Daily Express (Train nos. 16865/16866) will be re-numbered as Train no. 16187/16188 with effect from October 1.

Likewise, the Puducherry-Mangalore Central Weekly Express (Train no. 12653) will be re-numbered as Train No. 16857 with effect from October 7 and Train No. 12654 Mangalore Central-Puducherry Express will be re-numbered as Train No. 16858 with effect from October 8. Train nos. 16857/16858 will run via Coimbatore Junction and will not stop at Podanur. Extension of these trains to Puducherry from and to Trichchirappally will be notified later.

The Happa-Tirunelveli-Happa Bi-Weekly Express (Train Nos. 12998/12997) will be re-numbered as Train Nos. 19578/19577 with effect from November 1 and November 4, respectively, informed Palakkad Railway Division authorities.

Meanwhile, authorities have also informed that consequent on yard remodelling work at Palakkad Town Railway Station, platform no 3 is to be extended to accommodate 26 coaches. The work will extend till August 31 and due to this, the Erode Junction-Palakkad Town-Erode Junction MEMU (Train nos. 66609/66608) services will be terminated at Palakkad Junction till August 31.

via http://tinyurl.com/naw2njr

Family donates eyes of two building collapse victims in Vadodara

VADODARA: Two victims of the building collapse in Vadodara couldn't see the dawn on Wednesday. But they gave hope of vision to others in their death. Eyes of two of the deceased identified as Mahadevan Nair, 42 and his 14-year-old son Vignesh Nair were donated by their family members. The duo got buried under debris of block number 11 in Madhavnagar locality in Atladara. The apartment collapsed at about 4.30 am killing eight persons and injuring three.

Mahadevan and Vignesh's bodies were recovered at 9 am, about four-and-half hours after the incident. They were rushed to Swaminarayan BAPS Hospital but were declared dead. Despite being in state of shock, Mahadevan's elder brother Mohan Nair thought of donating organs of the deceased duo. "I have been organizing blood donation camps regularly apart from spreading awareness about organ donation. When I learnt about my brother and nephew's death, I decided to donate their organs. It was painful moment for us but we had to take quick decision," Mohan told TOI.

"My brother and nephew won't come back but they can give hope of vision to some persons. The doctors decided that their eyes were fit for donation, so we gave go ahead. I hope that it changes lives of needy people," an emotional Mohan said.

Mahadevan's employer also supported Mohan's decision. "I had a word with Mahadevan's elder brother Mohan about donating Mahadevan and Vignesh's organs. It was a noble gesture from the family," said Paramveer Chhabra, managing director of Healthcare Formulations Private Ltd (HFPL) where Mahadevan had worked as administration manager for 18 years.

BJP councillor, Dr Vijay Shah said that the deceased duo was shifted from Swaminarayan BAPS Hospital for SSG Hospital for further procedures. The doctors would recover eyes of the victims and then conduct post-mortem.

via http://tinyurl.com/pj7gcbe

Iran: University head announces full gender separation

Written By Unknown on August 27, 2013 | 8/27/2013

Allameh Tabatabai University in Tehran has announced that in the coming academic year, all classes at the undergraduate level will be held separately for male and female students.

University president Sadreddin Shariati added that only 2 percent of the classes are currently offered in the coed format due to the small number of students, but all graduate classes are being offered separately for males and females, and 98 percent of undergraduate classes are single gendered as well.

Shariati also claimed that the separation of males and females in university classes has led to a rise in student averages for both genders.

He stressed that female students have been very supportive of the single-gender classes.

via http://tinyurl.com/ktvfbuw

South Indian International Movie Awards 2013: Vijay's 'Thuppakki' Gets 10 Nominations

The South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA) 2013 is all set to be held from 12-13 September at the Expo Centre Sharja, United Arab Emirates.

The awards ceremony will honour talented film personalities from the four south Indian cinema industries - Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. This is the second successive year for SIIMA awards which debuted in 2012 in Dubai.

SIIMA 2013 will witness scintillating performances and breathtaking acts by some of the biggest stars of south Indian cinema. Celebrities including Shruti Haasan, Hansika Motwani, Shriya Saran, Usha Uthup, Richa Gangopadhyay, Pranitha, Anirudh, Andrea, Lakshmi Menon and Remya Nambeesan will perform at the event.

The two-day awards ceremony will be hosted by Shriya, Sonu Sood, Arya and Rana Daggubati.

The nominations have been announced under various categories from all four south Indian languages. In Tamil, Vijay's "Thuppakki" leads the nomination race with 10 nods, including best film, best actor (Vijay), best actress (Kajal Aggarwal), best director (AR Murugadoss) and best comedian (Jayaram).

Vijay has been pitted against Dhanush ("3"), Suriya ("Maattrraan"), Vijay Sethupathy ("Pizza") and Vishnu ("Neerparavai"). [For complete nomination list, click here]

In Telugu, Pawan Kalyan's "Gabbar Singh" dominates with 13 nominations which include  best actor male (Pawan), best actor female (Shruti Haasan), best director (Harish Shankar), best film and best music director (Devi Sri Prasad).

Mahesh Babu's "Businessman" has taken 11 nominations, whereas critically-acclaimed film "Eega" gets nine nods.

In Kannada, Darshan's "Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna" has received six nominations while Puneet Rajkumar's "Anna Bond" gets 10.

In Malayalam, Fahadh Faasil's "Diamond Necklace" has got eight nominations and Dulquer Salmaan's "Ustad Hotel" received seven. Mohanlal's "Spirit" is nominated in most of the popular categories.

The winners will be decided through public voting.

SA hotels on 'world's best service' list

Three Cape Town hotels have made it onto the "World's Best Service" list in the Africa and Middle East category in an international survey by the US edition of Travel and Leisure released in the magazine's June 2013 issue.

The Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa took top spot, while the Cape Grace and the One & Only took second and fourth respectively.

The best service category of the magazine's annual "World Best Awards" survey aims to recognise the best hotels, resorts, airlines and cruise liners around the world as rated by its readers.

"Excellent service is a definitive factor in repeat visits by overseas travellers," Western Cape Finance, Economic Development and Tourism Minister Alan Winde said in a statement last week.

"I hope these awards serve as an inspiration to the Western Cape hospitality industry to consistently strive for the highest service levels. I am also confident these awards will encourage more international visitors to our world-class destination," Winde said.

Johannesburg's Saxon Boutique Hotel, Villas & Spa also featured on the best service list in the Africa and the Middle East category, scoring the same as the One & Only.

Singita Kruger National Park and Singita Sabi Sand also made their way onto the list, coming in at second and fifth respectively in the resorts and lodges category.

The overall results for best service were reached by surveying the general managers at the top 16 hotels in each region.

According to the results of this survey: 44% of general managers admit to using Google and Facebook to research guests prior to check-in; 31% ensure each guest is personally greeted by a manager upon arrival; 50% have a staff-to-guest ratio of at least 1.5 to 1; and 56% offer room service 24 hours a day.

via http://tinyurl.com/m7gav5d

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