Teachers continue to boycott midday meal duty in Bihar

PATNA: As over 10 lakh students continued to be deprived of midday meals due to primary school teachers boycotting food cooking duties for the third consecutive day on Saturday in Bihar, the government held "positive" talks with the agitators to end the logjam.

Free cooked food could not be served in about 5,000 government schools in the state due to boycott as a result of which nearly 10 lakh students were deprived of the midday meal, sources in state's education department said.

The government on Saturday held talks with representatives of primary teachers to end the boycott.

Though, there was no immediate result, the teachers' representatives said they would hold their meeting on Monday and convey the decision to the government.

Brajnandan Sharma, Bihar Primary School Teachers Association President told PTI, "Talks were held in positive environment. We will put the government appeal to withdraw the boycott before the primary teachers at a meeting here on July 29 and accordingly convey the decision to the government."

Director primary education, A K Chaudhary, who conducted talks on behalf of the government, said he told the teachers' representatives that it was not possible to make alternative arrangements for efficient running of such a gigantic programme "overnight", which he said they shared.

Chaudhary said he told the teachers to come out with a proposal in support of their demand, including keeping teachers away from cooking food for mid-day meal scheme, and the government would look into it.

Midday meal scheme is in operation in 70,000 schools across the state benefitting 1.30 crore children.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar had yesterday shared the primary teachers concern that their primary task is teaching but said making alternative arrangements for such a large number of schools would need time.

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Obama urges US politicians to help strengthen middle class

WASHINGTON, District of Columbia: President Barack Obama on Saturday urged politicians in Washington to remain focused on strengthening the embattled US middle class.

The president's weekly radio and online address is part of a broader effort to reframe the debate over the economy as Congress - especially the Republican-controlled House of Representatives - prepares for a new fight over spending cuts and raising the debt ceiling.

"Over the past four and a half years, America has fought its way back from the worst recession of our lifetimes," Obama said.

"Thanks to the grit and resilience of the American people, we've ... begun to lay a new foundation for stronger, more durable economic growth."

However trends that "have been eroding middle-class security for decades ... still exist, and in some ways, the recession made them worse."

Washington has lost focus on strengthening the middle class, said the president.

"An endless parade of distractions, political posturing and phony scandals shift focus from what needs to be done. And as Washington prepares to enter another budget debate, the stakes could not be higher," he said.

According to Obama, "if we take a few bold steps - and if Washington is willing to shake off its complacency and set aside some of the slash-and-burn partisanship we've seen in recent years - our economy will keep getting stronger."

Obama called on politicians of both parties to support him, but his main problem comes from opposition Republicans, who say he offers nothing but higher spending and bigger government.

On Wednesday and Thursday, Obama made campaign-style swings through the Midwest and Florida focusing on strengthening the middle class, and vowed Saturday to continue this effort "over the next several weeks, in cities and towns across the country."

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Infected injections, unsafe blood transfusions see Hepatitis rising in India

NEW DELHI: India's Hepatitis burden is rising due to the use of infected injections and unsterilised medical equipment as well as unsafe blood transfusions.

In India, nearly two-thirds of the injections being used are unsafe, posing health hazards for the recipients. Unhygienic use of needles in acupuncture and tattooing also has a significant role in spreading hepatitis, according to experts.

There are five main Hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E. Hepatitis A and E are typically caused by ingestion of contaminated food or water. Hepatitis B, C and D usually occurs as a result of parenteral contact with infected body fluids. Hepatitis B is also transmitted by sexual contact.

"Hepatitis B (HBV) and Hepatitis C (HCV) infections are silent diseases that remain asymptomatic for decades. Due to lower awareness, more than 80 percent HCV patients and over 60 percent patients with HBV are diagnosed at a stage when the disease is irreversible," Anil Arora, chairman and head of the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi said.

Ajay Kumar, senior consultant gasteroenterology Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals said: "Transmission of Hepatitis through infected syringes and blood is a significant problem in India."

"Most patients in India get the Hepatitis B and C forms in childhood either through mother to child transmission or contact with other siblings," he said adding, many times after being infected the problem becomes chronic and they become permanent carriers of the virus.

He added that there was much need to organize a countrywide education campaign among health workers, patients and the community, especially in the rural areas.

Anupam Sibal group medical director and senior gasteroenterologist at Apollo, who specialises in paediatric Hepatitis, said immunisation against the disease is an effective prevention method.

Under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), the government provides Hepatitis B vaccine and the operational cost of vaccination to states and union territories for preventing Hepatitis B infection.

Since April 2005, the government has also introduced auto-disabled (AD) syringes for all vaccinations under UIP in all states. AD syringes are single use, self-locking syringes that cannot be used more than once.

This prevents misuse and contamination and cross- infection through repeated use of unsterile injection or equipment. Routine screening of blood units for Hepatitis B and C has been made mandatory for all blood banks to detect and discard contaminated blood units, a senior health ministry official said.

Hepatitis viruses are estimated to be among the top 10 causes of death in India. According to the World Health Organization, 240 million people globally are chronically infected with Hepatitis B and around 150 million are chronically infected with Hepatitis C.

Approximately 500 million people worldwide are living with either hepatitis B or hepatitis C. This means 1 in 12 people suffer from this deadly disease.

As for Hepatitis C, one out of every 100 in India may be chronically infected by the virus and most among these 12 million people do not know they are infected.

According to government figures, prevalence of Hepatitis C has been observed to be relatively higher in Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram.

Interestingly, several studies conducted in these states have highlighted different risk factors which are believed to have led to the relatively higher prevalence of the condition.

"Hepatitis C usually affects people in the age group of 20 to 60 years while Hepatitis B is most common in the age groups 10 to 60 years," Kaushal Madan, senior consultant Hepatologist and Gastroenterologist, Medanta - The Medicity Hospital, Gurgaon said.

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Delhi gang rape: 'Video clip' to show that two accused were not in bus

NEW DELHI: A minor, who was made a witness by the accused to prove their innocence in December 16 gang-rape case, on Saturday produced before a court in Delhi a video clipping which showed that two of the four youths facing trial were present at the music function on the incident night.

A 15-year-old boy, appearing in defence of Vinay Sharma, showed a video recording to additional sessions judge Yogesh Khanna pointing out that Vinay and co-accused Pawan Gupta was present at a music function in south Delhi when the incident took place.

The boy said in his cross-examination by the prosecution that Vinay and Pawan were not in the bus in which a 23-year-old girl was gang-raped allegedly by a group of six persons.

Special public prosecutor Dayan Krishnan and Rajiv Mohan, however, countered the minor's contention saying he has concocted a false story at the behest of the accused and his family members as he is accused's childhood friend.

The boy, however, rejected the prosecution allegation saying he is not lying as he has taken oath in the name of God and is deposing the correct facts.

"There was no musical programme organised on December 16, 2012 in the evening time in the district park (south Delhi). The DDA/horticulture department does not allow such programme in the park and no one is allowed to enter the park after 7pm in the evening," the prosecution said.

Vinay had claimed that on December 16 last year, he was at a music function and not in the bus in which the incident of robbery of a carpenter and gang rape took place.

During the proceedings, the police also moved an application seeking summoning of three material witnesses in the case to prove that no activities such as musical events are permitted in the said park as claimed by the accused.

Krishnan said the defence has taken the plea of alibi. "Both accused Vinay and Pawan have led evidence in an attempt to falsely show their presence on the evening of December 16, 2012 at the district park in a musical event organised by church," Krishnan contended.

The court has kept the application pending saying it would decide it after defence witnesses's statement is closed.

As per the prosecution, the six persons in the bus were driver Ram Singh, Vinay, Akshay, Pawan, Mukesh and a juvenile and all of them had raped the girl and assaulted her male friend with an iron rod.

The victim died of injuries on December 29 last year while undergoing treatment in a Singapore hospital.

During the trial, Ram Singh was found dead in Tihar Jail on March 11 and court proceedings against him stand abated.

The sixth accused, a juvenile, faced an inquiry before the juvenile justice board here.

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Bombing targeting Afghan local police kills seven

KABUL, Afghanistan: A suicide bomber targeting a village police commander blew himself up in a bazaar in a lawless part of eastern Afghanistan, killing seven people, an official said on Saturday.

Clashes and bombings around Afghanistan in the past two days have claimed the lives of 15 people, including 11 Afghan policemen and four civilians.

Afghan forces have been in the lead for security around the country since mid-June, when foreign forces handed over control.

The Taliban have stepped up attacks since then and also are seeking to take advantage of the withdrawal of foreign troops that will see all international combat forces leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014. Insurgents increasingly have been targeting Afghan security forces and government officials.

In one such case, a suicide bomber targeted a village police commander late Friday in Qarabagh district of Ghazni province, said Mohammad Ali Ahmadi, the province's deputy provincial governor. Almadi said the bomber on a motorcycle loaded with explosives killed Local Police commander Dawlat Khan, three of his men, and three civilians in a bazaar.

The Afghan Local Police are a village-level force designed to be a first line of defense against the Taliban. They are often targeted by insurgents who see them as a direct threat to their ability to operate.

It is estimated that 50 to 70 Afghan policemen die every week.

In Helmand province, a roadside bomb in the province's Gerashk district on Saturday killed a family of four, including two children, police chief Hikmatullah Akmal said. A bomb also killed a police officer in a separate incident, an announcement said.

On Saturday, insurgents tried to kill the governor of northern Samangan province, Khirullah Anosh, with a remotely detonated roadside bomb as the official drove to work. His spokesman, Sediq Azizi, said the governor and three other people were slightly wounded.

In neighboring Baghlan province, a police officer was killed when insurgents on Saturday tried to kill the provincial police chief with a remotely detonated bomb that exploded next to his convoy, his spokesman said. Jawed Basharat said his chief, Gen. Asadullah Sherzad, was not hurt in the attack.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the Samangan and Baghlan attacks.

Another bomb killed two police officers and wounded four in central Ghor province, spokesman Abdul Hai Khateby said.

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Sushilkumar Shinde skips Delhi Police function at last moment

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police commissioner Neeraj Kumar on Friday performed bhoomi-pujan at the site of the proposed New Delhi Police headquarters at Parliament Street, even as Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who was supposed to be the chief guest, skipped the event.

According to sources in the home ministry, Shinde was advised by his officers against attending what was originally planned to be a foundation stone laying ceremony, as the proposed building did not have the necessary environmental and height clearances.

Confirming that these clearances were still awaited, Neeraj Kumar - who called on Shinde soon after the bhoomi pujan - told reporters that the Delhi Police had decided not to go ahead with foundation stone laying ceremony and settled on just a "bhoomi pujan".

Incidentally, Shinde's decision to skip the Delhi Police event on Friday comes amid his reported unhappiness with Neeraj Kumar over his handling of the Nirbhaya episode, as well as protests against West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee during her visit to the Planning Commission in April this year, which resulted in roughing up of state finance minister Amit Mitra. The home minister is also said to be miffed over the Delhi Police chief's failure to prevent ransacking of his residence by Jat protestors while he was away touring Russia.

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Telangana issue: Andhra Pradesh Congress leaders meet central leadership

NEW DELHI: Congress appears to be gearing up to taking a call on the contentious Telangana statehood issue with party leader in charge of Andhra Pradesh saying that the consultation process is over and the time for a decision has come.

"The process of consultation is over. And the time to take a decision has come," Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh told reporters after three-hour long discussions with various leaders including Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Kirankumar Reddy separately here.
"We will let you know the decision," Singh said. PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana and deputy chief minister Damodar Rajanarasimha were among those with whom Singh held consultations today at the Congress 'war room' here.

The Congress core group chaired by Sonia Gandhi is expected to take a decision on convening a meeting of the working committee which is expected to take a call on the Telangana issue.

Leaders belonging to both pro and anti-Telangana factions are in the capital to build pressure on the central leadership.
Sources said in their separate meetings, that the chief minister, state Congress chief and the deputy chief minister have made detailed presentations Digvijaya Singh.

Recently Singh had submitted a report on the issue to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

The Congress core group had discussed the Telangana issue earlier this month and decided to refer the long-pending matter to the Congress working committee for a final review.

Amidst talk that Congress leadership may take a decision in favour of separate Telangana, a ruling Congress MLA and two YSR Congress legislators from non-Telangana regions said in Hyderabad yesterday that they have "resigned" from their posts in support of the united Andhra Pradesh cause.

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Will work for defeat of Congress in next Lok Sabha elections, Prakash Karat says

NEW DELHI: Fed up with the nine years of UPA "misrule", Left parties will work for the defeat of Congress in the next LokSabha elections, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat said here on Friday.

He also said there was no question of supporting BJP or a BJP prime minister - NarendraModi or anyone else.

"We have made our position clear. After nine years of UPA misrule...UPA and Congress should be defeated. We are not going to work for their return," Karat told reporters here. He was replying to a query if there was a possibility of the Left parties supporting Congress after the next Lok Sabha elections.

When asked to comment on Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, an arch rival of the Left, announcing that her party won't support Modi as a prime ministerial candidate, Karat said, "For us there is no question of supporting (Narendra) Modi or anyone else from the BJP. She would support someone else or...We are not supporting BJP or BJP prime minister."

On the possibility of a Third Front government at the Centre like in 1996, he said, "The situation is very different now. Let us see what happens."

Karat made the remark when asked about his statement that the Third front parties will be open to outside support from Congress to form the government after the 2014 elections but his party will not help BJP or Congress to come to power.

He also dismissed poll surveys projecting that the Left has lost further ground in West Bengal after losing the state to TMC.

Claiming that the "surveys were not in tune with ground reality", Karat said such thing can happen only if "rigging takes place" like the one which took place in the just concluded Panchayat elections in West Bengal.

"The results of such a rigged election can only be a distorted one," he said, replying to a query whether the Left is admitting defeat in the Panchayat elections even before the results are announced.

The just concluded Panchayat election is the first grassroot poll held in West Bengal after Trinamool Congress came to power in the state.

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Missing Modi photos on BJP posters not an issue, Sushma Swaraj says

VIDISHA: Leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj said today that there is no point in raising the issue of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi's missing photographs from BJP posters all along Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's Janashirwad Yatra route.

"It is not at all an issue and the media is unnecessarily airing it," Swaraj told reporters after chairing the district vigilence and valuation committee meeting at the circuit house.

Photographs of Modi, who is the BJP's national poll Campaign committee chairman were missing from posters and banners along Chouhan's yatra route, resulting in a controversy.

Referring to the Batla House encounter judgement, she said that the court decision had proved that it was not a fake encounter as alleged by some people and it was a befitting reply to them.

She refused to comment on Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh's stand that he stood by his opinion on the issue and would not apologise.

On the occasion, Swaraj also met BJP workers and later proceeded to take part in a BJP youth wing programme.

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German president says whistleblowers like Snowden merit respect

BERLIN: Germany's president, who helped expose the workings of East Germany's dreaded Stasi secret police, said whistleblowers like US fugitive Edward Snowden deserved respect for defending freedom.

Weighing in on a debate that could influence September's federal election, President Joachim Gauck struck a very different tone from that of chancellor Angela Merkel, who has assured Washington that Berlin would not shelter Snowden.

Gauck, who has little power but great moral authority, said people who work for the state were entitled to act according to their conscience, as institutions sometimes depart from the law.

"This will normally only be put right if information is made public. Whoever draws the public's attention to it and acts out of conscience deserves respect," he told Friday's Passauer Neue Presse newspaper.

After the fall of communism, Gauck, a dissident Lutheran pastor, headed a commission in charge of the Stasi's vast archive of files on people it had spied on, using them to root out former Stasi members and collaborators.

His unusual decision to speak out on a hot political issue comes as the fallout from the Snowden affair is dominating headlines in the run-up to the September 22 election where Merkel - who, like Gauck, comes from what was communist East Germany - hopes to win a third term.

"The fear that our telephones or mails are recorded and stored by foreign intelligence services is a constraint on the feeling of freedom and then the danger grows that freedom itself is damaged," he said.

"We are a democratic state with the rule of law with basic rights. Freedom is one of these basic rights."

Merkel has been at pains to maintain friendly relations with Washington at the same time as showing voters she understands their anger about reports of intrusive surveillance by the US National Security Agency's (NSA), where Snowden worked as a contractor.

She has repeatedly said the state has a duty to protect its citizens from the threat of terrorism, but that the response must be proportionate.

Opposition parties have accused Merkel of failing to press Washington for answers about the scale of NSA activity.

Reports that German spies cooperated with U.S. agents caused an outcry and one crucial question is how much she or her chief of staff knew. So far she has offered few answers.

The issue has potential to damage Merkel in the election, although opinion polls show little impact so far on a double-digit lead for her conservatives over the main opposition Social Democrats (SPD).

Referring to communism and Nazism, Gauck said Germany had painful experiences of living in a security state where no one was safe to speak out:

"We Germans have had to experience the abuse of state power with secret services twice in our history. And therefore we are sensitive (to this) and our American friends must accept that."

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Hyderabad seeing sharp rise in corporal punishment

HYDERABAD: Several parents complain about the physical torture and harassment faced by their children in Hyderabad's private schools, which according to authorities, is a clear indicator that despite the ban, corporal punishment is on a rise in the state.

Activists say that the rising cases of harassment, physical torture and abuse of children in schools indicate that it is essential for teachers to attend workshops and learn the difference between child abuse and discipline.

Police, in 2012, recorded 600 cases of corporal punishment, but the figure has already crossed 500 this year with five more months to go. Last week, an 11-year-old boy set himself ablaze after he was reportedly humiliated and beaten up by the principal in a school located in posh Banjara Hills in the heart of the city.

The student succumbed to his injuries and the school said they had never assessed the state of mind of the student, while imparting punishment.

In another shocking incident, a class IV student of a private school in Karimnagar district committed suicide after constant taunts and punishment from his school warden for not attending his classes.

A few months ago, a three-year-old student was threatened with a pen knife by a teacher. The parents immediately took the child out of the school and, despite the counseling session the school conducted, the boy continued to struggle with mental trauma.

"He does not want to go to school anymore and is scared even looking at objects like pen knives," said the father of the child.

A survey conducted by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) across seven states, including Andhra Pradesh, showed that 99.86% of the 6,632 children surveyed had experienced some kind of stern punishment in school.

The NCPCR survey done in 2011 also showed that 75% of them had been hit by a cane and 69% were slapped on the cheek.

The Andhra Pradesh Parents Association (APPA) says nothing has changed since then, while A Subba Reddy, the district education officer, Hyderabad, admitted that there had been a steady inflow of complaints coming in.

"We will first conduct an inquiry and then issue show cause notices to the management of the school. In case necessary action is not taken, these schools stand to lose recognition," he said.

Shanth Kumar Goel, president of APPA, says they receive at least a dozen complaints every week from parents across the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

"Every teacher must undergo training on how to tackle children, however problematic they may be," he said, adding that teachers in most schools are not taught how to deal with small children, who are the main victims of corporal punishment.

"The school authorities, including the principal, must be aware at all times how the students are being treated by their teachers," he added. Sections 16 and 17 of the Right to Education Act (RTE) bans corporal punishment, both mental and physical, or expulsion from school.

"The teachers are unaware of the implication of the punishment they inflict, both legally as well as psychologically, on the child. Counselling a child after the incident is not enough," said Achyuta Rao, president of AP Balala Hakkula Sangham, a child rights body. "The school management as well as parents must be counselled before the child is sent to school."

Srivyal Vuyyuri, working with child-centric NGO Sphoorti, recalled an incident where girl students in a school were made to strip on pretext of being checked for a stolen object.

"The girls were so ashamed by the incident that they did not even speak about it to anyone. It is only when other kids started talking that we found out about the incident," Vuyyuri said.

"Teachers nowadays are just not sensitized towards gender issues. And this is the case in so called elite schools as well," he added.

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Nawaz Sharif's party nominates India-born Mamnoon Hussain for presidential polls

ISLAMABAD: The ruling PML-N today nominated India-born Mamnoon Hussain, a close aide of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, as its candidate for the presidential elections to be held on July 30.

Hussain, a leading businessman from the port city of Karachi, is an old party hand.

Born in 1940 in the historic city of Agra, he belongs to Urdu-speaking ethnic group that migrated from India after partition in 1947.

If elected, Hussain would be the 11th president of Pakistan.

Hussain is an old loyalist of Sharif and remained with the PML-N during the regime of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, who exiled Sharif to Saudi Arabia and created a new party by breaking the PML-N.

He served as governor of southern Sindh province for a short period during June-October 1999 and lost the post after Musharraf led a military coup against Sharif.

Meanwhile, the opposition Pakistan People's Party (PPP) nominated Raza Rabbani as its candidate.

Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf party has picked former judge Wajihuddin Ahmad as its candidate.

The PML-N is set to win the election in a triangular race but a joint opposition candidate may pose a threat to the ruling party's man.

After scrutiny of paper, the final list of candidates will be issued on July 27. The president is elected by the four provincial assemblies and national parliament.

The new president will be sworn on September 8 and will replace incumbent Asif Ali Zardari.

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Mars mission is a publicity stunt: Isro ex-chief Madhavan Nair

BANGALORE: India's 'Moon Man' has contested Isro's contention that the upcoming 'desi' Mars orbiter mission would undertake meaningful research, and dubbed the Rs 450 crore venture as a "publicity stunt".

"Isro is embarking on an extravagant mission which at best can serve as a publicity stunt", G Madhavan Nair, a former chief of the Bangalore-headquartered Indian Space Research Organisation, told PTI here.

The country was facing an acute shortage of communication transporters, noted Nair during whose tenure of six years as Isro chairman and secretary in the department of space, 25 successful space missions were accomplished, including India's maiden moon venture Chandrayaan-I.

Isro should have solved this issue by following the K Kasturirangan Committee recommendation, he argued.

"Even if the launch takes place, it will be yet another PSLV launch only. One has to wait nearly eight months before anything of Mars is heard. This is an issue which needs a serious review by the scientific community", Nair said.

According to him, GSLV was the vehicle identified because it could take a respectable satellite of nearly 1,800 kg. This could have provided more than a dozen instruments on board and the spacecraft would have been placed in a near circular orbit for a meaningful remote sensing mission of Mars.

"But what is the fate of the much hyped Mars Orbiter Mission (Isro's mars mission as conceived now) - there were delays in solving the problems of GSLV so a study was undertaken see what can be done with PSLV. Nearly 1,500 kg satellite can be taken to Mars, but due to fuel limitation it could at best be placed in an elliptical orbit of 380km perigee and 80,000 km apogee. No one would attempt a resource survey or mapping mission with such widely varying altitudes", Nair said.

Isro chairman K Radhakrishnan told PTI recently the Mars mission would undertaken meaningful research.

The primary objectives of the mission, according to Isro, are to demonstrate India's technological capability to send a satellite to orbit around Mars and conduct meaningful experiments such as looking for signs of life, take pictures of the red planet and study Martian environment.

Isro is going to start in August first week the assembly of PSLV-C25, the rocket on board of which the Mars orbiter would be launched any day between October 21 and November 7.

Elaborating further, Nair said though there was an initial estimate of 25 kg for the scientific instruments, on detailed analysis provision it was reduced to a meagre 14 kg. This may further come down.

As it stands today, there could be just five instruments — a Mars Colour camera (MCC) to take pictures of Mars; Mass Methane Sensor (MMS) to study the amount and origin of Methane on Mars; Lyman Alpha Photometer (LAP), to study the ratio of Hydrogen and Deuterium on Mars; Mars Exosphere Neutral Composition Analyser (MENCA), to study Martian atmosphere AND Thermal Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (TIS).

"Constraints on mass are likely to reduce these payloads," he said. "With such skeletal instruments on board a spacecraft travelling at altitudes varying from 380 and 80,000 km what meaningful science can be done is a big question mark. This is exactly a case of cutting the head to suit the hat," he contended.

Nair said in Chandrayaan-I when the number of instruments had to be increased, the propulsive power of PSLV was enhanced whereas for Mars Orbiter Mission the desired rocket was not available and the spacecraft was curtailed to an insignificant size.

"Not only that, many of the sub-systems of (the proposed) Chandrayan-2 were cannibalised for the Mars Mission delaying the more meaningful Chandrayan-2. Chandrayan-2 may take place in 2016 or beyond. China is going with similar mission to moon later this year, not to Mars," he said.

"Mission to Mars is claimed to be complex and challenging. No one familiar with orbital mechanics will appreciate this. The sequence for Mars Mission is identical from the earth's orbit. It will be catapulted on path which will reach near moon or Mars. It may take five days to Moon and eight months to Mars because of the long distance. One has to wait and watch and nothing significant needs to be done during this long wait."

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Girl burned alive for resisting rape in Pakistan's Punjab province

LAHORE: A man allegedly burnt a teenage girl to death after failing to rape her in Pakistan's Punjab province, police officials said on Wednesday.

According to the FIR registered by police, the girl from Rahim Yar Khan district, 400 km from Lahore, had gone to the home of her friend on July 19 to learn how to stitch clothes. Muhammad Imtiaz, the brother of her friend, tried to rape her.

When the girl put up a resistance, Imtiaz allegedly doused her with petrol, set her on fire and fled.

The girl was taken to Shaikh Zayed Hospital, where doctors declared her condition critical as she had 80 per cent burns. The girl succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday, police said.

The victim's father said that though police had registered a case against the accused, he was being pressured by local politicians to reconcile with Imtiaz.

The accused is still at large, police said.

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Former Puducherry minister Kalyanasundaram acquitted in SSLC exam fraud case

TINDIVANAM: A Tindivanam court on Wednesday set aside a lower court's order convicting former Puducherry education minister P M L Kalyanasundaram and two Tamil Nadu education department officials to two years in jail on charges of criminal conspiracy, forgery and cheating in connection with SSLC examinations.

The case related to allegations that Kalyanasundaram used a proxy to appear for SSLC supplementary examinations conducted in September 2011.

Tindivanam fast-track-cum second additional district court judge R Shanmuganathan acquitted Kalyanasundaram and others as the prosecution failed to prove the charges framed against them.

The prosecution failed to prove that the address mentioned in the application form of the accused number one -- Kalyanasundaram -- was the address of the accused number two - hall supervisor P Aadhavan.

Similarly, the prosecution failed to prove that the order issued by the accused number three -- office assistant M Rajnikanth -- appointing Aadhavan as the invigilator of the hall where Kalyanasundaram appeared for the examinations was a forged document.

In January 2013, Tindivanam judicial magistrate court-I judge A Saritha convicted Kalyanasundaram, Aadhavan and Rajnikanth to two years imprisonment under sections 120-B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) and 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) of Indian penal code read with 109 (punishment of abetment if the act abetted is committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment) of the IPC.

She had also convicted the former education minister and two others to a two-year jail term under section 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record) read with 109 of the IPC.

V Balamurugan, one of the three counsels who appeared for Kalyanasundaram, told TOI that the Madras high court, while disposing a petition seeking quashing of Tindivanam judicial magistrate's order, had observed that there was no prima facie evidence of criminal conspiracy. Subsequently the case was 'made over' to Tindivanam fast-track- cum second additional district court for trial.

Kalyanasundaram, a tenth standard dropout, who was elected from Kalapet constituency in the Union territory of Puducherry on an All India N R Congress ticket, claimed to have appeared for tenth standard science supplementary examinations on September 29, 2011 at a private school in Tindivanam, Villupuram district. He failed in sciences and social sciences when he took tenth standard examinations in 1992.

Widespread allegations that Kalyanasundaram used a proxy to appear for the supplementary examinations in 2011 forced the Tamil Nadu government to order a probe.

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Fresh incidents of landslides as heavy rains lash Uttarakhand

DEHRADUN: Moderate to heavy rains in most places in Uttarakhand today triggered fresh incidents of landslides, cloudbursts and house collapses across the state.

A road that led to a school building was damaged due to a cloudburst in Gadoli village at Pauri district, where intermittent rains continued to affect normal life.

However, there was no report of any injury, officials said.

Incessant overnight rains in Chamoli district caused fresh landslides at a number of places, including Deval where two vehicles parked along the roadside got buried under the debris, they said.

Several houses were hit by mud and slush brought over by the landslides at Gauchar.

Cracks have appeared in at least 14 houses in Deosari village, forcing their occupants to seek shelter at safer locations nearby, the officials said.

Intermittent rains in Chamoli district have also affected transportation of food grains to affected villages as choppers could not fly for the second consecutive day today due to low visibility conditions.

Bhagirathi river in Uttarkashi is on the rise due to heavy rains, whereas Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri national highways are blocked at several places due to debris falling over from the hills.

Parts of a house collapsed due to overnight rains at Raiwala. However, no one was injured as its occupants were away when the incident occurred.

Rain water gushed into an Aanganbadi Kendra in Sunderwala area, prompting authorities to close it for two days.

Meanwhile, accusing the Vijay Bahuguna government of being in a "state of slumber" even after the June calamity, BJP leader and former chief minister B C Khanduri said hundreds of precious lives could have been saved if the authorities had responded to the situation in time.

"First the state government ignored the MeT office warnings of heavy rains on June 14 and then it slept over the tragedy which occurred on June 17 leaving hundreds of helpless pilgrims to fend for themselves and perish," he told reporters here on his return from a visit to affected areas.

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Pakistan media watchdog bans 'immoral' condom commercial

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's media regulator on Tuesday barred television channels from airing a racy condom commercial featuring actress Mathira, saying such "immoral" content should not be beamed during the holy month of Ramzan.

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority banned the 50-second advertisement after receiving several complaints that it was "indecent", said its spokesman Fakhar Mughal.

"Airing of such immoral advertisements on Pakistani channels and that too in Ramzan warrants serious action," he told the media.

"TV channels have decided to take off air the condom advertisement as it is highly immoral," said Mughal.

A letter sent by PEMRA to the Pakistan Broadcasters Association said the commercial was perceived as "indecent, immoral and in sheer disregard to our socio-cultural and religious values".

In the advertisement, Mathira weds an ordinary man living in an old-fashioned neighbourhood, where people are amazed at his marriage to a TV star.

Asked by a bewildered neighbour about the secret of keeping his wife happy, the husband displays a packet of Josh condoms and says: "Bring Josh into your life."

The wife also knocks at the door of the neighbour and suggestively asks for ice to "cool" her husband.

Josh condoms are marketed in Pakistan by a US-based non-profit organization that works to promote family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention.

According to official figures, Pakistan's population is growing at an annual rate of 1.9 percent and has already crossed 180 million.

Controlling the growth is a serious challenge as most clerics in the conservative nation consider family planning against Islam. Topics like contraception are hardly ever discussed in public.

General awareness about the use of contraceptives has increased in urban areas, where several brands of condoms are available. But people in rural areas are either unaware or do not use them because of social and religious reasons.

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Bodh Gaya blasts: Bombs may have been sourced from Assam, NIA says

NEW DELHI: The 'Lotus' brand of clocks used in bombs planted at Bodh Gaya may have been sourced from Assam, the NIA has concluded after learning from its manufacturers in Rajkot, Gujarat, that the clocks are distributed for sale in Assam.

The trail of the clocks -- found intact in the unexploded bombs recovered from the Bodh Gaya blast sites -- has only confirmed the agencies' fears that the attacks may have links to Assam, which incidentally was the epicentre of communal riots last year between Bodos and Assamese Muslims. The wide circulation of an MMS depicting attacks on Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar is said to have played a major role in fanning communal passions at the time.

Though Union home ministry sources confirmed the Assam link to the clocks used in bombs planted at Bodh Gaya, they said it was too early to attribute the blasts to the Rohingya Muslim issue. "But it is a fact that the intelligence prior to the blasts had warned of attacks by radical outfits seeking to avenge attacks on Rohingyas of Myanmar," said an MHA official.

NIA, which is investigating the July 7 bombings at the world heritage site, sees an Indian Mujahideen footprint in the Bodh Gaya blasts, going by the modus operandi employed by the bombers and the nature of explosives used. NIA sources feel that either IM or a local outfit linked to the IM may have carried out the blasts.

The local angle is further corroborated as one of the suspect bombers was purportedly speaking in Magadhi, a local dialect, according to eyewitness accounts.

NIA had last week released two sketches of the suspected bomber recreated from CCTV footages and eyewitness accounts.

Recent inputs with R&AW, the country's external intelligence agency, suggest that Pakistan-based LeT, which is also the IM's patron, has been trying to open a new front in north-eastern region, close to the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. Both LeT and its overground avatar, JuD, have been working to extend their footprint in the region, riding piggyback on the sectarian violence targeted at Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

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CBI chief orders probe into leakage of information in Mulayam case

NEW DELHI: A red faced CBI on Tuesday ordered a probe into the leakage of its internal documents on the disproportionate assets case against Mulayam Singh Yadav even as it refuted reports that the case is being closed, saying no decision has been taken on it.

As opposition parties accused the government of using CBI for its political ends, the agency director Ranjit Sinha asserted, "No final decision has been taken on the file pertaining to the case. The file has not even reached me. A final call is yet to be taken."

He regretted that documents were being leaked by some vested interests from the premier probe agency even before a final call had been taken and announced a probe to nail the CBI officers involved in it.

The CBI officials are believed to have suggested filing a closure report in the alleged acquisition of disproportionate assets by the Samajwadi Party chief and his son Akhilesh Yadav, the UP chief minister.

The agency has taken the line that the increase in the assets of father-son duo was primarily because of loans from relatives which were later claimed to be gifts. The agency could not find any unexplained increase in their assets, sources said.

The CBI was looking into the period between 1993 and 2005 during which it was alleged that investments by Mulayam and Akhilesh had grown manifold.

CBI sources said an inquiry has been completed by the investigators who have given their findings to the senior officials to take a view whether to close the case or convert it into a regular case and probe it further.

In many cases, the sources said, decisions of the probe teams have been overturned as senior officials had spotted angles which could be probed further.

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Palghar Facebook row: HC asks Maharashtra if it plans penal action against cops

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government on Tuesday faced the ire of the Bombay high court which sought to know if the state plans to initiate criminal action against police officers responsible for the illegal arrest of two girls opposing the bandh enforced during Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray's funeral in November 2012.

A division bench of Justices S C Dharmadhikari and S B Shukre was hearing a public interest litigation filed by former journalist Ketan Tirodkar seeking penal action for wrongful confinement and falsification of records to be taken against the "errant" cops.

The court was told by prosecutor Jayesh Yagnik that a departmental inquiry in under process against three police officials superintendent of police, Thane (Rural) Ravindra Shengaonkar, additional SP, Thane (Rural) Sangram Nishandar and senior police inspector Shrikant Pingle.

"Is the state of the opinion that they should face only a departmental inquiry? You (state) feel this is not a punishable offence?" Justice Dharmadhikari queried.

Observing that the law was equal for everyone, the court said "nobody should take law into their hands. If an ordinary citizen had done this, what would you (state) have done then? Why don't you set the law in motion when a police officer is involved. This is the impression drawn."

The court further noted that just because no member of public has come forward to give a complaint does not mean that the police force cannot take action against the errant personnel on its own.

The court has directed the government to revert within a week and inform it whether the case will be closed only with a departmental inquiry or the state desires to initiate steps under the criminal law.

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Allahabad HC reserves order on controversial reservation policy in UP

ALLAHABAD: The Allahabad high court on Monday reserved its order on the controversial reservation policy introduced recently in Uttar Pradesh whereby caste-based quotas were brought in at the preliminary stage itself that had led to violent protests in the city over the issue.

The court also asked the state Public Service Commission not to conduct interviews for the ongoing civil services examinations for the next 10 days.

A division bench comprising Justices Laxmi Kant Mohapatra and Rakesh Srivastava reserved their judgement on a bunch of petitions filed by hundreds of students appearing in competitive examinations, who had challenged the aforesaid reservation policy.

Consequently, the interviews which were to commence on July 26 would now have to be rescheduled and by that time the verdict on the matter is also likely to be delivered.

Appearing on behalf of the petitioners, senior advocates, including Keshri Nath Tripathi and Ravi Kiran Jain told the court that the new reservation policy was "illegal" and "unconstitutional" and intended to benefit candidates from "only one caste group considered close to the ruling party in the state".

The court also questioned the UPPSC's "haste" in bringing in the new policy after being told that it was "passed by voice-vote after one of the members of the commission brought forth the proposal".

The petitions were opposed by the UPPSC, which was represented by counsel Shashi Nandan, and the state government, through additional advocate general C B Yadav.

The three-tier reservation system introduced by Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission, which proposes caste-based quotas from the preliminary exams stage itself, has drawn flaks from students and several political parties.

Meanwhile, massive security arrangements are in place in the city in the wake of the violent protests over the issue that had rocked the city on July 15.

As precautionary measures, the district administration has ordered closure of all schools on Monday and Tuesday (today and tomorrow).

Traffic has been diverted on all roads leading to the UPPSC headquarters here with heavy barricading and deployment of forces in place.

Nearly 3,000 personnel of police, Provincial Armed Constabulary and Rapid Action Force have been pressed into service to keep a tight vigil even as senior officials are patrolling the areas where students are carrying out their agitations.

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Sudan resident moves HC against India's surrogacy guidelines

CHANDIGARH: In a case of its own kind, Shihabeldin, a resident of Sudan moved the Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday challenging the guidelines of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) restricting surrogacy to married men and women with a marriage of at least two years, thereby excluding single foreign nationals and unmarried couples from coming to India for purposes of surrogacy on medical visas.

Taking up his petition, a division bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul of the HC has issued notice to the MHA asking the ministry to file response on the contentions raised by the petitioner. According to the petitioner, the MHA guidelines have completely restrained the foreign nationals in India, who wishes to fulfill the desire to become a single parent through surrogacy.

The petitioner, Shihabeldin, a resident of Sudan, submitted before the HC that he is a singleton and wishes to become a single parent through a surrogacy arrangement and contacted a Chandigarh based medical institution on June 29. However he was informed that surrogacy facility in India could not be availed by a single foreign parent because of the MHA guidelines issued on July 9, 2012 limiting the facility of surrogacy only to married couples with two years of subsisting marriage.

His counsel, Anil Malhotra argued that as per the ICMR guidelines there would be no bar to the use of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) by a single woman who wishes to have a child, and no ART clinic may refuse to offer its services to the above, provided other criteria mentioned in this document are satisfied. The child thus born will have all the legal rights on the woman or the man.

"Said guidelines were framed so that infertile parents could fill the barrenness in their lives through commissioning of surrogacy but the MHA guidelines puts an embargo on foreign single persons or foreign unmarried couples from commissioning surrogacy in India through ART is wholly whimsical classification by any law," Malhotra argued.

Seeking directions to struck down the said guidelines, counsel further contended that foreign nationals, overseas citizens of India, and person of Indian Origin cannot be discriminated in the matter of surrogacy upon comparison with Indian nationals and imposing a ban on surrogacy by foreign single persons or foreign unmarried couples wholly contrary to law.

Now the case has been fixed for July 22 for further hearing.

Grounds on which the petitioner has sought relief on equality

September 29, 2008 | Baby Manji Yamada case brought forward the complex issue when the Japanese biological mother being divorced by the time of the birth of the child disowned him. Supreme Court gave directions to allow the child to travel with the grandmother.

October 12, 2008 | Israeli gay couple became parents in India through surrogate and achieved surrogacy arrangements in India without any objections.

May 26, 2010 | German gay couple on intervention of the Supreme Court was allowed to get birth certificate for their twin surrogate babies and thereafter were granted exit permits to Germany without any objections.

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Monthly per capita expenditure: Haryana tops urban spending; Keral no.1 in rural spending

A report says Haryana recorded a monthly per capita expenditure of Rs 3,346.32 in cities.

The author has posted comments on this articlePTI | Jul 22, 2013, 06.22PM IST

NEW DELHI: Haryana topped the list among large states recording largest household monthly per capita expenditure (MPCE) in urban areas whereas in rural areas, Kerala ranks the first, a government survey said.

Haryana recorded a MPCE of Rs 3,346.32 in cities followed by Himachal Pradesh at Rs 3,173.30 and Kerala at Rs 3,044.22 as per the National Sample Survey Organisation's survey on household consumer expenditure from July 2011 to June 2012.

The study also revealed that among the large states, Kerala stood at first position by recording MPCE of Rs 2,355.53 in rural areas followed by Punjab at Rs 2,136.39 and Haryana at Rs 1,925.96.

In case of union territories and smaller states, Andaman and Nicobar islands tops the charts with monthly per capita expenditure of Rs 4,439.03 in urban areas followed by Delhi at Rs 3,160.76 and Chandigarh at Rs 3,000.27.

Similarly in rural areas, among union territories and smaller states, Delhi comes first with MPCE at Rs 2,690.24 followed by Chandigarh at Rs 2,543.57 and Andaman and Nicobar islands at Rs 2,508.19.

Among the states, Chhattisgarh recorded lowest monthly per capita expenditure of Rs 904.04 in rural areas followed by Odisha at Rs 904.78 and Bihar at 907.41 during the period under review.

Similarly in urban areas, Bihar was at the bottom with MPCE of Rs 1,396.65 followed by Manipur at Rs 1,448.91 and Chhattisgarh at Rs 1,776.21.

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Rajnath’s anti-English remark: What language will he speak in US, asks Congress

LUDHIANA: In a dig at BJP president Rajnath Singh, the Congress today asked what language he would speak during his current visit to the US.

"The BJP President should make it clear whether in America he would talk in Hindi or Awadhi or English. He made comments here that English has destroyed Indian culture. Such narrow vision, such closed ideology, now what he will achieve in the US only time will tell," Congress leader and information & broadcasting minister Manish Tewari told reporters.

While speaking at a function in Delhi, Singh had reportedly expressed concern that the widespread use of English language in the country had resulted in the loss of 'our language and culture' as hardly anyone speaks in Sanskrit now.

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Sushma Swaraj's aircraft makes emergency landing in Jaipur

INDORE: Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj had close save on Monday afternoon and her aircraft in which she was coming to Indore had to make emergency landing in Jaipur.

Sushma Swaraj took off from New Delhi for Indore from where she was scheduled to go to Ujjain to flag off election campaign termed as 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra' of chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Within few minutes of take off aircraft develops technical snag and it made emergency landing at Jaipur airport.

In the afternoon Sushma Swaraj tweeted-took off for Ujjain this morning. Landed in Jaipur due to technical sang in the right engine of the aircraft. After few minutes she tweeted-It is all fine. Nothing to worry.

Spokesperson of BJP Ujjain division, Jaiprakash Junwal told TOI Sushma Swaraj was expected to flag off 'Jan Ashirwad Yatara' but she could not make it due to some technical reason. He said Sushma Swaraj could to manage to reach Ujjain for the programme.

CM Shivraj Singh Chouhna has started his 50-day-long election campaign from Monday from Mahakal temple in Ujjain. Under this tour CM will visit all districts of state and he will arrive Indore in October.

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Egypt begins work on charter as Islamists press demos

CAIRO, Qahirah: Experts begin work on Sunday to amend a divisive constitution rammed through by ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, while his supporters called for intensified rallies in Cairo demanding his reinstatement.

Egypt's caretaker cabinet has sought to forge ahead with an army "roadmap" for a political transition amid heightened tensions as Morsi's Islamist supporters press on with the protests that have sparked bloody violence.

Foreign minister Nabil Fahmy launched a public relations campaign to boost the cabinet's credibility abroad on Saturday, nearly three weeks after the military toppled Morsi in a popularly backed coup.

On the domestic front, interim president Adly Mansour named a committee of four university professors and six judges to come up with a new constitution.

In the wake of the July 3 coup, Egypt's new army-backed administration suspended the constitution that had been drawn up by an Islamist-dominated panel and adopted by referendum in December with a majority of 64 percent, but with a voter turnout of just 33 percent.

The experts will have 30 days to complete their task, after which their amendments will be brought before a 50-strong body representing different groups in Egyptian society, which will submit final changes to Mansour.

The caretaker president will then have 30 days to call a referendum on the new charter, paving the way for new elections.

Work also began in earnest at the weekend on boosting the new regime's foreign relations.

Fahmy said on Saturday he would prioritise "defending the revolution abroad".

The ministry would "form a committee to follow what is published about the revolution abroad and to provide sound information," he told a news conference.

Morsi's overthrow has received a mixed reception abroad.

The African Union has suspended Egypt's membership, but some Gulf countries that distrusted Morsi have pledged billions of dollars in aid.

Britain has said it was revoking export licences for equipment used by Egypt's military and police amid concerns it could be used against protesters.

Fahmy also took a more cautious tone towards the conflict in Syria than Morsi's government did, saying Morsi's decision to cut diplomatic ties with the war-torn country would be "re-examined".

Morsi had repeatedly called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to resign.

"There is no intention of jihad in Syria," the former Egyptian ambassador to Washington said, in reference to calls for a holy war in Syria under Morsi's presidency.

Fahmy was due to meet the new leader of Syria's main opposition coalition, Ahmad Assi Jarba, on Sunday.

In a boost to the new administration, King Abdullah II of Jordan became the first foreign head of state to visit since the army ousted and detained Morsi.

King Abdullah pledged his support "for Egyptian national choices", a presidential statement said.

But Morsi's supporters have flatly rejected the legitimacy of the interim cabinet.

They called for fresh rallies in the capital on Sunday to demand the reinstatement of Morsi, planning marches to several foreign embassies in Cairo, including that of the United States.

Supporters of Morsi, who was ousted after a single year of turbulent rule, have pressed demonstrations against the new cabinet, holding marches and protests across the country since his fall.

Thousands of Morsi loyalists have massed in Cairo's Rabaa al-Adawiya square for about three weeks, calling for his reinstatement and denouncing General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the army chief behind his overthrow.

They believe a sustained campaign of protests could persuade the military to restore him briefly ahead of any elections.

Although mostly peaceful, the pro-Morsi protests have resulted in deadly clashes, with the unrest claiming more than 100 lives in all, according to an AFP tally.

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Three dead, including two Britons, in Russia helicopter crash: Reports

MOSCOW: At least three people, including two British citizens, were killed in Russia's Far North on Sunday when a helicopter crashed into them while they were standing on the ground, officials said.

A distress signal had already been received from the Eurocopter-120 before it made the hard landing on the north of the Kola peninsula in the Murmansk region.

"Three people were killed, two of them are British citizens," the local branch of the emergencies ministry said in a statement on Russian news agencies.

RIA Novosti said that the two foreigners were believed to be tourists. The identity of the other individual said to have been killed was not immediately clear.

Reports said the three appeared to have been crushed to death by the helicopter while standing on the ground and were not inside the aircraft at the time of the crash.

"After take-off, the helicopter tilted and fell onto its side. Three people who were on the ground at the time died of their injuries," a source in Russia's aviation agency Rosaviatsia told the RIA Novosti news agency.

Reports said it was possible that the tourists had been taken by helicopter to the remote area for fishing and then killed by the aircraft after it had deposited them in bad weather.

The Life News website described the Britons as "VIP tourists" who were taking part in a fishing trip especially for foreigners.

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IndiGo flight makes emergency landing as infant falls sick

MUMBAI: A Chennai-bound IndiGo flight with 150 passengers onboard returned to city airport here on Sunday after it was airborne for over an hour as there was a medical emergency on board involving a seven-month-old infant.

The infant, suffering from cardiac disease, was later declared dead by the doctor who examined him at the parking bay after the aircraft made an emergency landing.

The infant had three holes in the heart and was being taken to Chennai for a surgery, an IndiGo airline statement said here.

"IndiGo flight 6E-431 to Chennai departed on time from Mumbai and was air-borne by 10:31am. However, the flight had to return to Mumbai due to a medical emergency on board involving a 7-month-old infant," the statement said.

While airborne, the cabin crew paged for any doctor on board but only a medical practitioner was available, the airline said, adding that the crew performed CPR on the infant and AED (automated external defibrillator) was also used to revive the pulse.

On arrival, the infant was immediately attended by a doctor, who declared him dead, IndiGo said.

"We understand the sensitivity of such situations; hence our crew on-board ensured that the infant received all possible medical attention on board and from our on-ground staff," it added.

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Family abandons search for missing Canadian-Indian student

MELBOURNE: More than two months after a 25-year-old Indian-origin student went missing in a national park in Australia, his family members abondened the search for him, Australian media reported on Sunday.

Prabhdeep Srawn, a Canadian-Indian, went missing on May 13 in the Kosciuszko National Park in the Australian state of New South Wales, following which the family had announced a reward of 100,000 Australian dollars for any tip-off.

According to the family sources quoted by Australia's ABC News, the snowy season had begun in the area and the family and volunteers were stopping their search.

Srawn's family continued to search after Australian officials ceased search operations at the end of May and members of the Canadian Forces spent two weeks in June searching the mountain area.

A law student of Bond University in Australia's Gold Coast, Srawn was reportedly trying to climb Mount Kosciuszko, the highest peak in mainland Australia that is located within the park.

Though the family has been optimistic of finding Srawn as he is a master corporal in the Canadian armed forces, an Australian defence force reservist and has had bushwalking experience, experts feel that the chances of him surviving after so long are slim.

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3 killed, including two Britons, in Russia helicopter crash

MOSCOW: Three people, including two British tourists, were killed in Russia's Far North on Monday when they were crushed by their helicopter after it made an emergency landing, officials said.

The two Britons, who had travelled to the remote Murmansk region for an organised river fishing expedition, and their Russian translator were killed by the whirling rotors of the helicopter as the aircraft crash-landed on its side.

"Two tourists — citizens of Britain — and their guide-translator were killed in the accident," the Investigative Committee said in a statement. It said the two Britons were born in 1944 and their guide, who was from Murmansk, was born in 1960.

"After landing, the helicopter turned on its side and its rotors hit the passengers," the Investigative Committee said, adding that the pilot survived but was injured.

Previous reports had suggested that the three victims were already on the ground but it now appears they may have been in the helicopter and were killed as they tried to get out.

A distress signal had already been received from the Eurocopter-120 before it made the hard landing on the north of the Kola peninsula in the Murmansk region.

The Investigative Committee said that the accident happened on the Rynda river of the Lovozersky district of the Murmansk region.

The Life News website described the Britons as "VIP tourists" who were taking part in a fishing trip especially for foreigners.

Fishing expeditions to the salmon-rich rivers of the Far North are one of very few tourism attractions of Russia that bring in high-paying foreign tourists to regions beyond Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

"The foreign tourists were staying in a luxury camp for fishing," a security source told the Interfax news agency.

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