Muslims in US plan novel stir against Quran burning

Muslims in US plan novel stir against Quran burning TIMES NEWS NETWORK  Washington: In an effort to overturn the image of Muslims as fire-breathing, sword-slashing conquerors and avengers, a Muslim group in America will resort to a pacific response to the provocative burning of the Quran by a fundamentalist Christian evangelist.     Pastor Terry Jones, the notorious Christian extremist who riled Muslims across the world with his inflammatory burning of the Quran in 2011, has upped the ante by threatening to burn 3,000 Qurans on September 11, the anniversary of the terrorist attack on America that killed nearly 3,000 people.     But instead of getting provoked, the “World Muslim Congress” in the US said it will “reclaim the standard of behavior practiced by the Prophet concerning scurrilous and hostile criticism of the Quran.”     It cited a quranic verse that says, “To overcome evil with good is good, and to resist evil by evil is evil” and said it is also strongly enjoined in the Quran in the same verse 41:34 that “Good and evil deeds are not equal. Repel evil with what is better; then you will see that one who was once your enemy has become your dearest friend.”     The Texas-based outfit said many Muslim organizations across America will go on a “blood drive” to save lives and serve humanity with kindness on the same day Pastor Jones has said he will burn the Qurans.

1,300 killed in gas attack in Syria: Oppn

1,300 killed in gas attack in Syria: Oppn Global Call For UN Probe; Russia Hints At Rebel Hand Beirut/Amman: Syria’s opposition accused President Bashar al-Assad’s forces of gassing many hundreds of people — by one report as many as 1,300 — on Wednesday in what would, if confirmed, be the world’s worst chemical weapons attack in decades.     Western and regional countries called for UN chemical weapons investigators — who arrived in Damascus just three days ago — to be urgently dispatched to the scene of one of the deadliest incidents of the two-year-old civil war.     Russia, however, called the Syrian opposition claims of chemical weapons attack a ‘premeditated provocation’, suggesting that rebels could have staged the assault to provoke international action. Images, including some taken by freelance photographers and supplied to Reuters, showed scores of bodies including of small children, laid out on the floor of a clinic with no visible signs of injuries. Reuters was not independently able to verify the cause of their death. The Syrian government denied that it had used chemical arms.     George Sabra, one of the leading opponents of Assad, said the death toll was 1,300 killed by poison gas rained down on suburbs east of Damascus. “Today’s crimes are ... not the first time the regime has used chemical weapons. But they constitute a turning point in the regime’s operations,” he told a news conference in Istanbul. “This time it was for annihilation rather than terror.”     An opposition monitoring group, citing figures compiled from medical clinics in the Damascus suburbs, put the death toll at 494 — 90%of them killed by gas, the rest by bombing and conventional arms. The rebel Syrian National Coalition said 650 people had been killed.     If the cause of death and the scale of the killing were confirmed, it would be the worst known use of chemical weapons since Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein gassed thousands of Kurds in the town ofHalabja in 1988. Activists said rockets with chemical agents hit the Damascus suburbs of Ain Tarma, Zamalka and Jobar during fierce pre-dawn bombardment by government forces. The Damascus Media Office monitoring centre said 150 bodies were counted in Hammouriya, 100 in Kfar Batna, 67 in Saqba, 61 in Douma, 76 in Mouadamiya and 40 in Irbib, all suburbs of Damascus.     A nurse at Douma Emergency Collection facility, Bayan Baker, earlier told Reuters the death toll collated from medical centres was at least 213. “Many of the casualties are women and children. They arrived with their pupils constricted, cold limbs and foam in their mouths. The doctors say these are typical symptoms of nerve gas victims,” the nurse said. Exposure to sarin gas causes pupils in eyes to shrink to pinpoint sizes and foaming at the lips.     The UN team is probing allegations that both rebels and army used chemical weapons in the past, one of the main disputes in international diplomacy over Syria. REUTERS  FATAL FUMES Syria is said to have one of the world’s largest stockpiles of chemical weapons, including mustard gas and the nerve agent sarin. The govt refuses to confirm or deny it possesses such weapons  SARIN It attacks the nervous system. Inhalation can cause death within 1-10 minutes of exposure Mild exposure can lead to eye irritation, runny nose, drooling, cough, diarrhoea, drowsiness and nausea. Symptoms of serious exposure include respiratory failure, loss of consciousness and paralysis SYMPTOMS appear within seconds after exposure to vapour form and up to 18 hours after exposure to liquid form  Antidotes atropine and physostigmine must be administered immediately MUSTARD GAS It is a blistering agent, burning eyes and skin exposed to it and lungs, mouth and throat if it is inhaled. It is not normally lethal, but can cause cancer and serious disfigurement  SYMPTOMS include conjunctivitis, skin burns, throat pain, cough and susceptibility to infection and pneumonia No immediate symptoms upon contact; takes 2-24 hours for victim to become aware  There is no treatment or antidote. The agent must be removed entirely from the body

Tunda once tried to lead revolt against Hafiz Saeed

Tunda once tried to lead revolt against Hafiz Saeed Deeptiman Tiwary TNN  New Delhi: For all his proximity to the top brass in LeT, Abdul Karim Tunda once plotted to unseat its chief Hafiz Saeed. Sources in the security establishment said that due to differences with Saeed and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi in the late 90s, Tunda tried to lead a revolt of the cadres and had to pay the price for it. He was relegated to the sidelines and remained a minor player throughout the 2000s. In fact, after 2002-03, he didn’t even met Saeed.     According to intelligence officials who have tracked him for years, Tunda wielded considerable influence in LeT during the 90s when he single-handedly engineered a series of blasts through various operatives across Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, UP and Punjab. He was instrumental in setting up effective LeT cells outside of Jammu and Kashmir and helped settle at least a dozen Pakistani operatives in India to set up sleeper modules.     “His utility had made him extremely powerful in the outfit and he wielded such influence within the LeT in the 90s that when he developed differences with Saeed and Lakhvi towards the end of the decade, he almost managed a cadre revolt from within,” said an officer from the security establishment. “Post-2001, Tunda was limited to non-operational and peripheral roles in the organization and mainly involved himself in running madrassas, motivational activities and training. In fact, after 2003, he hasn’t even met Saeed even once,” the officer added. Sources said post-9/11, with pan-Islamic terror influencing India and mass casualty terror attacks using deadly explosives such as RDX becoming the norm, Tunda, whose methods were rather rudimentary, had outlived his utility for LeT.

Lashkar supporters in lakhs: Tunda

Lashkar supporters in lakhs: Tunda Says LeT Currently Has 3L Active Members, Jaish-e-Mohammad Has 1.5L Neeraj Chauhan TNN  New Delhi: In what has left Indian intelligence agencies concerned, Lashkar-e-Toiba’s arrested bomber Abdul Karim Tunda has disclosed that the ranks of the jihadi outfit continues to swell in Pakistan and that LeT currently has 3 lakh active members. The support base of Jaish-e-Mohammad, another terror group active in Kashmir, is around 1.5 lakh, Tunda has claimed.     TOI exclusively accessed the full interrogation report of Abdul Karim Tunda, arrested by Delhi Police special Cell from close to the Nepal border last Friday, in which he gives details not only of Lashkar and its training camps, but also talks about other outfits and chiefs such as Azam Cheema, Amir Reza Khan and Abdul Salam Bhatki, an ideologue of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD).     The one-armed bombmaker has told interrogators that Hafiz Saeed, one of India’s most wanted jihadists, was promoted as Lashkar chief by Pakistan’s Inter-Services-Intelligence in the early nineties, when the Taliban were fighting to take control of Afghanistan. According to the interrogation report, LeT fighters are smuggled into India by Tunda’s father-in-law (from his second wife), Zakaria. An active LeT member, Zakaria also facilitates the crossing of absconders from India to Bangladesh.     Tunda claims to have known Hafiz Saeed since 1992, even before the Babri Masjid demolition. The first meeting between the two took place during Tunda’s 15-day visit to Pakistan to meet his brothers-in-law Gayasuddin and Abid. He came in contact with Saeed through a maulvi, Safi-Ur-Rehman, who hailed from Mubarakpur in Uttar Pradesh but was living in Mecca at that time. He and Saeed became good friends and the two met again in Pakistan later that year.     About the initial days of Lashkar, Tunda said two groups were separately formed out of LeT – Harkatul-Ansar and Harkat-ul-Jehad. However, on the directions of ISI and LeT, these groups were merged and given the name of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), with Maulana Masood Azhar as its founder member. “JeM was basically used by ISI for their operations,” according to the interrogation report.     Tunda said LeT has two major training centres in Mansera Subub Sarhad and Hind Baloch Subab Sarhad, while its other training centres are in Peshawar, Muzzafarabad and Muridke. Mostly recruits are from Punjab province in Pakistan and they are provided three kinds of training – daura-esufa (15-day training for collection of funds in the name of Kashmiri migrants), daura-e-aam (21-day physical and arms handling training, including firing) and daurae-khas (3-month training for operational activities). There are usually 30 to 70 members in a trainee group at one time.

Blood test can tell if you are suicidal

Blood test can tell if you are suicidal Biomarkers Can Indicate Tendency Kounteya Sinha TNN  London: A simple blood test can now identify people most prone to committing suicide.     Scientists from Indiana University School of Medicine researchers have found a series of RNA biomarkers in blood that may help identify who is at risk for taking their own life.     Researchers said the biomarkers were found at significantly higher levels in the blood of both bipolar disorder patients with thoughts of suicide as well in a group of people who had committed suicide. Researchers now believe the results provide a first “proof of principle” for a test that could provide an early warning of somebody being at higher risk for an impulsive suicide act.     “Suicide is a big problem in psychiatry. It’s a big problem in the civilian realm, it’s a big problem in the military realm and there are no objective markers. There are people who will not reveal they are having suicidal thoughts when you ask them, who then commit it and there’s nothing you can do about it. We need better ways to identify, intervene and prevent these tragic cases,” said investigator Dr Alexander B Niculescu, director of the Laboratory of Neurophenomics at the Institute of Psychiatric Research at the IU School of Medicine.     Over three years, Niculescu and his colleagues followed a large group of patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder, completing interviews and taking blood samples every three to six months. The researchers conducted a variety of analyses of the blood of a subset of participants who reported a dramatic shift from no suicidal thoughts to strong suicidal ideation. They identified differences in gene expression between the “low” and “high” states of suicidal thoughts and subjected those findings to a system of genetic and genomic analysis called Convergent Functional Genomics that identified and prioritized the best markers by cross-validation with other lines of evidence.     The researchers found that the marker SAT1 and a series of other markers provided the strongest biological “signal” associated with suicidal thoughts. Next, to validate their findings, working with the local coroner’s office, they analyzed blood samples from suicide victims and found that some of same top markers were significantly elevated. Finally, the experts analyzed blood test results from two additional groups of patients and found that high blood levels of the biomarkers were correlated with future suicide-related hospitalizations, as well as hospitalizations that had occurred before the blood tests.

Indore communal clashes: 30 cops among 45 injured

Indore communal clashes: 30 cops among 45 injured Bagish K Jha TNN  Indore:Curfewwasclampedin the city’s communally volatile localities on Tuesday after violent clashes between two groups during which 45 people, including 30 policemen, were injured. Over 100 vehicles were damaged and at least two set on fire.     Police opened fire after teargas shells failed to bring under control the rioters, fifty of whom were arrested later. Curfew was imposed in Chandan Nagar and adjoining localities while the administration orderedclosureof educationalinstitutions in the city. Police said the violence erupted after caracasof an animalwasfound near a temple in Ambar Nagar area. Soon an enraged group went on a rampage, blocking roads and throwing stones at some houses. Later, members of another community clashed with the people marching towards the Chandan Nagar police station. The area had witnessed clashes between two groups over a cricket match three days ago. Mobs ran amok and indulged in brick-batting for more than an hour before additional forces reached the spot. Additional SP Anil Kushwah was among those injured after policemen were targeted with petrolbombs andstones.

Tunda part of first Lashkar cell in India

Tunda part of first Lashkar cell in India Deeptiman Tiwary TNN  New Delhi: Arrested Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Abdul Karim Tunda was not only part of the first LeT cell in the country but also responsible for sending several Pakistani terrorists into India in the mid-90s while sitting in Bangladesh. He, however, got little support from Muslims within the country and several of his big plans could not fructify, sources in the security establishment said.     After his associate from Mumbai Dr Jalees Ansari, responsible for a series of blasts in the city, was arrested in 1994, Tunda fled to Bangladesh and then to Pakistan. By 1996, he was operating out of Dhaka in close association with Islamic Chhatra Shibir, sources said. He used his and the Shibir’s contacts to send several LeT operatives to India who were to set up cells outside of Jammu and Kashmir.      One of the first Pakistani militants he sent to India was Kamran — a Delhi-born man whose family had shifted to Pakistan. Kamran was part of the LeT apparatus and was asked by his bosses to work with Tunda. Kamran was responsible for the series of blasts that ripped through Delhi and Punjab in the mid-90s, sources said.     Following him was Pakistani LeT operative Salim Junaid who had worked with Kamran in Lashkar’s Muzaffarabad office. Junaid had earlier tried to enter India in the early 90s but failed. It was Tunda who finally made it possible. However, Kamran found it tough to set up a sleeper module in India.     He set foot in Delhi and tried to garner support from Tablighi Jamaat without any result. His efforts to rally support in Mumbai, Bhiwandi and make new contacts in Delhi also remained unsuccessful.     “At that time, pan-Islamic terror had not touched India and communalism hadn’t disturbed its social fabric as deeply as it has today. It was not easy to get local support for terror activities. In fact, Tunda’s oldest associate, Hyderabad’s Azam Ghauri, was refused burial in the community burial ground after he was killed in an encounter by police in 2000,” said a official from the security establishment.      Interestingly, it was in Hyderabad that Junaid finally found shelter with help from an LeT contact and legitimized his stay by marrying a local girl and joining the Students Islamic Movement of India while continuing his terror activities. He was, however, arrested in 1998 along with some Pakistani associates.     Some others to enter India using Tunda’s network were Abdul Sattar, Shoaib Alam and Faisal Hussain who were all arrested in 1998 by Delhi Police from UP with a huge cache of arms and explosives.     In 1999, police had arrested around a dozen members of an LeT cell in Jammu and Kashmir and found that its chief operative, Pakistani national Amir Khan, had married into a family in Bhiwandi, a place where Tunda worked earlier. I was in constant touch with former ISI chief Hamid Gul, claims Tunda  New Delhi: Top Lashkar bomb expert Abdul Karim Tunda told interrogators that he had come in contact with Pakistan's spy agency ISI after meeting former ISI chief Hamid Gul in 1995 and was in constant touch with him thereafter.     Delhi Police officials said Tunda, a close aide of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, had met Gul after reaching Pakistan via Saudi Arabia. Investigators said the 70-year-old terrorist has told them that that ISI was the official arm which has got several other “tanzeems” (organizations) like LeT, Jamaat-ud-Dawa under its umbrella to carry out various tasks. The handlers call these tanzeems as social organizations.     Tunda, who was holding a Pakistani passport with the name Abdul Quddus, was arrested on Friday from an area on the Indo-Nepal border after being on the run in several countries for 19 years.     During his stay in Pakistan, Tunda told the police he had been in touch with organisations like ISI, LeT, Jaish-e- Mohammed, Indian Mujahiddin and Babbar Khalsa and had been meeting people like Hafiz Saeed, Maulana Masood Azhar, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Dawood Ibrahim and several others wanted by India.     “Tunda has told us that most of the current LeT operatives are Punjabis. They are paid a meager sum of Rs 3000-4000 per month,” said a senior police official.     However, Gul who served as the Director General of ISI from 1987 to 1989, rubbished these claims. PTI

SC notice to govt on criminals in poll fray

SC notice to govt on criminals in poll fray Gives Govt One Last Chance To Respond To EC Plea For Banning Those Facing Trial For Heinous Crimes Dhananjay Mahapatra TNN  New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday gave a last opportunity to the Centre to break its long silence over Election Commission’s suggestion to ban those facing trial for heinous offences from contesting elections.     Almost eight months after it directed the Centre and the EC to “positively” file its response to a PIL seeking a series of directions to ensure that those with criminal track records do not enter the political arena, a bench of Justices R M Lodha and Madan B Lokur was perturbed by the Centre’s stony silence on such a crucial issue.     Pursuant to the January 2order, the EC had filed its affidavit agreeing with petitioner NGO ‘Public Interest Foundation’, which requested the court to frame guidelines for decriminalization of politics, but the Centre was found begging for one more opportunity to file its response.     When additional solicitor general Paras Kuhad asserted that the Centre has taken a series of measures to decriminalize politics, the bench asked him to file the response in six weeks, with a clear warning that no more opportunity would be given to the government.     The bench also directed the Centre to detail in its affidavit steps taken to implement the court’s 1997 judgment in Dinesh Trivedi case, where it had dealt with the Vohra Commission report on pervasive nexus between politicians, bureaucrats and police with crime syndicates and ordered setting up of an institutional mechanism like Lokpal to investigate the high and mighty uninfluenced by their clout.      The court in its judgment had said, “In view of the seriousness of the charges involved and the clout wielded by those who are likely to become the focus of investigation, it is necessary that the body which is entrusted with the task of following the investigation through to the stage of prosecution, be such that it is capable of enjoying the complete trust and confidence of the people

Work pressure pushing techies to the brink

Work pressure pushing techies to the brink Ananya Banerjee TNN  Hyderabad: High flying jobs with fat paychecks notwithstanding, many young techies in m a n acity are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain a work-life balance which is pushing them to suicide, depression, crime and substance abuse.     On Sunday, a group of techies in their mid-twenties got arrested for getting into a drunken brawl with people within the airport premises.      In June this year, a 29-year-old software engineer was arrested for the murder of his wife in Anand Nagar colony. Although, police said there were other reasons, investigations did reveal that he was “highly stressed” at work and told interrogators that his wife used to allegedly harass him at home also.     July alone saw two techies committing suicide with 26-year-old software engineer Pallavi K, who returned from the United States, ending her life by hanging herself at Lakdi-ka-pul, software engineer Ashwini Nairy, 22, jumped to her death from a 7thfloor building at Madhapur.     Counsellors at centres and citybased psychiatrists said the number of people seeking help from tech-related fields were much more than those coming from other professional streams.      Officials from Makro Foundation, a city based organization, working on prevention of deaths due to avoidable mishaps, said that over the past four years, there has been an 8-10% rise in the number of techies seeking counseling.     “Young techies, though well paid, are not able to catch up with their demanding deadlines leading to dissatisfaction and low self esteem. Many of them lose out on relationships because they have no time to spend with their partners,” said Aparna Adhikari, manager of Makro, which has been conducting counselling sessions with corporate companies.     There are over 1,000 big and small software companies employing scores of people, who often have to work for marathon hours, with little break in the middle. Adhikari said work pressures coupled with strained relationships are pushing many to depression.     “We have observed that men are more willing to seek counseling compared to women who tend to clamp up,” Adhikari added.     Experts said many youngsters coming to look for opportunities in the tech hub get depressed after a point due to long hours of work and staying away from family. The converse is also true for Hyderabadi techies who have to work overseas and don’t see their families for months or even years. Most of them are in the 22 to 35 age group.  TECH BLUES  Many young techies in city are finding it difficult to maintain a work-life balance which is pushing them to suicide and depression Number of people seeking psychiatric help from tech-related fields much more than those from other professional streams There has been an 8-10% rise in the number of techies seeking counselling in the last four years Most of those seeking psychiatric help are in the 22-35 age group Insomnia dogs techies  Hyderabad: Shift Work Disorders (SWD) like insomnia is common among techies who have erratic working hours. Irritability, edginess and sleep disorders affect behavioral patterns which in turn break down the social system around them.     “Many take their work back home and are unable to switch off even after office hours are over. These traits are observed much more in techrelated professionals than those from other fields,” said Dr Ashok Alimchandani, senior consultant psychiatrist at Apollo Hospital.     Stress management, spending enough family time and learning to maintain an optimum work life balance is the mantra to dodge work-related stress. Depression is a sociological-biological-psychological condition which must be tackled at all three levels, counselors said.      “Young working professionals should avoid revolving their lives around work. Most importantly, they must come out and vent their frustrations instead of bottling them up,” said Dr Sucharita N, who has worked with Life-Line Australia and currently a psychologist at Roshni NGO, a suicide intervention centre.

Economy stares at crisis as suffers worst 1-day fall of 142p

Economy stares at crisis as suffers worst 1-day fall of 142p Growth Slump Likely; Inflation, Rate Hikes Loom TIMES NEWS NETWORK  Mumbai: Policymakers may still be in denial but the Indian economy is clearly staring at a crisis with the rupee on Monday recording its sharpest drop ever in absolute terms to close at 63.13 — 1.42 paise down from its previous close against the dollar.     Economists are now forecasting an exchange rate of 65 in the short-term. The rush of capital out of India, which has triggered the fall, has raised the prospects of inflation, growth falling below 5% and higher interest rates.     The rupee fell nearly 2.25% in a day, making all imports that much more expensive. Along with the rupee, stock prices too crashed on Monday. The BSE sensex fell 291 points to 18,308.     The rupee’s fall was the sharpest among all currencies as rising interest rates in the US pushed up the greenback against all emerging currencies. As a result investment funds from the West are pulling money out of emerging markets and back into US treasuries. Besides the rupee, the Indonesian Rupiah touched a four-year low.      The Reserve Bank of India’s fire-fighting measure of keeping rupee funds in short supply to rein in the dollar have not helped much but have caused immense collateral damage. The yield on 10-year government bonds has risenpast 9%. This has compelled banks to raise interest rates on deposits and loans. Andhra Bank and Axis Bank have raised lending rates while ICICI Bank and Canara Bank have raised deposit rates. Although the end of the US Fed’s monetary stimulus affects emerging markets across the world, India is expected to be the worst hit as it has a large trade deficit, coupled with high inflation and a growth rate that is now expected to slip below 5%.  Ban on duty-free television imports     The government on Monday banned duty-free import of flat screen television by air travellers in a bid to prop up rupee, which declined below the 63 level against US dollar. The government, according to a notification, has decided to “disallow import of flat panel (LCD/LED/Plasma) television as part of free baggage allowance” with effect from August 26. P14  SENSEX DIVES 291 POINTS     Sensex lost another 291 points on Monday, taking the total loss in last two sessions to 1,060 points     Investors were left 3.2 lakh crore poorer with BSE’s market cap now at 59.3 lakh crore     FIIs were net sellers of 680cr on Monday, adding to their 520cr net selling on Friday

Muslim share in govt jobs crosses 10%

Muslim share in govt jobs crosses 10% Subodh Ghildiyal TNN  New Delhi: The intake of Muslims in central government bodies has increased by over 3% in six years, reflecting a visible improvement in the community’s share of public sector jobs that the UPA marked out as priority after coming to power in 2004.     Government figures show that the recruitment of minorities in central government organizations stood at 10.18% in 2010-11, up from 6.93% in 2006-07.     The 3% increase in employment across sectors in the last six years coincides with the directives that the Centre issued to ministries and departments that they should take special measures — publicity campaigns about recruitment drives and inclusion of minority members in interview panels — to boost minority presence in jobs.     Minority has been a thinly-disguised term for Muslims who form an overwhelming share of religious minorities. Social activist and former National Advisory Council member Harsh Mander dubbed the increase as significant and credited the community for the success.     “It is the outcome of efforts on the part of community members to break out of restraints on social mobility they have been traditionally bound by,” he said, adding the government contribution in the trend was smaller.     The percentage of minorities in total hiring across central government jobs was 6.93% in 2006-07. It went up to 8.23%, 9.90%, 7.28% and 10.18% in the following years. Sensing inconsistency, the ministry has called for review of the 2011-12 figures that stand at a dismal 6.24%.     The significance of increasing number of Muslims in central recruitment extends beyond mere job share.     That they are joining paramilitary forces and railways, the largest public sector employers, in greater numbers could start a robust trend for future. The community’s increasing share in the police force would also strengthen their confidence in security matters.

Lakhvi calls the shots in Lashkar, Tunda tells cops

Lakhvi calls the shots in Lashkar, Tunda tells cops ‘26/11 Planner Active From Rawalpindi Jail’ Dwaipayan Ghosh TNN  New Delhi: Arrested terrorist Abdul Karim Tunda has told interrogators that Mumbai attacks mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi was managing the affairs of Lashkar-e-Taiba from jail while the terror outfit’s chief, Hafiz Saeed, had taken on the role of a guide and motivator.      Lakhvi has been in jail for the 26/11 attacks since December 7, 2008, and is currently lodged in Rawalpindi prison. According to Tunda, he still runs the show at LeT, raising questions about the nature of Lakhvi’s detention.     Tunda has been nursing a grudge against Lakhvi ever since the two had a spat — well known among security agencies — over distribution of finances.     Agencies aren’t taking Tunda’s words at face value and will verify his claims. But they say the 70-year-old is a walking encyclopedia on LeT’s pan-India operations. During interrogation, Tunda said he had sought the intervention of Pakistan’s ISI over his differences with Lakhvi, but was told that he was aging and should take up another role — that of a “motivator”, since Tunda had exemplary “motivational qualities”. Sources claim that Tunda set up three madrasas — Mehdus-Taleem-Islam-e-Dar-Al-Funoon madrasas — under this “compromise” formula.     Tunda also claims to be close to Dawood Ibrahim, who is holed up in Karachi, and the entire ISI set up. “He first met Dawood in Karachi, when he was invited to the don’s residence in 2002. Thereafter, Tunda made various ‘courtesy calls’ but we believe Dawood was looking at Tunda to push both men and materials into India since his own movements were restricted and monitored by intelligence agencies,” an official said.     Officials said Tunda brought up the subject of his differences with Lakhvi several times. Despite played a key role in LeT’s pan-India operations, Tunda was bitter about not being able to wield a bigger influence in the terror outfit.  THE BOMBER SINGS What terror mastermind Abdul Karim Tunda has told cops so far On Dawood Ibrahim | Most wanted don holed up in Karachi “with the whole ISI paraphernalia”. Tunda claims to have been invited to Dawood’s residence in 2002. Then made several “courtesy calls” in subsequent years On Delhi plan | Tunda tried to sneak in explosives to Delhi and Punjab just before the Commonwealth Games in October 2010 in league with Babbar Khalsa Intl. Plan foiled as operatives were arrested Bodh Gaya blasts | Role of Tunda and Lashkar-e-Taiba in July 7 Bodh Gaya blasts apparent. Tunda was looking to recruit disgruntled Rohingyas from Myanmar to target Buddhists. He has given cops names of some Rohingya leaders Cops to probe Tunda’s links with AP ultras Tunda Reportedly Trained Several Terrorists, Including Dilsukhnagar Blast Accused  Hyderabad: Terror suspects Syed Maqbool and Mirza Qasim Baig are reportedly among the many from the state who indirectly benefited from the skills of alleged bomb-maker Abdul Karim Tunda, who was arrested from the Indo-Nepal border area on Friday. Maqbool is an accused in the recent Dilsukhnagar twin blasts.     Tunda, who is aligned with several terror outfits, including the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), reportedly trained slain terrorist Azam Ghauri in making bombs, who in turn passed on the skills to Maqbool and a few others.     Sources in intelligence told TOI that Ghauri had trained several like-minded persons in 1990s and Maqbool and Qasim Baig, who were convicted for killing members of right-wing orgainisations, were among them. His bomb-making skills helped Maqbool emerge an important player in the Indian Mujahideen (IM), which is strongly suspected to be an offshoot of the LeT.     Maqbool allegedly taught some IM members about how to make improvised explosive devices (IEDs) using locally available material in Aurangabad in 2012. Incidentally, it was Tunda who masterminded the technique and taught many extremists, including Azam Ghauri.  “Maqbool and his associates never had direct contact with Tunda, who had trained young indoctrinated youth like Ghauri in preparing bombs with locally available materials like urea, nitric acid, potassium chloride, nitrobenzene and sugar and planting them at crowded places to cause maximum casualties. This has been the trademark style of LeT and now IM,'' the investigators said. It appears that the state police are least interested inTunda's earlier offences in the city, but were keen on questioning him about the recent twin blasts at Dilsuknagar.     The sources said Tunda was facing five cases in the city and all these were being investigated by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Central Crime Station (CCS). However, deputy commissioner of police (CCS) LKV Ranga Rao claimed that one case involving Thunda was being investigated by CCS and not five. “The case dates back to 1998, we are yet to gather details of it,'' the DCP told TOI.     The Indian Muslim Mohammadi Mujahideen (IMMM), formed by Azam Ghauri and Maqbool in the state in 1990s, shares more or less the same ideology as that of the Tanzim Islahul Muslimeen (TIM) (Islamic Armed Organisation for the Improvement of Muslims) formed by Tunda in which Ghauri was an important member.

Unemployment dropping among Muslims: NSSO

Unemployment dropping among Muslims: NSSO Rely Heavily On Self-Employment & Rural Labour Mahendra Singh TNN  New Delhi: Unemployment among Muslims is going down, marking an encouraging trend to gladden the champions of inclusive growth.     The unemployment rate for the community declined from 2.3% in 2004-05 to 1.9% in 2009-10 in rural areas and from 4.1% to 3.2% in urban areas. However, a vast majority of Muslims in both rural and urban areas are not part of the organized workforce compared to other religious groups.     In contrast, Hindus had a stable unemployment rate of 1.5% in rural areas during the five-year period while it fell from 4.4% to 3.4% in urban India.     According to data released by the National Sample Survey Organization, Muslims are mainly engaged in self-employment and as rural labour.     In cities and towns, Muslims are at the bottom of the ladder in the ‘regular wage/ salaried’ category. Among the major religious groups, only 30.4% of Muslim households are in regular jobs, followed by Sikhs (35.7%), Hindus (41%) and Christians (43%). In contrast, the proportion of households with major source of earning as selfemployment was the highest for Muslims (46%) in urban areas.      In villages, Muslims (41%) are the largest group employed as rural labour with another 46.3% in the self-employed category. Majority of households of all religious groups, other than Muslims, belong to the selfemployed in agriculture category, the survey found.     In rural areas, the proportion of households depending on self-employment was the highest among Sikhs (48%). The community’s major source of earning is self-employment in agriculture (around 36%), followed by Hindus (33%) and Christians (30%).Around 25% of Muslims are engaged in self-employment in nonagricultural sector, followed by Christians (14.7%), Hindus (14.5%) and Sikhs (12.4%), according to the NSSO data.     The poor state of affairs among Muslims is also reflected in low per capita spending compared to other religious groups. The household monthly per capita consumer expenditure (MPCE), which serves as a proxy for income and is usually taken to reflect the living standard of a family, was lowest among Muslims. Muslim households were spending Rs 980 (Rs 1,272 in urban areas and Rs 833 in rural areas).     The average MPCE (for both urban and rural) was the highest for Sikh households, followed by Christians and Hindus. The average MPCE of a Sikh household was Rs 1,659 (Rs 2,180 in urban areas and Rs 1,498 in rural areas).  Share in govt jobs up 3% in 6 years     Employment of Muslims in central government organizations has increased by more than 3% in six years, from 6.93% in 2006-07 to 10.18% in 2010-11. The rise coincides with the directives issued by the Centre to ministries and departments that they should take special measures to boost minority presence in jobs. That more and more Muslims are joining paramilitary forces and railways could start a robust trend. Increasing presence in the police force would also strengthen their confidence in security matters. P7

Brain behind Gaya, Hyd bombings

Brain behind Gaya, Hyd bombings Deeptiman Tiwary TNN  New Delhi: Looking at Abul Karim Tunda (70) with hennadyed beard and an arm missing, it’s difficult to get a sense of the terror and mayhem he spread across the country in the mid-90s. Over seven years — much before mass-casualty terror strikes became a regular feature in India — Tunda set off blasts at public places enveloping the country in an atmosphere of fear.     He was among the first set of Islamic radicals tapped by ISI-backed outfits such as LeT for anti-India activities. Radicalized after the 1985 riots in Bhiwandi, where he lived, Tunda with Dr Jalees Ansari and Azam Ghauri set up Tanzeem Islahul Muslimeen.     After the Babri demolition, the group came in contact with LeT and it became one of its first sleeper cells outside J&K.     The group executed more than 40 blasts across Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi and elsewhere. Ansari was arrested in 1994. Ghauri moved to Hyderabad triggering blasts and killing Hindutva fundamentalists before being eliminated by police in 2000.     Ghauri trained IM operative Syed Maqbool in bomb making —information that’d interest agencies probing Hyderabad and Bodh Gaya blasts. Maqbool has been linked to both strikes. Delhi Police say Tunda has been training Rohingya Muslims at LeT camps as well.     For all the terror Tunda spread, his tactics were rudimentary. “Having lived in Bhiwandi where he was engaged in dying of clothes, Tunda knows chemicals well,” an officer who has tracked him says. Tunda shared his bombmaking skills with others who executed blasts in Mumbai. Tunda had by then gone underground, but blasts kept occurring across the country. Intelligence agencies learnt that he had come in contact with Azam Cheema, LeT’s India operations chief.     In the late 90s, information trickled in that he had been spotted in a LeT-linked mosque at Dhaka’s Jatra Bari Dhaka. But he fled to Pakistan. Belonging to a pre-RDXmass casualty era, an agency source say, Tunda has outlived his utility for LeT and was probably homesick.

MASTER BOMBER TUNDA’S RUN ENDS

MASTER BOMBER TUNDA’S RUN ENDS Frequent Nepal Trips Alerted Intel Officers Raj Shekhar TNN  New Delhi: Abdul Karim Tunda’s arrest comes after intelligence officers noticed he was visiting Kathamandu frequently this year. A source says intelligence agencies tracked five such trips from Karachi.     Sleuths have been on his trail for years, but it was only  in the last one month that they stepped up their hunt for Tunda. Three of his phones and the Nepal locations he frequented were under surveillance. He mostly visited madarssas along the India-Nepal border, the source said.     Efforts were intensified last week after IB intercepted a Hafiz Saeed-Tunda conversation in which Tunda was reportedly told to move out of Pakistan and reach Kathmandu. The IB also tipped off the special cell through an August 8 alert. This said Saeed had asked Tunda to prepare for a Red Fort-like attack soon.      There are two versions of his arrest. The official version said he had taken a flight from Karachi to Kathmandu, but another said Tunda was on a flight from UAE to Kathmandu. A special cell officer said after he landed in Kathmandu, Tunda’s location was tracked along the border. Once the locations were pin pointed IB and special cell teams moved in. Eight teams comprising inspectors Hriday Bhushan, Lalit Mohan Negi, Chandika Prasad and others led by DCP Sanjeev Yadav were dispatched and they camped at six border posts.     The teams had two plans. One to arrest him at the border on arrival, the second was to co-ordinate with international agencies and force his surrender through RAW. While sources outside the special cell said RAW officials in Nepal handed Tunda over to the special cell at the Banwasa crossing, the cell did not comment on this. They merely said “We arrested him on arrival at the Banwasa-Mahinder Nagar crossing.” Asked if the arrest was a continuation of a series of deportations that have been happening in recent times, including that of Fasih and Abu Jundal, a senior officer refused comment.  ‘Jab main niklunga, tab main karunga’ New Delhi: An unrepentant Abdul Karim Tunda told interrogators he plans to carry out more terror strikes in India. In custody in the special cell’s Lodhi Colony office, the hardened terrorist told an officer he’ll attack again “once he gets out”. “Jab main niklunga… tab main karunga…,” he said of his plans. Tunda also talked of LeT’s future plans.     Sturdy with a commanding voice, the 70-year-old is seemingly unfazed by his arrest. When the Delhi Police team arrested him on Friday at the border with Nepal, he didn’t say anything except “Chalo, kahan chalna hai (Let’s go, wherever we have to)”. Tunda is not answering all questions, and misinforming on others. “He’s misleading us at times, at others not answering. He’s a motivator and can read our questions,” said an officer. The terrorist has since Friday offered namaaz punctually and has not asked for anything.     Tunda’s been answering investigators in English and Urdu. Questions so far have revolved around important operatives, training centres, bases, safe-houses, LeT codes and funding channels. Delhi Police and intelligence agencies expect and hope to arrest Lashkar operatives within India. Tunda’s also facing questions about ISI operatives, reportedly his first recruiter.

Tunda, one-armed bomber who spelt terror in 90s, held

Tunda, one-armed bomber who spelt terror in 90s, held Top Terrorist Arrested On Nepal Border Neeraj Chauhan TNN  New Delhi: Abdul Karim Tunda, the one-armed bomber who ranks among the 20 “most wanted” terrorists in India andwasinvolvedin a series of blasts in Delhi and other cities in the 90s, was arrested by the Delhi Police from near the Nepal border in Uttarakhand on Friday afternoon.      Tunda, whose name came to spell terror after he carried out a series of low-intensity blasts in the national Capital between 1996 and 1998, was arrested when he, after crossing over from Nepal via Banwasa-Mahendranagar, was heading towards western Uttar Pradesh. Besides the 24 blasts he had set off in Delhi, the notorious bomb-maker — aligned to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) — was also wanted for the train blasts in Mumbai and Hyderabad in 1993 and other explosions in Punjab, Gulbarga, Surat, Haryana, Lucknow andother partsof UP.     Tunda (70), who was sheltered by his patrons in Pakistan, was nabbed by a team of Delhi Police’s special cell officers which was monitoring his movements since he reached Nepal carrying a Pakistani passportidentifyinghim as Abdul Quddus.     Given that he was among the first terrorists who were part of a countrywide jehadi network, the police hopes to get a trove of information from the man.     Besides possible information on those who helped him carry out his deadly run in Delhi, police expect to extract details from Tunda about the LeT modules in other parts of the country. Delhi Policechief B S BassitoldTOI that Tunda is a “gold mine of information”.  MOST WANTED      Delhi Police arrest Syed Abdul Karim ‘Tunda’ from Indo-Nepal border on Friday      Nicknamed ‘Tunda’ after he lost left hand while making bomb in Rajasthan in 80s     Many roles in Lashkar: Bomb-maker, fund-raiser, motivator & recruiter. Also, Dawood Ibrahim’s conduit for funds 70-yr-old born in Delhi, in India’s list of 20 most wanted terrorists Carpenter & scrap dealer till he turned a jehadi at 40 Masterminded more than 40 bombings across country; role suspected in Bodhgaya blasts as well Enjoys close access to LeT founder & 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed since 1995. Bearing resemblance to Saeed, often mistakenly addressed as ‘Saeed Sahab’ by Lashkar cadres  • ‘Jab main nikloonga, tab main karoonga (when I get out, I will carry out blasts),’ an unrepentant Tunda reportedly told interrogators • Tunda tracked down in Kathmandu and arrested in intel operation or extradited by UAE? • Linked to LeT, JeM, BKI, Dawood Ibrahim; planned attack ahead of CWG • Businessman, preacher, ‘hakimji’ & family man ‘Tunda collaborated with Babbar Khalsa’  New Delhi: Abdul Karim Tunda is an important catch as he was the main perpetrator of the serials blasts between 1996 and 1998, Delhi Police commissioner B S Bassi told TOI. “He has knowledge about all the activities of Lashkar-e-Toiba. We are interrogating him to get more details,” Bassi said.     Tunda collaborated with other alleged top-ranking terrorists such as Dr Jalees Ansari in Mumbai and Azam Ghauri in Hyderabad after Bhiwandi riots in 1985 to form Tanzeem Islah-ul-Muslimeen (Islamic Armed Organization/ Organization for the Improvement of Muslims).     The Tanzeem was inspired by Ahl-e-Hadis, the same sect that LeT owes allegiance to.     Sources said that Tunda, who is defiant and has boasted about his ambition to resume his career in terror after his release, has already told his interrogators that he had collaborated with Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), on an unsuccessful plot to carry out terror attacks ahead of the Commonwealth Games here in 2010.     The Delhi Police came to know about the plot after the arrest of another LeT operative, Shamim, in November, 2010.     Originally a resident of Walled City in Delhi, he came to be defined by the nickname “Tunda” — the man with a missing arm — which he earned after suffering injury while making bomb in the mid-80s. The handicap did not deter him from using his familiarity with chemicals he had acquired by working in the dyeing units of Pilkhuwa near Ghaziabad, to deadly use.     Radicalized by LeT, he emerged as a master bomb-maker who became a crucial part of growing LeT network, passing on his bomb-making skills to other recruits in different parts of the country. From the standards of RDX-packed explosives aimed at exacting maximum casualties, Tunda’s bombs were simple and of low intensity.     A jubilant Special Cell termed the arrest a major breakthrough for counter-terror efforts. They said that Tunda had dispersed his bombmaking know how among diverse terror groups ranging from Khalistani outfits holed up in Pakistan to LeT’s fresh proxy Indian Mujahideen (IM).

Soft drinks increase aggression in kids

Soft drinks increase aggression in kids Washington: Heavy soft drink consumption is associated with aggression, attention problems and withdrawal behaviour in young children, a new study has found.     The study by researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, University of Vermont, and Harvard School of Public Health assessed approximately 3,000 5-year-old children. The kids were enrolled in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a prospective birth cohort that follows motherchild pairs from 20 large US cities.     Mothers reported their child’s soft drink consumption and completed the Child Behaviour Checklist based on their child’s behaviour during the previous two months.     The researchers found that 43% of the children consumed at least 1 serving of soft drinks per day, and 4% consumed 4 or more. Aggression, withdrawal, and attention problems were associated with soda consumption. Even after adjusting for sociodemographic factors, maternal depression, intimate partner violence, and paternal incarceration, any soft drink consumption was linked to increased aggressive behaviour.     Children who drank 4 or more soft drinks per day were more than twice as likely to destroy things belonging to others, get into fights, and physically attack people. They also had increased attention problems and withdrawal behaviour. P

Cultivable land continues to shrink

Cultivable land continues to shrink Latest Data Reveals As Many As 20 States Have Seen Decrease In Farm Land Vishwa Mohan TNN  New Delhi: Cultivable land in India continues to shrink. It may not pose an immediate problem for the nation’s food security but its long-term effect could be disastrous with the country needing more and more foodgrains to support its growing population.     Latest data from the agriculture ministry shows that as many as 20 states reported decrease in cultivable land to the extent of 790,000 hectares in four years from 2007-08 to 2010-11. The decrease is mainly attributed to diversion of cultivable land for non-agricultural purposes, including construction, industries and other development activities.     Since such diversion is inevitable, the government had in its National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy (NRRP), 2007 recommended several measures to keep a tab on ever-decreasing cultivable land in the country.     But the data, shared by the agriculture ministry in response to a question in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, shows that only five states have taken some steps to increase the areas under cultivation and three others (Assam, Goa and Sikkim) have adhered to the policy of not tinkering with land which can be used for farming.     Gujarat is the only big state which increased the area of cultivable land during four years from 2007-08 to 2010-11. Manipur, Mizoram, Jammu & Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh are the other states which reported increase.     Haryana showed the sharpest decline in area under cultivation. The small state reported decrease of 65,000 hectares of agricultural land between 2007-08 and 2010-11.     Since land falls under the purview of states as per the seventh Schedule of the Constitution, it is for states to bring in suitable policy to prevent diversion of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes. The Centre had under its 2007 policy advised states to allow development projects to come up on wastelands.     Under NRRP, states were advised that acquisition of agricultural land for nonagricultural use should be kept to the minimum, multicropped land should be avoided to the extent possible for such purposes and ac-quisition of irrigated land, if unavoidable, may be kept to the minimum.     But it seems most states have not followed the norms, leading to overall decrease of nearly 406,000 hectares of cultivable land in the country during the four-year period.     Though the shrinkage did not have adverse impact on foodgrain production as the country reported increase from 230.8 million tonnes in 2007-08 to 255.4 million tonnes in 2012-13, the ever declining trend of cultivable land may pose a serious challenge in the long run.

‘Nehru allowed CIA to use Indian airbase’

‘Nehru allowed CIA to use Indian airbase’ Washington:India allowed the US to use one of its air bases for refuelling CIA’s U-2 spy planes to target Chinese territories after its defeat in the 1962 war, a declassified official document said on Friday.     Then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru approved overflight by U-2 missions covering the border areas with China on November 11, 1962, the independent National Security Archive (NSA) said in a report based on the latest set of declassified documents it obtained from the CIA (Central Intelligance Agency) under the Freedom of Information Act.     The use of Charbatia, an abandoned World War II base in Orissa, was agreed during a meeting between the then US President John F Kennedy and Indian President S Radhakrishnan on June 3, 1963, but Indian work to improve it took longer than expected, so the missions resumed from Thailand’s Takhli, NSA said, based on the 400-page CIA report it has released.     According to the report, which details the spying programmes conducted with the planes from 1954 to 1974, the U-2 mission on November 10, 1963 was the longest yet flown by a U-2 at 11 hours 45 minutes, and the pilot was so exhausted thatproject managers limited future flights to 10 hours endurance.     In fact, the longest U-2 mission to date was the one flown from Takhli on September 29, 1963, it said. NSA said the first deployment to Charbatia in May 1964 ended because Nehru died.     According to a newly declassified CIA history of the U-2 programme, it was the secret flights made by these U-2s aircraft by the CIA, which informed India about the nature of Chinese incursions inside Indian territory.     “Charbatia was still not in early 1964, so on 31 March, 1964 Detachment G staged another mission from Takhli. The first mission out of Charbatia did ot take place until 24 May 1964. Three days later Prime Minister Nehru died, and further operations were postponed,” the report says.     “The pilots and aircraft left Charbatia but others remained in place to save staging costs. In December 1964, when Sino-Indian tensions increased along the border, Detachment G returned to Charbatia and conducted three highly successful missions, satisfying all of COMOR’s requirements for the Sino-Indian border region,” it said. PTI

Day after, Egypt death toll rises to 525

Day after, Egypt death toll rises to 525 Count Highest Since Uprising Against Mubarak; US Scraps Joint Ops Saumya Pant TNN  Cairo: The death toll in the ferocious clashes between the Egyptian armed forces and deposed president Mohamed Morsi’s supporters dramatically rose to 525 on Thursday, up from 149 the previous day, making for some of the bloodiest conflicts between the two warring sides so far. US President Barack Obama condemned the interim government, saying he was cancelling a US-Egypt military operation in protest.     With more than 3,700 people injured, the number of dead is set to rise even further but in spite of the spiraling violence and body count, there was no backing off by Muslim Brotherhood supporters who called for more people to occupy the streets against the army-backed interim government.     The death toll makes Wednesday by far the deadliest day since the 2011 popular uprising that toppled longtime ruler and autocrat Hosni Mubarak.     Egypt’s health ministry said on Thursday morning that 525 people were killed in violence on Wednesday throughout the country, while 3,717 were wounded. The dead include 43 policemen. The Muslim Brotherhood has claimed that a staggering 2,600 people have been killed so far and over 10,000 injured. Egyptian judicial authorities extended deposed president Mohamed Morsi’s detention period for 30 days, the state news agency said on Thursday.     Obama said Operation Bright Star, a joint biennial military exercise that had been due to take place in the Sinai region next month, would not now happen, and hinted further steps could be taken. The US had halted aplanned delivery of F-16 fighter jets last month. “While we want to sustainour relationship with Egypt, our traditional cooperation cannot continue as usual when civilians are being killed on the streets,” he said.     “We call on the Egyptian authorities to respect the universal rights of the people. We call on those who are protesting to do so peacefully and condemn the attacks.”     Interim Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi said in a televised address to the nation that it was a “difficult day” and that he regretted the bloodshed but offered no apologies for moving against the protesters, saying they were given ample warnings to leave and he had tried foreign mediation efforts.     El-Beblawi added that the government could not indefinitely tolerate a challenge to authority that the six-weekold protests represented.     “We want to see a civilian state in Egypt, not a military state and not a religious state,” he said. Despite the curfew, sporadic clashes continued in Cairo through Wednesday evening and much of Thursday. In the city of Assiut, south of Cairo, a police station was hit by two mortar shells on Wednesday night fired by suspected Morsi supporters.     While gunfire could be heard through the night as the country came to a standstill on Wednesday, Thursday was largely peaceful as security forces managed to cordon off areas where there was a possibility of violence. There are tanks and military vehicles on every bridge and square in the city. But markets in some areas re-opened on Thursday and people were seen buying provisions.     For the full report, log on to www.timesofindia.com  EGYPT’S ROAD TO CHAOS  3 JULY President Mohamed Morsi is ousted by Egypt’s military Military suspends the constitution Islamist parties calls for mass demonstrations against army’s actions 4 JULY Morsi and several Muslim Brotherhood leaders are arrested Pro-Morsi protesters begin sit-ins 8 JULY At least 51 people die in clashes between pro-Morsi protesters and security forces near the Presidential Guard, where Morsi is suspected to be held Brotherhood says the army raided its sit-in while protesters were praying27 JULY Supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood clash with opponents in Cairo Bloody clashes between security forces and pro-Morsi protesters Doctors estimate over 100 people were killed, but health ministry puts the toll at 65 Brotherhood blames the military for the deaths, accusing soldiers of shooting to kill 11 AUGUST Forces threaten to clear pro-Morsi sit-ins, but protesters defy threats, their numbers swell 14 AUGUST Security forces move in to clear sit-ins. Tear gas, gunfire used to clear protest sites; bulldozers dismantle camps Presidency announces a month-long state of emergency Veep Mohamed ElBaradei resigns Health ministry says 149 people killed, but Brotherhood says over 2,000 died  WORLD CONDEMNATION Paris, London, Berlin and Rome summon Egypt’s ambassadors to voice concern Turkey’s PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan calls for urgent UNSC meeting over Egypt’s ‘massacre’ China appeals for ‘maximum restraint’ US terms the events deplorable Denmark suspends aid worth $5.3 million to Egypt Only the UAE & Bahrain voiced support for Egypt’s military leaders, saying it was the state’s duty to restore order  KEY PLAYERS MOHAMED MORSI AND MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD Mohamed Morsi was Egypt’s first elected civilian president. He had been in office for a year until he was ousted Critics accuse him of concentrating power in the hands of Brotherhood He is now under house arrest at an army barracks in Cairo GEN ABDUL FATTAH AL-SISI & MILITARY Defence minister General Abdul Fattah al-Sisi was instrumental in ousting Mohammed Morsi from power MOHAMED ELBARADEI The former UN nuclear agency chief, Mohamed ElBaradei, was a favourite to lead Egypt after Morsi ouster, but was appointed vicepresident after Brotherhood protests TAMAROD (Anti-Morsi movement) Tamarod, meaning “revolt” in Arabic, is a new grassroots group that called for the nationwide protests against Morsi on 30 June ADLY MANSOUR Adly Mahmud Mansour, the head of Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court, sworn in as interim leader on July 4

In its worst peacetime disaster, Navy loses top sub with 18 men on board

In its worst peacetime disaster, Navy loses top sub with 18 men on board Midnight Explosions Hit Newly Refitted Vessel Docked In Mumbai TIMES NEWS NETWORK  Mumbai: The Indian Navy suffered amajor setback as INS Sindhurakshak — its recently refitted, most potent submarine — partially sank at the naval dockyard here on Wednesday after a series of explosions. All 18 personnel on board, including three officers, were feared dead.     Laden with warheads, the Russian-made submarine suffered a small explosion early Wednesday, followed by two almost simultaneous blasts, which set off a fire that spread across the 16-year-old vessel. The explosions, suspected to be in the torpedo compartment, hurled a ball of fire, lighting up the sky above the dockyard.      INS Sindhurakshak had returned to the country in April from Russia after undergoing an overhaul and refit that was ordered after a blast aboard it killed a sailor while its batteries were being charged in 2010.     This is the worst peacetime disaster in the history of the Indian Navy, and ruins the sheen it gained after the indigenous nuclear submarine’s reactor went critical on board INS Arihant and its first indigenously-built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant was launched.  WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED? SABOTAGE: Can’t be ruled out but possibility remote, says Navy chief HYDROGEN LEVEL: Can rise during recharging of batteries, done three days ago. Still, over 2.5% hydrogen mixing with gases and explosives in confined place may trigger blast STANDARD PROCEDURES NOT FOLLOWED:Mishandling of explosives possible, failure to monitor parameters, hydrogen level etc. But crew experienced MATERIAL FAILURE: Sub had returned in April from Russia after a refit, it got new land-attack cruise missiles  SUB FLEET IN BAD SHAPE By 2013, 63% of India’s subs eligible to be retired: CAG 11 of 13 remaining subs are over 20 years old. A sub is expected to have a life of about 25 years Project of building six Scorpene subs already 4 years delayed Building of 6 stealth subs yet to take off. It will take over 10 years for the first to roll out Not even 1 new sub inducted despite 1999 plan of 12 new subs by 2012, another 12 by 2030 If some Scorpene subs are commissioned by 2020, India will still be short of minimum 18 needed Missile dropped by personnel may have triggered explosions      The Russian-made submarine’s partial sinking on Wednesday comes close on the heels of the navy grabbing global attention for its growing capabilities and ambitions. In the last few days, its indigenous nuclear submarine’s reactor has gone critical and its first indigenous aircraft carrier launched.     Defence minister A K Antony, who rushed to Mumbai in the afternoon, described the accident as a “tragedy”. Chief of naval staff Admiral D K Joshi conceded “a dent” had been left in “Indian Navy’s submarine capabilities for the time being”.     Admiral Joshi said only the submarine’s duty watch, comprising three officers and 15 sailors, was on board at the time of the disaster. The sub took in water from the torpedo compartment, where the ordnance exploded, and during the two-hour firefighting ops. It initially tilted forward and then came to rest in three metres of water. Just its conning tower and a part of the hull are visible now.     Navy divers entered the stricken vessel through the main hatch but detected no signs of life on board. The divers will be pumping out the water to try to float the sub to surface.     “Chances of survivors seem unlikely as the submarine has been submerged for 12 hours. We fear the worst, but hope for the best,” said Admiral Joshi. Antony added: “I am saddened at the loss of life of naval personnel in the service of the country.”     Fearing the worst, naval authorities have contacted the families of the personnel and requested them to come to Mumbai at the earliest. Admiral Joshi said two of the officers and six of the sailors were married. The navy refused to reveal the names of those aboard.     According to navy sources, three personnel were on board the vessel at the time of the tragedy but not inside. They jumped to safety, were admitted to hospital with minor injuries and later discharged.     The sources added that another submarine, INS Sindhughosh, was docked close to INS Sindhurakshak and suffered minor damage from the explosions.     Antony ruled out sabotage and said a Board of Inquiry will give its finding on the cause of the explosion in four weeks. Defence sources said the submarine was expected to leave for a routine patrol on Wednesday and so had been loading armaments as per procedure. “It is possible that the crew manning the crane loading the missiles into the submarine accidentally dropped one; this hit another missile, thereby triggering the explosions,” said one source.     The submarine had suffered two explosions in 2010, at least one of which had killed a sailor and injured two others. The 2010 accident was caused by rising hydrogen levels while its batteries were being recharged.  Russian shipyard says it enhanced safety mechanism Moscow: The Russian shipyard which upgraded INS Sindhurakshak said it had installed advanced weaponry, both Indian and foreign systems, to enhance the submarine’s “combat capability and safe operation”.     Zvyozdochka, part of the Unified Shipbuilding Corporation that specialises in repairs and recycling of nuclear submarines, said it had signed a contract with the Indian Defence Ministry in 2010 to carry out maintenance and upgrade the submarine. The craft arrived there in August. It sailed to Mumbai in January 2013. The Severodvinsk-based shipyard said a modern Klub-S missile system was installed together with more than 10 Indian and foreign systems. PTI

Near-death experiences are a reality

Near-death experiences are a reality Brain Patterns Of Clinically Dead Rats Same As In Hyper-Alert State: Study Washington: Light at the end of the tunnel! Near-death experiences may not be just a figment of imagination, a new study suggests.     For the first time, scientists have observed brain activity in dying rats that may shed light on the mystery of human near-death experiences. The “near-death experience” reported by cardiac arrest survivors worldwide may be grounded in science, according to research at the University of Michigan.     The study shows shortly after clinical death, in which the heart stops beating and blood stops flowing to the brain, rats display brain activity patterns characteristic of conscious perception. They said the brain patterns were associated with “a hyper-alerted state”. “This study is the first dealing with what happens to the neurophysiological state of the dying brain,” said lead study author Jimo Borjigin. “It will form the foundation for future human studies,” she said.     Approximately 20% of cardiac arrest survivors report having had a near-death experience during clinical death. These visions and perceptions have been called “realer than real,” researchers said.     “We reasoned that if neardeath experience stems from brain activity, neural correlates of consciousness should be identifiable in humans or animals even after the cessation of cerebral blood flow,” she said. Researchers analyzed the recordings of brain activity called electroencephalograms (EEGs) from nine anaesthetized rats undergoing experimentally induced cardiac arrest.     Within the first 30 seconds after cardiac arrest, all of the rats displayed a widespread, transient surge of highly synchronized brain activity that had features associated with a highly aroused brain. “But, we were surprised by the high levels of activity,” adds study senior author anaesthesiologist George Mashour.     The brain is assumed to be inactive during cardiac arrest. However the neurophysiological state of the brain immediately following cardiac arrest had not been systemically investigated until now. PTI

Army hailed for curbing J&K violence

Army hailed for curbing J&K violence M Saleem Pandit TNN  Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday praised the army for controlling Friday’s violence in Kishtwar “within hours” and admitted that the local police and the CRPF were not in a position to bring the situation under control.     “Within hours despite many odds, the army conducted flag march in Kishtwar town and the situation was controlled before nightfall,” the CM said.     Omar said some political parties tried to fuel tensions in other parts of Jammu, prompting the administration to call in the army to assist in restoring order. He said the government would take all measures to foil the designs of vested interests to fan violence. “We have called the army help to keep the situation under control and ensure that no untoward incident takes place...” he said.     Omar also said that no leader of any political party would be allowed to visit Kishtwar or any other troubled areas because this would flare up communal tensions.     The intelligence agencies, however, blamed the state government for “slackness’. “We have been informing the executive authorities about the likelihood of the communal clashes for past several weeks but there was no response to the situation,” said a senior intelligence officer.

Girl on cellphone falls to death in UoH

Girl on cellphone falls to death in UoH TIMES NEWS NETWORK  Hyderabad: A 19-year-old student of University of Hyderabad had a fatal fall when she was talking over the cellphone while walking on the terrace of an under-construction building on the university campus on Sunday. The victim was identified as Mohini Mishra, II year student of Integrated Master of Arts (Linguistics) course at the University of Hyderabad. Mohini was the daughter of Vijay Kumar Mishra from Lucknow.     At 2.30 am, Mohini along with seven of her friends, including three girls and four boys, all students of the university, were having a party on the fourth floor of the under-construction hostel building on the south campus of the University of Hyderabad.     According to Chandanagar police, Mohini used to stay at Ladies Hostel VIII and  she along with other girl students came to south campus to join in a class get together to discuss about the arrangements for the upcoming fresher’s party. Cops rule out foul play in UoH girl’s death  Hyderabad: The eight-member group had gone to an under-construction building nearby to discuss the arrangements which had to be made. There were snacks and some group members had consumed liquor, but Mohini did not, Chandanagar sub-inspector B James Babu said.     While the students were having fun, Mohini excused herself from the group to attend a phone call. While talking over the phone, Mohini went to the edge of the terrace and accidentally fell from there, the SI said. Mohini suffered multiple injuries and with the assistance of university administration, her friends immediately rushed her to a corporate hospital in Jubilee Hills. Mohini succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment at 3.45pm.      After recording the statements of all the students, who were with Mohini when the incident happened, police ruled out a conspiracy angle. “All her friends, who were at the spot, said that it was an accident. We have sent the body to mortuary and informed her family members,” Chandanagar inspector N Venkateshwarlu said. A case was registered under Section 174 (suspicious death) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).     Some student leaders protested on Sunday morning demanding that the administration guard the under-construction buildings on the campu

Vadra used fake papers to make crores: Khemka

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 

New Delhi: Haryana IAS officer Ashok Khemka’s inquiry report into the land deal between a company owned by Robert Vadra and real estate major DLF in Gurgaon has accused Vadra’s firm of forgery, falsification, and sham transactions. The offences, punishable under section 82 of the Registration Act, 1908, can attract “imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years, or with fine, or with both”, the report says.
    In his report to the Haryana government, Khemka has charged Vadra, son-inlaw of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, DLF, and others also with violations of the Indian Penal Code. He has estimates that the land licensing scam of Haryana could be as big as Rs 3.5 lakh crore in the last eight years. To reach this figure, Khemka has quoted
the premium of Rs 15.78/acre earned by Vadra, 
and used this figure for all 21,366 acres of land given under colony licences by the state.
    On February 12, 2008, Vadra’s Skylight Hospitality bought 3.53 acres of land in Shikohpur, in sector 83, Gurgaon, from Onkareshwar Properties for Rs 7.5 crore, then obtained permission to build a commercial colony there. Haryana govt lost crores of stamp duty, says Khemka 
New Delhi: Over the next few months, Vadra transferred the land and permission for the colony to DLF and made a minimum profit of Rs 42.61 crore, according to Khemka.
    “The series of sham transactions, starting from the registration of a deed on 12.02.2008, came to an end with the execution of a sale deed No. 1435 dated 18.09.2012 for Rs 58 crore in favour of DLF Universal Ltd. The land, along with the commercial colony licence, was sold for Rs 58 crore. Such transfers act as the perfect ruse or opportunity for middlemen to milk the market premium arising out of the grant of colony licence,” Khemka points out in his report. 
    Khemka, a 1991 batch IAS officer, was the director general of land records and consolidation of land holdings and inspector general of registration, Haryana, when he ordered cancellation of the mutation of the land deal between Vadra’s Skylight Hospitality and DLF. Khemka was transferred by the state government, which later set up a three-member committee last October to look into his actions on the Skylight-DLF deal. Khemka’s report has now emerged in public through the detailed representation submitted by him to the state’s chief secretary in response to the inquiry ordered against him.
    In his report, Khemka says the capacity of Skylight Hospitality to develop a commercial colony “was nothing else other than Mr. Robert Vadra. The man became the measure of everything and the entire statutory apparatus a castle of sand.” When the company was given the permission to develop a colony, its paid up capital was just Rs 100,000 with two shareholders — Vadra and his mother Maureen.
    Khemka has also accused Vadra and promoters of Onkareshwar Properties, which sold the 3.53-acre plot in Shikohpur, of “wilfully committing” serious offences. Khemka’s report has also alleged that Haryana “lost crores of revenues in the form of stamp duty due to non-registration kof the collaboration agreement”.

Was Ishrat a terrorist? CBI, IB await NIA reply

Was Ishrat a terrorist? CBI, IB await NIA reply IB Claims Headley Marked Ishrat As An Ultra Neeraj Chauhan & Deeptiman Tiwary TNN  New Delhi: On the back foot with CBI claiming to have enough evidence against its officer in the Ishrat Jahan “fake encounter” case, Intelligence Bureau (IB) has recently written to the agency claiming that Pakistani-American jihadi DavidColeman Headley’stestimony established Ishrat as a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT)terrorist.     IB said that according to information received by from the US’FBI, Headley’s interrogation confirmed Ishrat’s affiliation as a member of LeT. According to the letter, 26/11 mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi – under detention in Pakistan – had told Headley that top jihadi Muzammil Bhat had claimed to have recruited a female suicide bomber named Ishrat Jahan and had plans to attack several religious places in Gujarat. Sourcesin thehome ministry supportedIB’sclaim.     To verify the IB’s claim CBI has approachedtheNationalInvestigation Agency (NIA), which interrogated Headley in the US. It has, however, not received any cooperation from NIA,saysCBI. “We are yetto get any reply from NIA in this regard,” said a top official.     NIA claims it has not received any communication from the CBI on Headley. A senior NIAofficialsaid, “Noletter or official communication has been sent to us. Even if it is, there are legal complications and the statement of Headley cannotbeshared.”     CBI officials see this as a roadblock in their probe against IB special director Rajinder Kumar, who has been summoned for questioning as an accused in the alleged fake encounter.     Interestingly,IB’sclaims are not part of NIA’s interrogation reporton Headley.In April2011, theGujaratHChadsoughtclarification from NIA on media reports and in its submission before the court through a letter, NIAsaid, “(assertions) made regarding Headley making statement on Ishrat is purely in the nature of hearsay, it does not have any evidentiary value”. CBI sources, however, say these details are inconsequential to its investigation. “Focus of the agency's probe has never been theintelligenceinputwhichled to the controversial encounter. We are probing whether intelligence officers were active participants in the conspiracy which led to the killing of 19-year-old Ishrat Jahan in the incident,” said a senior CBI official.  CBI counting on Guj cops’ testimony New Delhi: A statement of senior Gujarat cops before a magistrate naming IB special director Rajinder Kumar in the Ishrat Jahan “fake encounter” case is a crucial evidence that the CBI has against the official. The statement under section 164 CrPC naming Kumar has been filed by a few Gujarat cops, who were part of the crime branch during the encounter in 2004, and are now witnesses against the official. CBI is likely to arrest Kumar soon. TNN