Mt McKinley, highest peak in America, to be renamed Mt Denali

#mtmckinley #denali #WhiteHouse #barackobama Mt McKinley is the highest mountain in America ad US President Barack Obama would be naming it to Mt Denali – this is an Athabascan name that has been in use by generations of Alaska Natives that means "the great one".
This has been reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 1 September 2015.

The White House has indicated that this renaming of the continent's tallest peak is basically to improve relations with Native Americans. Denali carries cultural importance to many Alaska Natives. In the opinion of Julie Kitka, president of the Alaska Federation of Natives, the announcement of the new policy would have a concrete as well as psychological effect on Alaska Natives. Henceforth, all the maps and all the descriptions will have the traditional name.
The mountain is named after William McKinley, an Ohio politician who was elected in 1896 and assassinated just six months into his second term – he had never set foot in Alaska.
As far as history goes, in 1896, a gold prospector who was exploring the mountains of central Alaska had received news that McKinley had been nominated as a candidate for president. Therefore, in a show of support, the prospector declared the tallest peak of the Alaska Range as 'Mt McKinley' - and the name had stuck. This has been revealed by the White House.
The purpose of the renaming is to reflect the desire of most Alaskans - have an authentically Alaskan name for an iconic Alaskan feature.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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India facing drought year with rainfall deficit of 22% - worst since 1993

Monsoons in India are on the verge of withdrawing for the year and with a rainfall deficit of 22%, worst since 1993, India is facing a near drought situation – it would be the second successive year of drought.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 1 September 2015.

Indian Meteorological Department IMD has said that the all India weighted average rainfall in August was 204.2mm against a normal of 261mm. This is the third lowest August rainfall in more than two decades. After 1993, monsoon in August has been weaker only in 2009 (also an El Nino year) and 2005.
IMD had predicted a 10% rain shortfall for the month.
July and August are usually the wettest months of the season and, both have ended with high deficits.
The retreat of monsoons are based on three criteria observed in the region. These are absence of rain for at least five straight days, a significant drop in moisture and reversal of monsoonal winds by the formation of an anti-cyclone.
IMD has said that already there are signs of the first two conditions and, within the next few days, all criteria would be met.
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Another ancient Syrian monument bites the dust – ISIS destroys Temple of Bel in Palmyra

#ISIS #Palmyra #Syria #templeofbel ISIS continues in its rampage and has now severely damaged yet another ancient monument namely the Temple of Bel in the Syrian city of Palmyra. This monument is believed to be nearly 2,000-years old. This has been revealed by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that monitors the conflict, citing contacts on the ground.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dared 31 August 2015.

ISIS had dynamited the temple of Baal Shamin last week and there were apprehensions that the Temple of Bel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, would be their next target.
Baal Shamin was dedicated to the Phoenician god of storms and fertilizing rains and the UN has labelled its destruction as a war crime. The ISIS have also destroyed the treasured Lion of al-Lat – the 15-tonne, 3.5m-high piece made out of limestone early in the 1st Century AD.
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Edward Snowden says Osama bin Laden is alive and living in the Bahamas

If one were to believe Edward Snowden, the NSA whistleblower who is now hiding in Russia, the al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is very much alive and living in Bahamas with five of his wives. As per Snowden’s claims – Osama was and still is in the payroll of CIA and gets $100,000 every month. The money comes to him through a circuitous route of some front businesses and organizations and gets credited directly to his Nassau bank account.
It seems Snowden made these revelations during an interview that he had given recently to Moscow Tribune.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 30 August 2015.

He has also indicated that in 2013 Osama bin Laden was leading a quiet life in his villa with five of his wives and many children. In Snowden’s words - CIA had orchestrated the fake death of Osama and later he was shifted along with his family to an undisclosed destination in the Bahamas.
Snowden feels that Osama bin Laden was one of the CIA’s most efficient operatives for a very long time so they organized his fake death with the collaboration of the Pakistani Secret services. Without his beard and the military jacket, he looks like any other person.
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NorthWest Shopping Centre is newest and largest mall in Auckland

NorthWest Shopping Centre is going to be the newest mall of Auckland and with a length of one-third of a kilometre and an area of 2.7ha, it will be the size of four rugby fields and will accommodate 100 shops and be a part of the new Westgate Town Centre.
This has been reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 31 August 2015.

Its two-level Farmers is slated to be one of New Zealand's biggest and it will have fashion, cosmetics and other items which will be sold from the ground floor and a homeware area is being stocked on level one, with escalators in between.
Other features include the central internal hall 7m high and partly clad in wood slats. Plus, there is a parents' room of 150sq m which has its own mini-creche: a play area with glazed walls along with five separate private infant-feeding areas so that people get adequate privacy. A flat-screen TV would also be installed (Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Mysterious bulge of the pregnant South African woman caught in Hyderabad

An apparently seven-month pregnant woman of South Africa, who had arrived at the RGI airport in Hyderabad, was actually carrying not a baby but drugs concealed in her belly and private parts. She was caught by the sleuths of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) who became suspicious after looking at her passport and travel pattern over the last one week.
When subjected to medical examination, it was revealed that she had swallowed the banned drugs which were packed in small polymer packets. She was immediately rushed to Osmania Hospital to extract the packets from her body.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 31 August 2015.

The 32-year-old woman had landed from Dubai by Emirates flight and the NCB officers observed that she was walking with difficulty – she said that she was seven-month pregnant. But, once she was shifted to a hospital at the airport for preliminary examination, she admitted about the narcotics she was carrying.
By giving laxatives, the hospital staff succeeded in extracting 16 pouches of narcotics substance and it has been confirmed that there was no surgery done on her and she was under medical supervision.
Preliminary investigations from her travel pattern indicate that the origin of the drugs could be Brazil. She had landed in Dubai from Johannesburg on August 23. The next day, she took a flight to Sao Paulo City (Guarulhos International Airport) in Brazil. On August 28, she returned to Dubai from Sao Paulo and, on Sunday, she arrived at Hyderabad from Dubai.
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Revelers ignore forecast of heavy rains and gather for Notting Hill Carnival in West London

Met Office has warned that Britain will be lashed with a fortnight's worth of rain with a Bank Holiday washout firmly on the cards, but that has not stopped revelers of Notting Hill Carnival – the rains does not appear to have dampened the spirits. Participants have been warned to carry umbrellas and waterproofs for a rainy edition of Europe's largest street festival.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 30 August 2015.

The carnival is led by members of the British West Indian community and the celebrations features steel bands, flamboyant costumes, colorful floats, Calypso music, Caribbean food and 38 sound systems.
The crowds enjoyed music that was blasting out from floats and the drummers took to the streets to get revelers with horns and whistles dancing. Families made the most of the dry weather by sitting on curbs and tuck into traditional Caribbean food like jerk chicken. Flags of West Indies and Union Jacks were draped from balconies.
Carnival-goers were warned that they could face torrential rain, but a party atmosphere was in full swing at the annual event in Notting Hill in west London.
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38-girls killed and 20 injured in road accident en-route to Swaziland beauty pageant

It was a tragic road accident in Swaziland when 38 girls were killed and 20 0thers were seriously injured as they were en-route to a traditional ceremony where King Mswati III can choose a new wife. It is a beauty pageant and the participants perform the traditional Reed Dance.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 30 August 2015.

The accident happened when the open truck in which they were traveling smashed into a car on the road between the two main cities of Mbabane and Manzini – the girls were going to Reed Dance. This dance is a sort of beauty pageant and it attracts tens of thousands of young virgins. They will dance before the polygamist king, and he can select one of them as a new wife.
Incidentally, Mswati III, Africa`s last absolute monarch, had selected his 14th wife at the celebration held in 2013. He has ruled Swaziland as an absolute monarch ever since his father`s death in 1982.
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Six persons to become guinea pigs and imitate Martian life in Hawaii for a year

It’s a strange mix of six people drawn from different professions who will be guinea pigs to imitate life on Mars. They are a French astrobiologist, a German physicist and four Americans - a pilot, an architect, a doctor/journalist and a soil scientist. They would stay in a specially constructed dome built by NASA in remote Mauna Loa in Hawaii. The dome is on a barren, northern slope of the volcano and they would live inside a dome that would be 11m across and 6m tall.
This has been reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 30 September 2015.

They have already shut themselves inside the dome and will be there for a year. It would be the longest US isolation experiment aimed at helping NASA prepare for a pioneering journey to Mars.
The participants have their own small rooms, with space for a cot and desk, and will spend their days eating foods like powdered cheese and canned tuna. When they go out of the dome, they would be dressed in a spacesuit, and would have limited access to the internet.
As one of the crew member Sheyna Gifford has said - the team is "six people who want to change the world by making it possible for people to leave it at will."
They have to spend their time in a cramped space with no access to fresh air, food, or privacy and, conflicts are certain to occur. The study would be to observe how these scenarios play out on Earth before pressing on to Mars. The target is in the 2030s.
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Mumbai generates nearly 9K tonnes of plastic waste of non-biodegradable material like plastic, and glass. Obviously, despite promoting the concept of elimination of plastic bags from our lives, the situation remains unchanged. Mumbai has not learnt any lesson from the severe environmental impact of plastic waste that had been seen in the 2005 deluge where its drains, creeks and ultimately the city were choked.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 30 August 2015.

The above information is based on BMC's yet-to-be-released Environment Status Report for 2014-15. As per this report, wastes like plastic, glass, metal and paper account for 17% of the total waste generated everyday while 73% is grains and vegetables.
The worry is about plastic waste since there is no way to process the same.
The two dumping grounds in Mumbai at Deonar and Mulund have reached their full capacity and there is stiff resistance from environmentalists and NGOs over the Kanjurmarg landfill. Obviously, it is a major problem for the BMC and Mumbai has to reduce the amount of waste that the city generates every day.
This dry waste of plastic, paper and glass, is collected and sent to the over 30 segregation centers operated by NGOs and their ragpickers. However, in spite of the best intentions, plastic waste continue to reach the dumping grounds. (Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)


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Taxis in Kolkata go hi-tech with Ola Taxi service

Taxis in Kolkata have gone hi-tech as the cab service Ola has inducted yellow taxis in its fleet of cars. These taxis will run on meter and the fares will be same as that of normal taxis with an additional Rs 10 charged extra as convenience fee.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 29 August 2015.
Ola has kicked off the service with 1,000-odd yellow Ambassadors and blue-and-white Swift Dzires and Amabassadors (AC and Non-AC) – all its drivers have been provided with smartphones.

To avail of the Ola Taxi service - yellow as well as the blue-and-white ones (AC and Non-AC) – one must necessarily be in possession of a smartphone. He can book a cab through a taxi icon on the bottom right of the Ola app homepage.
Everything is same as that of other app-based service providers like Uber – the person who books the cab can know the approximate distance at which a taxi is stationed and, once a ride is confirmed, the details of the driver will be displayed – like his name, phone number and taxi number.
These cab services are gradually gaining popularity and regular cab operators are feeling the pinch because they used to go on sudden strikes on any pretext putting travelers to a lot of inconvenience. They used to dictate terms and exploit the travelers – especially, if he was new to the city. And – they enjoyed the support of political parties. However, all that is changing due to the emergence of cab services like Ola and Uber.
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Women’s hockey team into 2016 Rio Olympics after 36-years on Dhyan Chand’s birthday

It is great news for Indian hockey that the women's hockey team qualified for the 2016 Olympics in Rio after Spain lost to England in the semi-finals of the EuroHockey Championships in London. This happens to be the second time the women's team has made it to the Olympic Games. The first time was in 1980. To add to the happiness is the fact that this news comes on a day when the country is celebrating the birthday of hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand as National Sports Day.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 29 August 2015.

The Indian team had finished in the 5th position at the Hockey World League semi-finals earlier in July. Therefore, with England’s win, India got the chance to edge ahead. Both Netherlands and England had already sealed their qualification for Rio ahead of this EuroHockey Championships.
Other teams that have made it to 2016 Rio Olympics are South Korea, Argentina, Great Britain, China, Germany, Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand and the USA.
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Wal-Mart to phase out assault weapons like AR-15 within a week

The decision of Wal-Mart to phase out sales of assault rifles in its fleet of big-box stores is a timely one in view of increase in the number of gun related violence and death. The company has indicated that the decision to start taking modern sporting rifles, or "MSRs," off its shelves was not in response to political clashes about gun violence but it was actually a reflection on lack of customer interest in these products.
This has been reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 29 August 2015.

Wal-Mart has revealed that it would be focusing on other hunting and sportsman firearms like shotguns and rifles, based on customer demand.
The Bentonville, Arkansas-based Wal-Mart chain had MSRs in one-third of its 4,588 stores all across the country. This MSR category of weapon, which includes items such as AR-15s, will be fully phased out of its stores within a week.
It may be recalled that gun activists were especially critical of MSR-style weapons following the 2012 shooting incident in a school in Newtown, Connecticut. In that incident, 26 teachers and students died and the school was the Sandy Hook Elementary School. The shooter had used an AR-15 rifle.
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Pandals to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi and Navratri are a means of ‘extortion’

The Bombay High Court has made a very relevant observation about how festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri are celebrated by erecting pandals in public places. The HC has termed it as a means "just to extort money" and has added that in Puri (Orissa), the annual rath yatras take place on roads.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 29 August 2015.

The observations were made while the bench was hearing a petition by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon), seeking permission for holding a rath yatra at Shivaji Park. The judges have observed that holding it in Shivaji Park will damage the cricket pitch.
In the opinion of the judges, these pandals are nothing but a method of extort money. Celebration of festivals in open spaces of the city should be stopped. These should be held at one place in each ward instead of at thousands of places. It is impossible for people living in and around the places and near immersion sites to sleep well.
Incidentally, in Kolkata there are hundreds of pandals erected to celebrate festivals like Durga Puja and Kali Puja and people who live near these pandals have to bear with the crowds plus sound of blaring microphones. And – the organizers mint millions through hoardings of advertisements that are put up all around the venue. Many of these pujas are more than 50-years old!!
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A drone comes to within 50-m of a Dash-8 transport aircraft over London City Airport

It was a sort of near miss when a drone came to within 50 meters from a passenger plane in a 'possibly catastrophic' situation over London City Airport. The drone was spotted by both the pilot and co-pilot of the twin-engined Dash 8 aircraft, which can carry up to 78 passengers. The incident took place on April 19 as the drone passed along the right-hand side of the plane.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 28 August 2015.

The aircraft was a Dash-8 and the revelation was by the UK Airprox Board which probes near misses. They have assigned this close call its second highest risk rating of B – this means 'safety is not assured'.
The owner of the drone could not be identified – it was flying at the same altitude as the plane. Moreover, there was no radar information for the drone and, it was clear the pilots had seen it 'at close quarters'. It seems there were numerous parks in the areas from where the drone could have been launched.
As per existing laws on using drones – they must not fly higher than 400ft and must not be further than 500m away from the pilot. They cannot also be flown within 150m of any other congested area, or within 50m of other aircraft or vehicle.
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Several hundred feared dead as two migrant boats sink off coast of Libya

The toll could rise to several hundred after two boats packed with migrants sank just miles off the Libyan coast. One of the boats had about 50 people on board and, had signaled for help. The second boat, with about 400 passengers, capsized later.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 28 August 2015.

The Libyan coast guard managed to rescue around 200 people, who have been sent to a detention facility in Sabratha, west of Tripoli. The migrants are believed to be from sub-Saharan Africa, Pakistan, Syria, Morocco and Bangladesh.
In an earlier incident, the Swedish navy ship Poseidon had found the bodies of 51 migrants dead due to suffocation below the deck of a boat off Libya's coast. Poseidon was already engaged in rescuing 130 migrants from a raft when it got a call to assist a nearby wooden vessel.
Zuwara, Libya's most western town located near the Tunisian border, is a major launchpad for smugglers who ship out migrants who are desperate to flee the conflict and poverty and seek shelter in Italy.
More than 2,300 deaths have already been reported so far this year in their attempts to reach Europe by sea. The corresponding figure was 3,279 in the past 12 months, as per the International Organisation for Migration. Thousands of migrants and refugees are travelling daily between Greece to Hungary hoping for a better life in the European Union.
(Image courtesy wikiimediacommons.org)


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Qatar Airways changes its policy of sacking cabin crew for getting pregnant or getting married

Earlier this year Qatar Airways had won the airline of the year award for the third time at the annual Skytrax world awards at the Paris air show. But, it has now been shamed into relaxing its policy of sacking members of its cabin crew when they get pregnant or get married within their first five years of employment.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 28 August 2015.

International Transport Workers Federation president Paddy Crumlin has welcomed this move terming it as a "first victory" for staff rights.
Company executives have indicated that the restrictions had been phased out over the past six months not as a result of international criticism but after senior management began a review of working practices last year.
Qatar Airways has nearly 9,000 cabin crew and, around three-quarters of which are female. Under the new regulations, those women who get pregnant would be offered temporary ground jobs and the staff can go in for marriage after notifying the company.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)


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Mumbai police find 10 bar-girls hidden in the walls!!

The Mumbai Police raided a bar at Majiwada and arrested 14 bar girls who had hidden themselves by squeezing into a specially-built hi-tech hidden cavity inside the walls. This was controlled by a remote control device and, it took them nearly an hour to locate the hiding place.
One of the three arrested bar owners was a suspended constable from Navi Mumbai.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 28 August 2015.

It seems the police had a tipoff that there were 14 girls in the bar – but, when they landed up, thee were only four girls. Then while tapping the walls, they located a wall which sounded hollow. When they tried to break it down, the girls began to scream.
The 10 remaining girls had squeezed into a 10 feet by 3 feet cavity!!
Subsequent checks revealed eight cavities inside the bathrooms, kitchen and aisles.
The bar was operating beyond stipulated hours and the girls were indulging in obscene acts and dancing on the tunes of vulgar songs while customers showered currency notes on them.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)


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Asian box tree caterpillars invade Britain – they can destroy the best garden

The gluttonous Asian box tree is an invasive species of caterpillar that can reduce garden hedges to bare skeletons in no time and are spreading from London across the UK. These insects can eat their way through box hedges within days of hatching and destroy prized gardens.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 27 August 2015.

The number of infestations have risen from 20 in 2014 to 150 so far this year. Earlier, in 2011, there were only three reports. These used to be found only in parts of South West London. But, the voracious, inch-long pest has spread its reach rapidly and has invaded beyond the M25 and into Essex.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has revealed that they now receive three to four reports of infestations of Diaphania perspectalis daily and have cautioned that several hundred of these can coat a plant at any one time and, decimate gardens before the owners can even spot them.
In the opinion of experts, these caterpillars originated in China and entered the UK after flying over the English Channel or stowing away on container ships.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)


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Mars is waiting for billionaires to set up colonies on its soil

Mars One had outlined its plans for the first batch of four pioneers to land on the Red Planet in 2027 on a one-way journey. Already, persons have been chosen and are undergoing training to prepare themselves mentally and physically to settle down on an alien planet.
However, the biggest challenges facing the project are more financial in nature rather than technical. Obviously, the need of the hour is for a big donation from a deep-pocketed person.
This has been reported in space.com dated 25 August 2015.

Mars One co-founder and CEO Bas Lansdorp, is a worried man. His ideas are fine and theoretically feasible but finance is a matter of worry. It is not the goal to send humans to Mars in 2027 with a $6 billion budget and 14 launches but, rather, to send humans to Mars.
The organization wants to send up a Mars lander and an orbiting communications satellite in 2020. This would be followed by a scouting rover and second commsat (which will circle the sun instead of the Red Planet) in 2022. Then will come six separate cargo missions in 2024 – these missions would loft a second rover, two human habitats, two life-support units and a "supply unit."
As per estimates, these activities plus the landing of the first four astronauts on the Red Planet in 2027, will add up to about $6 billion. Already, the dates have shifted – the initial plan was to put boots on Mars in 2023, it was shifted to 2025, and now 2027.
If only someone like Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates or Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim Helu decided to finance it, they could have settlements like Gatesville or Slim City up there on the Red Planet Mars.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)


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Hindu witch doctors in Auckland fool the public

So-called Hindu witch doctors have advertised in local Indian media about their services and this has led to a complaint being filed with Advertising Standards Authority because of an uproar among the Indian community. The complaint had been lodged by Thakur Ranjit Singh on behalf of Indian Media Watch New Zealand.
This has been reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 27 August 2015.

Community leaders in Auckland had held a meeting where they called for an investigation into how the witch doctors have been able to live and work in New Zealand. The local Indian media also came in for criticism for advertising their services.
Apparently, these so-called witch doctors, healers and astrologers in South Auckland have charged thousands of dollars in return for promised financial fortunes and love-life successes that do not materialize. They exploit the religious sentiments of people and mint their millions because their claims are hollow – but, some people live on hope and believe that these can become true. And, the so-called witch doctors live on them like parasites.
These ads have appeared in the Indian Newslink, Manukau Courier and Apna TV.
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Violence in Gujarat, the land of Gandhi and Modi – 9 killed as Army called in

#NarendraModi #HardikPatel #GujaratViolence #AnandibenPatel Gujarat is once again seeing violence and, this time it is on the issue of reservation - it was apparently sparked off by police crackdown on Patidar protesters in Ahmedabad. The Anandiben Patel government had no alternative but to call in the Army to help maintain law and order. The Police and leaders of the ruling BJP were the prime targets of the rioters.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 27 August 2015.

The police action followed the arrest of protest kingpin Hardik Patel. There was also lathicharge at the venue of the Patel rally and at least nine people have been killed in the violence. The deaths were four in Ahmedabad, three in Banaskantha and one in Mehsana and a police constable in Surat. Another 100 have suffered injuries.
In order to contain the situation, five columns of the Army carried out a flag march in violence-hit areas of Ahmedabad where curfew was imposed in nine areas.
The demonstrators attacked policemen, damaged buses, ransacked government buildings and blocked highways - 140 state transport buses were set on fire and another 152 damaged.
The agitation had been going on for nearly a month and, finally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke his silence on the issue of recognizing the Patidars as OBCs – he made a fervent appeal for calm.
Hardik Patel, the convener of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, has warned that the agitation to secure OBC status for Patels would only intensify. He has also told his supporters not to indulge in violence and also threatened to resign if they did not heed his call.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)


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Reading Festival in Berkshire to witness heavy rains

It is estimated that nearly 100,000 revelers could be attending the Reading Festival in Berkshire this weekend and they are being urged to 'take their wellies and thermals' because forecasters have warned that further rain will continue to lash the country.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 26 August 2015.

Music fans will arrive at the venue of the Richfield Avenue festival site and, with the recent heavy rain and further thundery downpours, the camping area could very well turn into a quagmire. Due to such wet weather and below-average temperatures, the police have advised festival-goers to carry with them enough warm clothing due to fears of hypothermia.
Incidentally, incessant rains have opened up a large sinkhole on the busy A27 at Titchfield in Hampshire and the police had to close the road and divert motorists to allow council workers to assess the extent of damage.
The police have also suggested that festival goers make use of the train service to reach Reading – that would be better rather than driving down and get stranded on the wet, muddy roads.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)


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North Korea says ‘sorry’, South Korea shakes hand and says ‘All’s well’

North Korea and South Korea have agreed to call it quits for the time being. North has expressed "regret" over landmine attacks that wounded two soldiers from the South. And, South has reciprocated by agreeing to stop broadcasting propaganda over the border.
The decision to hold the talks at the Panmunjom truce village inside the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) came just hours before the deadline set by Mr Kim Jong-Un for the South to dismantle its loudspeakers.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 25 August 2015.

The deal came after marathon talks and it calms the fears of an escalation in the conflict between the two countries. North Korea has also agreed to end its "quasi state of war" with the South and the neighbors agreed to hold follow-up talks in order to improve relations in Seoul or Pyongyang.
Adviser to the South Korean president has said that North Korea has apologized for the landmine provocation and has promised to work to prevent the recurrence of such events and ease tensions.
South Korea had set up 11 sites from where loudspeakers would boom out anti-Pyongyang messages, news broadcasts and K-pop hits such as Gangnam Style across the border. Seoul had refused to stop unless the North expressed apology for the landmine attacks.
Of course, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un had continually denied any involvement but, an agreement has been reached and it hints at a softened stance from both sides thus ending the prospect of war on the Korean peninsula.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)


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