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10 soldiers go missing as avalanche hits army post at Siachen

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Siachin

Jammu: Ten soldiers, including an officer, went missing on Wednesday after an avalanche hit them in Siachin Glacier in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ladakh region.

“Ten soldiers, including a junior commissioned officer (JCO), are missing after an avalanche hit their patrol at 19,000 feet above the sea level in southern side of the Siachin Glacier early Wednesday,” Colonel S.D. Goswami, spokesman of army’s Udhampur headquartered northern command, told IANS here.

“A massive rescue operation has been started by the army and the Air Force to trace the missing personnel who are feared buried under the avalanche,” he added.

Siachin Glacier is the world’s highest battlefield which the brave hearts of the Indian Army guard despite extremely hostile climate.

The winter temperatures often drops to minus 50 degrees Celsius in the region.

(IANS)

Intizar Hussain, leading Urdu writer, dies aged 92

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Author shortlisted for the Man Booker prize in 2013 was an advocate of what he saw as Pakistan’s ancient traditions of pluralism and tolerance

Intizar Hussain was born on 7 December 1923 in India and migrated to the newly formed Pakistan in 1947.

Intizar Hussain was born on 7 December 1923 in India and migrated to the newly formed Pakistan in 1947.

Lahore: Pakistani author Intizar Hussain, widely recognised as one of the greatest Urdu writers in history, has died aged 92 following a period of illness, according to his doctor.

The prolific author, known for his novels, short stories, columns and poetry, belatedly saw worldwide recognition when he was shortlisted for the Man Booker international prize in 2013 and awarded France’s highly prestigious Ordre des Arts et des Lettres a year later.

Born on 7 December 1923 in India, he migrated to the newly formed Pakistan in 1947 – an experience he wrote about 50 years later in his short story The First Morning.

Hussain’s acclaimed novel Basti, published in 1979 and later translated into English, also addressed the history of Pakistan and the subcontinent.

Hussain, a regular literary columnist for Pakistan’s leading English-language daily Dawn, in later years became known as a voice of moderation and advocate of what he saw as the subcontinent’s ancient traditions of pluralism and tolerance.

Fellow Urdu writer Munnu Bhai said: “Intizar Hussain was a man of letters. His death has left a huge gap in the literary circle of the subcontinent that would be felt of the centuries to come.”

Hussain’s wife, Aliya Begum, died in 2004. The couple had no children.

(AFP)

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): A Pinnacle of Humanity

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Prophet Muhammad
An inter-religious conference on the theme ‘Prophet Muhammad – Pinnacle of Humanity’ was conducted on 30th January 2016 at Dr. Ambedkar Bhavan, Bangalore, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

The program began with the recitation of the Quran followed by the welcome address given by Dr. Saad Mohammad Belgami, President JIH Bangalore Metro who welcomed all the delegates and participants.

The key note address delivered by Moulana Syed Jalaluddin Umri (National President, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind). He said that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had come with the same message with which the previous prophets had come and he (peace be upon him) invited people to worship only one God who is the only creator of this universe and He who made everyone equal, more honourable is the one who fears God most. Prophet Mohammad preached rights and duties of every relationship and demonstrated it through his own behaviour and conduct.

The programme was followed by a talk by Sri Sri Shivanubhava Shivarudra Swamiji from Belimatha Mahasamsthana, Bangalore. He urged the audience to face every problem with firmness and always remember that God is with us and He will help us in every difficulty.

Later, Justice M. N. Venkatachaliah (Former Chief Justice of India) said that the world is looking at India as to how we will conduct ourselves as one human family and in order to be successful in this task we need the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

Later, Nadoja Sri Hampa Nagarajaiah (Renowned Litterateur) also addressed the gathering. The programme was followed by a talk by Giani Baldev Singh (Head Priest, Gurudwara Ulsoor, Bangalore). He said that God fearing people would worry about humanity and if we forget the teachings of the messengers then we would be deteriorated in life.

The program concluded on a positive note with a final talk by Mohammed Kunhi (Manager, Shanti Prakashana, Mangalore). More than a thousand people participated in the conference.

An interaction with Mukesh Sharma and Jackie Shroff

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shaheen raj

Midway through Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF – 2016), the festival Director, Mukesh Sharma and the Brand Ambassador, Jackie Shroff met the press on Monday, 1st February, 2016 at the Media Centre in the Films Division Complex.

“I am delighted to see that large numbers of viewers are sitting in our halls and watching documentary, short & animation films from around the world,” began Sharma. “We faced several hurdles in organising MIFF 2016, but the energy that is floating around is highly encouraging. I assure you that the next (15th) MIFF will be an even more pleasurable experience, once the film hub, currently under construction in this very complex, is ready. Instead of multiple venues, currently, we will accommodate 2000 viewers under one roof.”

jackie shroff

Jackie Shroff shared that he was delighted to be among ideators and film makers from all over the world. Having worked in mainstream commercial cinema for 33 years, he said he is entering a new phase in his life. “It made me feel so happy when students who are part of the workshops at MIFF greeted me this morning with ‘Happy Birthday to You’. Yes, it is my birthday today, and guess what new step I took on this day? I attended a workshop on animation screenplay writing (conducted by Luca Raffaeli of Italy and moderated by award winning India animator Dhvani Desai) Animation has always fascinated me, and I hope to make some animation films someday. ”

Confirming his enthusiasm, Sharma said besides performing his duties as brand ambassador, Jackie has been watching films too. To avoid over enthusiastic fans disrupting screenings, he sneaks in when the lights are off, sits right at the back and sneaks out again before the lights come on. Asked whether he has had much interaction with audiences, Jackie replied in the negative. “So many of them want photos, selfies & autographs, that leaves little time to talk.”

Replying to a question about what could be done to improve MIFF, he said, “That is for the administrators to decide. But I would be very happy to see it become an annual event, like every other film festival in the city. A biennial festival is just not the same thing. IFFI (International Film Festival of India) at Goa is exciting too, but to me, Mumbai & Goa are the same. The synergy is the same. Both are island cities, and I love them both. We should make India shine, whatever the venue. Let us become examples of hospitality to all the delegates of the world. Let us sketch success stories of oneness every year. Instead of finding faults, let us support those who work hard to make these events successful.”

Sharma then paid a compliment to Jackie, that, he insisted was richly deserved. “Jackie’s presence has boosted our morale tremendously. He added that ripple that became a wave of energy.” Asked if the festival could be extended by a few days, since there was so much happening, Sharma responded by saying that it was not likely with the present infrastructure, which was really strained to manage the present duration, “but the point is taken”, he assured.

A surprise lay in store for Jackie Shroff, as the MIFF 2016 organisers presented him with birthday cake, which he gladly cut, and even posed for photographs & selfies with media persons. MIFF 2016, began on 28th Jan, 2016 and will end on 03rd Feb, 2016.

Syrian army launches Aleppo offensive amid Geneva talks

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Backed by Russian air strikes, government forces capture strategic towns north of Aleppo as talks resume in Switzerland.

Aleppo offensive launched as discussions between Syrian opposition and government kicked off in Geneva [AP]

Aleppo offensive launched as discussions between Syrian opposition and government kicked off in Geneva [AP]

by Al Jazeera

The Syrian government launched a major offensive from the north of Aleppo and captured several strategically important towns, as talks in Geneva on a ceasefire continued on Tuesday.

Monday’s advance opened the way for President Bashar al-Assad’s forces to retake Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, as troops marched through the towns of Hardatnein, Tal Jibbeen, and Deir Zaitoun.

Hundreds of families were reportedly fleeing their homes because of heavy Russian air strikes on the area assisting the Syrian government’s advance.

Opposition leaders in Switzerland condemned the offensive, saying that it shows the government is not committed to finding a peaceful resolution to the civil war.

John Kerry, the US secretary of state, also warned on Tuesday that “the situation on the ground for the Syrian people is unfathomable”.

“We haven’t seen a catastrophe like this since World War II, and it’s unfolding before our eyes,” Kerry said at a conference in Rome on countering the advances of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group.

Talks in Geneva continued on Tuesday as the UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, was to meet representatives of Assad’s government.

Meanwhile, Syrian opposition leaders were meeting a Russian deputy foreign minister.

Discussions are meant to develop a “road map” to end the nearly five-year conflict that has resulted in more than 250,000 Syrians being killed.

Rio Olympics ‘to go ahead’ despite Zika virus outbreak

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IOC confident the mosquito-borne virus won’t affect the Games, even as Brazilian officials and WHO ramp up warnings.

WHO estimates there could be up to four million cases of Zika in the Americas in the next year [Mariana Bazo/Reuters]

WHO estimates there could be up to four million cases of Zika in the Americas in the next year [Mariana Bazo/Reuters]

by Al Jazeera

The Olympics in Rio de Janeiro will not be cancelled and the mosquito-borne virus will not affect the Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said.

Speaking in Los Angeles on Monday, IOC President Thomas Bach expressed confidence that there will be good conditions for athletes and spectators at the Rio Games in August, despite the explosive spread of the Zika virus across the Americas.

But President Dilma Rousseff’s chief of staff, Jaques Wagner, has urged pregnant women to not travel to Brazil for the Olympics because of the risk posed by the virus.

“The risk, which I would say is serious, is for pregnant women. It is clearly not advisable for you to travel to the games because you don’t want to take that risk,” he said.

The unprecedented warning, issued just over six months from the opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, came after the World Health Organization declared an emergency over the virus, suspected of causing microcephaly, or abnormally small heads, in babies.

No vaccine or treatment currently exists for the virus.

Outbreak worse than believed

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the explosive spread of the Zika virus in the Americas is an “extraordinary event” that merits being declared an international emergency.

The agency convened an emergency meeting of independent experts on Monday to assess the outbreak, after noting a link between Zika’s arrival in Brazil last year and a surge in the number of babies born with abnormally small heads.

Margaret Chan, WHO director-general, said there was an “urgent need to coordinate international efforts to understand whether the Zika virus is causing birth defects”.

Al Jazeera’s Lucia Newman, reporting from Rio de Janeiro, said the increased scientific and financial help from the international community could not come fast enough.

“Many of the most impacted counties, like Brazil and Venezuela, are in the middle of an acute economic crisis,” she said.

“And as [the virus] spreads towards the United States, and perhaps beyond, the race to find a permanent solution is just beginning.”

The WHO is under pressure to act quickly in the fight against Zika, after admitting it was slow to respond to the recent Ebola outbreak that ravaged parts of West Africa and killed more than 11,300 people.
The WHO declared that the surge in South America was “strongly suspected” of being caused by the Zika virus.

WHO estimates there could be up to four million cases of Zika in the Americas in the next year.

Emergency declarations are meant as an international SOS signal and usually trigger increased money and efforts to stop the outbreak, as well as prompting research into possible treatments and vaccines.

Infections have been reported in 13 countries in the Americas, according to WHO, as well as in Asia, and in Africa, from where it originated.

Panama, which has reported 50 Zika infections, borders Colombia, which has so far reported more than 20,000 cases of Zika, including 2,100 in pregnant women. Colombia is forecasting that it will see more than 650,000 infections.

Maneka Gandhi says sex determination test must to track female foeticide

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Maneka Gandhi

New Delhi: Sex determination tests, which are banned in India, should be made compulsory to check the killing of female babies, Union Minister Maneka Gandhi has said.

“It is better that we change the policy. As soon as the woman is pregnant, it becomes compulsory for her to tell if it is a boy or a girl and she has to register. If she registers in the initial stages, you will be able to monitor whether the birth took place or not,” said Ms Gandhi, the Women and Child Development Minister on Monday.

“I am just putting out this idea. It is being discussed though there is no conclusion yet,” the minister clarified at the All India Regional Editors Conference.

She called it a different way to look at the problem of female foeticide. “We cannot keep catching people doing (illegal) ultrasound,” she said.

Sex determination tests were banned in India in 1994 in an attempt to check foeticide or the killing of female fetuses in parts of the country where the birth of a boy is considered a boon.

India is among the countries with the worst child sex ratios in the world. The 2011 Census showed that there are 914 girls to 1,000 boys in India.

Reacting to Ms Gandhi’s bold suggestion, some activists have said that allowing sex determination tests may be a disaster in less developed societies where women are given little choice.

(Agencies)

Anupam Kher ‘denied’ Pak visa, high commission says he never applied

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kher

New Delhi: Veteran actor Anupam Kher on Tuesday said he has been denied the Pakistan visa for his visit to Karachi for a literature festival. A Pakistani diplomat here however said that he has “not submitted” any visa application.

Anupam told a TV channel: “… I don’t know why I have been denied (the visa). But this is true that I have been denied the visa.”

The actor wondered if it is his point of view on Kashmiri Pandits or his pro Prime Minister Narendra Modi stance which led to the denial of the visa.

Manzoor Ali Memon, a diplomat from the Pakistan High Commission, however, told IANS: “He (Anupam Kher) has not submitted (any) visa application. Please check out from him if he has any receipt.”

The three-day Karachi literary festival will commence from Friday.

(Agencies)

SC refers curative plea on homosexuality to five-judge bench

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Supreme Court

New Delhi: A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court will hear curative petitions seeking re-examination of its verdict criminalising sexual activity between same sex consenting adults under section 377 of IPC.

 

A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justices A R Dave and J S Khehar said that since important issues concerning the Constitution were involved in the matter, it would be appropriate to refer the issue to a five-judge Constitution bench.

The bench said that the larger bench would be constituted in the future. The bench was told there were eight curative petitions seeking re-examination of the order on the review petition and the December 11, 2013 judgement by which the Delhi High Court verdict de-criminalising section 377 (unnatural sexual offences) of the IPC was set aside. The bench was also informed that the churches of northern India and All India Muslim Personal Law Board were against decriminalising homosexuality.

At the outset, senior counsel Kapil Sibal, arguing for decriminalising section 377 of IPC, submitted that huge constitutional issues are involved in the matter. A battery of senior lawyers appeared in the case.

He submitted the issue concerns the “most private and the most precious” part of life that is right to sexuality within the four corners of your domain which has been held as unconstitutional. “By this judgement, you have bound the present and future generations to dignity and stigma,” he submitted.

Further, he said that human sexuality should not be stigmatised.Hearing his brief arguments, the bench said such an important issue needs to go to a Constitution Bench of five judges. The bench was informed that the high court judgement was not challenged by the Centre which had left it for the apex court to take a call on the issue.

However, when the high court judgement was overturned by the Supreme Court, the Centre had preferred the review petition which was dismissed.

The bench was hearing the curative petition filed by gay rights activists and NGO Naz Foundation against the apex court’s December 11, 2013 judgement upholding validity of section 377 (unnatural sexual offences) of IPC and the January 2014 order by which it had dismissed a batch of review petitions.

A curative petition is the last judicial resort available for redressal of grievances in court which is normally decided by judges in-chamber. In rare cases, such petitions are given an open court hearing.

The petitioners, including the NGO, which has been spearheading the legal battle on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, had contended that there was an error in the judgement delivered on December 11, 2013 as it was based on an old law.

The apex court had earlier dismissed a batch of review petitions filed by the Centre and gay rights activists against its December 2013 verdict declaring gay sex an offence with punishment upto life imprisonment.

While setting aside the July 2, 2009 verdict of the Delhi High Court, the apex court had held that Section 377 of IPC does not suffer from the vice of unconstitutionality and that the declaration made by the high court was legally unsustainable.

(Agencies)

BCCI announces India’s T20 squad for Sri Lanka series, Kohli rested

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virat-kohli

New Delhi: Vice captain Virat Kohli was today rested for the upcoming Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka as selectors included all-rounder Pawan Negi for the three-match rubber, beginning February 9.

Kohli was in supreme form in the just-concluded Australia T20 series, where he scored 199 runs at an average of 199 with three half-centuries.

Kohli has played 10 One-dayers and five T20s apart from four Test matches from the month of October to end of January.

Roookie all-rounder Negi, who has played under MS Dhoni for the Chennai Super Kings in IPL, and had a reasonably successful Mushytaq Ali and Deodhar trophy, has been brought as a cover for Ravindra Jadeja.

Manish Pandey has also been rewarded for his match-winning century in the Sydney ODI against Australia as the selectors named him in the 15-member T20 squad.

The selection panel chose to drop Rishi Dhawan, Gurkeerat Mann and Umesh Yadav from the squad. All three had not struggled during the Australia tour, failing to put up any notable performance.

Making a comeback was paceman Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who had missed the T20 series after injuring himself during the ODIs.

The selectors also named the squads for the women’s limited over series against Sri Lanka, to be led by Mithali Raj.

The series will begin in Pune (February 9) and followed by matches in Ranchi (February 12) and Visakhapatnam (February 14).

The eves had scripted history by defeating three-time world champions Australia in a T20 series, which was held simultaneously with the men’s series.

The women’s ODI series is scheduled to be played in Ranchi from February 15 to 19 while the three-match T20 series will be held from February 22-26.

Squads:

T20I Team (Men): MS Dhoni (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashish Nehra, Harbhajan Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Pawan Negi.

(PTI)

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