Monday, 28 March 2016

Pathankot probe: Modi has surrendered before Pakistan, says Kejriwal as Pakistan's JIT arrives in India

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday accused Prime MinisterNarendra Modi of "surrendering" to Pakistan by allowing its investigators to probe the Pathankot attack and said instead Indian probe agencies should have gone to that country where "actual masterminds are sitting".

India is saying that Pathankot terror attack was Pakistan-sponsored and in this situation, how can ISI probe against itself?, he asked.

"We are saying that Pathankot terror attack was Pakistan-sponsored. If it was Pakistan-sponsored attack, how can ISI probe against itself?. India is the major victim of the terror attacks and masterminds, who are actual players, are sitting in Pakistan.

"Instead of ISI and Pakistan Army coming, Indian's probe agency R&AW, Army should have gone to Pakistan. Hafiz Saeed is not in India, but in Pakistan," Kejriwal said.

He further said Indian's probe agency should have gone to Pakistan to interrogate Hafiz Saeed, but we are allowing Pakistan's agency to probe the January terror attack on the IAF base in Pathankot.

"We are even saying that 26/11 Mumbai terror attack had been carried out by terrorists who came from Pakistan. The ISI, which had sent terrorists to India for carrying out terror attacks here, has come to India today to gather evidences against itself in Pathankot terror attack. What is Indian government doing ?," he said.

"The Modi government has completely surrendered to Pakistan and we don't know what is the reason behind it. Prime Minister Narendra Modi should give answer to the people of country as to why he has surrendered before the Pakistan," the Delhi Chief Minister said.

Kejriwal told the media that Pakistan had been harbouring anti-India terrorists and asked how its security and intelligence officials were being allowed to investigate something they had sponsored.

Earlier on Monday, Congress also questioned the government's move to give Pakistan's security and intelligence officials access to the IAF base in Pathankot.

A file photo of Arvind Kejriwal. PTI

Party's chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala said by this action, the Modi government has "recognised" that Pakistan does not have any role in perpetuating terror in India.

Talking to reporters in Chandigarh, he said it appears to be a case of accused investigating himself.

"By allowing an official Pakistani team to visit and investigate, BJP government has, for the first time, distinguished and, therefore, recognised that the Pakistani establishment does not have any role in perpetuating terror in India, more so in the context of Pathankot Terror Attack," he said.

Surjewala, who later issued a statement in New Delhi, said, "India has always recognized complete inter-mixing of State and non-State actors in export of terror to India. This clear line of 'no-distinction' between State and non-State actors in Pakistan has been breached suo motu by BJP government in favour of Pakistani Army and ISI. "This is despite the fact that Pakistan itself, till now, has only been resorting to "an eye wash, as far as this crucial distinction is concerned."

Besides, he said "unfettered access" to Pakistani JIT raises serious questions on procedural propriety in relation to compromise on national security.

"Arrival of Pakistani JIT to look into Pathankot Terror Attack, unfettered access being provided and almost red carpet welcome being accorded to the Pakistani team along with visit to Pathankot Airbase without even a 'Letter Rogatory' from Pakistan raises serious questions with regard to procedural propriety and genuine apprehensions vis-à-vis compromises on 'National Security'," the Congress spokesman said.

At the AICC briefing in Delhi, party spokesman R P N Singh said, "They (government) are rolling out a red-carpet -it is like asking murderer to come and investigate as to who murdered the child."

The five-member Pakistani team arrived in Delhi on Sunday to probe the 2 January terror attack at the Pathankot air base in Punjab. The team will travel to Pathankot on Monday evening and question witnesses there.

According to official sources, the Pakistani team will be given limited access to the Indian airbase where at least seven military personnel were killed after a gun and bomb attack by alleged Pakistani terrorists.

One civilian was also killed in the attack on the sprawling 2,000-acre complex that houses high-value Indian defence assets, including fighter jets. Six terrorists who had crossed over into Punjab from Pakistan were also killed.

This is the first time that New Delhi has allowed Pakistani investigators to probe a terror attack in India blamed on that country.

The access was granted as India hoped that Pakistan will bring to justice the alleged perpetrators, including Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar.

Sources said that cooperation is offered to the Pakistani team on the principle of reciprocity. India hopes that a team will be allowed to travel to Pakistan at a later date.

With inputs from agencies

Keep calm, run hard: How Kohli-Dhoni sprinted to take India into the semi-final of World T20

Mohali: Over 8.2 — Facing the third ball since coming on to the crease,Yuvraj Singh twists his ankle while flicking one to fine leg and landing awkwardly on left foot.

From that moment, despite the medics attending to him twice, the southpaw’s innings became a struggle. Maybe not with the bat but Yuvraj was never going to win the match single-handedly. He was finding it hard to run between the wickets as the injury started to hurt. The pressure eased on Australian fielders.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli during the partnership that took the match away from Australia. Solaris Images

The left-hander was hobbling to the other end at every chance. Yuvi’s injury ended up increasing the pressure on Virat Kohli at the other end. On more than one occasion, Kohli dashed for his first run only to find that Yuvraj was in no shape to complete it quickly, let alone setting off for the second.

Yuvraj finally got out on the last ball of the 14th over. When MS Dhoni walked in, 67 runs were needed off 36 balls, an asking rate of 11.17 per over. Round that up to 12. Maybe even higher for this was Australia they were chasing against, a team of brilliant fielders who fight until the very last ball.

As the skipper came to the crease, one was reminded of his words after India’s successful run chase in Kolkata against Pakistan.

“Virat likes to run hard between the wickets,” he had said, on the manner in which the star batsman goes about constructing his innings. “Others look for the big shots in pressure situations, he looks to run and get to the other end. He likes batting with partners who can also run hard between the wickets.”

Who better than Dhoni to do the job then? Quite simply, the captain is the quickest runner in the team, someone who works hard on this aspect of his game.

“I am a simple player. I play unorthodox cricket. I push the ball around, take one or two runs and if the ball is in my bat-swing area, I hit a six,” he said afterwards, dissecting his own contribution to that mega partnership.

Over 17.4 — James Faulkner gets thrashed for 14 runs off his first three balls. And then Kohli pushes one with soft hands towards long on. It doesn’t reach the fielder, David Warner, who runs in from the deep and gathers the ball just at the 30-yard circle. Kohli and Dhoni runs, nay, steals two runs from mid-on!

This one instance encapsulated their partnership. From the moment Dhoni arrived at the crease, Kohli found a new wind in his sails. The pressure that had dissipated when Yuvraj was batting was back again on the fielders. Take, for example, the 16th over bowled by Josh Hazlewood.

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On the second ball, the batsman hit to mid-wicket and ran a double. Glenn Maxwell’s desperate throw from the deep was wide off the mark even as Kohli dived to make it back safely. It underlined the urgency of the situation, and how the risk factor had gone up.

Too often a chase is seen as a simple equation between batsmen and bowlers. But the Kohli-Dhoni combination put the spotlight on this third variable, by transferring that pressure onto the Australian fielders.

On the very next ball, there was another fumble as Aaron Finch struggled at deep cover – two runs again. They ran two more doubles, on the 5th and 6th deliveries in that over, as Australia struggled to keep the runs down.

You would think this possible on a humongous ground like the MCG. This was Mohali though, and Kohli-Dhoni made it appear just as big, expanding the outfield with their rapid strides between the wickets.

While it was the key ingredient, there is nothing easy about a 12-per-over run-chase. In that respect, Shane Watson’s catch to dismiss Yuvraj turned the game, for it brought India’s two best runners to the crease, the source of this line-up’s strength in the limited-overs’ arena.

Chasing, in that sense, comes natural to both Kohli and Dhoni, and the method they adopt in going about their business bears similarity as well. Just that their roles are defined differently in the batting order.

Of course, there is also the other variable in their ability. If Dhoni keeps things simple, Kohli, though relaxed, brings complexity to the crease.

“Someone like Virat can hit the ball over covers, square-leg, mid-wicket, even third man. It is about playing to strengths but in the middle overs it is all about running between the wickets. You can take that double to put pressure on the fielder and force the captain to bring the fielder up. In doing so, you slowly keep bringing the fielders closer to you and then you can clear over their heads. One boundary, and the captain won’t know where to have them, at the boundary or up,” said Dhoni.

In that aforementioned Hazlewood over then, Kohli did indeed hit a four off the fourth delivery, ringing true Dhoni’s words as to how the star batsman bamboozled Australia’s plans. The skipper himself played a supporting role, providing the finishing touch.

They added those 67 runs with five balls to spare in whirlwind fashion, to put it mildly. There were 10 boundaries, seven as well as a six coming off the last 13 balls they faced. For the remaining 18 balls of their partnership, they ran – nine singles and six doubles –21 runs off 13 balls, accounting for the five dots.

It took two to tango on Sunday night, and the Kohli-Dhoni combine helped India waltz into the semi-finals of the 2016 World T20.

Friday, 25 March 2016

HEART ATTACK PATIESTS ARE GETTING YOUNGER:A STUDY IN WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON STUDY:The Patients suffering the heart attack have become younger, obese and more likely to have preventable risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes, researchers including one of Indian-origin have found.

The heart disease risk factors among more than 3,900 patients who were treated for ST-elevation myocardial infarction, or ST segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (also known as STEMI) - the most severe and deadly type of heart attack in the US between 1995 and 2014.

" the medical community has done an outstanding job of improving treatments for heart disease, but this study shows that we have to do better on the prevention side,":Samir Kapadia from Cleveland Clinic and primary investigator of the study.

"When people come for routine checkups, it is critical to stress the importance of reducing risk factors through weight reduction, eating a healthy diet and being physically active,"said Mr Kapadia

A STEMI heart attack results when one of the heart's main arteries becomes completely blocked by plaque, stopping the flow of blood. Immediate medical attention can increase the chances of survival, but STEMI carries a high risk of death and disability.

Many factors are known to increase a person's heart attack risk. While some, such as age and family history, are beyond the individual's control, many risk factors can be reduced through lifestyle choices, such as exercising more, quitting smoking and adopting a heart-healthy diet, researchers said.

They divided the records of Cleveland Clinic's STEMI patients from 1995 to 2014 into four quartiles, each representing a span of five years.

Analysing the baseline risk factors and health conditions of patients in each grouping, they found the average age of STEMI patients decreased from 64 to 60, and the prevalence of obesity increased from 31 to 40 per cent between the first five-year span and the last five-year span.

The proportion of patients with diabetes increased from 24 to 31 per cent, the proportion with high blood pressure grew from 55 to 77 per cent, and the proportion with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease rose from 5 to 12 per cent over the same period. All changes were statistically significant, researchers said.

One of the most striking findings was the change in smoking rates, which increased from 28 to 46 per cent - a finding counter to national trends, which reflect an overall decline in smoking rates over the past 20 years, they said.

The study also found a significant increase in the proportion of patients who have three or more major risk factors, which grew from 65 to 85 per cent.
allinfo360

Wednesday, 23 March 2016

LAST OVER STORY OF : INDIA VS BANGLADESH (BY ALLINFO360)

#BOWL INTO HANDS OF PANDYA.
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#FIRST BOWL,SINGLE FROM MEHMADULLAH.
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#SECOND BOWL,FOUR!!!!!!!!!......OH NO....SHOT!!!!!!!!!!! FROM RAHIM..
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#THIRD BOWL.OH ITS FOUR AGAIN!!!!!!4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
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WHAT DO YOU THINK WHAT ARE CHANCES NOW FOR INDIA.2 NEEDED IN 3 .
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BOWLS...ALMOST 99% NO CHANCE FOR WINNING.BUT YU KNOW DHONI GOES FOR 1% TOO,,
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#FOURTH BOWL....WICKET OH!!!!!!!!!!!RAHIM....NICE CATCH BY DHAWAN,,,,NOW 2 FROM 2......SET BATSMAN ONTO THE CREASE.....
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#FIFTH BALL....OUT WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!YEAHHH OUT .CATCH BY JADEJA.....'
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#FINAL BOWL..
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..MISSED BY BATSMAN
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,,,DHONI RUNNING TOWARDS WICKET.
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.....DHONI OR NONSTRICKER BATSMAN
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................DDDHHOOONNIII,,,.
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. Picture courtesy: Getty Images

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#AND INDIA WON. India players celebrate a Bangladesh wicket during their WT20 Super 10 match in Bangalore on Wednesday

...BY 1 RUN...BEST EVER THRILLING MATCH IN THE HISTORY OF CRICKET

In oil rout, some U.S. energy bosses were spared the pain

The exterior of a Schlumberger Corporation building is pictured in West Houston, in this January 16, 2015 file photo. REUTERS/Richard Carson/Files

More cash, lower targets and bigger share awards - not all U.S. energy bosses are feeling the full impact of tumbling oil prices in their paychecks. Some oil and gas companies are making it easier for their top managers to meet performance goals or are offering more cash as a prolonged oil slump keeps share prices at lows not seen in five years, filings show.

Among the beneficiaries are bosses of both solid performers and struggling companies, and the changes may rankle investors facing losses.

Oilfield services company Schlumberger NV, for example, used lower earnings targets for the second half of 2015, which helped its CEO Paal Kibsgaard receive total pay of $18.3 million, only slightly below the 2014 level. The company's shares fell 18 percent last year, about half the decline of its index and have since recovered about 7 percent.

Linn Energy , meanwhile, whose shares nosedived 87 percent last year under the weight of its swelling debt and dwindling financing options, announced a new incentive plan last month for its top executives that focuses more on cash rather than stock. Dallas-based oil and gas exploration company Exco Resources Inc will offer its directors restricted stock worth $140,000 a year – about 10 times the value of shares awarded in 2014, according to securities filings, even though its shares fell 43 percent last year.

In another example, Halcon Resources Corp - built by its CEO Floyd Wilson, who has made a fortune launching and selling off oil companies - disclosed in a securities filing last week that Wilson received $3 million and three other top executives $800,000 each in exchange for an agreement to stay for at least another year.

A representative for Halcon, which has hired financial and legal advisors to navigate the downturn, did not return messages.

Schlumberger declined to comment beyond its recent proxy statement. An Exco representative said the new plan makes its director pay more competitive and aligns their compensation with performance of the company.

A representative for Linn Energy told Reuters in February the compensation changes were designed to ensure management stayed on to secure the company's future. The company did not respond to requests for further comment. Offering executives financial incentives to stay through upheaval, be it a merger or restructuring, is a common practice.

ONE WAY BET?

But whatever the merits, frequent changes in incentives “can absolutely undercut the relationship between pay and performance,” said Ken Bertsch, head of the Council of Institutional Investors, whose members include big pension funds and asset managers.

Anne Simpson, who oversees corporate governance at the $279.5 billion California Public Employees' Retirement System, told Reuters that it planned to take a hard look at pay adjustments in coming months when proxy votes are due.

"Performance is not a one way bet, paying off on the way up, and never going down," she said in an e-mailed response.

A Reuters analysis of filings through mid-March showed that a number of companies changed their payout plans for leaders in ways that shielded them from the collapse in oil prices, even as they continued to slash other spending and lay off thousands of workers. Since November 2014 Schlumberger alone has laid off 34,000 people, or about a quarter of its workforce.

Most companies, however, paid their top executives less in 2015 to reflect falling profits and share prices amid crude's more than 60 percent fall since mid-2014, compensation consultants said. (Graphic: tmsnrt.rs/1Pa5AFT)

"A lot of wealth has come off the table for senior executives in the span of 18 months," said Mike Halloran, senior partner at consulting firm Mercer.

Halloran estimates 2015 executive pay at large energy firms fell by a fifth on average. That compares with a 24 percent drop in the energy sector index

For example, John Lindsay, CEO of contract driller Helmerich & Payne Inc. saw his total pay drop by nearly a quarter to $3.7 million for the 12 months ended Sept. 30 after the company skipped bonus payments for top executives citing missed performance targets.

Exxon Mobil Corp, the largest energy company, has yet to release all details on compensation paid to its CEO Rex Tillerson. However, his total $33.1 million package in 2014 included $21.4 million in 225,000 shares granted on Nov. 25, 2014 and although he received the same number of shares last November, they were worth $3.1 million less.

Many publicly-traded energy companies will detail their 2015 pay, including annual bonuses, in proxy filings beginning this month and those that bucked the trend are likely to face particular scrutiny.

Schlumberger's 2015 compensation for its CEO Kibsgaard included an incentive payment of $3.3 million. It rose from $2.9 million in 2014 after the company used lower earnings targets for the second half of the year, citing in its recent proxy "the continued challenges of the industry."

That payment would be roughly unchanged had Schlumberger used the same targets for the whole year, estimated Chris Crawford, president of compensation consultant Longnecker & Associates.

At the Houston-based Linn Energy, which warned on March 15 it might have to file for bankruptcy, CEO Mark Ellis is now eligible for cash payments of up to $6.9 million this year. In 2014, when Ellis made $10 million, about the average of recent years, $7.6 million of that was in stock.

For its part, Exco, which has hired Credit Suisse as its restructuring advisor to help lighten its debt load, boosted the stock award for its non-employee directors.

Exco representative Chris Peracchi said the move aimed to make directors' pay more competitive and was not meant to shield them against the downturn since shares could still lose value.

John Groton, director of equity research at Thrivent Asset Management, which has investments in energy companies though not in Exco, questioned the move's rationale. Among other things, he said, the slump has made it easier to find talented people to serve on boards.

Exco's new plan, Groton said, was "just egregious."

Michigan state officials accountable in Flint water crisis:says inquiry

A task force appointed by Michigan’s governor said on Wednesday that state officials showed stubbornness, lack of preparation, delay and inaction in failing to prevent a health crisis in the city of Flint caused by lead contamination in the drinking water.

There were failures on all levels of government, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a report from the task force said. However, the report highlighted failures of state agencies, especially the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has been criticized for the state's poor handling of a crisis that garnered national headlines.

"Flint water customers were needlessly and tragically exposed to toxic levels of lead and other hazards through the mismanagement of their drinking water supply," the task force said in the report.

The 116-page report included 36 findings and 44 recommendations to be taken so the state can avoid a similar crisis in the future.

Michigan this week outlined a plan involving several state agencies to help the city recover from the crisis. It included programs to address water infrastructure shortcomings and the health of children who have tested for high lead levels in their blood, expand support in Flint schools and boost economic development for the city.

The crisis has led to calls for Snyder to resign. Last week, several Democratic lawmakers criticized the governor during testimony he provided at a hearing about the situation at Flint, a working class, mostly African American city of 100,000 northwest of Detroit.

Under the direction of a state-appointed emergency manager, Flint switched water supplies to the Flint River from Detroit's system in 2014 to save money.

The corrosive river water leached lead, a toxic substance that can damage the nervous system, from the city's water pipes. The city switched back to the Detroit system last October.

The crisis has led to several lawsuits in state and federal courts, and federal and state investigations.

MARCH 23, 2016

Syria at root of terrorism problems SAYS PM of syria

We stand with Belgium: Turnbull

Syria at root of terrorism problems: PM

Malcolm Turnbull has criticised Europe's "slipped" security measures, but says the only way to curb Islamic State's reach to the west is by defeating the group at its source in Syria.

Condemning terrorist attacks in Belgium, the prime minister said the extremist group was exploiting the regional refugee crisis.

"Recent intelligence indicates that ISIL is using the refugees crisis to send its operatives into Europe," he told the Lowy Institute in Sydney.

The attacks in Brussels were an unfortunate reminder of the challenges facing Europe, where violent Islamist extremism had reached a "crisis point", Mr Turnbull said.

The attacks were inspired, if not planned, by IS's Syrian headquarters, he said.

"While more attacks in Europe and elsewhere are seemingly inevitable, the genesis of many of the current issues lies in Syria.

"Defeating ISIL at its source will significantly constrain ISIL's reach into the west."

Mr Turnbull said Europe was facing a perfect storm of failed or neglected integration, foreign fighters returning from Iraq and Syria, porous borders and struggling intelligence and security systems.

Terrorism was not only a European issue but global - and given Australia's widespread interests it was also close to home, he argued.

The national terror threat level is unchanged at "probable" following the airport and metro attacks in Brussels that killed 34 people and injured more than 100.

Australians are being advised to reconsider any travel to Belgium.

Justice Minister Michael Keenan said there are risks in Europe in terms of the uncontrolled migration of people and the fact that it is easier to get weapons there than in Australia.

Mr Turnbull agreed.

"If you can't control your borders, you don't know who's coming or going," he said.

But Belgium's ambassador in Australia Jean-Luc Bodson hit back, saying while you can have police control within a state, reinstating borders across Europe would come at a huge economic cost.

"Terrorism is a global worldwide phenomenon and is there to stay. There is nothing like absolute security," he said.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten lambasted the prime minister's critique.

"I think it's premature (for) the prime minister to be telling the Belgians what they did wrong within 24 hours of what's happened in Belgium," Mr Shorten told reporters in Gladstone.

Controversial Liberal backbencher Cory Bernardi says Islam is responsible for a growing global problem and "mealy-mouthed" politicians who say otherwise are wrong.

Border protection officers have cancelled Easter weekend strikes at airports around the country, saying they would never compromise national security.

Floral tributes are being laid on the steps of the Belgium embassy.

* Department of Foreign Affairs 24-hour emergency hotline: 1300 555 135

Originally published as Syria at root of terrorism problems: PM

Belgium bomb blast biggest news:Belgium suicide bomber left a note

MARCH 24, 20161:07AM

Belgium suicide bomber left a note

Two brothers carried out suicide bombings at Brussels airport and on the metro on Tuesday, the federal prosecutor has said, adding that airport bomber Ibrahim El Bakraoui had left a will on a computer.

His brother Khalid blew himself up on a carriage of the Brussels metro at Maelbeek station, Frederic Van Leeuw told a news conference on Wednesday.

Two other men captured on CCTV at the airport with Ibrahim had yet to be identified, he said.

The first bomb at the airport went off near desk 11 at 7.58am local time and the second followed nine seconds later, near desk two of the departure hall, Van Leeuw said.

The prosecutor quoted Ibrahim's will as saying: "Always on the run, not knowing what to do anymore, being looked for everywhere, not being safe any longer and that if he waits around any longer he risks ending up next to the person in a cell."

The second airport suicide bomber has not been identified, while the third man, who left the airport before the explosions, is still being hunted, Van Leeuw said.

At a raid in the Brussels district of Schaerbeek on Tuesday night police found 15kg of explosives, 150 litres of acetone, 30 litres of oxygenated water, detonators, a suitcase filled with screws and nails as well as materials, such as plastic boxes, needed to pack up the explosives.