US House resolution asks Gujarat to restore religious freedom

Washington, March 3: To mark the 10th anniversary of Gujarat communal riots, a Democrat lawmaker has introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives urging the State government to restore religious freedom.

The non-binding resolution ‘recognizing the 10th anniversary of the tragic communal violence in Gujarat’ introduced by Keith Ellison early this week has been sent to the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Recognizing the sufferings of the people affected by the 2002 violence in Gujarat, including those who lost their lives in the Godhra train fire, the resolution shares the opinion of the US Department of State that the Gujarat government has not adequately pursued justice for the victims of the 2002 violence.

Expressing concern over reports from journalists and human rights groups about alleged complicity of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the 2002 violence, the resolution commends the US Government for denying a visa to Modi in 2005 on the grounds of a religious freedom violation under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.

The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), in a statement, welcomed the introduction of the Congressional resolution.

“Congressman Ellison’s resolution is an important effort to memorialize all those who were killed in the horrific sectarian violence of Gujarat in 2002,” said Shaheen Khateeb, IAMC president.

Over a 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in the carnage. (IANS)

Sikh group protests Sonia Gandhi’s presence in US

New York, March 3: A US based Sikh group has approached Secretary of State Hillary Clinton demanding the expulsion of Congress president Sonia Gandhi from the United States.

“Sonia Gandhi’s entry and presence in the US is in violation of section 212(a)(3)(E)(ii) and (iii) of the Immigration and Nationality Act and section 604 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998,” the Sikhs for Justic (SFJ) said in a letter to Clinton.

These laws prohibit entry into the US of any individual who, outside of the US, has ordered, incited, assisted or in any way participated in the commission of any act of torture or extra judicial killing, SFJ legal advisor Gurpatwant Singh Pannun wrote.

Sonia Gandhi is inadmissible to the US because as president of the Indian National Congress she has been actively covering up the Sikh genocide and shielding her party leaders who were key players in executing the atrocities of 1984, he said.

SFJ alleged that India’s Congress party had organized the genocide to avenge the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her two Sikh bodyguards. (IANS)

Security talks reaffirm growing US-India Partnership: Pentagon

Washington, March 3: The recent Indo-US security talks not only reaffirmed the strength of bilateral ties, but also showed that there is a genuine sentiment on both sides to grow the relationship in a positive direction, the Pentagon said today.

“These talks really did reaffirm the strength of the relationship. There is genuine positive sentiment on both sides and a real desire to grow the relationship in a positive direction,” Robert Scher, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for South and Southeast Asia, told reporters.

Briefing a select group of media at the Pentagon, on the recently concluded 12th round of the Defence Policy Group meeting held in New Delhi on February 21 and 22, Scher said this is clearly one of the most important bilateral relationships that the US has with any country.

“Successive Secretaries of Defence have noted this and the guiding strategic documents for the Department (of Defence) have noted this as well.

“We are committed to this long term strategic partnership with India and believe that together we can very effectively serve our interest and create a stable and prosperous region,” Scher said. (PTI)

Russia enters ‘day of silence’

Moscow, March 3:  Russia on Saturday entered into the so-called ‘day of silence’, a day ahead of presidential elections, when any form of election propaganda is prohibited. Election campaign billboards, which were mounted earlier, could remain in their places on condition that they are situated not closer than 50 metres (164 feet) from a nearest polling station.

The ‘day of silence’ is aimed to give a voter an opportunity to make a final decision on his choice of a future president without being pressured by any election propaganda.

The post of president, who this year will be elected for a term of six years for the first time, is being fought over by candidates comprising current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov, Head of the Liberal Democratic Party Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Sergei Mironov from A Just Russia, and independent candidate Mikhail Prokhorov. (IANS)

‘Britain won’t be Christian nation by 2030’

London, March 3: Britain may no longer be a Christian country by 2030 as the number of non-believers is set to overtake the number of Christians, a media report said.

Christianity is losing more than half a million believers every year, while the count of atheists and agnostics is going up by almost 750,000 annually, the Daily Mail reported.

Research by the House of Commons Library found that while Christianity has declined, other religions have seen sharp increases.

In the last six years, the number of Muslims has surged by 37 percent to 2.6 million; Hindus by 43 percent and Buddhists by 74 percent. But the number of Sikhs and Jewish believers fell slightly, according to the Mail Friday.

Last week a group of MPs and peers, Christians in Parliament, claimed public policy was promoting unacceptable discrimination against Christians.

On Friday, the group’s chairman, former Tory justice minister Gary Streeter, warned that believers were having their faith steamrollered by a secular and hostile state. It found that in 2010, there were around 41.1 million Christians in Britain, down 7.6 percent over the past six years.

There were around 13.4 million non-believers, up 49 percent over the same period.(IANS)

Key to a good night’s sleep

London, March 3: Going to bed at exactly 10 p.m., wearing pyjamas and enjoying a cup of tea beforehand are the key to getting a perfect night’s sleep, says a new study.

A survey of 2,000 adults conducted by British bedlinen brand Bedeck, said that in order to enjoy undisturbed sleep every night, people should have at least two hours rest in the evening after cooking, washing up and doing the chores.

The last meal of the day should be eaten by 8.29 p.m. and the last drink, preferably a cup of tea, at 9.10 pm, the Daily Express reported.

An average person also watched an hour and 46 minutes of TV, opting for a soap opera or quiz shows.

According to the study, after going to bed at 10 p.m. in pyjamas, a person should spend 20 minutes reading before settling down, lying on the right-hand side facing outwards on the right-hand side of the bed. The person will fall asleep at 10.26 p.m. and not wake up till the alarm goes off at 6.47 a.m. (IANS)

Facebook in row over moderation process

London, March 3: Social networking website Facebook has been criticized for employing content moderators in the developing world and allowing them to access people’s personal information, The Telegraph reported on Saturday. Facebook responded saying, “No user information beyond the content in question and the source of the report is shared.”

However, new evidence seen by the newspaper shows that these moderators, who have to deal with the distressing images and messages every day, are able to see the names of the person who uploaded the offensive content, the subject of the image or person tagged in a photo, in addition to the person who has reported the content.

Former Facebook moderator, 21 year-old Amine Derkaoui from Morocco, has shown The Telegraph several screenshots of what these outsourced workers see when deciding if a piece of content is suitable to be on the site. Security experts are concerned about the amount of personal information Facebook is allowing these poorly paid third-party workers in the developing world access to.

Graham Cluley, of the British internet security firm Sophos, said, “When people report content on Facebook, I don’t think they expect all of their details to end up in India, with someone who doesn’t directly work for Facebook.By sharing information about a Facebook account holder, there is obviously the potential for abuse and blackmail.” (IANS)

World’s five hotspots of biodiversity

Washington, March 3: Here are five of the world’s highest biodiversity ecologies still over 70 percent intact, as identified by the Conservation International.

Hotspots require two main criteria, at least 1,500 vascular plant species with over half endemic to the region, or found only there, the Christian Science Monitor reported quoting the US-based nonprofit organization.

Amazon Rain Forest:The Amazon wilderness, which spans nine countries, is home to 40,000 plant species, of which the majority are not found anywhere else.It is also home to more primate species anywhere in the world, possibly more insects as well.

Congo Basin: Second only to the Amazon in terms of area, the Congo Basin is home to biologically important species from large mammals like antelopes, elephants, and most famously, gorillas, as well as human communities and old growth forests. With a reach across seven African nations, it is only 11 percent protected, largely through national parks.

New Guinea: Islands often have exceptionally rich biodiversity as does New Guinea.It is the world’s highest and second largest behind Greenland, located in the Southwest Pacific. A total of 1,000 species were discovered since 1998,ranging from birds, butterflies, coral, dolphins, fish, orchids, reptiles, and sharks.

North American deserts:The Mojave, Colorado, Chihuahua, Sonoran, and Baja California deserts that stretch from the South-western US to Mexico are some of the most biologically diverse in the world, with 6,000 vascular plant species, as well as other special types of animals who have adapted to the climate, from bighorn sheep, desert tortoises, kangaroo rats, jackrabbits, roadrunners, and wild horses.

Southern Africa: The Miombo-Mopane woodlands and savannahs stretch across 10 countries in central southern Africa from Angola to Mozambique. They are home to animal species including the endangered black rhinoceros and almost 80 percent of all African elephants.This wilderness area is threatened by climate change, drought, development and the need to balance the survival needs of the people who live there with conservation efforts. (IANS)

Mother throws crying baby from 14th floor

Moscow, March 3:  A mother in a Russian city threw her four-month-old son to death from the 14th floor of a multi-storey building because the child’s cries were disrupting her sleep, the LifeNews internet portal reported. The 27-year-old woman worked as fashion model in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod.According to the report, the baby’s crying disrupted model Yekaterina Morkovkina’s sleep, so she threw him out of the window and went back to bed. Children found the infant’s body Friday morning.Morkovkina has been taken to a psychiatric hospital for investigation. (IANS)

Wen Jiabao gets US award

Washington, March 3:  Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao was Friday named the ‘Best Friend of American Worker’ by a US maritime workers’ union for China’s great contribution to creating more job opportunities for Americans. The award by Boston-based International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) was received by Chinese ambassador to the US Zhang Yesui, Xinhua reported Saturday. Wen had visited Boston during a visit to the US in December 2003. (IANS)

Indian American filmmaker wins award

Washington, March 3: Indian American filmmaker Manan Singh Katohora has won the 2012 Rising Star Award for his feature film      9 Eleven at the Canada International Film Festival. Held in Vancouver, British Columbia, the festival brings the very best of World Cinema from over 90 countries around the world. It is dedicated to the creation of opportunities for the artistic interaction and exchange among independent filmmakers and the film-going community. Written and Directed by Katohora, 9 ELEVEN portrays the life of 10 people who belong to different walks of life.Though each individual has achieved a measure of success in their individual lives, their darkest secrets come out in the open, when all of them are given some time for introspection, when they meet each other in a bizarre twist of events. The film 9-Eleven is a fast paced thriller with undertones of terrorism. Kashmera Shah features in an item number composed by Dilwaale Dulhania Le Jaayenge fame Music Director Jatin Pandit. (IANS)

Tipsy Harry becomes crowd-puller at party

London, March 3:  Leaving behind all protocol, Prince Harry drank a few shots of rum and danced in the streets of Belize, a former British territory in Central America, as he began a tour to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s diamond jubilee. Dressed in a traditional Belize shirt, Harry became a rum drinking, street dancing, crowd-pleasing royal, that left him dripping with sweat during a meeting on Friday with the people of Belize, The Sun reported. The prince came to the country to name a street in honour of his grandmother.He bonded with the local people at a street party and tried out local dishes. The prince took the hand of 36-year-old Denese Enriquez and told her, “Let’s dance a little bit, not too much.” Enriquez later said her friends would be impressed when she told them who her dance partner was. “They will probably be dumbstruck,” she added. Belize was known as British Honduras till 1981 and is still within the Commonwealth. (IANS)

Swift teaches guitar to Efron

Los Angeles, March 3: Singer Taylor Swift has been giving guitar lessons to actor Zac Efron. Efron and Swift have lent their voices to animated film The Lorax. During its promotion, they have been making good use of their time together. “We were all running around doing different interviews (for The Lorax), but I caught her for five minutes and told her my resolution was to learn how to play guitar. She was like, ‘Well I can play guitar’. So, you know, then she can teach me. It was great,” usmagazine.com quoted Efron as saying. The actor couldn’t stop raving about Swift’s personality as well as her music skills. “She’s just lovely, so sweet. Everything that just comes across in her music,the warmth, her personality, her charm is just who she is,” he said. (IANS)

Mozart’s unpublished piano piece found

Vienna, March 3: A piano piece attributed to 18th century composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, has been found by a researcher in Austria, a media report said. The handwritten piece was found in an abandoned notebook by researcher Hildegard Herrmann-Schneider while he was documenting ancient musical sources from the region, Prensa Latina news agency reported. Mozart (1756-91) was a classical musician known for composing over 600 works. The Mozarteum Foundation said the musical score will be performed March 23 in Salzburg, the birthplace of the composer. The foundation, established in 1880, recently found other unpublished pieces by Mozart. (IANS)