Russian hackers release Williams sisters, Biles’ medical data

Los Angeles: The World Anti-Doping Agency on Tuesday slammed Russian hackers who breached its database and published confidential records of US Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams.

WADA said in a statement that the Russian cyber-espionage group Tsar Team (APT28), also known as Fancy Bears, had broken into its Anti-Doping Administration and Management System (ADAMS) database.The hacking group released information gleaned from the files of Biles, the Williams sisters and US women's basketball player Elena Delle Donne.In a posting on its website, Fancy Bears claimed US athletes at the Olympics had "played well but not fair."

However, none of the documents published by the group provided evidence of wrongdoing on the part of the athletes involved.Instead, the disclosed files set out instances where the athletes had been granted exemptions to use various medications for legitimate reasons -- a common practice in the sports world.The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) haracterized the hack as a "cowardly and despicable" attempt to smear the four women."In each of the situations, the athlete has done everything right in adhering to the global rules for obtaining permission to use a needed medication," USADA chief executive Travis Tygart said."The cyber-bullying of innocent athletes being engaged by these hackers is cowardly and despicable," added Tygart, the anti-doping czar who famously helped expose US cyclist and dope cheat Lance Armstrong.

'I believe in clean sport':

Biles said on Twitter she had taken medications for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) since childhood."Please know I believe in clean sport, have always followed the rules and will continue to do so as fair play is critical to sport and is very important to me," said Biles, one of the stars of the Rio Olympics after winning four gold medals.Venus Williams meanwhile expressed "disappointment" at the breach, stating: "I am one of the strongest supporters of maintaining the highest level of integrity in competitive sport."Delle Donne laughed off the revelations in a upbeat post on Twitter."I'd like to thank the hackers for making the world aware that I legally take a prescription for a condition that I've been diagnosed with, which WADA granted me an exemption for. Thanks guys!" the basketball player wrote.An International Olympic Committee (IOC) spokeswoman said the leaked information was "clearly aimed at tarnishing the reputation of clean athletes" while reiterating that no anti-doping violation had occurred.

The data breach comes just weeks after hackers gained access to WADA's file on Russian doping whistleblower Yulia Stepanova.Stepanova, who is living in hiding in the United States, later said she feared for her life following the hack."WADA deeply regrets this situation and is very conscious of the threat that it represents to athletes whose confidential information has been divulged through this criminal act," WADA director general Olivier Niggli said in a statement."WADA condemns these ongoing cyber-attacks that are being carried out in an attempt to undermine WADA and the global anti-doping system," Niggli added.WADA said it believed the latest breach had occurred after "spear phishing" of email accounts and that it had been confined to ADAMS accounts of athletes competing in Rio.Spear phishing is when an email user receives a message purportedly from someone they know, but it is actually from a hacker.

'Criminal acts':

The hacking comes after a series of WADA investigations which have alleged a vast state-sponsored doping program in Russian sport dating back several years.Russia's track and field athletes were banned from the Rio Olympics by the International Association of Athletics Federations, angering the Kremlin, which condemned the move as politically motivated.But an independent report commissioned by WADA and published in July by Canadian law professor Richard McLaren concluded that Russia had run an elaborate scheme to evade drug-testers at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, corroborating claims by the former head of Russia's anti-doping laboratory.

WADA director Niggli said the hacking of the agency would hamper Russian efforts to reintegrate into the sports world."These criminal acts are greatly compromising the effort by the global anti-doping community to re-establish trust in Russia further to the outcomes of the Agency's independent McLaren Investigation Report," Niggli continued.Fancy Bears however indicated it planned to release more information.

"This is just the tip of the iceberg," the group said on its website."Wait for sensational proof of famous athletes taking doping substances any time soon."

Tags: serena williams, venus williams, simone biles, wada

Russian hackers release Williams sisters, Biles’ medical data

Unknown Tuesday, 13 September 2016

Approved strength of judges enough to end backlog: Law panel head

In a view different from the highest judiciary’s call for more judges to trim pendency, Law Commission of India Chairman and former Supreme Court judge Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan said “working judges”, and not increasing sanctioned strength of judges, may be a solution to modern-day demands of judicial workload caused by the heightened legal awareness among the public about their liberties.

“Increasing the sanctioned strength of judges will not solve the problem. We need working judges. Liberty has become more important. Workload has increased because of an increase in awareness among the public and education. There has been an expansion of liberty and courts are bound by the public’s faith in the judiciary,” Justice Chauhan, Chairman of the 21st Law Commission, said in an interaction with The Hindu at his residence on Monday.In short, Justice Chauhan said steps should be taken to fill the sanctioned strength rather than increase the number of judges over and above the current sanctioned strength to solve pendency.His view comes at a time when the Supreme Court has directed the Law Commission to file a report within a year on whether it is permissible to rid the apex court of routine appeals crowding the court, to help it focus on cases of national and public interest.

Justice Chauhan’s views come at a time when Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur has called for over 70,000 more judges to be appointed to courts all over the country to clear the backlog.This is when the present vacancies in the High Courts number over 480 when the sanctioned strength is 1079. The Supreme Court has itself three vacancies in a total sanctioned strength of 31 judges. The Chief Justice had made an emotional appeal in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the work burden of judges was becoming humanly unbearable.Asked whether an amended Bill of the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) may be a way out of the current impasse perceived between the highest judiciary and the government over the drafting of the Memorandum of Procedure of appointment of judges, he said there is every possibility it may be challenged and lead to “another year’s delay” in judicial appointments.

“Democracy is a collective opinion. Nobody has primacy. There should be a collective opinion, a collective effort. You cannot say we are the most important,” he said.The October 16, 2015 judgment, which revived the Collegium, was based on ‘primacy of judiciary’ in judicial appointments.On the government’s recent reference to examine and report on the Uniform Civil Code, he said the matter of uniform personal laws is a “social issue.”“We are not in a hurry. We are collecting material and are in talks with all the stakeholders,” Justice Chauhan said. He said work is at a preliminary stage.On the Supreme Court’s reference in July 2016 to review provisions of the Advocates Act to curb misconduct among lawyers, he said the judiciary wants “more teeth” to control lawyers’ misconduct. He said the message is “don’t malign the courts.”The country had seen lawyers resort to violence in various High Courts, including the Madras High Court and Kerala High Court.

“Judges have asked whether Parliament through law can empower the judiciary, in addition to the power of contempt of court, to debar lawyers for misconduct committed inside and outside the courts,” Justice Chauhan explained.

Keywords: Balbir Singh Chauhan, Law Commission of India

Approved strength of judges enough to end backlog: Law panel head

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Cow carcasses rotting in Gujarat, Dalits send over 1,000 postcards to Amitabh

Ahmedabad: At least 1,100 postcards with a small message and tagline 'Badbu (stink) Gujarat Ki' were sent to state tourism's brand ambassador and Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan on Tuesday by Dalits as part of a campaign to highlight "atrocities" against them in the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The punchline of the campaign is a parody of the Tourism Department's famous television advertisement "Khushbu Gujarat Ki (scent of Gujarat)" featuring the megastar.The campaign kicked off from Kalol town in Gandhinagar district.'Una Dalit Atyachar Ladat Samiti' convener Jignesh Mevani claimed that hundreds of carcasses of cows are rotting in the state and Dalits want Bachchan to come and "enjoy the stench of Gujarat".

The unique protest was conceptualised by 'Una Dalit Atyachar Ladat Samiti' and 'Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch' against the backdrop of flogging of Dalits for allegedly skinning a dead cow.At least 1,100 such postcards were sent to the residential address of Mr Bachchan in Mumbai, Mevani said.

"We have started this campaign from Kalol, where at least 1,100 Dalits sent one post card each to Bachchan. All the postcards bear a common printed message which urges him to visit Gujarat and sniff the stink coming out of cattle carcasses, as Dalits have stopped disposing them of as part of their protest against atrocities in Una," he said.The flogging incident in July, allegedly perpetrated by self-proclaimed cow vigilantes, had sparked off a massive unrest in state."We have given up disposing the carcasses. Hundreds of cows are lying dead and stinking all over the state. Now that we have given up disposing dead cows, we are inviting Bachchan to come here, spend some time and enjoy the 'badbu' of Gujarat," Mevani said.

He said more such postcards will be sent to Mr Bachchan from various cities of the state.Mevani claimed that a team of Dalit leaders would also visit Mumbai to hand over one such postcard in person to Bachchan.

Tags: amitabh bachchan, dalits, cow carcasses

Cow carcasses rotting in Gujarat, Dalits send over 1,000 postcards to Amitabh

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Cops involved in 50% cases of rights violation of sexual minority: report

New Delhi: In nearly half of the cases of human rights violations against sexual and gender minorities in four countries of South Asia police are "found" to have been "involved", a report has claimed.The report released here by South Asian Human Rights Association has compiled over 156 cases of human rights violation against sexual minorities during 2014 and 2015 - 16 from India, 56 Bangladesh, 62 Nepal and 22 from Sri Lanka.

The report stated that though age of the victims of human rights violations span from 14-57 years, in majority of the cases they are in the age group of 20-41 years."Among those of the perpetrators whose profession is known, police constitute almost 50 per cent. When the victims are transwomen, the police constitute 69 per cent of the perpetrators," the report stated.

The study also revealed that among lesbian and bisexual women and transmen, the picture is starkly different."Family members (16 per cent) and neighbours (17 per cent) are the major perpetrators of violence. The gay and bisexual men in this sample experience violence chiefly from family members (26 per cent), neighbours (10 per cent) and the police (17 per cent)," the study claimed.

The report also made recommendations like repealing of section 377 of the IPC which criminalises gay sex.Activist-lawyer Vrinda Grover, who was present during the release of the report, also raised the issue of loopholes in the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016 introduced in Lok Sabha on August 2, 2016.

She said the Bill was moving in a "wrong direction" and "failing" to serve the purpose.Siddarth Narrain, lawyer-researcher at Sarai-Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) said the surrogacy bill cleared by the Cabinet was "discriminatory" as it deprives homosexuals from parenthood and the government should give a "relook" to it.

It also recommended implementation of National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) judgement that guarantees transgender people freedom from discrimination by the state, equal employment and education opportunity, recognition of their rights to decide their gender, reservation in government jobs and in educational institutions.

Tags: human rights violations, gender crimes, police

Cops involved in 50% cases of rights violation of sexual minority: report

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Javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia wins gold at Paralympics

Javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia became the first Indian to clinch two gold medals at the Paralympics after he broke his own world record to clinch the top honours at the Rio Games here.Devendra, who won his previous gold in the 2004 Athens Games, bettered his own world record to finish on top in the men’s F46 event.Devendra, whose previous best was 62.15 metres (achieved in the 2004 Games), improved the mark with an attempt of 63.97 metres at the Olympic Stadium (Engenhao).

India now have two gold, one silver and one bronze in the ongoing edition of the GamesThangavelu Mariyappan had earlier struck gold in the men’s high jump, while Varun Bhati had secured a bronze in the same event.Later, Deepa Malik won a silver in the women’s shot put event to add to the tally.

Devendra Jhajharia's journey to paralympics

The 35-year-old who is now employed by the Sports Authority of India as coach hails from a remote village in Churu district of Rajasthan. Now 2-time gold medallist lost his left arm when he was nine in an electric shock. In this interview with The Hindu, he says that the he accidentally touched a live cable and nobody was sure whether he'd be able to recover from it.With support from his parents, he was able to recover from the amputation of his left arm. He believes that "to be a champion, you had to be a sportsman" and that's what made him go after javelin.

From a district-level champion, he steadily moved up the ladder to state and in 2002 he went on to win his first gold when participated in the Para-Asian Games.He was 23 when he won the gold at the 2004 Athens Games. His performance has been quite consistent in the decade after his big win. He won a silver at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.When asked whether para-athletes get recognition as much as other sportsperson in India, he says, "For sure we don’t get our due. But para-sport is on the rise and slowly we are getting more recognition."

Read the full interview with the paralympian, where he opens up about his journey to the top from a remote village in Rajasthan here.

Keywords: Paralympics 2016, Devendra Jhajharia

Javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia wins gold at Paralympics

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Hillary Clinton says feeling much better, didn’t think it was big deal...

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has said she is feeling much better and did not think the incident of her falling ill at a ceremony marking the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks was going to be that big.

“I just did not think it was going to be that big a deal.

It is just the kind of thing that if it happens to you and you are a busy, active person, you keep moving forward,” Ms. Clinton (68), told CNN in an interview on Monday night.This was her first interview, after she fell ill during a 9/11 memorial ceremony in New York.“I think it is fair to say that people know more about me than almost anyone in public life. They have got 40 years of my tax returns, tens of thousands of e-mails, a detailed medical letter report, all kinds of personal details,” she said.

Ms. Clinton said she is feeling so much better.

“I should have gotten some rest sooner. I probably would have been better off if I had just pulled down my schedule on Friday. But, like a lot of people, I just thought I could keep going forward and power through it. And, obviously, that did not work out so well,” she said.

Despite her being diagnosed with pneumonia on Friday, Ms. Clinton continued with her grilling schedule which finally resulted in her falling ill on Sunday.The former secretary of state said it is something that has occurred a few times over the course of her life.“I’m aware of it and usually can avoid it. What happened on Monday was that I just was incredibly committed to being at the memorial — as a senator on 9/11, this is incredibly personal to me. And I could, feel how hot and humid it was. I felt overheated. I decided that I did need to leave.

“As soon as I got into the air-conditioned van, I cooled off, I got some water and very quickly I felt better. So, I felt fine, but I am now taking my doctor’s advice, which was given to me on Friday that I ignored, to just take some time to get over pneumonia completely,” Ms. Clinton said.

Ms. Clinton said she felt dizzy and she did lose her balance for a minute.

“But once I got in, once I could sit down, once I could cool off, once I had some water, I immediately started feeling better. And my daughter lives nearby, so I went over to her apartment and, you know, spent time with her and my grandchildren which is the best medicine for anything in life,” she said.

Keywords: Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, feeling much better

Hillary Clinton says feeling much better, didn’t think it was big deal...

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U.S. bombers fly over S.Korea in show of force after N.Korea nuclear test..!

Two U.S. supersonic B-1 Lancer strategic bombers flew over South Korea on Tuesday morning in a show of force and solidarity with its ally amid heightened tension following North Korea's fifth nuclear test last week.The two bombers conducted a low-altitude flight over Osan Air Base in South Korea, which is 77 km (48 miles) from the Demilitarised Zone border with the North and about 40 km (25 miles) from the South's capital Seoul.

The scheduled fly-over was delayed from Monday due to weather conditions in Guam, where the bombers are stationed.The bombers, capable of carrying the largest payload of both guided and unguided weapons among U.S. Air Force aircraft, were escorted by South Korean and U.S. fighter jets as they conducted the low speed flight over Osan.The flight was watched by the commander of the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, General Vincent Brooks, and the South's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Lee Sun-jin.

“Today's demonstration provides just one example of the full range of military capabilities in the deep resources of this strong alliance to provide and strengthen extended deterrence," Gen. Brooks said in a statement.South Korea said on Monday the North is ready to conduct an additional nuclear test at any time after setting off its most powerful blast to date on Friday.The test ratcheted up a threat that its rivals and the United Nations have been powerless to contain as it continued to pursue the development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

The nuclear envoys of South Korea and the United States met in Seoul on Tuesday to discuss their response to the North's nuclear test and have a media conference scheduled for later in the day.

Keywords: U.S. bombers, fly over South Korea, show of force, North Korea, nuclear test, B-1 Lancer bombers, Osan Air Base

U.S. bombers fly over S.Korea in show of force after N.Korea nuclear test..!

Unknown

Pentagon confirms killing of IS spokesman

The Pentagon has confirmed that a United States air strike killed Islamic State leader and spokesman Abu Mohamed al-Adnani in northern Syria last month.“The strike near Al Bab, Syria, removes from the battlefield ISIL’s chief propagandist, recruiter and architect of external terrorist operations,” Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said on Monday.

“It is one of a series of successful strikes against ISIL leaders, including those responsible for finances and military planning, that make it harder for the group to operate.”The August 30 air strike was conducted by a Predator drone, which fired a Hellfire missile at the car Adnani was travelling in.

Officials say Adnani was the main spokesman for the IS, and he had played a major role during some of the group’s most high-profile attacks over the past year, including the one in Paris, at the Brussels and Istanbul airports, at a cafe in Bangladesh, as well as the downing of a Russian airliner in the Sinai and suicide bombings at a rally in Ankara.

Mr. Cook has said previously Adnani coordinated the movement of IS fighters, encouraged lone-wolf attacks on civilians and members of the military and actively recruited new IS members.Soon after the strike against Adnani, Russia said it was responsible for his death, a claim Pentagon officials dismissed as a “joke.”

Pentagon confirms killing of IS spokesman

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Woman in ‘The Kiss’photograph dies at 92..

The woman in an iconic photo shown kissing an ecstatic sailor in Times Square celebrating the end of World War II has died. Greta Zimmer Friedman was 92.

Friedman, who fled Austria during the war as a 15-year-old, died on Thursday at a hospital in Richmond, Virginia, from complications of old age, said her son, Joshua Friedman.

Greta Friedman was a 21-year-old dental assistant in a nurse’s uniform when she became part of one of the most famous photographs of the 20 century.

On Aug. 14, 1945, known as V-J Day (Victory over Japan Day), when Japan surrendered to the United States, people spilled into the New York City streets from restaurants, bars and movie theatres, celebrating the news.

That’s when George Mendonsa spotted Friedman, spun her around and planted a kiss. The two had never met. In fact, Mendonsa was on a date with an actual nurse, Rita Petry, who would later become his wife.

Two photographers clicked the scene. The photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt is called “V-J Day in Times Square,” but is known to most simply as “The Kiss.” Another image from a different angle was taken by U.S. Navy photographer Victor Jorgensen.

Eisenstaedt’s photo was first published in Life magazine, buried deep within its pages. Over the years, the photo gained recognition, and several people claimed to be the kissing couple. In an August 1980 issue of Life, 11 men and three women said they were the subjects. It was years before Mendonsa and Friedman were confirmed to be the couple. — AP

Woman in ‘The Kiss’photograph dies at 92..

Unknown

Here are the shortlisted candidates for 2016 Man Booker prize..

A psychological crime thriller set in the Scottish Highlands and the tale of a disturbed young woman in 1960s Massachusetts are on the shortlist for the prestigious Man Booker prize which was unveiled on Tuesday.

Nobel-winner J.M. Coetzee failed to make the six-name list for the world's leading English-language fiction award, which featured only one previous nominee, South African-born British author Deborah Levy.

Her Hot Milk is a story of an intense relationship between a sickly mother and her daughter set in a small Spanish fishing village which the jury said in a statement examines "female rage and sexuality".

Here is the final shortlist:

Author	About the Book	Other works
Deborah Levy	Hot Milk - A story of an intense relationship between a sickly mother and her daughter set in a small Spanish fishing village	Beautiful Mutants, Swallowing Geography, Billy and Girl, Swimming Home
Graeme Macrae Burnet	His Bloody Project - A story of poverty in the tiny crofting community of Culduie in the Scottish Highlands	The Disappearance of Adèle Bedeau
Ottessa Moshfegh	Eileen - A story of "an unassuming yet disturbed young woman" trapped between caring for her alcoholic father in a squalid house and her job as a secretary at a boys' prison.	Short stories - Medicine, Disgust, Malibu, etc.,
David Szalay	All That Man Is - a portrait of masculinity	London and the South-East, Innocent, Spring
Madeleine Thien	Do Not Say We Have Nothing - A story on classical music in revolutionary China	The Chinese Violin, Certainty, Dogs at the Perimeter
Paul Beatty	The Sellout - A satire on US urban life	The White Boy Shuffle, Tuff

"The final six reflect the centrality of the novel in modern culture -- in its ability to champion the unconventional, to explore the unfamiliar, and to tackle difficult subjects," jury chair Amanda Foreman, a historian, said in a statement.

"As a group we were excited by the willingness of so many authors to take risks with language and form," she said.

The Foyles bookshop chain said in a statement that the shortlist was "excitingly wide-open, with Deborah Levy the only well-known author left".

The winner will be announced in London on October 25.

Here are the shortlisted candidates for 2016 Man Booker prize..

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In China, the debate on a corridor with Pakistan hots up

The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is generating a vigorous internal debate, pitting those who advocate a lighter reliance on the project against others who view the undertaking as a cornerstone of security of the New Silk Road-Beijing’s ambitious connectivity plan.The State-run Global Times on Tuesday ran an article that underscores the symbolic importance of the CPEC. But, simultaneously, it also highlighted the burgeoning costs of keeping the corridor secure. “It is unlikely that China will change its supportive attitude on the CPEC in the short term, but the increasing cost of security is becoming a big problem in efficiently pushing forward the project,” it observed.

The write-up highlighted the complexity of securing the Gwadar to Kashgar economic corDawn newspaper is reporting that the Chinese side has suggested that Islamabad should formally rope in the army to ensure smooth execution of the project. It added that the Chinese wanted the establishment of a separate ministry or authority that would focus exclusively on the CPEC, to escape entanglement in inter-ministerial red tape.

ridor. “The economic corridor, linking Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Gwadar Port in southwest Pakistan, passes through some turbulent regions, Kashmir included. It is unlikely to be plain sailing for China and Pakistan in their attempts to push forward the CPEC due to challenges such as a complex regional environment, and people in the two countries should be prepared for potential setbacks.”The Pakistani media also underscored the difficulties that are being encountered in ensuring the CPEC’s unhindered take-off. Pakistan’s

The daily said that Sun Weidong, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, had called on Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif on June 7. An official statement released after the meeting stated: “Matters of mutual interest, including regional security and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, came under discussion.”

In an interview with The Hindu, Hu Shisheng, Director of the Institute of South and Southeast Asian and Oceanian Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, corroborated that China was now deeply enmeshed in Pakistan’s internal dynamics to shore up the CPEC project. “I think now the corridor could be the major pillar of the Sino-Pakistan relations. Nearly all our bilateral resources are more focused on guaranteeing the success of CPEC. So this will include all the areas. (We are) also dealing with the relationship between the Central government and local provinces. Also relations among provinces.”He added: “The intensity of the relationship has increased dramatically. Even the anti-terror cooperation has transformed into a new level. So of course as a scholar I am also concerned whether it would be finally regarded as an involvement in the internal affairs (of Pakistan).”

The Global Times article pointed out that Beijing should consider shifting its focus from the CPEC to a deeper engagement with Southeast Asia. “The CPEC has long been seen as a flagship project in China's Belt and Road initiative, but the initiative's strategic focus may need to shift gradually toward Southeast Asia, where there is a wide infrastructure funding gap but a relatively stable regional environment that will enable China to efficiently push forward ventures under the Belt and Road initiative.”

These observations coincided with the 13th China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit that was held over the weekend in Nanning, where the construction of the 21st century Maritime Silk Road was the core theme. In an interview with China Central Television (CCTV) Victor Gao, a well-known commentator, explained that engagement with Southeast Asia fell well within the China’s comfort zone. He stressed that “in all the ASEAN countries, there are large Chinese communities who have been there for generations,” and they could help catalyse a booming China-ASEAN partnership.But scholars such as Dr. Hu, view the CPEC as a project that can result in the emergence of a stable Pakistan. In turn, that would yield a major geostrategic prize, as it could disrupt the spread of extremism in the region, through which China’s ambitious One Belt, One Road will pass.

Keywords: China, Pakistan, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, CPEC, One Belt One Road, ASEAN, China-Pakistan, Silk Road

In China, the debate on a corridor with Pakistan hots up

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Cauvery water row: 56 KPN buses worth Rs 50 crore torched by mob....

Bengaluru: As many as 56 buses worth Rs 50 crore belonging to  KPN Travels,  from Salem, Tamil Nadu, went up in smoke as some 200 agitators barged into the company's bus shed in D’Souza Layout, Dwaraka Nagar, Banashankari and  hurled petrol bombs on them on Monday.Mr Ansar, manager of KPN’s regional office in the city, said he received calls at around 5pm  from the drivers at the shed informing him about the attack and immediately called the local police and fire department. But by the time the fire tenders arrived at 7pm all the sleeper, semi-sleeper, AC and Non-AC buses valued at over Rs 50 crore, were burnt.Asked about the delay in responding to KPN’s SOS, Mr   N R Markandeya, Deputy Director of Fire and Emergency Services, blamed it on protestors blocking the way of the fire tenders. “We swung into action as soon as we received the call and dispatched nine fire tenders from various zones to the spot, but protestors held them up in many areas, ” he said.It took two hours to put out the fire at the shed, which was finally doused by 9 pm.  A neighbouring shed owned by a Kannadiga was not touched, according to sources.  There were few cops to control the agitators, said eye witnesses. 

Cauvery water row: 56 KPN buses worth Rs 50 crore torched by mob....

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పారిస్‌ కాదది.. దెయ్యాల నగరం.

ఐఫోన్‌ నుంచి అగ్గిపెట్టె వరకు.. వైట్‌హౌస్‌ బిల్డింగ్‌ నుంచి వాటర్‌ బాటిల్‌ వరకు దేనికైనా ప్రతిరూపాన్ని సృష్టించగల దేశం చైనా. ఇప్పటి వరకు ప్రపంచవ్యాప్తంగా ఉన్న ప్రముఖ కట్టడాలకు ప్రతిసృష్టి చేసిందని అందరికీ తెలుసు. కానీ కట్టడాలకే కాదు ఏకంగా ప్రముఖ సుందర నగరం పారిస్‌కు సైతం ప్రతిసృష్టి చేసిందని తెలుసా? అవును.. పారిస్‌లాంటి అద్భుత నగరాన్ని తమ దేశస్థులకు అందించాలని భావించి పారిస్‌లాగే ఒక నగరాన్ని నిర్మించింది చైనా. అయితే.. అది పాపులర్‌ కాకపోగా నిర్మానుష్య ప్రాంతంగా మారిపోయింది.

చైనాలోని టియాండుచెంగ్‌ ప్రాంతంలో సంపన్నుల కోసం పారిస్‌లో ఉన్న భావన కలిగేలా అలాంటి కమ్యూనిటీ నగరాన్ని నిర్మించాలని చైనా ప్రభుత్వం భావించింది. 2007లో ప్రారంభించిన పారిస్‌ నగర నిర్మాణంలో భాగంగా పారిస్‌లో ఉన్న ఈఫిల్‌ టవర్‌ను ఇక్కడ కూడా 354అడుగుల ఎత్తులో నిర్మించారు. అదే కాదు.. పారిస్‌లోని ఇతర ప్రముఖ కట్టడాలు.. భవనాలు.. పార్కులు.. రోడ్లు అన్నీ పారిస్‌ని పోలినట్లుగా నిర్మించారు. దీంతో ఇది పారిస్‌ నగరానికి డూప్లికేట్‌గా మారిపోయింది. లక్ష మంది నివసించేందుకు వీలుగా భవనాలు నిర్మించారు. కానీ.. ఎందుకోగానీ ఈ ప్రాంతానికి దెయ్యాల నగరంగా పేరు వచ్చింది.

దీంతో ఎవరూ ఇక్కడి ఇళ్లను కొనుగోలు చేసేందుకు ముందుకు రాలేదు. దీంతో నగరమంతా నిర్మానుష్యంగా మారింది. అయితే ఈ నగరానికి దగ్గర్లో ఉన్న ఓ సంస్థలో పనిచేసే కొంతమంది ఉద్యోగులు మాత్రం ఇక్కడ ఉంటున్నారు. వారి జనాభా కూడా క్రమంగా తగ్గుముఖం పట్టింది. ప్రస్తుతం చైనా ప్రభుత్వం ఈ ప్రాంతాన్ని మరోసారి అభివృద్ధి చేసి అందరిని ఆకట్టుకోవాలని ప్రయత్నిస్తోంది.

పారిస్‌ కాదది.. దెయ్యాల నగరం.

Unknown

Wrestler Sakshi Malik enters top-5 in world rankings.

NEW DELHI: Riding on her bronze medal finish at the Rio Olympic Games, Sakshi Malik entered the top-five in the latest UWW (United World Wrestling) rankings, rising to a career-best 4th position in women's 58kg category.

Previously unranked, Sakshi, who became the first Indian woman wrestler to win an Olympic medal, claimed the position in the latest list.

Another Indian woman wrestler - Vinesh Phogat - who made an exit in the quarterfinals after a knee injury during the Olympics, climbed up two places to 11th position in the 48kg category.

In the men's freestyle category, Sandeep Tomar and Bajrang Punia were the only Indians to make it to the top-20 list.

Sandeep, who bowed out of the Olympics after losing his bout in the initial round, is currently placed at 15th position in the 57kg category, while Bajrang is ranked 18th in 61kg weight division.

Wrestler Sakshi Malik enters top-5 in world rankings.

Unknown

కావేరి చిచ్చుకు కారకులెవరు ?

న్యూఢిల్లీ: తమిళనాడు, కర్ణాటక రాష్ట్రాల మధ్య కావేరి వివాదం మళ్లీ రాజుకుంది. ఒక రాష్ట్రానికి చెందిన వాహనాలను మరో రాష్ట్రానికి చెందిన ప్రజలు లేదా రాజకీయ పార్టీలకు చెందిన కార్యకర్తలు దగ్ధం చేస్తున్నారు. విధ్వంసానికి పాల్పడుతున్నారు. ఈ వివాదం ఇప్పటిది కాదు. బ్రిటిష్‌ వలసపాలకుల నాటి నుంచి కొనసాగుతున్నదే. వ్యవసాయానికి జల వనరుల కొరత ఏర్పడినప్పుడల్లా వివాదం భగ్గుమంటూనే ఉంటోంది.

వాస్తవానికి కావేరి జల వివాదం కర్ణాటక, తమిళనాడుతోపాటు పుదుచ్ఛేరి, కేరళ రాష్ట్రాలకు చెందినది. గొడవలు మాత్రం ఎప్పుడూ తమిళనాడు, కర్ణాటక రాష్ట్రాల మధ్యనే జరుగుతాయి. కావేరి ప్రాదేశిక ప్రాంతంలో తమిళనాడు రైతులు జల వనరులు ఎక్కువగా అవసరమయ్యే పంటలనే వేయడం, కర్ణాటక రాష్ట్రంలో పట్టణీకరణ పెరిగి జల వనరుల కొరత ఏర్పడడంతో ఇరు రాష్ట్రాల మధ్యనే ఎక్కువగా వివాదం కొనసాగుతోంది. ఈ సమస్యను మొదటిసారి పరిష్కరించేందుకు 1991లో కావేరి ట్రిబ్యునళ్‌ను ఏర్పాటు చేశారు. అది సమస్య పరిష్కారానికి ఓ ఫార్ములాను సూచించింది. ఎన్నికల ప్రయేజనమే పరమావధిగా భావించిన ఇరు రాష్ట్రాల ప్రభుత్వాలు ఆ ఫార్ములాతో సంతృప్తి చెందలేదు.
1997లో ఇరు రాష్ట్రాల ముఖ్యమంత్రులు సమావేశమై సమస్యను పరిష్కరించేందుకు ప్రయత్నించారు. ఏ ముఖ్యమంత్రి కూడా కొంతైన రాజీ ధోరణని కనబర్చకపోవడంతో ఆ చర్చలు విఫలమయ్యాయి. సుప్రీం కోర్టు ఆదేశాల మేరకు 2012లో ఇరు రాష్ట్రాల ముఖ్యమంత్రులు మరోసారి సమావేశమయ్యారు. కొంతమేరకు పురోగతి సాధించినప్పటికీ ముఖ్యమంత్రులు శాశ్వత పరిష్కారానికి రాలేకపోయారు. చివరకు 2013లో కావేరి ట్రిబ్యునల్‌ సమావేశమైన గతంలో తాము సూచించిన ఫార్ములాకు కాస్త మెరగులు దిద్ది అధికారికంగా ఆ ఫార్ములాను నోటిఫై చేసింది.
ఈ మూడేళ్లకాలంలో సమస్య రాజుకోలేదు. ఇప్పుడు మళ్లీ రగులుకుంది. ట్రిబ్యునళ్లు, హైకోర్టులు, సుప్రీం కోర్టు కావేరి సమస్యను పరిష్కరించేందుకు చిత్తశుద్ధితో ప్రయత్నించినప్పటికీ అధికారంలోవున్న రాజకీయ పార్టీలకు చిత్తశుద్ధి లేకపోవడం వల్ల సమస్య పరిష్కారం కావడం లేదు. ఇరు రాష్ట్రాల రాజకీయ మూలాలు కావేరి సమస్యతో ముడిపడి ఉన్నాయి. ప్రతి ఎన్నికల్లోనూ కావేరి సమస్య ఓ ఆయుధం అవుతోంది. పార్టీల రాజకీయ ప్రయోజనాల కోసం ప్రజలు అనవసరంగా ఆందోళనల పేరిట బలవుతున్నారు.

కావేరి చిచ్చుకు కారకులెవరు ?

Unknown

'నా అనారోగ్యం పెద్ద విషయం కాదు'..

వాషింగ్టన్: ఇప్పుడు తాను ఎంతో బాగున్నానని, తన స్వల్ప అస్వస్థత పెద్ద విషయమేమీ కాదని డెమొక్రటిక్ అధ్యక్ష అభ్యర్థి హిల్లరీ క్లింటన్ తెలిపారు. 9/11 దాడులు జరిగి 15 ఏళ్లు అవుతున్న సందర్భంగా నిర్వహించిన సంస్మరణ కార్యక్రమంలో హిల్లరీ క్లింటన్ అకస్మాత్తుగా అనారోగ్యానికి గురైన సంగతి తెలిసిందే.

'ఇది పెద్ద విషయం కాబోదని నేను భావిస్తున్నా. తీరిక లేకుండా చురుగ్గా పనిచేసే ప్రతి వ్యక్తికి ఇలాంటి స్వల్ప అస్వస్థతలు ఎదురవుతూ ఉంటాయి' అని క్లింటన్ తెలిపారు. అస్వస్థత నుంచి తేరుకున్న తర్వాత తొలిసారి సీఎన్ఎన్ చానెల్ కు ఆమె ఇంటర్వ్యూ ఇచ్చారు. తన 40 ఏళ్ల జీవితం గురించి, తాను చెల్లించిన పన్నుల గురించి, తన ఈమెయిల్స్ గురించి, తన ఆరోగ్య పరిస్థితి గురించి సమగ్ర సమాచారం ప్రజలకు తెలుసునని ఆమె చెప్పుకొచ్చారు. న్యూమోనియోతో బాధపడుతున్న తాను వైద్యుడి సలహా పాటించకుండా బిజీ షెడ్యూల్ లో తలమునకలవ్వడం వల్లే స్వల్ప అస్వస్థతకు గురైనట్టు తెలిపారు. కొంచెం విశ్రాంతి తీసుకోవడం ద్వారా తాను తిరిగి పూర్తిస్థాయిలో షెడ్యూల్ ప్రకారం ముందుకెళతానని ఆమె చెప్పారు.

అమెరికా అధ్యక్ష ఎన్నికల్లో ప్రధాన ప్రత్యర్థులైన డొనాల్డ్ ట్రంప్, హిల్లరీ క్లింటన్ తమ ఆరోగ్య పరిస్థితిపై పరస్పర ఆరోపణలు చేసుకుంటున్న సంగతి తెలిసిందే. ఈ నేపథ్యంలో 68 ఏళ్ల హిల్లరీ అనారోగ్యానికి గురికావడం అమెరికన్లను ఆందోళనకు గురిచేసింది.

'నా అనారోగ్యం పెద్ద విషయం కాదు'..

Unknown

ఆక్స్‌ఫర్డ్ డిక్షనరీలో 1200 కొత్త పదాలు.

లండన్: ఆక్స్‌ఫర్డ్ ఇంగ్లిష్ డిక్షనరీ(ఓఈడీ) తాజా త్రైమాసిక సవరణలో 1,200 కొత్త పదాలను చేర్చింది. యోలో(యూ కెన్ లివ్ వన్స్), క్లిక్టివిజమ్, యోగాలెట్స్(యోగాకు సంబంధించినది) వంటి కొత్త పదాలతోపాటు బ్రిటిష్ నవలా రచయిత రోవాల్డ్ డాల్ శతజయంతి సందర్భంగా ఆయన రచనల్లోని కొన్ని పదాలను చేర్చినట్లు ఓఈడీ సీనియర్ అసిస్టెంట్ ఎడిటర్ జొనాథన్ డెంట్ తెలిపారు.
జెండర్ ఫ్లూయిడ్, వెస్ట్ మినిస్టర్ బబుల్(బ్రిటన్ రాజకీయ నాయకులు, అధికారులు సంబంధించినది) పదాలు కూడా ఆక్స్‌ఫర్డ్ ఇంగ్లిష్ డిక్షనరీలో చోటు దక్కించుకున్నాయి.

టాగ్లు: Oxford English Dictionary, yogalates, YOLO, ఆక్స్‌ఫర్డ్ ఇంగ్లిష్ డిక్షనరీ, యోలో,యోగాలెట్స్

ఆక్స్‌ఫర్డ్ డిక్షనరీలో 1200 కొత్త పదాలు.

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