‘Everything is forgiven’: Charlie Hebdo’s new cover shows Prophet Muhammad holding ‘Je Suis Charlie’ sign

French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo defied the attackers in last week’s bloodbath by putting a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammed on its next cover, as the government on Monday announced the deployment of 10,000 soldiers to boost security.

The weekly released the front page of what it called the “survivors’ issue”, due out Wednesday, featuring a crying Muhammad in a white turban and holding a sign that reads “Je suis Charlie” under the words: “All is forgiven”.

The issue will be the first since two Islamist gunmen stormed Charlie Hebdo’s Paris office on January 7 and massacred 12 people, saying they were taking revenge for previous publications of Muhammed cartoons — considered deeply offensive to many Muslims.

source: http://www.firstpost.com/world/everything-is-forgiven-charlie-hebdos-new-cover-shows-prophet-muhammad-holding-je-suis-charlie-sign-2042945.html

Is rotating shift work decreasing your brain power?

Workers’ brain power could be affected by long-term rotating shift work. Humans are wired to sleep at night by their circadian rhythm, a 24-hour cycle that brings about physical, mental and behavioral changes in the body. The circadian rhythm affects sleep cycles, hormone releases, body temperature and various processes. Besides the intellectual impact, disrupting it has been associated with health problems including ulcers, heart disease and breast cancer. Those who did work rotating shifts had lower scores on memory, processing speed and brain power than those who worked regular office hours.Even people who spent at least 50 days in a single year working any type of irregular work schedule – including regular shifts that prevented them from going to sleep before midnight or that forced them to wake up before 5 a.m. – suffered a significant mental toll. Tests revealed that these workers experienced the equivalent of 4.3 years of age-related cognitive decline, on average, even if their shift work happened years ago.Previous studies have found that work schedules that are out of sync with the body’s natural circadian rhythm can harm mental function. For instance, airline crews that experienced frequent jet lag and didn’t get enough time to recover got poor results on tests of their cognitive abilities. Industrial workers assigned to odd shifts did worse on memory tests compared with their counterparts who only worked days. And nurses who sometimes worked nights got lower marks on tests of general cognition.

India-US partnership poised for the next level: India envoy nominee

Richard Rahul Verma, the first Indian-American to be nominated as the US Ambassador to India, believes there is renewed enthusiasm on both sides to take a reenergised India-US partnership to the next level.

“There is no question that this is a defining and exciting time in the US-India relationship,” he told the Senate Foreign Relations committee Tuesday at his confirmation hearing.

Verma, 45, a former key aide to then secretary of state Hillary Clinton, noted that President Barack Obama “will make a historic visit to India in January, becoming the first US head of state to attend India’s Republic Day and the only sitting US president to visit India twice.”

Read More – http://zeenews.india.com/news/india/india-us-partnership-poised-for-the-next-level-india-envoy-nominee_1508596.html

Phil Hughes: Australian batsman dies, aged 25

Australia Test batsman Phil Hughes has died, two days after being hit on the head by a ball.

Australia team doctor Peter Brukner said he never regained consciousness and died in hospital in Sydney. Hughes, 25, was carried off on a stretcher at the Sydney Cricket Ground after a short-pitched delivery struck his head, missing his helmet.

He had CPR and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation before being taken to hospital and placed in an induced coma. In a statement, Brukner said: “It is my sad duty to inform you that a short time ago Phillip Hughes passed away. He never regained consciousness following his injury on Tuesday.

“He was not in pain before he passed and was surrounded by his family and close friends. “As a cricket community we mourn his loss and extend our deepest sympathies to Phillip’s family and friends at this incredibly sad time. “Cricket Australia kindly asks that the privacy of the Hughes family, players and staff be respected.”

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott paid tribute to the player, describing Hughes as “a young man living out his dreams”. “His death is a very sad day for cricket and a heartbreaking day for his family. What happened has touched millions of Australians,” he said. “For a young life to be cut short playing our national game seems a shocking aberration. He was loved, admired and respected by his team-mates and by legions of cricket fans.”

Australia coach Darren Lehmann, leading the early tributes, tweeted: “RIP you little champ, we are all going to miss you! Love, prayers to all the Hughes family.” Hughes, batting for South Australia, collapsed face first on the ground after being hit by the bouncer from Sean Abbott during a Sheffield Shield game against New South Wales.

He was treated on the pitch before being rushed to St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney where he had a 90-minute operation to relieve pressure on his brain. Doctors did not give details on the extent of Hughes’s injuries but the Australian Broadcasting Corporation said his skull was fractured and the Sydney Morning Herald reported that he had suffered catastrophic bleeding in his brain.

Thousands leave Sant Rampal’s ashram, two dead

The Haryana Police is due to begin a massive operation on Wednesday to nab controversial sect leader Sant Rampal, who continues to evade law and defy the Haryana and Punjab High Court orders to surrender.

Here are the live updates:

http://zeenews.india.com/news/haryana/hisar-showdown-live-thousands-leave-sant-rampals-ashram-two-dead_1501238.html

Delhi elections: BJP to fight without CM face, to rely on ‘Brand Modi’

The BJP will fight the Delhi assembly elections without a chief ministerial face, banking instead on ‘Brand Modi’ for a repeat of the party’s winning performance in Maharashtra and Haryana.

However, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), seen as its main rival, said it would be a contest between its chief Arvind Kejriwal and Jagdish Mukhi, a Delhi BJP veteran earlier seen as a frontrunner for the CM’s chair.

The party positions became clearer Tuesday coinciding with the Union cabinet approving dissolution of the assembly and setting the ball rolling for the elections, likely to be held in February next year.

Lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung had recommended dissolving the House to the Centre after the BJP, Congress and AAP on Monday expressed inability to form government and sought a fresh mandate. It ended months of uncertainty that began with the Kejriwal government quitting on February 14 after just 49 days in power and President’s rule being imposed three days later.

The election commission recently announced bypolls to three assembly seats — necessitated by the BJP members being elected to the Lok Sabha in the summer — but this will now be cancelled. The panel will, instead, start preparations for the assembly polls.

Read More: http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/newdelhi/aap-wants-kejri-vs-mukhi-bjp-banks-on-brand-modi/article1-1282616.aspx

India’s black money stats: Over 1 lakh crore undisclosed income, globally 5th in illicit outflows

The Centre today disclosed before the Supreme Court eight more names including that of Pradip Burman, one of Dabur IndiaBSE -3.06 % promoters, a bullion trader and Goa miners against whom it has started prosecution for allegedly stashing blackmoney in foreign banks.

Rajkot-based bullion trader Pankaj Chimanlal Lodhya and Goa-based mining company Timblo Private Limited and its five Directors were among the names that figured in the list which was filed in the Supreme Court by the government.

The affidavit, filed days after the government came under attack from political rivals that it was chary of revealing names, said that these names have been received from French authorities and other countries.

Promising to disclose more names of black money holders who have come under its scanner, the government said that all foreign bank accounts cannot be termed as “illegal”.

The additional affidavit on the black money issue was filed today in furtherance of its affidavit recently when it had said that names of account holders in foreign banks cannot be disclosed till there is evidence of tax evasion against them and prosecution is launched in India.

While Burman’s name was received from French authorities the names of Lodhia and others have been received from “other countries”.

The list names Timblo Private Limited and its Directors Mrs Radha Satish Timblo, Chetan S Timblo, Rohan S Timblo, Mrs Anna C Timblo and Mrs Mallika R Timblo. It was not clear whether the account holder is the company or its Directors.

Shortly after the disclosure in the Supreme Court, Dabur India promoter family, Burmans said the account complied with all legal requirements.

“We wish to state that this account was opened when he (Pradip) was an NRI, and was legally allowed to open this account,” a Dabur spokesperson said in a statement.

“We have followed all the laws and the complete details regarding the account have been voluntarily, and as per law, filed with the Income Tax Department, and appropriate taxes paid, wherever applicable,” he added.

Lodhiya denied having a Swiss bank account. “We have already declared in the income tax and there is nothing…we don’t have any Swiss account that is the only thing which I can say,” he said.

Radha Timbo declined to comment on her name being mentioned in the affidavit, saying she has to first study it before commenting.

Haryana BJP MLAs to meet today; Manohar Lal Khattar frontrunner for CM post

Taking a step ahead in the installation of a government in Haryana, newly-elected 47 Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs will convene a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the names of chief minister aspirants.

The meeting will be chaired by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu and party vice president Dinesh Sharma, who have been appointed observers by the BJP’s Parliamentary Board for deciding on the name of Haryana CM, who is “likely” to take oath on October 22.

“The two BJP leaders will take opinion of all the elected MLAs at the meeting,” senior BJP leader and party MLA from Ambala Cantonment Anil Vij had said on Monday.

“During the meeting, MLAs keen on becoming CM can stake claim before the observers,” he said, adding that the final call will be taken by the party high command.

With the party leadership yet to shortlist a candidate for the top job, the installation of the BJP government in Haryana, the first since the formation of the state in 1966, is being delayed.

The bureaucracy was expecting that BJP with its clear mandate would quickly take a decision on its first chief minister and the new government would be in place before Diwali.

Even as no one is ready to come on record to stake claim for the post, among the frontrunners are former RSS member Manohar Lal Khattar, state BJP chief Rambilas Sharma, party spokesman Captain Abhimanyu, party’s Kisan cell president Om Parkash Dhankar and also Vij.

Manohar Lal Khattar

60-year-old ML Khattar, a new face in electoral politics, was fielded from Karnal Assembly seat from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched his poll campaign in the state and he has emerged as the frontrunner.

A first-time MLA, Khattar has no administrative experience, but he is stated to have been a good RSS organiser for the past 40 years. He won Karnal seat by 63,736 votes.

Khattar, a Punjabi by origin, is stated to be close to Prime Minister Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.

Rambilas Sharma

Ram Bilas Sharma, a Brahmin from Mahendargarh district, was a Cabinet minister in the Bansi Lal-led HVP-BJP government in 1996. After differences with Bansi Lal, Sharma led the party into withdrawing support from Haryana Vikas Party (HVP) and forming the government with Om Parkash Chautala’s INLD.

Sharma remained in the background in the last 10 years of Bhupinder Singh Hooda rule as BJP could win only six seats in 2000 and the number was reduced to four in the 2009 Assembly Elections.

The five-time BJP MLA came into limelight just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls when he was made the state unit leader.

Captain Abhimanyu

Abhimanyu, 47, is the Jat face of the party in the state and is stated to have the blessings of BJP president Amit Shah.

He served as a Captain in the Army for six years. Abhimanyu is also a first-time legislator. He was party’s candidate for Rohtak Lok Sabha seat in 2004, 2005 and 2009. He was also the party’s nominee from Narnaund Assembly constituency in 2004, 2005, 2009 before being successful this time.

Anil Vij

Another CM aspirant is five-time MLA from Ambala Cantt. Anil Vij who was a vocal face of the party in the state Assembly. He was the one who single-handedly took on Congress for BJP which was reduced to a single digit in last two elections.

Birender Singh

The party can also accommodate Congress-turned-BJP leader Birender Singh, a jat with considerable influence among the people of the state outside district of Jind.

Singh was inducted into the BJP ahead of polls after he snapped ties with Congress after working for the party for four decades.

However, the names of Union ministers Sushma Swaraj, Krishan Pal Gujjar and Rao Inderjit Singh are also in circulation.

For narrowing down on its choice for the CM’s post, the party will have to keep issues like Jat, which has so far been a key consideration by different parties in finalisation of the candidate vis-a-vis non-Jats, area representation and aspirations of different factions in mind, political observers feel.

Since its creation, the state has been mostly ruled by members of pre-dominant Jat community including Bansi Lal (four times), Devi Lal (twice) and his son Om Parkash Chautala (five times), Hukam Singh (once) and Bhupinder Singh Hooda (twice).

Non-Jat Chief Ministers include Bhagwat Dayal Sharma (once), Rao Birendar Singh (once), Banarsi Dass Gupta (twice) and Bhajan Lal (thrice).

Haryana has never had a woman Chief Minister. According to party sources, in case the tussle within the state unit hots up, Sushma Swaraj may be considered for the post. In Haryana, the BJP won a majority for the first time on its own, wresting 47 of the 90 seats.

Source: http://zeenews.india.com/news/haryana/haryana-bjp-mlas-to-meet-today-manohar-lal-khattar-frontrunner-for-cm-post_1487832.html

Mangalyaan is ‘healthy’, says ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan

With less than 48 hours left for the planned for the insertion of Mangalyaan into Mars’ orbit, ISRO, Monday completed a critical manoeuvre by successfully test firing the liquid fuel engine of its Mars spacecraft (Orbiter) after it entered the sphere of Mars influence earlier in the day.

Speaking to a news channel, ISRO chief K Radhakrishanan expressed joy over the achievement. He said the spacecraft is healthy and has completed 88% of its journey, adding that the space agency is prepared for the critical operation to be conducted at 7:30 am on September 24 when Mangalyaan will enter Mars’ orbit.

While he was confident that India will be able to achieve success in its maiden Mars mission, Radhakrishnan added that ISRO is “looking for all possibilities if something doesn’t happen as per the plan”.

The Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), India’s first interplanetary mission, was launched by India’s workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle from the spaceport of Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on November 5 last year.

The spacecraft had left Earth’s orbit on December 1 and began its historic 666 million kilometre voyage to put India on the list of elite nations, which has sent a mission to Mars.

Now that the spacecraft has entered the Mars’ influence, its velocity has to be controlled so that it does not escape the Mars’ influence.

In a critical act in the final moments on September 24, the orbiter has to be slowed down from 22.1 km per second to 4.4 km per second in relation to the red planet to be captured by the Martian orbit for the mission to be declared a success.

The engine would be fired for 24 minutes on that day to reduce its velocity and insert it into the Martian orbit.

If the Rs 450 crore MOM mission turns out to be a success, ISRO would be the fourth space agency in the world to have sent a mission to Mars. European Space Agency (ESA) of European consortium, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the US and Roscosmos of Russia are the only three agencies which have so far sent their missions to the red planet.

Only 21 of the total of 51 missions sent to Mars by various countries have been successful.

If ISRO succeeds on Wednesday, India would be the first Asian country to go to Mars and also the first to succeed in the maiden attempt.

ISRO would utilise four ground stations for the operation— Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) at Byalalu near Bangalore, Goldstone in USA, Madrid in Spain and Canberra in Australia.

Not Delhi, Gujarat comes first: PM Modi…

Sorry Delhi, Gujarat comes first: PM Modi showcases home state on Xi visit

As the Modi sarkar gears up to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, Gujarat is back in the headlines as the Prime Minister’s home state is slated to trump the nation’s capital on the diplomatic itinerary.

In a meeting with media on Monday, External Affairs ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said, “It’s no secret that the Prime Minister is very keen that India be showcased beyond Delhi. He has made it amply clear that the beauty and magnificence of India beyond Delhi should be seen by visiting foreign leaders, and we are beginning that process with President Xi’s visit.”

It isn’t clear if this means other parts of India will get their chance, or if Gujarat will remain the most favoured state on the PMO list.

Xi will arrive in Ahmedabad on 17 September and will be hosted at an official lunch by Prime Minister Modi, and taken to visit the Sabarmati Ashram.

Another significant departure from the norm is that official talks will also be conducted in Ahmedabad, rather than in Delhi. A number of agreements pertaining to the state will be signed there, Akbaruddin told media. However he added that there would be be other agreements that Modi and Xi will sign in Delhi after officials talks, at a meeting between the two leaders accompanied by aides and later at the delegation level.

As he did with Japan and at the BRICs, the Prime Minister will be emphasising the links between China and Gujarat in particular.

Source: http://www.firstpost.com/world/sorry-delhi-gujarat-comes-first-pm-modi-showcases-home-state-on-xi-visit-1714109.html