Author: Samikhsya Bureau

Paris, Dec 13 (UNI) The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has called on the authorities to bring to justice those responsible for the attack in northwestern Pakistan, that killed television journalist Noorul Hassan and left his cameraman, named as Sabir, severely injured.
?I condemn the attack that claimed the life of Noorul Hassan and left his colleague injured,? said the Director-General in an official statement here on Thursday.
?I call on the authorities to spare no effort in seeking out those responsible for this crime and bringing them to justice. This is indispensable to deter violence against the media and against the public’s right to information,? he said.
The two private television journalists were driving along the ring road of Nowshera when unidentified gunmen riding a motorcycle opened fire on their car on 3 December.
UNESCO promotes the safety of journalists through global awareness-raising, capacity building and a range of actions, notably the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, the statement said

It was in 2000 that the groundsmen were awarded the man of the match award on Dec.12.2000 for their ability to make the test match between N Zealand and South Africa in the rain affected ground. It were Groundsman Chris Scot and his staff as they had assured that the 190.5 overs of play were possible despite the first , third and fourth days’ play abandoned due to rain.

Interesting that the Congress MLA, Jitu Patwari, who won for the second straight time had during the door to door campaign said ‘Aapko meri izzat rakhni hai, party gayi tel lene’. He said that during canvassing in Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections  and for second time Jitu defeated the BJP candidate Madhu Verma by a margin of 5,703 votes.

(UNI) At least seven people were killed and 46 others injured in a high-speed train accident in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Thursday morning, the Ankara governor said. According to Governor Vasip Sahin, three of the injured are in serious condition.

Previous reports said at least four people were killed and 43 others injured in the accident,reported Xinhua. Two carriages overturned as the train crashed into a locomotive and derailed. TV footage showed that parts of an overpass collapsed onto some of the carriages. Rescue teams were working at the scene.

(UNI) LAVA International Limited is offering its new sleek and power packed phone Z91 at an exclusive price of Rs 7,999.
The Z91 — perfect amalgamation of design and new technologies – comes packed with innovative features including face recognition which unlocks the phone by scanning users’ face within 0.7 seconds.

The phone comes in blue color with 18:9 wide-screen display and an exceptional glass finish. Dual-SIM phone sports an impressive design with a 5.7 inch HD+ display (18:9) resolution, 3GB RAM, finger print sensor, 2.5D curved design, very sleek body (7.7 mm thick), yet providing convenient one-hand navigation, Tejinder Singh, Head- Product, Lava International Limited said.
It is also equipped with tough and scratch resistant screen making this device more powerful and reliable. The phone is devised with a 3000mAh battery making it stand for its incredible battery back-up and can be used up to 24 hours, through a single charge.

The glass finish device is powered by Mediatek Processor- coupled with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, and an expandable memory upto 128 GB.

(UNI) The BJP on Thursday sought to mount pressure on the Congress President Rahul Gandhi vis-a-vis possibilities of elevation of Kamal Nath as new Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and said if “1984 Sikh massacre” tainted Kamal Nath is appointed to the post than Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh should “resign”.

“When Rahul Gandhi appointed 1984 Sikh Massacre ….Kamal nath as incharge of Punjab assembly election, @capt_amarinder protested till his removal. If RaGa still appoint Sikh Murderer Kamal Nath as CM, Captain sahab should protest & Resign from Congress,” Delhi BJP spokesman Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga tweeted.

(UNI)The Iraqi Yazidi human rights activist and 2018 Nobel Peace Laureate Nadia Murad has joined FAO’s efforts to tackle the twin problems of hunger and violence by becoming a new member of FAO’s Nobel Peace Laureates Alliance for Food Security and Peace.
FAO Director-General Jos? Graziano da Silva presented Murad with a membership diploma on the sidelines of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, taking place in Oslo, an official statement said on Thursday.
Murad, who became the voice and face of women who survived sexual violence by the Islamic State and doctor Denis Mukwege, a gynecological surgeon who founded a hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo, have been awarded the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for their campaigns against the use of rape as a weapon of war and armed conflict.
Launched in 2016, the Alliance cooperates with FAO to strengthen the link between peace and food security and is part of the agency’s ongoing work to promote sustainable development and resilience across the world.
Its includes former Costa Rican president Oscar Arias S?nchez, women’s rights promoter Tawakkol Karman, advocate against inter-religious violence Betty Williams, micro-credit creator Muhammad Yunus, former Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos, former president of South Africa, Frederik Willem de Klerk, and Argentinian activist Adolfo P?rez Esquivel.

Amid a suspense over the chief ministerial faces for Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said an announcement on Chief minister of the states would be made soon. Talking to reporters outside Parliament, Rahul, on a question on who would be Chief Ministers (of Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh ) , said,” we are checking, we are taking input from different people in the party, we are taking input from MLAs, we are taking input from workers, we are getting a comprehensive answer to what the congress party and others feel.” On a further question on whether one would see a Chief Minister soon, mr Gandhi, who met party observers for Rajasthan K C Venuhopal and Avinash Pandey here on Thursday morning, said- Yes, off course, you have to see a Chief Minister soon.

(UNI) The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has identified 12 cities across the country to set up certified clean street food Hubs and the country’s first Hub Food Safety Hub will be established in Ahamedabad soon, FSSAI CEO Pawan Kumar said today.
Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of the Food Convention which began here, he said that the food served by these vendors would be safe for consumption owing to the use of foolproof methods for food safety, quality and hygiene.
In this connection the organisation was working with State agencies to put forward the agenda on food safety and hygiene in street food. The Municipalities will establish the infrastructure and then an audit will be done in the place to see if the guidelines have been met and then the Hubs will be open to the public, he added.
Mr Agarwal said FSSAI is also launching an ‘Eat Right Mela’ in New Delhi, which will be a platform for people to understand how safe is people’s food. Father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi and his food habits will be highlighted in the Mela.
Expressing concern over the quality of food served to school children under the midday meal scheme, Mr Agarwal said FSSAI alone cannot oversee the quality and the government agencies and the school management should also take responsibility. The Food Safety Commissioner and officers have to periodically check the quality of food served to the children, he added.

(UNI) Indian team are all set to take on Netherlands in their World Cup quarter-finals match here at Kalinga Stadium on Thursday.
The hosts looking to enter the semi-finals in the World Cup after 43 years.

Holland side are entering the match on the back of a 5-0 victory over Canada in the cross-over tie. On the other hand, the hosts have been unbeatable in the tournament. India thrashed South Africa 5-0 in their opener followed by a 2-2 draw in second match. India in their last Group-C match crushed Canada 5-1, topping their group.
The two teams have met six times before at the World Cup and India have not been able to win a single encounter. In the World Cup, both facing each other after a gap of 12 years. The last time they met, Dutch thrashed India 6-1. Dilip Turkey, who is key member of the event organising committee, was the only goal scorer from the Indian team.
But despite Netherlands attacking prowess, and previous records in their favour, the India Coach Harendra Singh, who coached Junior World Cup winning Indian team in 2016, insisted the team will enter with the same attacking mindset as the previous games.
”It is good that we have a similar style to the Netherlands ? we give space and we play attacking hockey, as India are doing,? he said.

(Xinhua) British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday won by a large margin a confidence vote by her fellow Conservative members of parliament.
The prime minister won the secret vote, which started at 1800 GMT and ended two hours later, with 200 out of 317 Tory MPs supporting her to stay on as the party leader.
“The result of the vote is that the parliamentary party does have the confidence in the prime minister,” Graham Brady announced the result. Brady was head of the so-called 1922 Committee which organized the vote after reaching required threshold that 48 Tory MPs called in their letters for the ballot to be held.
An applause erupted in the hall upon the vote outcome.

(UNI) Robert Vadra, businessman and brother-in-law of Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that he is not fleeing the country and he is cooperating with the investigation, however adding that he will not allow his name to be used for political blackmail.

“I am an Indian citizen and we are not above the law. I am not running away or going to live in some other country. We have always maintained that we will cooperate. But will not allow my name to be used for political blackmail”, said the 49 year old businessman who is married to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s daughter Priyanka.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) last week raided Mr Vadra’s offices and houses of two of his associates in connection with the alleged forgery and corruption related to a land deal in Bikaner, Rajasthan.

Mr Vadhra said the charges against him are totally false and politically motivated and added that while he is cooperating with the investigation, the process should be fair and legal.

He also said that the investigation agencies did not follow the legal procedure though he had submitted all the documents, and his family is under stress due to this.

(UNI) Mahindra Electric, the electric vehicle and e-mobility arm of the Mahindra Group, on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with home-grown electric vehicle fleet operator SmartE to introduce first 1,000 Mahindra Treo and Treo Yaari electric three wheelers in Delhi-NCR by March next year.
Besides, Mahindra Electric is also mulling to deploy a total of 10,000 Mahindra electric three-wheelers across the country by 2020.
Speaking on the occasion, Mahesh Babu, CEO, Mahindra Electric, said, ?As the pioneers of electric mobility, we are happy to join forces with SmartE to accelerate the adoption of electric mobility. India is witnessing rapid urbanisation and metros are driving the multi-modal mobility needs of the large working population in urban cities. Associations with partners such as SmartE will make it easier to adopt electric mobility and enable our cities to be more environment friendly.?
“As a pioneer in the electric mobility service space, SmartE plans to roll out 100,000 vehicles by 2022. We believe Mahindra Electric’s solutions will play a critical role in our growth strategy”, said Co-Founder and CEO, Goldie Srivastava, Smart E.

Tianjin, Dec 12 (Xinhua) Striking Chinese gongs for 50 years, Liu Zibin, a 70-year-old folk artist in northern China’s Tianjin Municipality, is eager to introduce the traditional musical instrument used in Chinese opera to more people.
Liu became addicted to Chinese opera in his childhood when his grandfather frequently took him to watch performances.
At the age of 13, he joined Hebei Bangzi Opera training team.
Hebei Bangzi Opera is one of the oldest types of Chinese opera in northern China, which became popular in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Like Peking Opera, it is a traditional Chinese opera combining music, vocals, dance and acrobatics.
“It took me hours to practice the basic skills of gongs,” he said. “This round piece of metal can help performers on the stage to express joy and sorrow when hit by a stick with different rhythms, so I must bear in mind all kinds of rhythms for various situations.”

(UNI)UK Prime Minister May to face Vote of Confidence Wednesday:Statement
Moscow, Dec 12 (UNI) UK Prime Minister Theresa May will face a vote of confidence in her leadership of the Conservative Party on Wednesday night after the 15-percent threshold necessary for the ballot has been exceeded amid the delay on the Brexit deal vote, according to a statement of Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 committee.
On Monday, May said she was delaying the vote on the Brexit deal in the House of Commons, originally slated for Tuesday, amid lawmakers’ concerns over the Irish border backstop, Sputnik news said in a report.
“The threshold of 15% of the parliamentary party seeking a vote of confidence in the leader of the Conservative Party has been exceeded. In accordance with the rules, a ballot will be held between 1800 and 2000 on Wednesday 12th December in committee room 14 of the House of Commons. The votes will be counted immediately afterwards and an announcement will be made as soon as possible in the evening,” the statement said.
May will lose her position if 158 out of 315 Conservative lawmakers vote against her later on Wednesday.
A number of Conservative lawmakers have rushed to express their support for the prime minister. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, Home Secretary Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Amber Rudd, and Chairman of the Conservatives Brandon Lewis, as well as several others have publicly backed May.
Several lawmakers, including Jacob Rees-Mogg, the chairman of the Conservatives’ strongly pro-Brexit European Research Group, called for a confidence vote back in November, when the government unveiled its latest draft of the Brexit agreement. However, no vote took place at that time, and the deal went on to be endorsed by the European Union.
The draft agreement was still facing a barrage of criticism in the Commons, whose approval it requires, from the opposition and some of the Conservatives alike.

On Tuesday, several opposition parties told Labour in a letter that they would back the official opposition should they bring forward a motion of no confidence in the government.

(UNI) Mahindra Electric, the electric vehicle and e-mobility arm of the Mahindra Group, on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with home-grown electric vehicle fleet operator SmartE to introduce first 1,000 Mahindra Treo and Treo Yaari electric three wheelers in Delhi-NCR by March next year.
Besides, Mahindra Electric is also mulling to deploy a total of 10,000 Mahindra electric three-wheelers across the country by 2020.
Speaking on the occasion, Mahesh Babu, CEO, Mahindra Electric, said, ?As the pioneers of electric mobility, we are happy to join forces with SmartE to accelerate the adoption of electric mobility. India is witnessing rapid urbanisation and metros are driving the multi-modal mobility needs of the large working population in urban cities. Associations with partners such as SmartE will make it easier to adopt electric mobility and enable our cities to be more environment friendly.?
“As a pioneer in the electric mobility service space, SmartE plans to roll out 100,000 vehicles by 2022. We believe Mahindra Electric’s solutions will play a critical role in our growth strategy”, said Co-Founder and CEO, Goldie Srivastava, Smart E.

Tianjin, Dec 12 (Xinhua) Striking Chinese gongs for 50 years, Liu Zibin, a 70-year-old folk artist in northern China’s Tianjin Municipality, is eager to introduce the traditional musical instrument used in Chinese opera to more people.
Liu became addicted to Chinese opera in his childhood when his grandfather frequently took him to watch performances.
At the age of 13, he joined Hebei Bangzi Opera training team.
Hebei Bangzi Opera is one of the oldest types of Chinese opera in northern China, which became popular in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Like Peking Opera, it is a traditional Chinese opera combining music, vocals, dance and acrobatics.
“It took me hours to practice the basic skills of gongs,” he said. “This round piece of metal can help performers on the stage to express joy and sorrow when hit by a stick with different rhythms, so I must bear in mind all kinds of rhythms for various situations.”

(UNI) Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday raised concern over the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and said it must be addressed.

The Congress has managed to win Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh comfortably and is all set to form its government in these two states. However, in Madhya Pradesh it requires support from other parties being short of few seats.

On a question about EVMs, Mr Gandhi said, “As far as the EVMs are concerned, there is a generic issues. If the people in the country are uncomfortable with the EVM, then it’s a big issue which needs to be addressed.”

In earlier elections, the Congress party had consistently attacked the BJP over alleged ‘manipulation’ of the EVMs, after it faced debacles.

He also said the chip available in the EVMs can be easily manipulated.

“But the central issue of EVM is still there, if the chip is manipulated you can affect the entire voting system, that’s not possible with manual voting. This is a question that has been answered in the US and other countries, where they’ve said that we don’t want an EVM,” he added.

He also launched a blistering attack on the saffron outfit and said, “The BJP has one ideology. We have defeated them today and we will defeat them in 2019 also.”

He also said unlike BJP, the Congress will not give a call for BJP-free India.

( UNI) Scientists from the Feldman Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the Academic University of Pavlov Medical have developed a drug useful in the treatment of mental illnesses, including schizophrenia and mania.
According to a report in TASS news, a contributor to the new drug Elia Sukhnov said that scientists have developed a substance that affects nerve communication.
“When lab mice were injected with this drug, TAAR1 receptors were activated in the central nervous system, which affected signal transmission between neurons in the brain,” he added.
Scientists confirm that the pharmaceutical formula enables the production of tablets for the treatment of mental disorders and is a new way to treat schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia affects more than 21 million people worldwide and is characterized by a disorder of thought, cognition, emotions, language, behavior, etc.