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Asia Cup: India overwhelm UAE by 9 wickets

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UAE

Mirpur: India made a mockery of the United Arab Emirates’ paltry total of 81/9 as they got home with nine wickets and 9.5 overs to spare in an Asia Cup Twenty20 International cricket encounter at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium here on Thursday.

Rohit Sharma scored a quickfire, 28-ball 39, while Yuvraj Singh and Shikhar Dhawan remained unconquered on 25 and 16 respectively.

India remain unbeaten in the competition and will face Bangladesh in the final on Sunday.

From the beginning, Dhawan was struggling out there in the middle and was given a lifeline by the umpire for a caught-behind appeal but his partner at the other end had no such problems. Rohit started tonking from the word go crashing the ball to all parts of the ground.

Rohit smashed rival captain Amjad Javed for 16 in the fourth over and then followed it up with 11 runs of the next.

But then he top edged one to third man trying to cut Qadeer Ahmed. Out of Dhawan-Rohit’s 43-run partnership, the latter contributed 39.

Yuvraj came out like he was just out of a net-session timing the ball to perfection. He clobbered a few to the ropes including a big six over cover.

Dhawan too got into the groove later and manage to take his team over the line in the 11th over.

Earlier, India put up a superb display with the ball to restrict the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to a paltry total.

Shaiman Anwar top-scored with a 48-ball 43 for the UAE while Bhuvneshwar Kumar returned figures of 2/8 for India.

The UAE kept struggling from the start as Indian pacers Bhuvneshwar and Jasprit Bumrah kept bowling on a tight channel.

After three overs, the UAE had only a run on the board and a little later they were reduced to 2/2.

Thereafter, a few top edges and knicks went past the Indian slip fielders as the UAE managed to gather 21 runs in the powerplay with Rohan Mustafa and Anwar at the crease.

The Indian bowlers kept up the pressure and Mustafa (11) perished trying to smash Hardik Pandya. The left-hander only managed to find Virat Kohli at cover.

India tightened the leash further by chipping away two more wickets. Debutant left-arm spinner Pawan Negi picked up Muhammad Usman (9) while off-spinner Harbhajan Singh sent back rival captain Amjad Javed (0).

More wickets followed as the UAE failed to get a grip on the game. Anwar who had been silently watching his partners throw away their wickets had a go in the last few overs smashing a few to the ropes. These in turn, helped his side get past 80.

(IANS)

Climate Change-Fueled Food Crisis Could Kill Half a Million by 2050

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Rising greenhouse gas emissions could cut food productivity by one-third over next few decades

Farms and farmers have long been "in the crosshairs of climate change." (Photo: World Bank/flickr/cc)

Farms and farmers have long been “in the crosshairs of climate change.” (Photo: World Bank/flickr/cc)

by Deirdre Fulton, Common Dreams

More than half a million people could die in the next few decades as a result of climate change, according to new research published Wednesday in The Lancet.

The study from the UK-based Oxford Martin Future of Food Programme is the first of its kind to assess the impact of climate change on diet composition and body-weight. It found that unless action is taken to reduce global emissions, climate change—and the resulting droughts, floods, and severe weather events—could cut food availability and in turn lead to roughly 530,000 deaths, predominantly in the Western Pacific region (264,000 additional deaths) and Southeast Asia (164,000).

Previous research has shown how climate change will impact global crop production. The Oxford study goes deeper, finding that climate change could cut the projected improvement in food availability by about a third by 2050, and lead to average per-person reductions in food availability of 3.2 percent (99 kcal per day), in fruit and vegetable intake of 4 percent, and red meat consumption of 0.7 percent. That could lead to changes in the energy content and composition of diets, and these changes “will have major consequences for health,” said study leader Marco Springmann.

“Climate change is likely to have a substantial negative impact on future mortality, even under optimistic scenarios,” Springmann continued. “Adaptation efforts need to be scaled up rapidly. Public-health programs aimed at preventing and treating diet and weight-related risk factors, such as increasing fruit and vegetable intake, must be strengthened as a matter of priority to help mitigate climate-related health effects.”

Meanwhile, “depending on their stringency,” emissions-reduction policies could lower the number of climate-related deaths by 29–71 percent, the study says.

As reporter Chelsea Harvey wrote at the Washington Post, the paper is “a sobering look at just a single facet of the climate change dilemma. Of course, the impacts of climate change are expected to cause human deaths in a variety of other ways as well. The increased risk of infectious disease, natural disasters, forced migration and civil unrest are just a few examples.”

But farms and farmers have long been “in the crosshairs of climate change,”wrote Ryan Zinn, political director of the fair trade advocacy campaign Fair World Project, last year.

“Though farmers have seen negative impacts related to climate change for decades, these impacts have been exacerbated in recent years,” he continued. “Even relatively small temperature increases are having significant impacts on farming, including accelerated desertification and salinization of arable land, increased presence of pests, crop losses due to high temperatures and flooding, and, paradoxically, increased clean water scarcity.”

To confront these challenges, Zinn argued, policymakers must recognize that “the global agriculture system is at the heart of both the problem and the solution.”

“Industrial agriculture is a key driver in the generation of greenhouse gases (GHGs),” he explained. “Synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, heavy machinery, monocultures, land change, deforestation, refrigeration, waste and transportation are all part of a food system that generates significant emissions and contributes greatly to global climate change.”

“Addressing climate change on the farm can not only tackle the challenging task of agriculture-generated GHGs,” Zinn said, “but it can also produce more food with fewer fossil fuels.”

UN registered 99 sex abuse claims against staff in 2015

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UN report says a majority of the cases involved personnel in 10 peacekeeping missions, including in CAR.

UN

by Al Jazeera

There have been 99 new allegations of sexual exploitation or sexual abuse against United Nations staff members across the UN system last year, a new report has said.

The UN report from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, released to Reuters on Thursday, came in response to a new “name and shame” policy for UN peacekeepers implemented after a series of allegations of rape and sexual abuse by international troops in Central African Republic.

In 2014, there were 80 allegations.

The majority of the allegations in 2015 involved personnel in 10 peacekeeping missions, the report said, listing 69 such cases.

The military and police personnel accused of sexual crimes while serving for the UN involved 21 countries.

Most of the allegations involved peacekeepers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, seven in all, serving in Central African Republic or CAR. There were also allegations against several European countries and Canada.

There were allegations against troops and police from Burundi, Germany, Ghana, Senegal, Madagascar, Rwanda, Congo Republic, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Tanzania, Slovakia, Niger, Moldova, Togo, South Africa, Morocco, Benin, Nigeria and Gabon.

In addition to CAR, the allegations involved peacekeeping missions in places such as Haiti, Mali, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ivory Coast.

The report includes recommendations for member states to make it easier to identify suspected perpetrators and prosecute them.

It calls for the UN General Assembly and troop-contributing countries to allow prosecutions inside the countries where the alleged crimes took place and creation of a DNA registry of all peacekeepers.

One of the problems, human rights groups say, is that it is currently up to UN troop-contributing countries to prosecute their soldiers accused of abuse. When such prosecutions happen, the groups say, they often take place quietly and it is difficult to follow up on the results and punishments, if any.

In December an independent review panel accused the United Nations and its agencies of grossly mishandling numerous allegations of child sexual abuse by foreign troops in CAR in 2013 and 2014.

4 Indian nurses among 16 dead in gun attack on Yemen care home

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Yemen

Aden: Four Indian nurses were among at least 16 people killed today when gunmen opened fire at an elderly care home in Yemen’s main southern city of Aden, security officials said.

Four gunmen stormed the care home in Aden’s Sheikh Othman district, killing a guard and shooting randomly at residents, the officials told AFP. Dozens of stricken family members arrived at the site following the attack, witnesses said.

One official said the attackers were “extremists” and blamed the Islamic State group, which has been gaining ground in Aden in recent months.

But no group claimed responsibility for the attack, the first of its kind in Yemen, where the internationally- recognised government is grappling with an Iran-backed rebellion on one side and a growing jihadist presence on the other.

President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi has declared Aden Yemen’s temporary capital as Sanaa remains in the hands of the Huthi rebels and their allies since they seized it in September 2014.

Al-Qaeda and IS have stepped up attacks in Aden despite the efforts of the government and its backers in a Saudi-led coalition battling the Huthis and their allies to secure it.

However, most of the jihadists’ attacks have targeted coalition forces and pro-government Yemeni troops.

On Monday, a suicide car bombing, also in Sheikh Othman, hit a gathering of loyalist forces killing four people and wounding five others, according to a security official said.

On February 17, a suicide bombing claimed by IS killed 14 soldiers. The rebels controlled Aden for months before government loyalists pushed them out in July.

Because of the unrest gripping Aden, Hadi himself and many senior officials in his government spend most of their time in Riyadh.

(AFP)

Former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma passes away

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P A Sangma

New Delhi: Former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno Agitok Sangma died of a heart attack here on Friday. He was 68.

Parliament sources said the end came this morning after he suffered a heart attack.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan announced the news of his death in the House, which was adjourned for the day.

While expressing deep grief over Sangma’s passing away, Ms. Mahajan said he knew how to run the House with a smile and “I learnt this from him.”

“A man of masses, Sangma strove relentlessly for the amelioration of the marginalised sections,” the Speaker said.

Condoling the death of Sangma, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “a self-made leader whose contribution towards the development of the North East is monumental.

Saddened by his demise.Sangma’s tenure as Lok Sabha Speaker “is unforgettable”. His down-to-earth personality and affable nature endeared him to many,” he said, adding “Sangmaji was deeply influenced by Netaji Bose.”

Sangma was a nine-time member of Lok Sabha and the Speaker in the 11th Lok Sabha. He had also held important portfolios in the central government.

He was also the Chief Minister of Meghalaya from 1988 to 1990 and Leader of Opposition in the assembly from 1990 to 1991.

Born on September 1, 1947 in village Chapahati in the picturesque West Garo Hills District of Meghalaya, Sangma grew up in the small tribal village and struggled hard to rise in life.

After completing his graduation from St Anthony’s College, he went to Dibrugarh University in Assam for his Masters degree in International Relations. Subsequently, he also obtained a degree in Law.

A Congressman who was one of the founding members of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), was expelled from it in July 2012 when he refused to accept his party’s decision to quit the race for India’s President. In January 2013, he had formed the National People’s Party.

(Agencies)

Assembly polls in 5 states from April 4 to 16, counting on May 19

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Nasim Zaidi- Chief Election Commisioner. File photo: PTI

Nasim Zaidi- Chief Election Commisioner. File photo: PTI

New Delhi: The elections to five state assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry will be held between April 4 and May 16 and counting of votes on May 19, the Election Commission announced today.

Assam will go to polls in two phases on April 4 and 11 while election in West Bengal will be held in six phases on April 4 and 11 (under Phase one), 17, 21, 25, 30 and May 5.

The single-phase elections for Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry assemblies will be held on May 16, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi told a press conference here.

Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry assemblies have 126, 140, 234, 294 and 30 constituencies respectively.

The elections will also see for the first time a symbol, which has been created by the National School of Design, allotted to NOTA (None of the above) that will be placed at the bottom of the list of candidates.

Noting that voters are in the focus of the Commission, Zaidi said all booths will have seven basic facilities and there will also be all-women polling booths.

Mobile squads will have GPS-fitted vehicles and be accompanied by central forces to ensure that they quickly attend to complaints.

(Agencies)

Farmers block roads in protest in Bengaluru

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freedom_park

Bengaluru: Traffic movement on the busy Kempegowda International Airport Road had come to stand still when thousands of farmers driving tractors marched into the city to lay siege to the Vidhana Soudha, demanding permanent water solution for Kolar and Chickballapur districts.

Although the situation is under control now, earlier, farmers got agitated when the police tried to barricade their entry into the city. The police also lathi-charged to disperse the agitating farmers after the latter tried to break the barricades.

The police agreed to their demands and allowed them to park their tractors at Palace Grounds. The protestors, then, marched to Freedom Park.

(Agencies)

Iba Halal Care: India’s first halal cosmetics brand launched in Bengaluru

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Iba Halal Care

Bengaluru: After scoring success in Gujarat and Aurangabad, Iba Halal Care now opens its franchisee store in Bengaluru near Safina Plaza, Commercial Street area; this marks the brand’s entry into Southern India market. Iba Halal Care – India’s first halal cosmetics brand was launched in Ahmedabad with two company-owned stores in Sept 2014. This was followed by stores in Surat, Vadodara and Aurangabad.

Halal cosmetics are a new range of beauty and personal care products that are free of non-halal ingredients such as alcohol, pig fat and other animal derived ingredients, and harmful chemicals like sulfates and parabens.

Iba Halal Care

Iba Halal Care

“India is home to world’s second largest Muslim population, yet there is no cosmetics brand in the market that caters adequately to the ethical needs of this large consumer segment. Iba Halal Care aims to fill this gap by making available a range of Halal certified products that are also vegan and cruelty-free to offer peace of mind to Muslims as well as vegetarians”, says Mauli Teli, CEO and Managing Partner at Ecotrail Personal Care, the company which has launched Iba Halal Care in the market.

Halal is an Arabic word for ‘that which is lawful or permitted’. The concept of Halal is rooted in science and ensures that all products are free from impurities, are ethical, safe and effective.

Iba offers over 80 products for head to toe halal care – face creams, lotions, hair oil, shampoos and conditioners, lipsticks, kajal, foundations, hair colors, soaps, attars, men’s deos, exotic fragrances and more. Unlike ordinary personal care and cosmetic products each Iba product is certified halal as a proof of its quality standard and purity. Iba is unique since it is not only a halal certified range but is vegan and cruelty-free as well.

“Careful research and high quality standards have been maintained throughout development and manufacturing to ensure that our products have Halal integrity, are of world class quality and are safe and effective for daily use”, highlights Grishma Teli, VP of R&D and Managing Partner at Ecotrail Personal Care. “Source of every ingredient going into our products is thoroughly researched and confirmed to ensure that our products are 100% free of non-halal ingredients such as pig fat, other animal derived ingredients, alcohol as well as harsh chemicals”.

“What has found great acceptance across consumers in Ahmedabad and other cities where there are Iba stores and among online buyers across the country is the high quality standards and affordable prices at which Iba products are available – Rs. 40 – Rs. 350. This is indeed an advantage to a large segment of customers”, says Ali Hussain Momin, founder of Ummat Infomedia and a regular Iba customer.

Iba Halal Care products are also becoming available through shop-in-shop counters in local supermarkets. Mr. Nadeem Jafri, founder of Hearty Mart Supermarkets in Gujarat says “We have launched Iba products in our supermarket chain across Central & North Gujarat; given its high quality and affordable price range, Iba is finding acceptance in consumers and its own space amongst other cosmetics brands that are sold in our shops”.

Mr. Dilip Vadgama, Chief Operating Officer, Ecotrail Personal Care says “the halal trigger in cosmetics has led to consumers switching to Iba products. Majority of customers coming to our store appreciate the quality and value that the brand offers and hence are not only loyal customers but they also buy a variety of products from us such as fairness cream, face wash, hair oil, fragrances. Lipsticks are their favorite as they didn’t have a halal option available and can now use them with ease. We have also made Iba products available in many leading cosmetics and medical stores across Aurangabad which has substantially added to their sales”.

In order to meet demand and increase accessibility to Iba products across cities and in smaller towns, the company also offers a ‘shop-in-shop’ model. Currently the brand is available in 100+ cosmetics shops, medical stores and supermarkets in Western India.

Company plans are underway to further expand into South India with franchisee stores planned in Mysore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kozhikode and Mallapuram among other cities. Till then the consumers can meet their need for halal cosmetics through online purchases from Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal, Purplle & Nykaa.

Iran: GCC’s terrorist label for Hezbollah is a mistake

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Tehran says decision to label the Lebanese group a terrorist organisation undermines peace and the unity of Lebanon.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said Iran was 'proud' of Hezbollah [Misha Japaridze/AP]

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said Iran was ‘proud’ of Hezbollah [Misha Japaridze/AP]

by Al Jazeera

Iran’s deputy foreign minister has said that a decision by a Saudi-led bloc of Gulf Arab states to label the Lebanese group Hezbollah a terrorist organisation was a “mistake”.

Iranian state TV on Thursday quoted Hossein Amir Abdollahian as saying that the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) move would undermine peace in the region and the unity of Lebanon.

He said it was a “new mistake” by the GCC and that Iran was “proud” of Hezbollah.

On Wednesday, GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif al-Zayani said that the six Gulf monarchies took the decision because “the [Hezbollah] militia recruited young people [from the Gulf] for terrorist acts”.

Hezbollah, a Shia political organisation with an armed wing, fights in neighbouring Syria to support the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

The Sunni-dominated GCC comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Gulf nations have taken a series of measures against Hezbollah since Saudi Arabia last month halted a $4bn programme funding French military supplies to Beirut.

Hezbollah is backed by Saudi Arabia’s regional rival Iran, with whom relations have worsened this year. The two nations are on opposing sides in conflicts in Syria and Yemen.

Announcing the military funding cut last month, a Saudi official said that the kingdom had noticed “hostile Lebanese positions resulting from the stranglehold of Hezbollah on the state”.

Riyadh would be conducting “a comprehensive review of its relations with the Lebanese republic”, the unnamed official told the AFP news agency.

He specifically cited Lebanon’s refusal to join the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in condemning attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran in January.

Riyadh cut diplomatic ties with Tehran after demonstrators set fire to its embassy and a consulate following the Saudi execution of a prominent Shia cleric.

‘Spare Lebanon’

Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah lashed out at Saudi Arabia during a televised speech on Tuesday.

“The kingdom is trying to put pressure on the Lebanese to try to silent us but we will not be silent on the crimes the Saudis are committing in Yemen and elsewhere,” Nasrallah said.

“Does Saudi Arabia have the right to punish Lebanon, its state and its army because a certain party has decided to raise its voice?” he asked.

“If they have a problem with us, let them keep it with us, and let them spare Lebanon and the Lebanese,” Nasrallah added.

Jamal Abdullah, head of the Gulf Studies Unit at the Al Jazeera Centre for Studies, said he did not believe that the Gulf decisions targeted Lebanon as a whole.

“The relations between Gulf states and Lebanon are governed by diplomatic norms and strong links from their shared membership in the Arab League,” Abdullah said.

The GCC supported Hezbollah throughout the past three decades in its resistance against Israel. However, the bloc has always condemned Hezbollah’s military intervention in Syria.

“This was a milestone in the nature of the relationship between Hezbollah and Gulf countries,” Abdullah said.

Two-wheeler taxi services uberMOTO, Ola Bike launched

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ubermoto

Bengaluru: Leading app-based cab aggregator rivals Uber and Ola on Thursday launched pilot on-demand two-wheeler taxi services uberMOTO and Ola Bike, respectively.

“We are very excited to pilot uberMOTO in Bangalore — pairing our on-demand technology platform with motorbikes… uberMOTO will offer another affordable mobility option that will help people save time and money while helping cut congestion in our cities over time,” said Uber India president Amit Jain in a statement.

uberMOTO’s minimum fare is pegged at Rs.15 followed by Rs.3 per km and Re.1 per minute of travel time.

About Ola’s motorcycle taxi offering Ola Bike, COO Pranay Jivrajka said: “We are excited to launch the pilot of Ola Bike in Bangalore today.”

“This will help users get to where they want to be within minutes, especially in traffic-prone cities like ours,” Jivrajka said.

Ola Bike comes with a minimum fare of Rs.30, Rs.2 per km and Re.1 per minute of trip time.

Both uberMOTO and Ola Bike motorcycle taxis have made arrangement to provide helmets to pillion riders and put safety measures like driver details displayed upfront, SOS, GPS tracking, two-way feedback and the ability to share trip details with family and friends in place.

Uber also highlighted that two-wheeler owners can become drivers on its platform and recoup expenses for their trips.

Currently, uberMOTO is available at Jakkur, Banaswadi, Whitefield, Sarjapura, Begur, Kothnur, Hosakerehalli, Vijaya Nagar and Yeshwantpur areas in Bengaluru.

(IANS)

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