Washington: The lead author of the study that found that the dark streaks on the surface of the Red Planet are flows of liquid water was lead authored by a Kathmandu-born scientist, Lujendra Ojha. He devised a new technique which better analysed photographs of the surface of Mars taken by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter which helped find evidence of water. Ojha, who plays guitar in a death metal band first posted the theory of water in Mars back in 2011 when he co-authored a study in the journal Science. He developed a way to study the chemical maps of the surface of Mars. The team later found fingerprints of salts that only form in the presence of water in narrow channels cut into cliff walls throughout the planet's equatorial region.
Muslim parents allegedly strangle daughter
Berlin: A Muslim father has confessed to killing his 19 year old daughter with his bare hands for bringing shame on his family. It is alleged that Asadullah Khan strangled Lareeb after learning from the police that she had been caught shoplifting condoms to have sex with her forbidden boyfriend. He, along with his wife Shazia, later dressed the dead teenager in her clothes, wheeled her in a wheelchair from their apartment to the car, drove to a secluded embankment in Darmstadt and tipped the corpse down it. The 51 year old admitted to the killing because he believed she had brought 'dishonour' to the family. While his wife pleaded to be a downtrodden woman unable to save her daughter, the couple's second child, 14 year old Nida gave evidence against both her parents, saying her mother was as strict as their father, often striking both of them.
Tanzania's ruling party lures voters with Gujarati, Hindi lawn signs
Dodoma: Tanzanian ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi has resorted to first of its kind campaign tricks as CCM candidates flash placards and lawn signs in Gujarati and Hindi to attract substantial number of votes from the country's Indian community. This marketing tactic is usually seen in Canada, used by big banks, telephone companies and sports, particularly Ice Hockey.
Indian-origin counsel named Singapore's best dispute lawyer
Singapore: Senior Counsel Davinder Singh has been named Singapore's best dispute lawyer in an awards function held in Hong Kong. The lawyer who heads Drew & Napier was given the 'Disputes Star of the Year' award at the Asialaw Asia-Pacific Dispute Resolution Awards. The awards acknowledges 12 practice areas across 14 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Spokesperson Asialaw Nickie Yeung said, “Each winner demonstrated his strengths in furthering and inspiring the growing field of dispute resolution around the region.” Singh was among eight lawyers from local and international firms to be nominated for the award. He has handled several high-profile cases, including the one involving Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong filing a defamation suit against blogger Roy Ngerg.
Dalai Lama says female successor must be 'very, very attractive'
London: The Dalai Lama has pulled himself to a seeming controversy with comments on women saying should his successor be a female she must be “very very attractive” otherwise she is “not much use.” In an interview, the spiritual leader recalled telling a French journalist almost a decade ago that there must be a female Dalai Lama as he believed women has a greater “biological” capacity to “show affection... compassion.” Elaborating on the topic, he said, “I think female[s] should take more important role and then I told the reporter if a female does come her face should be very, very attractive.” When probed further by a visibly uncomfortable interviewer, he responded in the affirmative saying, “Otherwise not much use.” The recent comments stand in contrast with his 2009 claims of being a feminist.
Obama names 3 Indian-Americans to advisory body
Washington: US President Barack Obama has named three Indian Americans to an advisory council on faith-based and neighbourhood partnerships that brings together religious and secular leaders as well as scholars and experts on their fields. This Council will focus on steps the government needs to take to reduce poverty and inequality and create opportunity for all, as a White House announcement. Naming the council members including Preeta Bansal, Nipun Mehta and Jasjit Singh, Obama said, “I am confident that these outstanding men and women will serve the American people well, and I look forward to working with them.” Bansal is a lecturer at the MIT Media Lab and a Senior Advisor at MIT's Laboratory for Social Machines. She is also President of Social Emergence Corporation, a not-for-profit that focuses on empowering human networks and community relationships. Mehta is the founder of ServiveSpace, a non-profit organisation, and is the member of the Advisory Circle of the Seva Foundation, the International Advisory Council of the Dalai Lama Foundation and the Advisory Board of the Greater Good Science Centre. Singh is Executive Director of the Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund.
Pak delays hanging of disabled convict
Lahore: Following appeals by human rights groups, Pakistan has postponed the execution of a paraplegic death row convict Abdul Basit. Basit who was convicted of murder in 2009, contracted tubercular meningitis in 2010 which left him paralysed from the waist down. He was due to be hanged recently, but the sentence has been delayed after Justice Project Pakistan, a human rights law firm handling his case, raised concerns about how the wheelchair-bound man would mount the scaffold. An official at Faisalabad jail said, “ The hanging has been postponed. A magistrate in the morning ordered the postponement because Abdul Basit is a disabled man.” According to JPP , prison guidelines require that a prisoner stands on the gallows and the rope's length is determined by his standing height.
Syrian baby born with shrapnel in head
Aleppo: Highlighting the extending horrors of the ISIS, a baby girl was born with shrapnel lodged in her head in Syria after her mother suffered injuries in a rocket attack. Graphic footage was posted on Facebook by the Aleppo City Medical Council that showed doctors delivering a lifeless and pale child who had a piece of shrapnel embedded in her forehead. “She wasn't even born, and she was targeted,” Dr Mohammed Tabbaa, from the Syria Expatriate Medical Association, told CNN. “I mean, that's the situation. I'm hoping she'll have a better future.” Doctors suggested the girl be named Amel which means Hope, in honour of the child's rather unexpected and miraculous survival.
Attack on Afghan cricket match kills nine, wounds over 50
Kabul: A suicide car bombing at a cricket match in Afghanistan killed at least 9 people and wounded more than 50. The attack was probably made targeting officials of the local government who were watching the game as per sources. A similar bombing took place last year at a volleyball match that killed at least 50 people in the same southeastern province of Paktika. While the Taliban has denied responsibility for the latest attack, involvement of the militant Islamist group can only be conjectured as they rarely claim attacks with a high number of civilian casualties.
