Saina Nehwal disappointed
Olympic Bronze-medallist Saina Nehwal has been left disappointed after the Sports Ministry decided to reject her application for the prestigious Padma Bhushan award this year, citing norms.
Badminton Association of India had recommended Saina’s name for the award to the Sports Ministry in August last year but the ministry picked two-time Olympic medallist wrestler Sushil Kumar as it felt he is a more deserving candidate. Saina said, she felt bad about it as Sports Ministry did not send her name to the Home Ministry, while Sushil Kumar’s name was sent as a special case.
News global
18 militants killed in NATO air strikes in
AfghanistanAt least 18 militants have been eliminated by NATO forces in
south eastern Paktika province of Afghanistan, Anadolu agency reports.
The air strikes were targeting a convoy of gunmen at the border with
Pakistan. Local officials say they sent forces to investigate the origin
of the convoy.
New Mexico police officer shot at overnight traffic stop
A police officer in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was shot twice by a suspected drunk driver during a traffic stop on Saturday. The officer was able to return fire but the attacker ran away and it is unknown if he was wounded. The officer was taken to hospital in stable condition and expected to survive. The police are searching for the gunman.UK couple with baby in NYC to have their $200,000 medical bill covered
Lennox Hospital in New York City has said on Friday no financial impact will be imposed on the British couple who feared a $200,000 hospital bill as there were some doubts if the insurance will cover the expenses. Katie Amos and Lee Johnston’s baby was born 11 weeks premature last December, 28, while young parents were travelling with plans to come back home before childbearing. The baby is being kept in the neonatal intensive care unit. The hospital also said it would help them arrange a place to live for the duration of their stay, the Guardian reports.Libyan govt launches air strikes on Misrata port
Forces loyal to the officially recognized Libyan government have launched air strikes on Misrata, an important sea port and free trade zone. There are also clashes near the biggest port equipped for oil export, Reuters reports. Misrata is held by armed militias, while Libyan capital, Tripoli is under control of a non-recognized rival government. After Colonel Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in 2011, Libya descended into a chaos with various militias scrambling for control over the country or regions.17 killed in attack at Libya checkpoint – report
A group of militants attacked a military checkpoint in Sukna in western Libya on Friday, killing 17, including three civilians, RIA Novosti reports. The attackers captured three military cars. No militant group has so far taken responsibility for the attack. Meanwhile, AP reports that armed and masked militants captured 20 Egyptian Coptic Christians in the coastal city of Sirte on Saturday.French hackers steal personal data from almost 2mn people
French hackers have stolen data from around 1.9 million customers of Viapresse, a company that which processes subscriptions to various magazines. According to the local media, the perpetrators obtained account details as well as people’s email addresses and passwords.British Ebola nurse condition ‘critical’ – hospital
The British nurse who contracted Ebola while volunteering in West Africa is now in a critical condition despite receiving treatment at a London hospital. “The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is sorry to announce that the condition of Pauline Cafferkey has gradually deteriorated over the past two days and is now critical,” the hospital announced on its website. Cafferkey’s contracting of the virus was first detected on December 30 after she traveled from Sierra Leone via Casablanca to London Heathrow. When authorities confirmed she had Ebola, it is understood she returned to London from Glasgow in an RAF military plane.40 boys and young men abducted in Nigeria
Armed militants abducted 40 boys and young men from a remote village in northeast Nigeria on Wednesday. The raid became known only when residents who escaped from the village informed the authorities on Saturday, AFP reports. The age of all the kidnapped males is from 10 to 23. Officials suspect the militants were Boko Haram members, who still hold in captivity over 200 schoolgirls abducted last April.360 migrants disembark ‘ghost ship’ near Italy
Some 360 migrants, including women and children, have successfully been brought to safety after the crew of a ship they were sailing on abandoned it, leaving it drifting in tumultuous seas, without fuel or electricity. The Ezadeen docked at the southern port of Corigliano Calabro at 10pm (GMT) on Friday after an Italian naval operation to reel in the ship. Two hundred and thirty two men, 54 women and 74 children were aboard, the majority of them Syrian, thought to be fleeing the conflict in their home country.2 killed in Kashmir artillery fire exchange
Pakistani and Indian border guards exchanged artillery fire in the disputed region of Kashmir on Friday night, killing two and injuring 8, officials told AP. Both sides blamed each other for initiating the firefight. The incident follows an escalation of tensions in the region which has led to similar low-level skirmishes. Islamabad also accused Indian forces of killing two of its soldiers on Wednesday in a crossfire that also left an Indian soldier dead.Al-Qaeda suspect dies days before NY trial
50-year-old Libyan Abu Anas al-Libi, accused of the 1998 US embassies bombings in Africa, has died in hospital, just days before he was to stand trial in New York, his lawyer said. Al-Libi had been on the FBI’s Most Wanted list before his final capture in Tripoli in October 2013. He and Saudi businessman Khalid al-Fawwaz were due to stand trial on January 12 over the bombings in Kenya and Tanzania that killed 244 people and injured more than 5,000.Three arrested in suspected kidnap, gang-rape of Japanese woman
Police in India have detained three men suspected of kidnapping and gang-raping a 22-year-old Japanese research academic near a Buddhist pilgrimage in a village 80 miles south of Patna, the capital of Bihar state, officials said Friday. Authorities are still searching for two more individuals in the case. The woman managed to escape her captors on December 26 after three weeks of captivity and contacted police. A Kolkata-based tour guide, who reportedly escorted the Japanese woman to the Buddhist pilgrimage site, was one of the five suspects who kept the woman in captivity and raped her, police said.UK issues ice warning as cold front approaches
British authorities have issued a cold warning for Saturday as forecasters say that sweeping rain across the country may turn into ice due to a cold front. According to John Lee, a forecaster for MeteoGroup, in Scotland “there is a stream of showers coming in from the north west turning into sleet and snow.” “For England and Wales it should clear and get colder tonight, with a risk of ice pretty much anywhere and freezing fog patches,” he added. Also a “widespread frost” is predicted overnight.Indonesian AirAsia search and rescue finds two large objects
Search and rescue teams in Indonesia have found two “big objects” in the Java Sea, possibly belonging to the wreckage of the recently crashed AirAsia plane, Reuters reports. The objects are 90 feet (30 meters) underwater and search teams are trying to get images taken of them by underwater vehicles. Vessels from the United States and three other countries are scouring the ocean floor, trying to find the wreckage and the plane’s black boxes. The AirAsia flight plunged into the sea on Sunday while flying to Singapore with 162 people on board. Rescue efforts have found 30 bodies but no survivors so far.Boston Court refuses to postpone Tsarnaev’s trial
Federal judge George O’Toole has refused the Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s lawyers’ application to postpone the proceeding till autumn. Tsarnaev is accused of carrying out a terrorist act at the Boston Marathon in April 2013 when three people died and over 260 were wounded in two explosions. The trial will start as planned January 5 in Boston and is expected to last for two or three months. Tsarnaev pleaded not guilty to 30 charges including using a weapon of mass destruction resulting in death. Public prosecutors intend to demand the death penalty for Tsarnaev.South Korea to continue joint military drills with US
South Korea will continue its regular joint military drills with the US and exercise planned for March will be held in time, South Korean Defense ministry official said Friday as cited by Yonhap. The cancellation of the drills was one of preconditions for negotiations between North and South Korea. However, ministry said the country needs military training as the two countries technically are still at war. The two countries signed an armistice act in the end of Korean War in 1953.Police and protesters’ clashes in Bahrain enter 6th day
It is the sixth straight day of protests since Bahraini Shiite opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman was arrested on Sunday on accusation of seeking force to change the regime. Hundreds of protesters clashed with the police in villages close to capital Manama, demanding Salman’s release. According to witnesses, police used tear gas to disperse the crowd, AFP reports. Iran has called for immediate Salman’s release, while the US expressed concern his detention could make the violence grow in the country.Israeli settlers stone US diplomatic motorcade in West Bank
Jewish settlers threw stones at the cars of a US diplomatic delegation, which came to inspect suspected vandalism to nearby Palestinian-owned trees in the occupied West Bank, Reuters reports. “Rocks were thrown at them by residents of Adei Ad. We are investigating. Arrests have yet to be made,” an Israeli police spokeswoman said. The US delegation failed to coordinate its visit with the Israeli authorities, she added. Most world powers regard the Israeli settlements in the West bank as illegal, with the US citing their growth among the reasons for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks being stalled.23 US-led airstrikes carried out against IS
The US and its allies have undertaken some 23 airstrikes against Islamic State militants based in Syria and Iraq, according to a statement from the Combined Joint Task Force on Friday. Kobani, Ar Raqqah and Al Hasakah were all struck Thursday, it said, adding that vehicles, buildings and fighting positions were all destroyed, Reuters reported. Eleven airstrikes took place in Iraq, the report said.AIRASIA INDONESIA FLIGHT QZ 8501 UPDATE AS PER 3 JANUARY 2015 20:00
4 01 2015
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AIRASIA INDONESIA FLIGHT QZ 8501 UPDATE
AS PER 3 JANUARY 2015 20:00 HRS LT (GMT+7)
SURABAYA, 3rd JANUARY 2015
– Entering the seventh day of search and rescue mission, the National
Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) Republic of Indonesia confirms that
they have recovered 30 remains from the search area. The search process
is still underway with the Russian SAR team joining the mission,
strengthening the operation led by BASARNAS. Weather in the SAR area for tomorrow (Sunday) is forecasted to be much better with waves likely to decrease and remain at 2-3 metres.
The officials have also announced that sonar
equipment detected two large objects on the ocean floor which may be the
wreckage of AirAsia flight QZ8501. The 12 remains consisting of 9 male and 3 female arrived today at Bhayangkara Hospital, Surabaya to undergo the identification process.
In
addition, the Disaster Victim Identification Police Department of
Republic of Indonesia (DVI POLRI) today confirmed two remains of QZ 8501
passengers which were identified as Hendra Gunawan Syawal (male) and
The Meiji Thejakusuma (female). The remains were handed over earlier
today at Bhayangkara Hospital, Surabaya by Chief Executive Officer
AirAsia Indonesia, Sunu Widyatmoko.
To
date, DVI POLRI has identified a total of six passengers while the 24
remaining remains are still being identified. DVI POLRI also confirms
that the remains identification process will be supported by DVI experts
from Singapore and South Korea.
AirAsia
would like to take this opportunity to urge the public seeking progress
on the search and evacuation and identification process of QZ 8501
passengers to refer solely to official information from BASARNAS and DVI
Polri.
Our thoughts and prayers remain with the families and friends of our passengers and colleagues on board QZ 8501.
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Universities need academic freedom, autonomy: PM
Universities need academic freedom, autonomy: PM
by sagarmedia
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday batted for giving universities more
academic freedom and autonomy and promised to cut excessive regulation
and cumbersome procedures to encourage research.
“We want our scientists to explore the mysteries of science and not
of government procedure,” Modi said, while inaugurating the 102nd Indian
Science Congress in Mumbai.”Our institutions of research must become
more broad based. Our universities must have a higher degree of academic
freedom and autonomy,” Modi said.
In turn the universities must also subscribe to highest standards of academic excellence and accountability, Modi said.
In the backdrop of complaints of red tape by the scientific community in the country including delays in funding for research and approval processes, the Prime Minister stressed that ease of doing research is as important as ease of doing business.
“As the major source of science and technology, … government must do its part. When I speak of ease of doing business in India, I also want to pay equal attention to the ease of doing research and development in India,” Modi said.
Emphasising the need to popularise science and technology, he said, “Our children should see role models in scientists as much as in sportsmen.”
Modi lauded the work by Indian scientists, saying they have placed us in the forefront in many areas.
“Our scientists put Mangalyaan in orbit in first attempt,” he said.
A nation’s progress and development is linked to science, Modi said.
He also called for clear regulatory policies for research and development in areas like biotechnology, nano-science, agriculture and clinical research.
The Prime Minister said each government department should have an officer focusing on science and technology relating to its area of work and, allocate a percentage of its budget for such activities.
“We have to place the university system at the cutting edge of the research and development activities in the country,” he added.
The Prime Minister called upon Indian industry to step up investments in science and technology in its own interest.
He said India’s own pharmaceutical industry has carved out a place for itself in the world, because it invests significantly in research.
China’s emergence as the second biggest economy is parallel to that country’s strides in science and technology, he added.
“You will have no better supporter than me.
In turn, I seek your help in transforming India,” Modi said as he told the scientific community that their achievements should be celebrated “as much as we rejoice in our success in other areas”.
“We need to put science, technology and innovation at the top of national priorities…. Above all, we must restore the pride and prestige of science and scientists in our nation,” the Prime Minister said.
Human development has been the focus of scientific pursuit in India, the PM said.
Science has helped us conquer hunger and fight disease and also given us clean energy, Modi said.
Modi asked the scientists to incorporate traditional local knowledge to develop more appropriate, effective, sustainable and affordable technologies that contribute immensely to development and progress.
He said the arms of science, technology and innovation must reach the poorest, the remotest and the most vulnerable person.
The PM also felicitated Nobel laureates and Indian scientists on the occasion.
In turn the universities must also subscribe to highest standards of academic excellence and accountability, Modi said.
In the backdrop of complaints of red tape by the scientific community in the country including delays in funding for research and approval processes, the Prime Minister stressed that ease of doing research is as important as ease of doing business.
“As the major source of science and technology, … government must do its part. When I speak of ease of doing business in India, I also want to pay equal attention to the ease of doing research and development in India,” Modi said.
Emphasising the need to popularise science and technology, he said, “Our children should see role models in scientists as much as in sportsmen.”
Modi lauded the work by Indian scientists, saying they have placed us in the forefront in many areas.
“Our scientists put Mangalyaan in orbit in first attempt,” he said.
A nation’s progress and development is linked to science, Modi said.
He also called for clear regulatory policies for research and development in areas like biotechnology, nano-science, agriculture and clinical research.
The Prime Minister said each government department should have an officer focusing on science and technology relating to its area of work and, allocate a percentage of its budget for such activities.
“We have to place the university system at the cutting edge of the research and development activities in the country,” he added.
The Prime Minister called upon Indian industry to step up investments in science and technology in its own interest.
He said India’s own pharmaceutical industry has carved out a place for itself in the world, because it invests significantly in research.
China’s emergence as the second biggest economy is parallel to that country’s strides in science and technology, he added.
“You will have no better supporter than me.
In turn, I seek your help in transforming India,” Modi said as he told the scientific community that their achievements should be celebrated “as much as we rejoice in our success in other areas”.
“We need to put science, technology and innovation at the top of national priorities…. Above all, we must restore the pride and prestige of science and scientists in our nation,” the Prime Minister said.
Human development has been the focus of scientific pursuit in India, the PM said.
Science has helped us conquer hunger and fight disease and also given us clean energy, Modi said.
Modi asked the scientists to incorporate traditional local knowledge to develop more appropriate, effective, sustainable and affordable technologies that contribute immensely to development and progress.
He said the arms of science, technology and innovation must reach the poorest, the remotest and the most vulnerable person.
The PM also felicitated Nobel laureates and Indian scientists on the occasion.
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