Team India picks Parveez Rasool, an all-rounder from the Valley

Parvez Rasool, 24, becomes first cricketer from Jammu & Kashmir to be selected for India.

Parvez Rasool, 24, walked into the local school ground for practice on a sweltering Friday afternoon not knowing it would one be the happiest days of his life. When his friend broke the news of his selection in the Indian team for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe, Rasool knelt down to thank the Almighty.

“It is a big moment for Bijbehara and J&K at large. I had good season this year having scored 594 runs and taken 33 wickets. My hard work has paid off.

Thanks to Almighty Allah,” a jubilant Rasool, told dna after becoming the first cricketer from Jammu & Kashmir to be selected for India and for the ‘A’ tour of South Africa.

The Valley is ecstatic at the rise of its new hero. Rasool had a torrid time when he was detained by the Bangalore police on suspected terror charges in 2009, days before an under-22 match in the CK Nayudu tournament. The police had suspected him of carrying explosives, an allegation which was proved wrong.

“It was a nightmare, but we have left it behind. We are looking at the future,” said Abdul Qayoom, Rasool’s coach.

On Friday, hundreds of Rasool’s friends and supporters gathered around him, congratulating him on his achievement. Some lifted him on his shoulders and took a lap of the ground; others cheered lustily when Rasool was later taken to his residence in what was nothing short of a procession. 

“My parents are very excited that I have been selected for Team India. It is a big day for them because they have backed me all along. My father is a cricketer himself and did everything so that I could play my game,” an emotional Rasool said.

Jammu & Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah too showered praise on the youngster.
“Parvez Rasool has made it to the team on the back of a very strong
performance in recent months; his being a Kashmiri is incidental,” he tweeted.
Rasool’s mentor Bishen Singh Bedi said his real test begins now.

Rasool represented the Pune Warriors in IPL-6 and earned the respect of his clan when he refused to promote a liquor brand. He used a duct tape to cover the firm’s logo on his jersey during the matches.

Source: http://to.ly/mgLS

‘Vanamahotsavam’ to save earth - Vizag

Students prepare to face the one-minute elocution as part of three-day ‘Vanamahotsavam’ festival organised at the YMCA in Visakhapatnam on Friday.

Nearly a 1,000 students from 120 schools take part in competition 

The amount of energy consumed by every individual has a direct impact on global warming. The excess utilisation of water, electricity and energy and other resources irreversibly damage our planet. Therefore, it is important to take action to conserve natural resources and be the warriors to protect our mother earth and promote healthy living. 

These were a few points highlighted by the students who turned up to participate in Just-A-Minute competition (Telugu and English) ‘Vanamahotsavam’ – a festival of trees organised by Indian Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE) in association with Fire and Safety Association of India at YMCA on Friday. 

The three-day festival was inaugurated by district Collector V. Seshadri who encouraged the children to grow at least one tree in their lifetime to enjoy its benefits for generations.

Some 1,000 students from 120 schools across the city participated in the competition.where most of them were able to express their thoughts in a minute while others felt a little nervous to float their ideas. 

Social responsibility

 

Ntional chairperson of ISHRAE K-12 team K. Leela Prasad said “We wanted to educate younger generation on the serious consequences of global warming and help them understand the value of nurturing trees,” he said.

Director of Centre for Policy Studies A. Prasanna Kumar highlighted about three best friends one can make forever -- books, trees and bicycles.

Former Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University Beela Satyanarayana, former Vice-Chancellor of Acharya Nagarjuna University V. Balamohandas, director of Sri Prakash Vidyaniketan Ch. Vasu Prakash, founder-member of Gayatri Vidya Parishad Junior College P. Raja Ganapathi and YMCA’s all-India president Williams, among others also participated in the tree plantation campaign. 

Source: http://to.ly/mgI2

Chennai School gets science centre

Science centres are expected to be set up in four Chennai Middle Schools in Seven Wells, Sundaram Street (Purasawalkam), Mettupalayam (Ashok Nagar), and Aminjikarai by the end of the month

On Friday, A. Alauddin, a class VI student of Chennai Middle School on Triplicane High Road, could not contain his enthusiasm as he made magnets float in the newly-established science centre at his school.

The second-floor hall of the school is now venue to 40 life-sized demonstrative science models set up by Quest Explore Discover.

This centre will be visited by students of classes VI, VII and VIII of Chennai Schools in Mylapore, Triplicane, Royapettah, Adyar and Tiruvanmiyur.

A senior Corporation official said similar centres were expected to be set up in four Chennai Middle Schools in Seven Wells, Sundaram Street (Purasawalkam), Mettupalayam (Ashok Nagar), and Aminjikarai by the end of the month.

A. Kavita, a science teacher at the Triplicane High Road school said the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation system had resulted in much enthusiasm in the classroom, and this centre would help students understand concepts such as gravity and the periodic table better.

Uma Mahesh, vice-president, business development, Quest Explore Discover, said the 40 exhibits would be changed every trimester. “Every child will get to visit the centre twice every term. We also have a trainer/educator at the centre,” she said.

Source: http://to.ly/mgHX

TN Govt. takes over Anjaneya temple in Nanganallur

HC upheld HR & CE dept.’s withdrawal of exemption; devotees dismayed

A day after the Madras High Court upheld an order of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department, withdrawing exemptions to the Viswaroopa Adhivyadhihara Sri Bhaktha Anjaneyaswami Temple in Nanganallur, the temple was formally taken over by the government.

A hundi was installed inside the temple with a notice stating that as per a notification of the department, a ‘Fit Person’ (thakkaar) had been appointed at the temple on Friday. Officials said the temple had applied and received exemptions from the department under provisions of HR and CE Act of 1959, soon after it was consecrated in 1995. When the exemption tenure came to an end some years ago, the temple, managed by a private trust, appealed for renewal and the department granted it. However, there were complaints of certain irregularities in the handling of money that was received from the public. 

The officials said that receipts for money received from devotees were issued in the name of the trust instead of the temple itself. As there were issues regarding accountability, the department issued notices to the trust asking why the exemptions should not be withdrawn. 

The reply submitted by the trust was not convincing, said officials and hence the decision to take over the temple. In a couple of days, the takeover would be complete, the officials added. 

Devotees and residents of Ram Nagar in Nanganallur, who volunteer at the temple, were dismayed at the move. One of the volunteers, a former government employee, who now helps distribute ‘prasadam’ plates, said the lives of many people in Ram Nagar revolved around the temple. The takeover had come as a shock to them, she said. 

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Source: http://to.ly/mgHE

Xinjiang Muslims observe Jumah prayer

URUMQI, July 5 (Xinhua) -- As the bell chimed at 3:25 p.m. in the Heytgah Mosque in Kashgar, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, more than 10,000 Muslims began kneeling on the carpet in rows to pray.

The Muslims held the congregational prayer on the weekly Jumah Day, which falls every Friday.
Although a violent terrorist attack in the small township of Lukqun last week has cast a shadow over life here in the bustling city, the Jumah prayer was held in a peaceful and orderly manner in the largest mosque in Xinjiang.

On June 26, rioters attacked the government building and police station in Lukqun Township, Shanshan County, killing 24 people and injuring 21 others.

Slam Rozi, 82, is a devout Muslim who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca. He came to the mosque early in the morning for the morning prayer.

"I come to the mosque to pray five times a day," Slam Rozi told a reporter at a teahouse. "After the morning prayer, I always come to this teahouse to have some tea."

Jumah was also observed in other cities and towns across Xinjiang, where nearly half of the population are ethnic Uygurs.

In Urumqi, the regional capital, businessman Abulimit closed down his store around 2 p.m. and rushed to a nearby mosque with a worship rug under his arm.

After the prayer that ended at 3 p.m., Abulimit hurried back to his store to look after his business.
July is a peak season for tourists from home and abroad. Abulimit said he has fared well with his small business thanks to the huge number of customers brought by the booming tourism industry.

Source: http://to.ly/mgHr

Rs.525 million to provide loans to over 4,700 rehabilitated Sri Lankans in the North and East

July 04, Colombo: The Sri Lankan government has requested approval from the cabinet to provide loan facilities to over 4,700 rehabilitated and re-integrated persons in the North for self-employment.
In the first phase of the program of providing of loan facilities for self-employment the government has distributed Rs.300 million in the form of loans through state banks to 1,549 beneficiaries from the Northern and Eastern Provinces for self-employment purposes.

In the second phase the government has requested Rs.525 million to provide loans to another 4,724 rehabilitated persons and the cabinet has approved the request.

According to the government, 11,573 people have been rehabilitated and re-integrated into the society after the conflict in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.

Minister of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Chandrasiri Gajadeera has made the proposal seeking the funding.
Source: http://to.ly/mgH6

Interfaith event at Burma

Buddhist monks stand outside a mosque in Rangoon’s North Okkalapa Township on Wednesday, following an interfaith event with Muslim leaders to discuss ways of alleviating religious tension in the country. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy)

Source: http://to.ly/mgH2

China takes aim at prices of milk, medicine

Beijing, July 6 (AP/UNB) – China took aim this week at prices of two high-profile necessities – first baby formula, then medicines – as the country’s communist leaders try to contain surging living costs that threaten to inflame political tensions.
A probe into possible price-fixing by foreign milk suppliers prompted at least two companies – Nestle SA and FrieslandCampina – to announce a price cut.

On Friday, news reports said a Cabinet agency is looking into the cost of drugs made by 60 foreign and domestic suppliers. There was no indication of wrongdoing, but the probe could be a prelude to a cut in government-set caps on prices.

The action could help the new Communist Party leadership that took power last year show its solidarity with a public frustrated by skyrocketing costs for housing, education and health care that have outpaced income gains.

“Imported infant formula has been so expensive that the government feels it needs to take measures to ensure Chinese children can afford the milk powder that they need,” said Zheng Fengtian, a professor of agribusiness management at Renmin University in Beijing.
Inflation is politically dangerous for the unelected communist leadership because it erodes the economic gains that underpin the party’s monopoly on power.

The ruling party also has tried to curb soaring housing costs with controls on lending and purchases, but prices are still rising.

Both medicines and milk are industries in which scandals over faulty and sometimes deadly products have given foreign and Chinese producers with a reputation for better quality an unusual degree of leverage to charge higher prices.

Imported milk formula that can cost up to three times the price of Chinese competitors is popular because of widespread distrust of domestic dairies following product quality scandals.

Chinese authorities did not accuse baby formula suppliers of collusion in setting prices, which can be hard to prove. Instead, the investigation focused on prices they required retailers to charge.

In response, Nestle SA announced it would cut infant formula prices in China by an average of 11 percent starting Monday. FrieslandCampina, a Dutch dairy cooperative, said it would reduce prices by 5 percent for all its products in China.

Other companies including Danone Dumex, Abbott Laboratories, and Mead Johnson Nutrition Co. said they were cooperating with the investigation but did not immediately respond to questions about whether they would cut prices.

The government has more leverage over drug prices because of official controls. Beijing sets price caps for hundreds of drugs and has been able to force reductions in recent years.

The Cabinet’s economic planning agency is gathering information on drug costs to support “development of drug price adjustments,” the newspaper China Business News said Friday, citing agency officials. Similar reports appeared in other major newspapers and on the website of Hong Kong-based broadcaster Phoenix Satellite Television.

Phone calls to the planning agency were not answered and there was no announcement of the drug probe on the agency’s website. An agency spokesman confirmed the milk formula probe earlier in the week.

Last week, police in the central city of Changsha said they detained several employees of British-based drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline to investigate possible unspecified “economic crimes.” The company said it did not know details of the investigation but would cooperate.
- See more at: http://unbconnect.com/china-drug-prices-probe/#&panel1-2

Dell eyes wearable technology, hints at smartwatch development

Dhaka, July 6 (UNB) – Dell is thought to be planning to invest in wearable-tech R&D, and is looking at a five-year outlook for wearable devices, if hints let slip by Sam Burd, Dell’s global VP of personal computing are any indication of the company’s future ventures. This comes in the wake of market research numbers that showed Lenovo knocking down Dell from the second place in global PC sales. Burd stated that “recent research has suggested that desktop sales will continue to decline while ultrabooks, tablets, smartphones, as well as other technologies have shown tremendous growth potential”.
Dell’s PC revenues have declined by 9% to $8.9bn in the past three months compared with the year before, while its income has reduced by 65% to $224m – with a 2.5% margin. A recent report by research company IDC has forecasted that global sales of PC desktops and laptops will fall by nearly 8% this year.

Sam Burd stated, “Looking ahead five years, we expect devices and form factors to continue to change. There’s a lot of discussion about how that fits into wearable devices like we’ve seen with Google Glass and watches.” Burd added that these products however weren’t yet prepared to face the “challenges in cost,” or to ensure “a really good experience.”

Burd hasn’t confirmed outright that they are working on a smartwatch, but he added that “having a watch on your wrist” is “pretty interesting, pretty appealing.”

Many will say that Dell is a little late since Google is ready with Google Glass and Apple is also all set to launch the iWatch by the end of the year. Even Samsung, Sony, Microsoft and Asus have confirmed or are believed to be on board on the smartwatch bandwagon.
- See more at: http://unbconnect.com/dell-technology/#&panel1-9

Murray rallies again, makes Wimbledon final again

London, July 6 (AP/UNB) – For the second match in a row, Andy Murray was quite a bit closer to losing than winning.

No matter now, because for the second year in a row, Andy Murray is in the Wimbledon final.

Britain’s great hope for a first homegrown men’s champion since 1936 overturned a 4-1 deficit in the third set and went on to beat Jerzy Janowicz 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 Friday in the Wimbledon semifinals.

Now, again in the final of the biggest tennis tournament on these shores, he’s got one more match to go.

“Winning Wimbledon would be a huge achievement for any tennis player,” said Murray, who followed up his loss to Roger Federer at the All England Club last year by winning the U.S. Open title. “Yeah, winning Wimbledon is pretty much the pinnacle of the sport.”

In the final, Murray will face Novak Djokovic, the top-ranked Serb who has become a familiar foe in Grand Slam finals.
Sunday’s match will be their third meeting in the last four major finals. Murray won his only Grand Slam title at last year’s U.S. Open, while Djokovic won this year’s Australian Open.

Oh yeah, they also played in the 2012 Olympic semifinals on the same Centre Court grass at Wimbledon, a match Murray won in two sets before going on to claim the gold medal.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever have, sort of, feelings like I had that day,” said Murray, perhaps underestimating the emotions that would come with a Wimbledon title. “Winning Olympic gold here, a home Olympics, I mean, I’ll never get the opportunity to do that again.

“It was probably one of the proudest moments of my career. I don’t know if I’ll ever top that.”

Fred Perry was the last British man to win the men’s title at Wimbledon, completing a run of three straight championships in 1936. Since then, only two have even reached the final at the All England Club, Bunny Austin in 1938 and Murray last year.

But this is a new year, and another chance for Murray.

“I think I’ll be probably in a better place mentally,” Murray said. “I would hope so just because I’ve been there before. I won a Grand Slam. I would hope I would be a little bit calmer going into Sunday.

“But you don’t know. You don’t decide that. I might wake up on Sunday and be unbelievably nervous, more nervous than I ever have been before.”

Nerves may get to him, but the pressure of playing from behind probably won’t.

On Thursday, Murray lost a tight first set to Janowicz and then got broken for the first and only time early in the third to eventually fall behind 4-1. He responded quickly, though, breaking twice and winning five straight games to take the set.

The match then took a short break, about 30 minutes, as the roof was closed because light was fading. Murray was angered by the decision at first, perhaps because last year’s Wimbledon final changed in favor of Federer when the roof was closed because of rain on the final day.

But on Friday, it didn’t seem to matter at all.

“It worked out OK for me in the end,” Murray said.

In the quarterfinals, Murray was facing an even more dire situation. He lost the first two sets against Fernando Verdasco before pulling out a huge comeback victory.

It will be tougher against Djokovic, tougher in the final. But maybe his coach, eight-time Grand Slam champion Ivan Lendl, will deliver the pep talk Murray needs to finally win one on the green grass of home.

“I’m going to tell him,” Lendl said, “to win the last point.”
- See more at: http://unbconnect.com/wimbledon-murray/#&panel1-6

Kerosene to bow out of Bangalore kitchens

Government plans to provide LPG connections to all BPL households

The State government proposes to make Bangalore a kerosene-free city by providing domestic LPG connections to all households, particularly below poverty line card holders.

The government has sent a proposal to the Centre to provide LPG connection to all card holders, who use kerosene. Now, only 55 per cent of the State’s households have LPG connections and nearly 80 per cent of the connections are in urban areas.

“We are in talks with the Centre on this,” Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Dinesh Gundu Rao told presspersons on Friday.

Besides reducing health risks, widespread use of LPG would reduce pollution levels, he said.

The government has offered to give subsidy to the initiative. “It will benefit all stakeholders. It’s eco-friendly. People need not wait in ration shops for four to five hours for kerosene,” the Minister said. Cent per cent LPG connections will substantially reduce indiscriminate felling of trees for use of firewood, he said.

He expects more than 95 per cent of card holders, who use kerosene, to shift to LPG. While the government will not make it mandatory, it will offer the option to the people to opt for a LPG connection.

There are 6.91 lakh BPL households in Bangalore city alone and all are eligible to procure four litres of kerosene a month from ration shops, he said.

The government has cut off kerosene supply to 12 lakh card holders in the State, who were found to have LPG connection. Issue price of kerosene from oil marketing companies has reduced to Rs. 15.6 per litre from Rs. 16.10, and the benefit has entirely been passed on to card holders, said the Minister.

He also said the government has initiated steps to crack down on misuse and diversion of domestic LPG connections. On an average, 5 to 8 per cent of domestic LPG is being diverted for commercial use in Bangalore. 

Source: http://to.ly/mgFY

HC’s clean chit to cops in Velachery encounter

In February 2012, 5 persons, suspected to be bank robbers, were killed in a shootout in Velachery

Giving a clean chit to the city police in the Velachery encounter case, the Madras High Court on Friday dismissed a batch of petitions that sought the registration of a case of murder against the police personnel involved.

The petition also sought the transfer of the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

On February 23, 2012, five persons, suspected to be bank robbers, were killed by the city police in a shootout in Velachery. Immediately after the incident, public interest litigation petitions were filed in the High Court by activists including P. Pugalenthi, director, Prisoners Rights Forum. They alleged the police did not want to investigate the bank robberies and were bent on killing the suspects.

A division bench comprising Justice Elipe Dharma Rao and Justice Aruna Jagadeesan rejected the petitions and said they were based on hearsay. The petitioners had no personal knowledge or substantive proof on the matter, the Bench said.

Contending it was a clear case of murder committed by police officers, the petitioners alleged that instead of resorting to legal methods of apprehending the accused and bringing them to trial before the court, the police resorted to elimination of the suspects in a fake encounter. Hence, the police officers involved should be booked for murder, they said.

The counsel for the police vehemently argued that police personnel were also human beings and if they opened fire to defend themselves, it could not be brought under the definition of murder.

Rejecting the contentions of the petitioners, the Bench said, “The magistrate report nowhere suggested anything to doubt the veracity of the version of the police. Likewise, another report submitted by the deputy superintendent of police, Police Research Centre, Crime Branch CID, held that the death of the five armed gangsters occurred when they attempted to kill the police personnel, who were taking all efforts to arrest them. The police returned fire in order to protect the lives of the public at large and their own lives.”

The judges said the petitioners were in no way connected with the deceased persons and they had no other material, except media reports, to say the police concocted a story after killing the accused.

Stating that the State government had swiftly transferred the investigation to the Crime Branch-CID, the Bench dismissed another plea for a CBI probe.

“The petitioners are completely third parties to the incident. They cannot be permitted to poke their nose into the investigation under the garb of public interest litigation, that too without any material and knowledge about the same, except hearsay evidence and media reports”, said the Bench.

Source: http://to.ly/mgFO