after al Qaeda announced the for- mation of a wing of the militant group in India and its neighbor- hood, a senior government official said. In a video posted online, al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahri promised to spread Islamic rule and "raise the flag of jihad" across the "Indian subcontinent". New Delhi regards the message as authentic and has warned state governments, said an official who attended a security briefing in which it was discussed with Home Minister Rajnath Singh. "This matter has been taken very London: The UK and USA are in alliance to research, recon, investi- gate, identify and bring those to justice for the horrific public mur- ders of innocent journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff. Prime Minister David Cameron and President Obama are reported to have pledged an alliance and call for global interaction through all proper military and security chan- nels to help locate ISIS and destroy them. While members of NATO meet- ing in Newport, Wales, on Thursday were weighing what role they would play, US officials urged them to commit to a strategy that includes providing more arms to Kurdish forces fighting the Islamist insurgents. The pledge of alliance and inter- national request to assist and locate the ISIS terrorist cells responsible is likely to originate from the NATO conference. President Obama is reported to have said: We will not be intimidated. Their horrific acts only unite us and stiff- en our resolve to take the fight against these terrorists and those that make the mistake of harming Americans will learn that we will not forget and that our reach is long and that justice will be served. Prime Minster Cameron said: A country like ours will not be cowed by these barbaric killers. If they think we will weaken in the face of their threats, they are wrong. Going onto say that the UK have assisted in military strikes previ- ously and are prepared to do so The South Asian Times e x c e l l e n c e i n j o u r n a l i s m excellence in journalism OP ED 13 TRAVEL & TOURISM 18 SPIRITUAL AWARENESS 30 Islamabad: The weeks-long politi- cal crisis in Pakistan seemed to be headed towards a resolution after weeks of turmoil with efforts to seal a negotiated settlement between the government and pro- testers gaining momentum. Talks between the two warring sides the government and the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek- i-Insaf (PTI) and cleric Tahir-ul- Qadris Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) were held late on Wednesday night. Two separate meetings took place overnight with the first one being held between the govern- ment committee and the PTI and the second between PAT, govern- Vol.7 No. 19 September 6-12, 2014 60 Cents New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info India sounds alert after al Qaeda announces local wing Continued on page 4 UK and USA Premiers intend to destroy ISIS Pak protest groups agree to talk to end crisis President Obama and British Prime Minister Cameron at the NATO summit in Wales. Al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahri Storming of Pakistan Television (PTV) building in Islamabad by protesters was widely condemned. Continued on page 4 SELF HELP 26 Continued on page 4 Sania Mirza reaches final of US Open mixed doubles Sania (pictured) and her mixed doubles partner Bruno Soares will play Abigail Spears-Santiago Gonzalez duo on Friday. New York: Sania Mirza is in line to win her third Grand Slam title and first with new partner Bruno Soares as the top seeded pair beat Yung-Jan Chan and Ross Hutchins 7-5 4-6 10-7 to reach the mixed doubles final. Sania and Soares are up now against unseeded pair of Abigail Spears from the USA and Santiago Gonzalez from Continued on page 4 2 September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info DIPLOMACY Shinzo Abe hosts a Tea ceremony as a special gesture for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tokyo. An upbeat Narendra Modi wowed businessmen by playing traditional Taiko drums with great verve. PM Narendra Modi addressing at the banquet hosted by the Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo. Narendra Modi interacting with children during his visit to Taimei Elementary School in Tokyo. How Modi charms Japan Tokyo: Prime Minister Narendra Modi hard sold India to Japanese investors saying that his country offers only a red carpet and not red tape while dubbing his five-day trip to Japan as very successful". Modi arrived in Kyoto on the first leg of his Japan visit last weekend. Japanese Prime Minister Prime Minister Shinzo Abe came down to Japan's former capital to personally receive his Indian counterpart. "I've come to assure you there is no red tape but only red carpet that awaits you in India," he said while delivering the keynote address in a seminar at the Tokyo Stock Exchange, co-hosted by Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro). Modi said India was also the only place where the Japanese industry would pleasantly find all the three 'Ds' - democracy, demography and demand. "I have come here to assure you that if you have to look anywhere outside Japan, you do not need to look here or there," he said, adding: "We particularly want to encourage and invite small and medium enter- prises, as also small-scale indus- tries." The prime minister said India now has a government that is working on development and wants to step up manufacturing. He said he wished for India what he himself experi- enced when he was young when he did not have to think twice if a product said "Made in Japan". According to the organisers, as many as 4,000 people had evinced interest in attending the event at a venue that could accommodate only 2,000. Later, speaking at a reception hosted by the Japan-India Association and the Japan-India Parliamentary Friendship League, the prime minister said India and Japan were now working as "special strategic and global" partners. Modi suggested expanding links between people's representatives by creating a Young Parliamentary Association and a Women' s Parliamentary Association. "If we have a Young Parliamentary Association, it can represent the thought and ideology of the new generation. There can also be an arrangement for the women parliamentary members of the two countries to meet and share ideas," he said. The prime minister said there was an unwritten spiritual connection between the two countries, adding that there was growing interest among the Japanese to learn Hindi and yoga. In the evening, while inaugurating a Vivekananda Cultural Centre in the Japanese capital, he told the India community that had gathered for the event that India and Japan's friendship would determine the course of the 21st century. "There is no doubt that the 21st century belongs to Asia. But India and Japan's friendship will deter- mine how it will actually look like," Modi said. "The state and direction of the 21st century will depend on the direction in which Japan and India try to take the world," he said. There are around 23,000 Indians in Japan. Terming his Japan visit as "very successful", Modi said it was for the first time that the word tril- lion was in news. "So far we would hear only about millions and billions. Now we are hearing about trillions," Modi said, hinting at Japan's offer of invest- ment of 3.5 trillion yen (Rs.2.03 trillion) to India in the next five years. Modi started the penultimate day of his five-day trip to Japan by visit- ing the University of the Sacred Heart where he said that India was committed to peace and this com- mitment has "significance far above any international treaties or process- es". "Commitment to peace and non- violence is ingrained in the DNA of the Indian society... This commit- ment to peace that was intrinsic to Indian society, has significance far above any international treaties or processes," Modi said while responding to a question on how India could enhance the confidence of the international community as a non-NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty) state. Another highlight of Modi's pro- gramme was when he called on Japanese Emperor Akihito during which he gave the latter a copy of the Gita. Modi also kicked off a new initia- tive on training for Japanese youth started by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) at its various facili- ties in India, asking them to return to Japan as India's ambassadors. You are going as employees of TCS. But I want you to come back to Japan as ambassadors of India, Modi told the first batch of 48 trainees who will proceed to India to undergo training for six-eight weeks at various TCS offices. The two leaders signed the Tokyo Declaration in which the two sides pledged to advance peace, stability and prosperity in Asia and the world, and elevate the India-Japan relationship to a special strategic and global partnership.
Washington, DC: One ne morning this sum-
mer, Indian-American Frank Islam received an unexpected call from the US President, Barack Obama. The call was to "appreciate" the desk in Is- lam's library, which is a replica of the Resolute, the desk in the White House's Oval Ofce. The replica of the iconic Resolute desk, rst placed in the Oval Ofce by President John F. Kennedy and used by Obama, is not the only US Presidential memorabilia in Islam's newly built mansion in a 10 acre plot in Potomac, one of the richest suburbs of Washington. The grand foyer has a domed ceiling, remi- niscent of Capitol Rotunda or Statuary Hall. There are also hand-painted murals depicting Maryland landscapes. Obama, during the conversation said that Vice-President Joe Biden told him about Is- lams mansion and described its unique fea- tures. Obama's call to Islam came after Biden attended a fundraiser event at his house on July 11 and described the house as "beautiful with gorgeous landscape." Islam moved into 'Norton Manor', as he and his wife Debbie Driesman call their new house, last year and have been receiving steady stream of visitors since then, including politicians, bankers and journalists. The house, built on a sprawling 47,000 sq feet area, also has a 9,000 sq ft ve-bedroom guest house and a tea house. There are 14 bed- rooms, 22 bathrooms, a movie theatre, a gym and 60 chandeliers. Built over a period of seven years and cost- ing $ 1.5 million a year in maintenance, 'Nor- ton Manor' boosts of several man made water streams, fountains and gardens, which are replicas of some of the historical gardens of the West. "I got the idea from the Presidential Palace in India. The Taj Mahal also has a beautiful re- ecting pool. It is indeed very nice in the evening, you can see the reection of the house in the pool," Islam said. Azamgarh-born Frank (Fakhrul) Islam is CEO of FI Investment Group, which he found- ed in 2007. Obama appointed him to the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. New York: Most New York- ers will not like it, but a team of mathematicians and engi- neers has calculated that if taxi riders were willing to share a cab, New York City could reduce the current eet of 13,500 taxis up to 40%, thus unclogging trafc, con- serving fuel and ghting air pollution. The predicted economic and environmental savings are considerable, said Steven Strogatz, a mathematician at Cornell and author of the re- portpublished Monday in Proceedings of the Na- tional Academy of Sciences, as quote in The New York Times. Think of how much spare capacity you have in taxis in NYV, said another team member, Carlo Ratti, the director of the Senseable City Labora- tory at MIT. Youre at a hotel, youre going to JFK Airport, and you take a taxi. And just minutes later, theres somebody else taking another taxi, half empty, to JFK. To study ride-sharing sce- narios, the researchers delved into a database compiled by the New York City Taxi and Limou- sine Commission that included information about each of the 172 million taxi rides in the city in 2011: where the passenger was picked up and dropped off, time of pickup and time of drop-off. Then, applying a computational technique known as shareability networks, they combined trips that were headed in the same direction at the same time without taking the passengers too far out of their way. They found that sharing would reduce the number of trips, and the number of taxis, by 40 percent and that passengers would still arrive in the same amount of time, give or take a few minutes. The team acknowledged that such a system could not be implemented without changes in the way people hail taxis. Much of the inefciency in the current system re- sults from a drivers not knowing the destination until after the pickup. Smartphone apps, already used by taxi services like Uber and Lyft, could sidestep that problem. On the streets of New York City, there was skepticism. The whole thing strikes me as silly, and it will be ignored, said Gene Salomon, the author of the 2013 book Confessions of a New York Taxi Driver. The problem, he went on, is that passengers would rather pay extra for a pri- vate ride than split a fare with someone theyve never met. The Taxi and Limousine Commission has expressed concern that commercial ride-shar- ing programs, especially those that crowd source to recruit vehicles and drivers, may lack rigorous oversight. We have made our position quite clear. You must use T.L.C.-licensed drivers, in T.L.C.-li- censed vehicles dispatched by licensed bases, Allan Fromberg, the agencys deputy commis- sioner for public affairs, wrote in an email. 3 September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY Cuomo may dump running mate if she loses primary New York: Gov. Andrew Cuomos re-elec- tion team is mulling a painful scenario to dump Kathy Hochul, a moderate upstater, as the Governors running mate for Lt Gov- ernor amid signs that leftist law professor Tim Wu is picking up momentum in the Sept. 9 Democratic primary. Such an action could be needed because a Wu victory would result in a Cuomo/Wu ticket on the Democratic line in the No- vember election but potentially disastrous Cuomo/Hochul tickets on the Working Families, Independence, and Womens Equality lines, where no primaries are slat- ed. Under the state Election Law, votes for a Cuomo/Hochul ticket in November would not be added to the tally for the Cuomo/Wu ticket, potentially costing Cuomo hundreds of thousands of votes. Cuomo would have until Sept. 16 under the election law to swap Wu for Hochul, using a technique that would allow the for- mer Buffalo-area congresswoman and lawyer to be nominated instead for a judge- ship, according to an expert on legislative election law. This is the painful scenario being reviewed by the Cuomo people, who realize that there is an outside possibility that Wu could win the primary, said a source close to the Cuomo campaign, as quoted in the a report in New York Post. Wu won the surprise endorsement of The New York Times as well as other left-of- center groups last week as they criticized Hochuls past opposition to state aid for il- legal aliens and her 100 percent rating from the National Rifle Association. Meanwhile, Cuomo campaign operatives privately concede that he would suffer con- siderable national political damage if Ford- ham University Professor Zephyr Tea- chout, the governors hard-charging pro- gressive challenger and Wus running mate, gets more than 30 percent of the vote. About 30 percent will be a huge embar- rassment to Cuomo on the national scene and would reinforce the sense that progres- sives dont like or trust him, said a promi- nent Democratic activist. Obama all praise for Indian-American's newly built mansion Frank Islams mansion in a Washington DC suburb; & (Inset) Frank with President Obama. Yellow cab fleet can be cut by 40% if New Yorkers share rides Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his running mate Kathy Hochul Printed Every Saturday by Forsythe Media Group, LLC ISSN 1941-9333 76 N Broadway, Suite 2004, Hicksville, NY 11801 P: 516.390.7847 Website: TheSouthAsianTimes.info Updated Daily Chairman and Co-Founder Kamlesh C. Mehta Co-Founder: Saroosh Gull (Editor@DesiClub.com) President: Arjit Mehta Board Advisors (Honorary) Ajay Lodha, MD, Lakhpat B. Mehta, Esq. 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The editor/publisher does not warrant accuracy and cannot be held responsible for the content of the advertisements placed in the publication and/or inaccurate claims, if any, made by the advertisers. Advertisements of business or facilities included in this publication do not imply connection or endorsement of these businesses. All rights reserved. 4 September 6-12 , 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info TURN PAGE UK and USA Premiers intend to destroy ... Continued from page 1 again, in the process he did not flinch from the possi- bility of death in a military response and insisted that Britain would not be deterred by threats from ISIS, or pay ransom money. World attention now on the Premiers as to their response is captive. India sounds alert after al Qaeda... Continued from page 1 seriously," the official told Reuters. "An alert has been sounded." Until now there has been no evidence that al Qaeda, the group responsible for the 9/11 attacks in New York, has a presence in India. The timing and content of the video suggests rivalry between al Qaeda and ISIS, or the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq, which is said to be gathering support in South Asia. According to media reports, Islamic State pamphlets have been distributed in Pakistan in recent days. Al Qaeda's establishment of a local branch seeks to take advantage of the planned withdrawal of U.S.-led forces from Afghanistan, which may lead to an influx of battle-hardened militants into India. Zawahri's announcement made two references to Gujarat, the home state of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi has long been a hate figure for Islamist groups because of religious riots in 2002 when he was chief minister of the state. "In the wake of this al Qaeda video, we will be on a higher alert," S.K. Nanda, the senior bureaucrat in the home department of Gujarat, told Reuters. A high secu- rity alert in the state involves activating informer net- works in sensitive areas. The All India Muslim Majlise Mushawarat, an umbrella body of mainstream Muslim organizations, vowed to fight al Qaeda if it appeared in India. "Indian Muslims are loyal citizens of their country and they will fight al Qaeda if it ever tried to create a presence here," said the group's president Zafarul-Islam Khan. Intelligence sources in Indian-held Kashmir said on Thursday that they had so far detected no trace of al Qaeda in the region that borders Pakistan and China. The head of the newly-created South Asia branch of al-Qaida, Asim Umar, is a Pakistani ideologue who has produced a number of online calls to jihad but has a relatively low profile. Pak protest groups agree to talk to end... Continued from page 1 ment and opposition parties Jirga, a committee of opposition politicians led by Jamaat-e-Islami chief Siraj-ul-Haq. Though the talks were inconclusive, leaders from both sides said there were some positive outcomes from the talks. Rehman Malik, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and a member of the opposition Jirga, tweeted after the talks, I had a very long day. Deadlock between govt and IK/TUQ (Khan/Qadri) is over. They are now having dialogue which will be helpful in resolving the crises. After the meeting between PAT, government and opposition parties, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal said, During the meeting we have agreed to continue talks and resolve matter through dialogue. We have also decided not to com- ment on any development until we reach a decision, as it might affect the dialogue process. Imran Khan, addressing his supporters on Wednesday night, said, Let me tell you what you have achieved so far. People who were not ready to talk, are now ready to not only listen to our demands but also to set up an independent judicial commis- sion. The only unaccepted demand remains the Prime Ministers resignation, he said. If we had not come on to the streets, then the next election would have been far more fraudulent, the PTI chief said. The pro- testers returned to the negotiating table on Wednesday after the political crisis took a violent turn over the weekend with three people killed and over 550 injured. Khan wants the ruling PML-N governments ouster over alleged rigging in last years polls which his party lost, while Qadri wants to bring a revolution in the country. Sania Mirza reaches nal of US Open... Continued from page 1 Mexico. Sania had also reached the womens doubles semi- final with Zimbabwean partner Cara lack but lost Martina Hingis-Flavia Pennetta pair. It will be Sania's fifth mixed doubles final appear- ance at the Grand Slam level, having won Australian Open (2009) and French Open (2012) with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi. The 27-year old had reached the Australian Open mixed doubles final this year also but ended runners- up with Romanian partner Horea Tecau. All other Indians have already exited from the last Grand Slam of the season as Rohan Bopanna and Leander Paes fell at different stages of their respective events. There was no Indian playing in the men's singles as Somdev could not qualify for the main draw. Richmond, VA: Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and his wife Maureen were convicted Thursday on a range of corrup- tion charges in connection with gifts and loans they accepted from a wealthy businessman, marking a stunning fall for the onetime rising Republican star. A federal jury in Richmond convicted Bob McDonnell, 60, of 11 of the 13 counts he faced; Maureen McDonnell was con- victed of nine of the 13 counts she had faced. Sentencing was scheduled for Jan. 6. Each faces up to 30 years in prison. Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell, head of the Justice Department' s criminal division, said the state's former first couple "turned public service into a money-making enterprise." The former governor, up until his federal corruption case, was a major figure in national politics and had been considered a possi- ble running mate for presidential candidate Mitt Romney in 2012 New York: Joan Rivers, the rau- cous, acid-tongued comedian who crashed the male-dominated realm of late-night talk shows and turned Hollywood red carpets into danger zones for badly dressed celebrities, died Thursday. She was 81. Rivers was hospitalized last week after she went into cardiac arrest at a Manhattan doctor' s office following a routine proce- dure. Daughter Melissa Rivers said she died at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, surrounded by family and close friends. "My mother's greatest joy in life was to make people laugh," Melissa Rivers said. "Although that is difficult to do right now, I know her final wish would be that we return to laughing soon." Comedian Joan Rivers dies at 81 Ex-Virginia governor, wife found guilty on corruption charges Joan Rivers Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell 5 September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY Washington, DC: Foreign students from India, China and South Korea are the major contributors to the US economy with the host country earning $21.8 billion in tuition fees and $ 12.8 billion in living costs from them over the period of 2008 to 2012. In a report released by the presti- gious Brookings Institute, 118 metro areas of the US are home to at least 1,500 students each from In- dia, China and South Korea. Students from Mumbai and Hy- derabad made a contribution of over $1.25 billion to the American econ- omy with Mumbai sending 17,294 students, Chennai (9,141), Banga- lore (8,835) and New Delhi (8,728) to the US during the five-year peri- od, the report said. Among the foreign students in the STEM (science, technology, engi- neering and math) category, 31 per cent are from China, 27 per cent from India and five per cent from South Korea. The American think-tank noted that Hyderabad is the top source city of foreign STEM students in the United States and India accounts for eight of the 10 origin cities with the highest shares of their F-1 (stu- dent visa) students in STEM fields. Beijing (49,946), Shanghai (29,145), Hyderabad (26,220) and Riyadh (17,361) also topped the list of source cities, each sending be- tween 17,000 and 50,000, according to the report. New York: Two Indian-origin women are among 12 people named to an advisory council of the United Nations Foundation's campaign that focuses on young American girls and raises awareness about issues facing adolescent girls. Akila Somasegar and Anjula Acharia-Bath are among the 12 peo- ple on the advisory council of the UN Foundation's Girl Up campaign selected from diverse backgrounds and who are focused on supporting girls around the world. Somasegar is the Director of Rev- enue at Seattle-based start-up Buu- teeq that is focused on delivering digital marketing systems for hotels. Born and brought up in India, So- masegar is also a philanthropist fo- cused on supporting a number of charitable groups targeting kids and women's education and empower- ment. Acharia-Bath is an entrepre- neur, philanthropist and Angel advis- er/investor.In 2007 she co-founded media company Desi Hits!, which helped introduce artists like Lady Gaga and Britney Spears to emerg- ing global markets like India. The council would help guide the cam- paign, focusing its efforts on helping Girl Up meet its fundraising and ad- vocacy goals, advising on the cam- paign's strategy and raising aware- ness among new audiences about is- sues facing adolescent girls, the campaign said in a statement. Girl Up director Melissa Hille- brenner said through the council, the members would help guide the cam- paign's strategy and lead efforts to mobilize people in their networks. "They are integral to Girl Up and contribute directly to the campaign's success," Hillebrenner said. New York: Over 200 meditation stu- dents of Sri Chinmoy from 35 countries, including India, have set a new Guinness world record for the World's longest fresh flower garland to honor the Indian spiritual leader. Joining them at an event in Queens in New York, home to a large number of In- dian-Americans, to honor Sri Chinmoy's (1931-2007) 50 years' work for world peace on his Aug 27 birthday were New York City Councilman Jimmy Jennaro and Ashrita Furman, holder of 206 cur- rent Guinness Records. The garland, which goes 5 miles in multiple loops on Joseph-Austin-Field in New York's Queens Borough surpasses the previous record by 1.9 miles (3 km). Made of 180,000 carnations of various colors, it weighs 4000 lb (1800 kg), ac- cording to a media release. Chinmoy, a renowned peace visionary founded the Oneness-Home Peace Run, world's largest torch relay for peace, composed 21,000 songs, wrote 1600 books and established meditation and peace centers in 60 countries. The supersized garland also ensures Furman a new entry in the Guinness Book of Records. The previous record of a 5 km (3.1 mile) garland was set by a team in India, four month after Ashrita had broken the record with a 2 mile (3.2 km) garland in 2011. Furman, a 59-year-old health food store manager from Queens, New York currently holds 206 Guinness world records, including the official record for "the most records held at the same time by an individual". Furman worked for three months with flower farms in South America and gath- ered a team from all over the world to plan the assembly of the garland, the re- lease said. Furman and his team worked from 7 am until 2 pm to create the longest garland of the world. New York City Councilman Jimmy Jennaro completed the world's longest flower garland by attaching the last flower assembly. "We hope this will inspire others to feel peace in their hearts. After the record we will give the flowers to people in the neighborhood," said Furman. By Parveen Chopra Flushing, NY: Emirates Airline is celebrating 10 years of flying to the US with a showcase at the US Open from August 25 to September 8. It is in its third year of a 7-year partnership with the US Open to highlight its world class service that has fu- eled the Dubai based airlines expansion to nine US gateways including New York as part of a global network spanning more than 140 destinations across six continents, including seven in India. On August 27, Emirates host- ed India Day in its private hos- pitality suite at the Arthur Ashe stadium. Chef Ravi Nage, one of Emirates regional catering managers, showcased the art be- hind how to make classic Indian favorites, such as Cardamom Chicken and Vegetable Do-pi- aza, and to highlight the gour- met, regionally inspired South Asian cuisine available on se- lected Emirates flights, particu- larly those culminating in India. Chef Ravi who had flown in from Dubai, interacted with the media and the guests before they got engrossed in the second round match that Wawrinka won, overcoming some hiccups in the end. Chef Ravi said that they are particular about aesthet- ic presentation of Indian dishes. He also pointed out that air trav- elers are now more health con- scious and he finds 60% of them want vegetarian meals, which augurs well for Indian cuisine. Emirates engaged tennis fans throughout the Grand Slam tour- nament with a contest to win a set of tickets to the Mens Final match on Sept 8 by taking ten- nis-inspired selfies with a friend. Emirates also debuted its new Emirates Lounge, which is open to all visitors at the US Open. Guests meet cabin crew and en- joy refreshments while watching a live feed of the tournament. The space also features exhibits of Emirates world-class ameni- ties such as the in-flight enter- tainment system with up to 1,800 channels. Emirates support of premier sports and cultural events has made the airline, founded in 1985, one of the worlds most recognized airline brands. Emirates Airlines Chef Ravi Nage interacting with the Indian media at the Emirates Suite inside the Arthur Ashe stadium. Guinness Record holder Ashrita Furman Indian students major contributor to US economy: Report Two Indian-origin women named to a UN advisory council Emirates Airline hosts India Day at US Open World's longest garland honors Sri Chinmoy in US Akila Somasegar Anjula Acharia-Bath 6 September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY IN BRIEF H imanshu Asnani, 27, an Indian-born mathematics researcher at Stanford University Electrical Engineering School, is the winner of the Marconi Socie- ty Paul Baran young scholar award for 2014. "The prestigious award will be presented to Asnani at our annual event Oct 2 at the National Academies of Sciences in Wash- ington," Society's young scholar selection committee Bob Tkach said. Asnani, who hails from Kota in Ra- jasthan, is also a system engineer at the Swedish telecom major's R&D center in the Silicon Valley. Named after Nobel laureate Guglielmo Marconi, who invented radio, and set up in 1974 by his daughter Gioia Marconi Braga through an endowment, the Marconi Socie- ty awards annually outstanding individuals whose scope of work and influence emulate the principle of 'creativity in service to hu- manity' that inspired Marconi. The award, with a cash prize of $4,000, is given to scholars who are 27 or younger at the time of the nomination, as Marconi was 27 years when he invented the wireless te- legraphy. Asnani's academic and entrepreneurial achievements also stood out in a review of the nominated researchers from the world over the society undertakes every year. "Asnani's outstanding work and contribu- tion to point-to-point and multi-terminal channel coding and source coding problems were impressive," Tkach recalled. Stanford Math researcher wins major award A lottery system would decide the participants who would get to at- tend the public reception of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 28 at the prestigious Madison Square Garden in New York City, organizers of the event have said. Indian-American Community Founda- tion, set up recently for the purpose, re- ceived some 20,000 applications from peo- ple across the country - from as far as re- mote parts of Alaska and Hawaii. 407 Indian-American community organi- zations and religious institutions have joined hands to host Modi's public recep- tion. Lottery to decide participants at Modi's US reception A ndrew J. Preston Politi- cal Action Award Spon- sored by past President and PAC Chairman Andrew J. Preston is presented to New Jer- sey Pharmacists Association, NJPhA member for exhibiting an outstanding effort in the po- litical arena to benefit their pro- fession and patients in the com- munity. Ritesh Shah, a pharma- cist, business entrepreneur and self-less and dedicated commu- nity health care leader has been selected as the recipient of the 2014 Award. The award will be presented to him at the Keynote Ad- dress and Luncheon on September 21dur- ing 144th Annual Convention in New Jer- sey. As a chairman of NJ Pharmacist PAC, Shah has been trying to push legislation in favor of small pharmacies and advocacy to- wards the pharmacist and their profession. As a chairperson of patient ed- ucation committee at the Indian Health camp of New Jersey, he has done so many seminars to provide patient education and counseling on diabetes, asthma, cardiac diseases, influenza, medication management clini- cal pharmacy expertise in vari- ous areas of patient manage- ment including medication management, chronic disease management, drug-interaction and patient adherence and counseling and many other chronic diseases to help under insured and uninsured patients to reduce complications from chronic diseases and improve their lifestyles. As a chairman, Mr. Shah had asked for equal playing field for pharmacists and pharmacy owners in the state, demanded transparency in MAC pricing on drugs and asked for fair insur- ance audit for small pharmacies. Pharmacist Ritesh Shah to receive 2014 Andrew J. Prestin PAC Award New York State Senator Joseph P Addabbo Jr at the Indian I-Day celebration Aug 15 at Sunnyside Community Hall in Queens organized by Bruhad Seniors of Greater NY. Children sang patriotic songs. Bollywood actress and dancer Esha Deol visited the office of Omni Mortgage in Hicksville, NY on Monday, where Omni's chief Herman Singh announced her as their brand ambassador. At the lunch event, scores of guests lined up to get themselves clicked with the comely actress, who took a hiatus from films two years ago after mar- rying businessman Bharat Takhtani. (Photo by: Vaaho Photographers, www.vaahony.com) Hicksville High School Grad Sabina Lotlikar (left) won the director's award at Long Island beauty pageant held last month. Sabina is the daughter of Salya & Sanjay Lotlikar of Hicksville, New York. Her family is originally from Goa in India, She is studying criminal justice in a college in New York. Ritesh Shah Washington, DC: Four econo- mists of Indian origin have been featured in in the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) list of 25 economists under 45 who are shaping the way one thinks about the global economy The "Generation Next" list of "economists under 45 (who) will have the most influence in the coming decades on our under- standing of the global econo- my," was compiled by IMF with information from "readers, assorted international econo- mists and journal editors." The list is published in the September issue of "Finance & Development." Indian origin researchers on the list are Raj Chetty and Gita Gopinath from Harvard University, Parag Pathak from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Amit Seru from the University of Chicago. Dominated by Americans who share US nationality with coun- tries such as France, India, Australia and Canada, the list also features economists of British, Russian, Argentinean and Pakistani origin. 7 September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info NATIONAL COMMUNITY Washington, DC: India- born scientist Dr Thomas John Colacot has won the American Chemical Society' s ACS Award in Industrial Chemistry, one of the top honors in the field. Colacot, who studied at St Berchman' s College, Changanacherry, Kerala and IIT, Chennai, is the first Indian to get the award in industrial chemistry. He also holds an MBA degree and was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. The award is sponsored by the ACS Division of Business Development and Management and the ACS Division of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Currently Global R&D manager in the homogenous catalysis area at Johnson Matthey, a specialty chemicals company, Colacot directs research in US, UK and in Indian labs. 'The ACS is proud to recog- nize your outstanding contributions to the development and commercialization of ligands and precatalysts for metal-cat- alyzed organic synthesis, particularly cross-couplings, for industrial and aca- demic use and applications,' a letter from Tom Barton, president of ACS noted. The 2015 national awards recipients will be honored at the awards ceremony in conjunction with the 249th ACS nation- al meeting in Denver, Colorado in March next year. Colacot had received Royal Society of Chemistry's RSC Applied Catalysis Award in 2012 for his contributions to the area of catalysis. His work on 'cross-coupling' is par- ticularly acclaimed. Colacot joined Johnson Matthey, USA in 1995 and started working in the area of palladium catalyzed cross-coupling. The catalysts developed in his labs are currently used to make new drugs for Hepatitis C, a deadly disease with no cure, one pill per week for type II diabetics, and many hypertension drugs. Colacot's work involves developing and commercializing ligands and catalysts for applications in metal-catalyzed synthetic organic chemistry. His book on ' New Trends in Cross- Coupling: Theory and Applications' is scheduled to be published in October, 2014 by the Royal Society of Chemistry. He is also PhD thesis examiner to many IITs and visiting faculty at Rutgers University. Dr Thomas John Colacot Raj Chetty, 35, Indian and American, Harvard University, received his PhD at age 23. He combines empirical evidence and economic theory to research how to improve government policy decisions in areas such as tax policy, unemployment insurance, education, and equality of oppor- tunity. Gita Gopinath, 42, American and Indian, Harvard, studies international macroeco- nomics and trade with a focus on sovereign debt, the response of international prices to exchange rate movements, and the rapid shifts in relative value among world curren- cies. Amit Seru, 40, Indian, University of Chicago, researches financial intermedia- tion and regulation as well as issues related to corporate finance, including resource allocation within and between firms, and organizational incentives. Parag Pathak, 34, American, MIT, played a role in applying engineering approaches to microeconomics. His research focuses on market design, education and urban eco- nomics. Scientist wins prestigious award in Industrial Chemistry Washington, DC: Two US lawmakers, including the lone Indian-American Congressman, have joined Sikh communi- ty groups in protesting the world basket- ball body FIBA's delay in reviewing the discriminatory policy against Sikh basket- ball players who wear turbans. "Every day FIBA delays is another day that Sikhs can't play," Democrat House members Ami Bera and Joe Crowley, for- merly chair of the India Caucus, said in a statement Thursday after the International Basketball Federation's (FIBA) announce- ment that its governing board would delay a review of its headgear policy. "Allowing Sikhs to play while wearing their turban is a no-brainer, and we're dis- appointed that FIBA has delayed their review of a policy that can only be described as outdated, discriminatory, and totally inconsistent with the ideals of team sports," they said urging the board "to stop delaying and let Sikhs play." The FIBA decision comes ahead of the Saturday start of FIBA Basketball World Cup hosted by Spain amid an outcry over an incident involving two Sikh players who were told by referees that they must remove their turbans if they were to play in FIBA's Asia Cup. The players, who have always played in turbans, were told that they were in violation of one of FIBA' s official rules, which states, "Players shall not wear equipment (objects) that may cause injury to other players." However, other sports leagues, such as Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), allow athletes wearing turbans to partici- pate. Last week, Crowley and Bera joined several members of Congress in wring a letter to FIBA president urging the board to update its policies to stop requiring Sikhs to remove their turbans during bas- ketball games. "It is disappointing that FIBA has decid- ed to let bureaucracy stand in the way of progress and religious freedom," two com- munity organisations, Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund (SALDEF) and the Sikh Coalition said. "While FIBA presents itself as a repre- sentative of global sport this weekend, Sikh players will still be forced to choose between playing a game they love and fol- lowing their religious beliefs," they said. The incident involving the two Sikh players has also sparked a social media campaign using the hashtag #LetSikhsPlay. Indian origin-economists on the IMF list: Four young Indian-origin economists in IMF list of 25 Sikhs, lawmakers protest basketball ban on turbans 8 September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info NATIONAL COMMUNITY San Leandro, Calif.: Kamala Devi Harris, attorney general for the state of California, wed her longtime boyfriend Douglas Emhoff in a private ceremony at the Santa Barbara, Calif., Court- house Aug. 22. The media was kept away from the wedding, but a news report in the San Francis- co Chronicle suggested that they might throw a more high-profile party at the Presidio in San Fran- cisco in mid-September. Harris, born in Oakland, Calif., is the daughter of Tamil Nadu- born oncologist Dr. Shyamala Gopalan, and a Jamaican Ameri- can father, Stanford economics professor Donald Harris. As such she became the states first Asian American and African American attorney general when she was elected to the post in 2010. Emhoff is partner in charge of the law firm Venable LLP in Los An- geles. It is Harriss first marriage, while Emhoff was previously di- vorced. Both are 49, and became engaged five months ago. California: Maya Sarihan, from Arizona won Miss India America 2014 and Nick Thakor was declared Mr. India America 2014 at the red carpet gala was hosted by Spirit Of India for its 22nd year. Top Miss India winners were: Miss India Globe 2014 - Meghana Pagadala, Miss India Global 2014 - Vivica Mitra (plus JINmodels.com Miss Photo- genic 2014), Miss India Galaxy 2014 Nishtha Chawla from Virginia, Trisha Batra Miss Teen In- dia America 2014, Miss India East Coast 2014 Di- vya Trivedi (from New Jersey), and Miss India West Coast 2014 - Jackie Kahlon. Star Plus TVs Peoples Choice was Rebecca Mathew from Chica- go. Top Mr. India winners were: Kunwar Dodd (from Canada) - Mr. India Globe 2014, Shawn Singh - Mr. India Global 2014, Prakash Patil (from New York) - Mr. India Galaxy 2014, Dhaval Panchal (from North Carolina) Mr. India East Coast 2014 and Star TVs Peoples Choice award, and Maneet Singh - Mr. India West Coast 2014 and JINmodels.com Mr. Photogenic 2014. Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, NBA Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive and NFL football player Bret Lockett (from Patriots and Jets) were honored during The Elite Awards. Spirit of India pageant crowns Mr., Miss India America Kamala Devi Harris ties the knot with Douglas Emhoff Corporate Office: 385 Seneca Avenue, Ridgewood NY 11385 718.821.3182, www.AtlanticDialysis.Com Washington, DC: Back in 2006, Joe Biden, then a Senate candidate ran into trouble for a remark that "you cannot go to a 7- Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent." Gaffe-prone Biden got away by explaining that it wasn't a racial slur but "was meant as a compliment" for the "vibrant Indian- American community" making "a significant con- tribution to the national economy as well." A spin or not, Biden who went on become vice presi- dent in 2008, was speaking a home truth as according to the Asian-American Convenience Store Owners Association its 50,000 members own over 80,000 conven- ience stores. That's more than half the US convenience store count of 151,282 as of Dec 31, 2013. These small retail businesses provide the public a convenient location to buy daily necessities (predominantly food and gaso- line) and services. There is one convenience store for an average of every 2,100 residents all over the US with non-fuel sales of $205 billion, according to National Association of Convenience Stores. But this very ubiquitous presence of Indian-owned convenience store often makes them the target of attacks as it happened in Ferguson, a small pre-dominantly black town in Missouri which erupted into violent protests after a White policeman shot dead an unarmed black teenager on Aug 9. Police released a controversial hazy sur- veillance video implying that the slain teen Michael Brown had robbed a Patel-run con- venience store in the days or hours before the incident but later acknowledged that the alleged robbery had nothing to do with the shooting incident. The Ferguson Market, where Brown allegedly grabbed a handful of cigars before his deadly encounter with police, looters twice targeted the store owned by a Patel family along with several other Asian- American owned stores, according to the Daily Beast. Robberies appear to be an occupational hazard for those running a convenience store. According to the non-profit research think tank Center for Problem-Oriented Policing (POP Center), convenience store robberies account for approximately 6 percent of all robberies known to the police. Convenience store employees suffer from high rates of workplace homicide, second only to taxicab drivers, it says citing FBI data. Victims include Indian students taking up overnight jobs at gas stations to pay for their studies. Kamala Harris with Douglas Emhoff Indian-Americans pay a price for running convenience stores Miss India America 2014 Maya Sarihan Indian-owned convenience stores often make target of attacks as it happened in Ferguson, Missouri which erupted into violent protests after a White policeman shot dead an unarmed black teenager on Aug 9. Tel Aviv: Israel's foreign ministry says Steven Sot- loff, the US journalist whose execution was captured on video by ISIS, held dual American-Israeli citi- zenship. Sotloff's connection to Israel had been kept secret in an effort to protect him, and it's not believed that his captors even knew he was Jewish. The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, quoting a former fellow captive, said Sotloff had kept his Ju- daism a secret from the Islamist insurgents, pretend- ing he was sick when he fasted for the Yom Kippur holiday. The Times of Israel writes that Sotloff moved to the country in 2008 to study government at the In- terdisciplinary Center. His mother Shirley's parents were Holocaust survivors. A journalist named Oren Kessler who kept up an email correspondence with Sotloff says that he did not discuss Israel or Judaism when working: Sotloff, Kessler said, never shared his Jewish identity with anyone in the field, opting instead to tell locals that he had been raised Muslim but secular, without mosque affiliation. US AFFAIRS 9 September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info Washington: In the wake of ISISs latest killing of an American journalist, leading lawmakers from across the aisle are calling for a bigger role in the U.S. war against the terrorist group. Leading lawmakers in charge of foreign policy re- acted Tuesday to the reported beheading of American jour- nalist Steven Sotloff by in- creasing their calls for more congressional involvement and oversight of President Obamas war on ISIS. The latest apparent ISIS atrocity against a US citizen added to the congressional anger at the Obama adminis- tration for what many critics call an incomplete and un- clear plan to confront the group both in Iraq and Syria, following President Obamas admission last week that We dont have a strategy yet for dealing with ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The two leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Com- mittee said Tuesday that they want to lead the charge for more congressional oversight by holding hearings and forc- ing a vote on Obamas ISIS war within 60 days of the commencement of airstrikes in Iraq last month.The be- heading of poor Mr. Sotloff really just brings back that we are dealing with a danger- ous adversaryCongress needs to play a vital role and we are determined that the House Foreign Affairs Com- mittee will lead the way, said Rep. Eliot Engel, rank- ing Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. We believe that before the president can continue be- yond 60 days of doing airstrikes in Iraq or anyplace else, he would have to come to Congress and get Con- gresss authority to contin- ue. Engel and the committees chairman, Rep. Ed Royce, spoke to reporters via confer- ence call from Israel on Tues- day. Royce said Secretary of State John Kerry, who will travel to the region this week, must come before Congress and present a strategy for de- feating ISIS and put it up for a vote by the beginning of next month. We are scheduling a hear- ing upon our return and re- questing the secretary of state to present a plan, a strategy focused on rolling back ISIS, defeating ISIS through the use of airstrikes and the sup- port of those with common interests, Royce said. We anticipate there will be a vote on au- thorization of the use of force for such a plan. That would come within the 60-day win- dow. Washington: The FBI confirmed on Monday that it has joined a hunt for the hacker or hackers who leaked hundreds of revealing images online of Hollywood actresses in what ap- pears to be a breach of celebrity iCloud accounts. The FBI is aware of the allega- tions concerning computer intrusions and the unlawful release of material involving high profile individuals, and is addressing the matter, said Laura Eimiller, spokesperson for the FBI in Los Angeles. The problem emerged Sunday, when a search for Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton or related hash tags on Twitter yielded hundreds of retweets of several nude or near-nude images. "This is a flagrant violation of pri- vacy," a spokesperson for The Hunger Games star Lawrence said in a statement Sunday. "The authorities have been contacted and will prose- cute anyone who posts the stolen photos of Jennifer Lawrence." The hacker behind the stolen photos first posted them on the image-based online bulletin board 4chan, according to Buz- zFeed. How or from where the pictures were obtained remained unclear on Mon- day. In 2012, Christopher Chaney, 36, of Jack- sonville, Fla., was sen- tenced to 10 years in prison for hacking into the email accounts of more than 50 people in the entertainment industry in order to gain access to nude photos and private information. Chaney, who was arrested after an FBI investigation dubbed Operation Hackerazzi, said that he hacked into the accounts of film star Scarlett Johansson and other celebri- ties because he was addicted to spy- ing on their personal lives. Washington: Theres fresh evi- dence that Republicans are inching toward winning control of the Sen- ate in November. The bipartisan George Washing- ton University Battleground Poll re- leased Wednesday has the GOP ahead on the generic congressional ballot by 4 percentage points, 46 to 42 percent. More ominously for De- mocrats, in states where there is a competitive Senate race, Republi- cans lead the generic ballot by 16 percentage points, 52 to 36. Though the American public is as divided as it has been all year, as we head into the 2014 general elec- tions the advantage among likely voters is flowing toward Republi- cans, said Christopher Arterton, George Washington University pro- fessor of political management and poll director. The generic congressional ballot has long been a general marker for how parties stand with the public heading into important votes. It asks a simple question: Are you more likely to vote for a Democrat or a Republican to represent your con- gressional district in the fall? Respondents dont get the names of the people running to specifically represent their area. Voters feelings about these individuals might sway their answer to the generic question about Democrats versus Republi- cans, so candidate identifications are left out. Republican strategists are particu- larly pleased about the partys ad- vantage in this new poll because the generic ballot often skews toward Democrats. Thats simply because there are usually more Democrats than Republicans in the US. About 44 percent of US adults identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party, according to a recent Gallup survey. Thirty-nine percent lean to- ward or identify with the GOP. The Republican edge in the Bat- tleground survey thus may stem from particular political circum- stances which indicate a (possible) impending GOP Senate takeover. For instance, President Obamas rel- atively low approval ratings have been dragging down his party for months. The new Battleground Poll finds that fully 61 percent of re- spondents disapprove of Obamas job performance. The much larger GOP lead in states with close Senate races also likely reflects the fact that this year Democrats are defending a number of endangered incumbents in red or purple states, such as Louisiana and North Carolina. But this is just one poll, remem- ber. The RealClearPolitics average of generic congressional ballot sur- veys still has Democrats ahead, ever so slightly, at 0.5 percent. Congress Demands a Vote on Obamas war on ISIS Steven Sotloff held Israeli citizenship, unawares to ISIS House Foreign Affairs Committee Ed Royce (left) said Secretary of State John Kerry must come before Congress and present a strategy for defeating ISIS.. Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence of Hunger Games fame is one of the victims of the privacy breach on iCloud. New poll gives GOP edge in battleground states FBI joins hunt for hacker who leaked nude photos of actresses Louisiana gay-marriage ban upheld Washington: In a boost for Louisiana Governor Bob- by Jindal, who has been following a social conservative agenda, a federal judge ruled Wednesday that Louisianas ban on gay marriage is constitutional, mak- ing him the first to uphold a state laws definition of marriage as only between one man and one woman. US District Court Judge Martin Feldman addressed his unusual ruling, saying, It would no doubt be cele- brated to be in the company of the near-unanimity of the many other federal courts that have spoken to this press- ing issue, if this court were confident in the belief that those cases provide a correct guide. Feldman justified his ruling by saying that no fun- damental right was at stake. This court is persuaded that Louisiana has a legitimate interest whether ob- solete in the opinion of some, or not, in linking chil- dren to an intact family formed by their two biological parents, as specifically underscored by Justice Kennedy in Windsor. He did, however, note that the courts de- cision is but one studied decision among many and that the issue of same-sex marriage will, at some point, end up before the Supreme Court. 10 September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA Hyderabad: Finally ending the sus- pense, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced that Vijayawada will be the capital of the state. He told the state legislative assembly that the government has decided to "locate the capital city in a central place of the state around Vijayawada". Naidu said the decision was taken in the state cabinet meeting Sep 1. "It was also decided to go for decen- tralized development of the state with three mega cities and 14 smart cities," he said amid protests by opposition YSR Congress Party for making the announcement without consultations. Naidu said the cabinet also decided to go for land pooling system for building the new capital. The system will be worked out by a cabinet sub-committee. In a 20-page statement read out before the scheduled time, the chief minister defended the choice saying Vijayawada is centrally located and accessible to all dis- tricts of the state. He announced the measures his government proposed to take for development of all three regions of the state. The chief minister said the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government was committed to all round development of all 13 districts of the state. Located on the banks of Krishna river in Krishna dis- trict of south coastal Andhra, Vijayawada is about 300 km from Hyderabad, which is currently serving as the common capital of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Under Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, Hyderabad will be common capital of the two states for a period not more than 10 years. With a population of over a million as per 2011 cen- sus, Vijayawada is a major commercial hub. Ever since taking over as the chief minister in June, Naidu had been indicating that the new capital will be built between Vijayawada and Guntur. He had taken oath as the chief minister at a place between the two cities. An expert committee constituted by the central gov- ernment to identify the capital submitted its report last week, suggesting various options. It, however, left the final decision to the government. M u m b a i : Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott started his India visit from Mumbai where he arrived early Thursday, heading a 30- strong business delegation. His day, full of engagement s , started by paying homage to the 26/11 terror attack victims at Hotel Taj Mahal Palace where he is staying in south Mumbai. Later, Abbott called on Maharashtra Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao at the Raj Bhavan. He is slated to speak to students at University of Mumbai. Abott is scheduled to have lunch with a large group of top industrialists at the Hotel Taj and later meet a select group of CEOs including Cyrus Mistry of Tata Group and Adani Group's Gautam Adani. The late afternoon was sched- uled for a sporting event organ- ised by the Australian consulate here - attending a felicitation of young Indian cricketers by Australians legends like Adam Gilchrist and Brett Lee, in the presence of Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, at the Cricket Club of India. Arriving here on his first visit to India as prime minister, the high point of Abbott's trip is the possi- bility of signing a nuclear cooper- ation agreement with the Indian government. He is scheduled to hold delega- tion-level meetings and discuss various issues with President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi Friday. New Delhi/London: Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has announced the creation of a South Asian branch of his group to "raise the flag of jihad" in the Indian sub-continent, causing concerns. In a 55-minute video posted online, Zawahari -- who suc- ceeded Osama bin Laden after he was killed in Pakistan -- also pledged renewed loyalty to Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar, BBC reported. Announcing the formation of "Al Qaeda in the Indian subcon- tinent", Zawahiri - speaking in both Arabic and Urdu - said this "would be good news for Muslims in Burma, Bangladesh and in the Indian states of Assam, Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir where they would be rescued from injustice and oppression". Official sources said in New Delhi that the Intelligence Bureau had been asked to authenticate the Al Qaeda video. Home Minister Rajnath Singh also met with the heads of the Intelligence Bureau and the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) Thursday, the sources told IANS. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval attended the meeting. The Al Qaeda announcement comes at a time when the group faces challenges from the increasingly aggressive Islamic State that has taken control of a large swathe of territory in Iraq and in Syria too. BBC quoted counter-terrorism experts as saying that Al Qaeda was vying with Islamic State to recruit followers worldwide. Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi describes himself as a "caliph" - or head of state - and has called for support of Muslims around the world. BBC also said that Pakistani militants linked to Islamic State have distributed pamphlets in city of Peshawar asking people to support their idea of creating an Islamic caliphate. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott was in India for two-day visit. Australian PM begins India visit from Mumbai Karauli: Every day at 6 am, Reena stealthily leaves her house with the her face covered to avoid being seen when heading out to do the job she hates -- removing human excrement with her bare hands. Living in Rajasthan`s Karauli district, Reena is among 116 manu- al scavengers the central govern- ment had identified for rehabilita- tion two years ago. She was employed as a sweeper in the local civic body but was thrown out of her job, forcing her to resume man- ual scavenging. "My own children run away from me when I reach home. They say I stink and make them throw up," she said. Many other women to oin impoverished Karauli are forced to make ends meet by manual scav- enging. Despite strict laws pro- hibiting manual scavenging in the country, the centuries-old practice is still rampant in many areas. Belonging to the lowest Hindu caste, these women clean dry latrines and carry the feces in bam- boo baskets on their heads for dumping in a faraway place. "Three days after my marriage, my mother-in-law took me along with her and forced me to remove excreta from a house. After that I had to be admitted to a hospital for three days," Sulekha (name changed), 30, said. She cleans the toilets of 15 houses every morning - and the amount she gets from each house is an appallingly low Rs.20 per month. The women frequently complain of headaches, stomach aches and nausea - due to inhaling the nox- ious fumes during their work. They are also malnourished. Their chil- dren too are malnourished with stunted growth. "We cannot miss work even for a day as the dirt gets piled up in the dry latrines and the stench worsens. If we do, the families drag us from our homes," Namrata said. And all these women have red- dish-black corroded teeth caused by chewing gutka. "To clean the mess, either you have to be dead drunk or have gutka in your mouth. The scent of gutka keeps us from vomiting," Reena said. "The government claims that these women have been rehabilitat- ed, but this is not the case. Most had to get back to manual scaveng- ing because they could not get jobs," Rajesh Sharma, of Dang Vikas Sansthan, said. "I thought my life would become better when I was employed as a sweeper in the municipality, but I got thrown out after two months because it was a contractual one," Meena said. "Then, nobody employed me because of my caste and past job." The district administration, per- haps rattled by PM Modi`s promise of "Swach Bharat" to provide toi- lets in every home by 2019, said it would "look into" their case. "Manual scavenging is a blot on modern India. I will look into their cases," district collector Babulal Jatawat said. In Rajasthan, these women are still doing manual scavenging Vijayawada to be capital of Andhra Pradesh Vijayawada is about 300 km from Hyderabad. Al Qaeda announces South Asia wing, India concerned INDIA New Delhi: The Supreme Court has asked the government not to give a bureaucratic answer about its plan to clean up the Ganga and instead unveil a stage-by-stage timeline for effective monitoring. "Don't give us a vision plan. An artist's view. It may take 200 years to implement," said a bench of Justice TS Thakur and Justice R. Banumathi. "We don't know if it (cleaning Ganga) will happen in our genera- tion." "Can you indicate the stages through which this plan has to move and the time involved in each stage?" asked Justice Thakur as solicitor general Ranjit Kumar started read- ing from a 29-page affidavit starting with the 1985 first Ganga Action Plan. The court wanted to be enlightened by "someone who has a comprehensive view of how Ganga would be made pollution free, nitty-gritty of the plan, and how the mile- stones can be achieved". The 2,525-km long Ganga, which originates in the Himalayas, is considered the holiest of rivers by Hindus. Telling Kumar that the government had given a "very bureaucratic answer" to its query, the court said it wanted to know how much will be achieved in the five years this government will be in office. During the last hearing Aug 13, the court had sought the status report on the govern- ment's action plan to clean the Ganga along with a roadmap. The court had also sought a report on what the government was doing to clean the river from Gangotri up to Haridwar in the first phase. Justice Thakur observed: "But for nature, it (Ganga) would have been worst. It is nature that is doing a lot of clean- ing." The court told the solicitor general if polluting industries needed to be relocated, the court could assist the government with legal process. Don't give us a vision plan. An artist's view. It may take 200 years to implement, the Supreme Court told the Centre. 11 September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info 66 percent voters satisfied with Modi's performance, functioning: Poll Patna: Classes opened at the Nalanda University this week, an ancient internation- al centre for learning in Bihar, after a break of over 800 years with 15 students, its vice chancellor said. "We have formally started the academic session of Nalanda University Monday morning in the International Convention Centre at the Buddhist pilgrim town of Rajgir," Vice Chancellor Gopa Sabhrawal said. Rajgir is about 100 km from Patna. Sabhrawal said the ancient Nalanda University functioned from 413 AD to 1193 AD. Classes for the School of Historical Sciences and the School of Environment and Ecology have started for the first session 2014-15. She said there was an introduction session for students as well as faculty members as it was the first day of the classes, revived after over eight centuries. "We have completed the first step towards a big mission for revival of ancient Nalanda university. Now more hard work has to be done for it," she said. Sabhrawal said that the launch of the aca- demic session of the university was a low key affair because the formal inauguration would take place in mid-September after formal opening by external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, who will be chief guest, and university will also invite ambassadors of the East Asian countries. She said that till now 15 students have been enrolled in the university and more will be enrolled in coming days as the process of their application scrutiny and interview is still on. "We strongly hope that more foreign students will join the university because our thrust is research along with study," Sabhrawal said. She said the university has attracted over 1,000 applications from around the world. University Dean Anjana Sharma said eight faculty members have joined the university so far and many more would join this month and in October. Sharma said Upinder Kaur, daughter of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, will be a visiting faculty at the university. Kaur is teaching history at Delhi University. The university will come up in Rajgir, 12 km from where the ancient Nalanda University stood till the 12th century, when it was razed by an invading Turkish army. The formal inauguration is expected in mid-September, Sabhrawal said. The fully-residential university, to be com- pleted by 2020, will eventually have seven schools, all for post-graduate and doctoral students, offering courses in science, philos- ophy and spirituality, and social sciences. Classes begin in Nalanda University after over 800 years Fifty-one percent voters say if elections were held now, the Modi government will improve its tally. New Delhi: Nearly two-thirds (66 per- cent) of voters in a survey have expressed satisfaction with the Narendra Modi government's perform- ance, and while more - 68 percent - approve of the prime minister's style of functioning. Conducted across 14 cities including the four metropolitan cities, major state capitals as well as other prominent cities like Surat and Varanasi, the opin- ion poll by Network 18 and Today's Chanakya on 100 days of the Modi gov- ernment sought to take a look at how Team Modi has fared on foreign policy, internal security and on the economic front. "Majority 66 percent voters say they are satisfied with the performance so far of the Modi government. Nineteen per- cent say they are not satisfied with the government performance," said a press release giving the results of the survey conducted Aug 26-31 and involving 6,280 respondents. "Fifty-one percent voters say if elec- tions were held now, the Modi govern- ment will improve its tally while 26 per- cent say the opposite. On the key ques- tion of corruption, 54 percent voters say the Modi government can tackle corrup- tion while 24 percent say it cannot tack- le corruption," the release said. According to the opinion poll, eco- nomic sentiment was positive with 41 percent stating that the economy was back on track, while 25 percent said it was early to pass a judgment. In response to a question "what do you think the prime minister could have been done better in 100 days", 48 per- cent voters wished the Modi govern- ment to be stricter on spiralling prices. "More than 30 percent voters believe that price control has improved while 27 percent say that it has not improved," the release said. About Modi's tenure, 41 percent vot- ers described it as being "effective, speedy, and purposeful", while 35 per- cent said his government has to be more bold and tough. The poll said 68 percent respondents approved of Modi's style of functioning while only 25 percent find him authori- tarian. The opinion poll showed that Modi has been successful in building a direct rapport with people. "Fifty percent respondents say that Modi effectively communicates with the people of the country." On internal security, 37 percent respondents said Maoist violence has decreased during the Modi regime, while 15 percent of voters said it had increased. The poll said voters appeared to be in sync with Modi's foreign policy. "Sixty-nine percent respondents rate his foreign policy as being either good or very good. Forty-seven percent say the performance is good while 22 per- cent say it is very good," the survey said. On cancellation of foreign secre- tary-level talks between India and Pakistan, the poll showed that 54 per- cent supported the move. Meanwhile, 43 percent of respondents say communal violence has not increased during the Modi regime, while 14 percent say it has, the poll said. On the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha not being recognised as the Leader of Opposition, 44 percent voters said it was the right decision, while 30 percent said the Congress deserves the post. Modi' s "Team India" pitch found favor with 54 percent of voters who said Modi was walking the talk on building a team with the chief ministers, but 15 percent not holding a similar sentiment. 2,525-km long Ganga, which origi- nates in the Himalayas, is considered the holiest of rivers by Hindus. Ganga cleaning will take 200 years: Supreme Court The fully-residential university, to be completed by 2020, will eventually have seven schools 12 September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA Bangalore: A court here has issued an arrest warrant against Karthik Gowda, son of Railway Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda, in a rape and cheat- ing case filed against him by a Kannada actress after he got engaged to another woman. "As Karthik failed to appear before our investigation team despite repeated summons since Aug 29 for questioning on the charges alleged against him by Maithreyi, the eighth additional city metropolitan magistrate issued the war- rant to arrest him, " Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) T.R. Suresh said. Police have formed two teams to look for 30-year-old Karthik in Bangalore and across the state. Police in Goa and Kerala have also been alerted to look out for him. A search team has left for Madikeri in Kodagu district, about 230 km from here, as he got engaged there Aug 27 and was later seen in Mangalore. "Once arrested, we will present him (Karthik) in the court and seek his cus- tody for interrogation. The case is booked against him Aug 27 under Sections 376 (rape) and 420 (cheating) of the IPC (Indian Penal Court) on the basis of complaint filed by Maithreyi," said Suresh. According to Karthik's counsel, who filed an anticipatory bail application Aug 30, the session court is yet to give ruling on his plea for relief. "Our petition for anticipatory bail for Karthik is being heard by the session's court. Its magistrate is yet to pronounce the order as arguments were incom- plete," counsel told reporters. The court served a notice to the R.T. Nagar police station, where the com- plaint was lodged, asking if it had any objection on granting anticipatory bail to Karthik. "We are opposing the anticipatory bail plea, as Karthik did not respond to our notices and summons to appear before the investigation officer under the law," Inspector S. Raghupathy said. Maithreyi has claimed that Karthik tied the wedding knot with her June 5 at his other house in Mangalore, about 350 km from Bangalore, and that they consummated the informal marriage after he forced himself upon her. The probe team has already interro- gated Maithreyi Aug 28 to 30 and recorded her statements and collected documents, including relevant certifi- cates, photos and voice recordings. The Gowdas, however, denied the charge and accused Maithreyi of tar- nishing their image and blamed politi- cal opponents of conspiring to bring disrepute to the family, as the victim later claimed to have joined the Congress two-three years ago. BJP chief Amit Shah to meet Uddhav Mumbai: In a bid to defuse tensions between allies Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party, visiting BJP president Amit Shah will meet Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, a party official said here. He will call on Uddhav Thackeray at Matoshri, the Thackeray residence in Bandra east which has been the venue for many such VVIP meetings in the past over four decades, especially during the lifetime of the late Bal Thackeray. Before meeting Uddhav Thackeray, Shah will visit the Thackeray memorial at Shivaji Park and pay homage to the founder of the Shiv Sena. Till the time the BJP chief landed in Mumbai Thursday morning, both parties had officially declared that no meeting was scheduled between the two. However, Uddhav Thackeray reportedly took the first step by inviting Shah to his residence, which the latter acknowledged and accepted. The Mumbai-born Shah arrived in the city on his first visit after taking over as party chief. He was accorded a tumultuous welcome by thousands of party activists and top leaders at the Mumbai air- port. In his brief address, Shah said the second phase of making a 'Congress-mukt Bharat' (India free of the Congress rule) would be launched from Maharashtra where Swaraj was established by Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. "This is the worst and most corrupt government ruling in Maharashtra for the past 15 years... We shall remove all Congress governments across the country," Shah said to a resounding applause. Hyderabad: National award winning actress Shweta Basu, who was arrested for prostitution here, has revealed that she took to the sex trade as she was running out of money. The 23-year-old actress, who was arrest- ed, is currently lodged in a state-run res- cue home. She admitted she made wrong choices in her career. "I was out of money. I had to support my family and some other good causes. All the doors were closed, and some people encouraged me to get into prostitution to earn money. I was helpless, and with no option left to choose, I got involved in this act," police sources quoted her as saying. The actress, seen in films like "Makdee" and "Iqbal" also revealed that there were other actresses like her who went through this. Shweta, who shot to fame as a child artiste in Ekta Kapoor's television serial "Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki", bagged the national award for best child artist for "Makdee" in 2002. The actress, who also did a few films in Bengali, Tamil and Telugu, was arrested from a hotel Sunday night along with the sex racket's organiser Anjaneyulu alias Balu. The next day, a court here sent her to a rescue home run by the women and child welfare department. She underwent a medical examination at a government hos- pital before she was sent to the rescue home, where women rescued by police and those facing trial are given shelter during the trial period. Balu, who was reportedly collecting Rs.1 lakh each from high flying cus- tomers, has been sent to jail. New Delhi: In a deepening of the 'old guard' vs 'Gen Next' clash, a bunch of young leaders in Congress have taken up cudgels on behalf of Rahul Gandhi, warn- ing party seniors against attacking the leadership. Following a string of comments putting a question mark on Rahul's abilities, AICC secretaries have decided to write to senior office-bearers urging them to desist from public criticism and to back Rahul in implementing his ideas to transform the Congress. The letter is likely to remind party man- agers that they were in charge of key orga- nizational responsibilities, and it was unfair to target the leadership. However, the request to back Rahul is accompanied with a warning that there could be a backlash if their plea was not heeded. Justifying the move to firewall the young Gandhi, AICC secretary Prakash Joshi said, "Rahul wants transformation, a process-driven party with role of workers and youth in decision-making. We are firmly with him in his bid to change the Congress." Sources said the letters, to be signed by pro-Rahul AICC secretaries, are likely to be dispatched to general secretaries, CWC members and senior leaders on Thursday. A leading light of the loyalist bunch claimed it was their own initiative and Rahul had no role in it, seeking to dispel the notion that it could be an orchestrated move. That 16 young secretaries of the total 42 are involved in the exercise shows that Congress could witness in-house clashes if senior leaders continue to cast doubts on the leadership of the Gandhi family. While dealing with intermittent dissidence after the Lok Sabha defeat, partymen fear that the anticipated defeat in the assembly elec- tions to Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir would only exac- erbate the crisis. The polarization in the party along pro- and anti-Rahul line indi- cates the hardening of the generational clash that has cast its shadow on the Congress since Rahul's advent as the heir- imminent. Arrest warrant against railway minister's son Actress took to prostitution after running out of money Karthik Gowda, son of Railway Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda, with Kannada actress Award winning actress Shweta Basu. (Inset) As seen in 'Iqbal' (2005). Rahul Gandhi Congress old guard, Gen Next split over Rahul Gandhi? The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times. By Ranjana Narayan T he Tokyo Declaration taking India- Japan relations to the next level - a Special Strategic Global Partnership - has lent "new dynamism" to the close ties between the two nations, especially with its emphasis on increased economic and defence cooperation, even though Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe failed to tie up the civil nuclear deal during this visit, say experts. Former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal termed the visit "largely successful" with important decisions taken in the economic side, especially Japan's promise of $33.58 bil- lion over the next five years under the India- Japan Investment Promotion Partnership, that would include development of economic cor- ridors, infrastructure, transport system and smart cities. Japan has also offered financial, technical and operational support to India for the Shinkansen system or the bullet trains. Sibal termed the agreements in the defence sector as significant, especially Japan's deci- sion to remove six Indian entities from the 'foreign end users list' and the progress in talks for purchase by India of the US-2 amphibian aircraft from Japan as well as the decision to regularize the India-US-Japan Malabar maritime exercise. However, he said it was disappointing that the civil nuclear deal could not be signed. Former ambassador G. Parthasarathy said Modi's Japan visit has "certainly given new dynamism to bilateral relations, which were good in any case", in the wake of substantive involvement of Japan in India's economic development and the enhanced military-to- military relations. Japan' s participation in the trilateral Malabar exercises with the US and India were important and would help work towards cre- ating "stable, balanced power in Asia", he said. Former Indian envoy Sheel Kant Sharma said Modi's visit has "highly successful out- comes and Japan's response to Modi's over- tures were overwhelmingly positive, though in certain areas work needs to be done". Referring to Modi's swipe at China where he deplored the "expansionist" tendencies of some countries which "encroach" on the seas of others, the former envoy said Modi had made "very delicate reference to problems in Asia". He termed the reference to the trilateral Malabar naval exercises as a "very positive arrangement" but added that both sides need to "come out with clear interests". Sharma termed as "dynamic and very posi- tive" Japan's support for India to become a full member in the four international export control regimes: Nuclear Suppliers Group, Missile Technology Control Regime, Wassenaar Arrangement and Australia Group. China expert Srikanth Kondapalli said the Tokyo Declaration was "explicit" on the polit- ical, economic and defence fields and both sides have exhibited substantial cooperation in the defence fields. Referring to the clause where both countries agree to work towards closer and stronger strategic partnership "for a prosperous future for their two countries and for advancing peace, stability and prosperity in the world, in particular, in the inter-connected Asia, Pacific and Indian Ocean Regions", he said this was aimed at the direction of countering China. Another major point in the declaration is the reference to unhindered maritime and air flight access. Both sides "affirmed their shared commit- ment to maritime security, freedom of naviga- tion and overflight, civil aviation safety, unimpeded lawful commerce, and peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law", the statement says. This clause, Kondapalli said, was signifi- cant in view of the recent quarrel between China and the US following a narrowly- avoided midair incident between a US spy plane and a Chinese fighter jet near Hainan island. China has set up Air Defence Identification Zones over the South and East China Seas, intercepting overflights. The clause in the India-Japan statement was meant to emphasize that India concurs with Japan on unhindered maritime freedom and freedom of overflights, which are of "disso- nance" with China's viewpoint, he noted. 13 September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info OP-ED By Saeed Naqvi T he ISIS threat has been around for months. Why was it not nipped in the bud? Obamas response in the course of a conversation with Thomas Friedman of the New York Times is revealing. We did not start airstrikes all across Iraq as soon as the ISIS came in because that would have taken the pressure off Nouri al-Maliki, the then Shia prime minister in Baghdad. In other words Obamas immedi- ate priority was to get rid of Nouri al-Maliki. According to this logic, a terrorist outfit like the ISIS can, on some occasions, play a useful role. That is why Obama allowed the ISIS to grow in size to frighten the obstinate prime minister in Baghdad. Here the president of the US is giving an example of how terrorism can be placed at the dis- posal of diplomacy. In the early stages of the insur- rection in Syria, US Ambassador to Damascus, Robert Stephen Ford and his French counterpart drove around the countrys major trouble spots - Derra, Homs and Hama. In each city they contacted opposition leaders. In Damascus some of us exchanged views with a veteran US diplomat and Arabist, Edward Lionel Peck who was privately vis- iting the country. He was quite as astonished at this new, aggressive style of diplomacy, more akin to special operations. After returning to the US, Peck wrote on what he described as a very unsettling subject. He wrote: I have been dismayed by the acco- lades and support given to Ambassador Ford, our man in - and now out of Syria, for stepping well out of the traditional and appropri- ate role of a diplomat and actively encouraging the revolt/insurrec- tion/sectarian strife/outside med- dling, call it what you will. It is easy to imagine the US reaction if an ambassador from anywhere were to engage in even distantly related activities here. I fear my country remains somewhat more than merely insensitive, and is slid- ing into plain rampant and offen- sive arrogance. Later that year, former Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright spoke on US foreign policy at New Delhis India International Centre. During Q and A, I cited Peck as an outstanding example of the liberal American conscience. Albright was not impressed. She mounted an effective endorsement of Ford. The escalating terrorism in Syria, helped by outside meddling from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar has morphed into this beast called the ISIS. Of course, Russia, Iran and Iraq dug their heels in for the regime. But does that make them worthy of equal blame? There is no space left to touch on jihadist militancy let loose in Libya, traversing Mali, uniting with Nigerias monstrous Boko Haram. Zbigniew Brzezinski, president Carters National Security Adviser considers global terrorism a small price for breeding Islamic Jehad which helped topple Soviet power. The aftermath of that Jehad, how- ever, is still hovering over the heads of the principal actors in Kabul, indeed, in every concerned capital. Soon after the Taliban were ousted from Kabul, Hamid Karzai was nominated interim president in December 2001. A pulverized international community has been stuck with him all these years. The Constitution does not allow him to carry on endlessly. The occupying power organized elec- tions in which one of the candi- dates, Abdullah Abdullah has alleged industrial scale fraud and pulled out, leaving Obama and John Kerry with the prospect of turning up at the NATO summit in Wales Sep 4, empty handed. Will jaw jaw on Ukraine and the ISIS disguise their embarrassment in Afghanistan? Japan's promise of $33.58 billion over the next five years under the India-Japan Investment Promotion Partnership is the key achievement of the visit. Barack Obama allowed the ISIS to grow in size to frighten the obstinate prime minister in Baghdad. Here the president of the US is giving an example of how terrorism can be placed at the disposal of diplomacy. Tokyo Declaration gives new dynamism to India-Japan ties Terrorism a diplomatic asset: Fair is foul, foul is fair By Barak Mendelsohn T he Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), which is also called the Islamic State, is on the march. Two months after first sweeping through north- ern and central Iraq, it has started to push onward to Erbil, the seat of the Kurdish Regional Government. Along the way, it triggered a severe humanitarian crisis among Iraqs Yezidi and Christian minori- ties and caused massive panic across the Kurdish autonomous region, which forced a reluctant United States to intervene. ISIS has also used its momentum to continue its expansion in Syria and, for a few days, even managed to hold parts of the Lebanese bor- der city of Arsal. More confident than ever, ISIS is taking on a broad array of enemies, including the Iraqi, Syrian, and Lebanese militaries; Iraqi and Lebanese Shia militias; Kurds from Iraq, Syria, and Turkey; and Islamist and secular Syrian opposition forces. Now even U.S. air power is joining the fray. From a military perspective, ISIS will- ingness to fight so many groups on so many fronts is impressive. In part, its boldness was made possible by the weakness of many of its rivals. The huge store of deadly, high-quality weapons that the group picked up on its march through Iraq has helped as well. Finally, ISIS has also demonstrated a surprising ability to rearrange and redeploy forces as the groups operational needs change. Its reputation for military prowess (and brutality) has only grown, which in turn has further weakened resistance to its moves and sent civilians running whenever ISIS forces got close. ISIS relatively unimpeded march toward Erbil caught the White House and many other observers by surprise. Most had expected that the jihadist group would con- centrate its efforts in Iraq on Baghdad, the capital and a historical seat of the Abbasid Caliphate, where numerous Sunni reside. They also believed that the Kurdish pesh- marga forces were strong enough to deter ISIS attacks and would be able to block its advance if deterrence failed. That turns out to have been wrong, a miscalculation that forced the Obama administrations hand. Still, because ISIS move provoked a U.S. bombardment, some believe it might well be its undoing. For that reason, ISIS strategy might seem like a surprising overreach. It is entirely consistent, however, with the path the group charted early on, which tended toward the bold and risky. In fact, ISIS recent moves are simply a continuation of prior efforts to expand its control over new territory and natural resources (primarily oil fields and water dams that it can use for income and tools of war), enforce its harsh ideology, and strengthen its own primacy within the jihadi camp. For now, it is impossible to say whether ISIS intended to provoke the United States to intervene or simply miscalculated. But it is hard to believe ISIS did not understand that threatening the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan would mean directly challenging the U.S. alliance with the Kurds and poten- tially provoking it to fight. Indeed, it is like- ly that ISIS viewed such a challenge as a win-win situation. If the United States had failed to protect its allies, ISIS forces would have been able to advance deep into Kurdish territory and masses of undesirable non-Sunni inhabi- tants would have fled. The demonstration of U.S. timidity would also have given ISIS a boost as it set its sights on Jordan, another anxious U.S. ally in need of Washingtons defense. If the United States decided to step in on behalf of its allies -- as it did -- then ISIS must have believed that it would be able to strengthen its position within the jihadi camp. ISIS could use the bombings as evi- dence that the United States is waging a war on Islam, and to portray itself as the defend- er of Muslims from Crusader aggression. In other words, ISIS would steal a page right out of al Qaedas playbook. And that puts more pressure on al Qaeda. After all, if ISIS wins vast territory in the heart of the Middle East, implements Islamic gover- nance, and battles apostate regimes and their backers, al Qaeda will -- after refusing to do so -- have to give its full support to ISIS. Already, ISIS supporters are calling all jihadi forces to stand behind Omar al- Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS. As a result, the flow of fighters abandoning al Qaeda affiliates to join ISIS, which U.S. intelli- gence has already observed, is likely to increase. Moreover, leaders of al Qaeda franchises will come under greater pressure to shift allegiance from al Qaeda to ISIS. Of course, getting the United States involved carries considerable risks. ISIS does not have an answer to American air- power. From the air, the United States is capable of delivering painful blows that can significantly degrade the group. And by supporting Kurdish forces on the ground, U.S. intervention could even reverse ISIS advances in the north. But President Barack Obamas caution when it comes to foreign interventions, and his obvious distaste for getting entangled in Iraq again, appear to have mitigated the risks for ISIS. Indeed, the United States seems intent on the most minimal intervention possible, striking very few targets, and aiming to create deterrence more than rolling back ISIS advances on the ground. Moreover, Obamas aversion to doing anything in Syria means that ISIS- controlled territories there will be a safe haven for the group no matter what happens in Iraq. Although the push against the Kurds can be seen as serving the Islamic States strate- gic objectives, the persecution of minori- ties, particularly the beginning of a genoci- dal drive against the Yezidis, should be viewed not only as an effort to intimidate the opponents of ISIS, but also as the ful- fillment of ISIS radical ideology, which includes special taxes for minorities, forced deportations or, as in the case of the Yezidis, a choice between conversion or death. This ideology is an integral part of ISIS broader effort to implement Islamic governance and has some precedents in its actions in Syria. In the absence of concert- ed international action, it will continue to oppress, chase away, and, in the worst cases, kill minorities under its rule. ISIS has been clear about its expansionist and exclusionary Caliphate project, and now that truth has finally sunk in with the Obama administration. Getting involved in Iraq carries risks, but if the United States will not lead -- and from the front this time -- the ISIS threat will only grow. A lasting solution to the problem requires deep politi- cal changes in Iraq and, just as important, in Syria, which Washington has largely ignored. Such changes are unlikely to mate- rialize fast enough to answer an urgent threat. In the meantime, although a compre- hensive aerial campaign could weaken ISIS considerably, the narrow scope of U.S. strikes will provide only modest and insuf- ficient relief. Fighting ISIS will inevitably generate some resentment against the United States. However, the danger that would result from allowing ISIS to expand unchecked is far worse. Unless the United States is willing to walk away from the Middle East for good, it will have to face ISIS head on. And doing so will cost much more the longer the United States waits. (Courtesy: Foreign Affairs magazine) The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times. 14 September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info OP-ED ISIS' gruesome gamble An image taken from a video released by the SITE Intelligence Group shows Steven Sotloff before his execution. (right) Displaced people from the Yezidi minority group in northern Iraq this community which is neither Muslim nor Christian has suffered the most at the hands of ISIS. Provoking the US, ISIS schemed to use the bombings as evidence that the United States is waging a war on Islam, and to portray itself as the defender of Muslims from Crusader aggression. In other words, ISIS would steal a page right out of al Qaedas playbook September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info 16 September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD A fter touring multiple cities in the US in September, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, some of his friends and the "Happy New Year" coterie will take to the stage in London with SLAM! THE TOUR Oct 5. The stars will perform at London' s O2 Arena. Choreographer-director Farah Khan, actors Deepika Padukone, Madhuri Dixit, Malaika Arora Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Boman Irani, Sonu Sood, Vivaan Shah and singer Kanika Kapoor, apart from SRK will be on board for the tour. In the US, Shah Rukh will be shaking a leg with his fans after a gap of 10 years. "I am blessed to get a lot of love and support from people around the world. This is our way of giving this love back and thanking you all," said Shah Rukh in a statement. He is "super excited" about the tour, via which the team promis- es "an evening of love, laughter and entertainment". SLAM! THE TOUR will start Sep 19 at Toyota Center, Houston, then move on to Continental Arena, New Jersey; Air Canada Center, Toronto; Sears Center Arena, Chicago; Pacific National Exhibition, Vancouver; and will conclude Sep 28 at SAP Center, San Jose, California, before heading to London. "Happy New Year", directed by Farah Khan and pro- duced by SRK' s Red Chillies Entertainment, is centred around six losers who set out to change their destiny. Touted as Bollywood's big Diwali release this year, the film promises to make the festive season 'happier' for fans of Hindi movies, and SRK, who will be seen on the big screen after a gap of over a year. Deepika Padukone in 'Finding Fanny' F ilmmaker Karan Johar, who is asso- ciated with Hindi commercial blockbusters, is hopeful that English language movie "Finding Fanny" will open avenues for more such cinema. "Finding Fanny" narrates the story of five oddballs who venture out in search of Stefanie Fernandes. And on their journey, they find meaning to their otherwise pointless lives. Karan's good friend Homi Adajania has directed it and the former feels that "Finding Fanny" is a step ahead of the lat- ter's directorial venture "Being Cyrus". "I think there is an audience for every kind of film. 'Finding Fanny', just like 'Being Cyrus', is one step ahead in mak- ing avenue for English language films with mainstream movie stars and actors," Karan said at the screening of "Finding Fanny". "I really, really hope it does exceeding- ly well. It opens many more doors and windows for this kind of cinema," he added. Presented by Fox Star Studios, "Finding Fanny" is produced by Dinesh Vijan under Maddock Films. The film, a quirky satirical comedy, releases Sep 12. It features Arjun Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur and Dimple Kapadia in key roles. P olitical and social activists have filed police complaints against Bollywood filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma for his series of objectionable tweets on Lord Ganesh, officials said. Sumit Khambekar, chief of the Mumbai unit of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, and social activist Shahzaad Poonawala filed separate complaints against Varma in police stations in the city. Khambekar told media persons that Varma's tweets "hurt the sentiments of a large number of Hindus, especially devotees of Lord Ganesh". Poonawala said Varma' s tweets have "angered" not only Maharashtrians but also Muslims of the state. The 11-day Ganeshotsav is being celebrated across Maharashtra with glittering decorations on roads and bylanes, rows of fairy lights, and patriotic and social themes. Varma Friday posted certain tweets and jocu- lar remarks on Lord Ganesh, which many peo- ple said were objectionable and in poor taste. Police said they will investigate the case before taking further steps. Social activists and organisations, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, have condemned Varma's comments and demanded an apology from him as well as police action. M egastar Amitabh Bachchan, an avid user of social media, has amassed a massive following of over 10 million users on Twitter. His target is to double the figure. "10 MILLION!! ON TWIT- TER!! YEEAAAHH!! Thank you all that follow me! Next target 20," Amitabh tweeted. The most followed Twitter user in India, the 71-year-old is known for his versatility on the platform.He keeps his fans entertained by frequently tweeting about issues of national and interna- tional importance, sharing moments from his personal and professional life, and connecting with his fans per- sonally by replying to them directly on Twitter, through over 33,000 Tweets till now. The actor is also known for initiating new trends on the platform and had recently launched an initiative called #BachchanBol via which every Wednesday, the actor shares fun and interesting facts with his followers. Cases against RGV for tweets on Lord Ganesh It's London calling for SRK's SLAM! THE TOUR Bollywood filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma Big B gets 10 million Twitter followers ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info 17 A stellar cast only adds to this accom- plished film's sense of creative pro- priety. "Mardaani" is a film that makes all the cor- rect noises about child trafficking. And by "correct noises", I do mean the soundtrack, which is among the most evocative provoca- tive and satisfying in recent times. Normally in Bollywood, when films are done with live sound, the effect is scratchy and at times in inaudible. "Mardaani" cleans out the noises and yet retains a high decibel of authenticity in the complementary rela- tionship between sight and sound. This is a film that knows its job. This, then, is the world of Pradeep Sarkar's derelict people. Posh pimps and "cool" flesh traders gnawing at the fabric of our society by playing with the lives of the most inno- cent and vulnerable. Without the least fuss, director Pradeep Sarkar (so eloquent in his last film outing with Rani in 'Laaga Chunari Mein Daag') provides us vivid glimpses into the life of the cop-hero Shivani (Rani). Rani's Shivani is a mixture of the feminine and the 'mardaani'. Displaying exemplary economy of expression, the narrative puts forward Shivani's very articulate attitude to home and profession through brief, but lucid encounters with various characters. Towards the end, the film's elegant pace slackens, sags and almost collapses. But somehow, Sarkar manages to keep the pro- ceedings from getting dragged down by the drama, no matter how unruly they progres- sively gets. The narrative is well-stocked with signs of conscientiousness. Human traf- ficking is evidently not a pretext to assemble a thriller here. Rather, it's the other way around. Out of the vast expanses of the film's sensitivities, there emerges a very engaging thriller, replete with sincere efforts to demonstrate the harsh reality of child prosti- tution into a cinematic currency. "Mardaani" lays open a world of crime and heartbreak. Scenes of unimaginable torture and humiliation meted out to young girls are placed against the screen heroics of a heroine who is neither Chulbul Pandey nor Singham and in many ways gutsier than both. Rani Mukerji brings in a level of credibili- ty to the character. Her action scenes are never larger than life. She is not a show-offy cop. And that's a blessing. "Mardaani" is film that is carpeted with competent actors. Almost every character, big or small, is played by actors who don't believe their per- formances need to scream their skills. T he release of an 80-minute documen- tary on Kanpur's electricity hassles against a big banner Bollywood film didn't seem an alien concept to the makers of "Katiyabaaz", who were confident of "chal- lenging the mainstream". Director duo Fahad Mustafa and Deepti Kakkar struggled for nearly three years to get a commercial release for "Katiyabaaz" across almost 50 screens in the country. They now hope the film spreads its light far and wide. "We are sort of challenging the mainstream. We are trying to compete with the Bollywood space," Mustafa said. The co-directors were never worried - not even when a film festival organiser once told them not to call "Katiyabaaz" a documentary because they are those films that are played before the "real film" begins. "That's the kind of mentality that has existed and somewhere our intention was to break that. We didn't want to go in to formulate Bollywood direc- tion. Someone once told us this is a new genre. This is Bollywood documentary. Fahad and I were wary of accepting that tag," said Kakkar. Made on a budget of over Rs.1 crore, the documentary has an entertainment factor too - courtesy music by "Black Friday" fame Indian Ocean band. "We wanted the audience to be slightly entertained and carry something home. We wanted a band that would capture the flavour of the place (Kanpur)," said Kakkar. With a presenter as strong as production banner Phantom Films, co-owned by film- maker Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane and Vikas Bahl, and funding from international sources, "Katiyabaaz" had a lim- ited release in cities like Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kanpur and Lucknow Friday. The film, which won the coveted National Award for Best Investigative Film, has already been telecast in European countries and shown in theatres in countries like Italy and Britain. It will be on TV in the US in November. 'Mardaani' - makes right noises about child trafficking A scene from the film 'Mardaani' REVIEW Bachchans visit Lalbaug for Ganesh festival M egastar Amitabh Bachchan visit- ed Lalbaug along with his son Abhishek Bachchan and daugh- ter-in-law Aishwarya Rai to participate in the ongoing Ganesh festival. The 71-year-old went with his family and shared photos on his official blog srbachchan.tumblr.com soon after their visit. The divine presence of Ganesh at Lal Bagh ... Lalbagh cha Raja...! The largest Ganesh during the entire festival of Ganapati... been going there since 1974, read Big B's post. On the work front, he is currently host- ing the eighth season of Kaun Banega Crorepati" and is also busy with 'Piku', directed by Shoojit Sircar. The Bachchan family at Lalbaug 'Katiyabaaz': Documentary makers challenge mainstream space A scene from 'Katiyabaaz' Now I can beat anyone: Priyanka N o, Priyanka Chopra is not talking about the box office competition, but about actually beating up someone physically! And the actress strongly feels that every woman should learn some form of self-defense. Priyanka may have now lost all the muscle she built up for her role as five-time boxing cham- pion M.C. Mary Kom in her forthcoming film, but she says she's now fitter and stronger to give a tough fight to anyone. "Today, I can beat anyone, it feels great," Priyanka, one of Hindi film industry's most indomitable actors, exclaimed dur- ing a tete-a-tete with IANS while she was on the move for her promotional commit- ments for "Mary Kom". Building the mus- cles for the movie, which brings to screen the inspirational story of Manipur-based ath- lete Mary Kom, made Priyanka feel "very tired". But it was worth it! "Building muscles can't make you feel empowered, but stronger. I did! I have lost all my muscle now, but I still feel strong. I still believe I have those muscles," she said, and broke in guffaws. On an introspective note, she said: "Muscles are a very superficial thing. What they did for me, honestly, was being able to learn a sport. A scene from 'Mary Kom' 18 September 6-12, 2014 TRAVEL AND TOURISM TheSouthAsianTimes.info By Mayabhushan Nagvenkar A master of witty anecdotes, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar once liberally used a popular bikini adage to make a point about governance and number crunching. "Statistics are like a woman wearing a bikini. What they reveal is vital. What they hide is even more vital," Parrikar would often say to peals of laughter from his acolytes. But judging by the goings-on over the last two months or so, the two-piece bathing accessory now appears to have come to haunt Parrikar's BJP-led coalition govern- ment. It may sound ridiculous, but the bikini controversy has triggered a churning and a split in the conservative end of Goa's politi- cal axis. The garment has also come close to creat- ing a rift between the BJP and its ally, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), whose legislators have first opened the con- servative politics ball. Electorally, both par- ties heavily rely more or less on the conser- vative Hindu voter, who is relishing the prospects of a Hindutva revival under Prime Minister Modi. In June, MGP's supremo and cabinet min- ister Sudin Dhavalikar demanded a ban on bikinis, mini skirts and pub culture. A month later his younger brother Deepak, also a cab- inet minister, openly wished for a Hindu Rashtra under Modi. Days later, in the assembly, another MGP legislator, Lavu Mamledar, demanded a special 'private' beach for bikini-clad bathers with a fee for entry. Such moralspeak, for members of the BJP- led coalition government which otherwise unabashedly protects and promotes the casi- no industry, may seem out of place. But there appears to be a method to the MGP's madness and unceasing obsession with the bikini and the 'Western culture' bashing in Goa which sees half a million sun-loving European tourists annually. Goa has been a Portuguese colony for over 450 years, and the 400,000-odd Christian population is often perceived as 'Western' by conservative Hindu politicians. The MGP, Goa's oldest regional party, has a conserva- tive Hindu vote base with its pockets of strength located far away from the more lib- eral and tourism influenced coastline, the stereotypical Goa everyone knows of. For the tourists to Goa, the vision of Goa is limited by the sea on one end and the palm- fringed beaches and shacks on the other. But tucked away in the hinterland, where the rivers aren't saline, and temples, not church- es or chapels, dot the countryside, in towns like Bicholim, Ponda, Madkai and Priol, there is a significant Hindu conservative vote, for whom a demand for a bikini ban or a Hindu Rashtra chorus is considered ele- mentary and a logical argument. "We should credit him. He has the guts to speak about protecting our culture. We should all back the minister," said Swami Brahmeshanand, defending Sudin Dhavalikar after his remarks triggered a row. The seer has a strong following amongst the Bhandari samaj, which accounts for over 30 percent of the state's Hindu population. The other aim of the hyped bikini outrage campaign by the MGP could also be to undermine the leadership of Chief Minister Parrikar, who appears to have virtually gagged on the bikini. The more mainstream BJP, which has sev- eral Christian legislators and has banked on the minority vote bank in the 2012 assembly poll, simply cannot toe the MGP line, at least in the same brazen manner. Parrikar is caught in an even tighter bind because he and his party cannot afford to be seen as openly pro-liberal either, for fear of losing the Hindu conservative vote. Over the last two months, controversies have taken a toll on the authority, as well as his liberal, modern image which the IIT-educated Parrikar is keen on otherwise projecting. Parrikar has not only been compelled to express support for Dhavalikar but has been forced to formally gag his cabinet colleagues against commenting on controversial issues and blame the national media for raking a needless controversy. By Rahul Vaishnavi F or Nidhi and Rohan Nanda, who have just tied the knot, choosing the perfect honey- moon destination was perhaps the toughest decision. With fingers crossed, Vienna was picked on a friend's recommendation and a week in the quaint city proved to be the perfect ending to their elab- orate wedding. "We wanted a place that was not only beautiful, but elegant and offered a historical experience. So, Vienna turned out to be the best decision of our lives," a gleeful Rohan said. The city's relaxed and laidback attitude was the perfect getaway after many tiring weeks of prepa- rations and celebrations that are associated with Indian weddings, especially in the north, said Nidhi. The Austrian capital is home to 1.8 million people. Boasting of palaces, monuments, cathedrals, parks and vineyards, it's a city where ancient churches stand beside contemporary glass build- ings. Kunsthistorisches Museum, which houses perhaps the world's largest collection of paintings, is the most prominent museum in the city along with the Belvedere and the Leopold in the MuseumsQuartier. Then, the Ringtrasse, a circular boulevard of over 5 km that has grand buildings and manicured gardens on either side entices the travelers to take a long walk and experience the rich history of the city. Also known as the 'City of Music', Vienna has 50 theatres, including four opera houses. And for those who love to shop, the posh first district in the old city is the most sought after address. Naschmarkt is the city's largest market offering a mix of Viennese and international specialties. This perfect blend of "history, culture and nature" is what brings tourists in droves to the city, says Sharat Dhall, president of online travel portal Yatra.com. "Vienna's classic heritage appeal and old-world charm make it the perfect honeymoon destination. Its cultural and geographical sights transport people back to the 18th century and provides the perfect setting for honeymooners," Dhall said. "From waltzes to cafes, museums to nightclubs, the city is a perfect blend of culture, nature and history - modern yet tradition- al. Numerous Indian restaurants that opened here in the last few years has also helped in populariz- ing Vienna among Indian travelers, said Verena Hable of the Vienna Tourist Board (VTB). Indian restaurants now number 50 from 20 five years ago. An average meal for two costs between 8 and 14 euros. "Vienna offers everything Indian honeymooners are looking for: authentic Indian food, English- speaking hospitality staff and guides and loads of nightlife, museums and shopping experi- ences," Hable said. In the first half this year, 15,000 tourists from India visited Vienna - a growth of 10.5 per cent over the same period last year. "This is the result of a series of efforts by VTB to focus on the youth and honeymooners seg- ment," said Hable. Direct flights from Delhi to Vienna are operated by Austrian Airlines under a code share agree- ment with Air India. Away from Goas stereotypical palm-fringed beaches and shacks, tucked away in the hinterland, where temples, not churches or chapels, dot the countryside, in towns like Bicholim, Ponda, Madkai and Priol, there is a significant Hindu conservative vote, for whom a demand for a bikini ban is a logical argument. Laidback Vienna is Indian honeymooner's paradise Vienna's classic heritage and old-world charm make it the perfect honeymoon destination. Impressive Imperial buildings are lined along the boulevard named Ringtrassein. Dubai: Over 2, 20,000 Indians, mostly domestic helpers and laborers, have been granted visas by Saudi Arabia in one month, officials said. "Since we resumed bringing in Indian workers at the end of Ramadan, the number of visas has reached 2,20,000," Ahmad Al Fuhaid, the labor ministry undersecretary for international affairs, was quoted as saying by the Gulf News. "Around 44,000 visas were for domestic helpers while the others were for workers in the public and private sectors," he said. The official, however, cau- tioned that the arrival of the Indian helpers and workers into the kingdom could take some time. "There are several proce- dures to be followed including security and medical checks and proper qualification and training," he said. India and Saudi Arabia had signed an agreement in January this year, regulating contractual relations between Indian domestic workers and their Saudi employers. The agreement covered 12 categories of workers includ- ing drivers, janitors, cleaners, waiters, gardeners and house- hold managers working for individuals. Saudi Arabia has an expatri- ate population of nine million, mostly unskilled laborers in the construction and service sectors and domestic helpers. They constitute around one third of the total population of the kingdom. Sydney: A huge 4.5m-high white marble statue of Hindu Lord Shiva has been consecrated and unveiled in Minto, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. Shipped from Varanasi (India), it was mounted on a concrete pedestal with the help of a crane at the Hindu temple Mukti Gupteshwar Mandir, which is claimed to be the worlds first human built underground cave temple whose tagline is "Home Of The 13th Jyotirlingham." This stat- ue is said to be fitted with seven colored LED lights, with colors changing every minute. This Hindu temple has 1128 small temples inside it. Its ten- meter deep vault in the sanctum contains two million handwritten notes, each saying Om Namah Shivaya from devotees around the world. It possesses water from 81 rivers, including major rivers from Australia and from five oceans. Total cost of this temple project to date is said to be around five mil- lion Australian dollars. Monrovia: As the Ebola virus dis- ease continues to spread across West Africa, the small, 2000-strong Indian community in Liberia, one of the worst affected countries, has come for appreciation from the country's leadership for doing its bit in the fight against the deadly out- break. Through their honorary Consul General Upjit Singh Sachdeva, the Indians donated two ambulances and other assorted items valued at more than $200, 000, to the ongoing national anti-Ebola campaign. The donation, made Thursday, was received by Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who praised the Indians for "standing with Liberia in difficult times." Before he handed the items over to the president, Sachdeva commended President Sirleaf for her "extraordi- nary leadership in effectively and urgently responding to the outbreak and spread of the dreadful Ebola virus disease." "Excellency and members of the task force, we note with satisfaction the measures put into place by the government of Liberia to stop the spread of this deadly disease. Accordingly, we have advised all of our members to abide by these measures," the honorary consul gen- eral said. Sachdeva said that the enormity of the outbreak of the Ebola virus dis- ease in Liberia, and three other West African countries - Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria - has made fighting the epidemic a global chal- lenge, requiring an effective global response. "The response by the international community so far to combat the dis- ease is very encouraging," he said. He told President Sirleaf that the current outbreak of the disease is affecting the country in many ways. Sachdeva told the audience at the donation event that the Association of Indian Community in Liberia sees itself as an important stakeholder in the Liberian society, and that they see it as part of their bounden duty and responsibility to contribute to the fight to eliminate the disease. He assured the Liberians that despite the economic consequences the disease's outbreak is having on the business community, he and other leaders of the Indian commu- nity have advised all their members involved in economic activities not to exploit this situation by unneces- sarily hiking prices. President Sirleaf thanked the Indian community for its immense contributions to the commercial sec- tor of the country, as well as for ven- turing into the industrial sector where, she said, more jobs will be created for young Liberians. Besides two ambulances, the 22 truck-loads of items donated include 2,000 bags of rice, hospital beds, 24,000 bottles of water, and household utensils. Abu Dhabi: An uninsured Indian man in the UAE has run up more than $160,000 in medical bills after he suffered a brain hemorrhage and spent about six months in an Abu Dhabi hospital, a media report said. The hospital, however, says it is not demanding the money and he should just go home. Shariq Alvi, 26, was found unconscious on the bathroom floor by his family. A medical investiga- tion at the Lifeline Hospital in the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) capi- tal found that a blood vessel in his brain had ruptured, The National reported Sunday. Since Shariq had just resigned from a job in a bank to join another company, he had no medical insur- ance at the time the incident hap- pened. For the last six months, Shariq' s condition has been improving gradually and doctors have now decided to discharge him. But his parents say the med- ical bill has come to 600, 000 dirhams (more than $160,000), which they just cannot pay. Mahboob Alvi, Shariq's father, said: "Shariq's former colleagues have cooperated with us a lot. They collected about 22,000 dirhams to support us but this is not enough... We need to pay about 600,000 dirhams to the hospital." The hos- pital management, however, says it never demanded the fees. "Shariq has been with us since the past six months and we are tak- ing care of him as our family mem- ber," said Lalu Chacko, medical director of the hospital. "We never asked them to pay the bill. We just want them to take their child home and take care of him." Chacko said the hospital has "done all that is necessary." Dubai: A key meeting of the Indian diaspora in Bahrain next week will set the stage for partnership agree- ments and investment announce- ments initiated during and after King Hamad' s visit to India in February this year, a Bahrain daily reported Thursday. "The Overseas Diaspora Engagement Meet will specifically focus on sectors like agriculture, infrastructure, health care, medical tourism, real estate and pharmaceu- ticals," Gulf Daily News quoted Ambassador Mohan Kumar as say- ing. The objectives of the meet, to be organized by the Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre (OIFC) Sep 6, "are to acquaint the Indian community in Bahrain and nearby countries with the various invest- ment opportunities in India, " Kumar said. The OIFC is a public- private partnership between over- seas Indian affairs ministry and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The establishment of a regional office of the CII in Bahrain will also be revealed during the meet, the ambassador added. 2,20,000 Indians granted Saudi visa in one month DIASPORA 19 September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info Indians in Liberia contribute to anti-Ebola campaign Indian in UAE unable to pay hospital bills Diaspora meet to focus on Bahrain-India trade Huge Lord Shiva statue unveiled near Sydney The marble statue of Lord Shiva Islamabad: The opposition negotiating team was able to break the political deadlock between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the government after the former agreed to meet a government team to negotiate its demands, a media report said. "PTI has agreed to move forward in a dem- ocratic manner. PTI will meet the govern- ment's delegation at 8 p.m. today," Dawn online quoted PTI vice-chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi as saying after a meeting with the opposition negotiating team at Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Rehman Malik's residence in the capital. In a joint media briefing, leader of the opposition negotiating team, Jamat-e-Islami (JI) chief Siraj-ul Haq, said the meeting was productive. "It has been a productive meeting. There is still a deadlock, but 70 percent of the work has been done. We believe there will a concrete solution soon." He, however, cautioned the government to refrain from issuing statements to stop the spread of "negativity". "If both sides show patience, then we are not far from ending this crisis," he said. Malik said the opposition team has also asked the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) to resolve the issue through dialogue. "Everyone wants a peaceful solution. I believe that in the next 24-48 hours, things will normalise. The perception that politicians have completely failed, I don't think so this is true. It is the politicians (who are) trying for a long time for solutions to end the ongoing cri- sis," he said. The anti-government protests led by PTI chairman Imran Khan and PAT chief Tahir-ul-Qadri began Aug 15 in an attempt to topple Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who they accuse of rigging the 2013 general elections. While Khan and Qadri continue to demand that Sharif must resign, a joint ses- sion of parliament Tuesday saw all parties put aside their differences and come out over- whelmingly in the support of the prime minis- ter. The protests turned violent and as a result, at least three people were killed with over 450 protestors injured. Kathmandu: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Nepal Sep 18-19 to take part in the sixth meeting of SAARC home or interior ministers. Spokesperson at Nepal's ministry of for- eign affairs Khaganath Adhikari said the meeting will take up common regional security issues and implementation of the past agreements. It is expected that Rajnath Singh and Pakistan's Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan will meet on the sideline of the meeting. Rajnath Singh, Nisar Ali Khan and other ministers from the member states will be arriving in Kathmandu Sep 18. In the spirit of 17th SAARC Summit held in Male, Maldives, the member states had declared their commitment to rooting out terrorism, taking into account its link- ages with illegal trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and small arms and to make coordinated and con- certed efforts to combat terrorism -- the forthcoming meeting will focus on these issues, a diplomat said. At the same summit, the leaders also called for an early conclusion of the pro- posed UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism and completion of the ratification of the SAARC Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters. "Given the important directives of the 17th Summit, this Ministerial Meeting is, therefore, timely and important, as it is expected to agree on measures to realise the Summit's directives," said the diplo- mat. The three-tier meeting will begin at the joint secretary-level, and then move on to secretary- and home minister-level meetings. The meeting will also focus on strengthening networking among police authorities of SAARC member countries and also enhance information sharing among the law enforcement agencies. The participants, including Rajnath Singh, will meet Nepal President Ram Baran Yadav, Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Bam Dev Gautam. Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take up with Sri Lanka's highest authorities the issue of arrest of Indian fishermen. In a letter to Modi, the text of which was released to the media here, she said: "The alarmingly increasing frequency of apprehension of our fish- ermen by the Sri Lankan Navy is a matter of utmost concern for my govern- ment. An immediate inter- vention at the highest level is sought to resolve this long-standing issue." "I urge you to take this up with the highest author- ities of the Sri Lankan government and ensure the immediate release of the 15 fishermen now appre- hended and all the 63 boats in their custody," Jayalalithaa said in her let- ter. She said the Sri Lankan Navy arrested 15 fisher- men Sep 1 and 2 while they were fishing in the traditional waters. Referring to the non- release of apprehended fishing boats belonging to Indian fishermen, Jayalalithaa said the "inhumane" and "cruel strategy" was causing great loss to the livelihood of the fishermen and their families. Citing an interview to the media by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy, Jayalalithaa said his state- ment has given rise to resentment and angst not only among the fishermen community but also among the entire popula- tion of Tamil Nadu. According to her, Swamy said it was he who had advised the Sri Lankan government not to release the boats of the Tamil Nadu fishermen. "I am confident that these are not the official views of your party or of the government of India," Jayalalithaa said. SUBCONTINENT 20 September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info Kabul: Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah issued another ulti- matum over the disputed election result, threatening to withdraw from all efforts to negotiate a solution to the deepening political crisis. Abdullah claims that fraud cheated him of victory in the June 14 election, and fears have risen of a return to unrest of the 1990s civil war after his supporters called on him to form a "parallel government". As tensions threatened to boil over, the United States brokered a deal between Abdullah and his rival Ashraf Ghani in which they agreed to an audit of all eight million votes and the for- mation of a post-election national unity government. But Abdullah's spokesman Fazel Aqa Hussain Sancharaki said his team was on the brink of abandoning both parts of the deal potentially plunging Afghanistan's first democratic transfer of power into further turmoil. "Our patience is running out, any announcement of results made by the fraudulent election commission will be rejected by us, " Sancharaki told reporters. Islamabad: The dreaded Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is trying to expand its influence in Pakistan, with pamphlets being distributed in Peshawar and border provinces of Afghanistan, seeking support for jihad. A booklet titled 'Fatah' (victory) in Pashto and Dari languages was distrib- uted in Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, as well as in Afghan refugee camps on the outskirts of the city, the Express Tribune report- ed. The logo of the pamphlet has the Kalma, the historical stamp of Prophet Muhammad and a Kalashnikov assault rifle. Some copies were also mysteri- ously sent to Afghan journalists work- ing in Peshawar, the paper said. On the last page of the pamphlet, the editor's name appears to be fake and where the document has been published cannot be ascertained, it said. Since long, Afghan militant groups, including Haqqani Network and Hizb- e-Islami, have been publishing similar pamphlets, magazines and propaganda literature in Peshawar black markets. Formerly known as the ISIS, the group introduced itself as Daulat-e- Islamia (Islamic State) in the pamphlet and made an appeal to the local popula- tion for supporting its jihad (struggle) for the establishment of an Islamic caliphate. A number of hardline groups operat- ing in border areas have already announced support for the outfit. Among them, Abdul Rahim Muslim Dost and Maulvi Abdul Qahar, stal- warts of Saudi Arabia-backed Salafi Taliban groups operating in Nuristan and Kunar provinces of Afghanistan, have extended support to the self-styled caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Take up fishermen's arrest issue at highest level: Jaya Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah ISIS trying to expand its influence in Pakistan Pak deadlock broken, PTI agrees to meet government team Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh Rajnath to visit Nepal for SAARC home ministers' meet Afghan election close to failure INTERNATIONAL London: British Prime Minister David Cameron said his country will introduce a slew of measures to prevent terror suspects from traveling abroad, imposing tougher con- straints on suspected extremists in the country. "To confront the threat of Islamist extrem- ism, we need a tough, intelligent, patient and comprehensive approach to defeat the terrorist threat at source," Xinhua quoted Cameron as saying in his address in the British Parliament. Commenting on the terrorist threat facing Britain, Cameron he said: "We have all been shocked and sickened by the barbarism that has been witnessed in Iraq this summer," including the beheading of American journal- ist James Foley with the voice of what seems to be a British terrorist" recorded in a video. The prime minister announced that Britain need to strengthen powers in two key areas to fill specific gaps in its anti-terror armory by "preventing suspects from travelling and deal- ing decisively with those already here who pose a risk". "We will introduce specific and targeted leg- islation providing the police with a temporary power to seize a passport at the border, during which time they will be able to investigate the individual concerned," he said, stressing that "passports are not an automatic right". He said the Britain has already had powers to deprive dual nationals of their citizenship to stop the fighters returning and bar foreign nationals on the basis of the threat they pose. "We will introduce new powers to add to our existing terrorism prevention and investi- gation measures, including stronger locational constraints on suspects under TPIMs (Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures)," he said. Britain has also stepped up its operational response, with a fivefold increase in Syria- related arrests and the removal of 28,000 pieces of "extremist material" from the inter- net this year alone, including 46 IS related videos, according to his oral statement. British Home Office Friday announced to upgrade the country's threat level from inter- national terrorism from substantial to severe. The change meant that a terrorist attack is "highly likely", although there is no intelli- gence to suggest that one is imminent, accord- ing to the Home Office. Britain will host this year's NATO summit in Wales Thursday and Friday, with nearly 60 world leaders, 70 foreign ministers, 70 defence ministers and 28 NATO member countries invited. Washington: The US has con- firmed that the beheading video of a second American journalist was authentic, as President Barack Obama has vowed to punish the Islamic State terrorist group, say- ing America would not be intimi- dated. "Those who make the mistake of harming Americans will learn that we will not forget... that our reach is long and that justice will be served," Obama said at a news conference in the Estonian capital Tallinn Wednesday. "Our objective is clear. That is to degrade and destroy (IS) so that it's no longer a threat, not just to Iraq but also to the region and to the United States," he said, according to CNN. "We can accomplish that. It's going to take some time, it's going to take some effort." The terrorists who killed two American journalists, Steven Sotloff and James Foley, in a space of two weeks will be brought to justice as IS atrocities only served to galva- nize American resolve to punish and dis- mantle the terror group, he said. Earlier, in Washington, the White House National Security Council (NSC) confirmed the authenticity of the video showing the apparent beheading of Sotloff. "The US Intelligence Community has analysed the recently released video show- ing US citizen Steven Sotloff and has reached the judgment that it is authentic," NSC spokesperson Caitlin Hayden said. The terror group released a video Tuesday saying it was a "second message to America" against Obama's decision to con- duct airstrikes against the IS in Iraq. Sotloff, a 31-year-old Florida-based free- lance journalist, who had gone missing in northern Syria over a year ago, was execut- ed two weeks to the day after the beheading of American photo journalist James Foley. Obama, who was speaking at a news con- ference on the eve of a NATO summit meet- ing in Wales, also addressed his much-criti- ciced statement last week that he has no strategy on the IS. He said he was referring to a military strategy in Syria that "might" require con- gressional approval, CNN reported. The world needs a regional strategy to defeat the group, he said. 21 September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info United Nations: The recent con- flict in the Gaza Strip has caused "unprecedented" destruction, leav- ing hundreds of thousands people homeless, the UN said, quoting the latest assessment after the cease- fire. "Organizations on the ground report that the scale of destruction is 'unprecedented'. An estimated 18,000 housing units have been either destroyed or severely dam- aged, leaving more than 108,000 people homeless," Xinhua quoted UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric as saying. "Finding temporary housing solutions for these people will be one of the major challenges facing local authorities and the humani- tarian community in the coming period," Dujarric said. Electricity is still out for 18 hours a day in most areas across Gaza and only 10 percent of the population receives water daily, Dujarric added. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs(OCHA), the ceasefire in Gaza since Aug 27 has now allowed for "a more in-depth assessment" of the structural dam- age, which found around 13 per- cent of housing stock in the Gaza Strip has been affected by the con- flict. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said over 55,000 displaced people are still sheltering in 36 schools run by the agency. On July 23, the UN rights agency decided to send a probe committee to the Gaza Strip to investigate possible violations of human rights during the Israeli military offen- sive in the coastal enclave. More than 2,000 Palestinians were killed and 10,000 injured since July 8 when Israel launched 'Operation Protective Edge' in a bid to stamp out cross-border rock- et fire from Hamas-ruled Gaza. On the Israeli side, five civilians and 64 soldiers have been killed. UN says Gaza destruction 'unprecedented' Ebola outbreak to get worse: UN officials British Prime Minister David Cameron The Islamic State terrorists have killed two American journalists, Steven Sotloff and James Foley in two weeks. New anti-terror measures soon in Britain: Cameron Beheading video authentic, Obama vows to punish IS United Nations: Top UN officials have warned that the Ebola out- break in West Africa "will get worse before it gets better" as they called for international action to deal with the crisis, saying misin- formation about the disease will only exacerbate an already fragile situation. "The fear factor plays a strong role in the crisis. I encourage the Member States and businesses and individuals as well, to take decisions based on scientific evi- dence, not on fear," UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson said during a high-level briefing here on the world body's response to the unprecedented outbreak. The latest number of Ebola virus disease (EVD) cases in affected countries Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, stands at 3,069, with over 1,552 deaths, making this the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded. An unprecedented number of healthcare workers have also been infected and died due to the out- break. World Health Organization director-general Margaret Chan said the current Ebola outbreak was the largest, most severe and complex ever seen in the 40-year history of the disease. The outbreaks are "racing ahead of the control efforts" in the affected countries. The outbreak "will get worse before it gets bet- ter" and it requires a well-coordi- nated, scale up of response urgently, she said, adding tackling the outbreak requires creativity and culturally appropriate actions. "Ebola is now being labelled as an African disease, this is not jus- tified, this is unfair and uncalled for. The level of anxiety and fear is high worldwide because of the severity of the disease and there is a lot of misunderstanding." The three hardest hit countries are "isolated" and "marginalized" hampering efforts because WHO cannot fly in experts to help. The most affected countries are Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone India Inc lauds Modi's Japan visit New Delhi: India Inc has applauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi' s ongoing Japan tour, from where he has announced major initiatives like turning the bilateral strategic partner- ship into a "special" partnership and a fast-track channel for Japanese investors. "This visit marks a defining moment in our relationship and will be regis- tered in history as one that significant- ly elevated the level of engagement between India and Japan, " said Sidharth Birla, president, of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in a statement here. "We are particularly enthused about the launch of the Japan-India Investment Promotion Partnership under which the two sides have agreed to double the flow of FDI into India and the number of Japanese compa- nies over the next five years," he added. Japan has committed to realise total financial flows of close to 3.5 trillion Yen (Rs.2.02 tril- lion) into India over the next five years in proj- ects such as smart cities, transport sys- tems and clean energy, FICCI said. B i l a t e r a l trade between India and Japan stood at $16.31 billion by end of fiscal 2013-14. Projecting bilateral trade to touch $50 billion by 2019-2020 owing to what it called the "Modi-Abe dynamics", the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry said: "We expect that in future Indo- Japan ties would further cement, moti- vating the latter companies' number going up from 1,000 to over 1,500 in the next five years, and India agreeing to allow these companies to operate on its exclusive economic zones." Currently, around 1,000 Japanese companies are operating in India in nearly 70 infrastructure projects, among which is the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor where Japan has so far invested $4.5 billion. Mumbai: A b e n c h m a r k index of Indian equities markets touched a new high of 2 7 , 2 2 5 . 8 5 points before closing the trade at 27,139.94 points. The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) surpassed its previ- ous high of 27, 082. 85 points of Tuesday. Volatility was seen in the trade around 2. 30 p. m. when the markets fell nearly 125 points. It regained tractions and made gains of about 120 points before close. Healthy buying was observed in IT, metal, capital goods, technol- ogy, media and ent ert ai nment (TECK) and auto sectors. Selling pressure was seen in fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) and power stocks. The 30-scrip sensi- tive index, which opened at 27,128.06 points, closed the trade at 27, 139. 94 points (provisional), up 120.55 points or 0.45 per- cent from the previous day's close at 27,019.39 points. The Sensex touched a high of 27,225.85 points and a low of 27, 067. 02 points in trade so far. Kolkata: State-run United Bank of India (UBI) declared the defunct Kingfisher Airlines, its pro- moter Vijaya Mallya and its three directors as wilful defaulters after they did not turn up for a meeting with its grievances redressal panel, an official said. "We have declared Kingfisher Airlines, its chairman (Mallya) and three directors on its board as wilful defaulters as per the RBI circular pertaining to loan advanced to the airline," a senior official of the bank's recovery cell told IANS here. The three directors are A.K. Ganguly, Subhash R. Gupte and Ravi Nedungadi. The bank had advanced about Rs.400 crore to the airline in 2006-07 from its Bangalore branch towards working capital and operational expenses. "The airline is also liable to pay com- pounding interest on the principal amount of Rs.400 crore we have advanced to it," the official said on condition of anonymi- ty as he was not authorised to brief media. The bank also filed a caveat in the Supreme Court Aug 29 against the airline after the high court ruling last week. In a belated response, the beleaguered airline said the bank had post-haste proceeded to declare it and its directors as willful defaulters "in respect of an overdraft facility of Rs.7.5 crore" even before a copy of the high court order was made available to the parties and before its special leave petition was listed in the apex court. "We intend to pursue all available legal remedies, including the SLP filed in the Supreme Court Aug 29 against the high court order," the airline said in a statement from Mumbai late Monday. Observing that being declared a willful defaulter would have serious conse- quences, including penal, the airline said the bank had deprived it an opportunity to be represented by a trained legal practi- tioner, resulting in violation of the princi- ples of natural justice. The grounded airline reported a net loss of Rs.4,301 crore for 2012-13. With an accumulated losses of Rs.16,023 crore and a negative net worth of Rs.12,919 crore, the airline has an exposure of Rs.8,000 crore in the form of debts from a consortium of 14 banks, aircraft leasing firms, airport operators, state-run oil mar- keting firms and other vendors. Tokyo: Prime Minister Narendra Modi kicked-off a new ini- tiative on training for Japanese youth started by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) at its various facilities in India, asking them to return to Japan as India's ambassadors. You are going as employees of TCS. But I want you to come back to Japan as ambassadors of India, Modi told the first batch of 48 trainees who will proceed to India to undergo train- ing for six-eight weeks at various TCS offices. "The 21st century is the century of knowledge and technology. I am sure all of you will gain knowledge by travelling in India," he said, also asking the trainees to use their time in India not only inside class- rooms and offices, but also to see the coun- try. The academy will enhance the technol- ogy and cultural knowledge and under- standing between Indian and Japanese IT professionals. Apart from increasing their exposure to new technologies, the trainees will learn about quality, processes and busi- ness skills. Modi also asked them to savour Indian cuisine. "I can tell you that even if you stay in India for six months and want to enjoy a new dish daily, you will not have to repeat a single dish," he added. In April this year, TCS and Japan' s Mitsubishi Corp announced they were merging their IT operations in Japan to cre- ate a new global-scale player in the Japanese IT industry. TCS has a 51-percent stake in the new venture called Tata Consultancy Services Japan. The companys technology centre, which has capacity to seat about 4,000 employees, will provide Japanese corporations a mix of global talent and capabilities to help them transform and globalise their operations to drive their growth in future. Bank terms Kingfisher,Mallya wilful defaulters Japan has committed to realise total financial flows of close to 3.5 trillion Yen into India. Vijaya Mallya, promoter of the defunct Kingfisher Airlines Narendra Modi with Japanese youth Sensex, Nifty touch new highs, IT stocks rise BUSINESS September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info 22 Return as India's envoys, Modi to youth SPORTS 23 September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info Birmingham: Ajinkya Rahane's maiden century and his century-run stand with Shikhar Dhawan powered India to a com- prehensive nine-wicket win over England in the fourth ODI here and also sealed the series 3-0 with still a match to go. The England batting collapsed yet again as they were bundled out for 206 runs with three balls to spare after being put into bat at Edgbaston. India polished off the total in just 30.3 overs as Rahane struck 106, that included 10 fours and four sixes, and Dhawan remained unbeaten on 97. The duo added 183 runs for the first wicket. Rahane and Dhawan ripped apart the England bowling and showed there were no devils in the pitch. The 150-run stand came quicker than a run-a-ball. Rahane got his maiden ODI century in 96 balls and their 183-run stand ended when Rahane sliced Harry Gurney to Alastair Cook. Dhawan, who hit 11 fours and four sixes, then took the team home safely and sealed the victory by hitting Gurney for a six over mid-on. The win will help India ease the pains of the humiliating 1-3 loss in the Test series. The first ODI in Bristol was washed out while India won the second ODI in Cardiff by 133 runs via the Duckworth Lewis method and the third in Nottingham by six wickets. In Cardiff and Nottingham, it were the Indian spinners, who did the damage. But here at Edgbaston, England batsmen crum- bled against Indian pacers. Alastair Cook (9), Gary Ballance (7) and Alex Hales (6) were dismissed inside eight overs, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/14) removing both openers. But the pick of the Indian bowlers was pacer Mohammed Shami, who got three for 28, and left arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja who got two for 40. With England strugging at 23/3, Eoin Morgan (32) and Joe Root (44) put on 80 for the fourth wicket, but they both fell to the spinners in quick succession. Jadeja had Morgan caught at leg gully while Root failed to execute a reverse sweep off Suresh Raina and was caught at short third man. Bangalore: Usain Bolt would have made Muhammad Ali proud as he vowed the star-struck audi- ence here Tuesday with one-liners and a bit of justifiable arrogance laced with humor, reminiscent of the boxing great during his salad days decades ago. In city on one-day sponsor com- mitment trip, Bolt devoted a little over 30 minutes fielding questions from local athletes, the twitterati and the media during a session that also showcased the Jamaicans penchant for show- manship besides his obvious bias for the 200 metres sprint rather than 100, disciplines in which he holds the world records of 19.19 seconds and 9.58 secs respective- ly. When asked about the possibil- ity of him further lowering the 100m record, Bolt was quick to say that he was eyeing a sub-19 run in the 200 and if he improves his half-lap sprint then it would also help him do the 100 faster. I think there is room for improvement in the 200. It is very technical, but possible. I have always wanted to run sub-19. If I keep chasing the 200 record, am sure, it will help me in the 100, said the 28-year old Bolt who also holds the 4x100 world record of 38.64 along with compatriots Yohan Blake, Michael Frater and Nesta Carter. Bolt was quite firm in saying that his world record in 100 metres was pretty much out of reach, but there were quite a few runners who could challenge him if not beat him. "Track and field is a weird sport. It's all about focus and mental capacity. It's hard to pick any one person, but my coach thinks Justin Gatlin is good. Then there are Tyson Gay and Yohan Blakeso many guys are coming up. But I am not going to let any- body beat me! thundered a confi- dent Bolt. While on the subject, Bolt point- ed out that he had worked hard to be where he is and that his rivals will have to do much the same to match him. As an athlete, I have seen records come and go. They have always been broken, but if you want to be as great as me, you have to work very hard. That's why my records will stand the time, said the six-footer Jamaican without bothering to couch his words in modesty. In a lighter vein, Bolt, who also follows cricket keenly, opined that South African star AB de Villiers was the fastest cricketer over 100 metres and fellow-Jamaican Chris Gayle was probably the slowest. Reflecting on a question about his future and specifically the 2016 Rio Olympics, Bolt minced no words in saying he would probably quit athletics a season after Rio when he will be 31. Looking back, Bolt said he chose athletics over cricket on his fathers insistence when he was still in school. New York: Indian tennis player Sania Mirza moved into the women's doubles semi-finals of the US Open with Zimbabwe partner Cara Black after rivals Zarina Diyas and Yi-Fan Xu retired in the quarters. Third seeds Sania and Cara took the first set 6-1 in 40 min- utes and won a game in the sec- ond set when Kazakh Zarina and her Chinese partner Yi-Fan retired at the Flushing Meadows here. Sania and Cara will now face Martina Hingis of Switzerland and Flavia Pennetta of Italy in the semi-final. The Swiss-Italian pair regis- tered a 6-4, 6-3 win over fifth seeds Kveta Peschke of Czech Republic and Katarina Srebotnik of Slovakia. Sania has now equaled her best performance here. She had also reached the semis last year with Chinese partner Zheng Jie. Sania-Cara enter US Open semis India seal ODI series against England Ajinkya Rahane's maiden century helped India sealed the One-Day series 3-0. Sprinter Usain Bolt in India. Sania Mirza with Zimbabwe partner Cara Black My 100m record pretty much out of reach: Bolt India are back as No.1 ODI side Dubai: World champions India were back as the No.1 ranked ODI side fol- lowing Zimbabwe's historic three-wick- et win over Australia in a triangular series match in Harare Sunday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced here. India had joined Australia on top of the table after win- ning the third ODI in Nottingham, Aug 30, at 114 ratings points, but took sole possession at the coveted number-one spot after Zimbabwe recorded their first victory over Australia in 31 years. This result meant Australia have dropped three ratings points and slipped behind South Africa and Sri Lanka into fourth position on 111 ratings points. South Africa, following their victories over Australia and Zimbabwe, are sit- ting in second spot on 113 ratings points, while Sri Lanka also have 111 ratings points but are ranked above Australia in third position by a fraction of a point. T h e l e n g t h of time spent in hospi- tal after birth and the use of me c h a n i c a l ventilation are key indicators of reduced mathematical ability in preterm chil- dren, says a study. P r e t e r m c h i l d r e n ' s mathematical abilities decrease exponential- ly with a lower gestational age, the findings showed. "It is difficult to see how one could reduce the duration of neonatal medical treat- ment, as this may relate to a number of medical needs," said Julia Jaekel from the University of Warwick in Britain. However, less invasive options to mechanical ventila- tion are available nowadays as the adverse effects of brain impairment are well known. "Our findings may have sig- nificant implications for the choice of mode of respiratory support in neonates," Jaekel added. The researchers used path analyses to establish two neuro-developmental cascade models. Their findings are based on the fact that, on an average, a healthy full term child who does not undergo mechanical ventilation receives a general math score of 100 and a spe- cific math score of 101. On the other hand, a total of 51 very preterm children were ventilated for more than 30 days (thus the highest risk group). On an average, a preterm child receives a gen- eral math score of 73 and a specific math score of 91. The study appeared in the journal Early Human Development. HEALTH 24 September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info Hospital stay can impact math ability in preterm kids I f you have to choose between tea or coffee, it is probably better to drink tea for its antioxidant bene- fits. According to a large study, drink- ing tea reduces non- c a r di o- va s c ul a r (CV) mortality by 24 percent. Coffee and tea are important com- ponents of our way of life. We investi- gated their effects on CV mortality and non-CV mortality in a large French population at low risk of cardiovascular diseases, said Professor Nicolas Danchin from France at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2014 in Barcelona, Spain. The study included 131,401 people aged 18 to 95. During the average 3.5 year follow-up period, there were 95 deaths from CV and 632 deaths from non-CV causes. The researchers found that coffee drinkers had a higher CV risk profile than non-coffee drinkers. Non-coffee drinkers were more physically active, with 45 percent having a good level of physical activity com- pared to 41 percent of the heavy coffee drinkers. Tea drinkers had the reverse profile of coffee drinkers, with consumers having a better CV risk profile than non- consumers. Physical activity increased with the number of cups of tea per day from 43 percent in the moderate tea drinkers to 46 percent in the heavy drinkers. Overall we tend to have a higher risk profile for coffee drinkers and a lower risk profile for tea drinkers. We also found big differences with gender. Men tend to drink cof- fee much more than women, while women tend to drink more tea than men, Danchin emphasized. I think you could fairly honestly recommend tea drink- ing rather than coffee drinking, he told the gathering. C annot hold that craving for unhealthy foods such as sweets or fast food? Try this spinach drink. A spinach extract containing green leaf membranes called thy- lakoids decreases hedonic hunger eating for pleasure rather than to satisfy a biological need by up to 95 percent and increases weight loss by 43 per- cent, new research indicates. Taking thylakoids reinforces the bodys production of satiety hor- mones and suppresses hunger which leads to better appetite con- trol, healthier eating habits and increased weight loss. Having a drink containing thy- lakoids before breakfast reduces cravings and keeps you feeling satisfied all day, said Charlotte Erlanson-Albertsson, a professor of medicine and physiological chemistry at the Lund University in Sweden. The study involved 38 over- weight women and ran for three months. Every morning before breakfast the participants had a green drink. Half of the women were given five grams of spinach extract and the other half were given a placebo. In the study, the con- trol group lost an aver- age of 3.5 kg while the group that was given thylakoids lost five kg. The thylakoid group also found that it was easier to stick to three meals a day and they did not experience any cravings, Erlanson- Albertsson added. The thylakoids extend digestion, producing a feeling of satiety. This means that we are able to stick to the diet we are meant for without snacks and unnecessary foods like sweets, crisps and such, Erlanson-Albertsson con- cluded. M ake sure that your kids do not skip breakfast as researchers have found that regular consumption of a healthy breakfast may help children lower their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. "The observations suggest that regular breakfast consump- tion, particularly involving con- sumption of a high fiber cereal, could protect against the early development of type 2 diabetes risk, " said lead researcher Angela Donin from the St. George's University of London in Britain. The researchers reached these conclusions after conducting a cross-sectional study of 4,116 pri- mary school children, aged between 9-10 years in Britain. The children responded to ques- tions about how often and what they ate for breakfast, and blood tests measured diabetes risk markers such as fasting insulin, glucose, and gly- cated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Twenty six percent of children reported not having breakfast every day and they were found to be at a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. The study appeared in the journal PLOS Medicine. Shun coffee and switch to tea for healthy heart I f you are one of those who can- not easily take stress in your stride, it may be because of your genes, says a study. The findings could lead researchers to understand better the development of psychiatric disor- ders such as anxiety and depression and the consequent development of new treatments for these devastating disorders. The researchers found that the highly stress-suscepti- ble mice had less of an important molecule known as mGlu2 in a region of the brain known as the hippocam- pus. The mGlu2 decrease, they determined, resulted from a genetic change, which affects the expression of genes, in this case the gene that codes for mGlu2. "If you think of the genetic code as words in a book, the book must be opened in order for you to read it. These genetic changes effectively close the book, so the code for mGlu2 cannot be read," said first author Carla Nasca from the Rockefeller University in the US. A reduction in mGlu2 matters because this molecule regulates the neurotransmitter glutamate. While glutamate plays a crucial role relaying mes- sages between neurons, too much can lead to harmful structural changes in the brain. In the experiments, the researchers induced stress in the mice by exposing them to daily, unpredictable con- ditions they dislike with the goal of reproducing the sort of stressful experiences which act as causal factors for the onset of depression in humans. The study appeared in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. Can't take stress? Blame it on your genes Spinach drink kills craving for junk food Photo courtesy of kingfeatures Photo courtesy of google Photo courtesy of preemies.about.com Photo courtesy of blog.fooducate Daily breakfast may protect kids from diabetes Photo Courtesy http://www.dessertrecipes forkids.com/ 25 September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info FEATURES Barmer (Rajasthan): A Scottish energy major and modern technol- ogy have combined to bring about a revolution in two districts of Rajasthan that were infamous due to the scarcity of potable water. Thanks to water ATMs, many oth- erwise arid villages here have 24X7 access to the commodity at the swipe of a card - at 20 litres for Rs.5. Under Cairn India' s "Jeevan Amrit Project", kiosks with reverse osmosis (RO) plants have been installed to provide safe drinking water in villages like Bhakharpur, Kawas, Guda, Jogasar, Aakdada and Baytu to benefit 22,000 peo- ple. "The project is a good example of a PPP model, where Cairn India has partnered with the Rajasthan government' s Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), Tata Projects and the respective village panchayats to provide potable drinking water at the doorsteps of the local community," Cairn India CSR head Nilesh Jain said. Rajasthan, with 10.4 percent of the country's geographical area, 5.5 percent of the population and 18.70 percent of the livestock, has only 1.16 percent of surface water avail- able in the country. The state is one of the driest states of the country. Rainfall is erratic and there is a large variation in its distribution pattern in the state. The average annual rainfall ranges from 100 mm in Jaisalmer to 800 mm in Jhalawar. At present, 22 RO plants (17 with the swipe facility) catering to drinking water needs of 22,000 vil- lagers on a daily basis are up and running. The project is expected to scale up in the coming years in terms of number of plants and loca- tions. Through this technology, vil- lagers can now get clean drinking water by swiping their smart cards in the machines installed at the plant," Cairn India general manag- er (CSR) Ritu Jhingon said. The cards come with an initial value of Rs.150 and can be recharged for a similar amount. Plans are afoot to also provide Rs.20 recharges. This makes the dispensers self- sustaining, with the revenue earned used by the village's water commit- tee to meet the running expenses of the RO plant, such as salary of the operator, electricity and mainte- nance. The surplus money is used to undertake developmental work in the village. And to maximize its reach, water from the RO plants is transported to the surrounding hamlets through vehicles at nominal charges (Rs.1- 2 extra, as decided by the water committee). The dispensers are getting increasingly popular among the locals with more and more people purchasing the smart cards. "Once it was difficult to get water, forget about clean water to drink. Now things have changed. I can, at any time, get clean water for my family," Ram Pyari, a resident of Kawas village, said. Such sentiments are echoed by other users, including Ratna Ram, sarpanch of Sawai Padam Singh village, who became a role model after he inspired more than 100 households in his village to utilize safe drinking water and four anoth- er village sarpanchs to initiate the "Jeevan Amrit" project in their gram panchayats. "My father used to regularly take painkillers for a long time as he suffered from severe joint pain. We have been using RO water for six months now, and miraculously my father has stopped taking medi- cines for the last two months," Ratna Ram said. The number of water-borne dis- eases, such as diarrhea in children, has also come down. Cases of joint pain caused by high fluoride con- tent in drinking water have also decreased. Cairn India funds the cost of the RO plants, which are delivered and installed by Tata Projects, PHED provides the premises and the source water connection and a 15- member village water committee, formed under the panchayat, is responsible for operation and maintenance of the kiosks. Dhara, the local NGO partner for this proj- ect, spreads awareness about safe drinking water among locals and hand-holds the water committee for better success. Apart from providing an innova- tive solution to a grave problem, these water kiosks have also proved to be a model of good self- governance. The water committees have created an identity for them- selves and are looked upon as an effective social group in the vil- lages. Along with efficiently run- ning the RO plants, the committees are also undertaking many devel- opmental projects. Cairn India is one of the largest independent oil and gas explo- ration and production companies in India with a market capitalization of $10 billion. It was rated the fastest-growing energy company in the world in the 2012 and 2013 Platts Top 250 Global Energy Company Rankings. Cairn India generates 30 percent of India's domestic crude oil pro- duction. Through its affiliates, Cairn India has been operating for close to 20 years playing an active role in developing India's oil and gas resources. To date, Cairn India has opened four frontier basins with over 40 discoveries, 31 in Rajasthan alone. The Mangala field in Rajasthan, discovered in January 2004, is the largest onshore oil discovery in India in more than two decades. Mangala, Bhagyam and Aishwariya fields - major discover- ies in the Rajasthan block - have gross ultimate oil recovery of over one billion barrels. Each barrel is of 159 liters. Water ATMs bring smiles to faces of Rajasthan villagers Rajasthani women queue up at a water ATM Email turns 32, invented by an Indian-American Washington: Email turned 32 last week but how many of us know that this quick method of message transfer was invented by Indian American VA Shiva Ayyadurai when he was just 14. In 1978, Ayyadurai created a computer program, which he called email, that replicated all the functions of the interoffice mail system - Inbox, Outbox, Folders, Memo, Attachments, Address Book, etc. These features are now familiar parts of every email sys- tem. On August 30, 1982, US govern- ment officially recognized Ayyadurai as the inventor of email by awarding him the first US Copyright for Email for his 1978 invention. At that time copyright was the only way to protect soft- ware inventions. Email was not created, with a massive research budget, in big institutions like the ARPANET, MIT or the military. Such institu- tions had thought it impossible to create such a system, believing it far too complex, Huffington Post said. Ayyadurai was born to a Tamil Family in Bombay. At the age of seven, he left with his family to live in US. At 14, he attended a special sum- mer program at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences of New York University (NYU) to study computer programming, and later went on to graduate from Livingston High School in Livingston, New Jersey. While attending high school, he also worked at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) as a research fel- low. Ayyadurai's talent, passion and commitment immediately impressed Dr Leslie Michelson, then Director of the Laboratory Computer Network (LCN) at UMDNJ. He gave him a challenge, to convert the old system of paper- based mail communications used at UMDNJ to an electronic one. This complex system of office- to-office communications was the interoffice mail system. This sys- tem was not unique to UMDNJ but used in nearly every office includ- ing those of presidents and prime ministers. Ayyadurai closely observed that the desktop of each secretary, in addition to the typewriter, had an Inbox, Outbox, Drafts, Carbon Copy Paper, Folders, Address Book, Paper Clips (for attach- ments), etc, which they used each day to create and process incoming and outgoing mail. The he conceived an electronic version of this system. He created a computer program of over 50,000 lines of code, which elec- tronically replicated all the features of the interoffice mail system. The latest on Ayyadurai's is that his research center, the International Center for Integrative Systems (ICIS) submitted a report in 2012 to the USPS-OIG which projected that the loss making USPS could potentially generate over $250 million per year through email servicing. Narendra Modi, then Gujarat chief minister, honoring Dr. V.A. Shiva Ayyadurai, the inventor of email, in March this year. 26 September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info SELF HELP M any people think of aller- gies as a spring problem, but most sniffle sufferers know that fall can pose its own issues. Mold and ragweed are com- mon fall allergy triggers, as well as dust mites, which are naturally more prevalent in the home during the drier months. You can turn your home into a safe haven from fall allergens with regular, strategic cleaning and a few preventive measures, says Robin Wilson, an interior design expert and an ambassador with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. To help make your home more comfortable this season, Wilson is offering some fall cleaning tips to eliminate allergens and maintain a clean and healthy space: Wash your bedding. Mattress and pillow protectors will help con- trol dust mites. As an added precau- tion, wash your bedding in warm or hot water every month and replace pillows every three years. Check for mold. Moisture breeds mold, so make sure to scan the inside of dishwashers, under the fridge in the water pan and in sink and bath drains. Change water dis- pensers and icemaker filters on a regular basis. Vacuum frequently. Whether you have wall-to-wall carpeting, tile or hardwood floors, its important to eliminate dust and dirt. Vacuum, mop or steam clean flooring regularly. Use a vacuum with a high-effi- ciency particulate air (HEPA) filter, which captures small particles such as allergens, irritants and pollu- tants, says Wilson. For example, the Panasonic MC- UL429 Vacuum has a HEPA filter and accessories that allow you to be more thorough and get into tight corners. This vacuum also comes with an attachment that pulls pet hair -- another potential allergen -- out of upholstered surfaces. More information can be found at www.shop.panasonic.com. Wash or freeze stuffed toys. If your child sleeps with their favorite stuffed animals, you should fre- quently wash or freeze them in a plastic bag for 48 hours. This will lower the level of dust mites which can trigger asthma and allergies. Use Slipcovers. Slipcovers have come a long way in the last 10 years. Since they can be cleaned regularly and more easily than upholstery, consider using them on sofas and other furniture. Keep ragweed outside. After spending time outside, have your child leave any clothing or sports equipment close to the entrance of the home to avoid tracking irritants throughout rooms. Just because the pollen count isnt through the roof doesnt mean you cant fall prey to allergies, says Wilson. With regular cleaning, you can manage the irritants in your home and make it a more breathable place. (Statepoint) Fall cleaning tips to help rid your home of autumn allergens I t happened again this year: The kids are back in the classroom before youve had the chance to blink. Thankfully, new developments in educa- tion are making it easier than ever for students to hit the ground running. These days, technology has the power to dramati- cally improve how kids digest, retain and apply information if you know how to use it. Check out these great study tips that can help your student achieve the grades they strive for. Quit Cramming All-nighters are a relic of the Saved by the Bell era. Research now shows that students who cram the evening before a test or quiz are less likely to perform well the following day. Rest is critical for academic success. Instead of packing learning into marathon ses- sions, students should maintain a regular study schedule leading up to their tests and should make sure to get plenty of shuteye. Create a Digital Tool-Kit Be prepared is the simple motto of the Boy Scouts, and it applies to almost every facet of life. You wouldnt try to build a tree-house without a hammer, saw and nails -- you shouldnt study with an empty tool kit either. These days, there are unique tech tools available that make the studying process more efficient, engaging and effective. For example, McGraw-Hill Educations LearnSmart provides an adaptive digital tutor that continuously assesses students knowledge and skills and provides personalized recommendations that help them master content over time. By helping stu- dents focus their study time more on learning what they dont know and less on what they already know, LearnSmart can help turn C students into B students and B students into A students. The company also offers SmartBook, a personal- ized digital textbook that adjusts on the fly and high- lights important information based on each students current strengths and weaknesses. You can find more information on McGraw-Hill Educations entire family of adaptive learning tools at www.mheduca- tion.com/back-to-school. Jump Around Not physically, but figuratively. When prepping for a test, most students review course materials in chronological order. While this approach may seem logical, research suggests that studying out-of-order helps students retain standalone knowledge more effectively. This allows them to recall information in a randomized fashion (the way it appears on tests). If your children apply themselves and use these tips to guide their studies, theyll have a leg up in the beginning of the school year. Whether its McGraw- Hill Educations digital learning products, an out- side-the-box approach to test-prep, or just a good nights sleep, a dynamic, modern approach to educa- tion can help your child thrive. This is the era of digital education, said Jeff Livingston, senior vice president of McGraw-Hill Education. We must continue to develop adaptive technologies that streamline the learning process and increase the potential of students everywhere." If your student has struggled in the past, or if you think he or she isnt reaching his or her true poten- tial, try some new techniques to help make this school year the best one yet. Raise kids grades with study tips for the digital age W hether youre a passion- ate chef and a regular host, or you cook simple meals for just your family, you know that a highly serviceable kitchen can mean the difference between easy meal prep and a headache. A big part of this equa- tion is your cooking appliances. If youre in the market for a new cooktop, oven or range, dont neg- lect electric options. Even ardent gas fans will be interested to learn how new innovations in electric cooking appliances are making kitchens more functional and ver- satile. Here are some things to consider before upgrading your kitchen with new appliances: Easy cleaning: Time spent in the kitchen crafting meals for your loved ones can be a pleasurable experience. But few would say the same for clean- ing. Opt for appliances that offer stress- free cleaning functions. Electric ovens, for example, tend to be much easier to clean than the gas variety with the bene- fit of powerful self-cleaning at the touch of a button. Also look for features such as removable glass doors, that can make cleanup a cinch. Even cooking: Roasting a chicken tonight? An electric oven means less monitoring of your dinner, as such appliances boast more even cooking with the added advantage of convection fans. Cooking on the stove-top? Electric heat can be just as or more precise and consistent with modern pot-sensing technology, high power elements and quality cookware. Versatility: When shopping for appliances, keep fast, efficient cooking top of mind. For example, ILVE offers a range that features induction cooking technology, which uses heat generated from magnetics instead of coils for the fastest heat transfer of any cooking sur- face. The ILVE Induction range is equipped with child safety features, high power cooking elements, and pot-sensor tech- nology. Additionally, a scope of func- tions can be performed with the multi- function convection oven, included rotisserie accessory and full-width warming drawer. To learn more, visit www.ilveappliances.com. Craftmanship: For a more func- tional, beautiful kitchen, its all about finding the intersection of cutting edge technology and craftsmanship. Consider checking out a brand such as Verona, at www.VeronaAppliances.com, an Italian manufacturer of kitchen appliances that applies extensive cooking and design expertise to make ranges, cooktops and ovens. If youre upgrading your kitchen dont make the assumption that a gas cooktop or oven is superior to electric. Explore new models and options that offer both performance and flexibility. Upgrading your kitchen? Think electric LIFESTYLE 27 September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info C ontrary to the tradi- tional view that men are more invested in technology, a new study found that more young women are addicted to cell phones and even get agitated when it is not in sight. Women may be more inclined to use cell phones for social reasons such as texting or emails to build relationships and have deeper conversations. Nearly 60 per cent of college students are hooked to cell phones, the study found. "Women college students spend an average of 10 hours a day on their cellphones and men college students spend nearly eight, with excessive use posing potential risks for academic per- formance," informed James Roberts from Baylor University' s Hankamer School of Business. Respondents overall reported spending the most time texting (94.6 minutes a day), followed by sending emails (48.5 minutes), checking Facebook (38.6 min- utes), surfing the Internet (34.4 minutes) and listening to their iPods (26.9 min- utes). Men send about the same number of emails but spend less time on each. "That may suggest that they are sending short- er, more utilitarian messages than their female counterparts," Roberts said. They, however, are not immune to the allure of social media. "They spent time visiting such social networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Among the reasons they used Twitter were to follow sports figures, catch up on news or even 'waste time'," researchers found. The study was based on an online sur- vey of 164 college students. It examined 24 cellphone activities and found that time spent on 11 of those activities differed significantly across the sexes. The study appeared in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions. T he onset of a new season can get people wor- ried and stressed about making the right purchases for wardrobe updating, new research indi- cates. As the season changes from hot to cold, men and women alike are already start- ing to worry about their attire, with two-thirds having planned their new seasonal wardrobe a month in advance, according to a survey conducted by e-commerce site QVC, reports femalefirst.co.uk. Despite 63 percent of adults readily admitting they feel guilty over the cost of buying new apparel, three-quarters of the nation agrees to hit the shops as they attempt to clothe themselves for the onslaught of winter. Im not surprised to see how stressful people find dressing in between seasons...Luckily at QVC we have something to suit all tastes, shapes and sizes And weather conditions, said Nick Chalkley, head of fashion buying at QVC. Furthermore, over a third admit to hiding the cost of their new purchases from the partner or loved ones, in particular those in the South East. But money is not the only con- cern. Concerns over finding outfits to suit their shape and wanting to be on trend are also on top of their mind, despite a third of shoppers admitting to being excited at the prospect of trying out new fash- ion trends, over one in 10 admit- ted of being apprehensive about what look to go for. Not surprisingly, its the young- sters who run after new clothes the most. Youngsters, in the age group of 18 to 24 years old, update their wardrobes more than any other age group, opting to buy new out- fits every two weeks. Women hooked to texting, men can't live without Facebook E xpr es s i ng gratitude is not just a good habit, it may help you win friends too. Thanking a new acquaintance for their help makes them more likely to seek an ongoing social relationship with you, a new study indicates. "Saying thank you pro- vides a valuable signal that you are someone with whom a high quality rela- tionship could be formed," said psychologist Lisa Williams from University of New South Wales in Australia. The study involved 70 university students who provided advice to a younger student. Some of those advice-givers were thanked for their advice. The university students were led to believe they were mentoring a high school student, and were asked to comment on a university admissions essay, supposedly written by the mentee. In reply, all mentor par- ticipants received a hand written note from their sup- posed mentee. In about half the cases the note included an expression of gratitude: "Thank you so much for all the time and effort you put into doing that for me!" The university students who were thanked were more likely to provide their contact details, such as their phone number or email address, for the mentee than those who were not thanked. "Our findings represent the first known evidence that expression of gratitude facilitates the initiation of new relationships among previously unacquainted people," Williams noted. Console games new threat to global climate: Study C onsole games downloaded over broad- band internet are causing more green- house gas emissions than Blu-ray discs delivered via retail stores, new research reveals.It is not always true that digital distribu- tion of media will have lower carbon emissions than distribution by physical means, at least when file sizes are large, they added.Researchers from Yale University looked at the carbon footprint of games for consoles such as PlayStation3. For their analysis, investigators estimated total carbon equivalent emissions for an 8.8 gigabyte game because data for 2010 indicated that to be the average game size. The bulk of emissions resulted from game play, followed by production and distribution. "The internet will become more efficient with time, but game files sizes are likely to continue to increase, making the relationship between online services and climate change a matter for further research," the authors wrote in Yale University's Journal of Industrial Ecology. College fashion - satchel is the best bet If you are someone who wants to flaunt the best of fashion in college then there is one trend that needs to be followed religiously and it is satchel handbags. It is not only stylish, but practical too. They are not only big enough to carry your books, pads, pencils and everything else, but if you want something that's durable and a style staple then this is the piece to go for, reports femalefirst.co.uk. They're stylish, practical and they come in a wide range of colours and styles so there is something for everyone. 'Thank you' turns new acquaintance into friends Getting fresh wardrobe for new season causes stress: Survey F or double-income-no-kid (DINK) cou- ples, raising a child is the most diffi- cult part. For them, crches and day- care centers in the marketplace are no less than playing the role of real parents. According to a study, modern-day parents feel that outsourcing traditional parental duties is ultimately protecting parenthood. Today, parents are increasingly outsourcing caregiving activities. "The expanding array of caregiving services is blurring the bound- aries between family and the marketplace and raising new questions about what is acceptable to outsource and how parents make sense of these sometimes contentious decisions," said authors Amber M. Epp and Sunaina R. Velagaleti from University of Wisconsin, Madison. To better understand the role of the market- place in modern-day parenting, the authors conducted in depth interviews with partici- pants. The interviews revealed that parents are more willing to turn to the marketplace for help once they have provided a strong base- line of activities that allow them to direct how care is given, protect their connections as parents, and assert their role as the pri- mary caregiver. "Achieving this balance helps parents maintain their feelings of responsibility, con- trol and intimacy," Velagaleti said. For instance, when deciding whether or not to hire someone to help plan their child's birthday party, parents might ask themselves if it is their job as a parent to do this (respon- sibility), how they might feel if the party planner does not do things the way they want them to do, and whether or not they should be the person who has created the excitement and joy on their child's face (intimacy). Understanding this can offer insight for companies looking to better market their services to parents. "Our findings run counter to the wide- spread idea that family and the local commu- nity should always be the first and second lines of parenting help," Epp noted. The study appeared in the Journal of Consumer Research. For DINK couples, outsourcing parenthood is cool R anjit and his father, Ravi, were visiting Ravis father in the village. It had been a few years since Ranjit had seen Dadaji, and he was eager to hear one of the old mans stories. Dadaji, tell me about the time you captured the tiger. His grandfather took him into his bedroom, opened the drawer of a cluttered desk and pulled out a large book. He turned to a page with a black-and-white photo of two bare- chested young men posing with a tiger in a cage. What is this book called? Ranjit asked. Its called a photo album. Is it like Facebook? Dadaji paused for a moment, contemplating the question. Yes, yes, its a book of faces. Have you seen your fathers face when he was your age? Show me, show me! Ranjit screamed. He was thrilled to see a photo of his father as a 12-year-old, climbing a mango tree. Daddy, come here, he shouted. You should scan this photo and post it on Facebook, so everyone can see what you looked like when you had hair. I dont like Facebook anymore, Ravi said, walking into the bedroom. Why not, Daddy? Ranjit asked. Im tired of it. Its always the same thing. Aunt Manjula is always posting photos of her grandchildren. Every day, a new photo. She has posted photos of the grandchildren eating ice-cream, photos of the grandchildren play- ing on a swing, photos of the grandchildren picking their noses. How can she afford to post so many pho- tos? Dadaji asked. The postage is too costly these days. Posting is the same as uploading, Dadaji, Ranjit said. She uploads them to Facebook. Is uploading the same as loading up? Dadaji asked. In my younger days, I worked for a shipping company and loaded up many ships. Yes, its almost the same, Ravi said. Aunt Manjula is loading up Facebook with photos of her grandchildren. What about space? Dadaji asked. If she keeps loading up, will she not run out of space? Oh no, Ravi said. Facebook, unfortu- nately, has unlimited space. What about the cost of film? Is it not costly to take so many photos? No, not at all, Dadaji, Ranjit said. Digital cameras let you take unlimited photos. Ravi sighed deeply. Unlimited photos, unlimited space, and unlimited grandchildren poses. Why dont you just skip over those photos, Daddy? I tried that. Skipped the grandchildren pho- tos and had to look at my niece Priyas selfies. Every day, a new selfie. What is selfie? Dadaji asked. A selfie is when you take a photo of your- self, Ranjit said. Why is Priya taking photos of herself when there are so many people around to take pho- tos of her? Dadaji asked. Because other people get tired of taking photos of Priya. But Priya never gets tired of taking photos of Priya. Does she load them all up too? Dadaji asked. Yes, she loads them up three times a day, with comments such as, This is me on the bus with the conductor in the background, This is me at the zoo with the monkey in the background, and This is me at the bank with the robber in the background.' Why dont you skip over her photos too, Daddy? I tried that, but then I had to look at my friend Jamals photos. He posts photos of everything he eats and drinks. Many years from now, when historians want to know what Indians ate and drank in the 21st century, they can just dig up Jamals Facebook account. Why dont you skip over his photos too, Daddy? I tried that, but then I had to look at my friend Manishs vacation photos. Every week, a new set of vacation photos. He posted one photo and wrote, Its so beautiful in Tahiti. Best place on earth. I asked him when he went to Tahiti and he said, What makes you think Ive been to Tahiti? Just because I post- ed a photo doesnt mean Ive been there.' As his father was talking, Ranjit spotted a pen on Dadajis desk and quickly scribbled something in the photo album. Dadaji slid his reading glasses on, peered through them and smiled. At the bottom of the tiger photo, on the protective plastic covering, his grandson had written a single word: Like. Humor with Melvin Durai 28 September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info HUMOR Laughter is the Best Medicine Loading up the book of faces by Mahendra Shah Mahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by profession, artist and humorist, cartoonist and writer by hobby. He has been recording the plight of the immigrant Indians for the past many years in his cartoons. Hailing from Gujarat, he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 6th September, 2014 Traits in you:The influence of your ruling planet Venus makes you adorable, independent, ambitious, and charis- matic. You are a huge believer of love, peace and harmo- ny. Your attractive personality and friendly nature allows you to make friendship with strangers easily. However, you should be more careful in your life. Work had to get a control over your mood swings. It will help you improve as a person. Health this year: This year will take you to new heights by offering you with an excellent health. You will be en- joying a better health this year as compared to the previous year in spite of following a more hectic work schedule and taking lot more pressure in the first few months of the year. Finance this year: You may end up spending much more on your luxury and entertainment. This year you may pur- chase valuable assets such as furniture, television, washing machine and so on. Career this year: You will be rewarded for your efforts and people in your professional circuit will recognize you. You will be able to handle tougher things with your im- proved confidence and steady determination. Romance this year: Casual friendships may turn into strong romantic relationships this year. Lucky month: January, April, May and August 7th September, 2014 Traits in you:Your ruling planet Neptune is believed to bless you with positive approach. By nature you are very much active with lots of energy. Being witty enough, you are confident, vigilant and sharp. Being the owner of undisputed imagination, you can easily win over anyone. You will be liked by everyone for your charismatic nature and behavior. However, you need to control your stub- bornness, which may prove to be harmful for you at times. Health this year: You will be enjoying a better health as compared to last year. However, you need not neglect your regular medication. Finance this year:You may get huge benefits in your busi- ness if you do not invest wrongly. Try to avoid partnerships in your new ventures to avoid loss. Career this year: Your stars will help you touch new heights this year as you will be enjoying prosperity on each and everything you undertake. You will be able to nurture your imagination power to help yourself gain more re- wards. You can improve your knowledge, skills and intel- lectual level by participating actively in debates and inter- esting conversations. Romance this year: You should create new contacts and revive old ones as this year is the best time to make ro- mantic relationship stronger. You may convert your ro- mantic relationship to marriage this year. You may carry on with your relationship if you are not prepared to marry this year. Lucky month: October, December, February and May 8th September, 2014 Traits in you: You are the master of the characteristics such as energy, discipline, and originality. Being ruled by Saturn, you are trustworthy and hardworking. You are very much orthodox who believes in ancient customs and val- ues. You have not let western civilization ruin your beliefs. You are very helpful and reliable. However, behaving prude and stubborn does not suit your personality. You need to leave being a pessimistic and welcome optimism to your life. Health this year: You need to take extra care of your health this year as you are expected to fall sick frequently and that may hamper your work. Finance this year: Financially you would remain stable. However, minor sickness of your family members may make yyou spend lot of money. Career this year: You have to enhance your knowledge and skills to succeed in your profession. You need to fol- low-up with higher government officials to get your work done. This may prove to be very frustrating for you as your work will progress very slowly. However, your previously created contacts will come forward to help you in this mat- ter to get your work done. Some of you may visit abroad for studies or business later this year. Romance this year: You may get involved in a new ro- mantic relationship though it will be for a short period of time. Lucky month: January, April, August and September 9th September, 2014 Traits in you: You are active, courageous, dashing, enthu- siastic and highly diplomatic person. You achieve a lot with your impressive personality and command over your work, but you need to check your tendency to behave er- ratic and impatient at times. Health this year: You will be in a merdiocre health con- dition this year. You have to take regular medication to stay fit. Finance this year: Businessmen will invest in more prof- itable ventures. Promising contacts will build through so- cial get-togethers and traveling. Career this year: This year you will slowly but gradually climb the ladder of success. Romance this year: Your spouse will be quite cooperative and shower her love and affection upon you despite your weired behavior at times. An infatuation within the group will keep you in high spirits for some time but it will not be long lasting. Lucky month: October, December, March and August 10th September, 2014 Traits in you: The power and vigor of the Sun, your rul- ing planet makes you sovereign, intelligent, honest, imag- inative and simple. Being a diplomatic speaker, you may drive people with your powerful speech and make it a huge asset for yourself. You may gain enough money by utiliz- ing your power to speak. You are very intelligent and effi- cient as well. However, you have to get over your jealousy to become a better individual. Health this year: You will enjoy an overall good health though you may suffer from some minor diseases. Finance this year: You may plan frequent travels to get monetary benefits. You should not be carried away with the promises made by people as they may prove futile. If you have invested somewhere by assuming gain, you will be right this time. You may successfully buy some real estate shares with least investment. Career this year: The initial time of the year will allow you gain a lot of things say money, power, recognition, re- lationships and so on. However, you need to utilize the op- portunities that come across you. You will be financially benefited and there will be a huge improving in your work environment to inspire you to work much more efficient- ly. You may get promotions this year or may be switch your job from your existing company to another with an in- creased salary package. Romance this year: You will develop new relationships with your long time friend, which may finally strengthen and turn into marriage. Lucky month: February, May, July and September 11th September, 2014 Traits in you: With the influence of your ruling planet Moon, you are industrious, creative, friendly, and simple. You are a challenge loving person and try to perform on the toughest tasks ever. However, your laziness stops you from achieving your set goals. If you get over your casual ap- proach towards your commitments, you will rise to be a winner for each and every opportunity. Health this year: You may suffer with problems in your eyes and mouth. So you need to get your periodic medical checkup done on time and take prescribed medicines with- out negligence. Finance this year: You may go for investments in various sectors say stock market or real estate this year. You may plan to build your new house or renovate the old one to- wards the end of the year. You may plan to build your new house or renovate the old one towards the end of the year. Career this year: You may be criticized in your profes- sional surroundings for your innovative plans. Your plans will be opposed by your seniors and management but you will be able to convince them the usability and action of your plan with your ability to speak artistically. You will be supported by your friends and colleagues and this will help you enhance your confidence. Romance this year: You will be in a good mood throuhout the year as your partner will provide you with lots of love, care and concern. If you are unmarried, this year may end our bachelorhood or spinsterhood. Lucky month: November, January, April and August 12th September, 2014 Traits in you: The influence of the planet Jupiter makes you realistic, dignified, idealistic, and committed towards your work. Being highly social, you are pretty much inter- ested in making new friends and roam different naturally attractive places. Health this year: You may have to celebrate religious functions very frequently at your place to find peace of mind. Finance this year: If you are into business, this year is supposed to bring you lots of success personally and fi- nancially. You will be able to grow in financial status with the help of your previous investments and paternal proper- ties. You may land up in critical problems if you share your business secrets with your friends, colleagues and partners. You should not borrow or lend money to anyone to avoid future discrepancies. Career this year: You have inborn leadership skills. So you do not like to follow anyone and you want to always stay ahead of others in every field. You should work on your mood swings and stubbornness not to lose any op- portunity to grow in your profession. Romance this year: You may get influenced by a person of opposite gender and it may bring drastic changes in your life. Lucky month: December, February, June and August By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma Chandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874 Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 9899 psharma@premastrologer.com; www.premastrologer.com Stars Foretell: September 6-12, 2014 Annual Predictions: For those born in this week 29 ARIES: Before refusing a promotion offer, look the things from long-term per- spective. Unexpected visit by old friend could give you a pleasant surprise. Long pend- ing arrears and dues will finally be recovered. Romantic imagination would keep you in a jovial & cheerful mood. With a positive outlook & confidence, you succeed in impressing peo- ple around you. Romantic destinations seems appealing to you. Plan to invest in cafeteria or a bakery shop; it might create new opportunities for you. You have a good opportunity to involve yourself in some interesting conversation in this week. TAURUS: Colleagues and subordinates will lend a helping hand enabling to complete the work on time. Good advice from family members will help in reducing mental tension/pressure. Investment concerning residence will be profitable. The company of love partner makes you forget about the work. Mental alertness would enable to solve a tricky problem. Travel for fun and pleasure is what you demand. You might apply for bank loan as to get back the possession of your mortgaged property. Legal matters that have been pending for long time might be decided to your satisfac- tion. GEMINI: Success in completing diffi- cult assignments brings a lot of laurels at work. Sudden good news in the evening will bring cheers for the entire family. Financial profits are solely depended on investment in conservative investment. Sudden romantic encounter will lift your spirits. A cheerful state of mind brings mental peace. Small journey with your office colleagues will be interesting. There are chances of getting good amount from an older property of yours. Interacting with strangers would highly benefit you. CANCER: Self-confident would enable to convey your point of view with ease a workplace. Your efforts bring success & happiness at family front. Financial hassles seem to get over as someone lends a timely helping hand. Attending a social event/family function brings a romantic encounter. Good time to divert attention to spir- ituality to enhance mental toughness. Your boss may ask you for your company to a friends party. The plot you were looking for can be profitable from investment point of view. You use your hidden qualities to make it the best week for you. LEO: You are likely to fail to achieve targets at professional front. You achieve success in personal work with the timely help & support provided by family members. Promising week to invest surplus money in real estate. Your physical charm would catch the attraction of opposite sex. A pleasure trip gives the much-needed tonic to health. Travel plan with a colleague might lead to a new relation- ship. It is better to try for your office accommo- dation as soon as possible. Time to learn how to manage life without pushing yourself too far. VIRGO: Time to be a good communi- cator & natural negotiator to enable yourself to tackle the pressure of a high- ly responsible position. Misunderstandings with near ones in the family will get cleared. A sound financial health would enable to invest on lucra- tive schemes. Love life blossoms paving the way for lovely times ahead. Cutting down the number of parties and pleasure jaunts would help in keeping in good mood. Small picnic organized by your company is good to change your mood. Time to think about your invest- ment plans, as investing residentially might be profitable. Giving an ear to others advice would immensely benefit you. LIBRA: Mental clarity gives a deci- sive edge over all competitors at pro- fessional front. Children would do their best to keep you happy. Your brilliant ideas would help in bringing financial gains. Some differences might crop up with lover/beloved. Start meditation & yoga to attain sound health especially mental tough- ness. Official journeys prove to be more fruit- ful for you. Your investment can be done on a cheap or smaller piece of land. Your sharp observation would help in keeping an edge over others. SCORPIO : Calculated risks would enables to complete the project on time. You are likely to be benefited as family members positively respond. A promising week to earn profits in real estate and financial transactions. Maintain a distance from people trying to pry into your romantic affair. A bene- ficial week to work on things that will improve your health. Fly away with your dreams, new business horizons are ready to explore. Family can be helpful on acquiring your property or plot. A promising week for engaging yourself in recreation & entertainment. SAGITTARIUS: A firm commitment will not only enable to achieve profes- sional targets but also to realise your dreams. Parents and friends will do their best to keep you happy. An improvement in mone- tary position makes it convenient to purchase essential items. A romantic encounter is likely to add spice to life. Your confidence and ener- gy will be high. A fun- filled holiday at an amusement and theme park with your family is there. Its time to invest in property and get most profitable method to maximize your bank balance. Charity and helping those who approach you for help would benefit you. CAPRICORN: Cooperative nature brings desired results at professional front. A promising week to plan things for your progeny. You should focus investment on land/real estate or cultural projects to earn profits. Romantic partner would try innovative methods to catch your attention. A week when smile will perpetually be on your face and strangers will seem familiar. An interesting cruise ship is next place for your vacation. Investing overseas can provide you new busi- ness opportunities. Inviting your close friends to your party will benefit you in the long run. AQUARIUS: For some change of job would bring mental satisfaction. An auspicious week for family func- tions and important ceremonies. A promising week to put your innovative ideas on use to make extra money. Initiatives in love bring positive results as you catch the desired atten- tion. Your energy level will be high. Better to channelise it in a positive direction. Breathtaking beautiful site scenes are your lovers desire. Selling your plot might increase your bank balance. Taking the help of like- minded friends would enable to organize a scintillating party for your group. PISCES: Your inner values coupled with a positive attitude will bring suc- cess at work. A week for renewal of bonds and family ties. Long-term investment would enable to make substantial gains. Your generous attitude would contribute much in your love life. Positive outlook impresses those around you besides keeping you fit & fine. Time to relax and enjoy your visit to a rela- tives place. Buyers will get attracted to your property as your property value is good. Perfect time to put innovative ideas to test. September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info ASTROLOGY 30 September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info SPIRITUAL AWARENESS Meditation: By Louis A. Ritz M editation and spirituality are being increasingly embraced around the world, including the West, as our lives are becoming more complex. Individuals are turning within themselves, instead of the outside world, to find solutions to lifes challenges. Spirituality is gaining popularity for a variety of reasons, e.g., a search for deeper meaning in life, dealing with unbridled emotions or an unruly mind, a fear of death, a fear of life, a loss of a loved one, or a health challenge. At a deeper level, there is a com- mon source of our suffering. As each of us becomes more entan- gled in the impermanence of the outer world, our level of dissatis- faction and disappointment with everyday life inevitably rises. Instead of identifying with our inner Self, as the great Teachers from all wisdom traditions have implored us, our attention has remained aligned with the illusory self and the transitory outside world. Meditation is considered humanitys panacea in that it allows us to reconnect with the Divine that is within each of us. Over the past 40 years, the sci- entific interest in meditation has exploded. The research has gone through several phases. Early on, scientists documented the physio- logical impact of meditation on the body. Meditation, by reducing the fight or flight response mediated by the autonomic nerv- ous system, produces a profound relaxation and a significant stress reduction. More recently, utilizing modern imaging techniques, med- ical research has revealed that cer- tain regions of the brain are acti- vated during meditation while other areas are inactivated. Our scientific investigations are now beginning to evaluate the potential role of meditation as a therapeutic intervention, for conditions such as chronic pain, depression, and addiction. Central to the influence of med- itation on our bodies and our lives is that brain circuits are flexible. That is, the brain is dynamic and can change in response to external stimulation or to our mental pat- terns. Neuroplasticity means that the brain can be shaped, or sculpt By embracing spirituality and meditation, we can change our thought patterns and our brain cir- cuits. In turn, these changes will lead to improvements in our behaviors and our lives. Spiritual questions, like medical or other scientific questions, can be investigated with rigorous, sys- tematic techniques using the time- honored scientific method. Whether an individual is using the scientific method to investigate the objective outer world or the subjective inner realms, the tech- nique is equally valid and valu- able. Use of the scientific method as a guideline for spiritual explo- ration has been developed and promoted by the great spiritual scientists of modern times. The spiritual explorers have long con- sidered basic spiritual questions to be answerable through personal spiritual inquiry; however, unlike objective research questions, they require us to conduct spiritual experiments for ourselves, within ourselves. The scientific approach to medi- tation requires the following steps. 1) Our spiritual quest typically begins with a question, e.g., who are we? Why are we here? Where are we going when we leave here and what is our relationship to the Divine? 2) Essential to the process, we need the guidance of a competent mentor. A mentor teaches us the proper techniques, provides us with the best shortcuts for achieving our goals, alerts us to pitfalls we may encounter, and helps us monitor our progress. 3) Science is conducted in a laborato- ry. The human body is the labora- tory for our spiritual experiment. 4) To collect our data, in order to evaluate our spiritual hypothesis, we use the delicate instruments of the inner eye and ear for the exper- iment in the spiritual laboratory. 5) Medical research requires that the experiments be repeated daily until the techniques are perfected. In a spiritual experiment, there also must be repetition, such as meditating daily. 6) The final step of the scientific process is to com- municate our results, which includes service to humankind. As a neuroscientist, I have found the scientific approach to medita- tion on the inner Light and Sound as taught by H.H. Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj (www.sos.org) provides a firsthand direct inner spiritual experience. Trained and experienced as an engineer-scien- tist, Sant Rajinder Singh appreci- ates the scientific method of deal- ing with challenges of the outside world. Trained and experienced as a spiritual scientist, he embodies the scientific process to meditation and the exploration of our true nature. A scientific model of meditation provides a rigorous, reproducible approach to the practice of medita- tion. The steps involved in medita- tion allow anyone to prove to themselves the positive benefits of meditation to for changing their brain. It allows anyone to enjoy the physical and psychological benefits of meditation as well as the spiritual benefits of entering a state of bliss, conscious aware- ness, happiness, and joy within. (Louis A. Ritz, Ph. D. is an Elizabeth Wood Dunlevie Honors Term Professor at the Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine Gainesville, Florida, USA) Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj As a neuroscientist, the author found the scientific approach to meditation on the inner Light and Sound as taught by Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj provides a first hand direct inner spiritual experience. Over the past 40 years, the scientific interest in medita- tion has exploded. Early on, scientists documented the physiological impact of meditation on the body. Meditation, by reducing the fight or flight response mediated by the autonomic nervous system, produces a profound relaxation and a significant stress reduction. More recently, utilizing modern imaging techniques, medical research has revealed that certain regions of the brain are activated during meditation while other areas are inactivated. Our scientific investigations are now beginning to evaluate the potential role of meditation as a therapeutic intervention, for conditions such as chronic pain, depression, and addiction. September 6-12, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info SEP. TheSouthAsianTimes.info September 6-12, 2014