Market Watch
Iran creates ‘world’s first flying saucer’
London: An aircraft created by scientists in Iran is, they claim, the world’s first flying saucer.
The unmanned spaceship, called the Zohal or Saturn in English, is designed for ''aerial imaging'' but can be used for ''various missions''.
The hardline Fars news agency illustrated its story with a photo of a flying saucer, similar to one appearing in a 1950s Hollywood B-movie, hovering over an unidentified wooded landscape.
The reports gave no indication of the spaceship’s size. But they indicated it was small by claiming, somewhat bizarrely, that it can also fly indoors.
“Easy transportation and launch and flying, making less noise, are some of the advantages of the device,” the Daily Mail quoted ISNA, Iran’s students’ news agency, as saying
“The device belonging to the new generation of vertical flyers is designed for aerial photography.
“It is equipped with autopilot, image stabiliser and GPS and has a separate system for aerial recording with full HD quality!”
The flying saucer was said to have been unveiled at an exhibition of ''strategic technologies'' attended by Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
We can beat India to qualify for quarterfinals: WI coach
Chennai: West Indies have not beaten a big side for some time but their coach Ottis Gibson on Thursday said they have the wherewithal to upset India in their last Group B league match of the World Cup on Sunday to make sure that they qualify for the quarterfinals.
The Group B is still wide open with only the South Africa, who already have eight points from five games, assured of a berth in the quarterfinals. The remaining three spots will be decided after the South Africa-Bangladesh tie on March 19 and India-West Indies match on March 20.
"We cannot worry about what happens or will happen in the match between South Africa and Bangladesh. It is a tough time. For about 20 months or so, we have not beaten big teams. We got to win the match against India to stay in the competition. We know it will be a full house on Sunday," Gibson said at the post-match conference after his side lost to England by 18 runs.
"We need to play our part in this game (against India). I do not think it is advantageous for us from the pitch. We are going to play on the adjacent pitch to the one that we played England today. We need to win the toss and make 400 runs to put pressure on India," he said.
Gibson said his side can take a lot of positive from Thursday`s loss to England. "Any defeat is a disappointment. West Indies cricket in the past also used to fall apart. We hung there even when the score was 150 for 6 and when Chris (Gayle) gets out, the things will fall down.”
"But our young brigade of 25 years have done a great job in bowling. Andre Russell is only playing his second international match. Ramnaresh Sarwan played well but he was out to a good ball from Graeme Swann. You saw the young guys coming good from this game. Despite the loss to England, we take a lot from this game," Gibson said.
The West Indies coach gave credit to off-spinner James Tredwell, who dismissed four West Indies batsmen for 48 runs, for England`s win.
"I have known Tredwell`s abilities. We had a good discussion in our team last night about chances of Tredwell playing and he had done a good job making good use of the conditions. It is a good performance for him but an unfortunate result for us.
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UN warns of 'shocking' abuses in Bahrain
Manama: The United Nations warned on Thursday of "shocking and illegal" abuses in Bahrain where the US-backed Sunni Muslim rulers are waging a bloody crackdown on Shi’ite-led protesters.
The violence in the strategic Gulf kingdom has alarmed Washington and sparked furious condemnation from Iran, Shi’ite leaders in Iraq and the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
Dissidents were rounded up at gunpoint in midnight raids and armed police stood outside Manama's main hospital, amid reports the authorities were beating doctors and denying treatment to the wounded.
Fresh clashes erupted in at least one Shi’ite village outside the capital, a day after five people were killed when security forces crushed a month-old pro-democracy sit-in at Manama's Pearl Square.
UN rights chief Navi Pillay said any takeover by the security forces of hospitals and medical facilities was a "blatant violation of international law”.
"There are reports of arbitrary arrests, killings, beatings of protesters and of medical personnel, and of the takeover of hospitals and medical centres by various security forces," she said.
"This is shocking and illegal conduct."
Five hardline Shi’ite activists and one Sunni dissident were arrested overnight after the Army imposed a curfew on parts of Manama using its powers under newly imposed martial law, opposition sources said.
Bahrain's military confirmed it had arrested a number of people for crimes including sedition, murder and having contact with foreign states, but gave no details.
"Four men arrived around two in the morning. One of them put a revolver to my husband's temple and took him away without even giving us time to call his lawyer," Farida Gulam, the wife of detained leftist Ibrahim Sharif, said.
Opposition MP Khalil al-Marzouk also said that Doctor Ali al-Ekri, who had been accused on state TV of spreading "fabrications" about conditions at Salmaniya hospital, was arrested there on Thursday.
Security forces firing tear gas and shotguns cleared out a pro-democracy tent city at Pearl Square on Wednesday in the worst day of violence since activists took to the streets last month.
The opposition said three demonstrators were killed in the raid, while the government said two police died in hit-and-run attacks by opposition motorists.
Hundreds have been wounded in clashes in recent days, witnesses and medics said.
US President Barack Obama, whose country is a close ally of Bahrain, called King Hamad to express "deep concern”, while British Prime Minister David Cameron urged the monarch to pursue "reform, not repression”.
The main opposition is demanding a constitutional monarchy, the resignation of the government and an end to repression in Bahrain.
King Hamad declared a three-month state of emergency on Tuesday a day after more than 1,000 armoured troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates entered Bahrain to help restore security.
Twelve more security bunkers removed in Srinagar city Read more: http://www.zeenews.com/news693946.html#ixzz1GvUlW9Ad
Srinagar: A dozen bunkers of the security forces have been freshly removed from Srinagar city in Jammu and Kashmir following recommendations of the Centre's interlocutors.
The bunkers were removed mostly from the old city areas and outside educational institutions during the third phase of reducing the footprints of security forces in the city, a senior CRPF official said.
He said the bunkers were removed from Batamaloo (two), Karan Nagar (two), Saraf Kadal, Rainawari, Zainakadal, Aali Kadal, Baba Demb and Nowhatta.
The bunkers outside the Islamia College at Hawal and Amar Singh College at Gogjibagh in the city were also removed.
With this, the total number of the bunkers removed from the city has now gone up to 40. Sixteen bunkers were removed in the first phase in October last year followed by removal of another 12 bunker earlier this year.
The removal of bunkers was one of the eight points in the package mooted by the Centre for improving the situation in Kashmir Valley following last year's summer unrest
Twelve more security bunkers removed in Srinagar city Read more: http://www.zeenews.com/news693946.html#ixzz1GvUlW9Ad
Srinagar: A dozen bunkers of the security forces have been freshly removed from Srinagar city in Jammu and Kashmir following recommendations of the Centre's interlocutors.
The bunkers were removed mostly from the old city areas and outside educational institutions during the third phase of reducing the footprints of security forces in the city, a senior CRPF official said.
He said the bunkers were removed from Batamaloo (two), Karan Nagar (two), Saraf Kadal, Rainawari, Zainakadal, Aali Kadal, Baba Demb and Nowhatta.
The bunkers outside the Islamia College at Hawal and Amar Singh College at Gogjibagh in the city were also removed.
With this, the total number of the bunkers removed from the city has now gone up to 40. Sixteen bunkers were removed in the first phase in October last year followed by removal of another 12 bunker earlier this year.
The removal of bunkers was one of the eight points in the package mooted by the Centre for improving the situation in Kashmir Valley following last year's summer unrest
Twelve more security bunkers removed in Srinagar city Read more: http://www.zeenews.com/news693946.html#ixzz1GvUlW9Ad
Srinagar: A dozen bunkers of the security forces have been freshly removed from Srinagar city in Jammu and Kashmir following recommendations of the Centre's interlocutors.
The bunkers were removed mostly from the old city areas and outside educational institutions during the third phase of reducing the footprints of security forces in the city, a senior CRPF official said.
He said the bunkers were removed from Batamaloo (two), Karan Nagar (two), Saraf Kadal, Rainawari, Zainakadal, Aali Kadal, Baba Demb and Nowhatta.
The bunkers outside the Islamia College at Hawal and Amar Singh College at Gogjibagh in the city were also removed.
With this, the total number of the bunkers removed from the city has now gone up to 40. Sixteen bunkers were removed in the first phase in October last year followed by removal of another 12 bunker earlier this year.
The removal of bunkers was one of the eight points in the package mooted by the Centre for improving the situation in Kashmir Valley following last year's summer unrest
Uproar in Delhi Assembly over BJP MLA's comments
New Delhi: Uproar and repeated adjournments marred the proceedings of Delhi Assembly on Thursday following BJP's allegations that Education Department often puts pressure on government-run schools to encourage students to adopt unfair means to perform well in exams, triggering a strong protest from the treasury benches.
The allegation by a BJP MLA during Question Hour snowballed into a major issue, prompting fierce verbal dual between ruling and opposition benches and leading to several adjournments of the House.
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit termed the allegations as "most unfair" and said such a "sweeping statement" on the educational system of Delhi was totally "unacceptable".
"The Opposition BJP was most unfair to charge that teachers were deliberately encouraging students to cheating, students are cheating and that education directorate was misusing the teachers. I think to make these comments are against the people of the city," Dikshit said outside the House.
The issue was first raised by BJP MLA Malaram Garg during the Question Hour, who alleged that the Directorate of Education often put pressure on schools to improve pass percentage and even ask principals to allow students to "cheat" in the examination. Garg was supported by senior BJP leader Jagdish Mukhi and several other party MLAs.
Immediately, several Congress MLAs rose on their feets, protesting the allegation and instead accused the BJP MLA of insulting the entire teaching community of the city.
Amid the din, Speaker Yoganand Shastri asked Education Minister to conduct an inquiry into the allegations. However, Lovely told the Speaker that without having material evidence it would not be possible to conduct such probe.
Lovely said probe can be conducted if BJP MLAs give him specific complaints.
Unhappy over Lovely's comment, the BJP MLAs kept up their protest while several Congress legislatures also rose from their seats criticising the Opposition.
As repeated pleas by the speaker to pacify the MLAs did not fructify, the Speaker adjourned the House for 25 minutes.
When the House met again, the both ruling and opposition MLAs continued their verbal volley while speaker continued its efforts to pacify the MLAs.
Even as Speaker pleaded the ruling party to exercise restraint, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit objected to BJP's allegations that the "Government uses the teachers to improve the pass percentage" and slammed the opposition for baseless allegations.
Following her comments, the House again plunged into chaos with both the sides attacking each other while a visibly upset speaker again adjourned the House for another 20 minutes.
When the House met again, there was no improvement in the situation as Congress MLAs, particularly Mukesh Sharma, kept on attacking the BJP, forcing the speaker to say that "the ruling side should maintain order in the House."
Shastri even threatened Sharma that he would not hesitate to expel MLAs from ruling party from the house. However, despite the strong comments by the speaker, the pandemonium continued and House was again adjourned for 25 minutes.
