Srinagar, November 18:

Railway land worth Rs 40 Crore has been sold ille-gally by senior officers of the railway department at Jammu and also the whis-tle blower in this case has been transferred to Kash-mir zone. According to an FIR copy in possession of ‘GNS’, senior officials of the railways including a Su-perintendent of Police and Inspector General Police railways Jammu and Kashmir have been accused of selling the railway land worth Rs 40 crores in Jammu.The whistleblower—ASI Fridous Ahmed Geeri in the FIR has alleged the

See Railway Land on Pg. 11

20-Kanals of railway land sold illegally

in Jammu

Srinagar, November 18:

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), pres-ident Mehbooba Mufti Monday said that NC has always sold out the trust and confidence of the people of Kash-mir for power and luxuries.Addressing public meetings at Wa-dipora and Magam in Handwara

constituency, she said since Omar Abdullah has nothing to show as his performance report to the people at the end of his tenure, he is resorting to lies and concocted stories to divert attention of people from the reality.On this occasion party General Secre-tary Mohammad Dilawar Mir, Chief

See Mehbooba on Pg. 11

Jammu, November 18:

Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah has directed the Tourism Depart-ment to formulate a comprehensive proposal for the regularization of adhoc employees work-ing in various Tourism Development Authori-ties (TDAs) completing more than seven years of service so that a deci-sion in consonance with Planning and Finance Departments is taken in this regard early. Chairing the 17th meet-ing of Patnitop Develop-ment Authority (PDA), the Chief Minister who is also Chairman of PDA also asked the Forest and Environment Depart-ment to be in close as-sociation with Tourism Development Authori-

ties in ensuring mainte-nance of natural serenity of health resorts and con-servation and preserva-tion of water bodies and forest wealth.The Chief Minister while

receiving brief on vari-ous schemes under exe-cution in the jurisdiction of PDA approved re-alignment of Mall Road Kud to avoid the shifting of 132/11 KV Transmis-sion Line. He also ap-

proved Rs. One crore for installation of 3.16 MVA Power Station at Kud besides Rs. 20 lakhs for development of picnic spot and Rs. 10 crores for sky-lift vehicle for the maintenance of Hi-mast street lights. He also gave nod for Rs. 20 lakh for replacement of Sodium Vapor street lights with LED lights to save power consumption.The Chief Minister di-rected for utilizing CAM-PA scheme for affores-tation purpose in the areas coming under the jurisdiction of PDA. He said the funds available under CAMPA should be utilized to raise plan-tation in the denudated and parched forest areas.The meeting was in-formed that the proposed

See Omar on Pg. 11

Agartala, Nov 17:

India is developing bor-der infrastructure along the neighbouring coun-tries to bring the people closer by boosting trade and economy, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said in Tripura's capital Agartala Sunday."India would build 13 international standard ICPs (Integrated Check Posts) along the borders with Pakistan, Bangla-desh, Nepal and Myan-

mar to boost trade and economy with the neigh-bouring countries," Shinde said after open-ing the ICP at Akhaura near Agartala on Bangladesh border.He said: "Ties between India and Bangla-desh would never snap but strengthen in future. India-Bangladesh relationship is exemplary time-test-

ed relationship. These ties were initiated by Indira Gandhi (India's late prime minister) and Sheikh Mujibur Rah-

man (founding father and then president and prime minister of Bangladesh)."Shinde said In-dia is commit-ted to support Bangladesh so the two friendly

countries grow together for the benefit of the

people."With the building of ICPs, people-to-people contacts would be fur-ther strengthened," he said, adding the ICP along the Petrapole-Benapole check post in West Bengal would be ready by next year.Shinde said more border haats (markets) would be set up along the India-Bangladesh border to promote local trade.Bangladesh Home

See Shinde on Pg. 11

Srinagar, Nov. 18:

At a time when People are facing hardships due to LPG crisis, new power curtailment schedule announced by Power Development Department (PDD) has further added to the woes of common people. Business Com-munity has warned that they will come on roads if uninterrupted power supply will not be ensured to metered areas.The PDD has come up with new curtailment schedule in which power cuts in metered as well as non-metered areas have been in-creased. Non metered areas will reel under more darkness this winter as there will be 57 hours of curtail-ment per week as com-pared to metered areas

where curtailment hours per week is 17 hours.According to the new order, power schedule in non-metered areas will be: Morning- twice a week OFF (5 AM to 8 AM); 8 AM to 1 PM Thrice a week OFF, 1 PM to 6 PM four times a week OFF, Evening- twice a week OFF (6 PM to 8 PM and 8 PM to 10 PM alternately); Night- once a week OFF (10 PM to 5 AM).Power schedule in metered areas will be: Morning- once a week OFF (5 Am to 8 AM) 8 AM to 1 PM once a week OFF, 1 PM to 6 PM once a week OFF, Evening- once a week OFF (6 PM to 8 PM and 8 PM to 10 PM alter-nately); Night- once a week OFF (10 PM to 5 AM).

See PDD on Pg. 11

CMYK

CMYK

CMYK

CMYK

TUESDAY November 19 | 2013 | 14 Muharram 1435 AH | PAGES 12 | VOL NO: 3 | ISSUE NO: 292 | RS: 2/- (AIR SURCHARGE FOR JAMMU /DELHI/LEH 50 PAISA)Pen For JusticeLargely Circulated, No. 1 Bilingual Daily of J&K

India building border infra for bonding people: Shinde

http://www.zabarwantimes.com

WEATHER

TEMPERATUREMAXIMUM MINIMUMSUNSET ON(TUESDAY)SUNRISE ON (WED.)

05:27 pm07:09 am

-2.4 0C16.4 0C

FORECAST FOR NEXT 24 HRS:

FORECAST OF SRINAGAR:

Weather will be mainly dry over the state.

Mainly clear sky. Maximum & Minimum temperatures will be around 15°C & -3°C respectively.

PDD curtailment schedule draws flak

6 10

Foods for strong bones

Locked in No. 1 tussle for ODI batting rank

Frustrated by Pak batting during SA series

6

Omar directs for comprehensive proposal for regularization of

adhocees of TDAs

Srinagar, November 18:

Lauding the role of Jammu and Kash-mir police, Director General of Police Ashok Prasad Monday said that Police Force is being modernize to counter the insurgency successfully. “Police was able to able to handle two agitations suc-cessfully and we are launched new mod-ernization schemes to make our Force up to date,” Prasad told reporters on the sidelines of passing out parade at Lita-pora Training Centre in Pulwama.He said militant attacks are not affect-ing the public now as the militants have changed their strategy and are targeting Police and Security Forces. “Militants

have changed their strategy and they have two objectives behind targeting security personnel. One is to demoralize them and the other is that they should over react after every attack. We are

See Prasad on Pg. 11

Militants trying to create sensation by attacking us: Prasad

Chairs 17th PDA meeting

Jammu, November 18:

The Union Government has approved to extend the special package for Revival, Reform and Re-structuring (RRR) of Hand-loom Sector in Jammu and Kashmir till December 31,

2013 and accordingly gov-ernment contemplates to provide special discount on bank loans for those Weavers and Handloom Cooperative Societies who have borrowed loan from various banks till March 31, 2012. The concerned

Weavers, Primary Hand-loom Societies and Apex Societies whose accounts have become Non Perform-ing Assets (NPA) have been asked to contact the Assis-tant Directors Handloom of the concerned district for further details.

Extension of Special Package in Handloom Sector

Weavers, Societies asked to contact Handloom deptt

To hide his failures Omar resorting to lies: Mehbooba

Jammu, November 18:

The Cabinet which met here, today, under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, approved the transfer and posting of Mr. Zaffar

See Zaffar on Pg. 11

Zaffar posted as Secretary

Tourism, Culture

Cabinet approves proposal of Common STPs for hotel industryJammu, November 18: The Cabinet which met here today under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister, Omar Abdul-lah, approved the proposal for setting up of common sewer-age treatment plants for the waste water generated by the hotel industry. The said proposal in the first instance will be implemented in the cities of Jammu and Srinagar, subject to the pay-ment of maintenance charges/fee, as shall be prescribed by the competent authority in this behalf, to be paid by the hoteliers/other beneficiary commercial units.

Authorities ask for installation of HSRSrinagar, November 18: The authorities today issued strict directions for the installa-tion of the High Security Registration (HSR) plates to commercial as well as the private vehicles of Jammu and Kashmir.According to the reports re-ceived by Kashmir News Ser-vice (KNS), the meeting today was held under the chairman ship of Transport commis-sioner Saurav Bhatia, wherein the Real Meezan- a private company assigned to install the HSR plates in the state – given the deadline till Novem-ber 30, that it must install the HSR installation machines in different districts of valley fail-ing which the agreement of the company with the government shall be nullified.Pertinently, the company Real Meezan was given the target that it must install 5 lakh HSR plates up to 2014. “The com-pany has to install 2 machines in Srinagar, 2 in north and 2 in south Kashmir. It further had to install 4 installation machines in the Jammu prov-ince,” said the official source. The meeting was attended by Regional Transport Officer(RTO) Jammu ,RTO Srinagar and also by ARTO Budgam.

Court asks SP to monitor Zahid Iqbal drowning case Srinagar, November 18: A city court today ordered the Super-intendent of Police (SP) south city to monitor the progress of the inquest proceedings per-taining to Zahid Iqbal drown-ing case.According to the reports received by Kashmir News Service (KNS) police had re-cently declared that the cause of death of Zahid Iqbal was due to drowning. Family had regis-tered their protest against the police verdict and has claimed that the police have left many loopholes in the case during the investigation. Family further had claimed that Zahid was murdered in ‘cold blood’.Taking into consideration the application moved by Zahid’s father Mohammad Iqbal Bhat

See Court on Pg. 11

Infants as young as three months of age are able to automatically detect and learn complex dependen-cies between syllables in spoken language, a new study has revealed. In contrast, adults only recognised the same de-pendencies when asked to actively search for them.

The study by scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig also highlights the im-portant role of basic pitch discrimination abilities for early language devel-opment. The speed and apparent ease with which young infants learn the

basics of a language regu-larly astound parents and scientists alike. Of course, adults are usually assumed to have the edge in sophis-ticated language learning. However, scientists Jutta Mueller, Angela D. Fried-erici and Claudia Maennel have now found that when it comes to extracting com-plex rules from spoken language, a three-month-old outperforms adult learners. For 20 minutes, the sci-entists played a stream of syllables to babies while measuring their brain re-sponses using electroen-cephalography (EEG). Pairs of syllables appeared together, but were separat-ed by a third syllable. Jutta Mueller, first author of the study, stresses that "such dependencies be-tween non-neighbouring elements are typical for

natural languages and can be found in many gram-matical constructions." For instance, in the sen-tence "The boy always smiles", the third-person-suffix "s" of the verb is dependent on the noun "boy". In the study, this was re-flected in the use of com-binations like "le" and "bu" in sequences like "le-wi-bu". From time to time, however, combinations like "le-wi-to" would ap-pear, in which one of the syllables was out of place. "EEG measurements showed us that the babies recognized this rule viola-tion", Mueller said. Additionally, the scientists would occasionally change the tone of one syllable to a higher pitch - with an interesting outcome: Only those infants whose brains reacted to pitch changes in

a more mature way could detect the syllable depen-dencies. When facing the same task as the babies, adults only showed a reac-tion to the rule violations when asked to explicitly look for dependencies be-tween the syllables. Muel-ler and her colleagues conclude that, evidently, the automatic recognition ability is lost later on. "What we found particu-larly interesting is that the small group of adults who did show evidence of rule learning also showed a stronger brain response to the pitch changes," she said. These findings not only help understand how children manage to learn language so quickly dur-ing early development, but also point to a strong link between very basic audito-ry skills and sophisticated rule learning abilities.

HEALTH AND FITNESS

ZABARWAN TIMES Saturday 01 November 2013

Babies better at learning complex languages

Sleeping pills don`t work for 40 percent poppers

London: Sleeping pills seldom worked for 40 per-cent of the poppers who suffer from insomnia, says a survey of 20,000 peo-ple, according to a British study.Some 42 percent of the pa-tients currently on medi-cation have been sleeping badly for over 11 years or more. A further 22 percent had insomnia lasting two to five years, while one in six had suffered between six and 10 years, the sur-vey revealed.Experts said the study suggested that sleeping pills were not combating long-term sleep problems and that cogni-tive behavioural therapy has been proven to be more effective.Around 10 million National Heath Service (MHS) prescrip-tions for sleeping pills are issued each year. But NHS guidelines say they should be for short-term use only - usually for two weeks

and up to a maximum of four weeks at a time. Findings from The Great British Sleep Survey of more than 20,000 adults in Britain found we are a nation of poor sleepers. The average score of sleep quality was only five out of 10. Long-term poor sleep-ers were twice as likely to have relationship prob-lems, suffer from daytime fatigue and lack of con-centration.The survey also showed almost one in 10 with insomnia were on sleeping pills prescribed

by their doctor, with one in five using over the coun-ter remedies. American research this year found sleeping pills may signifi-cantly increase the risk of premature death.The lat-est survey was sponsored by Sleepio, an online sleep improvement programme which uses cognitive be-havioural techniques. Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, has campaigned for the NHS to highlight the impor-tance of sleep.

Toiletries that might damage your health

As experts deem fake tans 'dangerous', we look at other toiletries that might well be damaging your health, too. Fake tan products are far from alone in containing chemicals that research sug-gests can have nasty side ef-fects. Many cosmetics are formulated with a mixture of controversial synthetic ingre-dients that have been linked to health problems including breast cancer, hormone dis-ruption, fertility issues, asth-ma, allergies, diabetes and

birth defects. And it's this so-called 'chemical cocktail' that has some experts worried - especially when you consider the huge number of different lotions and potions most of us use each day."No one can say that if you use X, Y and Z you're going to develop cancer or diabe-tes," says Elizabeth Salter-Green, of a UK charity. "But an increasing amount of research suggests that high levels of certain in-gredients can affect our health."

"When you take into ac-count the sheer number of products we now use, and the fact that we're also exposed to some of these chemicals through household cleaners, food pesticides, packaging and general industrial out-put," continues Elizabeth, "there's a concern that this collective onslaught could take us over the safety threshold.""Our skin is not an im-penetrable barrier," says author Dawn Mellowship.

"It absorbs a significant amount of what we apply to it into the bloodstream and it can then be stored in the body, where it ac-cumulates and has the po-tential to do harm." How to reduce your levels of chemical exposure1.Use fewer products to reduce your overall expo-sure.2. Check the label and watch out for synthetic chemicals such as para-bens, formaldehyde and triclosan. 3.Don't assume organic or natural is always best. While many such products contain fewer toxic syn-thetic chemicals, it's still worth checking out the in-gredients on a product to find out what is actually in there.4.If there is a big long list of unpronounceable chemical names then it might be worth looking for something with few-er ingredients that you recognise.5.Pay particular attention to the products that stay on your skin the longest, such as creams and lotions.6. Swap dark hair dye for vegetable-based colours or those stating they're PPD-free.

Grapes good for men's heart health

Consuming grapes may help protect heart health in people with metabolic syndrome, a new study has revealed. Researchers observed a reduction in key risk factors for heart disease in men with metabolic syn-drome: reduced blood pres-sure, improved blood flow and reduced inflammation. Natural components found in grapes, known as poly-phenols, are thought to be responsible for these ben-eficial effects. The randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study, led by principal investigator Dr. Maria Luz Fernandez and Jacqueline Barona, a PhD student in Dr. Fernan-dez' lab at the Department of Nutritional Sciences of the University of Connecti-cut, recruited men between 30 and 70 years of age with metabolic syndrome. The study is believed to be the first to look at the impact of grapes on metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syn-drome is a cluster of con-ditions that occur together - increased blood pressure, a high blood sugar level, excess body fat around the waist or low HDL (the good cholesterol) and in-

creased blood triglycerides - significantly increasing the risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Meta-bolic syndrome is a major public health concern, and is on the rise in the U.S. In this study, participants were randomly assigned to consume grapes, in the form of a freeze-dried whole grape powder, or a placebo powder, for four weeks. Then, following a 3-week "washout" period where neither grapes nor

placebo were consumed, individuals were allocated to the alternate treatment. This powerful study de-sign allowed investiga-tors to compare the re-sponse of each individual to consumption of both the placebo and grapes. The study results showed that for each of the study's subjects, grape consump-tion resulted in significant decreases in blood pres-sure, improved blood flow (greater vasodilation), and

decreases in a compound associated with inflamma-tion. "These results suggest that consuming grapes can improve important risk fac-tors associated with heart disease, in a population that is already at higher risk," Fernandez said. This further supports the ac-cumulating evidence that grapes can positively in-fluence heart health, and extends it to men with metabolic syndrome," Fernandez added.

Migraines do not hurt your brain

Migraines are not as-sociated with cognitive decline, suggests new research even though previous studies have linked the disorder to increased stroke risk and structural brain le-sions. Migraines affect about 20 percent of the female population, and while these headaches are common, not much is known about this complex disease. "Previous studies on migraines and cog-nitive decline were small and unable to identify a l ink be-tween the two," said Pamela Rist , research fel low in preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospi-tal (BWH), who led the study. "Our study was large enough to draw the conclusion that mi-graines, while pain-ful , are not strongly

l inked to cognitive de-cl ine," said Rist , the British Medi-cal Journal (BMJ) re-ports. The research team ana-lysed data from the W o m e n ' s Health Study, a cohort of nearly 40,000 wom-en, 45 years and older. In this study, research-ers analysed data from 6,349 women who provided information about migraine status at baseline and then participated in cogni-tive testing during fol-low-up, according to a BWH statement. Participants were clas-sified into four groups: no history of migraine, migraine with aura (unpleasant smell, seeing flashing lights), migraine without aura,

and past history of mi-graine. Cognitive testing was carried out in two-year intervals up to three times. "Compared with women with no history of migraine, those who ex-perienced migraine with or without aura did not have significantly differ-ent rates of cognitive de-cline," said Rist. "This is an important finding for both physicians and pa-tients. Patients with mi-graine and their treating doctors should be reas-sured that migraine may not have long-term con-sequences on cognitive function.

The postpartum diet need not be complicated — just a mix of age-old remedies and home science The stork came and went, and left you multitudes of relatives who are telling you what to eat. They are peddling age-old rem-edies, while you are clutching on to your doctor's advice of no green vegetables or fruits. Iron deficiency, constipation and soreness are some of the things you may suffer, while expending more energy and needing more calcium. The best path is to try out both sets of advice and see what works for you. Ketaki Karpe-Kolgaonkar, new mother and clinical pharmacist found that 'the diet should be all about the mother's needs'. "The baby takes the nutrition it needs and doesn't need any help doing that," she says. "Watch out for bacteria from unwashed vegeta-bles, unpasteurised milk, unfil-tered water or uncooked meats."

Raise calorie intake Nutritionist Dr Shilpa Joshi em-phasises on the importance of wholesome meals with no restric-tions apart from oil and spice, un-less the doctor says so specifically. "The mother needs extra energy, at least in the first six months, be-

cause she will be nursing the baby more often," she says. "So she needs to eat more calories, which will come from small meals, which are rich in proteins — nuts, daals and legumes." If you are a non-vegetarian, don't switch to a leafy vegetarian meal instantly. This will cause you more harm than good. Eat shred-ded meat in soups and broths without too much spice or oil.

Pump iron Since a new mother suffers from loss of blood, her iron levels could be precariously balanced. A little spinach can go a long way. Ketaki developed low iron levels in her second trimester, and pan-icked. "So I started to incorpo-rate spinach in everything such as daal, chappati dough and even in chicken curry." She continued this after the baby came, which steadied her iron levels.

Milk the calcium It goes without saying that you'll need lots of calcium so that the baby can use the cafeteria unin-terrupted. "If you are lactose in-tolerant, and can't drink milk or eat milk products, go for curd," says Joshi. "Garden cress seeds (aleev or haleem), are a rich source for calcium. Traditionally,

these are made into sugar-rich ladoos. If you are being care-ful about sugar, make a haleem kheer."

Water yourself There's not much you can do to artificially stimulate breast milk, other than drink lots of fluids. Also, new mothers tend to be a little scared of the pain and resist passing urine or stools, which can result in constipation. Or-dinarily, this can be resolved by medication, but because medicines will pass on the baby, it's better to take pre-ventive action. "I used to keep a huge bottle of water and use a straw to sip it so as to not put pressure on a the C sec-tion incision," says Ketaki. Joshi also suggests ingest-ing fluids by drinking lots of soup, coconut water, broths, whole fruits, fresh fruit juices and milkshakes that are also easier to eat for the harried mother. "I would drink straw-berry milkshake so that it didn't feel like you are adding ten things to the plate. Even eating seems overwhelming to a new mom and if she has to chew one thing less, it's a huge convenience," says

Ketaki. "Fluids help flush out toxins and medication, and help stay oriented even with the lack of sleep that comes with parenting." Yoghurt is not only a stool softener but also has the pro-biotics essential for keeping Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) away. Edible gum balls (dink ladoos) are a good laxative because of their combination of ghee, edible gum and nuts. "After the baby came, I would resist therapeutic Indian food without thinking about whether it was scientific," says Ketaki. "I eventually did eat one dinkache laadoo a day and that did me good. Sometimes, it pays to listen to your mother - she may know best."

tuesday november | 19 | 2013

A new study has described how a cell

therapy might one day be used not only

to quell some com-mon types of persis-tent and difficult-to-

treat pain, but also to cure the conditions

that give rise to them.

In their study, the sci-entists transplanted imma-ture embryonic nerve cells that arise in the brain during development and used them to make up for a loss of func-tion of specific neurons in the spinal cord that normally dampen pain signals.

A small fraction of the transplanted cells survived and matured into function-ing neurons. The cells inte-

grated into the nerve circuit-ry of the spinal cord, forming synapses and signaling path-ways with neighbouring neurons. As a result, pain hypersensitivity associated with nerve injury was almost completely eliminated, the researchers found, without evidence of movement dis-turbances that are common side effects of the currently favoured drug treatment.

“Now we are working toward the possibility of potential treatments that might eliminate the source of neuropathic pain, and that may be much more ef-fective than drugs that aim

only to treat symptomatical-ly the pain that results from chronic, painful conditions,” said the senior author of the study, Allan Basbaum, PhD, chair of the Department of Anatomy at UCSF.

Those who suffer from chronic pain often get little relief, even from powerful narcotic painkillers, accord-ing to Basbaum. Gabapentin, an anticonvulsant first used

to treat epilepsy, now is re-garded as the most effective treatment for neuropathic pain. However, it is effective for only roughly 30 percent of patients, and even in those people it only provides about 30 percent relief of the pain, he said. The explanation for neuropathic pain, research showed, is that following injury neurons may be lost, or central nervous system circuitry may change, in ways that are maladaptive, compromising signals that normally help dampen pain. These changes contribute to a state of hyper-excitability, enhancing the transmis-sion of pain messages to the brain and causing normally innocuous stimuli to be-come painful. The inhibitory neurons that are damaged in the spinal cord to cause pain hypersensitivity release a molecule that normally transmits inhibitory sig-nals - the neurotransmitter GABA. Gabapentin does not mimic GABA, but it helps to compensate for the loss of inhibition that GABA nor-mally would provide.

Basbaum’’s UCSF col-leagues, including study co-authors Arturo Alvarez-Buylla, PhD, and Arnold Kriegstein, MD, PhD, along with Scott Baraban, PhD, had already been experi-menting with transplant-ing immature neurons that make GABA, using the trans-planted neurons to bolster inhibitory signals in mouse models to prevent epileptic seizures and to combat a Parkinson’’s-like disease.

Cell therapy may ease chronic pain

Talking therapies combined with the soothing sounds of the sea can help relieve

the misery of tinnitus, a new study has revealed.

The researchers found that suffer-ers benefit more when psychological techniques are used alongside current standard treatments, which create sounds to mask the ringing in the ears.

Around one in seven Britons has suffered from tinnitus, the medical term for hearing ringing, buzzing or whistling noises inside the head.

The condition is apparently trig-gered by over-active nerve cells within the hearing area of the brain.

Although there is no cure, thera-pies which use a generator to mask the ringing by creating a competing sound on a similar frequency - such as the sea - can significantly relieve distress.

Cognitive behavioural therapy, in which patients are encouraged to discuss their problems, can also help patients to think differently about the condition and live with it long-term.

However, there is little evidence about which treatment works best.

Now, for the first time, Dutch

scientists have combined both ap-proaches for those suffering with mild or severe tinnitus. Their study of 492 patients found that those treated with both techniques saw significant im-provements in their quality of life after a year, compared with sufferers who underwent standard sound therapy.

Even after a year, the combination of CBT and sound techniques worked better than usual care.

In particular, there were greater improvements in countering negative thinking and fear caused by the condi-

tion. Researchers Dr Riana Cima and

Professor Johan Vlaeyen, of Maastricht University, said that the research pro-vided ‘firm evidence’ of an effective new treatment for sufferers, many of whom have to deal with ‘psychological strain’.

“The results are highly relevant for clinical practice because best prac-tice for tinnitus has not been defined and current treatment strategies are fragmented and costly,” the Daily Mail quoted them as saying.

Mix therapy could help tinnitus sufferers

In a new study, scientists have revealed that they are a step

closer to curing diabetes after discovering how a potent

two-pronged attack on diabe-tes can wipe it out.

Researchers of the study found that a powerful “ combination therapy” can tackle the condition, even at a late stage.

Around 370,000 Britons have Type 1 diabetes, which develops when immune cells in the body attack and destroy beta cells in the pancreas leav-ing it unable to produce insulin, the hormone which controls blood sugar levels.

The researchers in California found they can reverse the process by quickly shutting down this “autoimmune” at-tack on beta cells before feeding the pancreas growth factor molecules.

However, tests have been carried out only on mice.

“The findings hint that people with late-stage diabetes could potentially be cured with a mix of two techniques that spur re-growth of pancreatic cells while stopping autoimmunity,” the Daily Ex-press quoted the researchers as saying.

Type 1 diabetes can develop at any age but usually appears before the pa-tient is 40, especially in childhood.

It is important that laboratory-based research like this is conducted, and that it is followed up, but the many years and many obstacles which lie be-tween this point and any possible use in people mean that we should not get too excited at this stage

The study by a team at the Beck-man Research Institute of City of Hope in Duarte, California showed the com-

bination treatment lets new beta cells fully regenerate and produce insulin without a risk of being depleted by the immune system.

The researchers said that more studies are needed to see if the tech-nique can work on humans.

“This paper provides insight into techniques which may be used in combination to regenerate and protect insulin producing beta cells,” Matthew Hobbs, head of research for Diabetes UK, said.

“However, it is extremely impor-tant to realise that these two tech-niques have so far only been tested in mice, either individually or in combi-nation.

“It is important that laboratory-based research like this is conducted, and that it is followed up, but the many years and many obstacles which lie between this point and any possi-ble use in people mean that we should not get too excited at this stage. Cer-tainly, it is far too early to hail this as a cure for Type 1 diabetes,” he added.

New drug mix helps tackle diabetes Weight-loss sur-gery cuts alcohol

cravingsGastric bypass surgery not only rid people of their fat,

but it also reduces their desire for alcohol, research-ers have found.Some people

opt going under the knife to decrease the size of their

stomach. The Roux-en-Y procedure, or “gastric by-

pass” - is one such surgery that involves stapling the stomach to leave a small

pouch at the top, which is then connected to the small

intestine.Food then by-passes most of the original

stomach and a chunk of the intestine too. This signifi-

cantly reduces the amount of food a person is physi-

cally able to eat and the amount of nutrients they

can absorb.In a new study, Jon Davis and colleagues at the University of Cincinnati

in Ohio collected outcome data on 80,000 people in

the US who had had weight-loss surgery, including

Roux-en-Y.They found that those who had the Roux-en-Y procedure reported drinking fewer alcoholic drinks after the surgery

than before.But people who underwent other types of surgery, such as a gastric

band, saw no change in al-cohol use.To test it further, the team carried out Roux-

en-Y surgery on rats bred to prefer alcohol, and found

that they also stopped drinking it afterwards.The researchers thinks that the

sudden drop in alcohol consumption may be down to a hormone called GLP-1. When partly digested food

hits the middle section of the small intestine, called

the jejunum, GLP-1 is produced. This triggers the

production of insulin, which in turn acts to lower blood glucose levels. After Roux-

en-Y surgery, this part of the intestine is much closer

to the stomach, causing it to be exposed to a much higher level of nutrients

than it normally would be. Davis thinks this may be

ramping up the production of the hormone.

It is this extra GLP-1 that may be influencing crav-

ings, he said. The hormone is thought to play a role in

limiting how much food we eat once we are full.

“GLP-1 travels through the blood to get to the brain,

where it is thought to stimu-late an aversion to food,” the New Scientist quoted

Davis as saying. He thinks it may be eliciting

a similar effect on alcohol consumption because alco-

holic drinks can contain lots of calories. Now, Davis’s

group is testing a diabetes drug in mice that acts to increase levels of GLP-1,

hoping that it might help alcoholics give up alcohol.

Why first aid is necessary

No matter where you live, having a first aid kit at

home is imperative be-cause almost all of us will require it at some point or

the other. First aid kits can be very

basic or comprehensive. What you need, depends on whether you’ve been trained in first aid or want to stock just the basic essential ne-cessities. Nowadays ready-made first aid kits are avail-able in medical stores.But you can also make a simple kit yourself. You first need to understand the basics when it comes to stocking a first aid kit. The bites of most spiders, mosquitoes, fleas, flies, bedbugs, etc., are simi-lar in appearance and pose very little danger. Typically, it causes a small, itchy swell-ing that can last a few hours or days. Although bites are seldom dangerous, mosqui-toes can transmit diseases like dengue or malaria.

Summer is all about having some fun

under the sun. But, the harsh sunlight

and humidity is your hair, health and skin’s worst enemy, so, it is always important to

take care.And summer is a period when all in the family are susceptible to ill health. And as the mercury is rising high, precautions are needed be-fore it creates trouble for you or your close ones. A good diet is an essential part of family health-care and summer time is no different. Eating sensibly ensures that

you maintain a strong im-mune system and build up

a strong resistance against viruses and infection and why just that, it also ensures better skin and hair! Dehy-dration and sunstroke are very common in summers. Hence, one should drink plenty of water, coconut wa-ter as it contains potassium which is needed to have a healthy immunity and eat lots of fruits like watermel-on, muskmelon etc. that are high on water content.One must take small meals

at small intervals-one should avoiding taking heavy meals.

Also, it is very important to have Vitamin C thereby; citrus fruits are a must as they consist of anti-oxidants which make immune system strong to fight illness in sum-mers. Apart from sunstroke and dehydration, gastroin-testinal diseases take a toll like cases of people suffering cholera, jaundice, and diar-rhea are observed a lot. So, one should avoid pani-puris, ice-candies and road-side food as a precaution.

A diet that keeps you cool in summer

1 Glass of wine raises breast cancer riskWomen who enjoy wine with dinner are putting their lives at risk, a new study has claimed.

They are the problem drink-ers missed by government efforts to curb alcohol mis-use - women, often middle-class and professional, who share a bottle of wine with a partner over dinner each night, putting their health at risk, the Independent re-ported. Unnoticed because they do not cause a social nuisance or public disorder, women who quietly drink three or more glasses of wine, or equivalent, a day increase their risk of breast cancer by up to half, research shows. According to Helmut Seiz and colleagues from the University of Heidelberg, Germany, alcohol is known to increase the risk of sev-eral cancers, in both sexes, including bowel cancer. But breast tissue is thought to

be particularly sensitive to its carcinogenic effects. Women who consume one alcoholic drink a day have an increased risk of breast cancer of 4 per cent, in line

with previous findings, based on an analysis of 113 studies involving 77,000 light drinkers. Among heavy drinkers, de-fined as three or more drinks a day, the risk is increased to

40 to 50 per cent. Overall, al-cohol drinking accounts for one in 20 cases of cancer in northern Europe and one in 10 in countries such as Italy and France, where drinking

is more widespread among women. Breast cancer has soared in recent decades with new cases doubling since the early 1970s, partly driven by the rise in alcohol consump-

tion. It is now the com-monest cancer, with almost 49,000 cases and 12,000 deaths a year, despite affect-ing only one sex. However, it is less common than heart disease and strokes, which together kill 200,000 people a year - and alcohol is known to protect against these dis-eases. In women, as little as one drink a week cuts the risk of heart attack and stroke by 36 per cent according to a 2007 Euro-pean study. The upshot is that light drinking is overall protec-tive - but heavier drinking is associated with rapidly increasing risks. Experts say weighing up these risks is a matter of personal choice. Although heart dis-ease is more common, can-cer is more feared. Women with a family history of heart disease may feel differently from those with a history of cancer.

Live well, live healthy

This year WHO's slogan urges us to stay in good health and live longer. Read on to see how we

can win the battle against non-communicable disease.

April 7, 2012, will mark the 64th annual World Health Day, which com-memorates the inception of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Every year, the WHO selects a theme or topic that represents a cur-rent health concern in the world. For the 2012 World Health Day, it has cho-sen to focus on ‘ Ageing and Health', using the official slogan “Good health adds life to years.”

Foods for strong bones

No matter how old or young you may be, tak-ing care of your bones is a must.

While most of us take them for granted, think-ing they’re the strongest and hardest body part, over time bones can dete-riorate in quality. Osteo-porosis, which is marked by a condition where bones become soft and crack easily, is no lon-ger just a disease of the

older generation. More and more youngsters are falling prey to this due to poor eating habits.

Milk There is reason why

your mother told you to drink your glass of milk daily. Milk is a vital source of calcium as well as vita-min D. Research suggests that other dairy products like cheese and ice-cream are also good alternatives

but while they contain calcium, most do not have vitamin D. You can always opt for a nonfat variety so that you get all the health benefits.

Nuts and seeds Don’t underestimate

your favourite nuts. Those like pumpkin seeds are rich in magnesium, which help with calcium me-tabolism. Other nuts like almonds and pistachios could also be consumed.

Walnuts Walnuts are full

of omega-3 fatty acid, which has numerous ben-efits. They also contain alphalinoleic acid, which strengthens the bones.

Carrots These vegetables

boast of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and be-tacryptoxanthin. Eat them raw in the form of salad.

10

C M Y K

C M Y K

TUESDAY NOVEMBER | 19 | 2013Daily ZABARWAN TIMES

• MinisterforRuralDevelopmentandPanchayatiraj,Mr.AliMohammadSagar,MinisterofStateforTechnicalEducation,PowerandRuralDevelopment,Mr.VikarRasoolattendedandaddressedthemassivegatheringofPanches,sarpanchesandotherparticipants.• WhilereferringtotheempowermentofthepeopleattheGrassrootlevel,Mr.AliMohammadSagarsaidthatbyputtinginplaceavibrantPanchayatiRajsystem,theparticipationofthePanchsandSarpanchshasbeenensuredinimplementationandformulationofvariouswelfareschemesundertakenforthepeople.Theminsteralsostressedforenhancingthefinancialaccountabilityanddisciplineinimplementationofvariousflagshipprogrammes• Mr.SagarsaidseveralschemeslikeMGNERGA,IAY,IWMP,NBA,UDAAN,UMEEDetchavealsobeenintroduced,whichhaveresultedinelevatingthesocio-economicprofileofthepeoplelivinginruralandfarflungareas,besidesensuringthemuchneededemploymenttothepeopleattheirdoorsteps• TheMinisterofStateforRDD,Mr.VikarRasoolwhilespeakingontheoccasiontermedtheholdingofPanchayatiRajelectionsaswatershedinthehistoryoftheStateandtermeditasaremark-ableachievementofthecoalitiongovernment.HesaidthatPanchsandsarpancheshavebeenadequate-lyempoweredandareinvolvedinPlanning,ImplementationandMonitoringprocessofthevariousdevelopmentalprogrammestherebyinvolvingthemindaytodaygovernance.• MemberParliamentAnantnag,Dr.MehboobBeig,MLCsMr.AbdulMajidBhat,Dr.BashirAhmadVeeri,DirectorRuralDevelopmentKashmir,MirAltafAhmad,DistrictDevelopmentCommis-sioner,Anantnag,Dr.FarooqAhmadLone,Ex-legislatorMr.AltafAhmadKaloo,AdditionalDistrictDevelopmentCommissioner,Anantnag,Mr.BashirAhmadKhanandotherseniorofficersofthedis-trictwerepresentontheoccasion

Issued by the Directorate of Rural Development & PR, Anantnag

One day Panchayat Sameelan cum Orientation programme regarding Flagship programmes held at Dak

Bungalow, Anantnag

8

Agencies

Uttarakhand Chief Minis-

ter Vijay Bahuguna on Mon-day said there is no division within the ruling coalition in the State on the amendment to the Lokayukta Act or its replacement with another

effective anti-corruption law.

“There is no contradic-

tion within the coalition on amendment to the Lokayuk-ta Act or its substitution with another effective law to fight corruption,” he told report-ers in Dehradun.

The Chief Minister was reacting to media reports suggesting there are differ-ences within the ruling co-alition on the issue.

Prominent members of the Progressive Democratic Front, a conglomerate of parties supporting the Con-gress-led alliance, did not at-tend a meeting convened by Mr. Bahuguna on the subject at his residence on Sunday, triggering speculation about fissures in the ruling coali-tion on the issue.

The PDF has seven mem-bers — three of the BSP, one of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal, and three Independents — in the State assembly.

Noting the State govern-ment has time till Decem-ber 28 to implement the Act which has already been given Presidential assent, Mr. Bahuguna said a meeting of Congress MLAs and those of allied parties has been con-vened on December 15 to discuss different aspects of the Act and take a final call on the issue.

TUESDAY NOVEMBER | 19 | 2013ZABARWAN TIMES 7

Deadly tornadoes hit US Midwest

statesPowerful tornadoes have swept

through the US Midwest, destroy-ing buildings and overturning vehi-cles in the states of Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky.

At least six people were killed, all in Illinois, and it is feared that several hundred people may have been injured in the fast-moving storms.

A number of people are feared trapped inside buildings.

Forecasters said people in 10 states had been at risk. Hailstones the size of tennis balls have been re-ported.The storm was so fast-mov-ing - with winds of up to 111km/h (68mph) - that weather services issued warnings for people not to wait until they saw the weather change. November is ordinarily one of the quietest months in the tornado calendar, meaning these storms are unusually destructive for this time of year, the BBC’s Nick Bryant in New York reports.About 80 reports of tornadoes had come in by late Sunday, said the National Weather Service - though a spokes-man cautioned that multiple re-porting meant the confirmed num-ber might be about 30 or 40.

Farooq, Nitish say Vajpayee deserves Bharat Ratna; why one for

Sachin, asks JD-U leaderAgencies

The clamour for country’s high-est civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee grew as National Conference chief and Union minister Farooq Abdul-lah and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday supported the demand. “I am not from the BJP, but an Indian and no one can forget Vajpayee-ji was a great leader. I re-quest the government to finally give Bharat Ratna to him,” Abdullah said.

“He deserves it. Why should not it be given to him?” Kumar, who served as railway minister in the Vajpayee cabinet, said when asked if he supported Bharat Ratna for the former prime minister.

Kumar, who is the driving force of JD(U), also made a strong case for giving the award to Rammanohar Lohia his ideological guru and Kar-poori Thakur, who was chief minis-ter of the state in 1977.

The BJP asked the UPA govern-ment on Sunday why former Va-jpayee wasn’t considered for the Bharat Ratna. “I am raising the issue

of not considering former PM for the Bharat Ratna,” said BJP deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha Ravishan-kar Prasad.

“Sardar Patel was a ratna (gem) of the country. He died in 1950 while the Bharat Ratna was con-ferred on him in 1991. In that pe-riod, Jawaharlal Nehru was PM for 17 years, Indira Gandhi for 16 years and Rajiv Gandhi for 5 years. Why was Patel given the award after 41 years?”

“The perspective of the Congress for Bharat Ratna doesn’t go beyond the dynasty,” he added.

The Centre initiated the process to amend the rules to award Bharat Ratna in 2011 to make sports per-sons eligible for the top civilian hon-our. After Tendulkar and scientist CNR Rao were awarded the Bharat Ratna on Saturday, the BJP raised the issue of Vajpayee not being con-sidered for the award.

Meanwhile, A Janata Dal-United MP questioned awarding the Bharat Ratna to Tendulkar instead of leg-endary hockey player Dhyan Chand.

“I fail to understand why Dhyan Chand was ignored and Sachin Ten-

dulkar was given Bharat Ratna,” JD-U’s member of Parliament Shiva-nand Tiwari told media persons.

Tiwari said the ministry con-cerned had shortlisted the name of Dhyan Chand for giving the Bharat Ratna.

“Dhyan Chand was incredible for having taken hockey to internation-al level for the country when there was no corporate and powerful me-dia. His magic impressed even fas-cist leaders of Germany who offered him money, comfortable and luxu-rious life but Dhyan Chand stuck to India,” he said.“Sachin Tendulkar was not playing free of cost. Sachin has made crores of rupees by help-ing corporates to market cricket in the country,” Tiwari said.Tiwari said the Bharat Ratna has lost its impor-tance now.

“It is time for a nationwide de-bate on Bharat Ratna and to whom it should be given. If latest trend is any indication, then it could be given to any corporate sponsored leader,” Tiwari said.The Bihar chief minister, however, distanced himself from Tiwari’s statement questioning the award to Sachin Tendulkar.

No division in ruling coalition on amendment to Lokayukta: Bahuguna

Supreme Court issues notice to UP government over Muzaffarnagar riots

ECI Goa commences work to weed out bogus voters

Agencies

The Supreme Court on Monday sought a reply from Uttar Pradesh government on a PIL by Jat Sabha that has sought CBI inquiry into

the Muzaffarnagar commu-nal violence. The PIL has ac-cused the state government of acting with bias for one of the communities involved in the violence. The Supreme Court is hearing various pe-titions relating to communal clashes that had broken out in Muzaffarnagar and ad-joining areas of western UP on September 7 that killed 61 persons. Earlier, the state

government had informed the court that over 41,000 persons, out of 50,955 who had taken shelter in 58 relief camps in riots-hit Muzaffar-nagar area, have gone back to their native places.

The status report, filed by Divisional Commissioner of Saharanpur, however, has admitted that nearly 10,000 persons are still living in 10 operational camps and the residents of six riots-hit vil-lages of Muzaffarnagar “have not agreed to return to their native villages even after confidence building mea-sures and serious persua-sion.

Agencies

Panaji, Nov 18: Goa office of the Election Commission of India has initiated the process to iden-tify bogus voters in the state, in a bid to cleanse up the electoral roll ahead of 2014 Lok Sabha elec-

tions.Conscious efforts are being made to pin point bogus voters from the list and delete them, so that criminal proceedings can also be thought of to be initiated against them, Joint Chief Electoral Officer Narayan Navti said.

“The ECI’s local office has ap-pealed people to voluntarily de-lete their names from the list, if

they are already registered else-where. After the chance to allow them, delete name voluntarily, if they don’t do it, then they will have to face the action”, he said.

The major focus of this drive is in constituencies like Taleigao, St Cruz, Margao, Dabolim and

Cortalim, where migrants are in large number. The possibility is that they might be already voter in their native place like Karnata-ka and have re-registered them-selves here, he said.

The ECI is in the process of updating its electoral roll, which would be used for the forthcom-ing Parliamentary elections.

Tewari takes on ‘stalking sahebzada’, tells BJP to come clean on snoopingAgencies

The Congress on Monday renewed its attack on Amit Shah, a close aide of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and former minister of state for home, over allegations that the state police in 2009 illegally monitored the movement and phone calls of a

young woman on his instructions, at the behest of one “saheb”.

“State Sponsored Stalking akin to state intruding into people’s bedrooms. Would u live in a soci-ety where state stalks your wives &daughters? (sic)” Manish Tewari, Union minister of information and broadcasting, tweeted.

“BJP claims lady protected at fa-ther’s behest - Was the threat as-sessed? Why PSO’s (personnel securi-ty officers) not provided? Why court ignominy of being the Stalking Sahe-

bzada,” Tewari said in a comment on Twitter Monday morning.

“This is a breach of civilised be-haviour. This is not the way a state behaves,” Tewari later told reporters.

“They (BJP) need to come clean on this and say whether it was an iso-lated incidence...,” he said.

On November 15, news portals

Cobrapost and Gulail released a re-port and made public tapes in which Shah is purportedly heard directing the state police to monitor the move-ments of a young woman and a se-nior IAS officer. The websites alleged three key wings of the Gujarat police were involved in this snooping effort.

The Bharatiya Janata Party blamed the episode on “dirty tricks depart-ment of Congress”.

“Congress is scared of the popu-larity of Narendra Modi, so their dirty tricks department has become ac-

tive,” BJP leader Ravishankar Prasad said.“Has the girl complained? Has the father complained? They are invading the privacy of the lady in question. Their political fortune is de-clining, this shows the desperation of Congress,” he said.

Asked about the BJP’s claim that the Congress is invading the woman’s privacy, Tewari said that “it is a con-cern for the whole nation”.

The Congress on Sunday had de-manded that a sitting Supreme Court judge probe the allegations levelled against Shah.

Senior Congress leaders - Jayanthi Natarajan, Girija Vyas, Rita Bahuguna Joshi and Shobha Oza - said if the al-legations are found to be correct, Gu-jarat chief minister Narendra Modi “does not deserve” to be the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate.

“If government machinery is misused… Modi has no moral and political right to govern Gujarat... He does not deserve to be the PM can-didate of BJP,” Joshi said, addressing a joint press conference along with Vyas, Natarajan and Oza at the AICC headquarters.“Can he violate the law by snooping upon every conversa-tion of the girl? Can the chief minis-ter be allowed to use the entire state resources to snoop and invade the privacy of one young woman even if her father made that request? It is shameful,” Natarajan asked.

“Under what provision of the law was the Indian Telegraph Act vio-lated? Who should be punished for these violations?” she asked.

Agencies

Launching a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party for playing divisive politics and targeting migrants in Maha-rashtra and Karnataka, the Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said his party stood for development, transparency and empowerment of the common man.

Describing Delhi as a mini-India that houses people from across the country, Mr. Gandhi said his own family had also mi-grated to Delhi from Uttar Pradesh. He said the Congress did not discriminate between people based on their caste or religion and treated everyone equally, but the same was not true for the BJP. “The BJP and its allies like the Shiv Sena target migrants in Maha-rashtra and Karnataka. They create tension, but we take all along,” said Mr. Gandhi, ad-dressing his second rally in the Capital at Ambedkar Nagar here in the run-up to the upcoming Assembly elections next month.

Mr. Gandhi, referring to the airport, improved transport facilities and power supply in the Capital, said over the past one decade Delhi has seen unparallel infra-structural development which no other city in the country could boast of. He, however, added that infrastructure alone was not enough and the Congress’ philosophy was to empower the common man. “We believe in empowerment of the common man, the women and the downtrodden. The Delhi Government has worked tirelessly towards this cause and introduced the concept of “Bhagidari” to involve common man in decision-making,” said Mr. Gandhi, adding that it was the Congress that gave people the right to information to bring transpar-

ency in decision-making. “We brought into open the decisions

that were earlier made inside closed doors,” said Mr. Gandhi, in a speech that lasted a few minutes. He further said the electorate had to make choice between Chief Minis-ter Sheila Dikshit, who had proved herself with her work over the past 15 years, and the BJP, which only indulged in idle talk.

At the rally, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit tried to woo the electorates with promises of vending machines for distribu-

tion of subsidised food-items, more public toilets and hawking zones.

Ms. Dikshit said the development brought about by her government over the past 15 years was there for all to see and in-stead, spelled out her plans for future.

“It is time to lay the foundation of future Delhi. We plan to make special zones for hawkers, double the per capita income of Delhiites and make more public toilets. In the next five years, we plan to set up vend-ing machines across the city on the Moth-

er Dairy-model to distribute food-items, strengthening the Public Distribution Sys-tem. Multiplicity of authority also plagues Delhi and we are for a single agency for a uniform development of the National Capi-tal Region,” said Ms. Dikshit, adding the BJP had made false promises and levelled base-less allegations.

Saying that the Aam Aadmi Party presi-dent Arvind Kejriwal was “talented, but lacked experience,” Ms. Dikshit questioned the source of funds to his party.

Rahul hits out at BJP, Shiv Sena on migrant issue

Patna serial blasts suspects may flee to Nepal, NIA informs Bihar police

Agencies

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has told Bihar Police to look out for five terror suspects involved in Patna and Bodh Gaya bombings as they may be hiding in districts on the India-Nepal bor-der and were likely to escape to Nepal, police Mon-day said.

“After NIA’s alert, Bihar Police headquarters asked superintendents of police and incharges of police stations in districts on the India-Nepal bor-der to keep a close watch on terror suspects,” a po-lice officer said.

The NIA also requested the state police to tight-en security and intensify patrolling in East and West Champaran, Kishanganj, Katihar, Araria, Pur-nea, and Madhubani districts.

Patna serial blasts suspects may flee to Nepal, NIA informs Bihar police”The NIA officials appre-hend that terror suspects may use these districts to escape to Nepal,” police said.

According to police officials, bordering districts are known to be safe hideouts for terror suspects in the past.

Bihar Police along with the NIA arrested Yasin Bhatkal, co-founder of Indian Mujahideen from Raxaul near Motihari in East Champaran in August this year.

Arshad Ansari alias Tabish was arrested early this month from a village in East Champaran in connection with serial blasts in Patna.

Besides, the NIA raided several places in border districts in search of terror suspects after the serial blasts in Patna.The NIA on Sunday released sketch-es and details of the five terror suspects wanted in connection with serial bomb blasts in Patna and Bodh Gaya and sought the help of the general pub-lic in nabbing them.

Agencies

DUBAI: The fight for the number one ODI batsmen between India’s Virat Kohli and South Africa captain AB de Villiers could get exciting in the coming weeks with the upcom-ing fixtures offering them an oppor-tunity to either retain or reclaim the top spot on the ICC Player Rankings.

Only eight rating points separate the No.1 ranked Kohli from de Vil-liers.

While India play the West Indies in a three-match series from Novem-ber 21 in Kochi, South Africa play host to Pakistan in a three-match se-ries from November 24. The series in India finishes on November 27 and the series in South Africa finishes three days later.

This means both Kohli and de Villiers can potentially make the most of the home conditions in their quest. Kohli replaced Hashim Amla as the top batsman at the end of the series against Australia in November 2013, for the first-time in his career.

De Villiers, on the other hand, has been a number one ranked batsman

previously, with June 2013 being the last time he was top ranked. The skipper will enter the home series in second position after gaining three places following stellar performanc-es against Pakistan in the UAE.

The latest player rankings was released at the end of the three-match series between Sri Lanka and

New Zealand, which ended in a 1-1 deadlock. It also factors in Bangla-desh’s 3-0 series win over New Zea-land and South Africa’s 4-1 series win over Pakistan. India skipper Ma-hendra Singh Dhoni remained static at sixth position. Other Indians to complete the top 20 list include Shi-khar Dhawan (11th position), Rohit

Sharma (15th) and Suresh Raina (17th).

Meanwhile, South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn is back in the top 10 of the ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers. Steyn has moved up five positions to 10th after claim-ing six wickets in two ODIs against Pakistan. Pakistan spinner Saeed Aj-mal has maintained his hold on the number one rank with West Indies’ Sunil Narine in second and India’s Ravindra Jadeja in third place. Ravi-chandran Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar Kumar held on to their 17th and 18th positions respectively.

Meanwhile, India start the three-match series against West Indies as-sured of retaining their number one rank on the ICC ODI Team Rankings table, irrespective of the outcome of the series. India are currently ranked first with 123 ratings points and enter the series leading seventh-ranked West Indies by 34 ratings points. Because the rankings are weighted to reflect this difference, India’s failure to win the series will result in them losing as many as four ratings points.

Hope a West Indian carries forward Sachin Tendulkar’s

legacy, says Jason HolderAgencies

Mumbai: Just-retired cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar’s legacy should be carried for-ward by someone from the Caribbean nation, feels West Indies fast bowler Jason Holder.

“Obviously a good career by Sachin. He has set a new mark as a batsman for several players and sportsmen in general and in terms of cricket. He has left a very good legacy and it is hopefully up to a West Indian to pick up that legacy and carry on and hopefully bet-ter (it),” Holder told reporters here.

The 22-year joined the squad for the three-ODI series, which com-mences on November 21 in Kochi, and said the batting legend must have shared some of his knowl-edge post Test series when he visited the West Indies

dressing room.“I wasn’t in the dress-

ing room at that time but

I am sure it would have been a good visit and he must have passed on some of his good knowledge and expertise,” he said. West In-

dies suffered innings defeat in both their Test matches but Holder said they have

a squad that can turn things around.

“We are a very confident side at the moment. It is the first series coming off our series against Pakistan and it wasn’t the best but I think we have a side that can turn things around and move forward.”

The Barbados player said the morale of the team was high and they were not thinking about the two-Test se-ries loss.

“Obviously the guys were a bit disappointed after the Test series. But having said that, we have fresh group of players here. Some of the players from the

Test side and couple of new players have joined the team. We have got a new mindset and we have got a new focus.

Agencies

AUSTIN: Once the prince of Formula One and holder of all the “youngest ever” records, Fernando Alonso will head to Brazil this week battling to keep pace with the sport’s new king of speed.The two-time world champion Spaniard will also be leading Ferrari’s forlorn fight to finish as runners-up in the constructors’ world champion-ship, having secured that position for himself in the drivers’ title race with his fifth place finish in Sunday’s United States Grand Prix.

Like most competitors and observ-ers at the Circuit of the Americas, Alon-so, 32, doffed his cap to Sebastian Vettel after the 26-year-old German had reg-

istered another record-breaking feat in winning his eighth successive race for champions Red Bull.But behind his dig-nified show of respect for the supreme team and four-time world champion, he was struggling physically and men-tally.Regarded by many as the finest racing driver of his generation, Alonso has seen his potential to win for Ferrari reduced almost systematically by the stunning speed and reliability of Vettel and Red Bull.Yet in bringing his Ferrari home to claim second in the champi-onship, Alonso demonstrated again his deep resources of courage and commit-ment in the most difficult circumstanc-es.Alonso raced with his body taped up to reduce the pain from his back and the headaches that have dogged him

since his 25-G impact on the kerbs in Abu Dhabi two weeks earlier.

Some drivers might have with-drawn from the fray, particularly on a day when Vettel added more lustre to his legend. But not Alonso.

“I’m tired, very tired,” he said after-wards. “I didn’t have good preparation for this race physically. I was one week on the sofa or in bed with headaches.

“The race was demanding. It was not an easy race. I had to fight all the way through, so physically I feel tired now. I felt stressed all weekend from all the battles.“Hopefully I can feel a little bit better in Brazil, less tired, enjoy the weekend a little bit more, but there are still some targets to do with the con-structors’ championship for us.

TUESDAY NOVEMBER | 19 | 2013ZABARWAN TIMES6

Stressed Alonso fighting forlorn battles for Ferrari

Agencies

Disgraced former India pace bowler S. Sreesanth is all set to tie the knot with a girl from a royal family in Jaipur Dec 12 at the famed Guruvayoor Sree Krishna temple, said a close aide of the cricketer.

Speaking to IANS, a close aide of Sreesanth said the marriage plans are being looked after by his brother.

“The wedding will take place at Guruvayoor tem-ple Dec 12 and the same evening there will be a reception in Kochi and an-other one the next day also at Kochi,” said the close aide who did not wish to be identified.

Agencies

Rafael Nadal maintained first place in the men’s tennis rankings issued by the ATP on Monday.

The Spaniard ensured he would end the year as world number one with vic-tory over Stanislas Wawrinka at the ATP World Tour Finals in London on Novem-ber 6. Nadal went on to lose the final to Djokovic, but on 13,030 points cannot be overtaken by the Serb, who is on 12,260, with Spain’s David Ferrer third on 5,800.

The only changes to the rankings were outside the top 50.

ATP top 10 as of November 18 (pre-vious ranking in parenthesis): 1. (1) Rafael Nadal, Spain, 13,030 points 2. (2) Novak Djokovic, Serbia, 12,260 3. (3) David Ferrer, Spain, 5,800 4. (4) Andy Murray, Britain, 5,790 5. (5) Juan Martin del Potro, Argentina, 5,255 6. (6) Roger Federer, Switzerland, 4,205 7. (7) Tomas Berdych, Czech Republic, 4,180 8. (8) Stanislas Wawrinka, Switzerland, 3,730 9. (9) Richard Gasquet, France, 3,300 10. (10) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, France, 3,065.

Sreesanth to tie knot Dec 12

Rafael Nadal heads ATP rankings

Agencies

CHENNAI: Defending champion Viswana-than Anand could not break through the defens-es of challenger Magnus Carlsen and had to be content with a draw in the seventh game of the World Chess Championship on Monday.

turned out to be another tame affair after two back-to-back losses for Anand as Carlsen gave nothing away in yet another closed Ber-lin defense as black, while the Indian went for an early deviation from previous games.

With just five games to go in the 12-game match, Carlsen retains his two point lead with the scoreline now reading 4.5-2.5 in favour of the Norwegian. The clock is now ticking away for Anand as the Indian needs at least two vic-tories in the next five games to level scores.

Carlsen’s Berlin defense has already given too many headaches to team Anand and today it was no different. No matter what approach Anand chooses, the Norwegian is always spot on in getting exactly the kind of positions he likes.

Anand went for a knight capture on the fifth move to get a position akin to the Ruy Lopez ex-

change. The better pawn structure is guaranteed to white in these setups but black gets sufficient counter play with the nature of the position re-maining close.

Anand probably wanted to avoid serious complications he has been facing in the end-games in the last two games and hence a bet-ter structure guaranteed him level endgames

should they arise.By move 10, two minor pieces had changed

hands giving the impression that Anand prob-ably had a slight pull but not much to carry on.

Carlsen, to his credit, yet again came with right maneuvers to ensure that the position always remained close to equal.

On move 15, Anand pushed his king rook pawn to open up one file on the king side but his plan boomeranged as Carlsen, after tem-porarily allowing a foray on the seventh rank for the white rook, neutralized the optical ini-tiative with timely exchanges.

Both rooks and another minor piece was off the board almost in a blitz and all that remained was a queen and knight endgame with no chances for either side.

Anand changed a couple of more pawns and the draw was agreed to in just 32 moves vide repetition.

“I thought I will be able to get something but I could not,” Anand said in the post-match conference.In the remaining five games now Carlsen will get to play three white’s while Anand has just two white games remaining.

Split coaches a possibility

India aim for win against resurgent Nepal

Kohli, De Villiers locked in No. 1 tussle for ODI batting rank

Agencies

Siliguri: Having lost to Nepal in the SAFF Championship last month, the Indian football team is set to face a tough task as they lock horns with the Himalayan nation in an international friendly here on Tuesday.

After playing out a 1-1 draw with Philippines on Friday, India are still looking for their first international friendly win this year.

Last time the two teams met, Nepal edged past India 2-1 in Kathmandu.

Expecting a fierce challenge from the neighbours, national coach Wim Koevermans said his boys will go all out for a victory at the Kanchenjunga Stadium.

“It`s not a match of revenge as is be-ing stated. Every team takes the field to win. Sporting culture says that once you lose to a team you stay keen to win it the next time you play. We want to win. But it`s not that easy. We know Nepal are a strong side,” Koevermans said.“In the recent past we have not

been able to convert our chances. We got plenty of them for sure. Chances only come when you play well.”“We are playing some good football and hope to carry on the trend,” he added.

India skipper Sunil Chhetri feels their loss in the last meet-ing would have no impact in tomorrow`s match.“Tomorrow is a new game with both teams starting from the same score. His-tory is there for stats,” said Chhe-tri who is on the cusp of becoming the highest goal-scorer for India.

“To win matches you need to score. It just doesn`t matter as long as we convert our chances. Whether it`s me or anyone in the squad, it`s immaterial as to who scores,” Chhetri, who is presently tied with Bhaichung Bhutia on 42 goals, said.Meanwhile, Koever-mans and Chhetri congratulated Subrata Paul for signing a contract with Danish Superliga team FC Vestsjaelland.

Agencies

Johannesburg: Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore has expressed his immense frustration at this team`s recent batting failures against South Africa.

According to Sport24, the Pakistan team has been criticised for playing up to seven bowlers at times, thus weakening their batting, but Whatmore said he would still be looking to employ bowlers who can bat on their second visit to South Africa this year.

Pakistan are without Goliath-sized paceman Mo-hammad Irfan, who is staying over in Dubai for treat-ment in the hope that his hip injury will heal in time for him to play in the series against Sri Lanka next month, the report said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan T20 captain Mohammed Hafeez said there were some advantages to playing South Africa so often, with the teams having already met in five tests, 12 ODIs and four T20 internationals in the last year.

The series in South Africa starts on Wednesday with a T20 match at the Wanderers, the report added.

Whatmore `frustrated` by Pak batting during South Africa series in UAE